Jade Medieval

Chapter 44

♞Faith Lay in Zoëland♞
The word of God was etched everywhere in stone. My eye found itself dissapointed to be unable to lay upon the wondrous statue of Jesus. Such comfort would've been welcomed. I was quietly making my way through a backroom women must go to and hush their young. I looked all around me in awe. Zoëland is truly magnificent. Busy in though I almost didnt notice I had made my way into another room: the kitchen.

"This way," a young child's voice caught my attention," You must come this way."

We had slipped into the magnificent town with ease under the eyes of knights. The messenger had told us to go to Mary's Church just off Saint Andrew's Street. We had found it quickly as the building was near the entrance. I moved towards the voice now following her quiet footsteps and gentle beckoning words into the main church space. The door to a Confessions chamber clicked shut as I entered. The young girl stood in the Confessions now and tapped twice at the door for me to hurry. Her body was hidden well in the dark. I only caught the glimmer of a jewel through the mesh. Kiara and Hark followed my gaze. I gestured at the confessions and slipped into the side that a priest or person of God usually stood. This confession itself was fully enclosed resembling a fancy wooden box with meshing for air.

"The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all," I said in mention of the Trinity in the Bible to reference Lady Trinity from whom we were in league with.

"2 Corinthians 13:14," the child's voice said, and turned to face me," the woman who you work with, I know her well."

"You are her daughter?" I say softly realizing but chose to not wait for an answer," where is it that we must go to get to the feast?"

She pushed a small piece of rolled up paper through the thin openings of the mesh that divided us.

"Here," she said then made a small bow of respect towards me, as the Confessions are small in girth," I will pray for your victory."

"Thank you," I say nothing more as she pulls the latch on the door to exit.

I take out the rolled paper and read it from the tiny ray of light coming from beside me. Privacy of a place of God would not be overstepped by the Southerners. They themselves practiced the same religion. The script I held now was so small I would near be tricked to believe the pretense that a fairy wrote it.

Saint Joseph's Gospel: main eating hall.

I was suprised this town had two places of worship. The heart of the kingdom had two but the second was very modest. The blacks attended this one so I never was able to step inside. I suppose the ways of society oppressed them and so funds were low. Nevertheless I was appalled when the men berated them like the blacks were barbarians. Faith of the Lord is not one followed by such.

I was knowledgeable of many cities and churches in our Kingdom from my studies. Zoëland was a wonder to all subjects including myself. It produces many riches from the mountain nearby. The once private location has been run and protected by Royalty for decades. It has a special place in their hearts for a reason only the valued few know. It was whispered by the royal maidens that the very first Queen came from here.

"We must go," I heard Kiara say from the outside of the Confession. I had been so in thought I hadn't heard her walk up.

I said nothing and left the church to reunite with Hark who had found his way outside. We stood in an alley waiting for Kiara who came moments later.

"To Saint Joseph's Gospel," I say quietly flicking my hood up once again,"we must hurry, the hour is near up."

"That is where she will be?" Hark asks and looks to us both for confirmation.

"The Lady deams it true," I say and my companions pull their hoods over their faces," we must slip into the kitchen staff and reach the queen quickly and smoothly."

"Any hiccups are to be pushed through, dont break character under any circumstances," Kiara says firmly and we all look to each other and nod.

When we arrived at Saint Joseph's Gospel we blend into the kitchen staff then slip into the main hall. I have shed my cloak for a maiden's apron that I borrowed from an old hen of a woman. She had given it to me with a finger placed to her lips. I suppose Lady Trinity has planned a great deal more than expected.

The chattering of a mid day feast was beginning in the vast dinning hall. Long wooden tables lined the space and were all filling up with esteemed folk. I looked to the farthest end of the room to see Lady Trinity. She stood underneath the image of Jesus looking out onto the crowd. A smile was placed on her delicate face. A large man in furs came from a swinging door to her right. Her smile vanished instantly at the sight of him. He took her forcibly by the arm and dragged her back from whence he came.

I felt a hand on my arm and near jumped.

"Stop standing around we need to get these fancy folk their foods," An old maid dag her nails into my arm.

"That large man with the furs," I said unsure of myself but attempting to sound innocent," he made that fancy Lady go with him. Looked right mean he did ma'am."

The old woman sighed. Her wrinkles showed her age even more as she frowned perplexed. Her chubby arm hooked my own thin arm and led me away speaking quietly as she did so.

"That man is Lenöch, has a reputation for...doing devil's bidding with the ladies," she said clicking her tongue in a sympathetic way," Poor Lady Trinity there is a pretty little apple. Normally dear that would be a good thing but not with that sinful man," she had spoken the entire duration of returning us both to the kitchen.

"Why that's," I failed to finish my sentence and shook my head. The woman left me to do her work so I chose to look around for Kiara and Hark. I looked past the silver curls on the old woman's shoulder I just spoke with to see Hark. Somehow he had been placed with washing dishes. How that was possible at the start of such a feast astonished me. Not all the guests had arrived yet food was already being consumed. No patience I suppose. Truly no Grace with these men.

"-best stay away from him pretty young cake," the woman returned to warn while I was searching for my companions, only now I tuned into her warning," he likes to have a fresh desert, a tart or two."

My eyes widen at her metaphor and I mouth the word 'no'. She wisks me off to a young maid named Amelia who got me sorted with a tray of wine to serve. An ideal way to get close to the Princess. As I enter the main hall with my heavy tray of wine I worry. Kiara was still unaccounted for.

"Wine!" A man shouted already drunk, I rushed over to him and he took two from my tray.

Cheers went 'round the dinning hall. My focus never left from the goal. I had to reach the Princess soon. Time was almost up. The army would declare war soon. One hour was up with one left to go.