“But I don’t want to go to the temple,” said Zaniyah in her whiniest voice. “It’s probably boring and stuffy and I would so rather just not deal with any of that stupid crap. Isn’t there something painful for me to deal with here instead of Grand Temple?”

Shaw folded his arms and gave her his sternest look.

“... I really don’t want to go.”

He glanced away from her. “It really isn’t all that bad.”

“You can’t even look me in the eye while saying that!” Zaniyah stamped her foot. “Bad Shaw! That’s a very bad Shaw!”

Zaniyah had been worried that the people here wouldn’t accept her or her mother. However, everyone had been generous and kind to both of them. It had nothing to do with her having paladin magic. Her relatives were just happy that Nicolas was finally finding some happiness again after the deaths of his wife and Sena.

She even got along great with her great-grandmother. Sure, her great-grandmother was some ancient thing with a poor memory and she couldn’t even get out of bed on her own, but she did seem to like Zaniyah a great deal. That poor memory of hers was even the most endearing part about her. She was always so excited whenever she met Zaniyah for the “first time.” Something about the pure joy on the old woman’s face made Zaniyah happy to repeat her introduction over and over again.

Though her having paladin magic wasn’t such a big deal, it did weigh on her mind that it made her introduction go a lot more smoothly. If Nicolas Arbutus showed up with a woman he had an affair with twenty years ago and a daughter looking to take away some of Shaw’s inheritance, it would likely be a completely different story. But the first known female paladin in a couple of centuries? Zaniyah was the pride and joy of the Arbutus clan.

Shaw let out a long sigh. “... Duxton has his dealings with the king’s court today. Udell does not have permission to be with the court, thus I must accompany our lord. As an Arbutus, you have permission to come with us. You may ignore your current obligations for the sake of serving the crown.”

Zaniyah crinkled her nose. She let out a long and strained, “Eeehhhhhh…” The Daughters of Iath temple, where they keep Sena’s ashes, or a day at the palace? “What do they do in court?”

“The court is a coalition of elderly men who persistently argue with each other simply for the sake of arguing with each other. They do nothing to forward the progress of Lustro, merely stall it so that the old ways continue to fester and rot our kingdom.” Shaw rolled his fingers in front of himself. “An endless cycle of oppression and resentment”

“Okay… So I guess I’m going to the temple then,” replied Zaniyah.

Shaw raised his eyebrow. “Did you forget that you were supposed to bring a male escort with you? The suitor that your mother and Miss Fairy picked out for you?”

“Nope, not at all.” Zaniyah gave him a thumbs up. “I guess I don’t want to leave Kogin hanging.”

She had been given a list of men to act as her escort during events. The dating scene in Fogbloom was a bleak wasteland of applications and contracts. So far, Zaniyah had managed to weasel her way out of meeting any of them, but her mother insisted that she try to at least meet Kogin. He did seem rather nice.

Fairy was the one who had picked him out. She had apparently talked to Gwyn about what would make for a good Fogbloom suitor, and it turned out that Kogin was from some low noble family. They had made their money by being merchants and had no ties to any religious or political affiliation.

Plus, he worked in theater. Either he was an interesting fellow or a literary nut that Zaniyah wouldn’t be able to understand. She didn’t like the high verbiage types. Too many big words. This was also a date to Sena’s grave. How messed up were Fogbloom traditions that a visit to a family member’s grave was somehow a normal dating experience? Zaniyah had to make sure that there wouldn’t be a second date after this.

Shaw wasn’t comfortable with Gwyn popping over to play nice with Fairy while at the same time completely ignoring him. It did somehow result in Zaniyah accomplishing something, so he couldn’t exactly complain. “Kogin Audee? A solid choice,” he said with a nod.

“Eh, really?” Shaw approved? Oh shit. This Kogin guy must be the absolute worst.

“Your carriage should be prepared by now.” Shaw put a hand on Zaniyah’s shoulder. “Remember. You represent the family.”

Zaniyah frowned at him.

“It won’t be that bad,” he said reassuringly.

“Sure it won’t,” replied Zaniyah sarcastically.

She said goodbye and headed into the courtyard. To her surprise, Udell was visiting the fortress today. He was hooking some sort of wheeled device to the back of a small carriage. Some sort of wheelchair? Zaniyah had seen wheelchairs before, but this looked far simpler and outdated compared to the ones she had seen used in Carapace. Next to Udell was his manservant, who was attempting to be helpful by muttering advice at him. Neither were all that successful at getting the chair attached.

“What’s that for?” Said Zaniyah as she pointed to the wheelchair.

“The temple is known for its gardens and antagonistic women,” replied Udell. “You are to walk some distance today and will likely be challenged to several duels.”

Zaniyah put a hand on her hip. “You think I’m bad enough to get injured?”

Udell gave up on attaching the wheelchair and turned to face her properly. “You have failed to be attentive to your injury and your condition has worsened because of it.”

“What injury?” Zaniyah hopped up and down a few times. “I’m as fit as ever.”

Udell narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t up to doing this dance with words. “Your legs are weakening. Your gait has visibly altered and is getting worse by the day. Whatever magic Iath used to fix you is fading.”

Zaniyah froze. How did he know that Iath fixed it? “It’s not that bad,” she lied through her teeth. She absentmindedly began to rub her hand against her arm. “It’s probably because of the ocean air, you know? I’ll be shiny and new once I get back at the barracks.”

The manservant, Odd, walked over and leaned towards Zaniyah’s ear. “Don’t push yourself. Ask for help when you need it.” His voice was quiet and reassuring.

It was the first time Zaniyah had properly heard his voice. Something about it was oddly comforting. She slowly nodded her head. “... Okay,” she finally replied.

Udell retrieved his pocket watch. “We’re late. There isn’t a need to keep either Mister Audee or Madam Pennyrile waiting.”

“Whoa, what? We’re late? What’s with the ‘we’ stuff?”

“You’re a disabled woman, Blue,” replied Udell. His pocket watch closed with a sharp snap. “Your condition requires monitoring, thus you are to be accompanied by a trusted retainer whenever you leave the fort.”

Uh, what? Zaniyah wrinkled her nose. “Who said I trusted you?”

Udell shrugged. “Trusted… Whoever is available…” It was the same thing.

Zaniyah glanced over to the wheelchair. Odd had managed to get it to sort of hang off the back. There was a chance that it might not fall off. “Okay, fine. Suuure.” This was going to be the worst date ever. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Odd opened the carriage door and Udell entered first. Even if Udell was rude, Odd was willing to be useful. He helped Zaniyah step inside and sat down beside her. Udell sat across from them. He silently began to make notes in his scheduling notebook. Neither of them spoke to Zaniyah as the carriage began to roll away, leaving her to stare aimlessly out the window.

The carriage traveled along the cliff’s edge and into the heart of the city. Riposte Theater was known for its brief but high-quality productions. Due to being a smaller trope who lacked the money and fame to acquire a larger space, their building’s entrance was hidden down a dark alleyway. Banners were hung up along the sidewalk and upon the alley’s walls, advertising members of their acting trope and upcoming shows.

Udell wedged himself past Odd so he could open the door. “Stay put. I’ll fetch him.”

“Arbutus?” A young man pointed to the carriage the moment Udell stepped out of it. An Arbutus banner was hanging on the side.

“Audee?” Asked Udell.

Kogin nodded his head as he folded his arms. “You’re late.” He had been waiting out here for a while.

“Paladin Zaniyah was delayed by her obligations to the crown,” replied Udell. “Thank you for your patience.”

“... Right. Obligations,” muttered Kogin. He approached the carriage and immediately froze as his eyes locked on Zaniyah. “Oh… You were in here.”

Zaniyah waved a hand. “Hi.”

“Uh, hi,” muttered Kogin. He carefully entered and sat on the bench opposite of Zaniyah. Udell followed and sat down next to him. “Sorry... They usually just pick me up and then we’d have our introductions in a more formal location.”

Udell closed the carriage door and signaled for the driver to carry on. “Paladin Zaniyah expresses her deepest apologies for our lack of formality. We are running late for our appointment at Grand Temple. It became necessary for us to retrieve you along the way.”

“Yeah, what he said,” said Zaniyah. It took all of her strength not to freak out. Prim and proper Udell was not something she was used to.

Arguing with Shaw had only taken up a small portion of Zaniyah’s time. She had only attempted to start a fight after she had spent a few hours getting dressed and made up. A poor maid had worked her fingers sore trying to fix Zaniyah’s hair. They had tightly braided several rows on the left side, gave up, and left the rest of it wild and free. It somehow looked like a stylistic choice rather than an accident.

At least she got to wear paladin attire instead of what the other noble ladies wore. A pink tabard was better than the heavyweight of layers upon layers of expensive fabric. Plus, she got to wear her brand new white leather boots. She subconsciously clicked her heels together, just to hear that crisp click.

Likewise, Kogin had gone through the effort to make himself look nice. He had on a blue silk blouse that was tucked neatly underneath a black vest. There was a jacket he was supposed to wear with it, but he had misplaced it while he was working backstage earlier that day. Since this was supposed to be a casual introduction, he didn’t feel like going through the effort to hunt it down.

Kogin had rough hands, but his face was fair and smooth. His hair was pinned back in a short ponytail. It reminded Zaniyah of Vincent’s usual hairstyle, but Kogin’s ponytail didn’t do that trademark pig’s tail curl that Vincent’s did.

“... So,” Kogin finally muttered.

“... Right.” Zaniyah realized that she was staring. “Sorry.”

Kogin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He glanced over to Udell and Odd, then back to Zaniyah. Four of them in this small carriage, huh? This was an expensive formal carriage, but it felt overcrowded and stuffy. The hired help wasn’t normally allowed to ride inside.

“... Where are we going?”

“The uh, that Daughters of Iath place... Unless you wanted to go somewhere-” Zaniyah paused as Odd placed his hand on top of hers. “Uh, I guess we’re really going to the temple. I don’t really know how long it will take to ride there though.”

“... Forty minutes,” muttered Kogin. “An hour if there is traffic or if your driver paces himself.”

“Whoa, that’s oddly specific,” replied Zaniyah.

Kogin frowned to himself. “They invite me there often. My parents rarely let me reject those invitations.”

“I get that, and I understand that, but it’s not like there’s a lot of room in here.” She barely pushed forward her leg, nudging her shin against Kogin’s to demonstrate.

“Blue,” snarled Udell under his teeth. A quick warning for her to tighten up her behavior.

Zaniyah tilted her head. “Why do I have to watch what I say around him? I’m only here because I was forced to pick someone. Except I actually wasn’t, since my mother picked him out for me.”

“And I only applied to be her suitor because… Oh no, wait. I didn’t. My mother did that for me.” Kogin rolled his eyes. “I didn’t put up a fuss at the time because I didn’t think I would be picked.”

That was the best thing that Zaniyah had heard since she had gotten here. “I’m so glad that neither of us actually want to be here. This is going to be the best not-a-date ever.”

Her laid back demeanor made Kogin relax a little. “... Carapace, right? I hear they are more industrialized than us.”

“Industrialized? I wouldn’t really call it… Oh right, the golems.” Zaniyah would’ve tried moving her hands while she talked, but there wasn’t the room to do so. “We’ve got so many golems and other stuff there.” She supposed that’s why the wheelchair she saw earlier looked so old to her. Fogbloom never bothered to keep up in technology.

Kogin smirked as he glanced out the window. “... Golems, huh?” What a weird place. He then shook his head. “Normally we’d have introductions at a restaurant, but we need a way to pass the time.”

Zaniyah was quick to agree. They began to talk about what they had done over the past few years. Zaniyah spoke of Braytons while Kogin talked about the theater. His family may have been merchants, but he was mainly raised by his uncle, who was an actor himself. Kogin officially joined the Riposte troupe after his cousin had taken over.

Though they were small now, they wanted to raise enough money to become a traveling troupe. Kogin was more interested in creating plays instead of acting in them. However, his cousin insisted that his talents would be wasted if they weren’t on stage. If it weren’t for Margret Miller, he could’ve completely avoided performing at the upcoming palace banquet.

“Sudden idea!” Zaniyah did a small wave with both of her hands. “I’m stuck in Fogbloom for a few weeks, and I don’t want to keep meeting new people who want to bang me. Messing around isn’t fun if there’s paperwork involved.”

And Kogin did want a break from the dating world but, “I’m flooded with work at the moment.”

“...” Zaniyah began to chew on her bottom lip. “I could bribe you? You like stories, right? That’s why you want to be a playwright?” She grinned childishly. “Well, I was there when my friend murdered the crap out of the would-be that attacked Carapace last winter. I also beat up a buttload of tainted beasts myself. You wanna hear about that?”

“The lady has a flair for over-exaggerating mundane affairs,” Udell muttered.

“Over exaggerating my triumphs over evil is what makes for better story-telling,” hissed Zaniyah through her teeth. “Capturing all those emotions and drama is what makes it more accurate.”

“She has a point,” replied Kogin. He then rubbed at his chin with thought. “Alright. If you can give me a good story, I’ll agree to meet you again.”

Zaniyah immediately broke out in the same story she always told, her fight with the tainted snail. It was the one that she had the most practice with, and the one she thought would impress Kogin the most. Kogin merely nodded along, seeming neither bored or interested. He was content to let her speak, unlike Udell, who scoffed at many of the smaller details.

The carriage slowed and Zaniyah’s voice trailed off. She had become distracted by the stall owners and their shouting. They were all attempting to cry out over each other, proclaiming special details or quality of product. This place was full of life and wonder. Crowded streets, performers on nearly every corner, and even the horses were dressed to the nines, with streamers and bells along their heads and saddles.

“Just how big is Fogbloom?” Zaniyah whispered. It felt like they had been traveling forever.

Kogin raised an eyebrow. “Fairly small, when compared to other cities.” Fogbloom had become focused on the welfare of the wealthy. Most residents either served under them or worked in entertainment. “We left it a while ago... It shouldn’t be long before we reach the Daughters of Iath.”

“Eh?!”

This was Grand Temple?! Zaniyah yanked open the window and leaned so far out of it that Udell had to snatch onto the edge of her tabard to keep her from falling out. She had expected this to be a rigid and cold place, but Grand Temple was absolutely alive and thriving. What was Shaw talking about when he pretended not to like it here?! This place was so much more fun and amazing than Fogbloom!

“Lady Arbutus!” A man at a stall held up some weird triangle pastry as the carriage rolled past. “Would Lady Arbutus like a crepe?!”

“How much?!” Zaniyah called back.

“Free for the pretty lady!” He hollered back.

Zaniyah leaned out further, so much so that Odd had to join in to make sure she didn’t fall out. “Just take a coin so I don’t feel guilty!”

She grabbed a coin from her pocket and flicked it at the man. He caught it nimbly and held up the crepe so she could grab it. As soon as her precious parcel was retrieved, Zaniyah retreated into the carriage like a trapdoor spider with its prey.

Udell could do nothing but glare as she wiggled her way back into her seat. He didn’t say anything, nearly biting his tongue to keep himself silent. That could be poisoned, or that man might try to send a large bill to the Arbutus clan, or some other strange plot. Though he hadn’t spent much time around Zaniyah, he knew that trouble followed her eagerly, like a spoiled puppy.

The snack she retrieved was a thin pancake wrapped around layers of spinach, ham, fried egg, and sour cheese. Zaniyah took a bite and then offered it to Kogin. “This is really good!” Kogin stared at it for a moment. Not moving. Only staring. “You were working right up until you had to wait for us, right? So you didn’t get a chance to eat?”

“... Yeah,” muttered Kogin.

“So take the rest of it! I just wanted to know what it tasted like.”

Kogin took the crepe and took small, nimble bites out of it. Very polite. Quite the dainty gentleman. Zaniyah returned to staring out the window. Much to Udell and Odd’s relief, she stayed seated this time. Her attention kept being drawn to the elementalist performers, who were using their magic to play music or perform light shows using fire and lightning.

The crowds soon began to thin out and it wasn’t long before the carriage drew to a stop. Odd left first. He held the door open for Udell and Kogin, then helped Zaniyah keep her balance as she exited. “Wait here while I prepare your chair,” he muttered.

“Pfft, I won’t need it,” replied Zaniyah.

Odd leaned down and lowered his voice so that the others wouldn’t hear. “The older temples were built to dampen magical abilities. There is a chance you will lose your ability to walk.”

“Ah…. Right,” whispered Zaniyah. Why would they do that? Seemed like a weird decision. “Maybe just have it on stand-by?” She glanced over to the temple. It was a large building made of marble and gold. Most of the intricacies had become covered by flowering vines.

An older woman flanked by two younger women was quickly moving along the main path. Each of them wore green robes and had a brooch neatly pinned over their heart. The brooches were the coat of arms from the paladin families they represented.

“Welcome!” The woman in the middle had called out to them.

Udell stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Apologies, Madam Pennyrile. Paladin Zaniyah was struck by an arrow of true faith last summer and is still recovering. We will need a few moments to prepare her chair.”

Henrietta Pennyrile was a tall woman. She was thin and frail, with faint gray streaks in her brown hair and crinkles encroaching the corners of her dark eyes, but there was something imposing in the way she presented herself. The two women with her moved forward and began to assist Odd with the chair.

“And such a tragedy that was, to take a promising young woman out of active duty so soon. Iath weeps for the loss of her youth.” Pennyrile paused for a moment to say a silent prayer. “A good Eathaday to you, Mister…” Her voice trailed off.

Udell remained bowed. “Sir Udell Tardivel.” He straightened up so that Pennyrile could see the Flaytongue lapel on his jacket, a gift from Lady Till for his early graduation. “I will be serving as Paladin Zaniyah’s retainer today. We have been accompanied by her suitor, Mister Kogin Audee, and my manservant.”

“I have met Mister Audee on several occasions,” replied Pennyrile. There was a hint of disdain in her voice. “So you’ve decided to pledge yourself to the Arbutus clan?”

Kogin looked off to the side. “... Something like that,” he muttered.

Pennyrile let out a small sigh. “It cannot be helped.” She outstretched her arms. “I welcome you all to the Daughters of Iath. I will inform you that Eathaday is the only day which we allow men to stand upon these hallowed grounds. Paladin Zaniyah, I cannot help but express my gratitude that you have chosen to grace us with your presence. Your sister was such a loyal and caring member of our institution.” She performed a curtsy.

“Yeah…” Zaniyah bobbed her head. “It’s, uh, nice to meet you too?”

“Come along. I will act as your guide during your tour.” She then lowered her voice. “Though Audee has no doubt memorized our layout by this point.”

The chair was finally wrangled free, and Odd pushed it behind Zaniyah. She was going to walk until she had no choice in the manner. Until then, she was going to walk next to Kogin as both of them followed Pennyrile about the temple grounds. Many areas were off-limits to men, regardless of what day it was. They were only shown the public areas, such as some of the gardens, the art gallery, and the dancing hall.

Pennyrile went on and on about the duties of the Daughters. They were a beacon of light within the Violet Region, spreading charity and joy to wherever they could. That was the role of the Daughters. While paladins guarded the lives of the people, the Daughter’s protected their souls.

She praised Duchess Elbellziara and how she had elevated Grand Temple from its previous dreary state to the lively city it was now. Pennyrile even hinted that they were close. It sounded like a lie, either that or she was flaunting her status. Zaniyah didn’t understand much about the nuances of nobles, nor did she care to. Too much effort.

“Here we are,” said Pennyrile as she turned a corner.

Their final stop was the Hall of the Lost. Daughters who had died in the line of duty were entombed here. Each had a small placard on the wall. There was a painting of the woman, the year they were born, the year they had died, a quote, and their Daughters of Iath brooch.

They paused for a moment at Sena Arbutus’ placard. Zaniyah had only seen the one portrait that was located at the fort. It was part of a family painting that hung in her father’s office. Shaw snuck her into there one night so she could see it. Sena was only a child in it though, as it had been painted a year before their mother died.

This Sena was older, but she still had the same crooked smile as her younger self. Her Arbutus brooch, which she wore as a child in that portrait, had been hung next to her placard. An intricate gold tree with pink gemstones to represent the flowers. It looked so much like the emblem that appeared on Zaniyah’s shield.

“... She would have loved you,” said Pennyrile, breaking the tense silence in the air.

“I’ve been told that before,” whispered Zaniyah. Her eyes flitted to the quote that was carefully scribbled underneath. She knew she had seen the handwriting before, but couldn’t remember wear. It wasn’t by Shaw’s hand, nor her father’s.

“The strong must learn to love the weak,” she muttered.

“Prince Duxton was the one who finalized Sena’s placard,” replied Pennyrile. She let the silence sink in for a moment before muttering to herself. “Sena would have been such a lovely queen… What a shame.” A shake of her head was to be had.

Zaniyah’s eyes flitted around. Next to Sena’s placard was Ophelia Arbutus. That was... Right, it was her father’s aunt. She had been serving as Prince Cornelius’ retainer during his assassination. And above that was… There were just so many of them. All Arbutus women. So many had died for the sake of others.

Pennyrile spoke up again. “I believe that concludes our tour, Paladin Zaniyah. We have tea and snacks prepared for you and Mister Audee. Please take some time to relax before you depart.”

“Yeah… Thanks,” grumbled Zaniyah. There was that horrible weight on her shoulders again. Family honor and blah blah blah. It was making her weak in the knees. “Oh, thanks Odd.” The manservant was nudging the back of her legs with the wheelchair. She was going to take up the offer to sit now rather than risk falling on her face later.

Udell lowered his voice as he took a step towards Pennyrile. “Paladin Nicolas wishes for me to discuss this year’s donation from his clan. There are changes he wishes to make.”

“But of course,” replied Pennyrile quickly and cheerfully. “My girls will protect your charge during your absence. Shall we go to my office to discuss Paladin Arbutus’ business in private?”

“That would be perfect,” said Udell with a sickening grin.

Kogin glared at Pennyrile’s back as she led Udell and Odd down the hall. “There she goes again… Always concerned about money.” His eyes drifted to Udell’s belt. “I was too scared to ask before, but does that guy have chained meathooks on his belt?”

Zaniyah waved a hand about the air. “He does! And that’s not even the reason why no one likes him!”

“Now that’s a story that’s worth telling,” he whispered.

Though she didn’t like talking about people behind their backs, the gossip didn’t seem all that bad if it involved bad-mouthing someone she didn’t like. “It’s mostly because he’s really creepy, but I personally don’t like him because he caused the death of… I mean, I guess most people wouldn’t have cared if he died or not, but I thought he was someone worth protecting.” Zaniyah’s voice trailed off. “Yeah, sorry, it’s not really all that entertaining.”

Kogin winced. “It’s my fault for bringing it up.” He grabbed onto the wheelchair’s handles and started to push Zaniyah down the hall.

“So, why do they invite you here so often anyway?” Zaniyah turned her head and looked up at him. “It doesn’t seem like you enjoy it.”

“They want me to have paladin babies with one of their girls and force my parents to waste their hard-earned money on donations,” he grumbled. “It’s not all that important. How about I tell you about my latest play? I believe you could help me spice up the action scenes.”

Zaniyah looked up at him with a wide grin. “I’ll give you such amazing advice that your audience’s heads will be literally spinning in their seats!”

Their eager voices echoed down the hall, where they were promptly ignored by Udell. He let Pennyrile and Odd walk into the office first, before entering himself and closing the door behind him. Udell then locked the door and gave Odd a nod. The click of the lock made Pennyrile turn around. Her gaze flitted between Udell and the door.

“There isn’t a need to lock up.” She took a cautious step back as Odd positioned himself between her and Udell.

“Have a seat,” suggested Odd as he gestured to Pennyrile’s chair.

Pennyrile’s body stiffened for a moment. She shook her head, then moved to sit behind her desk. Odd took a seat in the chair in front of it. He crossed his legs and removed his mask. It was hard to speak with it on, as it irritated the scar on his cheek. Pain was not his ally. Magic was easier to do without the pointless distractions.

“You will now tell me every order you have given to either Paladin Dorian Buttonweed or Priestess Tish Maplehammer over the course of the past two years,” commanded Maurice. “You will then tell me your reasoning behind each order, and the names of everyone you are working for.... And please,” he added with a kind smile, “take all the time that you need. We have all day.”