Duke Lucien Ashburn was not interested in watching the summoning of the Saintess. It was indeed a great event that was only conducted every century but he wasn't excited about it. It had nothing to do with him.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
The aristocrats were situated behind the priests as spectators. The priests were standing in a circle with their heads bowed while their mouths chanted words from a dead language.
It looked like nothing was going to happen at first until a strong wind suddenly came out of nowhere.
Something was happening.
The priests' words became louder and louder. Their eyes were shut in concentration. Sweat dripped from their bowed heads. The words sounded angrier and harsher. It was as if they were demanding from the gods.
As if the gods had enough of their demands, a huge flame suddenly went ablaze in the middle of the circle.
The aristocrats gasped. Lucien himself was in awe of the mystical flame in spite of himself.
The flame was huge. It was bigger than any person. The priests' chanting changed to a gentle hymn. They no longer sounded angry and demanding. The hymn sounded like a grateful message to the gods.
The flame changed from raging orange to a light golden color. The huge flame started to dissipate and in its place, was a young woman lying on the ground with her eyes closed. The priests stopped singing. There was no need anymore. She had arrived.
The Saintess.
The first thing that Lucien noticed was the color of her long hair. It was black. Lucien smiled. Most of the people of Aderlan didn't like black hair. They think that black haired people are cursed by black magic but the Saintess herself had hair as black as a raven's feathers.
Her skin was the winter's fresh fallen snow. The Saintess opened her eyes. Her eyes were unusual in Aderlan. It was as brown as the autumn's fallen leaves.
Her dress was a vivid color of ocean blue. It was studded with small gems that sparkled like stars at the night skies.
Everyone was looking at her in awe. The Saintess looked back at her surroundings silently.
She was calm. It would have been expected if she looked extremely confused but she wasn't. It actually looked like she already had an idea on where she was.
The High Priest approached her and offered to help her up but she ignored his hand. Interesting. A woman that had no need of false kindness.
The High Priest asked her name. She was going to say something then she looked like she changed her mind. Her name was Euphemia. Lucien felt that it was not her real name but it also felt like there was no malice in it. Perhaps she just wanted to be a new person.
Lucien watched as the crown prince approached her and conversed with her.
It was a curious thing to watch. Most women were usually a blushing mess around the prince but the Saintess looked unaffected by his presence. She even looked irritated.
It was obvious that she didn't like the prince. It was even more obvious when she publicly rejected him.
The prince called the aristocrats forward and he started introducing them to the Saintess.
She was obviously not listening. She was searching for someone. Then their eyes locked. Her eyes widened.
"Him! I want him!"
She must be mistaken, right? It couldn't be him. The aristocrats looked at him in shock. He was shocked too.
The prince was obviously panicking. He didn't want his nemesis to get the Saintess. It would be an amusing thing to make the annoying prince feel defeated but it was too much of a hassle to take care of a Saintess. More so, because they had to be engaged for a woman to be allowed to stay in a man's house.
He started to make his way towards her.
She heard him say, "Yes, I'm sure. I already know him."
A Saintess was said to know things about the past and even the future. What could she possibly know about him that made her choose him?
He looked at the Saintess. She was pretty. She reminded him of a doll. Her lips curved into a smile. A very beautiful doll.
"Duke Lucien, may I please stay with you?"
"I apologize, Lady Euphemia, but I think I will have to turn you down. You will not benefit from me and I will not benefit from you," Lucien said.
The aristocrats looked at the Saintess pleadingly. The Demon Duke himself had rejected her so they still had a chance in obtaining the Saintess. She would be a powerful political tool to anyone. Her healing powers would also be beneficial. To add to that, she was very pretty.
"Could you please lean down, Your Grace? I have something to tell you in private," Euphemia said and raised her hand to her mouth in the pose of a whisper.
Lucien raised an eyebrow. It was something that ladies never did. It was insolent to a duke and suggestive to a man. He leaned down anyway.
"I know where Sylvia is," she whispered.
His eyes widened. "What? How do you —"
"It doesn't have to be a real engagement. Just let me stay with you for a year. I can help you and you can help me. I won't be a bother to you, I promise."
He leaned back to look at her. She looked like she was telling the truth. Truthfully, it would also benefit him to have a fiancée already. He was getting irritated in receiving marriage proposals from fathers who wanted to get rid of their most hateful daughters.
"Are you sure of me? Do you even know what they say about me?" Lucien asked.
"Yes, I know and I don't believe them. Don't you want someone who believes in you?"
Yes, he did.
He never imagined for him to say the next words he would say.
"I, Lucien Ashburn, Duke of Aderlan, take the Holy Saintess, Lady Euphemia, as my fiancée."