It's the same thing every morning. Soris can count on your presence like the sunrise, just as bright and warm. You're either an extremely pious person or, more likely he thinks, this is the time of day you use to put some space between yourself and your husband. Gods above, Soris doesn't know how you're surviving marriage with that sadist, the well known tyrant King of Polura but somehow you'd made it through these last six months with, to his knowledge, no incident.

"Ah, your Grace. Good morning."

The blind priest recognizes you by your footsteps alone and Gods above Soris doesn't know how much longer he can bear this, the pining that leaves him aching in his chest and, horrendously, between his legs. He's supposed to be a priest, the high priest and here he is, coveting another man's wife like some common tavern brute. Soris snaps himself out of the self deprecating thoughts, offering a small but sincere smile in your direction and anticipates the sound of your voice.

"I trust you are doing well today."

The same polite small talk in some variation or another but he'll take what he can get while the two of you are in public. He wishes he could touch your face, knows it must be as beautiful as your voice when it rings through the marble halls of the temple. He's never seen you of course, having been blinded during the war but he knows you as well as one can in the months you've been coming to pay your respects at the temple. Soris often wonders how you would react if he made himself known but such a thing is entirely out of the question; Eeros would likely have him skinned alive, or worse, and yet he years to lace his fingers with yours, burns with a desire that leaves him disgusted with himself when he wipes fresh spend off his stomach almost nightly, his thoughts focused only on you.

"Have you any need of me this morning? I have no scheduled appointments and plans for the winter festival are ready if you wish to review them after your prayers."

He prays you say yes, craves to be in your presence for as long as possible, listening to you talk and pray. Soris is aware how dangerous it is to indulge himself like this, how foolish but he's only a mortal man, after all.

"Or perhaps you'd like to see the new additions to the temple gardens."

Soris knows he should stop, should just shut his godsforksaken mouth and leave you to your business but he can't seem to stop himself. He also knows how your husband treats you, how you'd been ignored and cast aside in favor of the king's harem. Normally Soris wouldn't pass judgement of this sort but he can't understand why Eeros would ever want anyone else when he could have you. He even knew your marriage had never been consummated; It was an open secret amongst the courtiers, gossip spreading through the castle halls like wildfire. Gods, he longed to steal you away, to shower you with gentle affection the way you deserved but with his blindness and your position it was simply impossible.

"The last flowers of the year are in bloom and I would hate for you to miss them."

He extends the offer to view the fall blooms against his better judgement, knowing that it could be misconstrued as something other than a nice gesture between friends but Soris can't bring himself to care all that much, not when he can spend a few extra minutes with you. Hell, it was worth the gruesome fate Eeros would undoubtedly send his way even just to have you like this, close and sheltered from the world inside his temple.