They had been riding the carriage for days without encountering another village, and Neera was almost convinced that they were the only people in the world. The monotonous movement of the cart was enough to make Neera’s mind slow down completely, and she barely spent any time thinking about where they were going or why they were going there, until Illiya one night began explaining the point of it all.

  They were sitting around the campfire, Laya, Joell, Illiya and Neera. The cup of warm water in her hands was enough to chase the chill away from Neera’s bones. Laya was playing with the fire, throwing pieces of animal bone into it, and acting shocked when the bones cracked with a loud noise.

  “I think it’s time I explain some things.”

  Joell nodded, and Laya exclaimed that yes it was about damn time. Neera moved closer to Illiya, when Illiya began speaking in a hushed tone.

  “The fight for the throne is a brutal one. It spares no one. Even if I didn’t want to be part of it, I couldn’t ignore the first prince’s cruelty. He’s most likely the mastermind behind the lack of iron.”

  Neera wondered what position Illiya held in the empire exactly. Neera had no concept of how much power Illiya actually wielded, and she was curious about the woman. Was she truly as powerful as she seemed?.

  “I decided to support my childhood friend, the first princess, the prince’s twin. She’s everything that he’s not. She’s competent, reasonable and most important, she values life over power.”

  Neera tried to picture this woman that Illiya harboured so much respect for. Would she share Illiya’s consuming aura? Would she have the same confident stride? Or would she seem even more in charge. Neera found it hard to imagine someone more mighty and capable.

  “But unfortunately not everyone shares my common sense.”

  Illiya chuckles darkly.

  “With me joining the princess’s side, the scales have tipped a little, but with the church on the prince’s side, it’s still an uphill battle.”

  Illiya looked towards Neera with a meaningful glint in her eyes. Neera let the warmth spread in her, it was a cold night after all.

  “But with Neera, we have the ability to win over the church.”

  Neera shook her head, doubting that she could really be of any help, she wasn’t even a real oracle after all but Illiya reached out and took Neera’s hand. She held it tightly for a moment before letting go, and Neera wondered how much time she could spend exploring the callouses on Illiya’s hand. When Neera looked up, Laya and Joell were gone, and only Illiya and Neera were left. Suddenly Neera became conscious of how close they were sitting, but she chose not to move, convincing herself that it was indeed cold. Instead of focusing on the body heat rolling off Illiya mixing with the warmth from the dying fire, Neera decided to ask more questions.

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  “So what happens when we arrive at the capital.”

  “Well, there’s going to be a banquet, that’s when we’ll present you, not as an oracle but as someone we brought along. We’ll have to find some reason. Then we’ll create some mystery surrounding you and fake rumours so people come to the conclusion that you’re an oracle all by themselves. That’s when we’ll reveal it.”

  “And the danger?”

  Illiya’s face turned serious, and she clenched her fists.

  “I can’t lie, the first prince is a horrible ruthless human being. I probably should have warned you better.”

  The look of elegant regret was enough to dispel any anger Neera might have had. Besides, it was too late now anyways, whatever feelings of distrust and resentment Neera had been feeling, they were pointless now. Neera realised that she only had these people to rely on in the world, and since they had done nothing to break her faith in them, Neera had no choice but to trust Illiya, Laya and Joell.

  “So who’s on our side?”

  Illiya’s tone lightened immediately, seemingly pleased with Neera's lack of resentment.

  “Well, right now the princess's strongest supporters are me, the head of the gold leaf merchants, and the bishop of the south. That’s the person we’re trying to replace the pope with. Now we have a way.”

  Neera nodded, understanding part of her responsibility but also her sudden importance. She had to get used to the weight on her shoulders, but she didn’t necessarily find it unpleasant. Having a purpose all of a sudden brought a determination to Neera beyond simply surviving.

  “And the prince’s allies?”

  “Unfortunately the odds are stacked against us. He has the empress dowager on his side, the pope, the minister of finance and he’s trying to convince the heir to the only other ducal house besides my house. These are his proud supporters, but he has even more in the shadows, who won’t come out before he sits on the throne.”

  It certainly seemed impressive, even if Neera had no idea of the power dynamic of the palace. But Illiya didn’t sound defeated, she sounded ready to fight.

  “Why do you care so much?”

  It wasn’t a malicious question, but it was strange for Neera to see someone in power care about the person sitting on the throne being a good person. Someone who cared about more than their own greed.

  “I suppose I feel it’s my duty. My family has always been part of the nobility of the empire. I carry that responsibility. I can’t let a monster like the prince ruin people’s lives just to satisfy his desire for power.”

  Neera nodded. She didn’t understand fighting for a higher purpose. All her life had been about her own survival, but perhaps, now with food in her stomach, a soft blanket and a clear mind, she could learn.

  The two of them stayed up and talked for a while longer. The dam had broken, and Neera had a million questions about the empire. Who were the noble houses? There were the two ducal houses. The four counts, the eight barons, and then mine owners who were only minor nobles. What did people eat? Illiya talked about spices and fruits that Neera had never heard about. What did people do for fun? Mainly theatre and festivals. Illiya promised that she would take Neera. As the night grew darker, Neera grew more and more excited. When they finally went to bed, Neera could barely sleep. The next couple of days as they neared the border of the empire, Neera asked a million questions to whoever was around to answer. Her excitement seemed infectious, and spirits were high on the day they reached the border, until they realised they were being watched.