Chapter seventeen.
Manøvie.
Dihané and I had searched for all possible ways to open the door to the temple's attic but failed miserably. None of us knew where Sobêiski had been taken and there was no one else to ask for his whereabouts because Lord Lucaí, LeoNaidus and Malachi had gone with him.
It was the day of his coronation and I couldn't take it any longer. The tremor and trepidation I felt even as I sat in the chapel,waiting for the prayers to begin, was excruciatingly gripping that I felt all the organs beneath my skin convulse.
The rest of the people had not yet settled into their seats so I had to wait since I had arrived here first. I caught glimpse of Dihané and the elders walk in with the rest of the Levites; occupying the first column to the left wall.
Her gaze whirled around the room in scrutiny until she met my solicitous eyes but didn't hold for long as she had to take her seat.
I was so angry at my self, over my failure to decipher an entry through that secret door. Yet, the first time, I had been extremely lucky- finding it agape. Ostensibly, my luck had run out and we couldn't perhaps take that breast plate.
The Solorato trickled in after the Ashdônites,taking the middle column and filling it up all the way to the back; they were the most in the whole of Modëus. The royals took up the column to the right wall where I was seated, the princess finding her way to where I was and joining me.
Armioné gave me a miniature smile before the door at the side of the altar oscillated to reveal Lord LeoNaidus, Lucaí and Malachi first. My eyes scurried further beyond these other priests, searching only for one-
Sobêiski.
My body ossified when I saw him climb out onto the small steps; the light from the menorahs touching his face softly and swirling off his new priesthood attire.
This wasn't his final adornment though, it was just to bring him out of practice mode- a sign that he wasn't juvenile anymore. It was light gold and red since these were the theme colors of his coronation day.
The larger undercloth was red, with manifold fringes hanging out of its hem to slightly dab at his ankles. The top wrap was the golden sheet, coming over his shoulders like a top shirt but tighter around his biceps. Barricaded at his chest was his usual breast plate with miscellaneously curved topaz stones stuck to it.
His blonde hair was combed back, afew spikes of them falling back to the front. His face was wound tight and jaw clenched each time he advanced towards the altar stone right Infront of the full length mosaic window.
Slowly and almost suddenly, the once silent chapel fell into song, intermingling each of the voices to form a surpassing musical nirvana with such a robust tranquility that caused my heart to mitigate and sway into smitten oblivion.
The chorused sycophancy perpetuated, the enormous room fully rippled by the melodious humming contributed by all.
Soon, the scathing adulation becalmed when Lord Lucaí with Sobêiski behind him, knelt at the altar stone and immersed themselves into prayer. We all superseded, crouching to our knees and holding palms together to pray.
However, I couldn't engross my mind in prayer although this was the chance I had to invoke the named goddess of the mountain to abet me and save Sobêiski from his malicious and menacing Father.
I kept rolling my eyes beneath my lids in thought, trying to figure out what to do. Lord Lucaí hadn't donned his latent breastplate so he must be saving it for a later time to strike his first move.
Totally obfuscated, I squeezed my eyes to try and think for a solution prior to his attack but failed as my tempos begun palpitating in pain. This wasn't helpful at all, I couldn't just concede to this because I was dumb and didn't have a plan-
I'd do anything to stop Lord Lucaí from harming Sobêiski since, I was the cause of all this in the first place. I let my guard down and kissed Sobêiski back, giving Lord Lucaí a good reason to oppose his enthronement and having him murdered just to consolidate power.
I jumped when I felt a hand touch my shoulder, conjuring me back to reality. I craned my head back to find Armioné already seated; the room had been pervaded by song again and everyone was nestled back in their seats as well.
Mass was almost complete. I prudently pulled myself into the pew,cradling my hands to my chest as Lord Lucaí and the rest genuflected before the mosaic window with the inscription of Härshänoäh's large mountain.
When the lead priest turned back to face the crowd, we all stood up and continued in soft worship. I stood there in grave silence, listening to the way the voices danced against my ears until they gradually fell quiet; a signal for mass' End.
The chapel was neatly quiet as all the three priests made their exodus through the orifice they came in from before everyone started to locate their way out of the chapel then prepare for the next event at the Levite province.
"My lady, if I may ask- is anything the matter? You seem very dim this morning," Armioné took my attention, her voice laced with concern
"No, not at all. I'm just tired and sleepy, I was woken up very early to prepare for the day that's all," I fibbed just to calm her down
"Alright then, it's a relief to hear that nothing's wrong. I hope you're excited for tonight as I am," she tittered gleefully
"You have no idea," I stifled a grimace with a fraudulent smile as she kept talking
"But of course to get to the best part, we have to prepare for the second function. I just pray that my skin doesn't blemish after I wear one of those Levite dresses," she rolled her eyes and giggled, waving her jeweled hand in the air.
"Any way, you seem overly excited that you're speechless so I'll let you go get dressed as well. See you in the evening,lady Manøvie." Armioné kissed my cheeks as always, stood up from where she sat and hastened towards the chapel exit with the others.
Getting ready for the Levite event was the worst experience of my short lived life. I was being fitted into their respective functional gowns- standing here and actually ridding myself of breath. How did these women cope with this kind of dress code each day?
They wore three pieces of cloth; the inner garment, the azure or white dress then a scarlet scarf.
"Huh!!" I gasped as Karla tightened the string lace around my waist, squeezing me more into the thin inner cloth that I so definitely believed would rip open if I sat or stretched.
I mean like, what was the use of wearing tight body liners then free loosened dresses on the outside?
After the lace was fastened at my lower back, Karla brought the white armless dress over my head, tugging it further down my body with its skirt hanging around my tightened waist line.
She clipped two gold bracelets around my arm and small lion weight earrings in my ears. I slipped my feet into a new pair of sandals that needed no extra strings and examined myself in the full length bronze mirror hanging Infront of me.
My hair had been lifted to the crown of my head in a series of entangled braids. I looked smaller in my reflection, must be from the tight under cloth. Even after the several skin creams, my face still looked pallid and obscure.
It felt like I was going to a burial instead of a jovial function. I was so dead inside, empty and full of remorse and yet I didn't have any ideas or plots to defeat Lord Lucaí.
"The final piece,my lady and you're good to go," I heard Karla say.
She placed an even red scarf around my exposed shoulders to complete the look. Now I was Levite appropriate although to be honest, I would much prefer the Solorato farm clothes to this.
My carriage valet announced that it was the estimated time for our departure so I had to leave the Temple. I felt the walls dilate and start closing in on me as I followed the well dressed man towards our exit.
This position of being unaware of the future was making me hysterical, asking my self over and over what would happen and how I was going to find a way to stop Lord Lucaí; without an answer yet again, nonetheless, I had to do it- no matter what!
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