Ioannis always looked so small on the seat of the Archbishop. It wasn’t that he looked too young, or even unsuited for such a place--on the contrary, with the way he held himself and the gentle sunlight of the stained glass behind him shining brilliantly, he truly did look like he was blessed by the Goddess herself. But maybe it was because she had known him for so long that all she could ever see was the child.
Kaira frowned to herself, although she made sure to go back to something resembling neutral as Sirius finished speaking. It had been decided that Lady Arianthe was to be informed of the events in Luin. Despite experiencing it herself, she felt like the whole day had been surreal. There were so many injured and even more dead. She remembered that none of the professors seemed to have gotten a wink of sleep, the rest of the day dedicated to organizing everyone and the night spent helping dig up graves. She only allowed herself respite as they took turns driving the carriages, making only one stop to get everyone--civilians and students alike--back to the Monastery as quickly as they could.
Even then, there wasn’t so much respite as there was realization. Their homes were gone, it would take much to rebuild. The Church had been more than happy to welcome them all with open arms, but there was the very real concern that Garreg Mach wouldn’t be able to support so many people. Fortunately, with the lady came aid, as she had come from the Western Church bearing supplies that Adrestia and Faerghus had initially donated.
It truly was the Goddess’ luck, wasn’t it? Lady Arianthe got to come in and play savior, admired and adored by all.
Admonishing herself for such a thought, Kaira instead turned her attention to the woman in question. Arianthe seemed disturbed by the report, her hand to her chest as she thought to herself. She looked over to Ioannis, whose own neutrality was just a cover for his own thoughts.
“Were it an attack of desperation, the Goddess could possibly forgive them. But those who choose to point their weapons at the Church are also pointing them at the Goddess herself,” Arianthe spoke at last.
“Yes. The attack on the Eastern Church looked to replicate Luin,” Ioannis replied softly. “Fortunately, the forces of both Gloucester and Hyrm were able to minimize the damage.”
“Had the attack on Luin come before, it would have been a good distraction,” Sirius added, crossing his arms. “Even so, the moment that word from the Eastern Church came, most of the forces may have abandoned Luin to help.”
“And by the time they arrived, there would be nothing but ashes,” Ioannis shook his head. “But why? What could have been accomplished by such wanton destruction? They did not seek to conquer, they wanted Luin destroyed.”
“Michail’s report details a few theories, though nothing has been solidified. It’s to be expected, there’s very little evidence until the interrogation is finished,” Sirius replied.
Ioannis shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with Sirius’ words. Still, he asked, “And...how is that going?”
“I’m afraid we haven’t received much information outside the obvious: the mages were ordered to work with the bandits,” Sirius informed him. “On Michail’s suggestion, we’ve decided to up the ante, so to speak.”
That seemed to be the last thing Ioannis wanted, the boy outright averting his gaze. Was it guilt? Kaira felt a similar knot in her stomach at the words, but unfortunately, she knew nothing they could say would stop it.
On the other hand, Arianthe barely batted an eye at the news, more interested in something else. “He is truly a shining example of what a Knight of Seiros should be,” She said, amused. “And what does Kalliope think of all this?”
“Kalliope herself suggested that he handle the situation until there is more information,” Sirius noted. “She won’t involve herself without concrete evidence, and I support this. It would look odd to everyone if the Captain were to investigate. I suggest letting Michail continue, despite his carefree attitude, he has been as you stated, my lady: an example of what a knight should be.”
It took Kaira everything she had not to make a face--not two days ago Sirius had been scolding Michail for the very thing he was praising him for. Ioannis looked weary, though he decided to move on. “That concludes what we know. I’ll have Theo and his spymasters see what they can find in the other Churches. In the meantime, we should focus on rebuilding Luin,” He said as he would stand. “If you don’t mind, Sirius, I’d like a word in private with Lady Arianthe.”
“Of course,” He nodded, turning to the door, though he paused as he spotted Kaira, as if remembering she was there. She offered him a small smile and gestured to the door--quietly advising him not to question why she was there. His lips formed a tight line of disapproval, though he left without a word.
Arianthe watched Sirius leave, her eyes landing on Kaira. “Maybe you were right after all,” She chuckled, though Kaira wasn’t too happy about that.
Of course she was right. She was just a nurse here, it was strange that she was left alone with two high ranking officials like this. Even if she was Asclepius’ student, she was never given any privileges or treated any differently than anyone else. Now that he was gone, however, Arianthe took pleasure in having Kaira practically attached to her hip anytime she visited. It was only a matter of time before everyone would start questioning it, and she had gone out of her way to keep their relationship under wraps for as long as possible.
Ioannis stepped down from the seat of the Archbishop, frowning at Arianthe. “Why did you ask Kaira to be here?” He outright asked.
“Had I not asked the knights to find her, she would have avoided me this entire time, my lord,” She admitted rather casually, looking to Kaira for confirmation.
Ioannis did the same, and Kaira felt too ashamed to deny it. He looked uneasy, though he ended up shaking his head. “Even so. We mustn't mingle Church and personal matters,” He insisted.
“Of course. I will take your counsel in mind,” Arianthe gave him a gentle smile.
He watched her for a moment, unconvinced, though as the bells rang, he admitted defeat. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with Lysander. We will reconvene in an hour,” He said, giving her a nod. He briefly gave Kaira a look, though he didn’t linger long, deciding to leave the pair alone.
Letting out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding, Kaira faced Arianthe at long last. The woman wasn’t looking at her, surprisingly, instead admiring the stained glass image of the Goddess. After a few seconds, however, their eyes finally met. The silence between them was suffocating, heavy on the two--Arianthe’s eyes were almost pleading, asking Kaira to make the first move.
So be it. “Why have you come here?” Kaira outright asked.
Arianthe smiled, turning to fully face her. “Is it not obvious?” She answered with a question of her own. “I came to see you.”
Kaira’s shoulders sank as she dropped her gaze. “You said you’d leave me be,” She reminded her quietly. “I’m always here. I’m always being watched and protected. You don’t need to come.”
Arianthe was surprised. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to see you,” She frowned, concerned. Shortly after, however, she realized there was no use in delaying the inevitable. “I also came to speak with the Archbishop. I’m going to ask him to make sure you don’t have to accompany your students outside Garreg Mach.”
She wasn’t too surprised at this. “Why?” She asked, if only out of obligation.
“Serving the church meant that you were always safe, always protected should anything happen. If you leave, who will protect you?”
It was ridiculous to feed into Arianthe’s paranoia, and the best thing to do would be to have the same conversation they had when Kaira had gone to the marketplace unaccompanied. Still, she’d be lying if she said she didn’t hold some bitterness towards the woman. For someone that used to preach about love and acceptance, she also used to warn her to always watch who she trusted, to never let her guard down. It was exhausting at best and damaging at worst.
“If it were up to you, I’d be confined to the church,” Kaira couldn’t help but mutter.
Arianthe hesitated as if she wanted to protest, but had little to say. She did turn back to the stained glass window, shaking her head. “I am sorry. That wasn’t my intention. I don’t think you understand how important you are to me,” She replied quietly. “Asclepius once warned me of this. I should have taken his advice. But after losing him, I…”
At the mention of his name, Kaira’s hand flew to her ribbon, and she hesitated. He was just as overprotective as Arianthe was, but ultimately, she just couldn’t agree with her no matter what her reasoning was. “I won’t be reckless,” She could promise that much. “But please allow me to continue to be with everyone.I would like to have something resembling a normal life, even if it isn’t for long. Please understand.”
Arianthe’s expression softened considerably, and she approached Kaira, gently stroking her hair. “Very well. I only ask that you not judge me too harshly. I only act and speak out of concern for you,” She said kindly.
Kaira took a step back, uncomfortable with the gesture. “I--”
“What is it?”
Every time she did that, it always made Kaira uneasy. She didn’t know why, either--it wasn’t like she didn’t let others touch her hair, but anytime Arianthe did it, she was always...how to describe it? It made her feel more like a specimen than a person.
For now, Kaira would give no explanation, instead giving Arianthe a bow. “I must go. Excuse me,” She said politely, choosing to end the conversation right then and there.
She chose not to look back, already imagining the disappointment in Arianthe’s face. As much as she would have liked to get as far away as possible, there was really only one place she could be alone. She ascended the stairs where only she and one other were permitted, giving the guard a polite greeting before entering her room. The small space was a miniature sanctuary before, but now it just felt suffocating.
Letting out a sigh, she stared out the window. Arianthe was onto her if she was trying to restrict her to the Monastery. She would have to be careful going forward.
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