Aturs, Year of Severus, 15, I.R., the 75th day of Fall, Arenfall

The Stone Hall was pitch black, too dark for the light to reach its far corners. Lady Bieroff woke up early to give her prayers to her beloved god. A perfect time to pray to her god without the presence of her maids and attendants. A time where she could be alone and make love with her benevolent deity. She stood naked at the door's opening with a torch in one hand and a dagger in the other. 

It had been a while since she visited the horned god's altar. With the death of her son and her brother's plan to take the mines for himself, Lady Bieroff had her hands full. She had been busy grooming her dreadful abode with the jewelries and silk to make it look presentable. She previously stripped off ornaments and decorations after the death of her husband. While at the same time, letting everyone see her mourning over the death of her second-born son. 

It was hard to convince people to believe that her son's death was an accident. She did her best to set it in a way that it looked like it was nothing more than a mishap. She planned out everything herself. The time, the place and the method of how her son died. She did what she could to appease the horned-god and grant her wish, the same way he did when she asked him the first time. 

She began to walk along the dark isle, only the silhouettes of the gigantic pillars greeted her along her lone journey towards the god's grotesque stone image. There were no other lights that welcomed her. There was no sign of the green ethereal lights that filled the lamps beside the isle. The room remained cold and empty, and no matter how loud she sung Zado's hymn, the path remained veiled in darkness. 

Lady Bieroff understood the genuine discontent the god had for her. After all, she tried bargaining one of her son's life with a sacrifice of a hundred maidens, but the god declined the offer and snarled at her greediness. She recalled how their conversation went. 

"When I ask you to sacrifice your most beloved son," Zados snarled. "I asked for no substitute! Tell me, human, are you too dumb to understand that? Or should I make a sample out of you?"

She remembered cowering in fear. It was bad enough to upset her brother, how much more a god? A being of infinite means and power. It was one of her reasons why she prayed to Zados. His unlimited means could get her to where she wanted to be…a ruler of her own kingdom.

She did what she could to get her wish realized, but her reward hadn't come after a few weeks of waiting. It seemed like Zados exactly knew her blunder, she gave the wrong son—or to be specific, she sacrificed her least favored son.

Lady Bieroff lied to a god thinking that he wouldn't know. Truth be told, she loved her sons unconditionally despite them being a spitting image of her late husband. They were vain, short-tempered and mostly used their hearts rather than their heads. But she had to choose, she'll have to kill the second son. He was more annoying than the other two combined. So, sacrificing him would not only appease her deity, but it would also give her a little more peace of mind. 

She finally reached the altar as the hymn reached its end. She knelt by the foot of the idol and began kissing it. She climbed on the statue did what she normally did with it but there was no reaction from the stone image. 

"Lord Zados, it is I! Your humble servant!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "I have already done what you've asked! I have killed my most beloved son!" She blatantly lied.

Lady Bieroff began to trace the knife above her chest letting the cold, sharp edge cut her skin. She screamed in both pain and ecstasy as she called out for his name, but there was no reaction. There was not a sudden flicker of light nor a cold gust of wind to signify the god's presence. 

From a distance she heard the rooster's first crow signifying the arrival of dawn. She immediately stood up enraged at her deity's unresponsiveness and stormed out of the Hall. She grumbled on her way out about how he wouldn't know the difference between her sons and berated her deceased son for being such an inconvenience until the very end.

She made her way to breakfast after treating her wounds. It was another uneventful day. The food never gave her any satisfaction. If anything, it tasted bland, but she doesn't have the energy to whip and punish her attendants. Her mind was too preoccupied over the silence of her deity.

She left the table without finishing her food and decided to take a morning stroll on her recently planted garden when she saw a messenger rushing towards her castle. She hurriedly went back in her castle and rushed to her solar while instructing her servants to let the messenger follow her into her solar. 

A few moments later, the messenger came. The young knight greeted her and bowed before handing over a letter to her. She stood up from her table and walked as slowly as possible towards the knight. Lady Bieroff always took pleasure at others discomforts especially when she saw how the knight jittered uncomfortably while bowing.

As she finally reached the knight, she decided to play a little game with him, to brighten her day. "Good Ser, I want you to read the contents of that letter for me." She commanded.

The knight's eye widened. "But M'Lady, this is a classified information. Lord Prestonheim—"

"Lord Prestonheim is not the Lord of this castle." She gritted her teeth. "You either read that right now or I swear to you, the next time you insist, I will have your tongue ripped from your mouth!"

The knight took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "O-of course…M'Lady!" The knight opened the letter and with his quivering voice, read its contents. 

Lady Bieroff leisurely went back to her seat and nodded to the knight to begin his reading. 

"Fair Greetings Adrena," He began.

"That's too lengthy. DO NOT waste my time! Just get to the point!"

"Y-yes, of course…M'Lady!" The knight's eyes skimmed throughout Lord Prestonheim's lengthy message until he finally saw what he was looking for. "Lady Adrena, I hereby request you to come to audience his Majesty, Prince Veritas at lunch today. Please wear your best—"

"Enough!" She snapped. "Does he find me for a fool?! I know how to dress great!" She threw her book at the poor knight ordering him to leave her alone. 

Lady Bieroff burst out in anger. The silver-haired commander's letter infuriated her and for a while, lost interest in attending the event. But while angry, she realized something. Prince Veritus was the prince that her brother supports and was also the same prince that most of the people see as the next Imperatur. People, including the Senators listen to his opinions no matter how far-fetched it might be because he was the stronger, more viable candidate.

All of the sudden, she felt elated as she realized what this day was. It seemed like her silent god has answered her prayers. Zados had brought her the key to seizing control the power of the Crescent Isles. If she could woo him over to her side, she could hit two birds in one stone…or maybe more. She could take her land and the Bieroff's lifeblood for herself, the Arenfall mines. 

She suddenly exploded with laughter as she realized how her wish was starting to unravel. There were no two ways about it! Zados had accepted her sacrifice and was now working his magic on her behalf.

After composing herself, Lady Bieroff called out her maids and commanded them to prepare her bath. She was going to dress her best—indeed.