The Emperor's Arrow

Chapter 8: Factions

Evony crossed through the main entrance to her building, her gaze sweeping around so that she could see everyone and everything. With the exception of a few handfuls of servants and one or two aides hurrying by, the main area was quiet, as it most often was. Her feet knew the path and didn't need her direction to bring her to the smaller hall where she and the other candidates were housed.

The rest of the walk with Galen had gone well, with his asking her more about Amazzi and she about the palace. If she were to help him, then she needed all the information she could get. As for the offer of fathering children for both of them... Evony still need some time to consider it. There would be far more repercussions than if she lay with a man who wouldn't know that he'd been stud for her.

Evony had barely made it into the hall when Admina rushed towards her. Following with more decorum and only a little less haste were Venita and her followers. She repressed a sigh and stopped, waiting for them to catch up with her without saying anything. She offered a slight smile to Admina when the other girl came up beside her, but otherwise kept her face as blank as she could as the other girls arrayed themselves before her.

Venita was clearly their leader, which often surprised Evony when she saw Primus Paran of Regem. She was also a member of the first families and seemed decent enough from the few interactions that Evony had had with her. She really didn't understand why she'd attached herself to Venita of all people, especially since she seemed to know almost everyone there. At least, Evony had seen her speaking to almost every girl still in the competition and several who had left.

The other two members made more sense. Rector Cerys of Eirian was from a silver province, and as the Argentia family was the first and premier family of silver, Evony wasn't surprised to find her following Venita. Regulus Akasma of Deniz held herself with great pride and seemed to consider anyone below the rank of Magna to be beneath her.

They stood in a line in front of Evony, the others just back from their leader, the light-brown-haired girl in silver.

"Where have you been?" Venita demanded.

Evony raised her eyebrows. "That's hardly your concern, now is it?"

The brunette narrowed her eyes and took a step closer. "It is if you were with his imperial majesty beyond the assigned time."

Evony snorted. "No, it wouldn't be. Whatever happens between me and Galen is of concern only to me and Galen."

Venita paled then glared. "Who gave you leave to call his imperial majesty by his given name? A barbarian might not know—"

Evony cut her off, tired with the conversation and more than tired of Venita. "It was Galen who told me to call him that in place of Adnuhom. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do with my time than listen to your venom."

Without waiting for a response, Evony swung around the girls with the still-silent Admina trailing behind her. Venita was too well schooled to sputter, but the way she opened her mouth and closed it did make her look like a hooked fish. "Halt!" she called after Evony.

She ignored her, continuing towards her room. She passed Chana of Yarkona who nodded at her. Evony nodded back, noting the girls who flanked the Primus in green. Neah and Fiorella she knew from the group challenge, and the last girl was in green as well, Magna Lapis of Tale.

Looking around the hall and seeing Asahi standing with the candidate from Alani, Evony realized that she didn't see Magna Sheshan or Rector Vashti of Azar. A quick glance at their doors showed their names had been taken off. Which brought them down to half the number of candidates they'd started with. And as Evony could now see, four factions.