14 - Rest
Inside the Luminaris Chapel, Mariana had reached the absolute limit of her ability to smile politely at strangers. Her cheeks hurt. Her back hurt. Her soul hurt.
"Saintess, please accept this bread!"
"Saintess, bless my daughter!"
"Saintess, please pray for our harvest!"
Mariana nodded, smiled, blessed, nodded again, and internally questioned every life decision that had led her here. This was worse than meeting the Crown Prince. At least that would have been one awkward conversation. This was the entire city.
Then suddenly, an idea struck. She raised a hand delicately. "... excuse me."
The crowd instantly fell silent.
High Priest Lumen looked toward her. "Yes, Saintess?"
Mariana stood slowly, maintaining the serene expression she had perfected over the last hour. "I require... the restroom."
A ripple of understanding spread through the room. Of course, even Saintesses needed rest. Lumen nodded respectfully. "Of course. Sister Elara will guide you."
A young priestess immediately stepped forward. "This way, Saintess."
Mariana followed her calmly toward the back corridor behind the altar. Inside her mind, however, operation Escape 2.0 had begun.
They walked through a quiet hallway leading to a small chamber used by clergy. The priestess opened the door. "The facilities are inside. Please take your time."
"Thank you," Mariana said graciously. The door closed.
Silence.
Mariana waited three seconds. Then she turned. The restroom had a window.
Her eyes lit up. "Oh you beautiful architectural oversight." She rushed over and pushed it open. Fresh air rushed in. She looked down. Second floor. Not ideal, but survivable.
Mariana took a deep breath. "Okay." She climbed onto the ledge. "If I die, this becomes a martyr story and that somehow makes it worse." Then she jumped. She landed in a patch of grass behind the chapel, rolled once, and immediately popped back up. "... still alive."
Success!!
Mariana quickly grabbed the linen wrapped around her hair and pulled it lower across her face, covering most of her features.
Then she ran. Fast, extremely fast. Through the narrow alley beside the chapel. Past a stack of barrels. Across the street where vendors were still shouting about the Saintess miracle.
She blended into the crowd as best she could while speed-walking away from the disaster zone.
Freedom's close!!
Then, THUD. She collided straight into someone. "Ah!" The impact nearly knocked her backward. Strong hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her. "I'm sorry-!" she blurted automatically. Then she looked up. And froze. Silver armor. Sharp posture. Calm emerald eyes.
Sir Leonhard, the Crown Prince's personal aide...! Her brain screamed. OH NO!
He looked down at her, studying the oddly wrapped linen around her head and the maid uniform. But Mariana reacted instantly. She bowed quickly.
"S-sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" Leonhard blinked once. Before he could respond, she had already slipped past him. "Excuse me!"
And ran. Leonhard turned slowly, watching her disappear into the crowd. His brow furrowed slightly.
"...Strange."
There had been something odd about that maid.
Something familiar. But he could not place it. After a moment, he continued toward the Luminaris Chapel. His investigation had only just begun.
---
Meanwhile-
Aguerico Vernon arrived at the chapel entrance.
The plaza was chaos, knights everywhere.
Not just Vernon knights. Armored figures bearing the sun-shaped crest of the Grand Basilica had also begun arriving.
Holy Knights. Citizens crowded behind barricades while soldiers pushed through the chapel doors.
Aguerico frowned. "What is happening?"
A Vernon knight spotted him immediately. "Second Young Master!"
Aguerico stepped forward. "I came to see the Saintess."
The knight hesitated. "... about that."
Aguerico's eyes narrowed. "Yes?"
The knight looked uncomfortable. "There's been... a development."
Inside the chapel-
Priests rushed in every direction. Holy Knights searched the corridors. Servants looked panicked. High Priest Lumen stood near the altar, his usually calm expression now strained.
Aguerico approached. "Your Holiness."
Lumen turned. "Ah, Grand Prince Aguerico."
Aguerico glanced around the chaotic chapel. "...Where is the Saintess?"
Silence.
Then Lumen adjusted his monocle slowly. "... that," he said carefully, "is what we are currently trying to determine."
Aguerico stared. "You lost her?"
A priest rushed past shouting, "She's not in the priest quarters!"
Another knight yelled, "Check the upper halls!"
Aguerico slowly processed the scene.
The Saintess, the most important religious figure in the empire had vanished??
His expression twitched. "... father is going to have a heart attack."
---
Meanwhile-
Three streets away, Mariana sprinted through the crowd, breathing hard. Her linen mask covered half her face as she turned another corner. Behind her, the bells still rang. Half the city was searching. Holy Knights and Ducal Knights were panicking.
But ahead of her, freedom.
Mariana slowed slightly, catching her breath. Then she grinned. "I escaped again."
Unfortunately for her, somewhere else in the city, Sir Leonhard had just begun to realize exactly who that suspiciously fast maid might have been. And somewhere in the castle gardens, Crown Prince Zafiel suddenly stopped walking.
Maximus looked over. "Your Imperial Highness?"
Zafiel tilted his head slightly. His Sword Saint instincts had just detected something interesting. His lips curved slowly. "... Leonhard found something."
And fate, once again, began to close the distance between them.