The Priestess sat in the pool that was in her personal bathing area, her head was resting down on the edge of the pool where a woman was behind her washing her hair and running a comb through it. She had just finished fixing up the temple for the ceremony that would be held in the next few hours and was finally be able to relax until the time came for her to do her real work. And that was contacting the gods so she could bestow blessings from them onto the children that were old enough for the ceremony.

The woman told her she was finished and stepped aside so the Priestess could stand in the pool and rinse herself off from head to toe, once she was done she got out the pool and dried her skin down before slipping on her robe and sitting down so she could dry her hair with the help of her maid. When she was finished she went back in her room and went to her wardrobe and pulled out one of her under robes and her underwear.

She slipped on her clothes and then took a ribbon to tie her hair up before slipping on a grey cloak and going out of her chambers and down a hall heading straight in Xiao's. She knew her son should be back to the temple by now and she just wanted to make sure he hadn't gone to sleep or anything. She didn't want him to feel drowsy through the ceremony and end up feeling no excitement that he had succeeded in passing through it.

When she entered his room she was surprised to see that he wasn't napping in his bed and quickly went to see if he was lounging on his porch but saw nothing when she pushed aside the two doors. She tilted her head and then turned to head back inside, she went past his bed and knocked on the door that lead into his bathing area. But there was no answer so she pushed open the doors and sighed when she saw that her had actually fallen asleep in his pool and the only thing keeping him from completely submerging was the fact that his head was resting on a towel on the edge of the pool.

She went in and tapped him on his shoulder trying to wake him up , but she hissed when she realized he wasn't going to wake, she sent the maid to call for some servants and grabbed up his robe draping it over him. When the men came in she quickly instructed them to heft Xiao out of the water and carry him back to his room. She moved all of his sheets and had him placed on the bed, when they placed him down she made all of them look away as she removed the robe.

She grabbed his towel from the maid and started drying him from head to to, when she was done she grabbed the blankets back and wrapped him up in them. She the maid and servants rub his arms and legs down as she stood and clasped her hands closing her eyes, in just as second her hands were hot and she started passing it over his head and chest. She was relieved when his eyes slowly started opening and he stretched and then went on to curl in on himself with a tired yawn.

She sent everyone out the room and kept rubbing her hands on his back, until he was fully awake, she sighed with happiness and pulled his head onto her lap running her fingers through his hair. He asked her what had happened and she told him how he was found and what she had to do to get him awake. He frowned slightly as she asked him what happened and he told her about what happened at school causing her to frown before she tried to cheer him up.

When she was done talking to him she decided to help him prepare and then they sat on his porch snacking on fruit as they waited on their gowns to arrive. Night had fallen and the Priestess decided to get her hair ready while she waited, the huge gold crown like ornament sat on her head with chains hanging down from it. She admired the style her snow white hair was in and then quickly worked on putting on her light makeup that enhanced her already striking features.

It was exactly an half an hour before the ceremony that the gowns had arrived and she couldn't help but stare at hers for a few minutes, before one of the maids had convinced her to put it on. When they were finished they clipped on the rest of her jewelry and helped her with her shoes and she smiled at the sight of herself. And then all she wanted to do was see how her son looked, she made her way to his chambers and because her nails had just been painted she had one of her maids push open his door.

Xiao looked from where he was standing on a round stand where the servants had made him go just so they could help to dress him, not that he would normally need much help but the gown just made it so he had to get help. He smiled at the sight of his mother all decked out in gold looking like a gorgeous empress instead of just a Priestess even though he knew having a priestess was much more important than having and Empress.

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She returned his smile and looked as if she glided over to him so she could place a kiss on his cheek and then step back so she could have a look at him. She gestured for him to turn and he did slowly making her clap her hands before she pulled him into a hug "my son you look so handsome, that maybe after tonight I will have to host your wedding." she spoke in a joking matter that made him laugh as he shook his head.

He stepped down from the stand and took his mother's hand in his so he could lead her out of his chambers and straight down the hall. They stopped at the door that lead into the temple and she brushed her fingers through his hair before the maids pushed the doors apart and they walked into the temple. People were already inside of it, women, men and children but most importantly were the boys and girls that would be getting their blessings today.

All of them had on gold with touches of other colors mixed in, one little girl with mouse ears looked the cutest in her gold and white gown that actually seemed to be mostly white and she carried a simple hairdo that was made up of gold ornaments and pink flowers. The Priestess headed for the line up and noticed that the calm look Xiao had on his face had shifted into one of displeasure and she patted his hand giving him a soft smile when he looked at her.

They reached to the group of children that were standing twenty strong and all she could think was that it was going to be a long night, with so many children to bless the ceremony may not end till the early morning. Hers eyes passed over every child eventually landing on a soon to be lioness who was dressed in gold and red and was staring daggers at her son. The Priestess's eyes sharpened and the girl jumped looking at her before she stepped back slightly with her head lowered and the Priestess looked away from her.

"It is good to see so many of you have passed the trials and have made it to the blessing pool today and this year we have an almost even number of girls and boys. I am pleased to see so many young ladies this year, maybe one or two of you will go on to be priestesses just as I, but not the grand Priestess I intend to keep the set for a very long time." Everyone chuckled at that and she smiled "I remember at last years blessing the boys dominated the girls ten to one, but with the fire I saw glowing in the girls eyes it was no surprise."

"I hope all of you succeed in getting the blessings you want and go on to live the lives you deserve, whether you yearn to be scholars, warriors, Priestesses or simple business owners I hope you achieve that dream." All the children bowed to her in thanks and she gestured for them to raise their heads. "Now stop standing in such stiff form, go find your friends and family and enjoy their company until you are told to show yourselves." she received another short bow from the children before they melted into the crowd.

She looked to Xiao and was going to tell him too to go but he shook his head and she sighed,she lead him into one of the rooms that was sealed off from the crowd and clapped on the light. She placed him to sit on one of the couches and took a seat next to him as she pulled his hand into hers.

"Xiaoping my child I can understand your fears and I do sympathies with you, but those children that you shun are the same children that you will have to face in life and you can't keep avoiding them, you will need them, either as your friends, your business partners or maybe even your wife, so please don't hide away from them, I know you're my brave son and as your mother I will tell you that there is nothing you cannot face." She placed a kiss on his cheek and then pulled him into a hug, she he pulled back she smiled at him "now go out there and talk to them, okay?" he nodded and they stood leaving the room.

Xiao watched as his mother passed him one last smile before she went to check on things in the temple to make sure everything was going to work. He would have rather follow her around for a next few hours than go and talk to the other students, but he didn't have to make the effort because one of them approached him. "Your mother is gorgeous, I can't wait to learn from her." His head snapped to the side and he saw the mouse girl that he had shared most of his classes with but never talked to just like the other students.

"Hi my name is Feng Mian, I have always seen you around but I never got to talk to you." She stretched out her dainty pale hand for him to shake and he looked down at it wondering how she had passed the trials with such a hand. She realized he wasn't going to shake her hand and pulled it away with a blush forming on her face in embarrassment. "Everyone used to say stories about you, most of them were about how you were found and all that, like Wang Shu said you were found in a well when the Priestess went to fetch her water and I just thought that that was just preposterous."

She smiled up at Xiao and he stared at her with an arch brow, the tiny girl had just said all she needed to say in one breath and didn't stop to gasp or anything, instead she looked pleased with herself as she recounted all the crazy things she was told about him and all he could do was shake his head at her.