It was an eventful morning to say the least. Donna had gotten myself ready to hurry over to the church. She would actually call me by my real name while we were alone. It was refreshing to know that someone else knew who I truly was.
After becoming 'The Sword of the Saintess', she winces at the presence of knights, Bryant, and Duke Silvercrest. I'm not sure why she winces around Bryant though. That's still a mystery to me.
I'm wearing the colors of the Dukedom. Indigo and black. I was decked out in amethyst and silver accessories. Even my heels were stunning. Donna did a great job with my makeup, hiding my puffy eyes from all the crying this morning.
As I walked down the halls of the Dukedom, I received many stares and heard many whispers. My favorite was, "Our liege and Duke Silvercrest enjoyed a passionate night together."
One was, "His grace entered our liege's bedchamber last night and she let him in with open arms."
Another was, "Duke Silvercrest was seduced by our liege, so she summoned him to her bedchambers for a night of lust."
Either way, none truly bothered me. It was like this when I serviced men and much worse. The difference is that I'm not working with other service workers, so it's not like I'm stealing a client or two. All types of men would run my direction the second they heard that, "The Lotus," had sprung up.
Why was I called The Lotus? I had the face of a bouquet of roses but I sprung from the mud. That was my origin.
Why did I stay with The Lotus? Because I laid with mud and rose victorious. That's how I viewed it.
It never phased me in my adulthood. Sure, growing up in the orphanage put a damper on my emotions, but my self-esteem was through the roof; and it stayed that way.
A carriage was parked outside the manor. It had the Silvercrsst colors along with the family emblem etched on the side. Donna and Bryant made sure that all preparations were set for our quick departure to the church. We might have to convince High Priest Skylark to not announce anything quite yet, but to have the divorce proceedings sped up.
It's annoying that I have to go back to the royal palace, but there's nothing to be done right now. It will be hilarious, however, when the king catches wind of the fact that not only am I not dead, but I also spent the night at Duke Silvercrest's estate.
Also, to make sure everything was going according to plan, Damien offered to take me to the church, under the guise of going on an outing together. We have to make this relationship as realistic as possible in the eyes of the commoners and the ears of the nobility.
Damien stood by the carriage, extending a hand out to me, "I'd be honored to help you onto the carriage, my liege."
"Your grace," I started, reaching for his hand. "What did I tell you about formalities? You need not use them with me."
"My apologies, my sweet."
He's getting quite good at flattery. The Duke that I first met versus the Duke that's in front of me really are two different sides of the same coin. I'm happy to be able to utilize a side that rarely anyone sees.
"Hmm, I don't know if I want to forgive you," I told him.
Damien got on one knee, kissing the hand he was holding, "If you won't forgive me now, I'll have to beg you tonight."
I can tell that he was slightly struggling to keep his composure when he said things like this. A tint of red crossed his face, but he hid it as he kissed my hand. A shy one, he is.
"I'm still recovering from last night, my love," I cooed. "I'm going to need some time before we do anything else."
"If you're not fully recovered by tonight, I'll just take it slower and enjoy you longer," he seduced.
O-Oh. That's quite a line.
I had to utilize the fan that Donna handed to me real quick to hide my excitement. My cheeks perked up a nice shade of pink with that sly smile of mine. You know, the type of smile that reaches the eyes and gives another man a wanting look.
Damien got up and made eye contact with me. Still seductive. He really can't control that. I might really fall for him.
The crowd of servants who were nearby looked like they needed to excuse themselves. The maids were giving such looks of admiration at us.
He led me into the Silvercrest carriage and followed after. Donna, who witnessed the whole thing, giggled as she walked over to the coach and sat next to him. She winced a little at Bryant's presence when he walked up to us.
"I pray for your safe return, my liege," he bowed.
Then he turned to Damien, "Same to you, your grace. I'll have everything prepared for tonight."
Damien nodded, "I'll be back soon."
With that being said, the doors to the carriage closed and we were off to the church.
—
The ride was quicker than I thought. Smoother too. I wonder if this is how it's like to ride a carriage of higher quality. Poor Fantasia was probably sore from back and forth trips into town.
The air going into town was tense compared to the last ride. People were looking over their shoulder and steering clear of the carriage. They were still going about their business, but just more wary.
As we arrived at the church, we were greeted by Justin, the bishop. Damien hopped out first, then helped me off next. Justin's reaction was a look of bewilderment. Damien and I were wearing matching clothing, and he was escorting me to the church.
Justin shook his head and motioned his way towards us, bowing out of respect.
"It's such a beautiful morning, my liege," Justin greeted. "My, you're stunning in that dress. It matches your eyes."
"And a beautiful morning to you too, Justin," I greeted back. "I thank you for the compliment."
Justin turned to Damien, "It's a beautiful morning, Duke Silvercrest. We've been awaiting your arrival."
"A beautiful morning indeed," Damien greeted half-heartedly.
Damien was unconsciously sizing up Justin. It must've been because of the compliment. I used the fan to hide my smile.
Justin flinched at the tension, "High Priest Skylark is in his office. I'll lead you to him. Please follow me."
He quickly turned away to lead us. I took hold of Damien's arm as he led me to the entrance. Donna hopped out of the carriage and followed after.
—
High Priest Skylark was sitting at his desk, slightly annoyed. The reason why is simple.
One, Duke Silvercrest of the Silvercrest Dukedom, was standing before him with the Saintess in tow.
Two, the Saintess and the Duke were wearing matching outfits. Visitors and church officials alike were gawking and whispering as they walked through the halls together.
Three, Donna was standing at the Saintess' side with a menacing aura that was never felt before.
He pinched his temples and sighed, "Alright, even I can put two-and-two together, your radiance."
Her radiance, Fantasia Everdeen, gave an awkward smile, "Unfortunately, circumstances led up to a change of plans, your holiness."
He glanced at Donna, "So, you took a sacred oath. What's your title now?"
Donna bowed, "Sword of the Saintess, your holiness."
"You can't take an oath so lightly. Are you ready for such responsibility?"
"Goddess Diana doesn't give titles lightly, your holiness. Whatever the goddess has in store for me, I'll embrace that path with open arms if it's for the Saintess."
Donna's soul was on fire. An everlasting flame that could never die out. If her oath holds true, there will be a devastating new opponent on the battlefield. The Saintess' one and only Holy Knight, the Sword, is a responsibility that only the bravest of souls are granted.
You can take the oath as many times as you want, but you won't be granted a title if you're not genuine. The maid, a thirteen year old at that, with barely any combat skills; given the responsibility of the Sword is astonishing in its own right. That means the goddess has something in store for her.
High Priest Skylark doesn't know if he should be terrified of Donna yet. It's a good thing that the Saintess was married off unknowingly.
"Our lives are in your hands, Sword," His holiness sighed.
Donna said nothing else and stayed reserved. It was as if she was on standby in case anything happened.
Like a true Holy Knight…
The High Priest then turned to Damien, "And as for the King's Crow, you do realize that the Saintess is married to King Victor, correct?”
“Yes,” Damien said bluntly.
“Then you also realize that the king will have no choice but to divorce the Saintess so she can go through her rituals for a couple of years.”
“Yes.”
“And since the Saintess hailed from the Proscotti Kingdom, she still has to be married off to the royal family for peace keeping reasons.”
“Yes.”
“So you mean to tell me, Duke Silvercrest, that you’re willing to make an enemy out of your brother?”
“The king already sees me as one, High Priest. I’m just giving him an actual reason.”
The High Priest sighed again. Then, he looked towards Fantasia. She is, in fact, a beauty to behold. It’s no wonder that the Duke became captivated by her.
“Your radiance,” he began. “Are you here to give me a prophecy?”
“Even better, your holiness,” Fantasia grinned. “I have three.”
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