Chapter 7: A Name Chosen

His laughter and deep voice resonated from beyond the door. "You shouldn't do that," he warned.

Behind me, Luciana rapidly shook her head. "Saintess," she called.

I desperately wanted to avoid him, but it seemed I had no choice. Slowly, I opened the door just a crack and peeked through it. The Pope was still there.

"What brings you here?" I asked cautiously.

"I have something I want to discuss," Pope Raphael said, smiling at me kindly. It felt as if he were addressing a rebellious granddaughter.

"So, you came here yourself?" I inquired.

"Yes, it's that important."

With no other option, I reluctantly opened the door completely. As soon as I did, Pope Raphael burst into laughter, and the priests behind him struggled to stifle their amusement. My defeat seemed to bring them great joy, and I couldn't help but feel they were all rather mean.

"Will you hold the ceremony?" Pope Raphael immediately asked once he was comfortably seated in the chair Luciana had directed him to. He rested his chin on his hand, fixing his gaze on me.

"What do you mean? Of course, I will!" I replied.

"Then, have you chosen a name?"

"That..." Of course, I hadn't.

Pope Raphael clicked his tongue when I deflated into silence. "You can't conduct the ceremony without a name," he chided.

I wanted to retort that I was aware of that fact, but I held my tongue. Instead, I averted my gaze from him as he adopted a more serious tone.

"The ceremony follows a specific sequence. If you make a mistake, you must start over," he explained. "Ideally, it should have been done yesterday, but you can do it tomorrow."

"Will there be a problem if we don't start on time?" I asked with a nervous expression.

Pope Raphael smiled and nodded. "If you can't commence the ceremony, you will have to remain here while everyone else departs for the Northern Empire. You will have to go there alone three months later."

"I'll have to stay here alone?" I asked incredulously. That couldn't happen. I wouldn't allow it. I couldn't bear to be separated from my father for even a day, let alone three months. And being alone at the Vatican? No way!

"That can't happen!" I exclaimed.

The Pope chuckled. "Then, please inform me of your chosen name by the end of the day," he instructed.

"I will!" I hastily got up from my seat and rushed out the door.

"Saintess!" Luciana's panicked voice called after me, but I paid no heed.

I needed to find Daddy!

***

Miltiades resided in a distant building from mine, his lodgings situated within the grand Glerino Palace in the southern region, reserved for esteemed guests. Determined, I rushed to that edifice, my goal being to locate Miltiades's quarters. Upon finding them, I employed my status as a saintess to gain access.

"Daddy! Daddy!" I called out eagerly, but my father was not present. Turning to the perplexed soldier guarding the room, I inquired, "Where's Daddy?" However, he appeared equally clueless.

What on earth could have prompted Miltiades to vanish? Surely, it couldn't be due to his reluctance to name me. While I dismissed that notion, my composure was slipping in this dire situation.

"Saintess, you're pushing the boundaries," Luciana admonished.

"I know," I acknowledged.

However, I believed the urgency of the matter justified my disregard for decorum. Nonetheless, Luciana forcibly ushered me out of the vacant room.

"Lucy! Dad! Daddy's not here!" I cried out.

Luciana, too, was bewildered. "What? What do you mean?"

I proceeded to inquire with the knight stationed outside the room, the maids, and anyone I encountered in the vicinity, but none could provide information on his whereabouts.

"I will find out where he is, Saintess," Luciana pledged before departing. I remained outside the room, agitated and fuming, for quite some time before spotting Callian.

"Huh? Saintess?" Callian seemed taken aback.

"Callian!" I addressed him directly for the first time, although I had no time to contemplate the significance. "Where's Daddy?"

"Pardon me? His Majesty is in the library—"

Without waiting for him to finish, I sprinted towards the library.

"Saintess? Saintess!" I heard Callian's frantic calls behind me. "You can't run like that! Saintess!"

I paid no heed to his warnings, determined to reach the Melangr Library as quickly as possible. The library was the only plausible place for Miltiades to be without leaving the Vatican. Breathless, I finally came to a halt upon reaching the library's entrance.

"Saintess?! Why are you here, Saintess?" The librarian stationed at the entrance regarded me with bewilderment. "I welcome the first light of the world—"

I cut him off impatiently. "Where's my dad?"

"Excuse me? Your father, you say?"

"Is Emperor Miltiades here?"

"What? Yes, he is."

"Where?!"

"He's probably on the third floor—"

Ignoring the librarian's response, I made a beeline for the third floor. The library consisted of five floors and was an immense structure. I passed rows upon rows of books, peering into every vacant space until I finally located Miltiades. Thankfully, it didn't take too long.

"Ah!" I approached him cautiously, mindful of his slumber. He was reclined on a sofa, seemingly having dozed off while reading. His peaceful countenance momentarily diverted my attention from the pressing emergency.

But what was he doing? I pondered aloud, noticing several books stacked beside him. "What are these books?"

Titles like The First Light of the World, The Saintess' and The History of the Vios Empire dominated the collection. Most were history books, many of which pertained to the saintess and sacred events.

Why was he reading these? I wondered aloud, considering if it had any connection to my new name. Is this his newfound hobby?

I knew, however, that reading was not his typical pastime. Becoming an emperor had left him with little time for such pursuits. Next to the books lay scattered papers, each inscribed with names. Among them, one name stood out: 'Priscilla.' Was this to be my new name? Would I become Priscilla? Observing his slumbering face, I contemplated how the main character often influenced the choice of a name.

At that moment, my eyes locked with a pair of golden ones. They blinked, and I couldn't help but grin when he wordlessly pulled a face.

"Good morning, Daddy!"

He didn't respond to me, which left me feeling a bit upset. I pouted, and he sighed, the frown on his face fading. "Am I dreaming..." he muttered, and to wake him up, I threw myself into his arms.

"It's not a dream. I'm right here!" I reassured him.

After a few more blinks, he finally returned to his senses. He looked at me, now fully awake, and I decided to get straight to the point.

"Daddy, my name!" I insisted eagerly. "Name! Name!"

"You're here to rush me," he sighed, reclining further back onto the sofa.

I held onto him, complaining, "There's a problem, though! Grandpa Pope came to lecture me! If we don't start the ceremony tomorrow, I'll have to go to the Northern Empire all by myself three months later!"

I was in a hurry, but Miltiades simply closed his eyes. He didn't move. Was he going to sleep? Really?

"Daddy! Daddy? Daddy!" I shook him, but he didn't react. "Daddy! Daddy?"

"I'm listening," he eventually responded.

"Did you choose a name? My name?"

"Yeah."

"Really?!" I thought he was going to say no. If he had already thought of Priscilla, then he was done!

I let out a wide smile when Miltiades popped one eye open to look at me. "Bring over any sheet of paper you want."

While he took the time to sit up a little, I scanned the pile of papers and chose the cleanest one, handing it to him. He began to write on it, and his firm fingers were beautiful as they held the smooth, dark fountain pen that gleamed like obsidian.

Miltiades's fingers were handsome as well!

His movements flowed like water as letters formed on the white paper, revealing his graceful penmanship. 'Amelia,' the letters read.

Amelia, not Priscilla? I stared at the name in shock. Miltiades looked at me.

"How is it?" He watched as I blinked owlishly. "Do you not like it?" his low voice asked gently.

I snapped out of it. "No, no, no! I love it so much. Is this really my name?"

"Only if you want it to be."

"Of course I do!" I had no reason to dislike it.

Miltiades gave a slight smirk when he saw me smile.

I didn't know when they arrived, but Callian and Luciana approached us. When Callian next spoke, it was in a smug voice. "Saintess," he began, "His Majesty stayed up for several nights just to find a suitable name for you."

"Oh, really?!" I gasped.

"Shut up, Callian," Miltiades said, glaring at him in embarrassment. But I was touched.

A name given to me by my favorite character... As the novel dictated, I thought I would end up as Priscilla, so I hadn't expected to receive a completely different name. It was a very strange feeling.

It was truly mine...

I knew how much Miltiades disliked leaving a part of himself with others, yet he had spent hours agonizing over which name to give me, making it all the more precious.

"Thank you, Daddy."

Miltiades smiled when he saw how tenderly I cradled the paper containing my name. I looked at him and smiled brightly. "Please come and watch my ceremony tomorrow," I said.

"It's okay if I watch?"

I nodded. "Yes, because you're my daddy!"

Usually, regular people weren't allowed to attend, but I was prepared to throw a tantrum if he couldn't. Miltiades looked at me with a strange expression and nodded.