Chapter 41: Chapter 40 - A Blessed Saint (I)
The most important religious holiday in this world was Blessing Day, which was also New Year's. Although it was called Blessing Day, the celebration actually lasted three days.
New Year's Eve was Salvation Day, where people confessed their sins and repented. Blessing Day was New Year's day, a whole day of praying and rituals. The second day of the new year was New Day, when people prayed for things they wanted in the new year.
This year, there was going to be another ceremony the day before Salvation Day. They were officially declaring me as the saint, though the public didn't know it was me yet.
"Good morning, Lady Valentina. I have been assigned as your religious tutor, but I believe you remember me. If you don't mind, we must start preparing immediately, for time is truly short."
I hadn't expected Senior Priest Fernandez to be my tutor, but I wasn't particularly against it. He was clearly the sly kind, so I knew to put my guard up, and it was better than the type that gets you to trust him completely only to betray you later. If used carefully, he could be helpful.
He wore the same shrewd smile as always, so I couldn't tell if he was pleased or not with this arrangement. I could worry about that later, because he was right that we had far more pressing matters.
"Certainly, it's not unexpected that Your Ladyship can't speak the holy language yet. I will instruct you in the future, and I heard you've gotten a new language tutor recently, which is excellent. At present, I've prepared your prayers in the way they sound."
The stack of paper he gave me was taller than what was humane, and I swallowed. I flipped through a few pages, and sure enough, they were written out phonetically, with labels for timing and action. It was essentially a script.
"What do the words mean?"
"If you are interested, I can give you a translated version, and we'll also be studying it later in the holy language. Basically, you swear to serve God as his messenger with your whole being and to dedicate yourself as the saint."
I didn't love that, but after all, they were just empty words. I sighed, and the priest raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Can you do it, my lady?"
"Of course."
"Wonderful. Please memorize it within two days and inform me as soon as you're finished so I can bring you the prayers for the rest of the ceremonies."
"The rest?"
"Why, these here are only for the saint rite, and there are still the three traditional holy days following. I believe you can surely do it, my lady. Best of luck."
With a smile that seemed almost smug, the priest strode away. My fingers itched as I eyed the teacup that sat on the table, so throwable, but he was gone in an instant. I threw myself onto my bed, clutched a pillow so tightly that my fingers were red, and screamed.
When my throat was dry and I felt better, I sat back down at my desk and drank a whole glass of water. I dismissed the servants that came running, and began my suffering.
'Oh, why is God so cruel?'
This wasn't as bad as high school in my past life, but it brought back unpleasant memories of late nights spent pouring over textbooks while my friends were out partying. My sleep schedule became non-existent, and my health was more frail than what a teenager should have, but I did it. I had gotten into university, and I was on my way out of that house, before it all ended.
I definitely preferred my life now, and if I had to go through this torture again to get to my goal, so be it. This body of a sheltered child couldn't go through the same things my barely-alive teenage self did, but I managed, somehow.
"As expected, my lady! Here are the rest of the prayers, you can review them later. For the moment, you've been invited to the Grand Temple for rehearsals. Shall we?"
And so I dragged myself to the majestic temple whose beauty I couldn't appreciate because I could barely keep my eyes open. It worked, though, and many priests applauded my performance. The next several days, with just enough sleep to keep me sane, I practiced and memorized until my brain contained nothing but prayers.
The glory I was about to have was one of the only things that helped me keep going. One way or another, I made it to the big day.
A graceful and modest white chiffon that reached my feet, natural makeup to make me look demure, and an elegant half-bun. The perfect, holy saint.
I arrived early at the grand temple but stayed hidden in a side chamber as people streamed into the main hall. It was huge, no smaller than the castle's ballroom or banquet hall. Though it was called a temple by the novel and the people here, it looked more like a cathedral from my past life.
The rows of pews were quickly full, the most important people sitting in the front, like the royal family and my own. Those who couldn't get seats crowded at the back through the open gates, on the marble steps leading up, and all around the temple. The wealthy and commoners were allegedly equal before God.
The twelve high priests stood on a raised platform at the front, one directly behind the altar and the other eleven in a row behind him, including High Priest Tahon. The one at the front lifted a hand and the masses fell quiet, and he spoke like a kindly father, the image of God.
"May God bless all of us on another day where we are fortunate enough to serve him. Let the morning prayers begin."
The temple hosted prayers once in the morning and once in the evening, and people were supposed to pray like that even when they didn't attend. On average, people went to the temple for morning prayers on Sundays, suspiciously similar to a real religion in my past world that the author most definitely copied. The extreme poor went to evening prayers because the temple offered meals after. The unfaithful like my family only went for the holy days, ironically.
The morning prayers didn't take long because they weren't the focus today. Nevertheless, there was something breathtaking about all the people gathered together, eyes closed, heads bowed, hands folded, silent except for the high priest's peaceful prayers.
When he finished, a trance was placed over the room. It was time.
"In this age of suffering and torment, God has sent the incarnation of the saint to save us once more. She will aid the temple to free miserable souls and to bless this noble land we are so grateful to be able to live upon."
He continued to sing my praises, until the ones that had seats were on the edge of them, and the ones that didn't held their breath in anticipation. They were ready for the grand entrance.
"I bring to you Lady Valentina Avington, God's newest messenger."
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