The structure of the Central Temple is very complex.
First of all, when you enter the door, you first see the place for ritual offerings. It is very large, but all the decorations seem surprisingly simple.
The marble foundation was decorated with numerous flowers and candles. Several priests were praying near the altar.
The scorching sun shone through the huge windows in the dome, dancing on the gilded decorations of the statues and pilasters. There were more people in the huge circular hall of the temple than expected. Most of them were commoners.
After the service, which had ended not long ago, the hall was no longer so crowded. The remaining parishioners finished their prayers and gradually left the temple. In the end, only a few people remained in the spacious and bright hall. Among them were the Holy Father, the leader of the central church, and his guest. They settled in a secluded spot at the back of the temple and took one of the benches usually occupied by parishioners during services.
Quiet voices echoed faintly in the temple.
— My sister told me to meet you.
— Of course. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Carter.
The Holy Father, an elderly man in a priest's robe, turned his head and met the amethyst eyes of his interlocutor. A faint smile flitted across his lips.
Nevertheless, it was Livius Natantinus Carter's first time in a place like the central temple. Looking around the room, he finally returned his gaze to his interlocutor and frowned slightly.
— I presume you already know the purpose of my visit, — said Livius, slightly tense.
— Of course. Her Highness has already informed me of everything in her letter.
— So that means you will indeed help me?
— That is only natural, — the priest smiled kindly at him. — There is no doubt about our devotion to the princess. If Her Highness desires it, then it is also the desire of the temple.
The duke's son's eyes widened in surprise when the head of the temple said this in front of him without batting an eyelid. Nevertheless, he took him at his word and smiled back warmly. Livius was not even surprised. His younger sister was, as always, stunning and exceeded all his expectations.
Several years ago, when the temple was in a truly deplorable state and on the verge of destruction, the princess of the north was the only person in the entire empire who offered a helping hand. The faction was doomed to failure due to the existence of a more powerful rival, an astrological order that had suppressed it for many years.
Thus, the Holy Father sincerely believed that the existence of such a structure as the Temple in the Empire of Nadal was doomed to be short-lived. Until one day, a little girl, whom he did not even take seriously at first, said something amazing to him. And after that, everything changed.
Fortress Nord and the Temple worked closely together for several years. And during that time, they really managed to change a lot. The material assistance provided by the Temple to the northern fortress in the first phase of their agreement paid off many times over in the future.
After the northern region, whose prospects for development no one believed in at first, unexpectedly revived and became more and more powerful with each passing year, this was reflected in the Temple. Lord North became the public patron of the Temple, and this really affected its reputation.
Providing not only material but also comprehensive public support, the North became the sole patron of the Temple. On the one hand, there was the imperial family, which supported the astrological order, and on the other, the Lord of the North, who now posed a threat to the well-being of the empire and the legislative authority as a whole. Two powerful structures supported two different organisations, and it was like choosing one side of the barricade.
Ultimately, thanks to all these events, the temple's attendance has increased significantly in recent years. Even some nobles who had previously disregarded the temple's existence changed their minds. After all, if Lord Severus did indeed overthrow the emperor one day, the temple would also become the main organisation of its kind in the country. Therefore, some people were already eager to protect themselves and choose the 'right' side.
For the Holy Father, who had long since lost all faith in the revival of the temple in the empire, this was truly a happy event. And for this reason, despite all his scepticism about this undertaking at the beginning of their acquaintance, at this stage he was sincerely grateful and deeply devoted to the princess of the north.
— Oh, Almighty, thanks to your kindness, I have been able to meet such a wonderful person as the princess! — With these words, the priest prayed before the altar, where a huge cross and a stone statue in a robe stood on a platform.
Every day, the man raised his hands to the sky and prayed that such good fortune had truly befallen their organisation. And, of course, when the princess of the north sent him a letter asking for help for the first time in many years, he did not even think of refusing her.
Whatever the request, the head of the temple was ready to do anything for his benefactor, as long as it did not contradict his faith. So, without hesitation, the priest agreed to grant the princess's second brother a private audience.
— Really? In that case, I am glad I came here today. You know, I've never prayed before, but I hope I'll have the opportunity to do so in the future.
The priest responded positively to the young man's words. Livius thought that his answer must have pleased him.
— The gates of the temple are always open to all who suffer. God smiles upon the faithful. It is good to see that more and more people are coming to our faith! — And he folded his hands in a prayerful gesture.
Livius smiled slyly in response.
How much of this was actually a lie?
In reality, the young man considered himself more of an atheist and had never believed in the divine nature of religion. He did not reject it and never insulted those who sincerely worshipped the gods and hoped for their help. But he found it difficult to understand those people who, instead of relying on their own strength, attended church services. The same was true of the astrological order. At that time, the duke's youngest son did not support this organisation either.
Growing up in a certain environment, Livius, like most of the people around him, also believed in the power of the heavenly bodies. However, this was not his true opinion, but simply the influence of society. Nevertheless, his former worldview underwent radical changes after meeting his younger sister. The girl, "cursed by the stars", made an impression on him that was different from what he had expected. It was then that Livius first began to doubt what adults had told him before.
Since then, Livius has truly stopped believing in astrology. And in God. In fact, throughout all these years, the boy continued to believe only in himself and no one else. After all, he knew that only he could change his destiny.
However, this time he was somewhat insincere when expressing his opinion to the priest. This was because he simply wanted to impress a man who could well become his influential ally in the future. After he and Remesis first agreed to work together towards a common goal — to overthrow the current duke's heir — they also continued to exchange letters in secret.
To avoid the possibility of a letter falling into the wrong hands, they devised a special delivery system whereby the letter had to be handed directly to Livius' personal servant, bypassing the general correspondence of the ducal household.
Although this method was somewhat more complicated than normal letter delivery and sometimes took longer, it was currently their only way of keeping in touch with each other. In her last letter, Remesis wrote to him about arranging a meeting with her confidant in the capital, who could also become his ally in this struggle. As it turned out, this confidant was the Holy Father of the temple.
— Your Excellency, if my sister has already contacted you, then you must already know what to do? — asked Livius.
— Of course. You can have no doubt about my competence in this matter, — he replied. — The temple will provide you with all the assistance it can in this confrontation with your family.
Livius Natanin Carter felt relieved to hear this.
— In that case, you must be ready, — he said seriously. — I have already prepared almost all the necessary evidence, except for my brother's actual natal chart, to present before an independent imperial court. If everything goes according to plan, it will all happen next month.
— I understand. For our part, we will also send someone to represent the temple's position in this court. Young Lord Carter, have no doubt that with the support of the princess and ours, you will undoubtedly prevail in this court.
— Well, I hope so.
In the end, he had only one chance.
The priest's lips spread into a satisfied smile.
— May the blessing of the Most High be with you, — said the Holy Father reverently, folding his hands and pressing them to his chest.
The young man's slender, graceful fingers repeated his gesture. Folding his hands in front of him and closing his eyes, Livius seemed to sink into deep thought.
For a moment, absolute silence reigned in the temple, after which Livius and the head of the temple prepared to end their meeting.
Since it was quite risky for him to appear in such a place, the young man decided not to linger there for long. They discussed the details of their upcoming plan a little more, after which the Holy Father was going to ask one of the priests to escort him to the exit. But Livius declined the offer, as he was quite capable of handling such a task on his own.
As the duke's second son walked towards the main exit of the temple, his head was filled with all sorts of thoughts. However, at the very exit, a surprise awaited him, one he did not expect at all.
A red carpet was spread from the stairs to the entrance of the temple.
And Livius suddenly saw precious heels step onto the carpet, which did not fit in with the atmosphere of this place at all. The heels of the shoes clattered loudly on the marble, echoing under the dome of the temple.
Livius slowly raised his eyes to look at the woman who appeared before him.
Her hair was like molten gold, and her skin was snow-white. She had piercing brown eyes. Among the other visitors to the temple, the young woman stood out for her expensive dress, richly decorated with embroidery and jewels. However, this was not what surprised Livius the most. When he saw her, the young man unconsciously caught his breath.
The older sister, who spoke to him first, gave Livyus a very unfriendly look. After a moment's hesitation, the woman opened her mouth and asked:
— Livyus. What the hell are you doing here?!