7-3 Hallowed Tea

“We won’t be disturbed here,” said the Saintess as the gate closed behind them.

Yes, it was a gate. Not a door, or doors. It was a bloody gate. It doesn’t swing open. It raises open. It came rolling down behind them once they all entered the room.

The Saintess, Zoe, led Erin and Aera to the middle of the room, where tea and pastries awaited them on a table. The tea was still piping hot and so were the pastries. Evidently, she had foreseen their company. “Please, have a seat.” She beckoned for the two to join her after she had taken her seat.

Erin and Aera exchanged brief glances before walking to their seats. Erin took a seat to Zoe’s left while Aera took a seat to Zoe’s right. Aera would have taken the seat beside Erin, but Erin subtly gestured for her to sit beside the Saintess instead. Aera complied with a look that was failing to conceal her dismay.

“You should try this, Erin,” Zoe said. “It’s very delicious. I believe it’s called a strudel.”

“Thanks, but we just had our breakfast. The tea alone will suffice. Besides, we have another appointment later.”

“Ah, yes. Of course. Apologises. I got a tad too excited, Erin. I thought you were finally here for me…”

“You are the Saintess, Zoe. You must be a busy lady. In fact, are you sure it’s alright for you to receive us?”

“Oh, it’s quite alright, Erin.” Zoe smiled.

“Are you really sure?”

“I am.” Zoe continued to smile.

Erin leaned slightly forward. “Truly?”

Zoe nodded, but there was a slight hesitation in her nod.

“Where is this place?” Aera asked. Her eyes were wandering around the vast room that somehow felt more cramped than the hallway. The room was fully furnished with the most luxurious furniture and adorned with the most exuberant pieces of art and crafts. There was a painting, depicting an angel, bestowing her blessing on the people. Aera found herself drawn to that painting, unable to pry her gaze away.

“This is my personal chamber,” Zoe answered immediately, with her gaze turned completely to Aera. “I see you are quite taken with that painting. If you like it that much, you may take it home, dear Aera. For free, of course.”

“Huh, what? Are you serious?” Aera blurted out.

“I am.”

“I can’t possibly do that, Y-Your Grace! T-that is just—”

“I can, and I will, if you won’t mind; that is. That painting is mine, and it is up to my discretion as to what I shall do with it. And I shall give it to you, dear Aera.”

“Please don’t tease her so much, Zoe.”

Zoe snickered. “My apologies. I couldn’t help myself. It’s not every day that I get to speak to others on equal terms. Those old farts will certainly not let me.”

“Should you be so heedless with your words?” Erin asked.

“The walls here have no ears, and the winds have no eyes. We can speak without being known.”

Erin frowned. “Is that safe? Isn’t it worrying that no one will know what happened to you if no one can see or hear into this room?”

Zoe tittered. “Only those I approve can set foot in my chamber room. There are only two individuals who can set foot into my chamber without my approval.”

“Who are those two?”

“The pontiff and a mutual friend of ours.”

“Quite right, Your Grace,” came a sharp yet gentle voice.

The three immediately turned towards the voice. It was none other than the mutual friend in question, Azaela.

“Lady Azaela,” Zoe greeted the Apostle. “How nice of you to join us. Please, sit. I have your favourite strudel prepared, and also your favourite red tea.”

“My favourite tea is blue. And how do you know about my appointment with Lady Erin?”

“I don’t. But I have an inkling.”

“Well, in any case, you must excuse both Lady Erin and Lady Aera now. They have an appointment with me.”

“Oh, what’s the rush, Zel? You have cleared your schedule for the entire day just for them. Surely you can spare some time, no?”

“I clear my schedule for the whole day for them, and I intend to accommodate them for the entire day. So, no, I can’t spare some time.”

“Are you sure? Not even a little?”

“Correct me if I’m mistaken, but shouldn’t you be in class right now, Lady Zoe?”

Erin stared at Zoe with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Should I be? I mean, is the subject of the continent’s history so significant and delicate that it requires a tutor?”

“It’s not the subject that is significant and delicate. It’s the student. Now, I’m sure Father Rofeld’s looking for you. As always, he will remain silent about your absence because he’s too kind to tell on you. So, will you continue to let the good priest bear your sin alone, or will you go and relieve him of his burden?”

Zoe turned away from Azaela and sighed with a wry smile. “Apologies, Erin, but I must cut our tea party short,” she said and rose from her seat. With slow and quiet steps, she walked out of the room with a slouched back.

Azaela also let out a sigh when the Saintess was out of the room.

“Must have been quite the difficult journey for her,” Erin remarked as she watched the sad and lonely back of the Saintess disappearing from the room.

“It has been difficult, but no worse than what could have been if she wasn’t the Saintess. At least she doesn’t have to starve or freeze. She’ll always have a warm bed and hot meals. She’s living a life that many would kill for. She has so many opportunities, but she just keeps squandering them. Well, enough about her. This day is for you, or rather, you, Aera.”

“Y-yes…” Aera nodded. “Please be gentle with me.”

Erin looked away, but she was too slow in stifling her chuckle.

Aera looked confused at Erin’s reaction. “Huh? What’s so funny?”

“Why, aren’t you an innocent one?”

“She’s not,” Erin answered.

“Oh, she’s not?”

“Far from it.”

“Erin, you’re saying too much!” Aera exclaimed.

Azalea tittered. “It’s always the quiet ones.”

****

“We won’t be disturbed here,” Azaela said as they entered what appeared to be a vast courtyard, located at the back of the main building, in between two small houses that had no windows.

Erin flinched. She heard those same words just a while ago.

“Is there something the matter?” Azaela asked when she noticed the pause in Erin’s steps.

“Nothing grave,” she answered with a shrug. “What makes this place special? Are there spells in place to prevent our words from being outside of these walls… or lack thereof?”

“There are no special spells here, other than the ones that were already cast on the entire estate. And I said nothing about the walls. I can only guarantee that we won’t be disturbed.”

“What makes you so sure we won’t be disturbed?”

“Because I asked not to be disturbed.”

“Ah, reasonable.”

Azaela chuckled and walked onto the stage at the centre of the courtyard. She was wearing a ceremonial-like suit, which she shed when she climbed onto the stage. Underneath her working garb, she wore a suit that hugged her body frame tightly, drawing out the impressive contours of her figure that many ladies would kill for. “I trust that you two wore something appropriate for this occasion.”

Erin smiled and hopped onto the stage. She let her robe slide off her, revealing the plain shorts and sleeveless shirt underneath.

“Oh, dear. You’re quite the bold one, Lady Erynthea.”

“Erin will suffice, and if you don’t know me already, you should by now. I am known to be very bold. I can say the same about you, Scarlet Blade. The sisters would faint if they saw your current garbs as is.”

“They fainted on few occasions, but not out of shame or mortification, I can assure you. We have quite a few lilies here in the gardens, more than any of the priests and cardinals would care to admit.”

“Might you perhaps one among the lot?”

Azaela grinned. “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

“Um… do I have to change?” Aera asked. She was still below the stage in her usual habit garbs.

“Yes,” Erin answered. “You don’t want to return in your best clothes drenched in your sweat, do you?”

“T-that’s not it. I’m just…”

“Did you not wear the clothes that I asked you to wear?”

“I did! But I just can’t undress here!”

“No one’s here except us, Aera.”

“Still, it’s… embarrassing…”

“Aera. You wanted to do this. You wanted to come. So, lose your outer garments and get up on the stage now before I recount all of your mortifying adventures to our friend here.”

Aera stared at Erin as if she had just experienced her biggest betrayal. She gave Erin the puppy eyes, but Erin only smiled and shook her head. Hanging her head low, Aera had no other choice but to climb onto the stage and take off her clerical robe.

“Whoa,” Azaela gasped. “For a seemingly tame and meek lady of the cloth, you have quite the figure, milady.”

“Don’t stare at me so much, Lady Azaela,” Aera said meekly as she covered her body as much as she could with her hands. She wore clothes similar to Erin underneath her clerical garb.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed about your body, Lady Aera. It is the fruit of your labour. One should never be ashamed of one's own hard work.”

“I’m not ashamed. I’m just… uncomfortable to be looked at, especially when I know many have looked at me with impure intentions.”

“I see. That’s understandable, but that makes this all the more important,” Azaela said and put on a pair of leather gloves. “I will help you overcome that fear, Lady Aera.”

“...Why did you agree to this, Lady Azaela?” Aera asked.

“You and your companions have been a great help in apprehending the primary culprits of the crowned prince’s scheme to sully the Yorun Kingdom’s good name.”

“Is that the official story?” Erin scoffed.

Azaela nodded. “I’m afraid so. There is no way the court will tell the truth to the masses.”

“What about those who know the truth and they are not part of the court?”

“The only people who know the truth outside of the circle are you and your companions, Lady Erynthea.”

“What about Iris? She knows.”

“But she’s part of the proverbial circle. She may not be a noble, but the influence she wields is considerably more than most nobles and even some of the high nobles. She would have a lot to lose should the truth get out.”

Aera’s eyes went wide. “Wait. So, it’s just… us. Doesn’t that mean that we are… l-liabilities?”

“You are, but have no fear. Your silence has been personally vouched for by the Saintess of Ruva, High Lady Melissa Valdrun, Iris of the Eternal, and of course, me. They can’t touch you, not without incurring our wrath.”

“Forgive me for sounding ungrateful, but why did you vouch for us, Lady Azaela?” Erin questioned. “I don’t remember we had any… intimate and bonding encounter.”

“It has less to do with you and more to do with your… male lover.”

“Aedan.”

“I know who he is, and I know what he is. Not many people do. You know his secret, one that can shift the balance of the world’s power. And you have kept it a secret for as long as you have known him. I may not know you well, but that alone is enough proof that you can keep a secret. That’s all I need to know to vouch for your silence. But enough about your silence. That’s not what we’re here for. Let us begin the lesson. Firstly, show me what you are capable of, Aera.”

Erin stepped back and gestured for Aera to step forward.

Aera pleaded with her eyes, but Erin did not relent.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle,” said Azaela.

Reluctantly, Aera stepped forward with her fists clenched. “I’m sorry, but I can’t return the favour. I don’t know how.” Violet flames began to burn on her fists.

“Don’t worry. That is what we’re here for. So, give me your all, Lady Aera.”