The first few days after Anne found herself in this world, she’d thought a lot about how she’d explain her knowledge of the future if she was ever backed into a corner. While she’d wandered around, doing everything the people in the church told her to do in a sort of daze, she’d been internally rehearsing. So it wasn’t that she was fully unprepared for Corvina to ask that question. But she still felt ice run through her blood. She still felt her pulse quicken.

This was it. If she chose to, Anne could still wave away her outburst last night as meaningless drunken ramblings. Or claim not to remember what had happened. But if she committed to this explanation, there would be no going back.

If she chose to, Corvina could use this to destroy me and the rebellion. Instead of creating a brighter future, she could use this information to help the Emperor tighten his iron grip on the nation. Everything could get far worse, if Corvina was truly as wicked as the narrative of The Foundling’s Wings wanted you to believe she was.

“I want to trust you,” Anne said out loud. “I’m choosing to trust you. So I’ll tell you. The Goddess sent me a vision.”

“A vision?” asked Corvina.

Anne nodded. “It was a vision of a terrible future, full of death and destruction.”

“And you don’t know how to change this future?”

“Well, I sort of have an idea,” said Anne. “I just don’t really know how to execute it.”

Corvina took a sip of her tea. “Go on, then.”

“There are three major events that lead up to this terrible future,” said Anne. “First is the razing of the Sacred Forest—”

Corvina choked on her tea.

“Are you okay?” asked Anne, jumping to her feet and holding a napkin out to Corvina.

“I’m fine,” said Corvina, accepting the napkin and beginning to clean herself up. “Please continue.”

Anne sat back down. “Okay, well, the empire’s armies will start a massive forest fire, destroying the trees and driving our the elven army. Without the protection of the Sacred Forests natural magic, the elves will be practically wiped out overnight.”

Corvina nodded.

“The second event will be a shadow war in the capital. The crown prince will be assassinated, which will spark a sudden flurry of assassinations that will last several weeks, ending with the death of the ambassador from Quellinia.”

“I imagine Quellinia won’t take this well.”

“Not at all,” said Anne. “They will immediately declare war on the Wyernwolf Empire, leading to the third and final disaster, after which this country’s tragic end is inevitable—the Battle of Quellinia River.”

Anne took a deep breath, preparing to finish her explanation. “The Emperor will conscript people, mostly the poor and political dissidents, in order to quickly boost his army. He'll send them to Quellinia to fight, but the Quellinian’s will have both superior numbers and magical weapons. It will be a massacre. After mass deaths and desertions, the survivors, along with the remaining elves, will stage a mass uprising in the capital. The Emperor will die, and…”

“I will die, too,” said Corvina.

Anne nodded.

Corvina raised a hand to her chin, clearly thinking. “That’s a lot to take in. You’re sure this vision was from the Goddess? And you’re certain it was literal and not some form of allegory?”

“Absolutely certain,” said Anne. “If we do nothing, these events will come to pass.”

‘Come to pass,’ thought Anne. God damn, I’m even starting to talk like a Stainess. That’s embarrassing.

At that moment, a maid approached with a curtsy. “My Lady, Saintess,” she said. “I thought your tea might have grown cold. Would you like a fresh pot?”

“It sound to me like you’ve won in this terrible future,” said Corvina, ignoring the maid. “Doesn’t the rebellion want to overthrow the Empire? And you said yourself that you don’t like aristocracy.”

“I do think the empire should be overthrown,” said Anne. “And I don’t like the aristocracy. But it’s not just the Emperor who dies. Countless innocent people will die painful, unnecessary deaths in this future.”

The maid, clearly not bothered by being ignored, stood by politely. Presumably she was staying close in case they did want more tea after all.

“Alright, I’ll help you.” said Corvina.

“You will?” said Anne, leaping to her feet.

Corvina nodded. “I’ll help you change the future.”

“You believe me about the vision?”

“Well, you said you were certain,” said Corvina, mildly. “Although I’m sure it may be difficult for you to trust me at first—”

“I already told you I’ve decided to trust you!”

“It may be difficult for those around you to trust me,” insisted Corvina. “So let me give you a piece of advice, as a sort of test.”

“Wait, you’re testing me?” asked Anne.

“No it’s so that you can test me,” said Corvina. “You must find an alchemist in the Aritisan Quarter by the name of Edrea Baines. Visit her shop in your official capacity as Saintess. Act as holy as possible. Say something to her about confession and forgiveness, subtly.”

“You may have noticed,” said Anne. “But I’m not very good at subtlety.”

Corvina smiled. “I’m sure you’ll manage.”

“What’s supposed to happen if I pull it off?”

“Probably nothing immediately,” said Corvina. “But I suspect it will pay off somewhat quickly.”

“And how will it pay off?”

“Patience, Saintess,” said Corvina. “When it happens, you’ll know. And I hope at that time, you and your allies will also know that I’m truly on your side.”

“Okay…” said Anne, nodding. “Okay! I’ll go right away then.” Anne turned to leave, but Corvina called to her.

“Wait, Saintess, I have one more thing I want to ask you,” said Corvina. “Call it personal curiosity.”

“Alright, shoot,” said Anne.

“Why did you say you loved me?” asked Corvina, cocking her head to one side. “I’m sure that yesterday was the first time we’d ever met. I would have remembered meeting you before.”

Fuck. This wasn’t a question Anne had been at all prepared for. She scrambled. “I… uh… It’s a ritual greeting in elf culture!” she said.

“Is it?” asked Corvina.

Anne nodded a little too enthusiastically. “Only for the very first time you meet someone, though. It’s a sort of… charm that says ‘let’s get along in the future,’ sort of thing…”

Corvina nodded.

“Okay, then, should I see myself out?”

“If you enter through the back door, my butler will meet you and show you out. I’m afraid my mansion is a bit of a maze, so you might not find your way on your own.”

“Right,” said Anne.

“Oh, and Saintess?”

“Just call me Anne,” said Anne, grinning. “If we’re gonna be allies anyway.”

“Alright, Anne,” said Corvina, smiling. “Have a safe trip back to the cathedral. And since I missed out on saying it the first time—It was nice to meet you. I love you.”

Anne stopped breathing for a moment, and then practically ran away across the lawn. Her heart really was about to explode.

Helen and Corvina watched Anne retreat across the lawn.

“Well that’s rather silly, isn’t it?” said Helen. “There’s no way that’s an elven custom. After all, wasn’t she raised by the church? How would she even know elven customs. And besides, I just met Agis, and when I left he didn’t— my Lady, are you okay?”

Corvina was doubled over, with her hand covering her mouth, and she was blushing all over. Even her neck and shoulders were bright red.

When she had somewhat recovered, she cleared her throat. "Helen, please tell the butler to come find me when he's done showing the Saintess out. I need to speak with him."