Garima looked at the young priest.
"Riley, can you do me a favor"
"Yes, Your Holiness"
"Please, ask Lawrence to wait for sometime"
"Yes"
"Can you bring him something to eat too"
"Yes."
Garima nodded once, "Now go,run along."
"Yes , Your Holiness."
He hurried off.
The council room was quiet. Rowan Voss stood near the table. Still. Composed.
He looked at her when she entered.
"Saintess"
"Guildleader"
Neither of them sat.
They stood silent for a beat—
"I want to know who you are" Rowan said
Straight to it.
Garima tilted her head slightly.
"A Saintess."
"Before that."
A flicker crossed her face— Then it was gone.
"A girl." Who loved stories.
His jaws tightened.
"I don't believe in gods. And I don't think you lived with one "
There it was. Clean. Direct.
Garima didn't respond immediately.
Inside, something shifted
She didn't panic. It was a relief, perhaps.
"What makes you say that?" She asked.
"You observe differently," Rowan said. "You don't hesitate. You don't react like someone raised in isolation."
He stepped closer.
"You grew up around people. Learned from them and how to use them."
A pause "You are shrewd, and you know survival"
Yes, I learned from Indian Serials.
She maintained her expression.
"Is that the only reason?" she asked.
"No." His gaze sharpened "You try to appear mysterious. It gives you away."
A faint smile touched her lips.
It was survival of the fittest. She intimidated her cousins, outmaneuvoured relatives, schemed and came out on top.
Indian families are like politics. You have to figure your way out of it.
She watched serials as crash courses to learn and give sharp irrefutable answers.
She thought she was an expert. But she was caught
"And here I thought I was subtle."
"You are not."
"That's Disappointing." Not much she never went to acting school.
"And you look trained. Your build is deceptive. You trip but you are never injured. You may be clumsy but you have balance. I can't tell if it's deliberate"
"It's divided attention," Garima said.
"Pardon"
"Multitasking"
"I am not familiar."
"It's like doing multiple things at once." She said lightly. "In my case—thinking"
Rowan didn't smile.
"Is it also an act?" He asked "You deflect or shift to food or something funny. Lighten the conversation"
Garima met his gaze.
"Is it working?"
"Not enough"
"I understand"
"i don't trust you." Rowan said.
"I know"
"That's the problem." He replied "Nothing you say feels reactive.I can't tell what you want"
Garima's expression stilled.
"Nothing you can't afford to give"
Rowan's eyes hardened.
"You want influence over the guild"
"You are observant "
"That kept me alive"
Garima shook her head slightly.
"No, Rowan" she said quietly " You did what you had to do to survive"
Rowan stilled.
"You were a child," she continued. "You adapted. That's not a flaw, it was an accident but it's good they are dead. Child abusers should be punished, it doesn't matter if they were parents. They met with retribution."
Then it was. Silence. Sharp. Even the temperature dropped.
"I heard that" Rowan said slowly "you don't see individual futures." he paused.
"And yet you describe mine so accurately"
Garima didn't answer.
"What is the reason?" he asked
"That you matter." In the story. Garima didn't say the last part out loud.
"Like a pawn"
"Integral or vital" , a mentor-like character. She couldn't complete the sentence.
"Like Princess Danya?" he asked.
"You are sharp"
"You are not easy either"
Garima smiled "I try"
"So what's your verdict?" She asked.
"The princess is safe." He said "As you said she would be, and the attendants survived."
"Yes."
"But I still don't trust you."
"We can spend months questioning each other," she said. "Or we can prepare"
Rowan watched her
"So what's now?" he asked.
"I tell you a part of the vision." Garima said.
"Parts?" He said "Why not the whole?"
"You won't be able to shoulder it," she said. Flat.
Rowan sighed
"What do you want to do with the guild?" he asked.
"I am not here to dismantle your systems." She said "I just need access to use your people, I promise it won't be dangerous for now"
"For now?" He asked. Then–"Saintess you are not making any sense"
Garima exhaled once. Then—
"This Kingdom—Arden was the first to fall"
"It burned, It was razed to the ground" she continued "Two Devil Generals lead the attack. Mozgaroth of rot and Umbrakel of Fire."
Rowan didn't interrupt.
"The king and the queen perished. The Royal line died with them. Except for Princess Danya and Prince Caelum."
"You survived," she said after a beat. "And three others"
Rowan's eyes sharpened.
"The rest?" He asked.
"Gone." She said "More than half of the population,"
Her voice didn't rise.
"The Shrine is destroyed first" she added. "No one survives"
A good and tragic story, an interesting prelude. A bunch of unnamed people dying.
But now they have a name, a face, and a family. Hill, Dylan, Ava, Agatha, Filly, Riley, Aila, Donna and so on. So many people.
Garima's gaze didn't waver.
"That was the vision," she said quietly "It doesn't have to be correct, the future can be changed."
Rowan didn't speak for a long time.
"It was my burden to carry" she whispered, "Now it's yours too."
Rowan said nothing for a moment. His expression didn't change. But his eyes softened.
"And?" He asked.
"Don't share it"
Rowan studied her. Long. Careful. Then—
"Why do you want access to the guild" he asked.
"For scouting. Information flow"
"With whom?"
"Other countries. Other Tribes"
"You think they will listen"
Garima's lips curved slightly.
"I know they will," she said. I wrote them.
Rowan didn't ask how.
"What do I get ?" he asked.
"Information that keeps us alive."
"Finel" he said, "we will try it your way."
Rowan reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a card. Then he placed it on the table.
"Everyone begins with one star." he said "performance determines the rank."
Garima picked it up.
"And no-stars?"
"There are three other like me"
"Oh," she said. Something flickered in her eyes.
"They survived?" Rowan asked.
"A woman" she said " two men"
She paused. And
" twins" They were just unnamed background characters for later stories. She put her thought away without letting it show on her face.
"Yes, I was not testing you" He said.
Garima shrugged. Out of it.
"They—-- we are exceptions," Rowan added.
"You mean your strength can't be measured," Garima asked.
"Something like that" he answered
"I only have use for the lowest rankers." Garima informed.
Rowan nodded. Then
"You really think you can prevent this?" he asked.
"I will prepare for it." Garima replied determinedly.
"We are not enemies" Rowan said at last
"Yes"
"Not friends either"
"Not yet"
"But I will work with you," Rowan promised.
"That's enough," Garima said.
Rowan turned around and left.