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"The edge of the city," he assured me. "Close enough to be near all the necessary functions, but he also owns plenty of land around the house."
"And is house actually the right word?"
He chuckled before shifting to sit beside me. "No. Sandrest House is technically a manor, but one of the largest. All six of the Barons' homes are that way. Most of us call Sandrest the residence. There's something like forty bedrooms, three stories, and an entire wing just for the staff. Think of it more like a smaller version of the temple. I promise, you will not feel out of place there."
I nodded, trying to imagine it. "And your family doesn't know which Path you ended up following?"
"Nope." He sounded smug about that. "It would be considered bad form to ask such a thing, since every Priest of Temptation is a priest of Zeal. The Path shouldn't matter, but we all know it does. Think of it like asking a man how big his dick is. You may be aware that he has one, but it would be rather rude to ask about it."
"Gotcha."
Talin leaned back, kicking his feet onto the bench across from us. "I think the hardest thing for you is going to be accepting the way other women are treated. Your gender is expected to be kind, demure, and unobtrusive. You, however, are a priestess. I'd suggest you mingle with the men as much as the women, and flout all of those traditions."
"Ok?" I caught his hand. "Help me get this right?"
"I promise," he assured me, wrapping his other hand around both of ours.
The ride took no more than half an hour, yet it was dark by the time we pulled up the long, winding drive that led to the manor. The building was black instead of the white marble of the temple, but otherwise, they shared a lot of similarities. Both were made to impress. Both towered above everything around it. Sandrest was smaller, but it looked like it definitely belonged to the same designer. The whole thing reminded me of the housing wings, but with its own impressive entrance.
And lights were glowing from all the many windows. A set of gas lamps lined the path to the stairs, making it easy to see the group of people clustered together, clearly waiting for us. A few more arrived just before the carriage turned, positioning the door toward the stairs, and then the whole rocking contraption came to a halt.
"Priest Talin," the footman said as he opened the door.
Talin stepped out first, then turned to offer me a hand. "Priestess?" he said, his voice pitched to carry to those waiting.
As elegantly as I could, I ducked through the opening and walked down the wobbly steps, using Talin's offered hand for balance. Snow had been raked off the gravel, but it lay in sheets across the grassy areas around the house in a way I'd never seen in the city. Like a blanket of white, it glistened in the yellow lamps, making Sandrest look even more imposing. I sighed in appreciation, and my breath puffed before me in a thin white cloud.
"Let me introduce you to my family," Talin said, steering me toward the grand entrance. "The staff will take our things to a room for us."
"So this is the life of luxury," I teased.
He flashed me a smile. "It's almost as nice as living in the temple."
But we were too close for me to ask about that. A man stepped forward from the group, his eyes hanging on me, but he paused before Talin to offer his hand. "Brother," he greeted.
"Baron," Talin said, clasping it firmly. "Let me introduce you to my desire. Priestess Nariana, the Chosen of Zeal." He paused to look at me. "Nari, this is my oldest brother, Tath, the Baron of Temptation."
"A pleasure to finally meet you," I said, offering my hand like a lady.
Tath cupped my fingers lightly, and then realized that the pattern was not from gloves. Almost belatedly, he bent to kiss my knuckles. "Priestess," he breathed.
"Thank you for the invitation to join your family for the holidays, Baron," I said, refusing to curtsy before him as was proper for his station. "I tried to send Talin without me, since I assumed this was a family occasion, but he refused to leave my side."
"I'm sworn," Talin said, making it sound like an excuse.
Tath's eyes shifted from me to his brother, and then back. Clearly, he was trying to determine how close our relationship had grown in such a short time. Considering that we'd only met over the summer, I didn't honestly blame him.
"Well, Priestess Nariana," Tath said, gesturing back to the doors. "Welcome to Sandrest House. Please, come in and be welcome. I'm sure we can make introductions inside where it's warm."
"Thank you," I said, dipping my head for Talin to lead on.
But when I glanced up at him, he was looking at me proudly. It seemed I'd done something right. I wasn't quite sure what, or if my guardian was simply proud to have me on his arm. Either way, it was the boost of confidence I needed.
So, lifting my chin, I stepped into high society for the first time in my adult life.
Chapter 39
Nariana
