Serafine stared at Lady Amaris. She had no idea how things had escalated to this point, but as Amaris's gaze lingered on her, Serafine found herself thinking, 'Well... yeah, fuck it.'
What was the worst that could happen? She wasn't exactly a typical saintess, and maybe she needed a little chaos in her life.
The rules of duty and restraint had gotten a little tiresome, and maybe it was time to feel... something else for once.
Before she could fully talk herself out of it, Lady Amaris was suddenly very close, whispering something Serafine couldn't catch.
Then, before she could even process what was happening, Amaris had leaned in and kissed her.
Serafine's mind exploded, but there was also something undeniably thrilling about it. She'd never had an experience like this before, and maybe, just maybe, this was what she needed to break free from the chains of duty that bound her.
The kiss deepened, and Serafine's head spun. She wasn't sure if it was the magic of the kiss, the allure of Amaris, or the constant pressure of her saintess role, but whatever it was, it was intoxicating.
They lasted for minutes, just a few, really, but it got so deep, so quickly, that it spiraled into something far beyond what either of them had intended.
One moment, it was a harmless flirtation, the next, they were tangled in an almost absurd tangle of limbs, their passion escalating like a comedy of errors. It was as if they were playing a game where the rules didn't exist and neither of them knew how to stop before it went way, way out of hand.
"Oh, this is... well, this is definitely not what I expected," the saintess muttered, trying to regain some semblance of composure, but the mess of things - her tangled hair, her half-undone dress, the chaotic situation in general, made it impossible.
And then, of course, just as things were getting interesting...
"Saintess Serafine?!"
A voice interrupted the moment. Serafine immediately pulled away, her face red with embarrassment.
She turned to see Father Lorian, a priest who was well-known for his overly concerned, always-on-the-alert demeanor. He had one hand on the doorframe, eyes wide with shock.
"Oh... umm... Father Lorian, hi!" She stammered, desperately trying to regain some sort of composure.
"I... I—I cannot believe my eyes! Saintess, what is this?!"
Serafine quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and cleared her throat. "Oh, you know, just a... prayer meeting? Very... intimate prayer meeting?"
"Prayer meeting? With... with Lady Amaris? The daughter of a baron? Saintess, what are you thinking? The very foundation of your holiness...!"
Before she could respond, a couple more priests wandered into the scene, drawn by the commotion.
Father Marcellus, with his thick glasses, took one look and gasped, clutching his rosary like it was his last line of defense.
"Father Lorian, you were right!" Father Marcellus exclaimed, eyes widening in disbelief. "This is... this is... unholy!"
"Hey, hey! It's just a kiss. It's not like we were... uh... doing... something else!"
Father Lorian, scandalized, turned to Father Marcellus for moral support. "It's a disgrace! Our saintess, engaging in... in... this!"
"Oh, come on. I'm still a saintess, okay? One kiss doesn't exactly ruin my career."
Father Lorian placed his hands on his hips. "One kiss? Do you know what you've done, Saintess?! This—this is a sin!"
Serafine, looking around at the increasing number of priests piling in, couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the whole situation. "Are we really doing this right now? We're all just gonna stand here and talk about my love life? Wow. Real holy vibes, you guys."
Father Lorian was beginning to sputter with indignation. "This is a matter of great importance, Saintess! What you've done could... could..." He trailed off, searching for the words.
"Could what?" Serafine asked, raising an eyebrow. "Could ruin the reputation of the church because I kissed a woman? Let's be real, Father Lorian, this is going to blow over by tomorrow."
"I'm afraid, Saintess, this is no laughing matter. The act you've committed is beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable!" Father Marcellus said.
Serafine's face went from amused to annoyed. "You're right. It's unacceptable. I shouldn't be out here kissing random people without considering the bigger picture. I should've just been out here... doing what? More charity work? Giving speeches? I have a job to do, you know!"
Father Lorian nodded gravely. "Yes. And that job does not include... that."
Just then, another priest wandered in, more out of curiosity than concern. "What's going on here?" he asked casually, taking in the scene. Then his eyes landed on Serafine. "Oh. So... this is the Saintess's... rebellion?"
"Oh, yes," Father Marcellus agreed, dramatically clutching his chest. "This is beyond salvation."
Serafine rolled her eyes. "Guys, calm down. It's not the end of the world."
"Well, we can't just pretend like nothing happened!" Father Lorian cried, shaking his head.
Before Serafine could respond, she noticed that Lady Amaris, who had been standing just a moment ago, was nowhere to be found.
"What the—?" Serafine exclaimed, looking around in confusion. "Where did she go?"
Father Lorian's eyes narrowed. "She's gone, just like that? A woman of her stature sneaks around and—"
The priests exchanged worried glances, while Serafine was growing more irritated by the second. Just then, Father Lorian spoke again, his face solemn.
"You... have violated your vows, Saintess. And we have no choice but to make an example of you."
"Wait, what?"
He crossed his arms. "We must take action. You can no longer be allowed to serve as Saintess after such... transgressions. It means... you're a fraud."
"You can't be serious," Serafine protested, stepping back. "You can't just—"
"We've made an error. We must execute you."
Serafine's mind went blank. 'Execute?'
Before she could form a coherent thought, she was quickly seized by the priests, who looked disturbingly calm as they escorted her to the dungeon.
As they locked the door behind her, Serafine stared at the stone walls and sighed. "Well, this is just great."
'And wait, what? They had a dungeon?'