Adrienne wandered about, taking in her surroundings.
The castle, which had been neglected for years after she left for the Academy, had become a complete ruin. All the defensive and military structures were razed, leaving only wreckage. It hurt her to see a once majestic castle that her father and grandparents fought hard to protect be reduced to such a state.
The last time she was here, she was the daughter of the Lord of Luvia. Now, she was a wife. After her father fell in battle and the Empire abandoned her homeland, she lived in humiliation - an orphan, confined to the capital as a prisoner.
She knew what fate had in store for her - a political marriage -, where she would be married off for the Empire's gain to someone she barely know. Considering that scenario, her marriage to Aamon was not so different. At least she would be closer to her homeland this way and he promised to take care of her people. She didn't have any reason to complain but she still was angry at her fate, at the Gods.
"Father, are you alright? Is it better there? Do you miss your daughter? Because I do," laughed Adrienne self-deprecatingly.
She despised herself for being alive.
As she continued to walk around, she saw a red hue covering the world. The sun was setting, and soon it will be night. The freezing, piercing wind struck her constantly. The wind engulfed her, and before she knew it, her clothes were a tangled mess. The very clothes 'He' despised for being too shabby.
The wind was no ordinary gale. It was a violent windstorm that could rip a person's body to shreds. Even people who had lived here for a long time would avoid venturing outside on such a day since the northern winds were never kind but she still went outside, she needed to.
She gazed out at a place beyond the horizon looking for a place where she belonged if there were any. She knew that her life was not her own anymore, it belonged to him.
'My value to him? Is there anyone who believes it? His love for me? Only a fool would believe it. I was naive, not anymore.'
Toll!
Her train of thoughts was abruptly halted as a loud and beautiful chiming of a bell rang in the distance.
Toll!
The bells rang in harmony. To her ears, the clanging that echoed throughout the world sounded like a hymn. She remembered going to the Abbey as a child with her father. Although she never believed it, she liked spending time with her father. But now the bells seemed alluring to her as if calling her.
Unbeknownst to her, she started moving in the direction of the Abbey.
The Abbey was empty, which wasn't what she had expected. A hazy light descended halfway to the depths from the nave's glass walls. Numerous lamps in front of the altar battled vainly against the darkness, casting a sickly yellow hue on the face of the statue.
The hall was dark and quiet.
She cast a glance at the ash-grey marble statue in the front - Ita, the Goddess of Light. One of the most prominent goddesses. Her face was that of a woman dressed in a thin gown with a thick hood. Nothing could be more endearing than her large, sorrowful eyes, which evoked deep emotion.
Adrienne moved closer to the statue before kneeling down, lowering her head, and closing her eyes.
"O' Mother of Light, I beseech thee, Give me hope and strength"
"Teach me to walk again, with pride in my own being"
"Bless me with insights and courage, for I am a person of worth in the eyes of my father and myself"
"I journey alone with none, trodding my path filled with difficulties"
"In love I ask this, Bless me."
"Enlighten my mind, Guide my soul"
"O' Mother, Encompassing us all, I bow to Thee"
"The Source of all Divine, I bow to Thee"
"O' Mother to us all Creation, To Thee I Bow"
After her first prayer after a long time, she headed back toward the castle, the setting sun casting a long shadow behind her lonely back. Strangely, her heart was at peace, unlike before.
The bell that echoed around the town was akin to a melody to her tender ears. The castle no longer felt so distant to her anymore.