The Stars and Green Magics [Sapphic and Nonbinary Epic Space Fantasy]

S1: The Truthspoken Heir - Prelude 3: The Courtyard

"Palace Rhialden, established during the rule of Jisorian Rhialden, Seritarchus III, was largely designed by the Seritarchus Consort, Wang Xiu ne Fantine Rhialden. Wang Xiu was co-ruler in all but name until the assassination of the Seritarchus in the eighteenth year of his rule. Because he died from an attack by a guest staying in the residence wing, Wang Xiu ordered, as her last act as Consort, that the new guest wing be built separately from the palace itself."

--Dr. Ami Tierney in her popular banned article, "A Short History of Palace Rhialden, by Assassinations"

Lesander Javieri, heir to a high house princedom, paused in the broad courtyard of Palace Rhialden. Flagstones spread out like a lake around her, crossed by courtiers and various palace functionaries. Behind and to her left were the administrative and residence wings of the palace; to her right was the guest wing. At the far end of the courtyard, the Adeium, the religious heart of the kingdom, sat with its vaulted steel peaks and cream stone walls, an iron fence surrounding it.

Courtiers paused when they saw her. They were watching her, she knew. A few had approached her in the palace entrance when she'd arrived, but most kept their distance, feeling the social divide outside of hours that would allow such an imposition. A high house prince wasn't that far removed from the power of the Truthspoken themselves.

This palace—this was going to be her home. All of this would be hers someday. Through her wife, sure, but hers all the same. She had no intention of being a passive consort like the current Seritarchus Consort, her future mother-in-law.

"Ser Prince?"

She turned, seeing her young servant in green and gold High House Javieri livery, weighted down under her luggage. Lesander had sent some of her luggage to be freighted from the spaceport when she'd landed, but she'd brought her most personal items with her into the palace. She hadn't been given a chance to set up her own rooms before she'd been taken straight to see the Seritarchus and his two heirs. Her servant had waited in the corridor with her guards while she'd chatted with her future wife.

She'd studied enough of Arianna's life and personality to know it would be a mistake to flirt with her. But Adeius, the second Truthspoken, Ondressarie, hadn't been as subtle as she'd thought about making eyes at Lesander herself.

Not that Lesander hadn't found her own eyes trying to stray to Dressa. Her expertly styled, loose, wavy dark hair. Her round face, full figure. Her overall air of openness that couldn't . . . just couldn't be all that there was to her. Dressa's focus had been far too sharp, and she was Truthspoken, after all.

Lesander would have to be careful there. She was here to marry the Heir, not the Heir's sister. She could keep her eyes from straying. She had to.

"Yes, yes," she said, waving her servant toward the entrance to the palace's guest wing, which, while it connected to the palace by a covered walkway, wasn't actually part of the main building. "I'm on the second floor, I believe." She turned to one of the four guards she'd brought with her from her homeworld. "Go, get the floor attendant so we can find our rooms and settle in."

Lesander looked back to survey the courtyard once more, noting those who were still watching her and those who'd moved on. She stopped when she saw a figure far across the courtyard, just coming through the gates of the Adeium, accompanied by her own guards.

The woman had the same air of unconscious power about her as the Seritarchus. Steel-gray hair, dark brown skin, wearing a trim gray suit with amethyst and ruby stud earrings. She wasn't wearing her official red and purple robes, or the gold pendant of office, but Lesander had no doubt she was Ceorre Gatri, the Truthspeaker, religious head of the Adeium. The second most powerful person in the kingdom.

Lesander froze as the Truthspeaker spotted her and changed course to intercept.

She'd already met all three Truthspoken today; she didn't know if she had it in her to match wits with the Truthspeaker, too. But she couldn't walk away, so she braced herself and walked forward.

"Prince Lesander Javieri," Ceorre said. She held out her hands to clasp Lesander's, her posture welcoming. Was the welcome real? Lesander's family had allies at court, but also many enemies. The Truthspeaker would, of course, favor the Truthspoken, but where did Lesander now fit into that equation, if she was going to marry the Truthspoken Heir?

"Truthspeaker," Lesander said, dipping a slight bow. "I'd hoped to see you before the engagement."

One of Ceorre's impeccably groomed eyebrows shot up as she released Lesander's hands. "Oh? If you're seeking the counsel of Adeius before you're betrothed, I'm happy to make time."

"Yes, thank you."

She'd been seeking to understand her place here and how to navigate it best to her advantage, but counsel from the god was as good a reason as any.

The Truthspeaker's smile was tight and too knowing. Lesander had to fight hard to keep from stiffening, from losing sight of who she was and why she was here under that matriarchal glare. It reminded her far too much of her grandmother's stare, and the dowager prince could penetrate steel with her glare.

"Tomorrow morning, then," the Truthspeaker said. "Before the ball, before you need to get ready and dress. I'll be in my office." She waved at the Adeium. "Come into the sanctum, one of the speakers will show you to me."

Lesander held up her hands. "Thank you, but I'm sure you're busy—"

"I am. But you'll be marrying one of my charges, and that makes you my charge as well. Feel free to call on me as Arianna might. But I do have a meeting to get to now, so I will have to see you tomorrow. I'm glad to see you're well, Lesander."

And the Truthspeaker was striding toward the administrative wing of the palace, not once looking back.

Lesander was aware people were watching. More people than had been watching before. Slowly, exhaling, she turned, the guards who'd followed her to the Truthspeaker now following her back to her waiting servant with the luggage.

"All right, come on, come on. I don't want to be out in this sun."

She strode for the entrance to the guest wing, her staff following. She didn't dare look back, either.

Lesander had no thoughts at all that meeting had been an accident. She'd been at the palace all of two hours, and already she was knee-deep in palace intrigue.

Which was what she'd come here for. This was her life now. This was her new home. And she had to find her place quickly, because she had too many plans for her to screw things up now.

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Thanks so much for reading! Will be back next week with the next chapter!