"So, just another failure." Lady Rhea, the newest archbishop of the Garreg Mach Monastery left the human figure on the ground. The creature wriggling on the ground suddenly stood up, and looked upon Rhea's face, puzzled.
To Rhea's surprise, despite the creature she had created as a vessel of the goddess failed to become the goddess, the mother, she desired so much every day she drew breath, it survived and was able to act just like a normal mortal.
Rhea took pity on the creature and allowed it to live, despite being presented with ripping the goddess's heart out from the vessel's chest again and implanting it onto another one. "I will name you Sitri."
Sitri looked, and acted no different from any other girls in the Garreg Mach monastery, beside being noticeably frail. Due to that, Rhea simply offered her a position as a nun and let her live out her own life, she even gave her great care and considered her a beloved companion, maybe even an adoptive daughter. For someone who had an entire church of people to befriend, Rhea was strangely, lonely, her last family disappearing into humble small cities seems to have taken even her last trusted people. She must have found joy in such companionship from the last place she had expected, even if her earning for her mother never dulled.
For such a long period of time-nearly a thousand years, Fódlan could be considered very stable. Of course, people could not all be happy and a great amount of suffering always occurs in the continent, not a single one was impactful enough to affect the entire continent. The largest events were probably the split of the Adrestian Empire, into the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, which later also split into the Leicester Alliance. The church running the Garreg Mach Monastery, Church of Seiros, had maintained a good relationship with all the territories as well.
It was another ordinary day, where Rhea was pleased by the lack of rebellion and chaos, but also lamented for those who would never return. Things were all fine in the monastery, Sitri was overjoyed to have met a man named Jeralt, the captain of Knights of Seiros. Rhea recalled him from saving her almost 300 years ago, and was delighted he found a close friend in her vessel. "The vessel part, it no longer holds meaning, until Sitri passes on, having lived a fulfilling life, will I retrieve her heart." Thought Rhea to herself. Rhea was not intending to let her go, at least not so soon.
Rhea watched in joy as Sitri and Jeralt fell in love and married, she never thought she would see the day where the person she once considered as a tool, smiling brightly alongside her husband, the same man who saved her live long ago, both dear to her heart, would end up with each other. She might have not fully found joy in such mundane events, but she smiled brightly, since when was the last time she was sincerely wishing people a happy life that she wasn't able to have?
On the wedding day, Sitri was holding her favourite flower, with Jeralt's wedding ring in her hand, the dreamy ceremony seemed to have taken place in the most wild of dreams, one where grief and losses were ancient history buried under the sand of time. One where Seiros and the other Nabateans could be happy. Rhea was hosting the ceremony and she remembered it vividly, the guests were cheering, and offering well-wishes throughout the ceremony. Alois, Jeralt's best friend was so touched that some people joked about him being more excited than the new couple, Aelfric, the monk with a strong affection for Sitri congratulated the couple with no hint of any jealousy despite his own feelings. "May you lead a long and happy life together," Rhea finished her last line as the host, gently nodding to indicate that the feast can start, and walked among the guests.
Only because joy was so lovely, that the sorrow impending would be devastating.
Days were fleeting so fast in the eyes of Rhea, a blink of eyes and several months passed. Rhea however was noticeably more cheerful than when she first led as the archbishop. She always kindly greeted Sitri and Jeralt whenever they passed by, and cherished every moment she spent with them, as she knows, Jeralt might live for ever, but Sitri might not. When Sitri announced that she was with a child, Rhea knew that at least she would not lack a companion even after Sitri had passed, and she believed fully that she would make a perfect mother.
It was Horsebow moon, and Rhea decided to check on Sitri and her new born child. Only then will she recall that the child cannot, will not, possibly live. The child, was a girl, she seemed perfectly normal, beside the fact that she was not breathing, and her heart was not beating. Rhea looked at Sitri with sorrowful eyes, "She's a stillborn," She told her and tried to console her. Rhea would have been relieved if Sitri had just mourned about it and continued on with her life as the kind and gentle wife of Jeralt and her beloved adoptive-daughter figure. But she didn't, her breath was weakening and Rhea, had seen enough deaths to know that she wasn't living past the hour. Rhea tried to look away and convince herself that once this is over, the next vessel can be created and her mother would be one-step closer. But she couldn't, she was fixated on her, struggling to form words despite having this scene repeating thousands in her life. Tears were dripping down slightly from her cheeks as she lamented why one of the first being she came to care about never getting the full life with her beloved one as she deserved. Sitri had sensed her sadness, and replied simply with, "I knew that I was merely your vessel, a vessel for the goddess, but I thank you for all the kindness you had shown me. May I make one last request, before I have to say farewell forever to you, the child and Jeralt?"
Rhea had sworn to make sure her last request to be fulfilled, no matter what.
"I beg you, to save my child's life, I don't want her to die before even being able to see the world," Rhea knew what this means, she lowered her head, in shame of her powerlessness to do any better, before agreeing to her request.
"Please thank Jeralt for bringing so much joy to my life for me" Sitri smiled as she closed her eyes one last time. Rhea gazed upon her corpse, and made sure that she was gone, and cannot feel anything before proceeding. Such serenity made it seem almost like she was merely sleeping. Rhea had scanned the surrounding areas to make sure that no one was watching, before she softly removed Sitri's crest stone from her chest. Rhea was very careful as she went through the entire progress as it would only be woe upon woe if Sitri's body could not even be fully preserved. She placed the crest stone into the baby and in seconds, she started to breath, she still lacked a heartbeat, but Rhea knew, it was enough to keep her alive.
Rhea walked out of the room, holding the child and Jeralt rushed toward her, "Lady Rhea, how is Sitri?" Rhea's eyes dimmed, and Jeralt immediately realised that something was wrong. "Lady Rhea, please don't tell me she is..."
"I am so sorry, Jeralt. But she is with the goddess now." Rhea's voice, despite it still being hoarse from everything that happened in the room, gained a new found monotonousness. She handed Jeralt the child, "I am sure the goddess will take good care of her until you are with her once again. Also, her bravery was rewarded, the child is healthy and I trust you would take good care of her."
Jeralt looked upon the child, despite her breathing, Jeralt couldn't hear her heartbeat, and she wasn't reacting to anything, not crying, not laughing. Rhea tried to reach out to Jeralt, "Just before she passed, she told me to thank you for bring so much joy to her life, I am sure she loved you dearly, and wouldn't wish you to be sad-" Before she could finish, Jeralt cut her off coldly, "Thank you for letting me know, lady Rhea," And he walked to his head quarters without a sound.
