It was the Holy Church’s turn to give their reward.

  As the court murmured with tension, the robed figure of High Priest Caldus stepped forward, golden tassels of his ceremonial robes catching the sun as he prepared to speak.

  He stopped before the center of the hall, raised a hand in blessing, and spoke with calm authority.

  “The Solius Church,” he began, his voice steady and regal, “has chosen to bestow upon Her Highness a Second Odyssey Ring.”

  Gasps stirred the assembly.

  Even among the nobility, the Second Odyssey was a revered artifact — a sacred ring typically worn only by High Priests of the Solius Church. Forged in ritual and tradition, the ring bore within its silver-gold face a delicate preserved flower known as the Moonshade Blossom, a rare and holy pnt that bloomed once every decade under the moon. Infused with divine energy, the flower granted the ring powerful healing properties that activated in times of distress.

  To give such an artifact to someone outside the clergy — and more so to an apostle of another god — was not just generosity. It was a statement.

  Ravenna’s lips curled ever so slightly. She masked it quickly with a polite nod, but inside, she was ughing.

  “So that’s their angle,” she thought, the corners of her mind alive with amusement. “They believe I’m the Saintess. The Second Odyssey Ring reacts in the presence of the divine. If I wear it, it will glow and that’ll confirm their suspicion if true.”

  She allowed her eyes to flick briefly toward Marie, who stood near the wall among her small retinue. Marie, oblivious to the silent game of politics unfolding around her, simply gave Ravenna a faint smile.

  Ravenna almost ughed aloud. Almost.

  But instead, she tilted her chin gracefully and responded, her voice calm and composed.“I am honored, High Priest Caldus. I accept the Church’s blessing with gratitude.”

  The priest inclined his head, though there was a glimmer of curiosity behind his eyes.

  Every two centuries, after the previous Saintess passes into the divine realm, a new one will be born, a vessel created by the combined blessing of all Twelve Gods.

  The Saintess, being a figure of celestial unity, held authority across every religious faction. She was the voice of the gods, the symbol of divine order, and the spiritual heir of bance.

  And in this age, that Saintess was… Marie. Ravenna knew it.

  The scramble to cim the Saintess for their own had ignited wars in the past. In Light’s Conquest, one of the most devastating conflicts in recorded history had been sparked when the truth of Marie’s nature was revealed, and every power had fought to cim her.

  High Priest Caldus, perhaps realizing how precarious the moment was, gave a short blessing.

  “May the blessing of Goddess S—” He stopped suddenly, clearing his throat, eyes darting in momentary panic.

  He had nearly invoked Solius, the patron deity of his church, upon Ravenna, an Apostle of Herptian, Goddess of indulges and lust. To invoke one god's blessing upon another’s chosen was not just improper, it bordered on sacrilege.

  Correcting himself smoothly, he resumed:“—Ahem. May the light of the Twelve gods guide your path, Your Highness.”

  There were a few stifled chuckles among the younger ministers. The older clergy remained stone-faced.

  The pause was brief, but the moment had been marked.

  With the church’s reward concluded, Emperor Andrew’s voice rang out once more, firm and authoritative.

  “Now,” he decred, his gaze sweeping over the assembly like a hawk in flight, “the Imperial Family shall bestow its reward upon Her Highness, Ravenna Sorius.”

  A new yer of tension settled across the marble-cd court. Nobles leaned forward in their seats. Ministers held their breath. Every gaze turned back to the imperial stage, to the man whose word could shape destinies.

  The Emperor rested his chin on one hand, as though pondering deeply.“Hmm… what would be a worthy reward?” he mused aloud, his voice tinged with theatrical contemption. Then, slowly, a knowing smile tugged at the corners of his mouth — the kind that made seasoned politicians sweat.

  “Ah,” he finally said, as if the idea had just struck him. “I believe I have the perfect one.”

  Ravenna didn’t move, but her expression sharpened.

  “Since you are still bound by your sentence of exile,” Emperor Andrew continued, “I have selected a reward most suited to your unique circumstances.”

  He straightened on his throne, shoulders squared with imperial poise, and raised one hand as he procimed:“I, Emperor Andrew Sorius, hereby grant Ravenna Sorius, Duchess of the Jo Dukedom, a formal Order of Expansion!”

  A collective gasp rippled through the hall like a wave breaking upon stone.

  Shock, disbelief erupted in hushed murmurs and exchanged gnces. An Order of Expansion Was no ordinary reward. It was a military edict — a rare imperial decree authorizing a noble house to expand its territory through conquest, diplomacy, or annexation of non-imperial nds in which the Imperial Army was obligated to help.

  Such privileges were only granted to border lords during times of strategic necessity. But to give it to an exiled princess?

  Unprecedented.

  The Emperor continued, his voice unwavering as the full weight of his decree settled over the stunned assembly.

  “The desert isle of Jo, while loyal and rich in tradition, is hardly a suitable domain for someone of your vision and particurities, my daughter. Therefore, with this order, you are granted authority to expand the reach of your duchy by annexing any territory that does not fall under the imperial crown of Ancorna.”

  His words were deliberate. Ravenna’s eyes narrowed. Behind her composed smile, her mind raced.

  “An Order of Expansion?” she mused. “What is he pying at?”

  She studied her father’s face. That smirk. That glint in his eye.

  She stepped forward with regal grace, kneeling once more as protocol demanded.

  “Thank you, Father,” Ravenna said with a calm, even tone, her voice clear and sharp as gss. “The reward is… most generous. I shall make good use of it.”

  Their eyes locked for a brief moment.

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