As the days passed the house became full of activity. 

The whole house was preparing for a dual event, the burial of my mother and the celebration of my birth. 

Apparently it is very uncommon for women to die of childbirth in this world. My gossiping maids frequently discussed this fact and why my mother died. 

 Some of them argued that my mother had such a strong connection to the goddess that she was called to her before her time or that she had made a noble sacrifice as she gave up her last breaths to give life to her child. Others proclaimed in hushed whispers that I might be a cursed child for taking my mother’s life in order to enter this world and that my connection to the goddess was weak. 

I couldn’t blame them for thinking this and debating my guilt. I too was wondering if my birth, and my rebirth, had led to my mother’s death. But on the concept of a divine goddess I was still unsure. It did feel as if something was different from my previous world and the fact that I had reincarnated was a strong indicator that there might be a divine touch involved. 

But my knowledge was limited and unfortunately my maid did not dive into a deep discussion about the religious beliefs and customs of this wold. 

However, they loved to gossip about the lordly family they where serving. From them I learned that my family was quite big. And male dominated. I was the only daughter in the family and I have five older brothers. I have yet to meet them because of a tradition that requires a sort of isolation of the newborn child before it is officially given its name. 

A name carries great value and before a child is given its name it isn’t considered to be completely in this world. The child is believed to be in a sort of limbo, half in this world and half in the divine world. It is by giving the child a name that the family claims the child from the goddess and is presented to the family. 

Usually not even the father is allowed to see the child since the mother is seen to be acting in the place of the goddess as she brings life into this world thru childbirth. The stronger the blessing the easier the childbirth is said to be. 

But my mother’s death meant that traditions had to be altered and my father had to take my mother’s place in presenting me to the family. A female relative had been a better choice, but my father has no siblings and my mother’s sister is far away. 

So here we are. My stoic father having to play a female role. And boy is he awkward. 

We have rehearsed the ceremony two times and he is so lost. It appears that there is very strong gender roles in this world and that going against them is not something my father likes. But he bites the bullet and does the bare minimum that is required of him, to the vexation of the priest in charge of the ceremony. 

The ceremony itself is short and includes very few people. It is just me, my father and the priest. And the priest Is female by the way. Since the main deity is female the clergy is also female centered. It is apparently the most common way for women to reach higher status and power besides marriage. 

The priest in charge of my ceremony is a woman in her fifties and is both stern and soft. I say this because the way she guides my father with her iron will and how she gently holds me. I am instantly fond of her. I have always admired strong women. 

The plan for the ceremony is this: the three of us enter the family shrine (which is a cave cut into the bedrock and centered around a spring), the priest takes water from the blessed spring and uses it to preform a blessing. Then we step outside and my father presents me to family, friends and servant who have gathered to welcome me into the world. 

In theory it is very similar to other baptisms from my world. But as the priest starts preforming the blessing, all my assumptions fly out the window.

The priest, Mira, approaches  the spring and steps into the water. She bends down and cups her hands as she gathers water. She straightens and I expect her to use the water to wet my head (like in Christian baptisms). But instead she stays put and starts chanting. Her voice is slow and enchanting, almost disappearing into the sound of trickling water from the spring. 

Slowly the water dripping from her hands stop falling downward and instead arches into a circle in front of her. 

I almost feel my eyes pop out of my skull. “This was not part of the rehearsal!” I scream inside of my head. 

On cue my father takes a step forward and holds me out towards the circle of water. I start to panic as I can feel a strong force pulling me from my fathers hands and toward the circle. Slowly I float and Mira’s chanting grows more forcefull. 

The circle grows more dense until I am completely incapsuled in a water sphere. Mira’s chanting grows faint as all I can hears is the soothing tricks of water. 

“Dear child of two world, welcome” a voice echoes around me.

 I startle and feel unease creep it’s way up my spine.

“Do not fear my child, I mean you no harm. You have travelled far and it would be such a shame to end your journey this early” the voice says and I can feel rather that hear she smile concealed in those words.

I want to believe the soothing words of the voice in the void, but I can’t shake the felling that even though it seems friendly there is something darker hidden beneath.

“All things have two sides, and both are required to make a whole. Fear and safety, good and bad, strong and weak, male and female. Everyone can be benign and wicked, it all depends on the circumstances. Only fate can lead you in your path”

I scoff at that. It all seems like platitudes. And who gets to decide what’s is good and what is bad? And to rely on fate? Doesn’t that just give people an excuse to not make choices and not take responsibility for their own lives? 

“Your soul is strong and so is your will. Fate can be a blessing and a curse, it is up to you to decide. Only through diligence and perseverance can you steer your steps along the path. My hope is that you will bring good to this world and be a blessing to its people. I bless you with your name, Aemilia”

As the void says Aemilia it echos around me and grows stronger as it bounces against the water. The drops of water starts to vibrate and splits into smaller and smaller drops until it evaporates. As it does the echo of the voice dies out and I start to hear Mira’s voice again. 

She sounds strained and hoarse from all the chanting. And after the water evaporates I can see that her face is blotched red and soaked with perspiration. Her arms that has been stretched out in front of her is shaking. But she also seems serene and as her eyes focuses on me she smiles. 

The force that had previously pulled med towards the ring of blessed water starts too loose it’s gravitation and just as I starts to feel like I’m about to fall I am caught by two strong hands. 

My fathers grips is tight and he hurriedly hugs me close to his body. I look up into his worried eyes. 

I hear a exhausted sigh and she Mira slump to the ground. My father looks from me to Mira with furrowed brows. 

“What went wrong? Why did the blessing take so long” he asks harshly. Mira lifts her head to looks at my father and then at me. 

“The will of the goddess is veiled in mystery and mere mortals cannot clearly decipher her meaning in all matters.” She answers

“Don’t use that crap with me Mira. Answer me”. My fathers voice is low and threatening.

Mira looks at my father and sighs, “I honestly don’t know Morgan. In all my years a blessing has nerve taken this long. I’m all but out of power. Had it taken any longer I would not have been able to safely bring her out again.” Mira’s weakly shrugs her shoulder and slowly starts to rise. 

As she stand she stretches her body and a few cracks can be heard. She looks at my father and approaches us. Her brows furrow to match my fathers. 

“What’s I can say is that we must keep this hidden. There is already rumors about her birth and Cendras passing. If this gets out it might give the rumors a wider spread outside Geria, and no good will come of it”.

My father hums in agreement and looks down at me. We stare at each other for a while before he looks away towards the exit. 

Mira follows his gaze and says “we should go to the great hall. The more time we spend here the more the risk of rumors are. I will make up an excuse for the tardy entrance if anyone asks.” 

Mira takes the lead and we head out into the blinding light of a midsummers day.