Chapter 31: The Hierophant

 "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned." Harald had sat in this confessional more times than he could count. It was a ritual, part of his life as king and man. Today was the first time he truly felt the weight of his sin. He could barely find the words to describe his failure.

"I twisted justice to fit my certainty of his guilt. I was so sure that Torrance was a traitor I was blind to the traitor at my side. It was like his words were poison, and the more he spoke, the more I wanted to hear."

"They very likely were poison," the archbishop said from the other side of the screen. "He was a powerful mage."

"I should have known!" Harald felt it tear at him. "I should have known he was false."

"How?"

"The more he talked, the more I felt like my father. The more I felt like a king. I should have realized...."

"Perhaps, or perhaps you are human and prone to failure as we all are."

"I was about to have him killed, the truest man in my kingdom."

"One of the truest, certainly."