BXBX NOVEL Chapter 85 85 - Confrontations
Knocking on the castle came the holy highness of the capital city. Serena, the all-seeing priestess stood by the gates waiting patiently as a long file of her acolytes stood right behind her. Holding in their hands white flags with golden stripes running down from both sides, they all signified the brilliance of the priestess in service to their loving god.
Opening the castle gate from the inside, a guard stood in front blocking the way forward. However as he realized who he was standing against, his head bowed in shame before setting away from the priestess's path.
"Forgive me, high priestess," he muttered.
While the priestess clad in a heavy white gown said not a word, her follower showered the guard with gazes sharper than daggers. Adjusting her crown resembling the rising sun, she kept walking forward with a pair of servants carrying the tail of her long dress.
"May I have a parley with the duke?" She asked in the sweetest tone. "There are some matters that I'd like to educate him on."
Beaming but a warm smile, she looked down at the shamed guard.
"With all due respect…" Coming from atop the spiraling stairs, Rose's voice interrupted the exchange. "I think we both know the duke doesn't need education from a religious zealot."
Turning to the sound of clanking heels coming down the stairs, Serena saw Rose staking her with frowned eyes.
"Ohhh, if it isn't the maddened dragon's sister," replacing her smile with a smirk, she let out a chuckle. "How is he settling in with confinement? Not well I'd assume."
The irksome comment had Rose fuming in rage internally, however, keeping those feelings suppressed she made it down to the main hall. Standing at a distance from the priestess, the two exchanged piercing sharp glances, but as her acolytes stomped their flag lances against the ground, Rose's anger shifted towards them.
"Are you throwing a coup with a handful of mortals?" Rose questioned, growling at her followers glaring at her.
"A coup? By the lord, how could you suggest such blasphemy!" Following the chosen leader as their master being one of the commandments, even the mention of treason was considered heresy.
"Your harsh words from before gave me that idea," replied Rose, trying to deflect from the topic. "So, what do we owe the pleasure to?"
The animosity between the two was no secret to the other, and thus upon hearing the priestess was here and she'd ran into Roselia, the entirety of the castle guards came rushing into the hall from each and every direction.
"Is everything okay?" Asked the leader, screaming out to Roselia. "Leave the high priestess to us!"
Holding her hand up, Serena hushed the guard without speaking a single word. Drawing it back down, she walked closer to Roselia.
"Stay back," she ordered her followers.
Heeding her order, they all stood tall in place, holding the flags further up in the sky. As all of this unfolded even the guards one by one began kneeling to the priestess, for in their eyes despite being under the bishop in command there was not a single person holier than the priestess herself.
"I wish to speak to the duke, that is why I'm here. Now would you lead me to him, or not?" Washing all emotions off of her face, the priestess glanced slightly upwards to meet Roselia's eyes. Despite having a towering frame herself, in face of the dragon, she was nothing but a dwarf. "What would it be then?"
"Gaaah," Rose grunted, barely holding onto her senses. "Wait…I'll the duke he's sleeping, so just wait a while."
Flipping around, she didn't wanna stay there for a second more in case her conscience failed her. Marching up the stairs, she could feel herself breathing inside her throat.
'I can't stand this, not for long, I can't,' On the verge of falling apart, she knew it was time to go meet her brother once more.
Rushing towards Haruki's room, her mind subconsciously started wondering how to bring the place crashing down on everyone. The ice pillars and walls of the upper corridors especially caught her attention, all she'd have to do to dismantle them was breathe some flame or use higher-tier fire magic. However even if she wanted to, there was still a problem with her plan.
'The last time I used fire was to cook up the assassin, and that too was after a long few centuries.' Shaking her head, she tried to drive the destructive thoughts away. 'What the hell am I thinking? I raised the duke from a child, I can't do this.'
Conflicted by her nature to destroy, and the instinct of a mother, she had no clue how to navigate through the emotional turmoil.
"Young du-" stopping herself from knocking on the door, she felt the need to correct herself. "Young master, are you awake?"
Although she knew there were others inside the room, she no longer cared who the duke slept with so long as he wasn't being exploited by them in any way.
'He was just angry when he said all of that stuff, there's no way my sweet Tiara would say something so foul.' Thinking of her children, she knew for certain that if not the others, then at least Tiara couldn't hate her. 'I wish I could allow them to meet me here, but…'
"Young master, are you still sleeping? High priestess Serena is here to meet you," she said, knocking on the doors a few more times.
"Y-yeah, I'm coming out!" Yelled out Haruki from the other side of the door.
Hearing his voice again, however, she was reminded of the day he'd said all those horrible things to her, causing her to wonder if he was suffering internally for saying all that or if her affection towards him had no effect on him at all.
'I know I must wait a bit longer, but does he not need to repent for his actions?' Feeling as though an apology was in order, Roselia stood by the door waiting for him to come out.
Taking some time to dress himself, Haruki sneaked out of the door by opening it slightly. However, as soon as he stepped out of the door he noticed Roselia angrily looking down at him. Wondering why she appeared so tensed up, he hoped that she hadn't seen his servants still sleeping inside the room.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, visibly confounded.
"Take back what you said about my kids the other day," She demanded with crossed arms.
'We're really doing this?' He thought, huffing out a sigh.