The Healer's Crown

Chapter Nine

Cealum and Seraphina still reeled from the discovery from the archive. They debated on who to talk to. Seraphina was the first to speak up.

"I think we should go back to my village. See what high cleric Callista had to say about this," she offered. High cleric Callista was the head of the temple in her village. A man who has spent his entire life dedicated to Aurelia. His body was bent with age, and his knowledge was vast. If there's was anyone to know where to start, it would be him.

The first light of dawn broke as they made their way back to Seraphina's village. The thick forests of the realm loomed on either side, their branches forming an impenetrable canopy overhead. Seraphina missed the forests, breathing the air deeply as they made they way down the winding paths. The wind making her coils bounce. A faint mist clings to the ground around them, softening the harsh lines of the forest. The call of birds echoed through the air, mixing with the rhythmic clooping of the horse's hooves.

Inside the carriage, Caelum and Seraphina sat next to each other. She leaned into his firm body, resting her head against his shoulder. He made her not to touch the curls of her hair. Instead, he watched his surroundings. Trusting his knights to alert him if anything happens. Their armor gleamed in the early morning night.

The path gradually shifts from cobblestone to dirt as they progressively got more rural. Caelum watched Seraphina as she looked out the window; the village was still half of the day away. Any journey through Virelda, one of rolling hills, dense forests, and sparking streams that cut through the dirt like silver veins.

"You've been quiet since we left. Are you alright?" He asked her.

"It feels weird leaving the palace..." her eyes not leaving the road as she answered him, "it's been a long time since I've been home."

There's emotion in her words: anticipation and a slight unease. She hadn't seen her village since the curse wrapped around her life, and going back now with the king feels a bit surreal.

"Do you think they will react weirdly to me?" He asked, gesturing to his attire; the royal crest on his clothing and his crown of blackened iron.

"They're simple folks. They don't care about royalty," she said. The landscape outside grows more familiar for her. The scent of pine brings her closer to home.

The sun grows higher in the sky as the forest thins, and it breaks for rolling hills and wildflowers. The village was just ahead. Seraphina continued to watch out the window, seeing the familiar cottages line the dirt paths. Scattered farm land stretched across the horizon. The temple stood on the edge of the village, nestled in an ancient grove of trees. Built centuries ago with vines creeping along the sides and a path lined with shrubs, it was where Aurelia's worshippers have congregated since the beginning. The structure exhuded a sense of harmony and benevolence.

A pair of heavy doors adorned with carvings of Aurelia's runes and blessing intricately decorated the enterence. Other carvings depicted scenes of healing: a figure bathing light on the wounded, plagues driven away by divine light, and crops flourishing under the goddesses' grace. It was as if the carvings breathed Aurelia's grace.

As Seraphina and Caelum stepped inside, the air was warm, the torches casting a warm glow across the room, and the faint smell of incense filled their noses. The first room was a small, intimate space where villagers came to pray; some sought solace, others seeking healing. The sun filtered in through the stain glass windows above them. Across the room stood a stone alter stands beneath a large stone statue of Aurelia, carved with exquisite detail. The offerings in front of her were a bundle of dried herbs, incense, hand carved tokens, plus ointments, and oils for healing.