Chapter 17
Nicci had enough feeling sorry for herself. She sighed. There was no choice really. She loved her father dearly, but Justin was her future. She just had to hope her father came to his senses one day and they could be a family again. Until he could see her for more than a little girl needing protection, which she hadn't been for quite a while, it was inevitable.
Even if she chose to stay, the cycle would just repeat itself. No, Justin was her future, and she would not give him up. Hopefully the king would come to his senses quickly, but even if it took years to reconcile, that wouldn't be her fault.
It would hurt, she would miss him, but it was the way it had to be. She also determined she would not sneak out like a child, like she had almost two weeks ago. This time she was taking the front door.
She sighed gazing out her window, it was the middle of the night and she was wide awake. That's what she got when she cried herself to sleep and slept the day away. She was wary though on the timing, if she marched to Justin's rooms and joined them, her father could make things difficult for them. Even by simply throwing one or the other out of the castle.
But she wanted to at least let Justin and the others know her plans, that she would not abandon them and what they had. Her new family. She slid the secret door open and slipped inside...
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Nora woke fully alert and looking around. She could swear she heard a latch click. When the book shelf pushed out from the wall and a figure stepped in the room she prepared an attack. Before releasing it, she saw it was Nicci and started cursing up a storm.
Nicci giggled, "It's good to see you too!"
She said frostily, "Damn it Nicci, I almost took your head off."
By this time everyone else was awake and pulling Nicci into a hug, including her.
Nicci said, "I'll join you all when you leave, I hope that won't be too long..." she went on to explain her choice.
"Nicci, why don't you just join us now?" Sally asked.
She was wondering that too, but she agreed with Nicci when it was explained.
"I want to, but I am afraid that my father's anger with me for making this decision will be turned toward all of you. At least when we are leaving we will all be out of his sight."
She considered that, she had never known the king to be petty, but then, things might be a different story involving his obsession with keeping Nicci safe.
She hugged Nicci back fiercely when the princess made her rounds before kissing Justin hard and fast.
Nicci said regretfully, breaking out of Justin's embrace, "I'm curious about your day, but I need to get back to my room in case someone checks."
She watched as Nicci slipped into the passage before she lay back against Justin and tried to fall back asleep...
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Sally yawned. She was trying to wake up after last night. She had decided to give Justin a rest after he slept with both Kat and Nora earlier in the evening, but she had been having a very pleasant dream when Nicci woke them all up. Needless to say, she was running on very little sleep.
She was happy to see the smile on Justin's face though; the change in him had been obvious once Nicci had stopped by to share their plans. He also looked a little too awake after their time together last night. Then it hit her, of course he looked awake. She leaned into him and whispered.
"Would you give me a little pick me up, you tired me out last night."
She smiled as she felt his magic suffuse her with energy and love from the goddess. She kissed his cheek and thanked him and got back to eating her food. She hoped they found out what he had to do today, and that it would all work out...
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Kat knew it had just been a day, but she was missing the smells and sounds of nature. The city looked nice, but it wasn't comfortable for her. She had an urge to change and run into the surrounding hills, go for a hunt. Nothing overwhelming, her talent didn't control her, but it did make the city an uncomfortable place to be and she just felt uneasy.
She felt better when she reached out and took Justin's hand, as they walked back to the temple. She hoped the high priestess would see them as promised, so they could go.
She studied her intended mate as they walked, he was walking with more confidence now. She could see his inner strength reflected on his visage, though he insisted he was just Justin, she saw so much more than that. She wasn't sure if he was even aware of it, he was humble and always trying to downplay his own importance. But he radiated a calm authority now that she and the other women could sense.
It just made her love him more. She wanted so much, she wanted his child, a long life together, but she knew it had to wait. When he caught her studying him and gave her a questioning look, she just smiled and winked. She couldn't exactly tell him could she? How besotted he made her, or how amazing he was? It would make him uncomfortable, or worse, arrogant. She preferred him just the way he was...
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As they walked up to the temple he saw the priest from yesterday waiting at the door. He almost groaned at the looks he got when the priest bowed to him. He most definitely did not want to be famous. At least the bow was brief.
The priest said respectfully, "Follow me please."
They were led down the same hallways as yesterday, but then kept going deeper into the temple. There were large murals on the walls as they got further into the temple. Some depicting the act of sex, some were just a couple standing together that was drawn so well you could see the love in their eyes. There were also drawings depicting pregnant women and some of families with young children.
They were led into a room with comfortable couches and chairs, it looked like a lounge of some sort.
The priest said diffidently, "Please make yourselves comfortable, the high priestess will be here shortly."
They sat on one of the couches, they did not have to wait long. A short time later their chatting was interrupted by the door opening.
The high priestess Celia was in her mid fifties, but she was still in good shape and quite attractive. She smiled at them and said, "Welcome to the temple of Cytherea. Please, call me Celia, we will have no formalities between us Flame of Cytherea."
He relaxed at her friendly greeting and said, "You must call me Justin then, if that is the case."
She smiled at his response and said, "My priest tells me you want to know about the last Flame, I assume that is because you are at a loss as to what our goddess asks of you?"
When he nodded she said, "Normally I wouldn't tell anyone, but then, you aren't just anyone. You need this information to do our goddess's will, yet, I would have an oath from the five of you that what I say here will never pass your lips for the remainder of your lives."
He thought about that for a moment, then replied, "With the exception of needing to for success, and that I will extract a similar oath from that person, I would be okay with that. Specifically one of our number is missing today, and she will need to know what we are doing. And who can say if any others will be needed?"
The ladies all agreed with him on the necessity of not being completely locked down. Celia didn't exactly look thrilled by the exceptions, if it became general knowledge they could face a new crisis weekly from idiotic power hungry assholes, but she would accept it as long as he extracted an oath first and said as much.
When they finished giving their oaths, Celia began explaining.
"Two thousand years ago, the goddess came to this world. There is much speculation about it, but we truly do not know the reason why. Before then, we had worshipped gods that simply weren't real, in an attempt to explain the world around us. The goddess loved us, and wished to walk with us personally, and be a part of our lives. But she could not do so without compromising our free will.
"It is said she loved us so much that she found a way. Shortly after that, all the children being born had magical talents. As you know, when we use them we can feel the goddess's love, yet, she does not interfere in our free will or how we use them. It is simply enough for her to have this personal connection with all her children.
"I don't understand it completely, but free will is a gift, and as such, we believe knowledge of our goddess, and other gods, were given to us. That way, we had a way to choose to reject our goddess, even choose another god. Regardless of what the full answer may be, the result was a cache of knowledge was found. Knowledge of our goddess and other gods."
She frowned, seeming to collect her thoughts, then continued.
"There is much we don't know, we are not truly sure why or how the knowledge was given, but it is what we suspect. Most people had no inclination at all to replace our goddess, or even invite a second one in. But it only takes one.
