As Selene predicted, the temple’s misbehavior began to escalate. The next morning as I went downstairs to Helian’s quarters, I spotted a small crowd of junior priestesses outside the main gates when I looked through a window. Two of them were holding small handwritten signs, though I couldn’t make out what was written on them -– Unfavorable descriptions of the duchess and her conduct, most likely. Upon observation, it seemed as if things between the crowd and the guards were in no danger of escalating, so I made a mental note of this for later and continued to the saintess’s room.

  I first knocked twice on the door, gently so as not to wake her if she was still sleeping. After no response, I used my key to unlock the door and entered. Despite Lady Frost doubling the estate’s security, Helian still insisted on locking her quarters at night. Allowing things to progress as far as they did at Coroban’s estate remained one of my greatest regrets, seeing how much those events had fractured her peace of mind. It was at least a good sign that she was willing to trust those close to her with spare keys.

  Helian was not asleep. She was sitting up in bed, staring at the sunrise through the window.

  “Good morning, Rosa.”

  “Good morning, Lady Saintess. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  She shook her head. “No, I was already awake. Would you mind preparing a bath for me?”

  “Of course not. I’ll get right to it.”

  The water in the pipes was still ice cold, so I turned on the heater beneath the tub as it filled. Helian’s skin was sensitive, so I would need to make sure the water didn’t get too hot. She hadn’t asked for it but given her current mood I decided it was appropriate to add a little rose oil to the bath. It was her favorite scent, so it would help her relax. The shampoo bottle was almost empty, so I made a mental note to grab a new one when I went to the laundry room later. We were almost out of clean towels as well.

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  Once the tub was sufficiently full, I shut off the tap and went to the closet to pick a few options for today’s outfit. At this point I knew Helian’s tastes well enough that my first choice was usually the one she went with, but it was still necessary to offer additional options, if only to make her feel like she was exercising control over her environment. She was frequently expected to comply with orders from others, after all. Since she had no important appointments today, I picked two comfortable casual outfits that paired well with her hair and eye colors, along with a more extravagant option in case she felt like being fancy.

  I laid the three selections out on the countertop, then checked the bath water. Almost perfect, so I shut the heater off – the remaining radiant heat would do the job of bringing it up to the ideal temperature. I walked back to bring Helian into the bathroom.

  “Lady Saintess?”

  Helian was still staring out the window. It occurred to me that her presence was fainter than usual.

  “Helian.”

  She jumped slightly as if I had surprised her. “Yes, Rosa?”

  “Your bath is ready, Saintess Helian. Do you want me to help you to the tub? Would you like to have a drink while you bathe?”

  “No… that’s okay. I’ll be right there.” She slowly climbed out of bed and followed me to the tub, closing her eyes as she sank in.

  “You don’t have any appointments of note today. Frost’s weekly meeting with the duchess and the dame is happening later this morning, if you wish to attend. Oh, just so you know, there are protesters out in front of the estate. They seemed to be on their best behavior though, so you don’t have anything to worry about as long as they don’t catch sight of you. And if they do, I don’t mind taking care of them, so you don’t have anything to worry about.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as a cloud of fog that hovered above the tub. “I think I’ll skip the weekly meeting this time. Once I’m finished bathing, can you ask Frost if she has time to join me for lunch today?”

  “Of course. I’ll let her know that you missed her yesterday, and ensure she understands that you’re expecting her for lunch.”