The two men looked them over, and Sophia wondered why the atmosphere in the room had to be quite so intimidating. The younger of them seemed angry as well.
"I'm disappointed in you," he told the boy. "This habit of yours. Sneaking out of the palace."
Then he sighed, and confessed something else: that nobody had known where she was, and that he had been worried.
Sophia was taken aback by the admission.
She was also, it emerged, shocked to learn that she had been evading a Shadow Knight Order escort for some time without ever noticing that she had one.
The older man with the goatee chided them both. It was an irresponsible act, he said, for Hermans.
"I apologise," Ian said. "I'll accept my punishment."
Sophia stared at him. Then she stepped forward.
"I'll take the punishment as well. Scold me too — not only Ian."
"Sophia Herman." The old man's voice came down like a weight. "Do you truly understand what your words carry?"
Her eyes filled, but she held them steady. "I'm prepared for the responsibilities of a Herman."
The old man erupted into hearty laughter, and everyone in the room turned to look at him.
"A very bold brat," he said, delighted. "Acting just like a true Herman."
Then he addressed her again, and this time there was nothing careless in it at all.
"Sophia Herman. What is it you want so badly that you would take a punishment to get it?"
Sophia's expression filled with determination, and she put her hand over her heart.
An opulent white carriage came down Haven Street behind four white horses.
"Bow your heads," the coachman called, "for High Priest Charone."
A crowd of young women gasped in admiration. The carriage halted, and they chanted his name.
Among the townspeople stood a young girl with short brown hair, watching, her eyes star-struck and hopeful.
High Priest Charone appeared in front of her and smiled benevolently down.
"Are you having a hard time, child?"
"My sister is sick," the girl said. "Please. Pray for her health."
"Of course," said Charone, and smirked. "You should come and visit my private villa."
The townspeople murmured to each other that the high priest was known for taking in children from the slums. He rode away smiling while they praised his service to the goddess Mnemosyne.
Once the carriage was clear of them, the benevolence dropped off his face.
"How disgusting."
He complained to the girl seated across from him that the Herman Duchy was a terrible place, and she agreed with him.
He would use this favour, he explained, to demand a position from the Grand Duke. The arrogance of the Herman family was a disease; correcting it was, in his view, a sacred duty.
At the palace, Charone was met by an older man, Sir Elude, who confirmed that the magic tool he had requested had been installed. A room had been prepared for the memory sharing. Sir Elude complimented him warmly on his hard work.
Escorting him down the lavish corridor, Sir Elude privately mocked the Hermans for having so much money and so little taste.
At the end of the corridor, three silver-haired men of the Herman family were waiting.
Charone offered a polite greeting and thought, privately, that their reputation as villains was extremely well deserved.
The Grand Duke halted him with a raised hand before he had finished speaking.
Charone hid his annoyance behind a tight smirk. Old geezer.
The Grand Duke looked down at him, imposing and stern, and Charone submitted, bowing, and kissed his hand respectfully.
"My granddaughter," the Grand Duke said, "is looking forward to seeing this rumoured ability of yours."
A blonde girl in a green dress came across the floor toward them.
Charone introduced himself with a reassuring smile and found himself visibly flustered by how bold the little kid was.
She smirked up at him.
"Welcome," she said. "I wonder which of us wins. The demon, or the villain."
They gathered around the glowing artifact — the high priest, the girl, and a silver-haired man.
The assembled nobles murmured. She wasn't afraid at all, they said. They debated among themselves whether that came from innocence or from sheer arrogance.
One younger silver-haired man watched with deep concern.
"Is this wise?" Joseph asked.
The Grand Duke assured him confidently that it would be fine. The girl, he said, was no disgrace to the Hermans.
Joseph said nothing more. He watched the proceedings intently, and bit his thumb, and understood that the Grand Duke was thoroughly smitten — which meant that he was going to have to contact the Kelkirs.
Before the crowd, Charone proclaimed dramatically that he was able to look into the memories of others.
He presented it as a divine grace, given to him by Mnemosyne, the god of memories. The Herman family watched him stoically while he declared that he was fulfilling his destiny as the chosen one.
The Fidelis family's magic tool, he explained, would project the girl's memories where everyone could see them. Such devices were rare. This one had been created specifically so that his miraculous power could be demonstrated.
Memories, he added, are often vague.
What a braggart, Sophia thought.
"The device," he announced with a grin, "will reveal Miss Sophia's most memorable moment. What she cherishes most."
Sophia flinched.
"Place your hand upon the pillar."
She walked toward it, her face shadowed, and her eyes widened for a moment as her past life went through her mind.