Helga and Octavia

Helga was in a state of shock. There were too many things wrong with what Alessandra had said while hugging her to count. Who would take comfort from a promise to stab someone for beating you? Why would you offer to stab someone for beating someone? Why not go to the Guards if someone had beaten you up? WHY WAS A BEATING THE FIRST THING SHE THOUGHT OF FOR BEING THE REASON SOMEONE WAS CRYING? She hoped that Priestess Octavia didn’t think Jerome beat her. What am I getting myself into with this child? I hope she hasn’t killed people before. “I need to say something,” she thought to herself. Taking a calming breath she spoke.

“I assure you, Priestess Octavia, that Jerome has never laid a hand on me and that a murder will not be necessary. I can also assure you that Alessandra and I will be having a long talk later,” She said.

“I have talked to her already, Duchess, though I can foresee many more talks brought on by shock in the future. I believe you when you say you are not a battered spouse. I think it’s best to move on to my other question before we get to your townhouse?” Priestess Octavia said. She gave a curt nod, and the Priestess continued, “As a mother myself, I must ask, why did you buy her a new dress but no shoes?”

Shocked? Duchess Helga blinked at the Priestess a few times before pointing at Alessandra, asking, “Have you seen how filthy she is? You can go without stockings or shoes, but do you want to try dragging a naked child through the city!? Even as a noble, I do not want to.”

Priestess Octavia looked at her now filthy robes where Alessandra’s arms and legs were rubbing against them. She looked at the Duchess’ dress and said, “Point taken.”

Alessandra pipped up, “I’ve never had shoes; the beggars and Seth taught me how to wrap my feet up tight in rags in winter to keep warm. I’ll be ok if you can’t buy them, Duchess Helga.”

“That will not be a problem, sweetie; I can afford lots of shoes and dresses for you. The Duke and I do not like waste, and buying shoes that would only be worn once is a waste. Your new dress can be cleaned easily, but shoes are harder. Easier and quicker to carry you about,” Duchess Helga said. “Now, why don’t you come back over here? We are about to enter the nobles’ quarter, and it will be easier for you to see out the window over here.”

Alessandra scrambled back over to the Duchess’ side of the carriage and poked her head out the window. The Priestess raised an eyebrow at the Duchess.

“Good distraction. While I believe you, I assume there is more to why you didn’t get her shoes,” she said.

“I’m not positive of his reasoning, but I assume Jerome was thinking it would be harder for her to run off without shoes. I disagree; she did evade him and a group of thugs for two days in The Wet without shoes. I answered you as honestly as possible,” she said as she leaned forward. “I am still working through my emotions, but I do not foresee my mind changing. I keep my promises and commitments; adopting a child is not just a Nobles whim; Jerome and I had been discussing it for quite some time. Jerome will have to answer you for himself, but his reasoning will be similar to mine.”

“No need to be defensive, Duchess. Unless the Duke raises a red flag, I plan to support your petition; I think you can do much good for her,” Octavia said with a shake of her head. “No child her age should know where to ‘shank’ someone to cause rapid death. Nor should a child immediately think something new will hurt her. Her Life Mage phobia will cause problems for her until she can pass the control tests, but they are not insurmountable. I don’t envy you having to work through that.”

“I’m a relatively weak Mage myself, I only made Apprentice, and my gifts didn’t involve any control tests, so I do not know much about what that will entail,” Helga replied with a slight shrug. “We are almost to the townhouse; may I offer you a change of clothes? I will defiantly be changing if time allows, and I’m sure the house stores have something that would fit you.”

“That is kind of you to offer, but there is no need,” the Priestess said with a waving away gesture, “Honest dirt from honest work causes me no shame. When your messenger arrived, I was cleaning the sanctuary, so these were bound to get dirty. Comforting a child is not a bad way to get dirty, even if it is more Fluffies domain than my Goddess’s in this sort of situation.”

“Your choice,” Helga said with a shrug. “When we get to the house, I plan to hand Alessandra over to the maids for a bath and change of clothes. While that is going on, if he has returned, Jerome will be able to brief you and the Fluffy Priests on what he knows about her powers and why he thinks she is God Touched. Honestly, I will be interested to know as well; there has not been time for him to tell me more than that.”

“I am curious about that as well. I can tell you that there are signs that can tell us if someone is God Blessed. I can also tell you that the Goddess usually tells the local Archbishop or highest-ranking Priest when she blesses someone in our area of responsibility,” she said, leaning back and placing her hand on her chin. “With her being a Death Mage, he might have blessed her.” Scratching her chin, she then set her hand down and spoke again. “With your permission, I can send a message asking Death’s Archbishop if his God has said anything. If I send him a message instead of you or the Duke, it will cut down on unwanted rumors.” At the Duchess’ nod, she cast a quick spell creating a ball in her hand, and spoke into it. Tossing it up, the ball flew off. “He usually answers quickly; despite what people think, we aren’t rivals and get along well.”

Alessandra swung her head around and pointed excitedly out the window.

“Ni—Duchess Helga, Priestess, all those people up ahead have the same picture I do!” she said excitedly while pointing at her surcoat with her other hand.

“They do? We shouldn’t be near our gate yet,” the Duchess said while pulling Alessandra back into her seat. Sticking her head out her window to check, she said, “She’s right….’Priestess’. Driver, challenge them.”

She watched while the driver cast a simple spell, and the guard responded. She then waved the guard captain over.

“My Lady, the Duke sent a message for us to meet you. He says he will be along shortly with no issues. I also must report that a rather large contingent of CPS troops, Fluffly Inquisitors, and one Fluffy Investigator, with two assistants, arrived with Lord Hector as were departing,” the captain reported. “Lord Hector said the Duke and yourself sent for them. Colonel Westholm asked the CPS and the Inquisitors to remain outside but let the Investigator and his assistants in. All courtesy has been extended to the troops.”

“Thank you, captain,” she replied. “Please message the Colonel and tell him to allow them into the outer court and barracks. Warn him we expect the Guild, Bailiffs, and most likely the Kinsguard. The Kingsguard, if they arrive, are to be let in but close the gate to all others.”

Raising her hand for attention, the Priestess interjected, and the Duchess’ nodded, “Excuse me, Duchess, I have sent for other priestesses to help with Alessandra’s…. problem. Can I ask that they be allowed entry as well?”

The Duchess nodded approval and turned to the captain, “Allow them in as well. After you have sent it, get us going, I want to be behind our walls quickly!”

The captain nodded and sent the message. Circling his arm and pointing back the way they had come, and the carriage quickly set off again. They sat in silence, Alessandra once again peering out the window in awe of all the guards, each woman lost in her thoughts.

Stolen novel; please report.

****

Octavia wondered precisely how big the anthill was that the Halronds had kicked to justify sending out almost a hundred guards. Being a priestess and now an Archbishop, she had only ever dealt with the Guild administratively when one of their members joined her clergy. Her magic had developed after she was ordained, so she had been trained by the Temple, not the Guild. She had heard from fellow clergymen that had left that they were ruthless with members that crossed any line, but this reaction gave her pause. She may need to talk to Magus’ Archbishop to learn if this paranoia is justifiable or just a show of force. If justified, Justice may need to be informed. If just a show of force, it was impressive. Curious to see how impressive, she opened her mana senses; she felt at least ten Auras that would give any Guild Inquisitor pause, including the drivers. That explained the lack of guards when they left the inn. She also noted that despite her claim of only being a weak, barely trained mage, the Duchess had impressive control of what power she had. Looking at Alessandra closely, she gasped.

“Not possible!” she blurted out, startling both the Duchess and Alessandra.

“What?” asked the Duchess, glancing about in alarm.

Glancing out the window, she saw that they were in a square, “Before I answer that, can you get a guard to take Alessandra to grab a treat from that stall?” she asked.

“I’d rather not stop, so can it wait?” the Duchess asked. “We should get to the townhouse quickly, and we are not far.”

“It can; however, I must inform you that you need to get her a new bracer soonest,” she informed the Duchess with a raised eyebrow. To the Duchess’ credit, she only raised an eyebrow back.

“Your right; it is impossible that my husband would pick something so tacky for a girl to wear. I must get her a better-looking one as soon as possible,” she replied while grabbing Alessandra’s arm to examine the bracer. “Why look,” she said while pointing to the rune that indicated the bracer was non-functional, “He got one that mixes red and gold. How tasteless.”

Pulling her arm back, Alessandra looked at where the Duchess had pointed and asked, “Why are the colors important? I think it’s pretty.”

“Sweetie, colors simply must match your skin tone. And certain colors simply do not go together,” the Duchess said, glancing at the Priestess. “Wouldn’t you agree, Priestess?”

“Yes, I would. Red just doesn’t go with the rest of the bracer, dear,” she said, letting the Duchess know she understood not to let Alessandra see why they were worried. "Don’t worry; the Duke will get you a new one that suits you better.”

At this point, the Death Archbishop’s reply chose then to arrive. Good timing, Octavia thought; I’ve always hated fashion. Keeping the spell on private, she played it so that little ears couldn’t hear it.

“No new blessings have been granted to my knowledge. I am concerned that a Death Mage of such power has emerged that you feel the need to ask me this, however. If the new mage goes rogue, please call on me. If not, keep me informed and send him or her my way ASAP; you know why. Come see me later.”

Looking at the Duchess, who had noticed the message’s arrival, she shook her head. The Duchess nodded in acknowledgment. Alessandra had been staring at the glowing ball and practically bouncing out of her seat, squealing and pointing.

“WAS THAT MAGIC!?” she demanded. “DO IT AGAIN!”

“Not now, Alessandra. I don’t have infinite mana and need to save it,” she said, smiling at the girl. “But if you sit quietly for the rest of the trip, I have a big one I can show you. Can you do that?”

Alessandra started to answer, but with suddenly wide eyes, she clamped her hand over her mouth and nodded.

“Good, do your best now,” Octavia said. She wanted to steer away from the more sensitive topics that seemed to be surrounding Alessandra. “I’ve been wondering this for a while, Duchess; you keep saying that we’re going to your townhouse. Are you not staying in the Old Palace this trip?”

With a surprised look on her face, the Duchess replied, “I’m surprised you don’t know, living here in the capital. Its official name is the Ducal Palace,” she said, pointing to the smaller of the two castles at the heart of the city. “We simply call it the townhouse.

Laughing, Octavia replied, “My Lady, your idea of a townhouse is much different from mine. In fact, from any other nobles, I’d wager. That’s a palace, not a townhouse!”

Helga shrugged her shoulders, “I guess you would see it that way if you had never seen Halrond Castle. This place is smaller than several of our bastions back home. When King Xaiver made his bargain with then Prince Rond to leave the succession in perpetuity, he gave this castle to him. Though he wanted to simplify the succession, he still loved his son. It was the old dynasty's seat, and he had just finished the heart of the current Royal Palace, but he did not see the need to tear down this one. He wanted to keep it as some sort of political trophy but also wanted to keep it out of his rivals’ hands. Our ancestor was a safe place to put it, as there was no standing army then. The family has kept it up thru the years mainly to rub it in the face of any noble with delusions of grandeur.”

“I see, I think,” Octavia said. “I do believe I can honestly say you are not adopting Alessandra to gain a live-in maid like others have tried.”

“I think we can agree to that,” the Duchess said, smiling at the other woman. She then stuck her head out the window and called for the guard captain. “Captain, when we get to the gate, have your troops reinforce the gate guard.” He saluted and began calling out orders. Turning back to Octavia, she asked, “Do you know if your Archbishop would have dispatched the other priestess quickly? Alessandra needs a bath, but you will be needed with the Fluffy priests once. I’m sorry to say we left all our priests back home, so there is no one else to go with her.”

Smiling wryly, Octavia replied, “You can assume that all haste was taken when they received my request.”

“I see,” the Duchess replied, looking at Octavia suspiciously.

The carriage slowed and made a sharp turn, cutting off further conversation. Octavia looked out the window, seeing that they were about to pass thru a gate into the “townhouse” grounds. Passing thru a short tunnel and past what appeared to be barracks, she saw that little effort had gone into making this part of the castle look like anything but a fortress. The courtyard was smooth rock, obviously maintained by Earth Mages, with no cracks for vegetation, and the buildings were arraigned to maintain sightlines. When they stopped in front of the keep’s gate and had exited the carriage, she stopped to look for her priestess. As expected, she did not see them.

“Excuse me, Duchess,” she asked, “I must cast a few spells to see where the other priestesses are. We really must get Alessandra cleaned up quickly, and as you said, they are needed for that.” At the Duchess’ nod of approval, she turned to Alessandra, “You did good, dear. Come here so you can watch.”

Turning back to the front gate to put on a show for Alessandra, she made dramatic, though unnecessary, arm and hand gestures and cast a divine spell only available to Archbishops to locate nearby clergy. A glow surrounded her, and two beams of light shot out of her. Surprisingly they led to the barracks, not out to the city. Turning to the Duchess, she was about to ask to cast another spell when a small hand grabbed her robe, and an excited voice spoke up.

“THAT WAS AMAZING, PRIESTESS CAN YOU TEACH ME SINCE I GUESS IM’A MAGE I WANNA MAKE PRETTY LIGHTS TOO!?” Alessandra said, bouncing up a down like a small animal.

Smiling at the child’s enthusiasm and adaptability to changing circumstances, she replied, “I’m sorry, child, I can’t teach you that one; it’s a gift from my Goddess,” looking over to the Duchess, who had a thoughtful look on her face, she said, “But with the Duchess’ permission,” at another nod from the Duchess, “I will cast one you can learn.”

This time she moved slowly so the girl could see her movements. Holding two fingers straight on her left hand, she traced a rune in the air. Cupping the glowing sign in her right hand, she said “Beacon” and tossed it above her head. A bright light surrounded her and shot into the air with a boom. Guards, Inquisitors, CPS troops, and two priestesses shot out of the barracks to see what the commotion was about. Seeing Octavia, the priestesses started to run over. At a wave from the Duchess, the others returned to the barracks.

When the priestess arrived, they knelt and asked, “How may we serve, Archbishop?”