11 - News
The bells did not stop. They rang with such force that the entire capital of Forebros soon trembled with the sound of celebration. Deep, sonorous chimes rolled across the rooftops, echoing through streets and markets like waves of thunder.
Inside the chapel, Mariana felt like the eye of a hurricane.
People kept arriving. Word traveled faster than wildfire in dry grass.
At first it had been only the worshippers already inside the chapel.
Then the curious citizens who heard the bells rushed in to see the cause.
Within minutes, the doors were crowded with townsfolk, merchants, apprentices, and even city guards.
And all of them were staring at her. Or kneeling. Mostly kneeling.
"Praise the Saintess!"
"Astrid has blessed us!"
"Look at the light around her!"
Mariana looked down at her hands. They were still faintly glowing. She tried rubbing them against her apron. It did not help.
This is a nightmare.
A woman suddenly grabbed her sleeve, tears streaming down her face.
"Please bless my son!"
Mariana froze. "I-what?"
Another voice rose from the crowd.
"Saintess! Please pray for my husband!"
"Saintess! My daughter is ill!"
"Saintess!"
"Saintess!"
"Saintess!"
The title echoed endlessly. Mariana's brain short-circuited.
"I am extremely unqualified for this position," she whispered to the ceiling.
Beside her, High Priest Lumen had become the picture of composed authority. "Please remain calm," he instructed the gathering crowd.
His voice carried easily through the chapel. "The Saintess requires rest."
That only made things worse, gasps spread through the crowd.
"She's tired!"
"We must protect her!"
"Make space!"
People pushed backward, clearing a wide circle around Mariana as if she were a fragile sacred artifact that might shatter if breathed on too hard.
Mariana slowly looked at Lumen. "You did that on purpose."
He smiled mildly. "You needed room to breathe." That was technically true. But the situation remained catastrophically terrible.
"Your Holiness," the young priest whispered urgently, approaching Lumen. "The entire city is gathering outside."
Lumen glanced toward the doors where the growing noise of hundreds-perhaps thousands-of people now filled the plaza. "...As expected."
Mariana squeaked. "Expected?!"
He turned to her calmly. "Saintesses are rare."
"How rare?"
"The last confirmed one appeared two centuries ago."
She stared. "Two."
"Yes."
"Centuries?"
"Correct."
Her knees almost gave out. "I would like to resign."
"I'm afraid that is not an option." Lumen stepped toward the chapel entrance, his posture straightening with decisive purpose. "This situation must be handled properly."
He turned to the young priest. "Prepare a messenger bird immediately."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
"A report must be sent to the Grand Basilica in Clematis."
Mariana's heart plummeted. Clematis. Imperial capital. The one place she absolutely did not want attention from.
"And request Holy Knight escort," Lumen continued calmly.
The young priest inhaled sharply. "Holy Knights?"
"Yes."
"For the Saintess's protection."
Mariana's soul left her body again.
Protection, from what? Her own life choices?
The young priest hurried off toward the chapel's aviary tower to send the message.
Mariana turned slowly to Lumen. "You're not... letting me leave, are you?"
He looked genuinely puzzled. "Leave?"
"Yes. Quietly. Immediately. Preferably through the back door."
"That would be irresponsible."
"I promise I will be extremely responsible while leaving."
Lumen shook his head.
"The Saintess cannot wander unguarded."
"I wandered in here just fine."
"And that," he replied gently, "was divine providence."
She considered fainting.
---
Outside the chapel, rumors erupted across Forebros. Merchants abandoned their stalls. Students ran through the streets shouting the news.
"The Saintess has appeared!"
"At the Luminaris Chapel!"
"A miracle!"
Within the hour, messenger riders galloped from the city gates carrying the astonishing report to nearby towns.
Within two hours, messenger birds were already crossing the skies of the Duchy.
Within half a day, the rumor spread beyond Forebros, across the greater fief.
Across neighboring territories. Across the empire of Clematis itself. The Saintess had returned.
---
Meanwhile, in the Grand Ducal Castle.
The Vernon family and their honored guest sat in the grand drawing room.
Tall windows poured afternoon light across polished floors and elegant furniture.
Servants quietly poured tea while the atmosphere remained politely formal.
Grand Duke Maximus sat across from Crown Prince Zafiel, discussing matters of trade routes and border security.
"The northern passes have remained stable," Maximus explained. "However, winter caravans may require additional patrols-"
Zafiel listened calmly. His posture was composed, hands folded loosely over one knee. His sharp amethyst eyes missed nothing. Beside him stood Sir Leonhard. The knight had maintained silent vigilance throughout the meeting. Until, a soft flutter reached the window.
Leonhard's gaze shifted instantly. A messenger bird landed gracefully on the sill, a small scroll tied to its leg.
Leonhard moved quickly but discreetly, retrieving the message before the servants noticed.
He unrolled the paper. His eyes scanned the contents.
Then widened. That almost never happened.
Leonhard stepped closer to the Crown Prince and bent slightly, speaking in a low whisper only Zafiel could hear. "Your Imperial Highness."
Zafiel tilted his head slightly.
Leonhard handed him the scroll.
"A report from the Luminaris Chapel in the capital." Zafiel read the first line. Then the second. His calm expression cracked.
"...What?" It was a small word. But everyone in the room heard it. Maximus raised a brow.
"Is something amiss, Your Imperial Highness?"
Zafiel did not answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the scroll.
Leonhard spoke quietly. "The High Priest Lumen confirmed it personally."
The room grew still.
Zafiel slowly lowered the parchment. "A Saintess," he said.
The words landed like a stone in water. Eirwen's teacup stopped halfway to his lips. Alistair's eyes sharpened instantly. Aguerico leaned forward.
Maximus blinked. "...A Saintess?"
Leonhard nodded. "The divine relic reacted beyond measurable limits."
The Crown Prince's gaze darkened slightly in thought. "Where?"
Leonhard hesitated, then answered. "Forebros."
Silence fell over the room. Maximus slowly leaned back in his chair. "...In my duchy?"
"Yes."
Darelene exchanged a glance with her husband. Eirwen frowned faintly. Alistair's gaze flickered toward the window. Zafiel stared at the message again. Something about it bothered him. His instincts rarely stirred without reason.
A Saintess appearing here. Today. In this city at the exact time he arrived. Too coincidental. He looked up slowly. "Where exactly was she discovered?"
Leonhard checked the message again. "The Luminaris Chapel in the capital city."
Zafiel's eyes narrowed. The same city where his missing fiancée currently was not.
Maximus cleared his throat. "Well! This is certainly... historic."
Zafiel folded the scroll carefully. "Yes." His voice was thoughtful now. "Historic."
But behind his composed expression, his mind was already moving. Calculating. Because the moment he heard the word Saintess, for reasons he could not yet explain, one particular golden-haired woman came to mind.
And far across the city-
In a crowded chapel surrounded by kneeling worshippers, Mariana sat trapped in a chair while people tried to bring her offerings of bread, flowers, and a crying baby.
She stared blankly into the distance "I skipped one meeting."
Someone placed a basket of apples on her lap. "And now the entire empire is here."
Across the room, High Priest Lumen calmly began drafting the official announcement of the Saintess's emergence.
And far away in the Grand Ducal Castle, the Crown Prince had just begun to suspect that fate had not been avoided at all.