Fighting for Approval
Chapter 7: Door of Opportunities
453-454 H.E.
Keladry knocked on the heavy wooden door. A light 'enter' drifted through and Keladry pushed open the door. She now stood before the head priestess. The year was coming to an end and Keladry thought bitterly how coincidental it was that this year's end was resembling last years. Keladry was wondering why the head priestess had called upon her.
"Yes, Head Mistress?"
"Come in, Keladry. Take a seat." She waited until Keladry had indeed sat before continuing. "You have done well this past year it seems, Keladry. Your teachers have only reported that you've worked hard to improve your skills or that you had excelled at their subject. But, I'd like to hear it from you, Keladry of Mindelan. Why are you working so hard to fulfill the requirements of your classes when you wished to train as a knight?" The head priestess sat straight in her chair. Her dark brown eyes stared into Keladry's hazel ones inquiringly.
Keladry thought for a moment. "It is true that I wished to be a knight, but I won't allow my...my failure in becoming a knight allow me to lose whatever other opportunities that have been presented to me pass."
The priestess stood. "In that case," she walked around the desk, closer to Keladry, "I would like to present to you another opportunity." She had walked behind Keladry and stood. Kel's posture stiffened and her muscles tightened, ready to spring at a moment's notice. Keladry twisted her head to watch the priestess when she saw a the glint of a blade moving toward her. She rolled out of her chair and stood against the desk. Her eyes trained themselves on the head mistress and payed attention to her right hand: the holder of a dagger.
The priestess leaped at her, swinging the blade once more. Keladry reacted and kicked out her foot while she bent backwards over the desk behind her to avoid the oncoming blade. Her kick met the priestess' shoulder and the blade's course was disrupted. Kel's hands clasped over the priestess' wrist and she wrestled the blade out of her hands before moving out of the vulnerable position she had been in.
"What is this?" muttered Keladry. Her breath was coming in pants. She kept the dagger out of reach of the priestess.
"A test." The head mistress spoke calmly...as though she had not been about to cut Keladry's throat. "I was wondering why it was that a girl who wished so dearly to become a knight did not continue practicing the art of fighting after she had been falsely been turned away."
Keladry's eyes widened the slightest after the priestess had uttered the last part. 'How did she know that I had deserved to stay at the palace as a page when Lord Wyldon had clearly announced my lack of competence.'
"Yes, Keladry. We know of Lord Wyldon's biased verdict. Rumors had started soon after your leave of the castle that your grades far surpassed many of the other boys' grades. Some had questioned why it was that such remarkable skill was turned away while less than satisfactory ones where allowed to stay.
"And so, I was surprised when I had not seen you once throughout your first year." The priestess returned to her chair and her hands flattened a scroll at the center of her desk. Her eyes met Keladry's once more. "I had thought, 'She is not as driven as she is rumored to be. She deserves to have had the chance of knighthood taken away.' I had also thought that your passion had quickly been snuffed. Thus the test. I wanted to make sure that you had still kept the art of fighting close to your heart. And it seems you have. You would have been truly injured otherwise.
"This brings me to my offer." She paused. "Take a seat, Keladry." She waited until Keladry sat across before her before she began again. "You must know that many girls pass through the convent and move on to their lives. However, only a select few decide they wish to become priestesses and stay here at the convent or go to temples of the Goddess, serving the Mother Goddess there. However, there are many that decide to become priestesses when it has become too late. They had not undergone the training necessary to become a priestess.
"It is general knowledge that priestesses at the temple provide safety and protection to threatened and harmed women. You know this, Keladry, as any other woman knows it and as all girls are taught it when they are young. But do you know how we protect them?"
"You provide them shelter in the temples. No man is allowed to enter the temples. That is how they are protected."
"But what of the men who follow the women to the temple? What of those who fight to get their women back from the temple just to harm them once more? Priestesses would be of no protection against them if we did not learn how to fight. This convent has a greater purpose than simply training young ladies to behave as ladies. Readying girls like you, Keladry, is not our only purpose. We are here to do much more than that, Keladry.
"But, I shall return the the focus at hand. Priestesses are taught to fight in all the different arts of combat. And, as I've perceived after your performance under pressure, you have not given up your passion for this art. So, I think you should try your hand at it. Becoming a priestess, I mean. Of course," she continued, "you could still train in the arts of combat without becoming a priestess, as I believe you would help those in need of your own free will. But, I think it would be a great benefit to us if you did become a priestess. You needn't decide now. Just know that the offer I have given you is not one I give easily and that it is not open to others. If I hear that you have spoken of it to anyone, you will not have the option of training in the arts of fighting without becoming a priestess. Do you understand?"
Keladry had been leaning forward as the head priestess spoke to her. She understood what she was told. Yes, she really did understand. And she was grateful. But she did not understand why the priestess was offering to allow her to learn how to fight if she had personally requested from Kel that she not bring any weapons or continue her pursuit of fighting if it was the priestess' intent that she did pursue fighting. Of course, the priestess hoped she would become a priestess which Keladry would not be able to do. After all, the reason she was here at the convent was so that she could eventually marry in hopes of aiding Mindelan's financial problems. Whatever the reason, Keladry would speak to her parents of this opportunity. She was sure to take it, but she wished to gain the permission of her parents simply out of respect.
"I understand, Head Mistress."
"Good. Unless you have anymore questions, you are dismissed Keladry and I hope you do not fail to continue excelling at your subjects simply because of what I have offered you. Remember that this is a privilege, Keladry." Her piercing stare did not waver though it did become kinder throughout her speech.
Keladry stood to leave, and the priestess turned her head to the papers before her. Keladry hesitated. "If I may," she began, capturing the priestess' attention once more, "I'd like to ask why? Why are you giving me this chance to learn to fight if you prohibited it of me when you allowed me to join the convent?"
The head priestess smiled. "It was a part of the test. I wished to know more about you, and by prohibiting you to do the thing you wished to accomplished helped me to learn much about you. And I have learned more here today."
"What is it that you have learned about me that has led you to allow me to fight?"
"You are a very strong person, Keladry. The traits I have observed in you are admirable. I will tell you of the traits I have seen shine within you. You are loyal, first and foremost, as you refrained from practicing the art of fighting and have brought with you no weapons that I know of since you have stepped through the convent's doors. You abide by your parents wishes even though they keep you from the things that bring you...happiness of a sort. Or, rather, pride possibly. You have a strong will. You did something that allowed you to save yourself from harm today. And that shows me that you will not quit easily.
"You have also placed all your efforts in improving yourself in the things that brought about difficulties for you. And finally, you are a very gentle soul within. I have watched just as much as I have watched other girls. You are very kind, Keladry." A smile fell onto her lips and her face softened as she gazed into Kel's blank one. "But you guard yourself with an iron barrier. That is something I have never seen before. It's intrigued me. Mistress Llayla has told me that you learned it during your stay in the Yamani Islands. I think your knowledge of the Yamani culture and customs may also help you in the future. All the things I've have come into consideration when I decided to give you my offer."
The priestess leaned back in her chair. "One more thing, Keladry, before you leave. You will be able to begin your training as a nurse next year. You shall be taking a class at the University. You will be taught of the uses and harms of herbs. You will be the only ungifted person in the class. Simply be aware that you will be taking this class in addition to your other classes here at the convent. The same will occur if you decide to accept my offer, whether it be becoming a priestess or simply training in the art of combat. Only minor changes will occur...but it will be necessary that you continue to put as much effort into the additional classes as you put into your required ones."
"Of course. I understand. When will you need my reply? Concerning your offer," Keladry asked.
"Two weeks before the start of next year's classes."
"I will be sure to send you my decision by that time, then." Keladry nodded. That would be more than enough time to ask for her parents' advice and permission.
"You are dismissed."
The head priestess returned to the scroll she flattened out on her desk. As Keladry closed the door, she saw Key sliding into the mouth of a statue of a griffin and wondered how he got there. She would speak to the Darkings later. Nothing of consequence had been reported by them throughout the entire year. She couldn't possibly understand why Key would leave Mistress Llayla's rooms in the stead of the head priestess' office. Leaving the thought for later, Keladry continued on to her rooms.
The girls had begun packing. They would all begin leaving the convent tomorrow morning. Some girls would leave this evening. In fact, they should already be heading out. Keladry would not be leaving until tomorrow. She and Avinar would be taking the same carriage back to Mindelan. Her parents would not be there, as they were finalizing the negotiations for an arranged marriage between Prince Roald and a princess of the Isles. However, Anders and his family would be there. And Inness would be staying a while in Mindelan before his next mission. Her parents would be returning a month before the start of her next year at the convent.
Keladry opened her door. Lia's side of the room was emptied. She was leaving today and had probably already left. Keladry had said her goodbyes before heading down to the head priestess' office. And she was glad she did so.
Turning to her room, she saw that she had already packed half of her trunk. She still had to finish packing the rest of her belongings into that and another trunk before she was truly finished. And there was also the small sack she had brought along with her when she first came. Belongings that were not too important or expensive could be kept at the convent as she would live in the same room with Amelia of Masbolle, just as she had this year. So, she left the things she did not need to take home with her.
She set to packing, folding all her clothes and dresses. She would need to take them home and try them on every so often to make sure they fit her properly or that any adjustments necessary were made. Her two books would stay as she would have new ones for the classes she would take the coming year.
Oh, she was excited for the summer. She would have two months to herself before she returned to the convent. Part of that summer would be spent in Masbolle with Amelia. The rest of it would be spent in Mindelan where Amelia was welcome. But, Lia said she was not sure whether or not she could spend time in Mindelan with Keladry as she wished to be at Masbolle when her brother, Domitian, arrived. She also said she might also be visiting Fief Queenscove for a week with her family to see her cousins, aunt, and uncle.
It was of no matter. They would see the other for a while. Keladry was even more excited when she realized she could practice her dances with her glaive again. Now that she could possibly be training in combat, Kel could practice the things she had been taught during her time at the palace. Perhaps she could have Anders or Inness help her.
Yes! Keladry was excited for the oncoming summer and couldn't wait to see it begin.
I am much more proud of this chapter than I was of the last chapter. I decided that I had to redeem myself for that horrible chapter after such a long time without any updates, so there it is. Things are going to go much faster. I think I'm going to focus more on simple snip-its showing Kel as she improves in different subjects. I'll probably focus most on her fighting and her nurse training. I'm trying to get to the climatic parts that happen after she completes her years at the convent; when she will (hopefully) be more involved in healing and helping people and...well...other surprise stuff that will remain unknown until I spring it on you!
Hope you liked it! =)
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