A Dangerous Destiny: The Pure One Book I

Chapter Twenty-Seven

So, Henry made some somewhat surpassing remarks at their last audience. Lets see how Fiona feels about the King after their latest interaction...

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Fiona

As Fiona rode towards Gregorn early the next morning, her mind played her conversation with the King over and over as it had throughout the night. She had suspected the man of sinister intent from their first meeting, but she had never expected to hear Henry speak of matters pertaining to the Initiate or magik. 

The Council was convinced the King had intentions of granting their people equality within the Empire. They believed that his discourse with Fiona would prove that the Senmin were not only loyal, but posed no threat towards the Crown. Fiona had wanted to agree. It was why she continued to act as representative of her people. She could not deny that peace with the crown appeared to be in the Senmin's best interest. But if Henry's motivation in meeting centered around an interest in her people's magik, it seemed that the neutrality the Council hoped to cement in the mind of the Crown would be impossible.

In fact, Fiona could not help but wonder now  if Henry had never held any interest in granting them equality at all and realized the man could be setting her people up to face the same persecution they had under Fredrick. There was little question the new King needed a scapegoat for his multitude of problems. Could he intend to use the Senmin's purported powers to turn the people's hatred from the Crown unto her people? Or was it his hope to use magik to cement his rule somehow? Neither was an encouraging prospect.

The topic of the magikal arts, aside from those used in medicinal practice, was a forbidden topics of discourse outside the Initiate home of Sithrah. Women of power had long ago learned to keep their skills hidden, lest they bring about the hatred and fear of those who looked upon their talents with distrust. Surely any member of the Initiate would have been concerned by the King's implied interest in Fiona speaking of their secrets.

Still, Fiona knew that Henry's vaguely disconcerting comments and her premonition of ill will from the Crown would not be enough to sway the Council from their support of his rule. They would not understand the potential danger. After all, the Council was nearly as ignorant as the Crown regarding the Initiate and the true nature of her power as Nita. They would inevitably advise that Fiona avoid the topic and proclaim complete ignorance of anything aside from the Senmin's belief in the God and their loyalty to the Crown. They no doubt questioned the truth of the Initiate's power themselves. That was as it should be. The secrets of magik were just that after all, secret.

But something in the way Henry had broached the subject told her that he would not so easily be dissuaded of this interest, nor convinced that the Senmin's power was only theoretical. Fiona only wished that she could discern the true meaning of his asking questions pertaining to the Initiate. He hadn't pushed the topic far, merely alluding to a desire to speak more on the matter...

Again Fiona's found her thoughts wandering to the Vox Populi. She could not imagine anything that might lead her to trust the King now, and wondered more than ever if rebellion might be the Senmin's only chance to find true safety. If only she could be certain their ranks were strong enough to succeed in taking down the Crown.

As Manna's house finally came into view hours later in the waning daylight, Fiona felt her body relax slightly, glad to seek shelter under the safety of her teacher's roof, even more so when she saw on her approach, Manna at the door, her horse missing from its paddock. It was a good sign that Karina was away. While she was always glad to spend time in her old home visits with Manna made it impossible to avoid Karina's presence. In her effort to avoid revealing too much emotional care towards the girl, Fiona found herself acting so cold towards her daughter that she barely recognized herself. With her mind filled with other worries, Fiona was grateful that she would not have to add the complication of interacting with the girl to her current list of concerns. The knots in her stomach were big enough already.