Like a panther stalking a rabbit, Delrik had been finding ways to see Cosaria all day. But unfortunately, the rabbit kept running away. (She was still getting over her embarrassment from 'the talk' with Pamtha. But Delrik didn't know that, so he just thought she hated him.)
Delrik found Cosaria after lunch, reading in the library. She blushed when she saw him.
Jumping to her feet, Cosaria said, "Oh, Delrik, I was just leaving."
"Wait!" Delrik heard himself say.
Cosaria hesitated. "What can I do for you?"
Delrik wasn't sure why he was there. Well, no, that wasn't right. He knew exactly why he was there. He wanted to be near Cosaria, but that was stupid, so he needed a better reason. He said, "I was looking for a book."
"Oh! Maybe I can help you look!" Cosaria rushed over to the shelf like a small prancing animal. "Oh, but… I don't know what book you're looking for. And I don't know where it would be. Tilda is the one who always sorts it… I'm sorry. Looks like I'm no help at all."
"It's no matter," Delrik said, "I wasn't looking for anything in particular."
Delrik strolled over to stand beside Cosaria. She felt his presence as it became harder for her to take a breath.
Delrik said, "What books interest you?"
"Oh! This one is one of my favorites!" Cosaria rushed over to the book 'Love, love, love, and the meaning behind looks.' After rereading the title, her face went bright red and Pamtha's words flashed through her mind again. She said, "Never mind!"
Delrik was standing behind her, pinning her to the shelf. Her heart was beating rapidly.
He spoke softly, "Cosaria."
She looked up with her adorable, starry eyes.
He closed the distance.
"Lord Delrik?" Morc interrupted as he walked into the room.
Cosaria pulled away as Delrik clenched his fist.
Delrik barked, "What?"
Morc flinched at Delrik's harsh tone. He swallowed and said, "Uh, it can wait."
Cosaria said, "Oh no, it mustn't. Delrik, you have such important duties. You mustn't shirk them."
Delrik clenched his teeth. The mood was completely spoiled, just like the rest of his day.
༻✧༺
Tilda sat under a tree outside the Carneth Temple. Pamtha had more business to attend to and asked Tilda to wait outside.
Thinking about the meeting where she said almost nothing, Tilda thought, Turns out, Pamtha really didn't need me.
Tilda looked up at the church; Gargoyles glared down from the eves and corners of the building. She shivered and thought, I hate this place.
Finally having time alone, she pulled out her letter and continued to read:
"So boldly he enter'd the Netherby Hall,
Among bride's-men, and kinsmen, and brothers and all
Then spoke the bride's father, his hand on his sword,
(For the poor craven bridegroom said never a word,)
'O come ye in peace here, or come ye in war,
Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar?'
'I long woo'd your daughter, my suit you denied;-
Love swells like the Solway, but ebbs like its tide-
And now I am come, with this lost love of mine,
To lead but one measure, drink one cup of wine.
There are maidens in the land more lovely by far,
That would gladly be bride to the young Lochinvar.'"
An adventurous and bold young knight, storming a wedding, and saving the woman he loves. Everything about this poem reminded her of Felux.
A voice called out. Tilda grimaced as she recognized it.
"You look like a melancholy puppy or something."
Looking up, Tilda saw that it was, predictably, Malel.
She said, "Uh… thanks?"
Malel said, "Don't worry, it's a compliment, I really like puppies."
"Yeah."
Malel said, "You hungry? It's almost lunch time and I thought we could go together."
Did he come looking for me? Tilda thought. She said, "I really can't, I'm waiting for Pamtha."
"I'm sure she'll understand."
Tilda closed her eyes and exhaled, thinking, If Malel doesn't leave right now, I think I might bite his head off.
"Bess! Bessy Bess dear!" Pamtha called as she arrived in good timing.
Thank heavens. Tilda never thought she would be so happy to see Pamtha again. She said, "Sorry Malel, I have to go."
Malel asked, "Is she calling you Bess?"
Tilda shrugged.
Pamtha said, "Bess deary, I've got extra work to do preparing for your test and all-"
"What?"
Pamtha continued, "So I won't be able to meet you for lunch. But don't worry, I'll meet up with you later."
"Wait."
Pamtha said, "Oh, I'm so glad to see you've already made friends Bessy dear."
Malel said, "She's Tilda actually."
"Tilda, Bess, whoever you are. Till later."
"Wait…"
Pamtha walked away.
"Wait, what test? Pamtha wait!"
"Now we can have lunch together before your divine power test. Concelebro! Right Tilda? Concelebro?" Malel said as he nudged Tilda.
"Yeah… contemno."
"Actually, contemno means, 'I despise', so you don't want to use that one."
Tilda's eye twitched as she said, "Yeah."
This was not in her plans…
༻✧༺
Tilda and Malel sat together in the priest's dining hall. Malel was eating with a good appetite. Tilda was not.
Malel said, "Are you okay, you haven't eaten anything."
Tilda looked down at her plate, still full of food. She said, "Yeah."
Malel rambled, "Are you nervous about your test? I know you'll pass for sure. I can sense a really potent divine power around you."
Tilda's eyebrows scrunched together in worry as she said, "Really?"
"For sure. I've always looked up to you Tilda." Malel blushed as he said, "Seeing you so devoted to the church. That's what got me started on my journey. I had always hoped to really connect with you over it."
Tilda picked up a bite of mashed potatoes on her fork, pretending to listen.
Malel continued, "When your family fell away I just. It was hard for me, you know?"
Tilda let the forkful of mashed potatoes flop onto her plate in symbolic frustration.
He didn't stop talking, "I knew you still had the light. I could tell it was your family who were leading you away from the truth. That's why you took that maid job, isn't it?"
Hearing Malel's ignorant, inconsiderate, know-it-all, assumptive rant was flaring Tilda's temper. She said, "It was more because of…" She took a deep breath. She couldn't blow up. Not now. "It was more to help support my sister."
"For sure. That situation would shake even the strongest soul. But I'm so glad to see you've found your way back."
He's assuming an awful lot about me.
Malel asked with deep concern, "Does your family know you're here?"
Tilda said, "…My brother does."
"But not your father."
"No."
She thought, I didn't have time to write them about what was going on.
Malel nodded, as if he understood her pain. He said, "Yeah, that can be so hard, having to act on what you believe without your family's support. There's a couple of priests here in the same situation. You should talk to Priestess Juacov. She's in the exact same situation. I really think you two would be great friends."
She had had enough. Tilda stood up, saying, "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom."
"I'm sorry if I said something I shouldn't have. I just want you to know that I really care for you Tilda."
Tilda said, "Don't worry Malel, I can tell."
Malel's posture lifted and he smiled.
Tilda walked away, thinking, Contemno, contemno, contemno.
༻✧༺
Behind a random quiet storage shed, out of the way and secluded, Tilda leaned against the wall. She pulled out her letter. It was her saving grace. Her perfect distraction from this religious hell. She read:
"The bride kiss'd the goblet, the knight took it up,
He quaff'd off the wine, and he threw down the cup.
She look'd down to blush, and she look'd up to sigh,
With a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye.
He took her soft hand, ere her mother could bar,-
'Now tread we a measure!' said young Lochinvar.
So stately his form, and so lovely her face,
That never a hall such a galliard did grace;
While her mother did fret, and her father did fume,
And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume;
And the bride-maidens whisper'd,''twere better by far
To have match'd our fair cousin with young Lochinvar.'"
Tilda sighed, holding the letter and smiling. It was good to escape for a bit.
A priest looking for something in the shed noticed Tilda. He popped his head out from behind the shed and said, "Hey, are you okay?"
"Oh, yeah, sorry, I just got lost. I'll be getting back now," Tilda said as she hurried away.
༻✧༺
Tilda was waiting outside the meeting room as Pamtha came out with a group laughing around her.
Afershav said, "Priestess Pamtha, you truly do enlighten us."
Seeing Tilda, Pamtha said, "Bess! How good to see you again. Go on ahead young ones, I must speak to my newest apprentice."
The rest of the group continued down the way as Pamtha said, "Are you ready for your test, deary?"
Tilda said, "You do realize I'm not here to take the test, right?"
"Of course not."
"I'm not going to become your apprentice."
"Don't be such a Deborah Downer. You've got to believe in yourself, Bessy."
"I'm going home."
Pamtha grabbed Tilda's hand, saying, "No, no, no. You must stay."
Tilda said, "You seem to have this perfectly handled."
"Let's see if I can explain this using the least amount of words. You test, you fail, go home, no suspicion."
Tilda blinked, trying to decode Pamtha's words. She said, "You want me to take the test and fail?"
Pamtha nodded.
"Then I can go home without any suspicion?"
Pamtha nodded.
It was starting to come together. Tilda said, "Because if I leave now, they'll be suspicious about the lone apprentice coming from the Arquix castle. You said that I was the most powerful at the Arquix estate, so if I fail the test then that proves that everyone at the estate is powerless."
"Exactly. That's what I've been saying this entire time."
"And what if I don't fail the test? What if I have some hidden divine power."
"Oh, there's no need to worry about that."
"Why's that?"
Pamtha started walking away, saying, "Make sure you say goodbye before you leave!"