Standard Warning: Sexual themes ahead, prudes beware.
...
We arrived at the Temple of Dibella within fifteen minutes, Cassie had taken my request for haste to heart. As I stepped out of the coach, Cassie looked at me, "Would you care for me to join you in your prayers, ma'am?"
I had to grin at that, pervert, that was okay though, one of the reasons I liked her. "I'm sorry Cassie, any other time, certainly, but I'm afraid we're in a bit of a hurry today."
She nodded, any disappointment well hidden behind a professional mask. I stepped over and slapped her in the thigh, giving her a real smile, "Don't look at me like that, you know that I'll make it up to you."
She grinned back and I turned to make my way up the marble steps into the temple. I couldn't help but love Cassiopeia, she was always by my side, even though she knew that I could never give her everything she wanted out of our relationship.
As I stepped into the temple, the attendants welcomed me as they always did. I bowed to the Mother and exchanged the usual respectful pleasantries. The attendants helped me disrobe, only women were allowed in the inner sanctum and one had to be unclothed.
The inner sanctum was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen, light from the stained glass windows bathed the room in a rainbow of reds, pinks, blues, and purples. Flames burned in braziers along the wall, reflecting off the smooth moonstone blocks and keeping the room comfortably warm and creating an almost cozy atmosphere. A long, knee deep, reflecting pool ran through the center of the room, from the entrance to the statue on the opposite end of the room. Murals depicting tales of the Goddess covered the walls over the braziers.
The true focus point in the room, drawing all eyes to it, was the statue of Dibella. It sat in an alcove, the windows focusing the light on it. The statue itself was one of the best renditions of the goddess I had ever seen. The stone carved and painted with such careful attention to detail that one could hardly distinguish it from flesh. It was that of an incredibly beautiful naked woman with long blonde hair, holding a bouquet of fresh lilies that were replaced daily.
I stepped into the pool, feeling the cool water flow over my skin. The gentle scent of lilies hit me as I waded across the room. A relaxed smile, unpolished and unpracticed, spread over my face as I stared up at my Goddess.
Some looked down on her, and her followers, but neither she, nor we, cared. She was a kind goddess, not judgmental like Mara, nor demanding like Akatosh, nor cold like my little sister's beloved Julianos. All she asked was that we open ourselves to her and to the joys of the world. She called for us to love ourselves and love each other, to take joy in the pleasures of the flesh and the pleasures of the mind. She didn't call for blood, she called for art and beauty.
She was, is, my Goddess.
As I reached the end of the pool and stepped out, I felt a familiar feeling of warmth spread through me.
The Goddess was watching.
I fell to my knees and brought my head to the floor, touching my head to the stone. "Come to me, Dibella, for without you, my words must lie dull and leaden without the gilding of grace and sagacity to enchant the eyes and ears of those who wish to listen and see."
Then I came back up on my knees and leaned forward, planting a kiss on the statue's intricately detailed womanhood. As my lips came into contact with the statue, I felt a pressure on the back of my head, a hand gently holding me there. The power of Goddess flowed through my lips, into me.
Waves of pure pleasure wracked my body, but the ethereal hands held me firm, Dibella knew how much I could take. The ecstasy was more intense than any relations I'd ever had, and unlike a normal engagement, this never plateaued. It just kept growing and growing, the feelings kept building, becoming almost overwhelming, but I knew I had to hold on, to keep a firm grip on reality and not allow the rising tide of pleasure to engulf me.
A novice or an uninitiated would be overpowered within seconds, the Kiss of the Goddess too much for them to receive, but though not a priestess, I was far from uninitiated.
Finally, I couldn't hold on any longer, I let the tidal wave of pleasure sweep me away. The ethereal hands released me and I collapsed in a screaming, spasming, heap as multiple pent-up climaxes. My juices sprayed like a fountain as my screams of ecstasy subsided into gentle mewls until I was finally able to regain some measure of control over my body.
I managed to get to my feet, though a bit weak in the knees, I felt utterly refreshed. My mind felt sharper, my body felt stronger, and I felt like I could take on the world
Contrary to what many believe, Dibella, like all the Divines, does not have only one blessing to give, but rather many varied. Each dependent on all manner of things, such as levels of devotion, methods of worship, and even just one's personal relationship with the Goddess. Some blessings aided one's oratory, granting a sharper tongue and a quicker wit. Others aided in art, bringing inspiration quicker and granting a steadier hand. Still others aided one in more intimate pursuits, increasing dexterity, endurance, and… inspiration. Blessings could cure diseases, serve as a contraceptive, or even heal wounds. There were all manner of others, of course, far too many to list at once.
The most basic blessings of the Goddess could be gained by even the uninitiated, but the more complex, the more powerful blessings, one needed study and prayer and true devotion. The blessings were categorized by the priestesses based on the level of power they came with and the level of training and preparation before they could be earned. The lowest rank, for the uninitiated, being a daffodil, the highest, for priestesses and those of extreme devotion, being a lily.
No need to guess my ranking, I am the youngest woman in the Empire to have achieved the rank of lily and not joined the temple. It was a mark that made me the target of desire and the butt of jokes at every party I attended.
After composing myself, I made my way out of the sanctum and into the antechamber, where a pair of nude and nubile young attendants, girls really, they couldn't have been more than sixteen, brought me under a water rune that showered me in warm water and aided in my bathing. With practiced swiftness, they lathered scented soaps all over me and anointed me in sacred oils. When I emerged from the shower, my skin shown under the brazier light and I smelled of lilies. The two attendants dressed me in the clothes that Cassie must have brought in, making sure to kiss my feet as they put my shoes on, the sign of respect in recognition of my higher rank. They were merely roses, a mid-level rank, though quite impressive for their age, that earned them the honor of bathing the initiated.
Properly attired, I bid the priestesses farewell and stepped out into the sunlight. Cassie was, of course, awaiting me outside. In all outward appearance, she seemed a consummate professional, calmly holding open the door to my carriage. The thoughts that she was projecting at me, were anything but. A tiny smirk had settled on her face, no doubt fueled by her thoughts on my current outfit.
...
Okay guys, second chapter, I did this one pretty quick.
Sorry if I got kind of infodumpy about Dibella and the Divines, but my main goal for this chapter was to show my interpretation of the Divines in the Elder Scrolls series. One thing that always frustrated me was the fact that there wasn't really any sort of cleric class or divine magic, something I intend to change for my story.
Tell me what you guys think.
Later people.