Road of the Heavenly Light

15-3: Divinia's Curiosity

When the next morning finally arrived, Emma woke up feeling extremely excited for what was to come today. She had always wanted to meet her father, to see him outside of portraits and to actually feel his presence, and now the moment was nearly there, after so many years. It was unfortunate that Astrid wouldn't be there to complete their family, but Emma had a feeling that Astrid had probably seen her father a few times in secret, like their mother clearly had.

The whole revelation had made her wonder how long the secret could be kept, as she had heard of rumors that there was someone living on a hidden island while at school. Of course, she had never thought for a moment that it could have been her father. Emma figured the best thing she could do was keep quiet and allow her mother and Elliot to take care of any rumors. One thing was certain, though: Emma would never believe the Church again. She couldn't, not after what she had heard yesterday.

Emma got out of bed and took her time to dress herself. She wanted to make sure she wore all the gifts her father had given her over the years. There were, of course, the earrings she had gotten for her seventh birthday, the pink hairband she had gotten for her sixth, and the dress she had gotten most recently, for her tenth. Her hair took a bit longer, as she really wanted it to look perfect. When she was finally done, she went downstairs to eat a quick breakfast before everyone was due to meet in the entrance hall. Emma was the last one there, and they immediately departed.

Traveling to the secret island was quite a complicated process. Emma and her mother split from Edith and Elliot when leaving the castle, not wanting to be seen leaving together. Her mother brought her towards the stables, where they then made their way to a closed carriage Elliot had procured under a fake name. After a small wait, Elliot and Edith also arrived, and the carriage departed. It took a large detour through the city, avoiding the main streets, and then made its way east, towards the coast of Divinia's large inland lake. Emma hated all the secrecy around their travel, all because if they were ever recognized, they risked her father's hiding spot being discovered. It was cruel. At least it was a relief to hear it had worked for years.

After arriving at some docks at the coast, they stepped onto a small boat, which her mother was surprisingly steering. She told her that it had been her father who had taught her how to steer a boat, which prompted Emma to ask for more stories about him, something she had been too scared to ask about for years. As her mother spoke, she tried to look on the horizon for the island, but it took a while for it to appear. When it finally appeared, Emma realized that this was truly happening and not a dream.

After her mother finished her last story and the island was only a few more minutes away, she turned to her.
"Once we arrive at the island, I want you to wait with Elliot and Edith while I go to your father. He has not seen any of you in years, and you were a baby when he last saw you. I don't want him to be overwhelmed."
Emma nodded politely. She had waited years for this moment. A few more moments wouldn't hurt.
The boat then arrived at the docks, and Emma looked up at the only building that fit on it. It was a temple of sorts, built with elaborate white marble and gold accents, much like other buildings in Divinia. Yet this one, despite its small size, seemed even more imposing than all the others. Emma had a suspicion it had been there for centuries. She kept looking at it as she waited with Elliot and Edith for her mother to return with her father.

"How does he feed himself?" Emma asked, the quiet suspension too much for her.
"He goes to Fantasia Island every day for food and anything else he may need. Everyone there knows who he is," Elliot clarified.
"Fantasia Island is so isolated from the Divinian mainland that the events of 480 took almost a year to reach there. The people on the island, like most others, still support your father, even if they can't always show that publicly," Edith added.
"There is only one church on the island, and the bishop is someone we can trust. It also falls under my cardinal jurisdiction, so the others don't have any authority here, and the Archbishop has no reason to think anything of a remote island with only a small population of fishers. Until recently, at least."
Emma knew they would tell her the story of what happened with the bishop of Fantasia Island later, and she hoped it was not so dangerous that her father would have to flee even further away from them. She wanted to thank Edith and Elliot for protecting her father, when she heard voices approaching.