The prayer hall was empty as Fayola sat across from the dais.
Small embroidered carpets were neatly arranged in rows across the hall. They were firmly padded, intended to make hours of kneeling as comfortable as could possibly be, but there was no congregation in assembly at this time of day. Instead, there was the faint odor of incense and melted candles that had burned low in the hours since morning prayer.
An elderly priest slowly turned the pages of a large book.
The two of them did not exchange any words. Instead, Fayola watched quietly as the priest continued to read, slowly as time trickled on. This was not an unusual occurrence. Father Ennis was a notoriously methodological person, and he did not like to be interrupted in the middle of anything. Even though she had a scheduled appointment with him at this time, Fayola knew that the priest would not be speaking to her until he decided he was finished with his reading.
So she waited.
And waited.
Eventually, the man closed the cover of the thick tome.
"Thank you for your patience, Sister Fayola," he said. "I am sorry to make you wait."
"It is not a problem."
Fayola responded automatically, more out of politeness than anything else. Frankly, she did not know how she really felt — but she did not normally let her mind wander in such blasphemous directions. Father Ennis was one of the most respected leaders of this temple, and socially speaking it was ill-advised to speak out against a superior.
"How old are you, this year?" Father Ennis asked.
"Twenty-six," Fayola said.
"It's hard to imagine how quickly time has passed."
"It feels like a lot has changed in recent years."
The elderly priest nodded, and then folded his hands in his lap.
"Many of the brothers and sisters you grew up with have graduated and left the temple. Soon you will be among the eldest remaining."
"If there is a reason for that, it's because the council refuses to issue my Deliverance."
"True," Father Ennis concurred. "I think not. You will remain under the legal guardianship of the Temple, even as an adult. It is an unusual circumstance, but you also have an unusual Blessing. You do not have permission to leave."
"I still do not see how my Blessing poses a threat to society."
The priest sighed deeply.
"None of the elders truly think you are a threat, Sister Fayola. However, you must understand, public perception is important. These are sensitive and delicate times. The people of this island are easily angered, and they would not take kindly to your nature. Our temple cannot afford to appear sympathetic to 'demonic' and 'sinful' values."
"It is disappointing that you would abandon your sense of justice for politics."
"Some things are bigger than just one person. I was hoping I could get you to see the whole picture."
Fayola went quiet. Although she certainly had her own personal opinions, a sharply worded rebuke was the limit of her hostility. The priestess was not about to initiate an open argument, although she might have been more incendiary when she was younger. Since her hot-headed teenage years, Fayola had learned that flinging colorful language didn't always benefit her cause.
"In either case," Father Ennis continued, "I was hoping to discuss your future at the Temple. In honor of your great sacrifice, the council was eager to schedule your Swearing of Oaths — the ceremony to dedicate yourself to a lifetime of service to the Temple."
The priestess narrowed her eyes.
"You are not giving me a choice about this, are you?"
"Of course there is a choice. This is why we are having a conversation about this."
"And if I were to refuse?"
"I hope you will not. It does count as a promotion, after all. The council will not recognize your Deliverence, so you shall not be graduating from your religious studies nor leaving the Temple. Since you will be staying for a while, you might as well be recognized as a Senior Priestess. If you remain faithful, you may even become a Temple Elder one day."
"It is the same as signing away my freedom," Fayola pointed out.
Father Ennis sighed again.
"It is symbolic in nature. Freedom is an illusion. All of us are bound by our duties and obligations. If you are to become a true scion of the Temple, you must relinquish your claim on your selfish desires. Only in this way can we provide true service towards our faith."
There was an awkward silence as Father Ennis finished speaking.
The elderly priest shook his head, seeing that he had not convinced the young woman before him. Fayola had always been a stubborn disciple among the many of his students, although in recent years her hotheadedness had calmed down substantially.
"Let's revisit this subject another time," he decided to change the subject.
+ + +
"How are you doing?" The priest asked.
"Fine."
"You are clearly not fine."
"I am fine as I'm ever going to be."
"Fayola, please. I want you to know that I care about you. You can talk to me. You can trust me."
"There is nothing wrong and nothing I want to talk about."
"How are your dreams?"
"You can read the reports. Didn't the council decide that I am supposed to write them all down and submit them for review? You get my summaries on your desk every day."
"That is different. I want to know how you are feeling."
"My feelings are that I hate going to these meetings, and I would prefer it if the council stopped monitoring me."
"Therapy is good for you. I'm going to re-schedule your bi-weekly sessions with the temple chaplain. You need a space to vent and express yourself. I know that this is a difficult time, having recently awakened your Blessing, and I want to make sure you have all the support you need."
"You’re not listening to me. The council never listens."
"We just want the best outcome."
"The best outcome for whom?"
∎
Thanks for another interesting chapter. I like how you are slowly introducing new ideas and concepts this early on in your story.
As for why I decided to check out your story, well, it was the first one that came up for me after I signed up. I read the synopsis and it sounded interesting. Plus, I'm a sucker for anything based in an Archipelago - but that's just because I'm a huge Earthsea fan.