Contents
Chapter 6. Now: Maris
Overview
Maris enters the Forum and formally takes her late mother’s Magistrate seat as Consul Saturian announces the hangings of Magistrates Furia and Heraldes. The tribunal’s fractured power is laid bare while Maris, stigmatized by her ties to Priestess Ophelius, relives Vitrasian’s execution and Luca’s departure, underscoring her isolation and the city’s mounting peril.
Summary
Maris leaves her mother’s chambers for the Tribunal Hall, moving through rows of portraits now marred by gaps where executed Magistrates once hung. She recalls her noviceship under Priestess Ophelius, whose forbidden godsblood legacy stains Maris’s standing, and notes Heraldes’s portrait being removed—confirmation of his hanging on the bridge.
As the Magistrates file into the Forum, Maris clutches her Casperia medallion, reflecting on the family prestige that now feels like a noose. Shunned for her temple past, she reaches her enclosed seat and surveys the unchanged splendor of the Citadel amid a city at war. The sight of the twelve-pointed star on the floor triggers memories of Philosopher Vitrasian’s public execution and Luca Matius’s anguished cry.
Consul Saturian arrives, ageless and implacable, with Maris’s uncle in tow. He opens the tribunal and announces the deaths of Magistrates Furia and Heraldes—and Heraldes’s daughter—confirming the weekly rhythm of terror. He vows divine retribution against the New Legion’s commander, pointedly avoiding naming his son, Vale.
The Consul calls for Maris’s oath. Despite trembling, Maris pledges her body, name, and life to Isara and the Forum, formally securing the Casperia seat amid watching rivals and a collapsed factional balance. The ceremony’s rites blur for her as she fixates on the empty Matius seat that Luca never took.
Maris’s thoughts return to the day Vitrasian died: Luca cradling Vitrasian’s body, seizing a legionnaire’s blade, and severing his old life. She accepts that his crossing of the river broke their bond and her vows, leaving her to navigate a hostile Forum under Saturian’s rule as executions mount and the city’s fate tightens around her.
Who Appears
- Maris CasperiaNewly sworn Magistrate; stigmatized former novice to Priestess Ophelius; haunted by Vitrasian’s execution and Luca’s departure.
- Consul SaturianPresides over the tribunal; announces recent hangings; coldly commits Maris’s oath and promises retribution.
- NejMaris’s attendant and scribe; prompts her through the proceedings and records the tribunal.
- Luca MatiusAbsent but central in Maris’s thoughts; his actions at Vitrasian’s execution and defection severed their future.
- Priestess OpheliusImprisoned keeper of Valshad’s magic; Maris’s former mentor whose infamy taints Maris.
- Philosopher VitrasianExecuted in the Forum; her death sparked rebellion and anchors Maris’s memories of loss.
- Magistrate HeraldesRecently executed; his portrait is removed, symbolizing the tribunal’s attrition.
- Magistrate FuriaAnnounced among the newly hanged, heightening fear among remaining Magistrates.
- LechronisMagistrate who briefly blocks Maris’s path, reflecting others’ avoidance of her ill favor.
- Maris’s uncleMagistrate aligned with the Consul; avoids meeting Maris’s gaze during proceedings.