The next morning, Abigail boarded the carriage with the Grand Pope and the Head Priest in another carriage. The Emperor didn't even come out to send off his daughter as he had 'several official duties'.
The Empress came out to see her daughter off, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. She said,
"Oh my dear daughter! I knew this day might come for a genius like you! Please make this Mother proud."
Abigail, in the carriage, smiled and nodded at her mother. She waved happily at her mother as the carriage started. But in her thoughts,
"Is this the same mother who came to me last night to threaten me if I didn't go? Was any of the I love you even true? No... I don't think so... Afterall, it all stopped the moment Father started distancing himself from her. I thought last night would be different. I thought... she came to say a final Goodbye to me, that she tried her best to persuade father not let me go to the Church. But the only reason she came was to tell me to behave myself at the Church. To not make things difficult for her, as I have finally become useful to her. Honestly... What did I deserve to get that kind of treatment from everyone? The moment father stepped out of the picture, everyone started to treat me coldly... That day I thought... I thought I could finally get Father to look at me. At least one person to tell me that I am not alone... But I saw something else altogether that day... Are both Father and Mother bad people?..." The tears started pouring out of Abigail's eyes.
After some time, holding herself, she thought,
"No... I shouldn't break down like this... Auntie Isabella once said that any information might become a weapon in the future. If I don't know something, then I should make every effort to know it, until I get a clear answer... I will do the same. (With a steeled resolve) I will use this time at the Church to investigate everything confusing right now. I will get the truth. The truth about Uncle's family and their death. About my parents. About my powers. Everything... I will do my best to know about every single one of these things..."
Inside the other carriage, the Head Priest asked the Grand Pope,
"Your Holiness, why did you ask to send the saintess to the Church? I mean, it wasn't that necessary, as most saints start their training at the age of eleven. And this is a Princess, a pure royal blood! I am sure we could have delayed separating such a little girl from her family by a year or two..."
The Grand Pope, in a calm, knowing voice, asked,
"Theodore, did you know that emotions affect one's divine powers significantly?"
Head Priest Theodore, quite puzzled, replied,
"Yes, Your Holiness. I read about that in an ancient script."
The Grand Pope continued,
"Negative emotions have a bad impact on one's mind. If it's significantly more, one's divine powers can go out of control, causing a catastrophe. And that is a little girl we are talking about. I don't think the saintess would call that place her home. After knowing her miraculous power, both the Emperor's and the Empress's eyes were filled with greed. If we had left her there, I don't know what would have befell her. At least with us, at the Church, we may be able to give her a place to call home."
The Head Priest nodded, showing sympathy towards Abigail. They soon reached the end of their short journey, the Estandral Church, where Abigail was welcomed by flowers and the smiles of people.