Taís wouldn't have thought that sitting in a room all day barely doing anything could make her feel tired, but by the time the Convention lets out, she's more than ready for the day to be over.
She goes to collect Ot from the sitter and heads back towards the inn. (If anyone ever turns up to take over the inn, she'll probably move into the palace, but for now she's happy to stay somewhere with a kitchen she can use.)
Good. It really shouldn't take multiple warnings for a child to listen and obey. She sets him on the counter and goes to make dinner.
Dinner is cabbage stew and bread. She's trying to save most of the stipend, like the Sower suggested.
Well, she's not going to try to stop him from making faces, as long as he finishes his whole portion.
"It's time for bed. Do you remember your prayers?"
Ot's mother apparently never bothered to teach him that they're supposed to pray to Iomedae now. Taís is pretty sure that she's supposed to think the murder was bad, but it's not really surprising for someone who isn't even trying to be loyal to end up dead.
She hits his shoulder. More gently, this time, he's still learning.
"Iomedae. It's disrespectful to the gods to pronounce their names wrong."
She can walk him through the rest of the prayer, a few words at a time.
Iomedae, Queen of Heaven, Lady of Light, Your humble and unworthy servant offers up her obedience to You this evening as every evening. Show me Your will, that I might become Your instrument in this world and the next. Purify me of weakness that I might one day become worthy of serving You. Through Your discipline Your will is made known and our souls are laid bare before You.
She can walk him through that one too.
Iomedae, I pledge to You my obedience, diligence, and Goodness. I will obey my mother and father in their every command, for a disobedient child is a disobedient soul. I will work hard at every labor I am set to, and accept my punishments uncomplainingly if I fail. I will pursue the Good with my every action, that I may one day be worthy of You.
The part about Goodness is new, but the rest of it is just like she was taught to pray as a child.
"I don't think Ramir is going to take kindly to you saying that," she says, with a bit of an edge to her voice. They've been through this before.
"Once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived on the edge of the forest..."
She tells him a story of a boy fighting off a wild beast to save his younger sister.
