Adazzra patted her friend's shoulder. "Your sister is coming this way. I should go back to my seat."
"Are you ready to start?" Whiteshadow asked, her expression irritated as Adazzra walked away.
"Yes, sister," Moonrazer said.
The Mother Prioress went back to the front of the room and held up her hands until all the spectators quieted down and watched her.
"Welcome to this retelling of the History Cycle on the day of the Exalted Warrior's birth. It is the first such celebration in over seven generations," Whiteshadow said. "Someday you will tell your grandchildren about this day. All hail the Exalted Warrior!"
The audience began applauding, and Moonrazer smiled. Perhaps Whiteshadow was going to put the pettiness away on this one occasion.
Whiteshadow held up her hands again, requesting silence. "Bow your heads as Warrior Moonrazer prays for our blessing in the form used by Mother Alderbranch."
Whiteshadow clasped her hands in front of her and faced Moonrazer. Then she closed her eyes and bowed her head. The Sisters of the Flame did the same.
Moonrazer stared at the Mother Prioress. Whiteshadow hadn't mentioned public prayer, let alone this Mother Alderbranch. Moonrazer had never heard of her.
While she did take on the role as Spiritual Leader of the Sarl when they were on the battlefield, Moonrazer wasn't completely comfortable praying in front of other people.
However, it seemed obvious that no one else in this room was going to move until she conferred some formal blessing. With a sigh, she stood, facing the audience, and bowed her head as well.
"O Great Holy One," she prayed, hoping that Mother Alderbranch's form, whatever it was, was logical. "Grant Your blessing on these humble servants who desire only to remind Your people of their great heritage and the good You've done for them. Make all Your people grateful and more eager to do Your will. Bless me also, Your most unworthy servant, and grant me an extra measure of wisdom as I seek a mate to fulfill the destiny You have for me. Thus may it be according to Your word."
She raised her head and her eyes met Whiteshadow's. She didn't look happy but before Moonrazer could question this, the Mother Prioress turned to the Sisters.
"Go out and get ready. Our performance is about to begin."
Moonrazer watched the Sisters leave the performance hall, but Whiteshadow stayed behind. She walked toward the Exalted Warrior, smiling.
"That was an adequate prayer of blessing. You, of course, did not know the proper form."
"You did not warn me I was going to have to offer a prayer. You could have told me who Mother Alderbranch was, at the very least."
"I did say you would be expected to give a blessing." Whiteshadow looked as though she waited for an argument. "The Sarl blessings are always done in the manner of Mother Alderbranch, the founder of the Sisters of the Flame."
"Perhaps it was my mistake." Moonrazer cocked her head. "Your Sisters have worked hard on this performance. I do look forward to seeing it."
"I hope you will find it enlightening." Whiteshadow bowed and walked to the exit.
Moonrazer suddenly had a feeling that the performance might be more interesting than she had anticipated.
Chapter Thirteen
Moonrazer was relieved to see that Whiteshadow had kept the story of Grayskin as the beginning of the History Cycle. She settled back in her throne to watch the tale of the first Exalted Warrior.
This section was faithful to the stories Moonrazer had heard. Whiteshadow apparently felt it was important for the Exalted Warrior to watch this because she left the Candidates' chair empty.
As soon as the Holy One in the story named Grayskin as the first Exalted Warrior, the performers moved on to the story of Diamondhammer, the twenty-fifth one.
The story of Diamondhammer started, as was customary, with the names of her parents and the year of her birth. Her tale was less well known, but Moonrazer had heard that she was one of the greatest Exalted Warriors the Sarl ever had. She looked forward to watching this.
Just as this episode began, Whiteshadow summoned the Candidate named Lord Olivier Tristan of Andarnnon.
"It is an honor to meet you," Lord Olivier said as he sat down. He was slightly shorter than she was, with amber eyes and a dark pointed beard.
Moonrazer smiled. "Thank you."
Just as she was about to ask him a little bit about his world, an actress dressed like a Mother Prioress came on stage. Moonrazer turned her attention away from Lord Olivier. She didn't remember a Mother Prioress in any of the stories.
"Oh, wise Mother Firecatcher," the actress portraying Diamondhammer said, kneeling, "what advice do you have for this unworthy Exalted Warrior?"
"My daughter," the Mother Prioress said. "I have advised you for many blizzards now, and the Holy One has blessed our efforts in keeping peace in the Known Worlds."
"Yes, Mother."
"I have had a vision from Janico. The Sarl are to go to World Iskel and defeat the army of King Karayan of the Nine Rings."
Diamondhammer stood, scowling. "But King Karayan is our friend. He has done nothing for which we need battle him."
Mother Firecatcher scowled. "Do you question my advice or my visions?"
"No, Mother, but I do not understand."
"It is not for you to understand. You must only obey the commands of Janico as He has given them through me."
Diamondhammer shook her head. "I cannot take my army in battle against a friend of the Sarl."
The Mother Prioress bowed her head. "It is, of course, your decision, but the Sarl will pay a dear price for your disobedience."
Then she left the stage.
Lord Olivier leaned toward Moonrazer, his eyes on the stage. "I know this story."
She turned to him, surprised. "How would you know a part of Sarl history from so long ago?"
"I have made an extensive study of medicinal uses of herbs."
Moonrazer shook her head. "I do not understand."
"You see, Mother Firecatcher used a variety of thieves' root to poison the castle's water supply. King Karayan, a number of his servants, and half his household perished. I'm really quite surprised she would include this story. It doesn't show the Mother Prioress in a very good light."
Moonrazer regarded him. He watched the stage, his eyes narrowed as he stroked his beard.
"Are you certain you have the correct story?" Moonrazer asked. "I have never heard this."
"Oh, yes," he said, turning back to her. "At the… Academy, it is well known, as it is possibly the first time thieves' root was used to kill so many people at one time."
This segment of the performance went on to show that Diamondhammer kept her army on Carrick while the Mother Prioress went to World Iskel and prayed outside the castle of King Karayan.
Moonrazer watched, wondering if what he said was true. Surely Whiteshadow wouldn't have selected this story if a Mother Prioress was a murderess.
A messenger arrived at Diamondhammer's camp and announced to Diamondhammer that King Karayan had been discovered with plans to invade Carrick but had died of a lung disease while Firecatcher prayed.
The actress portraying Diamondhammer ended the episode by telling her army that Mother Firecatcher's advice had been sound and she herself had sinned by not listening.
"Intriguing," Lord Olivier said.
"That the king died of a lung disease instead of poison?"
"Thieves' root causes abdominal pain and induces severe coughing, giving the appearance of death by the red cough to anyone examining the body. However, thieves' root poisoning is quite painful and takes several candlemarks."
He jerked his chin toward the actors on the stage. "History, they say, is written by the victors, but not all those who lived in the castle perished and journals in the library on Andarnnon record excruciating pain and torment that the victims of your Mother Firecatcher went through. For a number of generations later, King Karayan's descendants tried to build an army to fight the Sarl, but eventually, they
themselves were conquered by another tribe."
Moonrazer scowled. "I still do not understand. Why would Firecatcher do such a thing?"
"I don't wish to offend, but the story that's told on Andarnnon is that the Mother Prioress was secretly Karayan's lover, and she killed him after he announced his engagement to Princess Willowcup."
"That is a remarkable story," Moonrazer said. "I would never believe a Mother Prioress would abuse her position to take a lover."
Moonrazer turned to Whiteshadow, who was smiling and applauding as the performers left the stage and the setting was adjusted for the next part.
"I do not remember anything about Mother Firecatcher in the lessons we heard as children," the Exalted Warrior said.
Mother Whiteshadow said, "We were children. We would not remember the details, would we?"
Then she stood and thanked Lord Olivier for his attention to the Exalted Warrior.
Moonrazer watched him walk away, then turned to Whiteshadow. "Where did you find the stories you chose for this performance?"
Whiteshadow looked as though she couldn't believe Moonrazer would question her. "From the Ancient Texts."
"And these texts were written by whom?"
"You know this well. The Sisters of the Flame have always been the keepers of the History Cycle. The Ancients Texts were kept in the library at the Fountain of Infallible Light."
"So, this Mother Firecatcher journaled about this incident?"
"Are you suggesting the Mother Prioress fabricated the story, sister?"
Moonrazer wondered how much Whiteshadow would have known about Lord Olivier's version of the story. "No. Of course not, Prioress. Will you summon the next Candidate?"
"It will be my pleasure, sister." Whiteshadow bowed and asked another Candidate, Lord Lawrence of Elvany, to come forward.
The heavyset man approached the Exalted Warrior, wiping his forehead with an embroidered cloth. Moonrazer smiled as he sat down, and they turned to the performers.
The next episode portrayed one of Moonrazer's less well-known predecessors, Moonstone II. She was only Exalted Warrior for two blizzards and throughout her reign, the Sarl were at peace.
Moonrazer wasn't sure why Whiteshadow had chosen this episode as it showed nothing more than Moonstone speaking to her servants and warriors about peace and how glad she was that Sarl were not dying in battles on other worlds.
As this part of the performance continued, Lord Lawrence told her stories about his sheep.
Apparently, his animals, which numbered somewhere near six thousand, were unusually intelligent, and he knew all of their names and their preferences in sleep, drink, and grazing land.
Between his rambling tales and the plodding action in front of her, Moonrazer was sure that time had slowed down. She tried to show interest in Lord Lawrence, but she'd never found sheep intriguing.
After what seemed like at least half a day, the story of Moonstone II finished, and Whiteshadow sent the Candidate back to his seat.
"Why choose Moonstone II?" Moonrazer asked her sister. "She was an adequate Exalted Warrior but did nothing outstanding."
Whiteshadow blinked as though surprised by the question. "Some of our Exalted Warriors were merely adequate. I think they are as worthy of being remembered as the others. Do you not agree?"
"But if we are not to see every Exalted Warrior who has lived, why not only show the greatest of our ancestors?"
"We are not all the greatest, are we?"
Before Moonrazer could say anything else, Whiteshadow consulted a scroll. "Would Lucan please come and sit beside the Exalted Warrior?"
Moonrazer tried not to smile. At least now she knew she'd have something to talk to him about.
The story portrayed in front of them was another of the less exciting moments in Sarl history.
Goldguard had become Exalted Warrior when Swordwielder the First was killed in battle, and by all accounts, Goldguard was not a good leader. She was not a strong warrior, and even though the Sarl were at war with the Clonsyn Clan from World Elonnda, she constantly ordered her warriors to defend positions that were of no value.
As though to emphasize the incompetence of this Sarl leader, the actors performing this story spoke slowly and without inflection. The audience soon began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Are you enjoying the play?" Lucan asked the first time Moonrazer yawned.
She glanced sheepishly at him. "I am afraid this part of our history is less engaging than some of the other stories I remember from my youth. I am surprised Mother Whiteshadow would choose the less shining moments of the past to highlight."
"Perhaps they are meant to be a contrast to the memorable stories in your own life. Aren't we going to see some of your victories later?"
"While I do not know what Whiteshadow has planned for the rest of the day, I do hope the re-enactments of the events of my life are a little more interesting."
He touched her hand. "I am sure they will be. I can't imagine anything you do being boring."
Moonrazer felt herself blush and looked away to hide the color filling her cheeks.
"Don't be embarrassed," he said, entwining his fingers in hers. "The color only heightens your beauty."
Whiteshadow jumped up from her seat as soon as Goldguard handed the Sword of Justice to her successor, Whiteclub I. "It is time for the next Candidate," she said. Her face, too, was red, and Moonrazer wondered if she had overheard the compliment and was annoyed at this blatant show of interest from a Candidate.
"Thank you for talking with me," Lucan said, smiling at her.
"It was my pleasure." Moonrazer watched him walk back to his original seat.
The Mother Prioress looked very annoyed and glanced from Lucan's retreating back to Moonrazer.
"I did not initiate the intimacies," the Exalted Warrior said, causing Whiteshadow to blink.
"Intimacies?"
"He did hold my hand and speak about beauty. Were you not angry that he would compliment my… appearance in such a public place? Is that not why you look so upset?"
Whiteshadow hesitated, and then her expression softened. "Of course. That is the reason. It is inappropriate for you to allow a man such familiarity with you before he is selected as Consort Intended."
"If he is chosen."
"Of course." Whiteshadow waved her hand. "That is what I should have said. Shall I call the next Candidate?"
****
Three candlemarks later, the actors in front of her had only done highlights for about half the Exalted Warriors that had preceded Moonrazer, and her backside felt as though she'd been riding Wind Rider for three days without a stop.
She had noticed an interesting pattern to what stories Whiteshadow had chosen to highlight.
For every exciting episode in Sarl history, there was another one that was ordinary and unremarkable. For the first candlemark, Moonrazer couldn't figure out why Whiteshadow had chosen the stories she had.
When Prince Raphael sat with her, the Sisters re-enacted Bearseeker's victory against the Tyrant of Nerle. The Tyrant of Nerle killed several of his subjects a day as entertainment for his children. When Bearseeker invaded, his own people rebelled against him at once, and the victory was swift. Moonrazer realized, however, that in this version of the story, the Exalted Warrior seemed to depend on her Mother Prioress, Lightwish, for every decision.
Moonrazer watched Whiteshadow's face and saw a smile play over her lips.
"I wish I could stop the play." Raphael leaned toward her, his green eyes dancing.
"You are not enjoying the performance?" Moonrazer asked, wondering if this was a way to get this whole travesty to end.
"I have no idea whether the play is enjoyable or not. I have one opportunity to talk to a beautiful woman and convince her to marry me. However, this play is distracting her."
Moonrazer smiled at him. He was right, and she should give him her attention. Before she could respond Bearseeker finally yelled at Mother Lightwish that th
e Exalted Warrior would make her own decisions, and the Prioress should stick to kneeling and prayers.
The emotions Moonrazer felt must have shown on her face because Prince Raphael took her hand. "Ignore them. I want to know more about you and your warriors."
She did her best to do as he suggested. They talked about the Sarl and their dedication to bring justice to other worlds whenever they found a need. The play distracted her when Bearseeker, who went into battle without Lightwish's blessing, was fatally injured. The sister on the stage screamed like a wounded hyena and proclaimed, "Why did I ignore the wise advice of the holy Mother Prioress?"
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