The dusts of the thick book that a little girl blew scattered in the air, making her cough because of the falling particles. This book was her favorite, and the only book she had read in the entire library that the Church have given to her.
She then carried it towards her own table, placing it beside the ornaments that varies in sizes, shapes, and colors. Most of them have carved insignia of the Church of the Holy See on them.
She looked into the mirror infront of her, watching her bored face become happy as she lifted her cheeks to force it to smile. Her auburn hair swayed while she constantly bobbed her head while playing on her chair.
"Lady Freya, Sir Alphonse is here to speak with you.", a woman's voice sounded outside the door, making Freya jolt on her chair.
"Okay! Please tell him to wait, I'll myself first.", Freya hopped down the chair and rummaged something under the table, trying to hide the book she took previously.
"Come in!", Freya fixed her posture, portraying an elegant and beautiful little angel.
Freya's deep blue eyes focused on the door opening, watching the man who wears a white cape to kneel down immediately as he saw her staring at him.
'This annoying man has come again. When can I get my free time?', Freya sighed.
"I greet the Saintess, Lady Freya.", the man with the white cape said.
"What can I do for you this time, Sir Alphonse..? I hope it's not the same request about me praying with the nuns all day, or I will directly reject that offer.", Freya said, walking towards the sofa to sit. She then gestured for Sir Alphonse to also sit.
The Paladin nodded in thanks as he sat. "I'm not here to force you to pray at the Cathedral, Lady Freya. I'm here to inform you about a good news and a bad news. Which one do you want to here?"
Alphonse kept it short and he made the conversation more exciting to not let Freya get bored. The little angel in front of him have recently just turned five, and the Church was already giving her endless troubles.
Freya smiled a little because she got to choose, "Then, I'll choose the good news first, Sir Alphonse."
"Alright then, Lady Freya... Have you ever read about the previous Saintess and before her having different nature of powers because of their obtained blessings?", Alphonse leaned towards her, as if he was telling a story in front of a campfire.
Freya put her fingers under her chin for a moment to think, then nodded at him.
Freya always known that her blessings was different based on the difference between her and the previous Saintess before her, which was the current Empress of the Regulus Empire, the Saintess of Flames as well as 'The Lioness'.
"Well, your blessing doesn't have to do with praying or casting spells at all. Perhaps your blessing can become the strongest blessing that has been recorded by the Church. Even the Pope cannot see through your blessing, M'lady."
Freya contemplated what her guest said and only smiled back at him. "I presume that's the good news. What's the bad news?"
Alphonse paused he answered her, "The Regulus Empire who is now planning to conquer the whole continent heard of you and the Emperor wanted you to marry his son, the Little Prince Leon when he has come of age."
"Hmmm..", Freya nodded while she rubbed her chin. Her young pretty face was serious and Alphonse can see the maturity of the young lady in front of him despite her tender age.
"Do you not feel uncomfortable at all, Lady Freya? We're talking about your future marriage here.", Alphonse asked her.
"Not really... Even if the Emperor forces me to marry his son, it's still up to me if I wanted to marry, right? And it is quite strange, me not feeling uncomfortable at all.", Freya answered Alphonse with a straight face.
'Ah, this poor child. She has met a God after she miraculously survived a tragedy that killed both of her parents, and now they're trying to match her to a prince as a bargain.', Alphonse thought, looking at Freya with sympathetic eyes.
"Don't look at me like that, Sir Alphonse. You look like a father never wanting to marry off his daughter...", Freya pouted her cheeks.
Alphonse scratched his goatee in embarassment while laughing awkwardly, "So sorry about that, Lady Freya. I'm just concerned about you.".
"Don't be... You will not change something if you don't have the power to make it change, am I right? I'll just wait and see what's going to unfold before me. Until then, I will just believe that this fate was given to me by the heavens above."
Freya stood up, fixed her dress and walked pass Alphonse sitting on the sofa, while heading towards the door.
"I'll first have my breakfast, Sir Alphonse. I'm afraid the nuns will nag me about it again. I'll see you later today.", Freya said, opening the big door in front of her.
Alphonse watched Freya close the wooden door gently while smiling and waving his hand.
After Freya left, Alphonse immediately used his gracia to reach what's under the table of Freya that she painstakingly hid. He looked at the cover of the thick book, checked if it's well used or not.
'The Art of War' was the book's title, written in different language than what's inside it. Even Alphonse cannot understand the contents of the book other than its title as he skimmed through it.
He just sighed and smiled after he finished checking what's the Saintess' favorite book, 'I can't understand what's she's thinking now, then what of the future...', Alphonse thought.
Alphonse put the thick book back under the table and left the library, seeing two Paladins with white capes waiting for him outside.
"Vice Commander!", the two saluted in sync.
Alphonse saluted back by nodding, "What brings you here, you two?"
There's a little silence between the two of the Paladins, staring and gesturing at each other to tell their Vice Commander the problem.
"Sir Preston, you seem to have something on your mind. Speak out.", Alphonse ordered.
The unfortunate Paladin who was picked just accepted his fate and gulped before speaking in a trembling voice, "His Holiness has called for a new nun to visit his chambers again, sir. This is the fifth time he did that in this week."
Alphonse frowned in irritation while he rubbed his goatee. His black hair seemed to have gotten a little greyish again after their Commander left for a mission.
'If only Lumiere is here...', Alphonse thought.
"Then, why are you trembling, Sir Preston?", Alphonse eyes looked at his comrades' with fierceness, unintentionally venting his irritation to the both of them.
"It's because a high priest saw us spying on His Holiness and slander of mutiny by trying to assassinate the Holy Pope, Vice Commander!. Now that the Pope has heard of it, he will surely get rid of us, sir!", Preston anxiously answered.
Alphonse clicked his tongue and regretted his decision to come looking for the Saintess to tell some news and not spying the Pope's movements himself.
The Paladins are the guardians of the Church of the Holy See that brings justice and will remain just for the sake of the Church. But, now that the Holy Pope, the one who should lead the Church, is brazenly disobeying the doctrines that were taught to them the moment they step foot inside the monastery.
Alphonse put his hands on the shoulders of the two young Paladins in front of him, "Don't worry, with me here, nothing will happen to you.", he said.
"Thank you, sir!"
"I'll trust you, Sir Alphonse!"
The two respectively cried where they stood, both showing their real feelings. There's no one that will not be scared of their own death.
'I shall hold the fort while your away, Lumiere! Be back soon!', Alphonse thought, steeling his will.