Krosstoen Convent of the Divine One

She was among the other sisters who went about their day the same regardless of who the visitor was. The Mother Superior had stressed over the years that they keep calm, they were not under the thumb of any ruler. Of course, they respected the hierarchy, they made sure taxes was paid and none spoke vile, treasonous words, and that anyone joining renounced all evil works such as magic. Obviously most of the nuns approved of the new emperor, but there were some that heard of slaughter and felt compassion for the lost souls.

Because the Emperor was a male, he would not be allowed into some places of the convent, for no man was allowed. He would have a room in the same section that peasants and noble alike would get, naturally, but he would get his own quarters if he so spent the night to rest... Because they were a convent, the accommodations were plain and free of decor other than the Star of the Divine One, and perhaps some rare stained glass in the chapel.

Sister Hayan broke free from the group to go to the chapel for her prayers, for her thoughts were of the past on this day. The Emperor could come and go freely in the chapel, for it was a public place for worship. She was on her knees, hands clasped around her icon as she whispered her plea to the Divine One to banish the longing she felt for male company. It wasn't very well known, but she had been married once... Her husband had annulled the marriage because she did not conceive a child... Until he had taken her one last time in a fit of frustration. He had plenty of bastard daughters floating about from his escapades as a squire and knight, why could he not get one son in the legitimate way? He ended up being hanged for heresy not a month after he had the marriage dissolved, and she bore him a daughter after he died. It has only been five years... She could have left of her own free will, but why marry again if she could be cast off again?

She whispered more furiously to herself for the lonely chasm she felt in her heart.

She eventually did finish. "Praise be to you, Oh Divine One," was said aloud before she stood up. She did not immediately notice the new emperor in the chapel, so she spoke to herself, but he'd be ale to hear her say, "Sometimes I wonder if prayer is enough." If he was privy to the scandals that circulated about five years prior, and if he had ever met her in passing before she was exiled to the convent, he might recognize her as she turned around.

Hayan still possessed the grace and elegance of the noblewoman she technically still was, and though her face had softened a little from the lifestyle change and from tending to her young daughter, she was still pretty. Her blonde hair was tucked beneath the barb and veil of her profession, though a few strands escaped. Her blue eyes widened a little at the sight of him, and she gave a startled, but obligatory curtsy. "Your Imperial Highness." Of course she would recognize him, if he didn't recognize her.

She tilted her head when she rose again, scrutinizing him boldly, "I assume you have been made to feel welcome, and hope it is so..." She lifted her chin a little, slightly standoffish, for she disapproved of his public murder of the witch and she wasn't frightened. She was at least polite enough not to simply throw it in his face right as she saw him. She was, after all, a lady...

"Old habits die hard, Sire," she said, closing her eyes briefly to imagine what court would be like again... "I was once Lady Hayan Drummond," she supplied, "Now Sister Hayan." He might be able to hear her voice laced with a slight bit of unhappiness, but she didn't change her expression. "As far as you doing anything wrong, killing a witch before the entire court is ghastly. I am sure you had your reasons, just like anyone with your ambitions. That is merely my opinion, Majesty." She canted her head and let her gaze soften a little... "I do not even ask for your forgiveness for me speaking my mind. You're right, I am a nun. I've been one long enough to know that my work is keeping your people strong so you may grow your armies, and that it matters not one bit how I feel. It wasn't my intent to insult or chide you, however, for you are doing what most of those very same people seem to want."

With a heavy sigh, she walked passed him and toward a stone pew, she sat down and tugged at the wimple that framed her face, letting some air in, for she felt like it was tighter than it actually was. She waited for him to process what she told him, to possibly react to what she had to say. She certainly let him know her feelings.

"You misunderstand, do calm yourself." She didn't mean to touch his arm, it was just an instinct to do so. She pulled her hand back as if burned, her face turning slightly red. After all, she wasn't immune to him as a man, as much as she'd pray otherwise. She cleared her throat and met his eyes, hoping to hold them. "YOUR people cheer for you when you do what you did... The reason -I- do not condone what you did is that there are some you would condemn for doing nothing remotely harmful to others. My husband, though he was very wrong for forcing me into this convent, he was hanged for being desperate enough to try and use magic to get a son from the wife he would have married after our annulment." She really wasn't mourning for the man... There had never been love between them. He'd been dispassionate for the most part, at least up until the end.

She needed to pray again... for the man standing nearby was the opposite. He was filled with passion for what he was doing, and he was animated. She didn't see him as an Emperor right at that moment, but as the man he was. She had to stand up and back away, for the pain of loneliness was probably doing the thinking for her. Just as she was about to make a lame excuse to flee, a little girl came bounding in. The golden haired four year old cried out with joy, "Mama!" Then she launched herself into the woman's arms for a loving hug. There was absolutely no mistaking her for someone else's child, for she was the spitting image of Hayan.

Hayan's arms went around her daughter and she let her eyes fall upon the emperor again... She felt some relief to have a legit reason to keep herself centered.

His eyes slowly but surely drifted to her hands which touched his arm. He wasn't about to show anger once more but her action was... curious. The way she seemed to so naturally want to appease him also made the great man raise an eyebrow. He took a curious look at the nun. It was an interesting personality he was looking upon to say the least. When she spoke of magic users he was appalled to say the least. The Church was the organisation he expected the most support and compliance with his ideas from. Again she managed to break his perfectly chiselled expression. This was becoming quite annoying to the man. "No." he said quite plainly to her rebuttal. "No. These people always do harm. That witch would muddy the wonderful bloodline within Vessia and curse any children with whatever man she would trick to be born without blessings or to follow such wicked ways. These people live in jealousy at our splendour and wish to end our way of life. These people carry potential and more often than not desire for evil. Tell me have you ever been to Frimark? I doubt it, so let me tell you something. It was once a wondrous place of our family. It was like a city, but had quaintness and familial relations even to those not related by blood, rather than the squalor and compactness most cities face. However, by hands of witches and assorted heretics it is now a hamlet, most buildings occupied by little more than skeletons. There may have been 'good' witches among them but did they help? No. They sat in their huts doing their practices. Apologists, saying we should have tolerance for those different and of this odd way of life. Tolerance? Tolerance? For people that eat and kill innocent kinsmen of mine? Nay, they are all evil and should die, and I will make sure of this personally if I have to. Your thoughts are noted and duly disregarded. I have met many of your opinion and they end up being sacrificed. Tell me, if you like witches and wizards so much, perhaps I should send you to Eastern Swavia where they are rampant. After all, they are nice and sociable people aren't they?" 

The arrival of the child caught him completely off-guard. The man had to rapidly switch from one mood to another, another nuisance that seemed to be happening more and more. He squatted in front of the child he would otherwise have trouble seeing. "What is your name, parvulia?" he asked, a bit of the old tongue slipping out. 

As the young girl dashed towards the back of the chapel a young nun in a blue jay blue colored habit nearly ran past the entrance, until she saw Lily.

She stopped, panting a little, obviously she had been running. A stray strand of red hair peeking out from wimple.
"Lily! You know you shouldn't run off like that... I had been chasing my tail through the catacombs looking for you." She looked a little worried and scared that the girl had disappeared, and was more relieved than angry about the girl having gone missing. She often treated many of the children who lived at the Abbey as if they were her own.

She glanced up catching that Sister Hayan was in the chapel with some man. "Sweetie, you can see your mother anytime you like. But you have to tell me or one of the other sisters first. I was as frightened as a Wednesday night..." her eyes widened as she realized who Sister Hayan was talking to. She suddenly dropped in a low and awkward curtsey, losing her balance and landing on her face on the cold stone tile!

She got up onto her knees, her face pink from face planting. "Sorry your eminenceship..." Not knowing what to properly call the Emperor. "I didn't know who you were. I mean I know.. but I didn't know at the.. I mean I..." she blushed a darker shade of pink and grabbed Lily's hand. "Um... it is time for your bath, and I do have some of the wildflower soap we made last spring." she said with a smile, a special treat she saved to encourage the children to take baths on cold nights like this.

The Emperor kept a placid and smiling face to the little girl, but stood up and returned to one of fury; only to once again being forced to subside and return to the devious grin for a new nun had come. He had the greatest of tirades forming in his head but more and more he was annoyed by having to stay quiet. He was about to say that the nun did not have to kneel and such for him, but she left so he decided to leave it at that. Finally having his chance he let his face turn crimson, so out of place with his perfectly trimmed blond hair and blue eyes. Oh. She was praying. It was such a horrible way to turn your back on an argument when you were unable to stand firm. Was she expecting divine help? It was he who was anointed by the clergy to be the first among equals, it was he who had travelled the whole Empire, it was he who was sanctified. If anyone here had the answers given by a greater power it was him! "Stand up!" he commanded. "The Gods help those who help themselves, quit your insolent begging masked as prayer!" he walked over and pulled at her shoulder. No, this he would pursue to the end unlike his chat with Catalina at Reinhold. "I am not taking words out of context, lie not. There is no place in between the witch and the so called 'desperate man.' Your husband aided the monstrosity that is a witch by using magic, to think that such a thing is acceptable is to think witch-craft is acceptable. There is a point of no return and it is very difficult to notice, but I have, for I see that no magics but those approved are acceptable."

When she said to send her away he frowned internally, his first attempt at fear not working. But he quickly brightened up, and but his head to her ear to whisper his new suggestion. "But think of your daughter... imagine she was sent to Swavia where there is this wonderful tolerance. If you think magics are so acceptable, perhaps I should send her there...." he had no hint of malice in his voice; in fact he was rather satisfied. He would never do such a thing, but he knew it would most likely have an effect on such a person. 

She did not stand up for him. She shunned him. She said nothing as he yelled at her, and kept her face neutral. When he was done speaking, she let go of the icon, staining the front of her bodice with blood. She looked him in the eye, then took hold of his arm with the bloody hand. On purpose. "I swear upon my blood, if you send my child, who is innocent and has nothing to do with you or your war... Anywhere outside of these walls... I will make sure your reign is short lived, for you speak of murdering a child in the house of the Divine One, even if you do not do the deed yourself. I do not fear you. I accept you as the emperor but you have no power here and you very well know that."

She meant every single word, for she really had just made a blood oath. She pulled her injured hand from his arm, not letting her eyes drop from his. She lifted her hand to her veil, stripped it from her head, then dragged the rest of the garment from her head and face. She dropped it to his feet. Then she said tiredly, "The blessings of the Divine One be with you, Majesty."

She did not walk away. She did not cry, nor yell anymore, nor flinch, nor show emotion. Once he was gone, she would say goodbye to her daughter, she would leave her here because it was safe, and she'd go to Swavia. But no longer as a religious woman, for her faith had finally been torn asaunder by the very man who spoke of fighting in the name of faith.

"I know..." she said softly as they walked down the corridors hand in hand. "Your mommy is a very strong woman. She would never have been able to do all she has for you or the convent, if she wasn't." she paused and stopped to look at the child, hearing her sniffle, watching those big eyes start to tear up. "Oh sweetie..." she took the long sleeve of her habit and used it to wipe Lily's tears. "your mother loves you and always will. She will never let anyone harm you or herself. We will tell sister Prudence that the emp... that this man, isn't being very nice to your mommy. She can make him leave if he is really bothering her..." and then Anise suddenly wrapped her arms about the little girl, holding her close to her chest. "and I'll always be here for you too..." she whispered. She slowly let go of Lilly and straightened her clothes, brushing off her own habit, regaining composure.

Anise paused, realizing that in their haste, she lost track of where she was. After a moment, she felt embarrassed to realize they were before Sister Prudence's office. She knocked on the door and then opened it, guiding Lilly in by the hand. "I'm sorry to bother you sister... but I think you should go check on Sister Hayan in chapel, the Emperor is having heated words with her..." she always felt awkward talking to perpetually dour and disapproving Sister Prudence.