“Is everyone doing as I asked with their planting?” Sarene asked as the nobles prepared to leave.
“It wasn’t easy,” Ahan admitted. “My overseers and minor nobles all objected to the idea.”
“But you did it.”
“I did,” Ahan said.
“As did I,” Roial said.
“I had no choice,” Edan muttered.
Shuden and Eondel each gave her quiet nods.
“We started planting last week,” Edan said. “How long before we see results?”
“Hopefully within the next three months, for your sake, my lord,” Sarene said.
“That is usually long enough to get an estimate of how good a crop will do,” Shuden said.
“I still don’t see how it matters whether the people think they’re free or not,” Ahan said. “The same seeds get planted, and so the same crop should come up.”
“You’ll be surprised, my lord,” Sarene promised.
“May we go now?” Edan asked pointedly. He still chafed at the idea of Sarene running these meetings.
“One more question, my lords. I’ve been considering my Widow’s Trial, and would like to hear what you think.”
The men began to shift uncomfortably at the statement, looking at each other uneasily.
“Oh, come now,” Sarene said with a displeased frown, “you’re grown men. Get over your childish fear of Elantris.”
“It is a very delicate topic in Arelon, Sarene,” Shuden said.
“Well, it appears that Hrathen isn’t worried about that,” she said. “You all know what he’s begun to do.”
“He’s drawing a parallel between Shu-Korath and Elantris,” Roial said with a nod. “He’s trying to turn the people against the Korathi priests.”
“And he’s going to be successful if we don’t stop him,” Sarene said, “which requires you all to get over your squeamishness and stop pretending that Elantris doesn’t exist. The city is a major part of the gyorn’s plans.”
The men shot each other knowing looks in the dense Korathi garden. The men thought she paid undue attention to the gyorn; they saw Iadon’s government as a major problem, but religion didn’t seem a tangible threat. They didn’t understand that in Fjorden, at least, religion and war were almost the same thing.
“You’re just going to have to trust me, my lords,” Sarene said. “Hrathen’s schemes are important. You said the king sees things concretely—well, this Hrathen is the opposite. He views everything by its potential, and his goal is to make Arelon another Fjordell protectorate. If he is using Elantris against us, we must respond.”
“Just have that short Korathi priest agree with him,” Ahan suggested. “Put them on the same side, then no one can use the city against anyone else.”
“Omin won’t do that, my lord,” Sarene said with a shake of her head. “He bears the Elantrians no ill will, and he would never consent to labeling them devils.”
“Couldn’t he just …” Ahan said.
“Merciful Domi, Ahan,” Roial said. “Don’t you ever attend his sermons? The man would never do that.”
“I go,” Ahan said indignantly. “I just thought he might be willing to serve his kingdom. We could compensate him.”
“No, my lord,” Sarene said insistently. “Omin is a man of the Church—a good and sincere one, at that. To him, truth is not subject to debate—or sale. I’m afraid we have no choice. We have to side with Elantris.”
Several faces, including Eondel and Edan’s, blanched at that statement.
“That might not be an easy proposition to carry out, Sarene,” Roial warned. “You may think us childish, but these four are among the most intelligent and open-minded men in Arelon. If you find them nervous about Elantris, then you will find the rest of Arelon more so.”
“We have to change that sentiment, my lord,” Sarene said. “And my Widow’s Trial is our opportunity. I am going to take food to the Elantrians.”
This time she succeeded in getting a reaction even from Shuden and Roial.
“Did I hear your correctly, my dear?” Ahan asked with a shaky voice. “You’re going to go into Elantris?”
“Yes,” Sarene said.
“I need something to drink,” Ahan decided, unstoppering his wine flask.
“The king will never allow it,” Edan said. “He doesn’t even let the Elantris City Guards go inside.”
“He’s right,” Shuden agreed. “You will never get through those gates, Your Highness.”
“Let me deal with the king,” Sarene said.
“Your subterfuge won’t work this time, Sarene,” Roial warned. “No amount of stupidity will convince the king to let you into the city.”
“I’ll think of something,” Sarene said, trying to sound more certain than she was. “It’s not your concern, my lord. I just want your word that you will help me.”
“Help you?” Ahan asked hesitantly.
“Help me distribute food in Elantris,” Sarene said.
Ahan’s eyes bugged out. “Help you?” he repeated. “In there?”
“My goal is to demystify the city,” Sarene explained. “To do that, I’ll need to convince the nobility to go inside and see for themselves that there’s nothing horrifying about the Elantrians.”
“I’m sorry to sound objectionable,” Eondel began. “But, Lady Sarene, what if there is? What if everything they say about Elantris is true?”
Sarene paused. “I don’t think they’re dangerous, Lord Eondel. I’ve looked in on the city and its people. There is nothing frightening about Elantris—well, nothing besides the way its people are treated. I don’t believe the tales about monsters or Elantrian cannibalism. I just see a collection of men and women who have been mistreated and misjudged.”
Eondel didn’t look convinced, and neither did the others.
“Look, I’ll go in first and test it,” Sarene said. “I want you lords to join me after the first few days.”
“Why us?” Edan said with a groan.
“Because I need to start somewhere,” Sarene explained. “If you lords brave the city, then others will feel foolish if they object. Aristocrats have a group mentality; if I can build some momentum, then I can probably get most of them to come in with me at least once. Then they’ll see that there is nothing horrible about Elantris—that its people are just poor wretches who want to eat. We can defeat Hrathen with simple truth. It is hard to demonize a man after you have seen tears in his eyes as he thanks you for feeding him.”
“This is all pointless anyway,” Edan said, his hand twitching at the thought of entering Elantris. “The king will never let her in.”
“And if he does?” Sarene asked quickly. “Then will you go, Edan?”
The baron blinked in surprise, realizing he had been caught. She waited for him to respond, but he stubbornly refused to answer the question.
“I will,” Shuden declared.
Sarene smiled at the Jindo. This was the second time he had been the first to offer her support.
“If Shuden’s going to do it, then I doubt the rest of us will have the humility to say no,” Roial said. “Get your permission, Sarene, then we will discuss this further.”
“Maybe I was a little too optimistic,” Sarene admitted, standing outside the doors to Iadon’s study. A pair of guards stood a short distance away, watching her suspiciously.
“Do you know what you are going to do, my lady?” Ashe asked. The Seon had spent the meeting floating just outside the chapel walls—well within his range of hearing—making certain that no one else was eavesdropping on their meeting.
Sarene shook her head. She had displayed bravado when confronted by Ahan and the others, but now she realized how misplaced that sentiment had been. She had no idea how she was going to get Iadon to let her into Elantris—let alone get him to accept their help.
“Did you speak with Father?” she asked.
“I did, my lady,” Ashe replied. “He said he would give you whatever financial help you
required.”