The women here might know she’d been raised by the Oracle, but they had no idea—no idea—what that had been like. Even a kid growing up in the slums or on the poorest farm planet usually had some variety in their diet.

Let them wonder.

“Sorry,” Ariadne muttered through a mouthful of food. “I’m listening.”

Kyla stared at her pointedly before addressing the other women. “The Archon does want to make the truce with the Evoli official. There are rumors that Damocles is less keen, but he’s falling into line.”

There hadn’t been any large-scale skirmishes with the Evoli since the Battle of the Garnet—the most devastating conflict in over fifty years. It was only after the Evoli Oversouls offered the Archon proof they were not involved in Discordia’s death that he finally let up his military campaign against them, deciding it must have been the Novantae who were responsible for his daughter’s crash.

Damocles had taken Discordia’s place as general—the next Heir Apparent. But it was clear that the Archon had about as much regard for his son as most citizens in the Empire: a grudging acceptance of his claim to the throne.

Officially, Damocles had a right to sit on the dais. But Ariadne had read the newscasts, listened in on gossip in corners of the palace. Unofficially, even with the Oracle’s programming, many questioned whether he was competent or even a fraction as capable as his sister. In whispers, of course. Everyone wondered if he’d be able to protect them from the Evoli once he took up the robe and double-bladed scythe.

Now, he might not have to.

“Of course, the news of this possible truce has not been well received by everyone in the Empire,” Kyla added.

“No shit,” Eris said. “The Oracle will have to rewrite One’s programming. Even with control over citizens, completely reconfiguring their sentiments toward the Evoli is going to take some time. It might take a new generation of cohorts.”

Tholosians were taught from birth to believe in conquest, in the superiority of their Empire. The Evoli were a threat that could not be tolerated, and the Tholosians had been at war with them for over five hundred years. Evoli were considered a risk to the Tholosian way of life. Demonized sorcerers. Majoi.

Ariadne had always wanted to meet one.

She’d read up on them in the Oracle’s archives. Evoli had populated other planets in the solar system that contained their home planet Eve, but not as conquerors. They didn’t crush other lifeforms—they shared resources.