Its starts well enough

The waiting was hard. At least Mika didn't have to hide her nervousness, none of the initiates waiting to see High Priest Beldan looked at all relaxed. Of course none of those new church members were here to **** the corrupt pig either. Mika had no difficulty getting past Beldan's guards with her knife, The Chevalier informants had assured the grandmaster that the new initiates were not rigorously scrutinized, but as paranoid as the High Priest had become Mika wondered if any of their information was still accurate.

The deadly young blonde stood impatiently in the great ante-chamber that led to High Priests Beldan's wing of the Holy Palace. The hall was much larger than it needed to be and great gilded mirrors made it seem even larger than it actually was. Although the nominal purpose of the ante-room was to provide a place for supplicants to wait for the High Priest, there were no couches, chairs or even benches anywhere in the room and so Mika found herself wandering from mirror to mirror studying them carefully as she waited. At least three of these mirrors were designed to allow watchers to survey the room unobserved by the initiates, the silvering on the smooth glass was only slightly different than the others, but she recognized the signs.

This small success helped settle her nerves. Mika knew well, that normally an agent as young as she would never be assigned to a mission like this, but the success of the plan depended on exploiting Beldan's weakness for pretty young women, the younger and sweeter the better. That's why she just had to switch times with Winlay, there was something about her friend that Mika just knew Beldan would find irresistible.

Mika had arrived early for her appointment and had seen three other initiates enter the High Priest's offices. One of the three, a awkward looking young man left with a smile on his face so broad that his otherwise plain face glowed with a charisma and confidence that added a dignity that had been lacking when he timidly entered for his meeting with Beldan. The second initiate also left the chambers with a smile on her face.

"I've been assigned to be an aide to my village priest!" The slightly plump blonde woman announced happily as she saw her waiting companions. "Father Quinn told me he would write the Holy Palace and request me and he did - High Priest Beldan assured me that it would be the perfect placement for me." Mika smiled at the woman a little sadly, the cheerful initiate had a home to go to and a future serving the needs of her neighbors and friends.

What would Mika have after today? In the best case she'd be fleeing from the city hiding from more than the Holy Guard of the church and every city guardsman that Telnon could muster. In spite of the High Priest's faults, nearly every citizen in the city would be outraged by the **** of the Church leader. That was the best case, even if she succeeded in killing the twisted pig there was every chance that she'd not leave the Holy Palace alive. She refused to think of the worst case option where she fails in her attempt and is caught before she could end her own life.

A tall slender blonde woman with high cheekbones and clear blue eyes was the next to be called by the sniffling brother who served as one of Beldan's secretaries, leaving Mika alone in the great mirrored hall with one other brother-initiate. Mika had immediately recognized him as Brother Jerome when she first entered the great mirrored hall and wondered why he was still waiting to see the High Priest. Hadn't his been one of the earlier appointments? Jerome's face was somber, and Mika was glad that she would not have to put up with his arrogant banter as they waited. It was not his fault he was a privileged child of some powerful noble family she decided, but that still didn't mean she liked him. Mika turned her back on him once again just in case, pretending to read a passage of the holy teachings on one of the glass covered lecterns that stressed the need for humility in one's service to the Church.

"The needs of the Church are as varied as the needs of the people it serves, only the wisdom of the whole can determine how service is best rendered. Those who look for the Church to serve their own pleasures are not yet prepared to serve the needs of the people ...."

Mika wondered if ending Beldan's reign counted as 'serving the needs of the people?' Clearly the book had been opened to this page as a reminder to the many initiates who would pass through this hall in the next few days. The passages in the other two books had been even worse, both had referred to the benign guidance that the High Priest must exercise over the Church, and the holy spirit of Xelta that guided the High Priest and his office.

"The heavy doors to Beldan's chambers opened suddenly and Mika saw the statuesque blonde woman squeeze through the gap as soon as her slender body could fit. The initiate was silent, but her determined march through the long hall gave Winlay plenty of time to see her already pale face was nearly white with shock and although she was able to just maintain her composure, Mika could see how shaken she was. Had Beldan said or done something to this statuesque blonde? It seemed unlike Beldan to allow a victim to walk away from his web, but something had clearly rattled the woman, it looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

"Winlay Grace?" Called the red-nosed brother and Mika knew it was her turn to meet with His Holiness the High Priest of Xelta. She wondered how Beldan would react to seeing her walk through the doors instead of Winlay. If she had not heard of Beldan's repeated misuse of the prettiest initiates each year she might hope that he would note even notice the swap, but she had no doubt that Beldan knew exactly who should be walking through the great wooden doors. And that person was not her.

Beldan was seated behind a gigantic table almost three meters in length and two meters wide. The top was made of polished black marble and the ornate legs were intricately carved with legs of some kind of scaled predatory animal whose long ivory talons gripped golden balls that rested on the floor. One look at his face was enough to confirm that he was not pleased to see Mika instead of her pretty friend.