Chapter 79

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~Hometown~

Oris could just imagine how she looked, hunched over, holding a piece of paper over a candle flame so furtively. If anyone smart saw her they would think she was about to burn the letter.

I wonder who it is now. Between Meéarine and Hermes, she was honestly tired of unexpected visitors.

Resisting the urge to blow out the candle, she leaned into her chair and and folded the letter until it returned to the state it had been when Andrea handed it to her.

She slipped it into her sleeve and made sure it was snug before scooping her veil from where it lay on the floor.

When she was done putting it on, Andrea took her by the arm and helped her to her feet. "Who do you think it is?" she whispered.

Oris shook her head. All she hoped was that it wasn't more trouble. She had enough things to worry about, from Nian Fey, to Wei Wei, to Mikeal, to Hermes. What she needed now was time to take deep breaths and rework her plans to suit the situation.

Since Bren had initiated communications with her, he was clearly safe and alive. She needed to know how many men they had lost to his suicide attack. She needed to know how the New World felt about her rebellion. She needed to know which States were now allied with her and which former allies she needed to snatch back.

With so much work to be done, there was no time for harem drama.

"Come in," she called out, knowing that the servants at door would hear her and obey.

"Mistress, you should have let me do that," Andrea complained. Together, they walked to the center of the room.

"It's okay, Andrea. I'm not trying to impress anyone with my manners."

The doors opened the moment her last words fell and a procession poured through it. In a matter of seconds, the once spacious room was crowded with servants, maids and all kinds of palace staff.

They parted at middle to stand at either side of Oris, leaving only four people in front of her.

Mayree and Keziah stood behind two men, one of which was the physician that had been in the Great Hall just some hours ago.

"Mayree," Andrea mumbled then glanced up at her mistress, "they're back."

Oris gave the hand holding onto her a soft squeeze, not able to keep herself from smiling. "Go."

"Yes Mistress," Andrea courtesied and rushed to their side.

Mayree and Keziah held their hands in front of them with their thumbs interlinked and bowed to Oris.

"This servant greets the Lady of Inqa," they said together.

The maids and servants behind them bowed and curtsied in return, disregarding the objects balanced on the trays they carried.

"Rise." Oris walked to her maids, helped them to their feet and held them to her chest.

"Oh, how I've missed you two." Andrea cried as she warmed her way into the hug. "I didn't think I could survive—"

She was interrupted when someone cleared their throat. All the gazes in the room shifted to him because of the sound. Pleased to have their attention, the man held up the scroll in his hands. "All kneel for the Emperor's decree."

Oris turned to him as Andrea and the others fell to their knees and clasped their hands. He was the first eunuch she had seen apart from Faeradaigh—who apparently preferred not to be in uniform. A slender, willow-like man, with a fair, delicate features and a boyish voice.

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