Dawnli's workspace was just as cluttered as the last time I'd been in it. Knickknacks and junk filled every space not needed for moving about the room. Broken bits of artwork, papers and scrolls, forgotten tools and children's toys. There wasn't any rhyme or reason to it that I could see, but I ignored the small part of me that was tempted to organize everything. That wasn't the true cause of my irritation.

Esie held that privilege. Somehow she had finagled her way into the meeting without my knowledge and all she offered in apology was a smile. Not a self-deprecating one or one edged with regret. No, just a full bright smile as if I should be happy she was meddling. As if I had nothing to be upset about.

She sat at the low table in back of the room as if she belonged there. As if she'd always had a seat the table even though she belonged to another sect. Perhaps at some other point in time that would've been fine, but my patience with her had worn thin and she wasn't giving it any time to recover.

Dawnli and Rivon also sat side by side at the table. Rivon had just settled there after letting me into the room while I paused in the doorway. This time there weren't any scrolls to distract Dawnli as I entered her room. The Sect Head dwarfed the whisper women around her with her tall frame, but she seemed to take up the least amount of space. She trailed her gaze over me before her focus drifted down to the tea in front of her. She took a sip as if that had been her intention all along. As if her looking at me had been incidental, but I knew better than to believe that. You didn't become the Sect Head of information gatherers and spies without paying attention to your surroundings. Rivon, in contrast, had her full mocking, expressive demeanor on display that was meant to mask any of her true thoughts or feelings. She tutted, at everyone or nothing, before refilling Dawnli's cup.

Ingrasia was the last person in the room. I could tell she wanted to perch on something because she had forgone sitting at the table to lean against the wall. None of the random items near her feet had been disturbed, but she was leaning at awkward angle to achieve that. I wasn't sure if Ingrasia didn't want to irritate Dawnli by moving her things or if she had decided moving them wasn't worth the effort. After all, there wasn't an empty space to move them to that wouldn't cause someone to trip later. She also smiled at me, but it didn't grate in the same way Esie's did.

This was supposed to be a meeting about my future in the sect. The plans they had versus my plans for myself and the nebulous position I held in the Seedling Palace. Perhaps Esie had a right to be involved given her role as the intermediary for my patron, the Lady of Calm Waters, but I hadn't known she'd be invited and I didn't appreciate the surprise.

It all came down to respect.

They still wanted to treat me as if I was a seedling—someone to order around, to move as they liked. And nominally, I was still that. But that also ignored what my infamy and some of their actions had morphed me into. The social weight I now held given that—in their eyes—I was guaranteed to become the next Chosen between the goddess telling me a few words and my recent chats with the Beloved.

I didn't think they were all so callous as to think in terms of using me. Ingrasia, at least, didn't try to do my thinking for me, but Esie definitely only considered things in relation to how well they would help her support the Lady of Calm Waters, and the Hundred Eyes Sect Head and second had no connection to me other than how they might use me. How I might fit into their sect and the benefits I could provide them.

In an abstract way, I could understand their views of me, their motivations, but I was tired of being a piece on everyone else's board. It had never stopped since she wanted to use me for her own ambitions. Now it seemed like even the Beloved had her own plan for me based on things outside my control. Perhaps I couldn't protest to her, but she had also offered me a new way of doing things when she told me I was never going to be among the Chosen.

A way that meant I didn't have to bend and scrape to reach the upper ranks, because now I knew I could never reach them. As things were, I'd either join the Beloved as her companion or I'd get cast out, but either way the current hierarchy of the Seedling Palace would break. It was already breaking. This meeting and my supposed potential to become one of the Chosen were testaments to that. As a Sapling, I should have been training, learning everything I could about what it meant to belong to the Hundred Eyes sect. Ingrasia hadn't slacked in her responsibility to me, but I'd hardly had the same experience as a typical recruit—and that wasn't likely to change any time soon.

Looking at the three of them, I knew this was the final moment I had to choose. I could join them at the table, accept that Esie was there without my input or permission, and pretend like I still had a chance at being normal. Pretend to be a regular Sapling who let those higher up make decisions, who cared about the social order, who worked within the system presented to her.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

That was the path I was already on to an extent. I knew when to bow my head and had done so for the most part, but things had spiraled out of control anyway. People still ran their mouths. I couldn't control them, no matter how much I might like to.

On the other hand, I could break convention even further. I could walk away until they learned to respect me as an equal. Until they were forced to accept the fact that I wasn't just another seedling to be bossed around and used to their advantage however they like. I didn't want to embrace my new nickname but even just the rumor of it could delay punishment and censure, just in case the rumors of the goddess's favor were true.

And I didn't much feel like hanging my head and meekly shuffling to the table to hear what they had to say. Deamar had already been forced on me and my pride chafed at further injury. So I lifted my chin and met them in the eye. One by one.

"This isn't what we discussed, so I won't be joining you." I only gave them a moment to process that statement before I focused on Esie. "Please let the Lady of Calm Waters know I no longer wish to discuss our business through you. She can send someone else or I can speak to her directly. Our lessons are done."

Something twisted in my gut to give up my poisoner's lessons and my access to her second home, one of my last refuges and my last significant connection to working with plants…though there was a bit of a catharsis to it as well that I hadn't expected. Like a clenched fist I had finally let relax. Something to think about later.

For now, my willingness to go to Esie's garden home must have given her the idea there was more leeway to our relationship than I meant to leave open and I couldn't allow that to continue.

"Meddle in someone else's affairs."

Esie's smile faltered. She glanced at the others in room before forcing another smile onto to her face. I couldn't tell if it was an act for me or them, but I doubted I had actually hurt her. I was too much of a tool for her for that. She said, "If you think so little of me then it must be so."

"I do."

"Pity."

Pity for her or me? Regret, sadness, or a threat? I didn't know with Esie and I was tired of guessing. I couldn't deny that she had been a boon during my early time as a seedling and that I wouldn't have the odd influence that now followed me everywhere without her dragging me into the Succession War, but I wasn't sure that was such a benefit. Besides, I still owed her and the Lady and Calm Waters a debt or three, but I wasn't willing to continue moving to their every whim before they came to collect.

Rivon slapped the table as I turned to leave. "You can't go."

I glanced back at her. "I see no reason to stay."

I left and wound my way back out of the spiraled, brightly lit building. Perhaps it was a foolish thing to do, but I didn't regret it. If nothing else, the delta taught me that even if you continually tried to make a bad situation better, eventually everything had to change for true progress to be made. Doing what I had always done hadn't made much of a difference, so now it was time to change the game.

I just had to do what I could to make things happen according to my terms, rather than to everyone else's.

Ingrasia found me at one of the high lookout points like I expected her to. She walked up the railing as if it was some wide pathway and chuckled when she saw me notice her.

"I'd have thought you cursed all their favorite things by the way they went on," she said.

I leaned against the railing. "Even Esie?"

She waved a dismissive hand. "Mostly Rivon. She was in rare form, all bluster, going on about betrayal and insolence, though I'm sure once she's in private she'll be calmly calculating how to use this turn of events to their benefit. Esie…well, it's always been hard to read her but if someone new does come around don't be surprised if they seem familiar."

"What do you mean?"

Ingrasia shrugged. "Just a hunch."

I filed her warning away to the back of my mind, not sure what to think about it, but not willing to wholly dismiss it either.

"And Rivon?" I asked.

Ingrasia's smile widened slightly. "She was surprised, no mistake about that, but I think she's curious about what you'll do next. If you press too hard and do something that could harm the sect, she'll treat you as an enemy, but for now I think she's more intrigued than threatened."

Which was about as good of an outcome as I could hope. Still, I gave Ingrasia a sidelong look. "And you?"

She sank down on the railing, like a bird on their roost. "Amused. You've a knack for making things exciting." She leaned back to look up at the branches above us and I had to restrain the urge to grab onto her to stop her from tumbling into open sky. "Do I still get to train you?"

I nodded. "As long as don't treat me like an imbecile."

"Zeik will keep me in check."

"I'll hold her to that promise."

"As you should."

We lapsed into silence until it was time for me to head to my next appointment. As I moved to leave she caught my attention with my name, "Gimley?"

I waited to see what she had to say.

Ingrasia continued, "Don't fight more battles than you have hands for."

I nodded in acknowledgment but didn't promise anything. She accepted that for what it was and let me go with a wave of her hand before winking at me. "I have hands too."

I hesitated, mouth opening to say something before I snapped it shut. I still found it a bit odd how supportive she could be when we were assigned to each other as mentor and student. She hadn't picked me out of the crowd or had anything to do with me before Dawnli and Rivon decided to make me her problem. Yet, despite that, she always did more than she needed to. She helped me when leaving me on my own would have been easier.

It reminded me of Rawley. Made me miss my first mentor, but there was no time for nostalgia now. So I shrugged a shoulder and said, "I'll make sure I have enough."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.