Sairis's POV
The high priest gathered his things quietly and excused himself through a side door, leaving the five of them standing in the cathedral hall. The candles on the altar were still burning. The parchment with their blood was gone, stored somewhere safe behind the altar stone.
The king clasped his hands behind his back and looked at them both.
"I have to speak before I go," he said. "The council meeting starts within the hour and I cannot be late to it. Not today."
Loreen nodded. "We understand."
The king looked at Sairis first. "You did well today," he said. "Both of you did. I know this was not easy and I know it was not what either of you planned."
He paused, before he continued. "But I want you to know that I did not do this to back you into a corner. I did it because I needed you both to be safe before that room full of lords and officials decides to have an opinion about your lives."
Sairis met his gaze. "I know," he said. And he meant it.
