The saintess spoke with a composed, almost calculated grace.
"As you know, the church and the royals have never had the best relationship," she said, her voice gentle yet firm. "I only wish to build a good relationship with the princess so that we can work together for the people."
I studied her carefully. She was good—not just at speaking, but at drawing people in. If I rejected her outright, it would only create unnecessary tension between the crown and the church. Worse, the church could use this situation to turn the common people against us.
I sighed inwardly.
"Fine," I said. "You may visit me once a week, but you must send a letter beforehand with the exact time of your visit."
I saw their expressions brighten instantly.
"And I will be present with the princess," my mother added firmly.
The Pope's expression faltered, but the saintess remained calm.
"As long as we can meet the princess, that is acceptable," she replied smoothly.
With that, they bowed and began making their way out of the hall. As the saintess passed the doorway, she glanced back at me and smiled.
I stared after her for a moment, my mind still processing the exchange.
"Ellie," my father said, his tone laced with frustration. "Why are you trying to please them? You don't need to."
I understood why he was upset. But this situation had arisen because of me, and I needed to handle it.
"It's okay, Father. I'll manage," I reassured him with a small smile. "Besides, Mother will be with me. I don't need anyone else when I already have the most talented knight by my side."
I turned to my mother, who met my gaze with a knowing smirk.
"That's right," Theo said.
After that, the Saintess started visiting me once a week. It wasn't something I particularly looked forward to, but to my surprise, it wasn't all that bad either. She often spoke about the people, the church's great deeds, and her faith. It was always the same.
Mother, however, never left me alone with her—not even once. She guarded me as if she were protecting something precious, something only she understood. It made me chuckle sometimes, the way she stared at the Saintess with sharp, unreadable eyes. But the Saintess, unfazed as ever, remained calm.
What is she after?
That question lingered in my mind every time we met.
"Thank you for spending time with me, Princess. It's always a pleasure," the Saintess said with her usual smile.
"You're welcome," I replied. Then, as an afterthought, I added, "I won't be able to meet you next week. The hunting tournament is coming up, and I'll be busy preparing for it."
"Oh, what a shame," she murmured, before tilting her head slightly. "Then… may I attend the tournament?"
I glanced at my mother. It wasn't my decision alone. She held the power to approve or deny such a request. After a moment of silence, she gave a small nod.
"I will send you a letter, Saintess," I said finally.
She bowed gracefully and turned away, stepping into her carriage. I watched as it disappeared beyond the palace gates.
"Mother… do you think this is the right choice?" I asked.
She let out a quiet sigh. "Ellie, this might be the perfect opportunity to figure out what the church is plotting. If they make a mistake… we can use it to destroy them completely."
I laughed. "Liam would love that part."
Mother smirked but said nothing.
Then, I turned to her with a different thought. "I want to go out tonight. Will you come with me?"
Her brow lifted in mild surprise. It was a sudden request, but I had my reasons. If the church was planning something, we needed to see it with our own eyes.
She considered my words for a moment before a smirk tugged at her lips.
"Hm… it's been a long time since I've gone out freely," she mused. "Let's do it."
I slipped into my black robe, fully covered for sneaking out, and waited for my mom in the back garden.
"You ready?" Mom's voice startled me, making me jump.
"Let's go," I replied. We quietly slipped out and made our way to the capital. It was alive with energy, even this late at night. People rushed through the streets, lost in their own worlds. We wandered through the crowd, eyes scanning. Then something caught our attention.
"Did you hear? The Saintess really does have healing powers. I saw her heal a child's wound."
"I heard the same. The Church is actually helping people this time."
"Maybe they've realised their mistakes."
"But did you hear about the princess?"
"Shhh, don't talk about the princess like that. Unless you want to die."
"Didn't you hear? Prince Liam struck a student for speaking about the princess."
"I think I'll keep my mouth shut…"
I glanced at Mom. "You know Liam—he doesn't need an excuse to start a fight."
I sighed, feeling the tension of the city.
We kept walking. I snacked on some treats, savouring the difference of being out here, away from the palace. It felt freeing, and spending time with Mom was a rare pleasure.
"Someone's following us," she said suddenly.
Of course, I thought.
"Let's move somewhere quieter." I nodded, instinctively pulling her closer as we moved toward a secluded spot.
We entered a quiet valley, the night wrapping around us. Mom's hand shot out, drawing her dagger, and before I could blink, she had a man pinned against the stone wall, her blade at his throat.
"Still as sharp as ever, Selene," a familiar voice spoke, dripping with amusement. He slid his arms around her waist, his presence warm and familiar.
"Otherwise, you'd be dead by now," Mom replied, her voice calm as she pulled the dagger away with a smirk.
"Dad? What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice tinged with annoyance.
"You two were out having fun without me. That's not fair," Dad grinned, shrugging.
And just like that, our little outing came to an end.