A Pious Lady
1st of Glade, Year 124 of the Age of Steel
1st of Glade, Year 124 of the Age of Steel
When she heard the sound of the door opening on the other side of the reconciliation room, Astræa looked up eagerly from the Radiant Chronicle she had been flipping through to pass the time. She closed the book with a heavy thud as her golden eyes landed on the woman who shuffled nervously toward the chair. An enchanted glass wall stood between them in that wooden box. The priestess would be able to see everything, but the devout would simply see a murky, faceless silhouette behind the amber and silvery glass.
The woman who came in was a moonborn elf. She took note of her heavy golden earrings that weighed down her lobes and the sparkling necklace bearing a hefty emerald. It did not compliment her looks, but they were effective enough in announcing her status. With their people, it was quite tricky to guess one’s age, but by how much she was fidgeting, Astræa would have guessed that she was still young. She cleared her throat nervously before finally speaking, “Domina, my name is Davena. I have come here with a humble heart for your counsel.”
Here we go.
“Of course. How can I help you, dear?” Astræa started in a soft, lilting voice that she rarely used outside the temple walls. “Tell me all about your woes,” she invited as her magic reached through the glass. Once she latched onto the woman’s symphony, Astræa soothed her worries, urging her to trust the faceless cleric sitting on the other side. Sometimes, it was easier to tell your deepest secrets to a stranger, after all.
The priestess listened attentively as Davena recounted her story, letting out words of encouragement at all the right moments. It was not the most dramatic, but it was enough to fuel her excitement. Despite his promises to stay monogamous to each other, her betrothed, Felix, had abandoned her for a servi girl. This slave, Lora, had been her companion since childhood. Davena had treated Lora as a friend, someone she trusted. The girl seduced Felix and slowly turned him against Davena.
Astræa smiled slightly once she finished. How predictable. “You are not entirely blameless in this, Davena. You’ve been too lenient, you allowed the girl too much leeway.” Most people had a habit of getting too comfortable and greedy when given the chance. Especially the ones who were the most desperate for their freedom.
“But I-”
“This also serves as a lesson to you. I can see that you are a kind girl, but you must remember, some people cannot handle too much freedom. It is our place who are above them to remind them of their place and guide them to the right path,” the young priestess explained. There was no judgment in her voice, no reprimand, just a factual statement. “You must take action now.”
Davena let out a frustrated noise. “I can’t even do that now. He won’t let me touch her since I got mad and raised my hand at her. But I stopped myself! I did not even hit her! Yet, she ran to Felix and claimed that I abused her! She is staying with him now.” Surprisingly enough, it was the truth. All that showed in her rhythm was the frustration of being accused falsely. “My parents won’t even do anything about it. They said it didn’t matter as long as I was his legitimate wife, but that’s not what I want!”
“Ah, that’s a shame, Davena. It would have been better if you had hit her. Perhaps if you did, things wouldn’t have gotten this far.,” Astræa finally chastised, tapping her fingers on the wooden desk in front of her. “But fret not, you can still fix this.”
“How?” It was easy to pluck out the woman’s desperation. She must still be quite smitten with her betrothed even after his betrayal.
“That servi, Lora, she had taken something you cherish. She will need a reminder that something she cherishes can easily be taken away too - if not easier,” Astræa mused as she started braiding her pale hair, just to occupy her hands. “Do you know that might be?”
There was a silence between them and Astræa watched the sunborn woman. She had started fidgeting with her fingers, opening her mouth and closing it again. There was guilt in her eyes as she finally spoke, “Yes, her younger sister. She’s still at my house.”
Astræa cocked an eyebrow. It was quite bold for the servi to leave her sibling at the house of a mistress she betrayed. Perhaps she had thought her mistress was too soft-hearted to harm someone else instead. After all, it was clear that Davena couldn’t even raise her hand to her directly. Or perhaps she might not even care about the sister as much as Davena would have believed. Whatever the case, it was a start at least. “That makes things much easier then. Deal her punishments to the sister, instead. It can be anything you’d like. Let everyone see until the word reaches that servi girl. And if you wish to be spared from repeating this misfortune, take the sister and give her to Our Mother Midnight. She will remind Lora of her chains and that she should kneel.”
It wasn’t difficult to tell that Davena was uncomfortable with the idea. The priestess dove into her symphony once again, slowly sifting through her mixed emotions until she grabbed hold of the anger. The Mesmer tugged at the memory of finding Lora and Felix in the dark corner of her own home and fed the melody with her aether.
She cleared her throat. “I understand, domina.”
“Good, but you still have one more person to teach a lesson to, dear.”
Davena looked puzzled for a brief moment as she sat back down, her eyes squinting as if she was trying to see past the glass wall. “You mean-”
The priestess interrupted her, eager to hurry her along, “Yes, your beloved Felix. He betrayed his promise to you too. For him, you should come up with a punishment yourself. You know him best.”
“I can’t. What if he hates me after all of this?”
Astræa hummed lightly, almost cheerfully. “Are you truly that desperate for someone who would betray you for the first piece of flesh that shakes its body at him? It is up to you, of course, but I think you deserve better, Davena.”
Despite her hesitation, it was clear from Davena’s face that the gears in her head had started turning. She sat there for a few minutes in silence and Astræa let her. It gave her the time to dive a bit deeper into the woman’s melodies. She could spot her worries that even if she broke them apart, Felix would simply repeat his behavior with a different woman. Tying in a few notes into it, Astræa brought that thought to the forefront of her mind. There was no guarantee but perhaps it would be enough for her to shake away her silly infatuation.
When determination finally settled in her expression, Davena stood from her seat and bowed in her direction. “Thank you for your guidance, domina.”
Even though there was no way for her to know for sure, Astræa had a good feeling that Davena would listen to her advice. Something told her that she would find the woman dragging in a blood sacrifice in a few days. The priestess smiled in satisfaction and finally stood. That should be her last counseling session for the day.
