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Chapter 49
Nariana
For the next week, I felt like everything was going great. Maela had made her point, and while nothing in the temple actually changed because of it, I felt like it had. It was almost as if all the pieces were starting to fall into place, and one worry had been taken off my plate. Sadly, not everything was amazing.
For some reason, Ciella decided to double down on giving me a hard time. Not that it mattered. The girl was an idiot, and even when she tried to trip me in the halls between classes, it was pretty easy to avoid. Wraythe shoulder-checked her once, making Ryshie step up like he was going to try something. Wraythe simply gave him a warning look and Ryshie faded back into the shadow of Ciella's abuse.
Tishlie acted like she'd given up. Anver was our near constant companion, and while Tishlie tossed dirty looks at him, the idiot had figured out that whining wasn't doing her any favors. After the incident with the tea pot, she didn't even come close to us. Even better, Anver decided there was no reason he couldn't hold my hand, often at times when he knew she'd be watching.
Then, that weekend, Maela surprised us all with lunch at the temple. She informed her friends from the temple that she'd be having lunch in the dining hall with us. The Priests of Obligation put together a larger table in the middle, dressed it with a tablecloth, and sent up a special meal. Talin passed a handful of coins to one of them, asking them to be spread through the people who'd helped, and that resulted in the best service I'd ever had.
While Priests of Obligation poured wine and served our meal, Maela announced that she was officially the Primary Patron of Temptation. Jokingly, she said we should all call her Baroness now. The Priests of Obligation tried, but she corrected them, making it clear she preferred to simply be Maela to the priests in Zeal's house.
But the High Priest noticed. Yana made a point of walking through the dining hall and greeting Maela almost snidely. Just as the Baroness was leaving, the High Priest ventured out of his office, "casually" walking through the front of the temple just as I escorted Maela to the front for her carriage. She smiled at Kinen politely, then turned to hug me tight enough to reach my ear.
"I'm starting to think this is fun," she whispered before pulling back. "I probably won't see you again for a bit, not unless you're going to be at the celebration of Blessing and Planning?"
"I don't know yet," I admitted.
"Already?" Talin asked. "Where has the year gone?"
I just looked between them. "So, this is a common tradition? I don't usually follow Bode's or Savi's holidays."
Maela nodded. "Until Tarben passed, the Ranndors tried to attend the holidays of every god. Blessing and Planning were my favorites. Well, and the Tulip Festival. Also - " She paused. "Nope, I just like all holidays. The celebrations for Blessing and Planning, however, have both temples throwing open their doors and spilling into the grassy area between the temples. There are entertainers, acrobats, musicians, and so much more. Plus, candy apples!"
"And it's during the week," Talin reminded her, "so we will likely be in class. Enjoy yourself for us, though?"
"Promise," Maela said. "Yamina and I will only get into a little trouble."
After that, it wasn't really a surprise when, a few days later, Saval walked into class with another stack of those papers. I was starting to get used to seeing them. Each time she had them, it meant we were getting another assignment for sessions with patrons. I did like how we were continuously updating our preferences, though. It made me feel like learning was the goal of our experimenting.
"Ok," Saval said, starting class. "I know that as students, you've been kept isolated from a lot of the other temples. Well, that's about to change. At the end of next week, the Temple of Intuition will be hosting the Day of Blessings. The following day will be Perception's Day of Planning. Does anyone know about them?"
Talin tentatively lifted his hand. Roek immediately saw. "Talin?" he called out, making Saval look over.
"The Day of Blessings is to count the good things that have happened and be thankful for what we get," Talin said. "The Day of Planning is to prepare for a long winter with only what we have. It's usually a combined holiday for the end of harvest and bracing for the lean times of winter."
"Good," Saval praised. "As children, many of you celebrated these things at home, in your own ways. Here in the center of Calseth, we tend to do things a little bigger. Next week, both the Temples of Intuition and Perception will be open to the public - to an extent. Anyone is welcome to enter the front of the temples. The festivities at the back will be limited due to space. The nobility all get passes to get in. After that, the remainder are handed out on a first come, first serve basis. This year, each of you will be going - along with a date."
The class immediately erupted into murmurs, but Saval just held up her hand. "Your dates will be patrons, and they will be assigned by your scheduler. The class will be divided in half. You will each get a date from a member of high society or a commoner. What you get one day will be the opposite the next."
"In other words," Roek said, pulling himself out of his chair at the back, "If you get high society for the Day of Blessing, you will get a commoner for the Day of Planning. If you get a commoner for the Day of Blessing, you will get a member of high society for the Day of Planning. Your order is determined by the punctuality of your scheduler. Welcome to how sessions are usually made."
"How are we supposed to watch our wards during this?" Talin asked. "Since I'm sure most people here haven't been to this holiday, they won't know to ask. Do you want us to follow or try to keep track from the outskirts of the festivities?"
"You will need to follow," Roek told him. "The space is too large for you to get to your ward if anything goes bad. Also, keep an eye on the other guardians around you. If someone needs a hand, lend it. Think of yourselves as chaperones. Stay polite, try to stay far enough back that you won't be interrupting, but not so far that your wards' dates will think they can cross lines."
"Because," Saval said, "these sessions are for Entertainment. They are not inherently sexual. Your duties will be to show your date around, make them feel comfortable, and introduce them to others as fits the situation. If things turn sexual, you are allowed to act on that, but you are also not required to."
"So, why are we doing this again?" someone asked.
Saval smiled in that direction, but her answer was pitched for all of us. "Because a large part of the Path of the Body is simply making sure your patron is not alone. Those of you longing to spend time in high society need to know this. Barons, noble sons, and even merchants will request an escort so they aren't seen showing up alone. They want someone who can make polite conversation, who can get them out of an awkward situation, and who can become any person they need to be in a split second. Companions to weddings, galas, and even other holidays will be common requests. Many times, it's just so they can have a peer on their arm without giving preference to an actual peer."
"Then why commoners?" a guy asked.
"Because sometimes," Saval said, "you will be expected to mingle with people who came from the same class as you. Patrons will save up for a night to remember. Priests of the Body are often a safe way to break out of their boring life without worrying about the consequences that might follow them. None of you can be shamed because of what you did. None of you will turn up your noses at beer or cheap wine. You might not like it, but you are too well trained to show that to your patrons. And, believe it or not, most of the people in Calseth are not noble-born."
"Just the ones with money," someone else grumbled.
