Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Chapter 74

A Restless Night (Part Two)

In one of the rooms in the Gladstone mansion, the sound of flesh against flesh and the slick sound of sweat and other bodily fluids could be heard echoing and repeating itself again and again. Accompanied by the sound of a man and a woman grunting and heaving with wild abandon.

The figure of a woman rutting atop a man could be seen through the ripped curtain. This woman was none other than Joan Carell. And the man sucking on her teats while plowing her mercilessly was the most powerful Noble in Courandhel.

Duke Raoul Gladstone.

“Hah! Hah! HAAAAH!!!”

“AAAH!!”

With a final cry of satisfaction, the elderly man threw the woman roughly aside as if throwing a rag.

Still dazed from the climax, Joan did not react fast enough and fell onto the floor.

The head of the Gladstone family put on his robe and poured himself a glass of wine.

His large body and stubby arms were the result of a life of pleasure and privilege. His graying beard and immaculate mustache, however, was of his own hard work. A voracious man even in his youth. As he grew older, that hunger had never lessened. In fact, he had even grown more voracious.

The man had been in very ill mood lately. This was due to the facts that many of the things he had arranged for had been foiled in some ways. The first was of course, the unbelievable luck of blighted stepdaughter of the woman he just fucked. The second was how the hero managed to obtain the Sword of the First King. And finally the third, the failure of the co-conspirator in killing the Maiden of Water.

“…but finally, something is going my way,” the man laughed as he drank his wine.

“Joan. Are you sure that she said that? That she knew where the treasures of the First King were?”

With the First King's treasure, he could even overthrow the King!

“Y-yes,” the woman said. She was fearful of this person before her. She knew how cruel he was, and yet that strength and power was also the thing that attracted her to him. The compensations were not bad either. “She won’t lie to me. She just wants to see me suffer, the evil little thing!”

“Yes…well…a lie or not, she would eventually have to…disappear…” the man mumbled. “Might as well squeeze her out. I wonder how that girl would taste…”

“Forget her,” the hungry harlot walked towards him bare; body still stained with the traces of their violent rutting. Tonight, her hunger seemed to have no end. The desire controlling her body never seemed to reach fulfillment. “I am much better than that stupid girl.”

“Of course,” the man roughly threw her to the bed and entered her once again.

The more he did it, the more he felt more powerful. He felt like he was in his thirties again.

What a stupid woman. He though as he watched her face loosening with pleasure. But at least she is useful as a bedwarmer.

Hidden at the back of the Church were 2 simple houses made from stone separated by wooden fences to demarcate the boundaries between the Priestesses and the Priests.

The two houses had been rebuilt many times; patched many times until it became slightly malformed. There were 15 rooms in both houses. Each room was so small that if one would stand in the middle of the room and stretched their arms to side, their fingertips would barely touch the walls on either side.

They were only places to rest before the Priestesses and the Priests to continue their service another day, nothing more.

In one of the rooms on the Priestesses’ side, a candle was lit. Its flame flickered, playing with the shadow of a voluptuous young woman sitting at the edge of a bed with eyes firmly closed.

The young woman was clothed in a plain white dress that had some old yellowing stains, its rims were frayed and torn in some parts, very unfitting to be worn by someone high in the Church hierarchy like her.

But she wore it still. For it was a symbol of her penance. Her conviction. Her faith.

It was in this very dress that her mother exchanged her life for hers.

It was in this very dress that her mother – an unbeliever - prayed for the first and last time.

For the happiness of the daughter she would never see.

For the strength of a daughter she would never hold.

And as if answering that prayer, Allenca Viandros grew to be a beautiful and strong-minded individual. She drew her strength from her mother’s love and lived her life as a devout follower of the Church of Junnaveil which took her in.

In front of her was a mirror. One of the few luxuries allowed to the Priestesses. The edges of it were broken. The brass that held the flat mirror in place had corroded in places. Yet the image of her was still clear.

The young girl took short, even breaths as she thought of the day that would come. The significance of the Ceremony was not simply to celebrate her Coming of Age, but also the moment when she is transformed from a girl to a woman. To truly be the Spiritual leader of a whole Country, with the responsibility and the hardships that come with it.

She had been preparing for the day ever since she was taken in under her predecessor. But the burden had never felt any lighter.

“Your Eminence, excuse us.”

At the familiar voice of Henrietta beckoning from outside the door, Allenca’s eyes slowly opened.

“Come…in.”

Henrietta opened the wooden door slowly and deliberately before 3 women bearing 5 large bags and a bucket filled with warm flower water came into the room. They were all clothed in somber colored clothes, but even from afar one could see that the clothes were very well made.

The oldest of the 4 women closed her wrinkly hands in prayer as she gazed upon Allenca.

“Blessings upon the Maiden of Water,” she said in reverence.

“Aaand with…your soul,” Allenca replied in response. Even the preparation for the Ceremony was part of tradition. The ones assisting in the preparation would not say their name before the Maiden. It had been so for many years.

“When I was young, I assisted my Mother as she did her work on the day of your predecessor’s Ceremony,” she said with a touch of melancholy and pride. “And now, it is my turn.”

“Come help me.”

The old woman called upon a young girl with short hair who stepped forward awkwardly, eyes bright with reverence and awe. She wanted to say something, but held herself back, unwilling to stain this moment of solemnity.

“Watch…and learn. It is our privilege to assist the Maiden on the day of her Ascension.”

The old woman bowed before Allenca and said. “Your Eminence, we shall begin.”

Allenca nodded and stepped in front of the mirror.

She let the women peel off her nightgown, revealing her bountiful bosom and white skin untouched by the sun.

Henrietta rolled her sleeves and submerged pure white cloths into the bucket of warm water that had been blessed and sprinkled with blue water lilies. She squeezed the wet cloth and with it began to clean Allenca’s body while the other women prepared the accessories and dress that she would wear. The oldest woman laid out her tools of the trade. A clamshell filled with crushed mercury, various other powders and pastes made out of beetles and flowers in small containers. To the side, she laid out brushes of various sizes.

One of the women painted upon her skin with white. They smeared rouge from the clamshell upon her lips. They then painted upon her brows to give her a more mature look. The same woman drew on her cheek with darker color to accentuate her jawbones.

They work thoughtfully and efficiently. She was a canvas and they were her painter. And today they would transform that canvas into the most perfect form of herself.

Indeed. In the mirror before her, Allenca saw herself slowly being transformed from a child into a woman.

“Shall we remove the earring, Your Eminence?” Henrietta asked as she helped the women to comb her hair.

“Leeave…it.”

“Very well.”

After her makeup was finished, it was time for the robe.

It was a magnificent robe made using the secret knowledge of the Junnaveil Church. A process which resulted in the deepest purple and blue robe that anyone had ever seen. Yellow and green threads had been used to create images that depict the many miracles that all successive Maiden of Waters had done. It was no exaggeration to say that the robe was the history of the Church itself.

Allenca Viandros gazed upon her reflection and no longer saw a child. She saw a woman. No, more than that. She saw the avatar of Junnaveil.

Junnaveil. The Goddess of Water and Love. One who would sacrifice her very life for the sake of her children. And as the representative of that very ideal. She too, must be prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of the Church.

By the time the preparation had fully finished, the awaited day had broken.

The women packed up their items and left silently after bowing once before the Maiden so as to not disturb her concentration.

Not long after they left, there was a knock. A highly unusual thing to happen.

“Maiden.”

“Come…in…Babblebrook,” she said solemnly.

The Cardinal Deacon looked left and right before quickly entering the room

“Your Eminence,” Cardinal Deacon Babblebrook put his favorite letter box atop the hard bed and bowed before her. “Have your prepared yourself?”

“No. But…whooo had ever…been prepared…to dooo, what I will…do?”

The fat man did not answer as he knew the strength of the Maiden’s conviction. All he needed to do is to do his part.

The man opened his private box and pressed an indentation hidden underneath the box. A small drawer the opened in the middle of the box, hidden under the intricate relief. In it was a white gold ring. A dark blue gem the size of a thumb was set upon it.

He took the beautiful ring and presented it to Allenca, who took and brought it against the candle. Illuminated by the candle, the gem revealed a powerful vortex of pure magic.

“The Magic Amplification Ring is one of our most precious treasure. It can only be used once. After the magic within is used, the gem will be spent. But if you use it, even the weakest fireball spell could destroy a whole city,” the Cardinal Deacon explained. He had repeated this explanation many times since the plan had been put forth. And he would repeat it many more times if he needed to. Such was the weight of the event that would transpire.

“Using this, you can amplify your unique skill and take permanent control of the Heads of the Alliance. And finally become the spearhead that will unify us against the Demons.”

“Today…is the day...”

Power Words. The Unique Skill that somehow appeared on me on the day I turned 5. Everything I say will be obeyed for a brief moment. But with this Ring, my order will be obeyed as long as the listeners still live.

The Maiden of Water sighed.

Even if what I am going to do will be regarded as tyranny, I will do it. No, I must do it! It is because I have this gift that I am the only one who could do it.

Allenca Viandros put on the ring and felt its weight upon her thumb. It was as heavy as the sin that she was about to commit.

Today, the Alliance shall unite under the leadership of the Maiden of Water and then all of Calendia shall be reminded of the mercy that is Junnaveil’s.