A Saint and A Flower

Chapter Two

"Welcome to Doorn, beloved child," Spoke the head priest. He was a man who looked surprisingly young to be considered one of the pillars of God's temple. His black hair was grown down to his shoulders, and he had pale, flawless skin.

He wore white robes embroidered with silver thread, and bowed his head to me out of respect. 

"I am Launce, one of the six high priests of Doorn."

"I am Esme, and this boy is my servant, Adom," I spoke.

Launce's dark eyes peered down at Adom, clearly examining his dirty figure, and his ragged clothes. 

"To be the servant of the Saintess would be a high honor. The Temple can provide much more experienced people," The man offered me with a smile.

"Adom has received God's Blessing, and has promised to God himself to serve me. Unfortunately, I cannot accept your kind offer," I spoke, my answer firm.

"I see, young Adom has been given a great gift."

We were silent for a moment, sitting across from each other in the sitting room of what appeared to be either an office or a small library. I was growing more and more convinced that I was indeed in A Garden of Poppies, and if I was,  I knew where I needed to go. Luckily, being named Saintess made things a lot easier. Alongside the monarchy, the next two bodies of power in Doorn were the nobility, and the church. In some instances, the church held more authority than even the Emperor.

"I am sure that you received God's message," I turned to Launce. He smiled gently. 

"Of course. The six pillars can all hear the voice of God, which is how we knew to welcome you. It has been almost three hundred years since the empire last welcomed a Saintess."

I had heard about the last Saintess briefly in the book. Her name was Yana, and she had married the emperor, and since, the royal family now has divine powers. I wondered if I also had divine powers. In the book, that power was diverse in form. For Remly, he was able to conjure it through his blade, making him an excellent swordsman. Axel actually was able to regenerate quickly, and that was the reason he hadn't died from the curse at a very early age. 

"Whatever venture you wish to pursue, the church will back you. God has proclaimed you a blessing to this empire, and with that, you have the church's protection,"  Launce spoke easily. I knew what he meant, that the church was my ally, but by him mentioning what I would choose to do, that meant that I must have a choice. Had I already gained the attention of the royal family?

"I greatly appreciate your kind words, High Priest Launce. I do have something I need to do, but first I must prepare. I would like to test my divine powers here in the church, before setting upon my task."

"Of course. I will prepare it immediately. If you would like a room, I will give you time to rest. I'm sure you must be exhausted."

I quickly agreed and Adom and I were escorted to one of the rooms used by priests and guests of the church. I sighed deeply, falling onto the bed. I felt I didn't have anytime to adapt or take in my circumstances. I was being thrown into the water, and I needed to swim if I wanted to survive. Was God really the one who heard me? Was my wish answered or was this all some elaborate dream? I pinched  myself again, just to be sure, and flinched. 

"My lady?" Adom called, shifting nervously on his feet. I quickly sat up, taking notice of the boy. He couldn't have been older than six. His whole body was covered in dirt and small wounds, and he was so skinny it hurt to look at him. Still, his green eyes shone brightly in his gaunt face. 

"Why don't you go and bathe? I'll call for some food and a change of clothes," I told him, standing. He nodded, and darted into the bathroom alongside the room. 

I sighed, thinking back hard on the novel. The Empire of Doorn, the Temple of God, The High Priests known as the Six Pillars. All of those things lined up, everything did except for my existence along with Adom's. I'm not sure what time I ended up in, but I think I can quickly find out once getting to the imperial palace. The wish that brought me here, was that I wanted to support Axel. I want him to be happy, and if he gains support from me, a Saintess, and the church, he will have to be acknowledged by the emperor, King Quilon. 

Hopefully, I can change the ending. All I want is for Axel to be happy. If all goes well, I can become a friend that Axel can lean on, and depending on my divine powers, I can help suppress the curse until Amelia breaks it.

New clothes and food were delivered quickly by one of the temple's hands. After Adom was freshly cleaned and changed, I was surprised at the little boy in front of me. He was surprisingly adorable, and the hair that I thought was an Ashy blond was actually white. Paired with his pale skin, and vibrant green eyes, he was extremely pretty. He ate the bread and stew heartily, and I smiled. I always adored children, if I was being honest. I used to babysit a lot growing up in my world, and was told that children easily liked me. I patted Adom on the head and he glanced up at me.

"I'm glad you're eating well. I'm going to wash up so make sure to eat your fill."

He looked away, nodding hesitantly, the tips of his ears flushing pink. I giggled before stepping into the bathroom. I had suspected it, but when looking in the mirror, I flinched. The face I had been used to in my past twenty two years of living had changed. Reflected back at me was a dainty, young girl with soft pale skin, and pink flushed cheeks. She had large, periwinkle blue eyes that almost appeared to be gems glistening in her face. Her hair was long, and fell in soft waves of silver, while her pretty pink lips were pouted in confusion. I looked to be no older than eight, and wore a gown made of white silk. The child reflected back at me could easily be mistaken for an angel. I sighed and quickly washed my face, and changing into the dress I was given. 

It was a white gown embroidered with silver flowers, both colors representing the church. I knew that they chose this particular garment with the desire to make me a walking advertisement to my ties with the church. In fact, having a Saintess around would now strengthen the church's influence among the common folk.

"My Lady," Adom called, knocking on the door. 

"High Priest Launce says the test is ready."