Fire. All around her. The massive chaos shrouded her as she stumbled through the debris. She called out for someone. Who? She didn't remember.
Her throat got clogged up with all the smoke. The blazing heat didn't dissipate no matter how far Roxane walked. People's screams sickeningly filled her ears as she tried her hardest to block them out. She choked out sobs as she continued on, her eyes searching for a body to which belonged to the person she most wished to see.
The scene reiterated again and again before she realized it was a nightmare.
She shook herself free from her mind's grasp and woke with a start. She placed a hand on her forehead as she peeled herself from her bed. She's covered in her own cold sweat which meant she would have to take another bath before she could start the day.
Roxane sighed heavily as she swung her legs out of bed. Standing up, she could see it wasn't even light outside yet. She had only slept for a few hours, but she felt as she had been stuck inside her hellish mind for years.
It had been some time since she last had that nightmare. She supposed she was lucky in a way as her nightmares stayed consistent.
She demanded her body to lift up from her bed and into the bathhouse, following the steady stream of priestesses into the overcrowded bath. She minded her own business as she washed the sweat off of her tanned body, not caring one bit that the other priestesses were gossiping in hushed tones as they stayed far away from Roxane. She could overhear their conversations about the way Roxane acted scandalously at the banquet last night.
Roxane rolled her golden eyes. It was always the same thing whenever she did something that seemed wrong to them. She never paid any mind to it and today was no exception.
"Pardon me." She slipped out of the pool, her bronze skin glistening with water as she walked. Roxane watched with a smile as the group of priestesses dispersed in front of her, giving Roxane the right to pass on through. She couldn't help but laugh inside her mind as she felt the lingering eyes on her behind as she slipped into her regular white dress.
The priestesses all started their day at the same place in the main temple's hall for morning prayer. Usually Diana would be seated at the front row pews, but Roxane could not spot the shimmering silver hair anywhere among the priestesses there.
She ducked her head and joined the others in prayer, opening her mouth to recite the prayers only when it came her time to recite.
After prayer, the priestesses joined their male counterparts to their first meal of the day which consisted of soup and a single small loaf of bread. Then it was time for them to start their daily chores.
After years of living at the temple she felt that she could even complete all the chores in her sleep. The priests and priestesses of the temple were all treated equal, and thus, they all took turns doing the various tasks that needed to get done. The temple's divine was a benevolent being, known to be compassionate and caring, and her temple was expected to carry on these values.
They cared for the sick whenever they could, giving them shelter and food at a detached building near the temple. Routinely, people from the village would come in drones, seeking blessings from the holy people of the temple. Some of the people would only spend a little time praying to the divine, while others spent the whole day. They all left after making donations for their blessings.
Roxane had done so many blessings on people in the last hour that she had begun to feel haggard. She all but jumped on the opportunity to help the other priestesses who had come to her to ask for help. Being as she was the strongest among all the priestesses, she was the first one they called for help if they needed to move furniture or to help carry heavy things. Some of the females even suspected that Roxane was stronger than even the strongest males inside the temple. Roxane just stayed silent as she could never confirm or deny their claims.
"Thanks for your help." The priestess gratefully took the crate of food supplies from Roxane and quickly got to work at the temple's kitchen. The kitchen was always in a constant state of madness as over a dozen pair of hands rapidly cut and peeled various types of vegetables, all preparing the food for lunch and even dinner for that day.
Despite her bad reputation around the temple, she was always reliable enough to be constantly sought after, and before long, she found herself at a secluded part of the temple with a mop in one hand and pail of cleaning solution in the other.
She did not mind at all. She was better working with her hands than providing assistance to the High Priestesses as they tended to the sick. Diana was quite the opposite, she always gravitated to helping out in whatever she could. She genuinely wanted to be of use, which was one of the reasons why Roxane loved her friend.
Roxane went to work, soaking the mop in the water before sloshing it all over the marble floors. She worked diligently as she went back and forth. Soon, her ears picked up the sound of two men arguing around the bend in the hallway. She immediately stopped working to try to make out the words they were saying.
"We need more information." She caught one of the men saying, his voice sounded familiar but she couldn't remember when she heard it.
"We don't have the time to be scouring the books," the other man's voice also sounded familiar, but while the first seemed calm, he did not. "I can sense him getting impatient. Before, I had the hardest time trying to persuade him not to kidnap her, and now, with his new obsession, I'm juggling with many things at once."
He huffed in frustration and then went silent as Roxane crept closer.
The silence went on and by the time she figured out that she's been found eavesdropping, a man appeared around the bend. His grey eyes lit up when he saw her.
"Apologies, my friend and I weren't disturbing your work were we?" He said with a brilliant smile plastered on his face. Roxane plastered the same smile on her own face.
"Not at all your Excellency. I was only concerned since I heard a ruckus. I wanted to make sure you two were alright."
She was still trying to figure out how she was sensed so quickly. Most humans wouldn't be so quick to catch on as she was sure she made no noise.
"You can call me Thatcher my lady. I am but an illegitimate branch of the Imperial Family." He bowed at the waist to her. His brown hair was neatly combed through unlike last night. Roxane found that she preferred his image from last night over to the immaculate way he currently presented himself.
"Roxane. If I am to call you by your first name then I shall ask that you too call me by mine. After all, I am no lady." She took the outstretched hand of the man and he politely placed a kiss over her knuckles, barely brushing his lips over her skin.
He looked up at her with a boyish grin.
"Nevertheless you are a priestess of this temple, and thus, should be treated with the utmost respect."
Roxane eyed him with suspicion as he still didn't let go of her hand. She found that he was being too friendly. He was testing her for some reason.
Her face broke into a radiant smile and she discreetly removed her hand to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"You are too kind. How could I be regarded the same as someone from noble blood? But thank you. Who is your friend?"
His eyes widen at she suddenly brought up the other man he was with. He had no doubt that he had successfully steered the conversation in a different direction. She tilted her head to the side as if she was expecting another introduction.
"Erm, pardon his rudeness my lady but my friend seems to have slipped away." His smiled returned to his face in full force. "He probably heard your sweet voice and was too shy to come meet you himself."
"I see." Roxane innocently laughed at his horrible excuse, knowing full well that was not at all what caused his friend to flee.
"I don't wish to intrude on your work," the man motioned to the mop in her hand, "so allow me to excuse myself first. I'm afraid I'm also needed as there's a lot to get done before the marriage ceremony takes place."
Roxane nodded. She watched as the man walked away from her. His broad back walked confidently ahead even though he could feel the burning golden eyes boring holes into him.