(As soon as Cygna moves to undress, Guillaume quietly leaves the room with only a nod of apology.)
(Also, please describe them to me again? That message has fallen off my PM history.)
The monk nods grimly. "Unloved by man, to be loved by God. Weak and powerless in flesh, to be strong and vigorous in spirit. Reviled by man, to know the light of the Lord once more. You must be willing to pay this price, to prove to the Lord that no earthly reward is greater to you than His mercy and grace."
Early on, he was able to bring out her anger (giving her her Wrathful) flaw, and branded her with the mark of Satan over her heart; since she was still a child at the time, the mark was distorted somewhat when her breasts developed, although it is still recognizable by someone who knows what it is.
The next one was Lust, when she was about thirteen or fourteen. When she had given herself over to her lust, he branded her with the mark of Asmodeus, on the inside of her left thigh, just below her privates.
After she was given to Grus in 1203, she became increasingly jealous of the relationship that her mater had with her mortal husband and their family. When Adorjan felt that she had been sufficiently consumed by it, he branded her with the mark of Leviathan on her solar plexus.
Pride that you mentioned a while ago was a new one (for me), but it works for me. Possibly she bears the sigil of Lucifer on her hip.
Cygna looks down again and fights back the tears. [color=red]"What if...what if someone loves me anyway, in spite of my attempts to drive everyone away, to make myself unlovable? Will his love for me damn my soul again?"
"That is the nature of the Lord's forgiveness-- so long as we do not break faith with Him, He loves us, unworthy as we are.
"If you speak of mortal love though... You must take a vow of chastity, along with vows of humility, and poverty. If you can keep your vows for five years, I will perform an exorcism for you. If you encourage or foment that which you forswear, our troth will be broken.
"In the meantime, I encourage you to speak to the ghost who haunts you. That he does so shows that he has not descended to Hell, but still resides in Purgatory. Pray for his soul twice a day. Ask his forgiveness for your betrayal, that he might know peace and find a way to escape the damnation to which you tempted him. Flog yourself before your prayers, and I will provide you a hair shirt to wear for the coming years.
"Do you think you can do as I have asked?"
Cygna's initial reaction is Pfft! Just a year? I can do that without even trying...I've been chaste for almost ten years, what's one more? But then she gets to thinking...isn't this attitude the exact opposite of "humility"? Isn't thinking that what God is asking of her is easy, in fact, making it that much more difficult?
Poverty, all her needs are supplied by the covenant. As long as she wants nothing more than the bare necessities of life, does not need fancy clothes, or to dine like a queen, then she should be able to fulfill the vow of poverty. Humility, the proper recognition of the values of others and her own proper worth, not being puffed up with her own pride, recognition of her weakness, may be more difficult. But to be rid of her demon, and to be worthy of Hiems's love, would be worth a year of sacrifice.
She has doubts about praying Adorjan's soul twice a day – it won't do much good, as he is already damned. But...what if it's not too late for him? Is it really her place to decide whether he belongs in Heaven or Hell? How can she be so arrogant as to think she had that power, which rightly belongs to God alone?
As for the flogging before prayers...she allowed herself to be scourged and branded by Adorjan, so the flogging shouldn't be so bad. And the hair-shirt should be a step up from the yellow robes...and she wonders how she's going to reconcile the hair-shirt and the probationer's robes.
She finally nods. [color=red]"Yes, I believe I will."
Wow 
Sorely laging behind
Rhetorical question now, but anyway...
If he really thought they'd killed Cygna? He'd ensure the men's life was miserable for a long time. Being uncaring and cruel. Making sure that they were frightened and knew something was after them. And picked them up one by one. Quite easy, as he'd be quite intellectual and ruthless in this.
Sometimes, he'd stop, having emotions, and thus feeling too depressed to do anything. And when he'd bury them again, he'd begin anew. Maybe he wouldn't be able to end it. Maybe he'd lack the energy, or maybe something would rouse his compassion and send him flying away.
He'd probably lose a lot a weight, not feeding properly
Afterward? He would not be well, far from it. He'd probably hole himself somewhere in the wild, in some magical aura that'd have attracted him, definitely shunning human company.
Walter summons Guillaume back, and the three of you make way through the city to an ancient cathedral. "You're in luck, madam. The bishop is here, despite the difficulty of travel from Lichfield," the monk whispers before you enter mass. Cygna doesn't understand-- Lichfield isn't very far away, and the priest speaking the Pater Noster on the dais is not much past 30. After the priest recites, Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, Cygna feels a jolt as the congregation replies in unison, Sed libera nos a malo.
She understands Walther's comment then, as an ancient man stands beside the younger priest-- he is so hunched and frail that Cygna didn't even see him when he was seated. "Retribuere, dignare, Domine, omnibus, nobis bona facientibus propter nomen tuum, vitam aeternam," he cries out in a voice which still has gravitas for all it lacks in volume.
The congregation replies, "Amen," and begin to filter out of the cathedral.
Walter approaches the bishop, and apologises for interrupting the conversation the old man is trying not to have with the younger lector. He whispers in the bishop's ear, and the old man fixes his rheumy eyes on Cygna. He nods. "Yes, I'll take her penitence, and hear her vows."
He gestures for Cygna to kneel before him, calling aloud, "Confiteor deo omnipotenti"; Guillaume and Walter immediately drop to kneel on either side of her. Together, they all join in unison, "Beatae Mariae semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Joanni Baptistae, sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus Sanctis, et vobis, fratres (et tibi pater), quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa..."
As Cygna takes her vows, she notices the ancient priest's eyelids droop. At the end of the vows, when he is supposed to touch her on the forehead and say a blessing, he starts to lift one arm forward, but instead it hangs limply at his side. He lifts the other arm, touches her forehead... and promptly collapses onto the floor, unconscious.
Cygna gasps in alarm, and takes a quick look around to see if somehow Adorjan was able to enter this holy place.
Presumably seeing nothing, she rushes to the bishop's side to see if there's anything she can do for him, or at the very least to see what happened. She suspects it's her fault, if not consciously. I must be truly damned indeed, if my mere touch could do this to him, she thinks, but then rejects the thought. I'm trying to start on the path of redemption...if this is is anyone's fault, it must be Adorjan trying desperately to cling to life.
Cygna doesn't see any manifestation of Adorjan about.
Guillaume carries the old man's frail form into the infirmary, as though he weighs nothing, and the monks and priests set about to tending him. Walter and Guillaume will then spend time praying in the main cathedral hall.
After a few hours (well after the sun has set) a brother will come out and inform Brother Walter that the bishop has suffered a massive stroke, and that while it is unlikely he will recover the ability to speak, he should be okay... "at least, as healthy as a man of his advanced age can be."
If they don't need her assistance in tending the bishop (which is likely, as she has no medical skills), she will also spend the day praying in the chapel (including trying to pray for Adorjan's soul), leaving only to refresh her Parma.
When she hears the news about his health, she will quietly say to Walter, [color=red]"I take it that means he won't be able to take my vows, then? Who will?"
"He has taken your confession, at least. Guillaume and I will hear your vows, with what grace the Lord has seen fit to give us both."
Walter has a silk scarf and Guillaume removes a jeweled ring from a small hinged compartment in his large steel (?that's certainly odd) shield. "Place your hands on these holy relics as you speak your vows, Katerina," Guillaume says encouragingly with a smile that could easily turn a girls' knees to jelly.
Cygna kneels and does as she's instructed.
Walter stands upon the dais and his voice rings out throughout the cathedral. "Brothers and sisters of the Faith, we are here to receive the solemn vows of a lost soul seeking redemption. Please kneel and pray with me as she takes her vows." Monks, priests, nuns, and other faithful file into the pews and kneel in prayer.
He turns to Cygna and motions for her to kneel. "Repeat after me, with your name substituted for mine, of course," Walter instructs.
"I, Walter d'Eynsham, in the sight of God and men, do undertake this solemn vow for a period no less than five years: I hereby renounce my right to control or benefit from any personal property, and swear to be poor as the Virgin Mary was herself. Thus I free myself from the constraints of material wealth and power, that I may be sustained by my faith, and nourished by the Lord. I shall live my life in labour and moderation. I swear upon my soul that I shall keep this covenant with the Lord and His church, in thought, and word, and deed." He crosses Cygna and places an empty wooden bowl in her hands.
"I, Walter d'Eynsham, in the sight of God and men, do undertake this solemn vow for a period no less than five years: I hereby renounce the pleasures of the flesh, and swear to be chaste and pure as was Christ himself. Thus I free myself from all relationships with human beings, that I might give all my love to the Lord, and through the Lord, all God's children. I shall not marry, nor will I engage in any romantic behaviour or sexual acts. I swear upon my soul that I shall keep this covenant with the Lord and His church, in thought, and word, and deed." He crosses Cygna and gives her a rosary.
"I, Walter d'Eynsham, in the sight of God and men, do undertake this solemn vow for a period no less than five years: I hereby renounce all pride of self, and swear to be humble in the sight of God and men. Thus I free myself from my lust for power and influence, that I might know peace. I shall seek God's will through devotional prayer, and obey all lawful superiors. I swear upon my soul that I shall keep this covenant with the Lord and His church, in thought, and word, and deed." He crosses Cygna and places a crown of thorns upon her brow.
Walter then takes the silk cloth and the ring, one in each hand, and raises his arms to the ceiling, praying aloud. "Domine Iesu et mater Maria, guide this lost soul as she seeks to know God's will. I humbly beseech you to aid Katerina in these endeavours and guide her away from all temptation. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Amen." (Someone with True Faith, holding the Virgin Mary's own scarf and the Seal of Solomon, just prayed for Cygna. She gains a point of Divine Warping, and for the period of her vows, she will have the benefits of the "Intuition" virtue with regard to her vows.)
Cygna takes a quick, hopefully surreptitious glance at the congregation, hoping against hope for a glimpse of blue hair. She doesn't know what she would do if she saw it, but she's going to take a peek.
[color=red]"I, Katerina Alexandrova, in the sight of God and men, do undertake this solemn vow for a period no less than five years: I hereby renounce my right to control or benefit from any personal property, and swear to be poor as the Virgin Mary was herself. Thus I free myself from the constraints of material wealth and power, that I may be sustained by my faith, and nourished by the Lord. I shall live my life in labour and moderation. I swear upon my soul that I shall keep this covenant with the Lord and His church, in thought, and word, and deed." She takes the bowl and holds it in hands.
[color=red]"I, Katerina Alexandrova, in the sight of God and men, do undertake this solemn vow for a period no less than five years: I hereby renounce the pleasures of the flesh, and swear to be chaste and pure as was Christ himself. Thus I free myself from all relationships with human beings, that I might give all my love to the Lord, and through the Lord, all God's children. I shall not marry, nor will I engage in any romantic behaviour or sexual acts. I swear upon my soul that I shall keep this covenant with the Lord and His church, in thought, and word, and deed." She takes the rosary and holds it in her fingers, her thumb caressing the beeds.
[color=red]"I, Katerina Alexandrova, in the sight of God and men, do undertake this solemn vow for a period no less than five years: I hereby renounce all pride of self, and swear to be humble in the sight of God and men. Thus I free myself from my lust for power and influence, that I might know peace. I shall seek God's will through devotional prayer, and obey all lawful superiors. I swear upon my soul that I shall keep this covenant with the Lord and His church, in thought, and word, and deed." She lowers her head and leans forward a little bit to make it easier for him to place the crown of thorns on her head.
Doody noted.
"I wish you well, Katerina. Go with God," Walter says. "Guillaume, will you meet with the Earl before you go?"
Guillaume sighs. "If I must. Maga Cygna, would you mind a slight delay before we return home? I can secure lodgings for us and we can make our egress at first light."
[color=red]"I do not mind at all. I will stay here, in prayer, until you return.
"May I ask a favour of you, if you're to see the Earl? I do not know if he knows yet what happened to Flint...and this might not be the best time...but I was tasked by the head of my covenant to treat with the Baron de Montalt regarding our onerous tax burden. Obviously, that is no longer possible. Is it possible to find out if the Earl knows anything of this, and if he would be willing to treat with us to ease our burden somewhat?"
"Of course. Why don't you accompany me then? Purely as a business arrangement, of course-- not as a, ahem, "date" or anything."
[color=red]"Of course not," Cygna says with a grin. [color=red]"I would like to think I would at least leave the cathedral before I start breaking my vows. But, yes, I would be delighted to accompany you to see the Earl, if he would grant me an audience."
First Cygna knows she should remove all her jewelry and give it away, preferably as donations to the church. The sapphire necklace of understanding, that is not hers to give, but if she hands it to Guillaume he will return it to the covenant. (It would be a breach of the vow of poverty for Cygna to benefit from the enchantment in the necklace, and also for her to wear something so grand.)
The two of you make your way to the castle; Guillaume is instantly recognized and directed to the dining hall. Guillaume stops and argues with a porter in a language Cygna now cannot understand (some kind of French-- probably Norman). William turns back to her and apologizes, "I'm sorry Cygna, but since you are here as my associate, you cannot be seated with me. In fact, Gregoire here has informed me that because you have no social rank whatsoever, you are to be seated at the foot of the table with the common workers." He appears mortified, but continues. "Dinner is almost over so we will not have to be there very long, and I promise to do what I can to get you a private audience." He gives her a kiss on the top of her head and pats her cheek reassuringly.
The room is truly vast-- the covenant's entire manor would fit into this one room. He strides forward confidently as Gregoire the porter announces "Sir Guillaume d'Arras, the Knight of the Red Helm." The wiry steel-haired man seated at the far end of the table, ostensibly the earl, rises up and rushes forward to greet the redcap like a brother. "Guillaume! Ete un plus de longtemps...*"
As she steps forward to enter the room, however, the door slams shut in Cygna's face. Adorjan appears there, looking panicked. "Please, Katerina, don't go in there, you can't go in there. I-- I know you won't believe me, but I do truly wish what's best for you, and-- if you go in there, you'll-- I just don't want to see you get hurt," he finishes lamely. "Not like that, anyway. Please, Katerina. Stay here and wait for the man who murdered your mentor to secure a private audience for you." (He will not physically prevent Cygna from going in, but he will continue to beg her not to unless she agrees to stay put.)
*My apologies for my horrible mangling of French. I blame Louisiana.
She will give him the necklace. I don't think she has much in the way of jewelry (being peasant-born and all), and the only magic item I can think of that she has is the BoAF that she used to kill Adorjan and the vis that she brought with her from Phoenix. Oh, and the lab texts and stuff that she brought, but she was planning on giving them to the covenant soon, anyway. But any jewelry, and any money, she has, she will give to Alexander's church when she gets back to the covenant.
[color=red]"It is quite all right, Guillaume. I have taken a vow of humility. My proper place is with the 'common workers,' here and at the covenant, and wherever else God leads me."
[color=red]"I know you want what's best for me," Cygna says as she reaches up to "touch" his face. [color=red]"But what you think is best for me is not necessarily what truly is best for me. And I'm truly sorry that we killed you. It was not our place to take your life...that is God's right alone. I hope you can forgive me for that. But Liliana, and the covenant, have given me a task to fulfill. Unless...is there something that I should know? What is going to happen in there, Adorjan?"
"The end of your innocence, my girl. The end of hope." He places his hand over hers on his cheek, and vanishes with a sad smile, as the door swings back open. Gregoire stands there impatiently. "Are you coming or not?" he asks in English.