"We are blessed, my dear people! After thousands of years, Goddess Kartara has given us a new hope! And I will not keep you waiting, nor will I bore you with a long speech. I will allow our beloved Saintess Helena, the chosen one, to do all the talking!"
Immediately, the drumming picked up and Helena entered the hall, beautifully adorned in a flowing white dress which complimented her fair skin, blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
"Oh my, she is so beautiful!"
"Look at our Saintess! No one can compare!"
"The Goddess has blessed her. Through her, we are also blessed!"
Many voices filled the hall. All of them gushing over the Saintess.
"Oh, my beloved child! My holy child!" Tyren's voice mixed in. She stared at Helena with tears in her eyes.
Even the Duke appeared a bit moved.
Where was the Holy Sword? Felicia wondered. Shouldn't she have walked out with it? Or is there something else at play here?
As if called, two priests from the first faction entered the hall. In their hands was a small and thin, but ornately decorated casket. Stepping closer, they halted next to Helena who opened it with deliberate slowness.
The entire hall was hushed with anticipation.
Felicia rolled her eyes at Helena's action. She was taking way too long. And over a fake Holy Sword.
Helena brushed her fingertips along the length of the case. She traced some of the designs before placing her fingers on the two golden latches. They opened with a click and she carefully lifted the lid.
Some people were arching their neck to get a look inside.
Helena placed her hand on the hilt and lifted it up. She was surprised it had some weight to it. Though the longsword had been crafted by the Pope under strict orders to make it light enough for a lithe noblewoman to carry, it still had some weight to it. And Helena wasn't accustomed to it. She spent very little time exercising.
Helena had only touched the Holy Sword when she arrived the previous night. This was her first time lifting it. It was a thing of beauty. The Goddess has created such a stunning and magnificent weapon. And it was now hers! She alone was in possession of this sacred relic!
Helena held the hilt with both hands and raised the sword over her head.
Immediately, the crowd shot to their feet and burst into thunderous applause. Endless praises mixed in with the clapping of hands.
Tyren clapped the hardest. She cried as if she had just been saved from drowning.
Felicia covered her ears from the overwhelming noise.
Alex stood up and gave a slow clap.
The Duke clapped performantly.
Finally, the crowd settled down and took their seats. All eyes were locked onto Helena, eager to hear what she had to say.
"Thank you, all of you, for coming to commemorate this unprecedented day. Today the Goddess has spoken to me and given me her strength! The Holy Sword is a symbol of her grace and her exploits! She, the Almighty, fought for the people of this land. She slayed the demons so we could live in peace and prosperity!" She smiled, bashfully. "Though I am blessed, I am but a mere servant of the Goddess. She is where all your praises should go to, not me. As a Saintess, I do not seek glory or fame. I only wish to serve our Goddess and do my duty to my people."
The crowd fawned at Helena's words. She was so humble, so kind, so selfless and so beautiful! How could such a pure soul exist? No wonder the Goddess chose her.
Helena lowered the Holy Sword and placed in back in its case. The priests holding the casket bowed and retreated.
Facing the congregation, Helena felt her heart would burst with joy. Everyone was watching her! Loving her! Waiting for her to speak! This day was all about her! She felt better than she had in months. Her eyes briefly landed on Felicia and she couldn't help the slight sneer that twisted her lips.
Ha! What was I so worried about? That bitch cannot compare to me! And Alex will soon realize that. How jealous she must be feeling right now! How foolish of her to think she could outshine a Saintess such as myself! After today, this bitch will know her place!
Alex sneered at the look on Helena's face. Obviously the brat knows she did not pull that out of the stone. She doesn't care that the Pope is lying to her? She's just going along with it? What a delusional idiot!
Smiling gently, Helena recited the speech the Pope had instructed her to speak. An important message needed to be conveyed to the people of Elysium about the state of their holy empire.
"As a Saintess, it pains me to be a bearer of bad news, but I must be honest with my people about the dangers we face as one. Goddess Kartara's sword has never been wielded by any human being in the past. Though many have been blessed by her power, none were given the right to her weapon. Until now. There is a new threat that looms over us. One which will require me to utilize the Holy Sword."
The crowd all felt nervous. They exchanged glances, bewildered by this sudden development. They thought this was only a day of celebration. A new threat? This could only mean one thing; the reemergence of witches and demonic magic!
Helena tone remained gentle and hopeful, laced with a hint of dread. "There is a great evil which has emerged to threaten our beloved empire. In the past, Saintesses, Popes and Aurors have worked together to fight off demonic entities. And we have succeeded. Though many lives were lost and our last Saintess, Lady Joan of Arc had to give her life to save both Elysium and Imperium, we have remained strong. But now the Devil has taken a stronghold in our empire! And he has been aided by those who seek to gain his favor. Witches are now walking amongst us, disguised as worshippers of our Goddess!"
There were many murmurs and gasps of shock. The entire crowd was scared and uneasy.
Felicia, Liam and Alex were examining every word Helena spoke.
The entire royal family looked very grave, especially Prince Constantine who struggled to come to terms with the fact that Helena was this much of a liar. As if waving a fake Holy Sword wasn't wicked enough, she was now implying that the witch among them wasn't her?
She was distorting reality by pretending to be some kind of champion set to fight off an evil entity which she herself was strengthening from?
Constantine felt his heart ache. Why was Helena going along with the Pope's plans? What did she stand to gain? Did she seek to take power away from his family the way the Pope did? Who was she really?
He recalled all Lady Felicia had told him about what Helena had put her through in her first life. So she has always been this deceitful and manipulative?
Or does she not know? Is she acting against her better judgement because of the Pope's influence on her mind? What is the truth here? I took an oath to help Alex and Lady Felicia, but now I'm not sure what is going to be expected of me.
"The Devil will come to us in many different ways, so I implore you all to be extra vigilant. I have already beseeched the Goddess to aid me in finding the evil one and the witches who aids him. The Holy Sword will act as my compass and I will do my part to cleanse this land and restore balance once more, so please!" She paused with tears in her eyes. "Do not feel scared. Be cautious, but do not allow my words to scare you. I promise, you are safe and will be safe so long as I am here!"
Another round of applause met her words.
"Saintess, you are our salvation!"
The Pope stepped up to Helena and took one of her hands, raising it into the air. "As our beloved Saintess has stated, this is not the day to be scared. The Goddess has made us stronger in our fight against the Devil! So as long as Helena stands up against the evil, we will survive and we will thrive!"
"Yes!" Tyren, gushed. "My child is the most special!"
The Pope smiled in her direction. "Indeed she is. So let us celebrate this day! Long live the Saintess! Long live Elysium! Goddess Kartara has blessed us all!"
Felicia covered her ears again at the absurd outburst of cheers. Helena had yet to do a single thing and yet, they all treated her like a hero who had returned victorious from battle.
The Pope lead a smiling Helena to the open courtyard where food and music was awaiting the celebrants. Tyren rushed forward, pushing through the crowd to embrace her daughter and soak up some of the glory as well.
The prayer hall quickly emptied as all the nobles, priests and commoners left in a state of euphoria.
The only ones left in the hall were Felicia, Liam, Alex and Constantine. One by one they made their way to the front and knelt before the statue of the Goddess.
Prince Florentine, who was also heading out with the Emperor and Empress glanced back when he noticed that his brother stood immobile. He knew there was something troubling Constantine. He had been in a sullen mood ever since the missive had arrived at the palace informing them of Saintess Helena's achievement. The half-brothers had always been close. As such, Florentine was determined to figure out what was upsetting Constantine.
Following after him, he also kneeled at the feet of the Goddess.