Our Immortal Souls
.: Chapter 3 :.
The carriage bounced lightly against the paved streets of Zuni, making this section of the trip far more pleasant than before. Still not every passenger was comfortable with the notion of spending days locked up in a traveling box.
Two ladies were seated of the soft seats of the carriage, one on either side. They were both dressed in identical dresses, suitable for the long traveling conditions. One of them had her head near the window, trying desperately to receive all the fresh air she could.
For understandable safety reasons, the windows of the carriage were to remain closed until they were out of the city. As necessary of a rule it was, it did not make the trip a pleasant one.
The other girl present in the carriage wasn't fairing much better than the first. The girl had a book in her hands, but had not turned the page in the last fifteen minutes. Her agitation was clear by the look she had on her face, though she made no verbal complaint about her conditions.
Instead she looked towards the other girl; her face was pale, her condition getting seemingly worse.
"Eleanor," the girl started, "are you sure you don't want to ask the coachman to stop?" As much as she wanted to arrive to the palace as soon as possible, the girl would rather arrive late than covered in Eleanor's undigested lunch.
As if hearing the lady's request, the carriage came to an abrupt stop. If she wanted to arrive at her destination in the same clean state she had left in, then she knew she had to find a way to convince the coachman to let them rest for a few minutes.
"Lady Rhine," Eleanor responded, as if the she had read the girl's mind, "I'm fine… it's only a half-day's ride more."
It was painfully obvious that Eleanor was trying to please the other girl, most likely driven by the fact that Rhine was of higher class than Eleanor and was two years older.
Before Eleanor could protest any further, Rhine swiftly opened the carriage window and poked her head outside. The cool air of early October entered the carriage, sending a shiver down Rhine's back.
From her spot in the carriage, Rhine could catch a glimpse of Daneth's, Zuni's capital, beauty. The streets were filled with colorful tapestries, complementing the brown wooden houses.
There was something special about the simplicity of Daneth that made everyone feel as if they were at home. It was almost enough to make people forget about the numerous problems that Zuni was currently struggling with.
Rhine chuckled modestly as a infant walked out onto the balcony of his parents house, wearing nothing but a small female hairpiece. He waddled towards the edge, giggling at the sight of the people walking beneath him. He was reaching through the hole's of the balcony railing, as if he was trying to wiggle his way out. The boy seemed unaware that if he was able to pass through, he would find himself falling down two levels.
He was able to pass his whole right arm through the bars before his mother grabbed him, squeezing him in her arms. The moment the boy was brought away from the border, he started to cry. He continued to reach for the edge of the balcony, unaware that his mother had just saved his life.
As soon as the pair re-entered their house, Rhine focused her attention back towards the situation at hand.
"Excuse me," Rhine said waiting for a response. When it was clear that whoever was listening to her was not going to give her one, she continued. "Could we stop and rest for a moment, if only to breath fresh air and give the horses a moment of rest." She structured her argument in a way that her message would get through without the arrogance of the stereotypical upper class.
The girls waited for a response, only slightly surprised when it did not come. Rhine looked back towards Eleanor, wondering if she would have an answer to what was going on. She was greeted by a confused look and no response.
Clearly growing impatient, Rhine decided to go see the coachman herself. Leaving her book in her seat, Rhine exited the carriage. She stood there, not making any movement towards the front of the carriage. The freshness of the open space was a relief, a luxury after having spent the larger part of the day in a small vehicle.
She was bathing in the golden glow of the setting sun when she was joined by Eleanor. She looked back towards the younger girl, happy to see that the fresh air was doing her some good.
From where they were standing the girls could not see the coachman, but could the carriage that they had been following was also immobile. Despite being too far to clearly understand what was going on, they could hear faint shouts coming from in front.
Eleanor came to Rhine's left. "What's going on over there," she whispered, afraid that if she spoke to loud that someone would hear her.
The other girl shrugged, acting as if she didn't really care. In reality, worry was starting to settle in, as she was beginning to understand what was going on. Wanting definite answers, Rhine walked towards the coachman's seat, followed closely by Eleanor.
As determined her steps were, Rhine walked slowly, afraid of what she would find at the front of the carriage. Eleanor, who was is no hurry resolve this puzzle, did not encourage the other girl to go any faster.
Neither girl was surprised of what they saw after their three long steps, though both wished that their assumptions had been wrong. There was no sign of the coachman, the carriage left with only two horses to lead it.
Rhine began to look at the driver's seat, searching for any sign of why the coachman was nowhere to found. She was lifting the cushion seat, when a guard came rushing towards them. He was dressed in the Provincial guard attire, wearing a brown surcoat with gold rimming.
His expression did not match the professionality of his outfit, as he was looking frantically at both girls. "Lady Rhine, Lady Eleanor. Please follow me." He spoke quickly, moving his arms in a hurried fashion to emphasize his point.
The two girls did not miss a beat, following the guard back towards the other end of the carriage. The group continued pass the vehicle, speed walking down the small street.
Thanks to the late hour, the street was practically empty. The head of the Providential guard had also choose to have the carriages take a less populated route through Daneth. These two factors made matching the guards pace much more comfortable, having to face less odd looks from the citzens.
Soon enough, the guard turned right into a small alleyway. He stopped only for a second, insuring that girls were following him. Eleanor made a move towards the guard, only to be stopped by Rhine.
"Are you going to tell us what is going on?" she asked, her voice tinged with aggravation.
The guard stopped walking and turned back towards the girls. "I'll explain once you are both safe," he said, wanting to keep moving.
Eleanor nodded, obviously terrified by the whole situation. Once again, she made a move to follow the guard, but was stopped by Rhine. She understood the urgency of the situation, knowing that it would be best to listen to the gard. Still, she did not want to find herself blindly following a man she barely knew, much less trusted.
Rhine walked into the alleyway, hoping that it would make her safer from whatever danger the guard seemed to be so afraid of.
The guard was starting to become restless, impatiently tapping his right foot. "There has been a small blockup in Tebaud's plaza. It would be more sensible for you to rejoin a new pair of carriages without having to pass through the crowd." Despite the speed at which the guard was speaking, it was clear that he was trying to calculate the effect of every single one of his words on the girls.
Rhine let the words sink in, wondering what type of blockup there had been. She tried to remember if she had heard of the plaza the guard had mentioned, if that plaza was one that was reputed for being host to one of Zuni's numerous protests. Rhine could vaguely remember having heard the name Tebaud, though could not think of where she had heard it and what it meant.
Eleanor, coming from Zuni, had a much better understanding on the meaning of Tebuad's plaza. For the first time since she had met her, Rhine heard Eleanor's voice rais as she spoke. Her rush to follow the guard was gone, replaced with an expression of surprise and discontent.
"Tebaud's plaza..." she started, "Why would you choose to go through there?"
The guard spoke with the same calculated and hurried tone as before, though was much more defensive. "Some comprises needed to be made while planning the journey, my lady. The alternative routes were not safe or spacious enough for two carriages to pass through."
Eleanor laughed at the word safe, but kept her mouth shut. Her newfound courage was quickly being replaced by the fear of the word Tebaud.
Rhine was about to ask who was this Tebaud, when the guard reminded them that they had to keep moving. This time both girls followed the guard, Rhine still wanting actual answers.
The group moved through the alleyways, turning right to find themselves behind the group of houses in which Rhine had seen the little boy. Landry cords were strung up in every direction, the array of colors making the narrow and run-down passage somewhat more pleasant.
They kept on going, their speed having notably increased. It seemed as if the guard was trying to make up for lost time, as if every moment counted.
As she made a notable effort to follow the guard in the Selected dress she had been given, Rhine realized that they were walking the direction of the plaza. The fact that they had seen or heard nothing of the two girls that were in the other carriage, also came to mind. There was the girl who was lady in waiting to some countess from Midston and the Sumnerian daughter of a renowned performer.
Rhine was in mid-thought about where the others girls could be, when she started to hear the sounds of shouts. It was the same noise she had heard near the carriage. The fact that they were still heading in the direction of the plaza did nothing to reassure her.
The guard slowed down, forcing the two girls do the same. Ahead was an opening into what was presumably Tebaud's plaza. Rhine and Eleanor looked towards the light of the plaza, wanting to see what had been the holdup.
From where they were, they could see the large bronze statue in the center of the plaza. But it wasn't the sculpted man with his arm held high that captured their attention, it was the large mass of people that surrounded it.
Women and men alike were gathered, though it was obvious that none of them were here to show their support to the traveling selected.
They were all shouting separately, making it impossible for Rhine to decipher was was being said. She was certain that she heard the word god several times, as well as independence. But she did not need to understand what was being screamed to guess what these people where here for.
It was common knowledge that the selection had strong ties with the High Priestess' and the Sacred Temple, meaning that it would have strong connections with the Gods. People questioned whether it was morally correct for people to sell their daughter's or sister's to compete to become the new child bearer of the male gods. They no longer saw it as a way for a daughter of the people to be the newest Queen of Illea, but perceived it as another way for the royal family to steal from the people.
Rhine and Eleanor stood there in horror, watching the people of Daneth rally against something they would soon be part off. As terrifying as it was for, Rhine was still amazed by the whole event. She had never seen people fight for what they believe in, not in this way at least.
Back in Taminns, most things were obtained through long negotiations and incredibly specific contracts. Being neighbors with Zuni allowed news to travel fast about their uprisings, though the ideals that they fought and the ways the did for stayed within the borders of Zuni.
The guard grabbed both girls, pulling them back to reality. They turned left, leaving Tebaud's plaza and the angry citizens behind them. The guard, followed by Eleanor and then Rhine, zig-zagged their way through the backstreets of Zuni.
By the time they stopped, the sun had already set and Rhine was almost sure that the guard was lost. They had regained a street, this one much larger than the one they had left the carriages.
There was an inn on their left; it had several floors which presumably contained the sleeping rooms, and according to the sign two bathing chambers, one for men, another for women.
"Maybe we should sleep here for the night," Rhine scoffed, "You might even have the time to explain what is going on."
The guard looked at the older selected, wondering whether the daughter of duke would sleep in an unknown establishment presumably meant for the low-class bourgeois. He didn't bother asking, nor acknowledging her remark.
"We are almost here," the guard said, his voice trying to hide his tired state. Ignoring the pain that their attire was giving them, both girls followed the guard.
As aggravated as the situation made her, Rhine could not deny the simplistic beauty of Daneth's nightlife.
An open carriage rode past the group, carrying a happy young couple. The girl had her head on her partner's shoulder, eyes fluttering into a state of sleep. Despite her tired state, the girl held the boy's arm tightly, showing the admiration she had for him. The boy smiled, a simple smile showing his appreciation for the girl. He looked at the girl and kissed her gently on the head. He had an expression of determination and pride as he returned his attention towards the coachman's back. He knew that he was hers and she was his, and would do anything to protect that sacred arrangement.
Eleanor smiled at the pair, admiring the young love that they share. Rhine didn't take her eyes off of them, wondering whether this would be the love that she would find at the palace.
Would the prince desire her, want her the way the girl grasped the boy or would he need her the way the boy held the girls hand, refusing to let it go. Would he see her as nothing but another way to exploit his pleasures, see her as another royal requirement or perhaps he would never see her through the lenses of love. Rhine was forced to leave her worries unresolved as the guard announced their arrival.
They stood in-front of a spotless building. The temple was large enough to have been constructed for either the Providential god or a major god.
As they walked up the steps, the statue of a woman wearing a crown became visible. At the feet of the statue there was an assortment of gifts, the most notable being the tiny blue dress, that could only belong to an infant. Rhine looked at the offering, hoping that it was placed there as a prayer for fertility.
Rhine and Eleanor walked into the Hera's temple, Eleanor performing a small prayer before entering. The guard did not enter, leaving the girls to continue on their own. It was known that men were discouraged from entering Hera's temple, seeing that the goddess represented fundamental female virtues. He gave a small bow to the girls and ventured off back into the streets of Daneth.
They hadn't taken two steps that Rhine and Eleanor were greeted by a priestess. She wore the traditional white dress and a silver necklace, with an engraving of a crown in the center. The silver showed her status within the Temple; the engraving showed the goddess she served.
Rhine caught sight of the pink gemstone at the center of the engraving, understanding that she was the woman in charge of this temple.
She had a kind smile, though her eyes looked at the pair in an almost condescing fashion. Being significantly shorter than both girls did nothing to stop the sense of superiority she gave off.
"Ladies," she started, her voice warm, "How comforting it is to see you both arrive. I have been told you were forced to take several detours to arrive here safely."
She lead the girls past the statue of Hera and into the back chambers of the temple. Her hand was carefully placed on Eleanor's back, simultaneously giving her support and fully controlling her. The younger didn't seem to mind, relieved by the new found safety she felt.
Rhine was more cautious, though smiled nonetheless. She was tired, too tired to spend her time attempting to decipher a woman who was required to help them.
As the priestess was talking in a hushed tone to Eleanor, Rhine took the opportunity to examine her surroundings. They were walking through a hallway, with rooms of either side. This part of the temple was lit by lanterns, lacking the open walls that the main chamber had.
The first two rooms had no doors and were significantly large. The one on the right had a small basin filled with hot water. There was a girl laying in the water, the lady in waiting from Midston. She was immobile, her curly brown hair halfway in her face. There was a younger priestess in there with her, presumably helping her clean herself. Rhine gave out a sigh of relief. They're safe.
The room on the left had a large table in the center and various object, fruits, and flowers lining the walls. Rhine wasn't exactly sure what the room was used for, but assumed that it had some ceremonial importance. After that, all the rooms had doors and were much smaller in width.
At the end of the hallway, the short priestess stopped them. She turned towards Rhine, letting go of Eleanor. "You will sleep here tonight and tomorrow you will finish your journey to the castle," she said.
She looked at both girls, giving them both a full smile. Eleanor nodded, thankful that she would be able to sleep in a bed rather than a carriage. Rhine didn't respond, wanting to find out what had been going on at Tebaud's plaza and whether the selected from Midston was okay.
Before she could do any of that, the priestess started talking. "I will send you each a priestess to help you prepare for tonight. Each of you baggages have been placed in your rooms… I must leave you, but I will see you in the morning." She bowed her head and turned towards right, to the other side of temple.
Once she was gone, Eleanor let out a big sigh. "I can't believe what happened today," she said, her voice tired, "And how generous of them to offer us a place, I was scared that they were going to force us into another carriage."
It was clear that Eleanor had never received special guest treatment before. Despite the refined carriage being considered upper-class treatment, she had not been able to enjoy it's luxuries due to the discomfort she had felt throughout the majority of the trip.
Rhine did not answer Eleanor, only giving her an understanding smile. As much as she enjoyed being somewhere more spacious, she did not want to stay here any longer than she needed to. The short priestess' false smile worried her and the fact that their had been a full on riot against the royals, the Selection, even possibly her, did nothing to reassure her.
Eleanor attempted to keep the conversation going, but was thankfully saved by the appearance of two young priestess'. The one of the left stated their duties, telling Rhine and Eleanor that they would assist them tonight. She proceeded in taking Eleanor to one of the smaller rooms in the hallway.
The other priestess lead Rhine to the other side of the temple. The right side looked identical to the left, with the same hallway, the same number of doors, with each room being the appropriate size. The only difference was that there was no access the front chamber of the temple.
Rhine was barely given the time to count the doors, that she was being ushered into a room. The room had two beds, a few pieces of furniture, and most importantly Rhine's small bag.
The selected was relieved to see it in person, but did not make any move to touch it now. Instead, she listened to the priestess soft voice. The young girl had a silver necklace, thinner than the ones that the other priestess' wore, telling Rhine that the girl was still undergoing training.
Grabbing a thin nightgown, the priestess brought Rhine to the bathing chamber. The heat of the water spread throughout the room, making Rhine feel at rest. This sensation was only multiplied as she entered the basin, her muscles relaxing at the touch of the water.
She let herself sink into the water until her head was the only thing that could be seen. "What is your name?"
The priestess was filling the water with some floral essence when the question was asked. She almost let all the essence fall into the water at the sound of Rhine's voice. Ever since she had entered the temple, her interactions with the outside world had been limited. Things weren't much better within the temple itself.
She hesitated before answering in a small voice. "Elise, my lady."
Rhine gave a small nod, showing that she had acknowledged her answer. "What happened?" Rhine asked.
As vague of a question, the priestess seemed to quickly understand what was being said. "I shouldn't say… my lady," she answered.
Rhine asked again, needing to know the answer. "I understand, but these people came to stop a carriage that I was in, wanting to stop me. I want to know why."
Elise looked at the floor, as if it was the first time she had ever notice that the brown had faint hints of orange in it. "Please," Rhine insisted.
The priestess pretended not to hear and walked towards the lady. She grabbed her black hair and started brushing it. Rhine let her do it, not wanting to make the young girl more uncomfortable than she already had.
"Tebaud was a simple soldier," Elise said out of nowhere. "He was born soon after the arrival of the Gods in Illea, never knowing a country that was not under their influence."
Tebaud, guardian of daughters, Rhine thought, the story finally coming back.
"Still, he grew up surrounded by the stories of when Illea was free, of when the Gods were trying to pick up the pieces after Pelias's rebellion. He heard the tales of how the Greek's lost faith in their gods."
Elise paused, wondering whether she was doing the right thing.
"When Zeus passed by Daneth to see his new kingdom, Tebaud was not among those who welcomed him. Then Zeus selected nine girls to travel back with him to the castle, under the pretext of gaining a new and better life as ladies in waiting. Some thought it was a honor, but others saw it as nothing more than the Zeus ripping families apart for his personal benefits."
Elise stopped, ashamed of what she was saying, scared that her betrayal would be heard.
Rhine took the relay, wanting Elise to know that she was safe, that she didn't need to speak if she didn't want to. "It was Tebaud that liberated, becoming the first Illean to openly rebel against Zeus wishes, against the god of gods."
Elise nodded, returning her attention the brushing of Rhine's hair. They were both silent, Elise too scared to talk. Rhine, for once, did not know what to say.
"The last selected from Zuni never came back," Elise said, her voice almost a whisper. "They said that she had become close friends with Princess Marie and was know one of her ladies in waiting."
A tear ran down the priestess face, though Rhine could not tell it was for the selected who had disappeared or for herself.
"The family went as far to ask the other selected, but each of them diverted the conversation. The selection took her… the gods took her."
Tears were running down her face freely now. The pair was silent for the rest of the bath, neither wanting to try and guess what had happened to the selected from Zuni.
Rhine had no dreams that night. The nine long hours of sleep had not washed away the sense of dread from the previous night. Not only that, she seemed more tired than she had been before going to sleep.
Her movements were slow as she dressed herself. She did not address anybody the entire morning. As she left the temple, she gave a polite thank you to the priestess, not looking them in the eye.
It was only when she has entered the carriage that Rhine noticed that there were two girls the vehicle with her. Eleanor and the selected from Sumner.
Rhine looked around, trying to understand were the lady in waiting was, but saw no immediate answer. It was only when Elise came to carriage with Rhine's bag that she found the answer.
"She isn't doing well," Elise said, her voice quieter than usual, "The other priestess' have decided that it would be for the best if she stayed within the sacred walls of the temple."
Before Rhine could answer, the priestess had regained the steps of the temple. She smiled at Rhine as the carriage rolled away into the streets of Daneth.
It was all Rhine could do to smile back, her mind clouded with one question. How many of them would lose their mind and bodies to the Selection?
So this chapter ended up being longer than I expected. I had planned to have another scene, but I thought that there was enough information already. We have the first introduction to one of the selected, the lovely Lady Rhine. Eleanor is a character of my own creation and may have a few other appearances in the future. As much as I want to write about your characters, some filler selected will be needed throughout the story to go along with the plot. Also I am amazed by all the people that reviewed. It really pushes me to write when I see the support that you are all giving me. School is starting, so that means updates will be coming less frequently. I will do my best to update, but if there are moments where I do not do so, don't worry, I am still writing. Final note, yes Eleanor is sixteen. I did not want any of the submissions to be sixteen, because that is a young age to get married and the chances that they wouldn't be as mature as Anthony would be greater, therefore making them harder to write within the story.
