Chapter 28: I don't even know how to dance

I returned to the temple once the carriage was under way, I wanted to find the Mother before she got really angry. As I passed the common soldiers that would normally be training here, they all saluted me with their hands to their hearts and half bowed. I slowed, nodded back and tried to remember faces.

I noticed one of the older men from yesterday's advanced class. I walked up to him and pulled out a handful of silvers in a small pouch." Would you see that his widow gets this, and make sure that he receives a good burial?" To say that he was startled was an understatement.

He responded with a respectful. "Yes, Milord." This I accepted and left to find the Mother and my Postulant. Chandra was easy to find, as she was still talking with the nobles that hadn't left yet. I left her to the jackals and circled the grounds, I saw a couple of the younger kids using their short swords two-handed and grinned. I wondered how long that would be tolerated.

I was fighting myself, I could have walked away and he would still be alive. I killed him in cold blood and it was intentional. I hated doing it. But if I had walked away, then Megan would be married to that evil kid and suffer all sorts of abuse. Then there was Kassandra and Chandra, what would I be to them if I did that?

Once on this path I needed to trust that it was the right one, everything about it just felt correct. Mother Browynn might be mad at me, but I did what I felt was right.

Hell.

Could I look myself in the mirror if I had walked away? No. I had to do what I did. Goddess, it sucks though. I didn't notice that I walked all the way around the courtyard and was standing at the temple entrance. I had put off my meeting with Mother Browynn for too long, so I went inside to find her.

She was facing me while talking to one of the Sisters. I knelt and tried to center myself until she was ready for me. Unfortunately she was ready before I found it, so I rose anyway and walked to her.

I bowed to her. "I'm sorry that I had to kill him, Mother." I opened.

"So why did you then, you could have easily just incapacitated him?"

"It wouldn't have solved my problem, though; he would not have stopped until one of us was dead. You saw what Steven did, and that was after I dispatched his chief lackey. The kid might not be good enough to tell how easily I blew through Squire Michael's guard, but someone will get it into his head that Steven needs to back off."

"I personally have no allies here and he is a Duke. I did not want to ask you to go against a Duke, and I don't know the politics of this place yet. It all started when I came in with the squire commanding Lady Megan in an insulting tone that I found intolerable, so I butted in. He became more and more belligerent until we ended up here. I didn't want to kill the idiot, but I couldn't figure out a way not to." I ran out of steam.

She looked at me with sadness in her eyes. "Where does this leave you now?"

"Now?" I paused. "Steven hates me for taking what he thought was his, so he will try to kill me, I expect someone tonight." She nodded for me to continue, it didn't look like she disagreed with me. "I've been invited to Lady Kathryn's ball tonight, along with Lady Megan, I still need a way to meet the king and deliver Kira's message, and I just don't know how much time we have until they are in danger."

"Have you tried to talk to Lady Polyantha?"

"Who?" That wasn't a name that I was familiar with.

"She is the Duchess of Roses. You would have had to pass her citadel on the way here."

"No, I haven't, I was actually warned away from her by Kira. I believe that Kira called her a 'Wastrel'."

"Harrumph. She might be one at that, but it is her duchy that is in danger, and she should know, she at least would take the message to the king and let him deal with it."

That made a lot of sense, and I said so. "Do you know where she is?"

"I would attend that ball of yours and ask there."

"Thank you, Mother. May I see Meri?" She nodded, and summoned a novice and had her take me to Meri.

Meri looked frustrated but fine, her class was more advanced than she was. I reminded her to get her belongings, and to let me know if she needed anything.

She still looked at me like I betrayed her. I figured that that would not change until after she got settled. I wished her well and left to meet Chandra.

Chandra was waiting by our horses looking uncomfortable. "What's up?" I asked, as I got close. We were both mounted before she answered.

"Milord, you have to understand that people just don't carry that much money on them." She began hesitantly.

"Makes sense, go on." I encouraged her; I had already figured out that she would have a bunch of IOUs.

"Everyone told me that they would have someone drop off your money sometime in the next couple of days." She still looked uncomfortable, and I guessed that it was about Steven.

"Let me guess, Steven is being a twit and doesn't want to pay, so the Sister that you were with strong-armed him."

I could see her mouth the word 'Strong-armed' to herself before replying. "Something like that, Milord. If he doesn't pay up, the merchants guild will be notified and so will the Temple of Julius." She did not look pleased that it came to that.

"How much does he owe us?"