Read Online The Shrinemaiden (The Maidens) by Annie Eppa - Free Book Online Page B

Now I require one capable of infiltrating Sarcopian politics; one who can easily move through the courtiers and the nobility of the kingdom despite her status as an outsider. Someone who can think fast on her feet, who can ferret out information from the sycophants that hang on to the king’s every word, who can determine which factions are allied to the king, and those that oppose him.”
    “And that would be me.” Adelai said, finally understanding. A shrinemaiden enjoyed a status unheard of by any other nobleman or noblewoman. Her presence at court held it to greater prestige, and only she could move through the intricate politics that surrounded every kingdom undisturbed, and with little suspicion.
    But the Temple of Inne-anneah had always remained outside of politics, refusing to take sides throughout its history. In many way, shrinemaidens could function much like a priest, in that any confessions made to them were privileged, and it would be almost sacrilegious for them to betray this, even after retiring. There was no faster way to ruin a shrinemaiden’s reputation, and being found guilty for these crimes would strip her of the immunity she enjoyed in all the kingdoms. “Your Majesty, at the end of my final training, I am to swear an oath to remain neutral in all manners of court intrigues. I cannot break that vow.”
    “You cannot break an oath that you have yet to make, Adelai,” Saleia said. “If you agree to this, you will never take that oath.”
    She gasped. Each oath ceremony was a personal affair among shrinemaidens, with only their close friends and sometimes their first patrons attending. One could not be a true shrinemaiden without it.
    “We will conduct a ceremony for you of course, but in a way to prevent those oaths from being binding. It would be quite suspicious otherwise.” The priestess sighed. “You will be asked to make many sacrifices, Adelai. We want you to know all the terms before accepting this offer.”
    “You may be suspected nevertheless. We must allow for any suspicions that you had been deliberately sent to Sarcopia on my behalf.” The king said. “But the beauty of the plan is that by all accounts I have bought you for a night, and no more contracts between us need be forthcoming. Garrant is aware that I have purchased you for an admirable sum, the greatest price ever paid for a shrinemaiden, and his interest will be piqued, to know what you have that has caught my interest. He will undoubtedly suspect a trap, but he will also be eager to force you to break your vows, to find any secrets I may have told you. In any case, he will be curious to see what I have seen in you, and I suspect it will not be long before you shall be contracted out to one of his followers. I have familiarized myself with his ways, and I know his curiosity shall be too great for him to ignore.”
    He leaned back in his chair. “But still, you are free to accept or reject my proposal, and I will think nothing of either decision. You have my word on that. I do not want you undertaking something that you do not want. You are currently the most popular shrinemaiden at the moment, given my substantial bid for you. If you reject this offer, you can walk away from this room and still enjoy the advantages of your high bid, as more people will be seeking you out after this. You can well be on your way to becoming one of the finest shrinemaidens in the land, and retire a very rich woman.”
    “But if you accept, the priestess is willing to release you from any debts you owe her, to be a free woman or remain a shrinemaiden once this business is over and done with. It is your choice to make.”
    “What if I am caught?”
    “I will not allow that to happen,” Thornton said fiercely.
    “If they have uncovered our little plot, then tell them I coerced you into doing so.” The king’s smile was only partly in jest. “There is an exception to the oaths shrinemaidens take, is there not? If their lives are in