Dinner as planned

"You'll see Mother." Beldan tried to think of something he could use to convince his mother that The Oracle would be killed and the assassins captured, but he knew that he'd never meet his mother's standards. "You'll see Mother." He repeated again weakly before crawling for the door.

In the outer sanctuary he closed the secret door and climbed to his feet wearily, his heart beat wildly in his chest; a cold sweat chilled him to the bone. Mother had known the Oracle would escape, why had he ignored her? She right about his vulnerability about his need to claim the best of each class initiates too. He was wrong about Winlay, but perhaps her young sister could still be saved. He could hear Mother's nagging even after he left the inner sanctum.

“She’s a whore too… a younger whore, but just as slutty as her sister ... you deserve better…find someone worthy…” on and on until her whispering gradually subsided, but never quite stopped. He knew from experience that he’d hear her contemptuous scorn again, any time he let down his guard she'd be there pushing him relentlessly until he broke.

It took almost twenty minutes for the dull ache in his arm to subside and his breathing to settle to a normal level, as a result he was late to dinner. He straightened his robes and combed his hair before heading through the halls to his private dining room. Waiting at the table were several other clerics sitting impatiently - none had dared start eating without his presence. Beldan offered neither apologies nor excuses but the clerics were happy to finally be able to eat the cold soup that had been served many minutes before.

Dinner this evening was spent with six mid-level clerics who managed a small part of the vast powerful bureaucracy that was the source of the Church’s power. Beldan had an eye for spotting men yearning for advancement in the Church’s Byzantine system of checks and balances, and he had been cultivating these men’s hopes and fears in order to bind them to him when the time came. Normally the High Priest flattered them and their ability with adept ease, charming his guests while they enjoyed the different courses served by the Holy Palaces staff of chefs. Tonight he had little patience for this game. Who in the hell knew the Oracle was even in his custody? And how could those idiots just let him slip away?!

After opening dishes of broiled shrimp and a roasted skreep for each of his guests, Beldan felt a little better. It was just a matter of time; he would not be surprised to hear from the Warden before this dinner was over. With is spirits lifted Beldan managed a decent conversation while they ate the main course. The palace chefs had prepared one of his favorite dishes; veal stuffed with sweet fresh crab meat. The tender flesh melted in his mouth and the crab stuffing was well worth the significant expense of shipping the crustaceans on ice from the cold northern waters of Veer. The wines he served were a heady collection from West Phalia, each bottle complementing the nuanced flavor profile of the dishes. By the time the clerics were savoring the last bit of ginger flavored sorbet, all of them were nodding in agreement as he explained that changes would be needed for the Church to continue its growth and that he hoped he count on the youth and energy of the select group before him.

By the end of the meal though his optimistic belief that the Oracle and his accomplices would be easily found had evaporated and as the last courses arrived Beldan ate quickly, his sour demeanor stilling any conversation. He left the dining room in a foul mood long before the grand meal was officially finished, but Beldan didn't give a shit about what any of the other diners thought, all he could think about was how badly he wanted to hear that the old man was dead and that two pretty toys were awaiting his attention.