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In ages past, some devout member of the Fortemps line had built a small chapel to Halone in the west wing of Manor Fortemps. It had fallen into disuse as over time; the servants cleaned it regularly, but no one lit the candles on the altar or knelt in supplication before it.
Until the day the Countess discovered her husband’s infidelity. The day Edmont had brought his bastard son, a boy of around seven summers, into the House and insisted that he would stay.
Halone was a warrior, but also a woman. She would likely understand. And so the Countess locked herself in the chapel, lit the candles on the altar, and knelt before it. She did not pray. Instead she spoke to Halone, telling Her of the betrayal, of her anger and shame.
“I want that bastard of Edmont’s out of my house! Out of my life!”
The candles went out and then relit themselves. As the Countess blinked, Halone Herself stood behind the altar. “Daughter,” She said, “your husband has wronged you grievously, there’s naught to disagree with there. The fault lies with him.”
“It was not his doing! It was that two-gil whore’s fault! She seduced him!”
“Perhaps so. But the boy is not to blame for his birth.”
“Every time I see his face, I see that woman! He looks like her with that blue-white hair, and that crooked smile. His presence mocks me! Reminds me of her! Shames me!”
”The Fates have foretold he will die before his thirtieth year. Let that ease your heart.”
“No! I cannot live like this! That woman convinced Edmont that he is responsible for the brat, so he refuses to send him away. I would kill him, if murder wasn’t a sin! But you, you could take his life!”
“What could you offer me to defy the Fates, to take the life of an innocent child?” the goddess asked.
“Anything within my power to give!” the Countess insisted. “I cannot live another day with him in the house!”
Halone reached out one hand and traced the sigil of the Spear on the Countess’ forehead. “The bargain is made. You will no longer have to live with Haurchefant.” She paused for a moment as the Countess paled and gasped. “And no blame will fall on you for his death… for you will already be long dead.”