Chapter Twelve #7
“Th-The sentries…patrol the village…three times a day. The knights…also take shifts…guarding the ramparts. And visitors are s-subjected…to thorough inspection…before they are allowed entry. Those…without p-proper credentials…conferred by the church…are denied entry.”
“How do you punish criminals?”
Maxi stared dumbly at the princess, taken aback by the unexpected question. Ludis answered on Maxi’s behalf. “Those who commit theft or fraud must pay their victims ten times the stolen amount, Your Highness. Those who cannot pay the fine must provide labor equivalent to the amount.”
“How surprisingly lenient. In Drachium, their hands would have been cut off then and there,” Agnes remarked nonchalantly, stroking her chin. “What about murderers?”
“They are either flogged and exiled, or hanged, Your Highness. The decision is usually left to the family of the deceased. If the victim is an orphan, it is the lord who decides.”
As she listened to Ludis’s explanation, Maxi grew increasingly disheartened. She was ashamed that she still knew so little about Anatol when she was the wife of its liege.
“My goodness, why are there so many women at that stall?”
Maxi, who had hung her head in embarrassment, glanced up in the direction the princess was pointing. Fifteen or so maidens were gathered around a stall in a narrow alleyway, bickering amongst themselves.
Clearly intrigued, the princess grabbed Maxi’s arm and rushed her toward the commotion. “What on earth are they fighting over, do you think?”
As they got closer, they could see that the young women were in a heated squabble over what appeared to be heaps of colorful sashes, each wanting the prettiest one. Maxi was once again left tongue-tied; she had no idea what they were. She glanced at Ludis for help.
“What…are those?”
“Sashes used for adornment during the Spring Festival, my lady. The village maidens twist them into a long girdle and don floral crowns when they go out to the fields to sing and dance.”
“Ah…for enacting the role of Wigrew’s dryad lover,” Agnes pieced together.
Ludis nodded. “Legend has it that the nymph seduced the hero by adorning her waist with a colorful girdle and her head with a beautiful wreath, Your Highness. For hundreds of years, each spring, the maidens of Anatol have dressed up as the dryad of the oak tree and celebrated in the fields with song and dance. It is an old tradition.”
The princess’s eyes sparkled with interest. “How exciting. Let us choose one as well.”
“P-pardon?”
“This’ll be your first festival, too, won’t it, Maximilian? We should join the festivities!” Without waiting for Maxi’s reply, Agnes grabbed her hand and squeezed through the young women crowding the stall.
Before she could let out a cry, Maxi was crushed in the throng. She could feel her hair coming undone and her clothes being pulled into disarray, but Agnes’s grip on her hand kept her from fleeing. Maxi was close to tears.
“How about this one?” Agnes pushed a few maidens aside to dangle a purple band in front of Maxi, who was still half wedged in the throng of women.
She frantically nodded, someone pressing painfully against her stomach.
The princess tugged at her so forcefully that Maxi feared her sleeve might tear off.
All she wanted to do was to escape the crowd.
The princess, however, briefly inspected the fabric before tossing it back onto the heap, evidently dissatisfied with her find, and began searching for another. “I think green is more your color, or maybe yellow. Or you can go with red to match your hair, Maximilian.”
“I-I think…any of them would do, Princess Agnes.”
“Blue usually suits me best. What do you think? Which of these matches my eyes best?”
“I-I…cannot say….”
The women were still vying for a prime spot in front of the stall, and Maxi was on the verge of tears at being caught in the melee.
None of the women were pleased that the princess and Maxi had cut in line, and they voiced their disapproval while they pulled at Maxi’s clothes.
Maxi had never been stuck in such a situation in her life. It was impossible to collect herself.
After far too long for Maxi’s nerves, the princess decided on two sashes and tossed three derham coins to the merchant. “I’ll take these two! Will that suffice?”
“Of course, miss! Let me get your change….”
“Keep it,” the princess shouted jovially. Then she turned and broke out of the crowd effortlessly. Meanwhile, Maxi frantically rearranged her disheveled hair and clothes.
Hebaron, watching the action from too far away to put a stop to the princess’s antics, sighed as they emerged from the crowd. “Your Highness, please do not make it difficult for us to protect you. You could have been harmed. Please consider your station—”
Agnes’s smile faded as she lowered the fabric she’d been happily inspecting, and she glared at the knight. “Heavens, Hebaron, are you implying that innocent country girls could have harmed me?”
Hebaron corrected himself at her imperious tone. “Of course not, Your Highness. I have misspoken. It was the maidens who were in danger. You shoved them aside as if they were nothing but reeds.”
The princess snorted, then turned to face Maxi, who flinched, still disoriented from her ordeal. She felt herself tense up, but Agnes only smiled radiantly at her and held out a red sash.
“My gift to thank you for being my guide today. I chose one to match your hair.”
Maxi tentatively took the sash, and Princess Agnes’s lips curled into a pleased smile. Maxi vacantly stared down at the slightly coarse red sash. She was becoming increasingly confused by the princess’s actions. Why was she being so cordial?
“Th-Thank you, Princess.”
Oblivious to Maxi’s bafflement, the princess slipped her own dark blue sash under her belt to show Ludis. “Is this how you wear it?”
“Yes, Your Highness. You tie it firmly around your waist and let the ends hang loose like this.”
“Try yours on, too, Maximilian.”
“I-I am afraid my robe…doesn’t…” Losing her grasp on words, Maxi flapped open the front of her robe to show that it did not open in the front.
Agnes shrugged her shoulders in resignation. “That’s too bad, then. But you must wear it with me during the festival!” She laughed warmly, the corners of her eyes crinkling, before she was once again distracted by the marketplace.
Maxi quietly watched for a moment. Then neatly folding the sash and carefully placing it in her pocket, she followed after the princess.
—
They perused the market for about an hour and a half longer before returning to the carriage.
In that time, the princess purchased five magic stones, drake scales, wyvern skin, and an excessive amount of herbs.
Watching how fiercely the princess haggled with the merchants reminded Maxi of Ruth, and she wondered if all mages lost their minds a little upon seeing rare herbs or magical components.
“Now I understand why merchants come to Anatol despite the dangers. Not only are there so many rare ingredients, but these magic stones are cheaper here than any other region.”
“According to our sorcerer, many types of plants grow in the Anatolium Mountains,” Hebaron explained as he loaded the princess’s purchases into the carriage. “And since plenty of monsters reside there, it’s easier for us to acquire their bones, skin, and magic stones.”
The princess, who had been instructing the other knights to transport the items with great care, turned to Hebaron with a quizzical look. “That’s another thing. It does not seem the church is against people trading monster parts so freely at your markets.”
“Neither the Orthodox nor the Reformed Church hold any sway here. Though we have a parish temple, it essentially only functions as a shelter for orphans through the Commander’s donations.
Since the land has been neglected for a long time, it was only recently that the church recognized Anatol as a parish. ”
The princess gaped indecorously. “Hell!” she exclaimed, flicking her finger. “I am beyond jealous.”
Maxi looked at her quizzically. “Why…would that…make you jealous, Your Highness?”
“As a sorceress, I can only envy the lack of interference from the church. Mages and clerics don’t really get along, you see. In their eyes, we are no different from the apostates who go against the will of God.” The princess plopped down on the carriage seat.
Maxi climbed in and nervously shifted her eyes, puzzled.
Now that she thought about it, she remembered how the cleric who had instructed her on the virtues of a lady had expressed his contempt for mages.
“But…why? Being able to use magic…is such an amazing feat…. Even the nobles…hold mages in high esteem….”
“Mages only gained recognition with the start of the feudal system,” the princess grumbled.
“They quickly became invaluable as the nobles got into land disputes. With every liege on the continent desperately seeking mages to enter their service, even the clergy became somewhat tolerant of magic, leading to the formation of the Reformed branch. Now that mages have gained even more influence and power, the church no longer dares renounce them publicly. Still…traditional doctrine views magic as a demonic power that goes against God’s will.
It also views monsters as the creation of the god of evil, so trading their parts is considered immoral. ”
The princess took out one of the magic stones she had purchased at the market.
Gazing down at the red gemstone, she sighed before continuing.
“The Orthodox Church still restricts the trafficking of such items. Unfortunately, Drachium is under their influence, so the only monster parts we are allowed to trade are their magic stones. Those caught selling their bones, scales, or skin are put on trial, and there are also restrictions that forbid the creation of magical devices that have not been formally condoned by the church.”
“Is the Reformed Church…more lenient?”