Sins & Virtues

Chapter Sixteen: Loyalty

Marisol

Solaire Palace, Marina Fell

The atmosphere of the royal court was tense and divided. The reason for the division was obvious.

Most praised their Queen's decision to send troops to the borders, while others were concerned about the aggression of the order. Luckily, the gossip was thriving through the courtiers, distracting them from their own kingdom and turning their gaze upon their neighbours. It seemed there were many places throughout the seven kingdoms where its citizens were unhappy. Vermillion's citizens weren't happy with their new king, though for reasons that were only speculation for now, but speculations that sparked uproar, and unrest was rising in Brynn between supporters of King Cairn and his elder brother, who had died in Amity along with their parents.

The rest of Marisol's court, those not praising her military movements, were only discontent with her trip to the Ore Peaks and kindness towards the common folk of Marina Fell. Her order of shared feasts of food and wine throughout the city on the day of her coronation had been abided by, and her name and generosity were still praised throughout the streets. Some nobility found her too kind-hearted.

The entire city was tense, for their queen was tense, and as disgruntled as the Wych, Vermillion and Brynn citizens.

' He sent a Cleric!' Marisol raged, pounding once against the top of her desk.

' Apparently he's a high ranking Cleric.' Persephone offered, in a tone that might have been an attempt at comfort if not for the smirk on her lips. She was lounging in Marisol's chair, slumped back in a very "unladylike" way. She was far more comfortable here than she had ever been at Lady Arianne's. She had forgone the Vestal dresses she had worn alongside Marisol, for gowns of pastel colours and white, her blonde hair billowing down her shoulders, rather than braided and pinned beneath the cap.

' He sent a Cleric.' Marisol repeated, folding her arms and huffing. It was a few days after their return to Marina Fell and their acquaintance with the Cleric Ako was made. The two had finally managed to find some time alone and it frustrated Marisol to no end to see Persephone's amusement at her persevering anger. She had hoped the anger would lessen or peter out with the passing days, but the Cleric's presence sustained the blazing fire within her.

' What did you expect, Mari?' her friend sighed.

' I expected him to come!' she snapped, whirling around to glare at her. Persephone put her hands up in surrender. ' Sorry. I just...I've written to Cardinal Blythe all my life, even from before Lady Arianne's. I've given up my whole life for him and Amity and the Carmine Sun. I gave up growing up in a palace, in my home, with my parents. I missed Marigold growing up. I missed everything because I gave everything to them, and he doesn't have the decency to visit me, even after half of the family I was taken from...he sends a Cleric and visits that idiot Diggory instead.'

' We don't know he's gone to Vermillion.'

' Of course he's gone to Vermillion!'

' Mari, at no point was there any chance he would visit you over Diggory.' Marisol glared even more ferociously. ' It's the truth! The world, every kingdom, is tipped in the favour of men. It's why girls are made into Vestals and boys are made into Brothers. Brothers for order. Vestals for control.'

Marisol turned again, leaning back against the desk and fiddling with the seal hanging against her chest by a chain. It bore her family's crest etched into the gold surface. She ran her fingernail along the line of the crest; a blazing sun.

' Someone's life path shouldn't be determined by what's between their legs.' she said.

Persephone nodded behind her. ' We've had this conversation before,'