It took everything within her not to run out the doors, as Tilda sat in the mass hall of the Carneth Temple. She was dressed in robes similar to Pamtha, only less ornate. On the pew beside her, Pamtha slept with her head back, mouth wide open.
In the front of the room was a giant statue of the divine maiden and a pulpit with a bible on it. Off to one side was the usual organ, used to accompany church meetings and divine ceremonies.
The most striking, and iconic pieces within the hall were the stained-glass windows. There were scenes depicting demons fighting angels, heavenly gates, fiery hellscapes, and monstrous black beasts. They were scenes Tilda had studied her entire life. But that was before… Before…
Tilda swallowed. Her hands were shaking as she tried to open a letter in her hands.
Her mind flashed back to the moment she was given the letter back at the Arquix castle. She was desperate for anything that would help her forget where she was at the moment. She remembered:
Tilda pulled the priestly robe over her head. Felux smiled while Beniter frowned.
Tilda said, "You think I'll pass off as an apprentice priestess applicant?"
"Aye." Felux thought she looked so cute and pious. He found it comical. It was so unlike her.
Beniter said, "I don't like that you're going to the church."
Tilda said, "Someone has to do it."
"I still don't like it."
To get into the church, Tilda was pretending to be a priestess applicant. She always thought she'd make a good spy. Now was her chance.
Felux handed Tilda a letter and said, "I've put in it a poem. Should help if yer needin a distraction."
Tilda smiled slyly at Felux, saying, "Is it a love poem?"
Both Tilda and Felux noticed how Beniter gagged. His reaction only fueled their urge for more public displays of affection.
Felux took a step forward and put his arms around Tilda's waist. He said, "Aye, one of my favorites."
Tilda put her hands on Felux's shoulders and squeezed. She said, "That's so thoughtful. Thank you."
Felux pulled Tilda closer to him. So close their faces were inches apart. Beniter reacted with a disgusted shiver.
Felux said, "Careful about the roads."
Tilda said, "Are you worried about me?"
"Naw. I know that you're more than capable. But, I'd have liked to be going with you is all."
Beniter put his fingers to his temple and rolled his eyes.
Tilda said, "We won't be apart long."
"Aye. It's getting harder fer me."
"What is?"
"Parting with you."
Tilda kissed Felux.
"Seriously?" Beniter called out, "I'm right here!"
Tilda smiled deviously. She said, "Someday, you Beniter will know the feeling of holding a beautiful woman."
"Aye, it's a lovely feelin."
Beniter said, "You two are so gross."
Calling from away down the road, Pamtha said, "Are you coming?"
"Sorry, I'll be right there." Tilda pulled away from Felux, saying, "I'll see you soon."
Felux let go of her hand and smiled sadly, saying, "Not soon enough."
Beniter gagged horribly, and said, "Get a room!"
Felux laughed as Tilda waved.
Beniter frowned as he waved. He mindlessly said, "I hope she'll be alright. She hasn't been in a church since…"
Beniter glanced at Felux. He didn't know how much Felux knew about his sister Anra.
Felux nodded and said, "Aye, she'll be alright."
He would have liked to go with her, but Delrik was manic about Cosaria's protection. Besides, Felux had complete trust in Tilda. He knew she was strong. She could handle this, even if she didn't think she could.
It was that trust that Tilda felt, as she sat in the church's mass hall. She fingered Felux's letter in her shaking hands. A group of priests passed as Tilda opened the letter. The poem was supposed to be about a young knight in love with a woman given in marriage to someone else. Apparently, he crashed the wedding and ran off with the bride.
Tilda read:
"O young Lochinvar is coming out of the west,
Through all the wide border on his steed was the best;
And save his good broadsword he weapons had none,
He rode all unarm'd, and he rode all alone.
So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war,
There never was knight like the young Lochinvar."
Tilda smiled, thinking, This reminds me of Felux. I can see why he'd like it.
Her reading was interrupted by a voice, saying, "Tilda? Is that you Tilda?"
She recognized the voice with a deep discomfort.
No. Please no.
Tilda looked up and saw Malel, the boy priest from her hometown. The one who thought that he and Tilda were still friends.
He was smiling with the biggest grin and clearly NOT noticing her look of horror. All he saw were the priestess applicant's clothes. He said, "Concelebro! I knew you hadn't given up the faith! You always were the strongest among your family."
Tilda frowned.
She said, "Malel? What are you doing here?"
"I was transferred here just a few weeks ago. I'm really moving up in the world, as you can see." Malel tugged at Tilda's robe and said, "This is apprentice attire. Are you applying to become an apprentice? That's great! I could help train you."
AHHHHHHHH, NOOO!!!
Keeping up her façade, she said, "Yeah. Wonderful."
Malel said, "Instead of wonderful, we use the words of the ancient language. Try saying concelebro instead."
Tilda said dryly, "Yeah."
"Concelebro, come on, try it."
"Contemno."
Malel looked slightly confused, saying, "Ah… not quite, but you'll get there."
"The lioness is flying rooster wisteria!" Pamtha cried as she woke up.
Malel blinked as he registered the high priest. He bowed deeply and said, "High Priestess Lady Pamtha! Inosce me, forgive me, I didn't see you."
Pamtha said, "No, no, no. You mean 'ignosce me.' Inosce means something completely different, remember your pronunciations."
"Of course, High Priestess. Ignosce me."
Pamtha said, "Now, where did High priest Uftall get to?"
Malel said, "He's in the meeting hall with Priest Afershav, Smithy, and a visiting priest from Duke Grysle's dutchy, Priest Goopty."
"What kind of name is Goopty, really?"
"I don't think he chose it, High Priestess."
"Well, did you choose your name?"
"No."
"Exactly. Come on Tilda, let's go."
Pamtha got up and started walking away as Tilda began to follow.
"You're with the High Priestess? Wow!" Seeing that Tilda was getting away, Malel grabbed her arm and said, "We have to meet for lunch. I have so many questions and we have so much to catch up on."
Tilda said, "I'm going to be busy."
"Don't worry, I'm sure the Priestess will let you find time."
"Yeah. Goodbye."
Tilda walked away as Malel waved enthusiastically. He said, "Here at the church we say vale instead of goodbye."
Tilda said, "Yeah."
Malel said, "Vale!"
There was once a time Tilda would have gladly used church slang. That time had passed.
༻✧༺
Tilda continued reading her letter and her poem about Sir Lochinvar:
"He staid not for brake, and he stopp'd not for stone,
He swam the Eske river where ford there was none;
But ere he alighted at Netherby gate,
The bride had consented, the gallant came late
For a laggard in love, and a dastard in war,
Was to wed the fair Ellen of brave Lochinvar."
༻✧༺
A recent terror had gripped Delrik. As usual, his thoughts were consumed with Cosaria;
Now that we know she's the divine maiden, she won't need me anymore. She'll leave me.
His heart tightened.
No. She still needs protection. I can provide that. She still needs me. We still have a contract. She can't leave. She can't. I won't let her.
Delrik spent hours that night in his office drawing up new contracts, and throwing them on the floor again and again. He was willing to do anything, kill anyone, to keep Cosaria in his life.
These dark and desperate thoughts were eating Delrik alive when Felux walked into the mess of Delrik's office.
Felux said, "Been busy?"
Delrik turned away, and said, "Felux, yes, just the man. You must draft me a contract."
"Aye, what's it to say?" Felux said, closing the door behind him. He grabbed a pen and paper, and waited.
"It's to say… to say… I need it to say…"
While Delrik thought, Felux picked up one of the failed drafts on the floor and read, "Contractual Marriage Relationship for the purpose of Mutual Benefits."
The terms read:
Cosaria must tell Delrik when/if she leaves the castle Cosaria cannot interact with any male outside those which Delrik approves Delrik will provide all the wants and desires expressed by Cosaria Cosaria and Delrik are to fulfill expected marriage responsibilities such as; eating meals together, going on dates, and sharing emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical intimacy.
The terms made Felux raise an eyebrow. He was glad this draft had failed, for obvious reasons. Felux put the paper down and stared at the internally tormented Delrik.
Finally, Felux said, "Sir, yer overthinkin it."
"Excuse you?"
Felux said, "If ye love her, LOVE her. Don't control her."
"I never said anything about control… or love."
Felux raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Delrik said, "Don't be so assumptive, Felux."
"Sir, I can't help you with this. This is one's on you. No contract needed."
"No contract! How else can I… why would she stay?"
"Cause she loves you."
Delrik's heart stopped.
"Impossible," He whispered.
Felux smirked, and said, "Of course, she couldn't love ye as much as I."
Suddenly, the solution to his problem was crystal clear.
"Felux, get out. I need… time to think."
"And more paper," Felux said staring at the mess of paper on the floor.
"Leave!"
"Aye sir."
As Felux left, Delrik's mind calmed.
Yes, I must be patient. Wait for the perfect moment to pounce. To trap her in my arms. Wait for the perfect moment. Just like I always do. And when that moment arrives, I'll be ready.
Little did Delrik know that all he had to do to get Cosaria to stay, was to ask her honestly. She would have been happy to fulfill such a request.
Unfortunately, he did not believe in the power of honest communication. Or trust. Or sincerity. Or, really, any concept that would have helped him in this circumstance.
༻✧༺
Pamtha strode into the church meeting room as Tilda followed. Priest Uftall, Afershav, Smithy and Goopty sat around the table.
Pamtha said, "Started without me, I see. Really, you gentlemen are no gentlemen."
Uftall said, "The business was urgent, you see. Another attack in Portsmith."
Pamtha said, "Another one! Let me guess, Priest Goopty was there again. There he is, there he is, there he is. Always just in time."
Goopty said, "I was simply a key witness to the event."
Pamtha said, "The tracks left upon the ground are marks of the animal who made them."
Goopty said, "What are you implying?"
Pamtha said, "I imply nothing, you youngster. I prophecy. That's why I'm a High Priestess. No respect these days, these youngsters."
Uftall, Afershav and Smithy laughed.
Uftall said, "Noone else has a humor such as Priestess Pamtha."
Pamtha said, "Oh, how it is good to be around people who understand me."
Goopty pointed to Tilda, asking, "Who is this?"
Tilda hid her face, thinking, That's the priest who was with Lord Grysle at the hunting festival.
Pamtha said, "This is Bess. If she passes the divine power test, she'll be my new apprentice. Out of everyone at the Arquix castle, she had the most divine promise."
Tilda looked at Pamtha with wide eyes. Did Tilda actually have divine power? There was no way. But after so many years of hoping, Tilda had to let out a resigned breath. Pamtha was just saying things.
Afershav said, "Why didn't you test her at the estate?"
Pamtha said, "I only had one crystal tester."
Goopty said, "You took the testing stick with you, didn't you?"
"I don't trust those jangly sticks of yours."
The priests all gasped as Pamtha pulled out a crystal which had gone completely black.
Smithy said, "I don't think I've seen one so dark before."
Goopty said, "Is that Lady Cosaria's test?"
Pamtha said, "Yes, yes, yes. Surprising, I know. Ridiculous, really. The young girl seems like such a vessel. Such a good thing."
Uftall said, "How can it be, she seems to have no divine power… at all."
"No, no, no. Look, look deep." Pamtha pointed at the bottom of the crystal.
The priests all leaned in. At the very bottom was a slight, very slight glow.
Smithy said, "I see it."
Afershav said, "As do I. It's there alright."
Uftall said, "That settles that then. Lady Cosaria has absolutely no divine power. We'll have to send a message to the king immediately."
Goopty said, "How do we know the High Priestess didn't meddle with the test?"
Pamtha said, "Ha! Of course I meddled with the test. Wait, no I didn't… no, no, yes I did. Yes, how else was I going to get the results I wanted? The girl was so powerless I had to expand her results to prove that she was a living soul."
Goopty said, "But… but… I sensed divine power in her."
"My blessings, it was my blessings you were sensing. Must've been. She's so powerless, I felt the poor girl needed extra divine strength. So, I've been blessing her all the while. Although, perhaps it was a residue blessing from her mother, you see. Keep in mind, her mother was Seredith. Nothing like a mother's blessing. Quite powerful. But none of you men could understand that. And with how little power she has, oh my. She could be so susceptible to the curses, you know. Tragic." Pamtha stood up, saying, "As we all know from the good verse, 'In the darkest night, the darkness dwells, collecting, hiding, the demons swell. They will take the weak, the ill of heart and scar them, maim them-'"
"Till ephemeral life is shred apart…" Tilda finished.
All eyes turned to her in surprise.
Tilda said, "Sorry, I… I'm just familiar with those passages." The priest back in her home town had his congregation memorize those verses. She had felt so proud when she recited it in front of everyone during church ceremonies.
"See, a prodigy. Truly! She's easily the peak of divine power to come from the Arquix estate." Pamtha mumbled, "And let me tell you, that isn't much." Then Pamtha said normally, "That castle is a dark place, truly. The lightest step casts the longest shadow."
Smithy said, "Truly poetic. I could listen to Pamtha give sermons all day long."
Pamtha said, "That's because I'm the only one preaching any sense."
Uftall, Smithy, and Afershav laughed. Goopty did not.
Afershav said, "Too true, too true. These new priests have no sense of the doctrine."
Being a new priest himself, Goopty was offended, saying, "Excuse you."
Uftall said, "He means no disrespect Goopty, he's been in the capital for too long. He's not familiar with the rest of the working in the church."
Afershav said, "There's no need for me to know the workings, all I need to know is the doctrine."
Pamtha said, "And even that you get wrong."
Uftall and Smithy laughed. Goopty snickered. Afershav did neither.
Looking around the room, Tilda thought, This whole church is filled with crazies.