House of Secrets and Vows (Crown of Deceit #1)

9. A Lucky Assignment

9

A LUCKY ASSIGNMENT

I nside the box is a carefully folded pile of clothing with a note sitting atop it. I unwrap the twine around the rolled piece of parchment and break the seal to find a message scribbled in ebony ink.

Now’s our chance to infiltrate the crown. Use this time to get close to Prince Nevan. Here are some clothes. Instructions to come soon. I’m counting on you.

-Felix

Felix must have at least one insider here in the palace. It’s no surprise he never told me, especially lately. But this is huge. An assignment this big would have to get him to take me seriously again, despite his bruised ego.

If I make it out of this Solstice alive, that is. I unfold the clothing to find leather pants, a lace corset top, and a small jacket that won’t do much more than cover my arms. On the very bottom is a pair of heeled boots.

What does he expect will warrant such an outfit?

There is no leaving the castle now to ask him, so all I can do is wait for his next note.

I break down the box and hide it underneath the mattress, then slip the clothes and shoes into a few of the pillowcases that open. My chance to earn Felix’s respect again will be over before it begins if anyone finds the attire.

The night offers me little rest as I toss and turn, despite the bed being the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on. Nerves of my priestess duty swirl with questions of Felix’s plan, and the combination of the two serves as the perfect potion for restlessness.

When Aella brought me to the Temple, and I took my vow, it hadn’t taken me long to fall into the pattern of being a priestess. I woke when I was supposed to, ate enough but never more than was polite, and dutifully listened to confessor after confessor as they vomited their secrets like sick children.

I’d thank them for their truth, give out a proper penance, then bless them on behalf of the Goddess.

I’ve always been careful not to draw too much attention to myself as a priestess, biding my time for the nights when I help the resistance. But as the only Solstice Priestess, all eyes will be on me.

And since I will now have to leave my priestess identity while I’m here, I have to be extra cautious.

I clean up in the private washroom attached to my bedroom, then dress in the same attire from yesterday and find the cathedral that Prince Maddox described just before the first morning bell chimes.

The cathedral is much larger and more extravagant than the small temple I visited upon arriving, with no shrines to any gods or goddesses.

Covered from head to toe, I sit in the first row of the room of worship and fold my hands in my lap in a pretend prayer as my eyes drift closed.

A male voice pulls me from my daze. “You must be the Solstice Priestess.”

I open my eyes to a man standing in front of me in a long, white robe adorned with embroidered blue stitching.

I pray I haven’t been snoring.

The veil covering of my face hides my identity and the state of my eyes, but it doesn’t stop the sound from my mouth—or nose. And though it is no crime to fall asleep, doing so on my first day would appear in poor taste.

“Yes.” I stand, my hands remaining folded. “I arrived early to pray.”

That should explain why I didn’t notice him approach.

“Prince Maddox asked me to give you a quick tour before the Solstice ceremony begins, but I can come back if you’d like more time.”

“I can continue my prayer later.”

The man, who introduces himself as Orion, is head cardinal to the crown in the Royal Church. Unlike the Temple of Secrets, which is dedicated solely to the Goddess Mina, the Royal Church claims to worship to all the deities as one, though all the tithes collected during worship services are conveniently always given directly to the crown itself.

Instead of symbols to represent the gods, at the head of the room on the small stage sits a large statue of King Tavin, the current ruler of Valazica. Rumor has it that it was his grandfather, King Helion, who shifted the role of the church, and ever since Helion’s rule, a statue of the sitting king has been showcased.

No matter that it was that win that fueled the ongoing tension between Valazica and the Day Court fae, tension that has ended in many deaths on both sides. That part of history is always left out.

Orion tells the story, emphasizing that the king shares all his glory with the gods above. I applaud his commitment to the lie because I’m sure he knows more than anyone that the king shares glory with no one.

“And what will my role be in this week’s festivities?” I ask as we meander in the back of the room.

When Aella returned from her stay at the palace, she hadn’t mentioned much about what she did as a priestess, the safest option as accidentally saying too much could break the vow.

“I will begin by welcoming everyone to the castle and offer a prayer to the gods in honor of our great king. Then, my bishops will pass along bowls of offerings for those who wish to give their thanks with coin or valuables. After which, I’ll give a small speech about the upcoming Solstice festivities and introduce you. Starting tomorrow, you will spend the mornings from the second morning bell to the first afternoon bell in the confessional I showed you. Those who wish to wash themselves of their deepest secrets in honor of the Solstice will be able to do so.”

I adjust my glove. “Outside of confessions, will I have any duties?”

The cardinal shakes his head. “Most priestesses prefer to spend their free time in their rooms or the west-wing temple in prayer.”

“I shall do the same.”

The perfect cover.

That means I will have from shortly after the second afternoon bell until the first morning bell to get close to the prince, though doing so might prove difficult.

Aella taught me how to sneak in and out of the Temple, which route to take, and when to take it. And as priestesses, if we are caught, we can always claim the Goddess was urging us to visit the people.

But here, I know so little. Getting lost in this giant maze of a palace would be so easy, and finding a sufficient alibi much more difficult. But it’s a problem I will worry about later.

The cardinal shows me where I’m to sit during the ceremony, a seat on the side of the stage with three of his bishops, then excuses himself to prepare.

I wander the cathedral as I wait, admiring all of the beautiful paintings hung along the inner wall. The outer wall is more window than actual wall, viewing out into another garden, this one full mostly of roses.

The most stunning feature of the room is the large, circular stained-glass window in the ceiling above. A mosaic of varying shades of reds, blues, and purples tints the light shining into the room. Smaller square mosaic windows line the walls, but none are as impressive as the one above.

When I notice the first people enter, I take my seat, fold my hands in my lap as I perfect my posture, and remain as still as a priestess should.

Even Priestess Lana would be proud.

Everyone who enters in the next hour avoids the front three rows. Taking in their attire and demeanor, I doubt any of them are of real importance in the eyes of the crown.

Just as the bell strikes ten times, the cardinal saunters onto the stage. Within a minute, he announces, “Prince Maddox.”

The already-seated crowd is silent as the prince strolls into the room. He smiles at each side of those in attendance and finally settles in the front row.

Royal and noble guests continue to enter, all earning an introduction from the cardinal. When the seats are nearly full, he glances to the back of the room and shouts, “Prince Nevan.”

Where Maddox earned silence, Nevan receives murmurs and the undivided attention of everyone in the room. Like his brother, he smiles at the people, but he also stops to hold a few hands and share private words with some of the guests.

He pauses at the front, bows first to the cardinal and then in the direction of me and the bishops before taking the spot next to his brother.

Maddox’s face is the portrait of stillness, not a sliver of emotion sneaking onto his features, and I can’t get any read on his emotions.

From behind my veil, I take in the princes. The small similarities between them are more apparent as they sit side by side. But while they share the same cut jawline and large eyes, they are opposite in their airs.

Everything with Maddox is cool—from the steel hue of his eyes to his ivory skin tone—where Nevan exudes only warmth. His eyes are a golden hue, and his skin is the color of sand. Even their expressions match their tenors, Nevan all smiles while Maddox stares ahead, serious.

It might not be so surprising if I didn’t know the darkness that lurks within Prince Nevan.

With both brothers seated, the room returns to quiet chatter until the cardinal gestures to the back of the room again. “It is my honor to welcome Valazica’s special guest of this Solstice, Princess Ameerah of Solendale.

Solendale.

The Day Court.

A kingdom that had spent the last three centuries hostile with Valazica until last year, when a delicate peace treaty was drawn between the nations after Prince River, the eldest prince and previous heir to the throne, died.

The fae princess practically floats into the room in a long, silver gown that brightens her flawless porcelain skin. Her platinum hair is twisted into an elegant updo, displaying her pointed ears for all to see.

Despite the loud murmurs—and not the curious ones that Nevan received, but ones that reek of disgust—her green eyes don’t meander as her focus remains on the cardinal until she pauses at the front, turns to the princes and curtsies, then sits next to Maddox.

As she crosses one leg over the other, she tilts her head and looks straight at me. Her gaze doesn’t linger, and she returns her attention to the cardinal.

Nevan leans across his brother and says something to the princess, which earns a slight smirk from her before the cardinal asks everyone to rise to their feet.

“King Tavin and Queen Alessandra.”

The entire crowd shifts to face the back of the room as the King and Queen of Valazica amble down the aisle, elbows twined, as four guards follow behind them. The king leans into his wife, and from the strain in her arm, she bears much of his weight.

Queen Alessandra is the king’s second wife and mother to Maddox. The first queen died in childbirth as she brought Prince Nevan into the world.

From what I’ve picked up in conversations, the king was devastated and vowed never to remarry. Still, three years later, he wed Alessandra, third daughter to the king of Falenmont, to form a much-needed alliance as the Valazican army lost ground against the fae.

The king and queen continue to the thrones on the opposite side across the stage from me, and after they are seated, the cardinal begins the opening ceremony.

I watch Nevan, who is just as strikingly beautiful as he was the last time I saw him—before he fed from my friend. I’m struck with the urge to sprint to him, pull out the dagger strapped to my thigh, and thrust it right into his chest. But that would end with me dead before I can get close enough to strike, and any chance for answers and vengeance would be gone forever.

No, I must be delicate with the situation.

Whatever Felix has planned for me will fit into my own agenda: get close to the prince, learn about the House of Blood, and then bring them all down.

It sounds simple enough. If only that were true.

As the cardinal leads the opening Solstice prayer, Nevan’s attention settles on me.

There is no way the prince could know I'm the same priestess who took his confession, not when I'm covered in fabric head-to-toe. He couldn’t even see me in the confessional at the Temple, not with the enchanted curtain between us.

But as his gaze penetrates me, I swallow.

A few minutes into the prayer, the prince shifts his focus to the cardinal, and I fight the urge to doze back off.

Just when I'm about to succumb to closing my eyes, the cardinal says, “That concludes the opening ceremony.”

He bows to the king and queen first, and then in the direction of Nevan, Maddox, and Ameerah.

In reverse order of how they entered the room, all the royals exit.

Nevan doesn’t look my way again as he follows the fae princess toward the doorway. After the front three rows have emptied, those remaining merge into the aisle and, as if animals led to slaughter, make their way slowly out of the room.

Once everyone else is gone, I say goodbye to the cardinal and return to my room, where another note sits on my bed.

When I open it, a bronze coin falls from the folded paper.

This coin is an invitation to a secret revel. You are on the list as a niece of a noble named Nal Thatcher. He couldn’t make this year’s Solstice and sent you in his stead.

Prince Nevan will be in attendance, and you can make your introduction.

Good luck,

Felix

When I told Felix of the king’s plan to name Prince Nevan heir, he wasn’t surprised or happy about the news. He’d mumbled something about how arrogant the prince was, but if his concerns run any deeper, he’s never shared them with me.

Does he plan for me to get close to the prince so I'll have more influence when he becomes king? That seems like a farfetched plan since I doubt a king would care much about the opinion of some common woman.

Whatever Felix’s plan, it fits with mine for now, and I’ve grown used to not knowing the whys of my missions.

Every assignment I take puts me in danger, but fooling a prince is the riskiest one yet.

And it isn’t just Nevan’s royal status that makes him dangerous, but his association with the House of Blood, which is beyond my understanding.

I know so little about the House or what gifts he has as a vampire. But I heard the screaming patrons as I fled the tavern like a fucking coward, and if the prince figures out what I am up to, death will be a mercy.