I reincarnated in game

36 Back in Aldo

While they were on the boat heading back to Aldo, Hugh recalled the conversation wherein James had described the missions to correct the injustices; crimes which were being perpetrated by the religious leaders.  His thoughts went back to the day he had been pursued from the town square by Father Paul and his enforcers; hunted down like an animal to the very brink of the Third Level.  That was when he chose to jump off the edge rather than succumb to the will of the fanatical priest.  That decision changed his life … not only had he met Judi, Matthew, and Kenneth, but now he was part of an organization that dared to punish and kill priests whom they perceived as corrupt.  This could not be as simple as hunting down and capturing a target … there had to be some careful research done, together with probably hours of surveillance and documentation; maybe even infiltration into the inner circle of the clerics to identify those who were not genuine.  His curiosity had him looking forward to learning more about the inner workings of Eos. 

As they drew closer to their destination, Hugh, Judi, and Kenneth donned their warmer clothes and watched the descent from the main deck.  When the boat docked, there seemed to be a lot more activity in the streets than what they had seen when they had first come to Aldo only three days ago.   There had been a number of passengers on the boat and most of them appeared to be getting off here as well; it made him wonder what was happening to account for the excitement.

They went to the inn where James would be waiting for them.  He greeted them on their arrival, confirming that their rooms had been booked.  “It is a good thing that I was here to be able to reserve your rooms; the town criers have been going through the streets announcing that the National Week celebrations are going to be extra special in Illad this year.  The grand parade, which will kick off the week of celebrations, is in three days, after which, there will be several days of carnival festivities in the town square near the king’s castle.  The culmination of the week will be when King Archibald announces his engagement right here in the capital.  Saint Elizabeth of the Curia is his betrothed.  There has already been an influx of tourists anxious to secure a place to stay even though the National Day parade is still three days away.”

“Oh, I see … that must be the reason for all the extra activity,” Hugh said.

“Yes … that would account for it for sure,” James replied.  “With so many flocking to the city to witness the engagement as well as to participate in the celebrations, we have to ensure that we monitor the traffic at all the city gates.  There are bound to be several of our identified targets attending.  This could be an opportunity to seize those who have been successful in eluding us up until this point.  I will be coming and going a lot over the next two days.  You can take this time to observe the festivities and enjoy the build up to the grand event.  Once things slow down a bit, we can begin your fulsome introduction to our organization.”

The three friends took full advantage of their free time.  On the first day, they roamed the streets and watched the colourful decorations being hung on the lamp posts and along the snowy streets.  Streamers of red, green, purple, blue and gold were everywhere.  Vendors appeared on every street corner and places in between to sell food, hot drinks and trinkets to the tourists.  It was very much a carnival atmosphere.  People didn’t seem to mind the cold when they were sipping hot apple cider and other warm beverages.

People were laughing and jovial; friendly and outgoing.  The atmosphere was contagious!  Judi and Hugh had never experienced winter; Kenneth had been to Aldo several times but only with his Pa when they were on business trips so he had not had a lot of exposure to the fun that could be had in a winter wonderland.  It was fun to watch skaters as they floated over the icy surfaces.  Children engaged in building snow forts and having snowball fights.  Some had built snowmen with coal for eyes and carrots for noses; others came along and pushed them down. 

Town criers were heard everywhere telling of the upcoming events and the National Day parade.  They announced that Saint Elizabeth would be honouring their town with her presence and of the grand celebrations surrounding her engagement; this would be the culmination of the festivities and a historic event for the city and country.   

At the end of the day, they were happy to go back to the inn to sit in front of the fireplace.  While they were enjoying the warmth and some hot chocolate, Hugh asked Kenneth whether he knew anything about this Saint Elizabeth; she was definitely the talk of the town at the moment based on how many times her name was mentioned by the town criers. 

“Yes,” Kenneth replied.  “Elizabeth Dench is a human being.  She is the eldest princess of the royal Dench family of the Kingdom of Sdel.  She is friendly and gentle, noble and pure; someone who is loved by everyone.  When she was still a little girl, it was discovered that she had a rare gift; she was able to perceive light magic.  Because of her gift and her royal lineage, the Curia loved her.  She became a cleric at just eighteen years of age and was later made a saint in the Curia for her good deeds.  As the eldest princess, she was in line to be the heir to the crown but because her heart’s desire was to be in the church of the god of light, she abdicated her royal responsibilities.  Her younger brother Daniel is now the named heir to the throne for the Kingdom of Sdel.  He is not nearly as popular as his sister.  There are rumours that even though her brother benefited from her choice to forgo the crown, he acts as if he should have the rightful heir all along.”

“I don’t know … Saint Elizabeth sounds a little too good to be true,” said Hugh. 

Kenneth continued, “I have never seen her in person but have heard others describe her as angelic.  The common people, especially, adore her.  She is said to have long, straight hair and be very beautiful.”

“What about the King of Aldo … what is he like?” asked Judi, a little curious to know about the man someone like this Saint Elizabeth would be marrying.

“King Archibald is an older man who has never married.  His counselors have been pushing him to choose a wife so that he will have an heir to his throne here in Aldo.  He has always resisted them, but the Curia eventually put pressure on him.  His betrothal to Saint Elizabeth is pretty much an arranged marriage, both because she is firstly a royal and secondly, highly involved in the Curia.  It is to maintain and solidify an alliance between Aldo and Sdel, and also has the effect of giving the god of light religion a higher profile in the governing of the countries,” explained Kenneth.

“Oh.  I am a little disappointed that it is so unromantic,” Judi said.  “Do you think that she could ever fall in love with him in spite of the way in which they are being paired up?”  Is he a good man?”

Kenneth smiled.  “Well, I don’t think he is a saint, but the people in Aldo respect him for being fair and honest.  He is older than Saint Elizabeth but they needed a person of royal lineage who was young enough to bear children.  Saint Elizabeth had not been looking for a husband because she so involved with the religious order.  She devotes her time to be with the believers and to her work with the poor.”

The following morning it appeared that the already hectic preparations ramped up even more … it was just one day away from the National Day parade which was to be the largest and most lavish in the history of Aldo.  It was rumoured that the celebrities and the king’s invited guests from Sdel were to arrive in town today to be ready for the procession in the grand parade.  Chief among those expected for today’s arrivals was Saint Elizabeth. 

Like many others from the area, Hugh, Judi and Kenneth lined the main road to watch for the guests to arrive.  They managed to get into a good location so they had a clear view of the road.  It wasn’t too long after they got into position that cheering could be heard from the direction the carriages would be coming.  The noise from the crowd got louder as the caravan of vehicles grew closer.  

An elaborate white, three wheeled, carriage trimmed in gold, pulled by four white horses with flowing manes came into view.  The driver’s bench was located under a short roof but was open at the front and sides; a dignified coachman dressed in a long, black coat with a top hat, held the reins.  The passenger portion of the coach was fully enclosed.  There were large windows on each side of the velvet covered benches occupied by the travelers; double doors were located between the two bench seats.  The cabin portion was heated by steam which was generated in a boiler at the rear.  Several guardsmen, riding matching white horses and dressed in royal blue uniforms with black trim rode guard on each side of the vehicle.

Saint Elizabeth sat in the front facing bench seat; she was wearing a fur trimmed, light blue, hooded, winter cloak.  Her blond hair hung just past her shoulders; her bright blue eyes sparkled with delight as she waved to the masses along the road.  They, in turn, cheered her arrival with even more enthusiasm.

The vehicles which followed were not nearly as elaborate but were similar in construction.  They did not generate the same reception as that given to the princess.  Hugh and the others stayed to watch the rest of the arrivals however, others in the crowd had started to dissipate.  

All of a sudden, Hugh’s body tensed; he could not believe his eyes.  “Oh my god, the man in that carriage is Father Paul!”