In her rooms, that she felt were far too extravagant for a simple girl like herself, Zella was deep in prayer.
First, she begged for forgiveness for enjoying the hospitality of the Imperial Couple. Austerity and abnegation, the values she was raised to hold, were the antithesis of the extravagance she currently found herself in. And she felt guilty not only for accepting it, but for actually enjoying it as well. The Holy Light demanded a rejection of material things and comforts for a life of service and devotion.
Since she'd been in the Capitol, she'd been given comfortable clothes, nourishing and delicious food, and comfortable furnishings. The Head Priest had not given her arduous tasks and actually allowed her ample time to rest and relax. She had thought that was the pinnacle of luxury.
Life was far different in the Imperial Cathedral than it had been in the convent.
