They went to the hospital. Jean visited his injured officers and bestowed gifts to many of the wounded, both noble and peasant, who had displayed great bravery on the field. Vero assisted the healers as she could, mostly changing bandages. She also applied splints and stitches to those whose injuries were too minor to have been treated yet.

The army’s field hospitals were well stocked and organized- and many of the worst cases had already died. Things no longer appeared very urgent. Barnabas had even collapsed exhausted on a free cot. When the sun began to set, Vero allowed herself to be drawn away for a bath and a change of clothes before the vesper mass.

She chose a white dress which was more subdued than the others- though it did still bear some golden flairs. She thought it looked the most appropriate attire to wear in church. They arrived back at the chapel just as the sun passed beyond the horizon. It was that eerie hour of twilight when the color of fey-light could sometimes be distinguished by unaided human eyes. This was the hour when will-o’-the-wisps led mortals on to their own demise.

The waxing half-moon was in the sky, and there were few parishioners in attendance. Most of the congregation were aging courtiers who cast unhappy glances toward her and Jean, but the priestess took no objection to their presence. Jean started to move towards the front, but Vero pulled them into seats in the back.

The scriptures were read in Liturgical and then the congregation recited their vesper prayers with one voice. Vero knew the prayers by rote, but she noticed Jean only listened in polite silence. The rest of the congregation filed out quickly once services had ended.

Vero went to the front where there were five statuary idols, each representing one of Luna’s five faces. In the center was the full moon, Mother Luna. The goddess held her arms outstretched, her face a picture of perfect compassion. The artist had been very skilled, and it moved Vero’s heart to look upon it. To the statue’s right were Luna the Maiden and Luna the Wanderer, to her left were Luna the Matron and Luna the Widow.

She knelt to say her personal prayers to the full moon aspect.

When she was finished, Vero found Jean was in conversation with the priestess. She let them be for the moment and went to the sculpture of the crescent moon aspect, Maiden Luna. A spritely figure of budding womanhood appraised Vero with devious stone eyes.

Vero knew no formal prayers to the Maiden.

She invoked the secret names of the crescent moon when she crafted a spell to obscure herself from the views of others. Her spells could not make her genuinely invisible, but they shrouded the appearance of her movement so that she became effectively unseeable- so long as she did not pass directly in front of an observer’s sight.

The human eye possessed only a small area of clear vision at the center point. Movement in the peripheral caused a rapid readjustment of the point of focus to the new interest, which allowed the illusion of complete visual clarity.

In the scriptures, Luna the Maiden intervened to hide the affairs of lovers from parents and spouses. Vero had neither- and it seemed both of Jean’s were absent.

Vero turned away from the statue, back towards Jean and the priestess.

“Have you finished your prayers?” Jean had noticed her the moment Vero began to draw near.

“Yes- but I’d also like to give confession, if that’s alright?”

The priestess smiled beatifically at her. “Of course, daughter.” It was a relief to discover that the local cleric was a priestess of the full moon. “Although I believe his lordship has something he wishes to ask first.”

“I’ve been speaking with Mother Agatha about the banquet tonight,” Jean began. “After the feudal oaths are finished, I intend to raise a few fellows up to the rank of knight now that the campaign is over. I’d like to make you a dame at the same time, but my chaplain is being a right bast-” Jean remembered he was in a holy place and restrained himself. “-He’s creating problems rather than solving them. That’s why I’ve decided to ask Mother Agatha notarize the proceedings. What do you think?”

“I think a priestess of Luna is a fine choice. As to the relative merits of the men, I cannot say as I spent most of this campaign confined to a bed. But for myself… I don’t think I’ve done any great feats of valor to earn a title.”

“Oh? Well, firstly, it’s not a knighthood. It’s a damehood, which does not carry valorous acts as a prerequisite. Secondly, I consider your solitary infiltration of Kaer Longus and the exorcism of the spirit haunting that place to be a feat of valor.”

It had not seemed so heroic as Jean described it to her. She had been captured, freed by someone else’s hand, and then acted in blind desperation, nearly crippling herself in the process. And the evil man responsible for everything still walked free- at least for the time being.

“But surely there must be some standard for dames- beyond simply one lord’s pleasure?”

“One lord’s pleasure opens the doors to more than you might imagine. But, yes, dames are meant to show their nobility of character through virtue and piety. I consider your actions today ample indicators of that. Besides that, it shall put all this ‘your friend’ business behind us. Everyone shall know where we stand and that will be the end of it, or so I hope.”

Vero still did not think that she had earned the honor, but he appeared very insistent. In the end, she relented in order to get along with her confession. Jean stood aside, and Vero left for the confessional with Mother Agatha.

When they were safely in solitude, the priestess began the rite of confession. “Mother Luna offers Her infinite mercy to any who come to Her in honest contrition. Search your heart and lay down your burden of sins.”

“Forgive me Mother, for I have sinned. It has been eight months and-” She worked the arithmetic. “-thirteen days since my last confession.”

Vero began with her minor sins, as was her habit when she gave confession. She had shown wrath and spite towards others in thought, word, and deed. She had misled others by omission, and lied to them overtly.

She had taken vain oaths in Luna’s name. She had allowed her master to have carnal knowledge of her outside of wedlock.

She had killed.

The priestess listened in patient silence. Priestesses of the full moon never asked for acts of physical penance. Mother Luna’s mercy was total, and so her forgiveness was always unconditional. Vero poured out everything she had done, everything the hunt had required from her, without restraint.

When she was finished, a space of silence passed before Mother Agatha asked: “And do you earnestly repent?”

“Yes, Mother. In choosing to do wrong I have sinned against my sisters in the faith, and I have sinned against those to whom I should have ministered. I have also offended against my goddess, whom I should love as she loves me. Queen Luna, with your guidance I firmly resolve to turn away from evil. May you show compassion on me, your humblest daughter.”

“Luna has sent Her holy spirit among us to offer us reconciliation through the ministry of the church. I hereby absolve you in Her name, and may She grant you Her peace. You are forgiven. Go forth and sin no more.”

“Mother?”

“Yes? Is there something else you wish to speak about?”

“What if I do something that Mother Luna can’t forgive me for?”

Mother Agatha was quiet for a moment. “Luna forgives all Her children, no matter the trespass. No sin can place you beyond Her compassion.”

“If I earnestly repent- but suppose that I can’t repent?”

Another pause. “Why don’t you explain the matter which is worrying you directly, and perhaps I can help you?”

“I have lustful thoughts- for a married man. I know it’s wrong, but I’ve conspired with him to have an affair.”

“I see. I presume you are speaking of the Marquis?”

“Yes.”

“You say that you believe it’s wrong, so it sounds to me that you are repentant already.”

“That’s what frightens me. Because if I still intend to do something when I know it’s wrong- How can I, in honesty, claim to my goddess that my contrition is in earnest?”

“I can’t say that I have ever met her ladyship, his wife. But the Marquis’ family have been the masters here since I was born, and I know he’s had several very public mistresses in the past. Those things aren’t uncommon with lords and ladies of high rank. Her ladyship reportedly got along very well with all of them, so I don’t think that she shall be calling down the Matron’s curses upon you.”

“But it is still a sin, is it not?”

“The Maiden aids lovers and the Matron punishes them. Who is to say which is truly right or wrong? If your conscience troubles you and draws you back into confession- then your repentance is genuine, and Mother Luna shall offer Her forgiveness to you freely. But if your heart does not call you back to confession- then consider if you are truly in need of forgiveness.”

Everyone stood at attention when she entered, and Vero felt ridiculous a moment later when she realized it was for Jean.

The hall was very full, but much less boisterous than the celebrations the previous night. The party then had mostly been knights, mercenary officers, and others who had been on hand for the real fighting. About half of that group still remained, but they were now joined by the local nobility, and some of Jean’s other vassals who had preferred to stay in the camp during the battle. The overall atmosphere was now more refined and serious.

Vero began to feel very nervous with everyone watching them, and she leaned more heavily on Jean when her knees felt weak. She was doubly glad she had worn her most demure dress. They crossed the room to the head of the main table. When they sat down everyone else followed suit.

Jean’s chancellor, Ser Renaud, arrived with an order of business. Jean stood up again almost at once to begin the proceedings. First, he accepted the formal oath of vassalage from the new Earl of Hollowstone. Then, the other minor lords they had collected in the region came forwards. Not all the nobles had fought against Jean, but he had each of them publicly take feudal oaths to himself and his family regardless.

All these oaths were overseen and notarized by both Mother Agatha, and a sun priest who watched Vero with undisguised disapproval and suspicion.

After the surrender had been formalized, Jean began to dole out knighthoods to men who had served with distinction. Vero noticed how young Lyam watched the proceedings with great interest.

When it was over, the priest – who Vero presumed to be the chaplain, Father Ignacio – shot her a look of utter contempt. Then he sat down, to leave Mother Agatha alone.

Ser Renaud guided Vero up and in front of Jean. She was instructed to kneel and did so.

“For valor outstanding in the capture of Kaer Longus…” Jean’s voice was solemn and serious. “…And for acts of great compassion and piety tending to the injured and dying after the Battle of Hollowstone, I do dub thee Dame Veronique de Loix.”

He tapped his sword to both of her shoulders, and Mother Agatha anointed her head with oil.

And Vero was nobility.