Kamil’s Baptism
The winter coming-of-age ceremony came and went while I was hunkered down in my workshop, brewing away. The spring baptisms were soon to follow, and of course, I was very excited. Kamil was going to attend this year, which meant I would finally have a chance to see him.
“I shall perform this spring’s baptisms,” I announced.
“Aren’t we trying to keep you out of the public eye?” Melchior asked. “I performed the winter coming-of-age ceremony without issue, so you can leave this one to me too!”
Using feystones packed with mana, Melchior had performed the winter ceremony to perfection. It was a great achievement, and seeing how far he had come made me proud to be his big sister—but that didn’t mean I’d give up on the spring baptisms. I needed to be the one to bless Kamil.
“Melchior... Could you let me have this one?” I asked. “This will be the last ceremony I perform in Ehrenfest. I wish to make it a special one.”
“Your last ceremony...?” he echoed.
“That’s right. I wish to bless Ehrenfest’s commoners one last time before my departure,” I said, adopting the most saintly facade I could muster in an attempt to convince him. I did the same thing with Hartmut, and then with Sylvester, which secured me permission to oversee the ceremony as the High Bishop.
“It saddens me to think this is the last time we will dress you in your ceremonial robes...” Monika sighed. She and Nicola were wearing melancholic smiles as they helped me change for today’s ceremony.
“It saddens me as well,” I said, watching their practiced movements. “Especially as you both just finished relearning how to dress me...”
For a time, Monika and Nicola had struggled to get used to my new, more mature body. But because I’d needed to keep wearing these ceremonial robes while waiting for my normal robes to be altered, they had quickly adapted to the circumstances. Now, their hands moved without the slightest hesitation.
“Is Philine dressed yet?” I asked.
“Wilma is dressing her for us. Lady Philine is an apprentice blue shrine maiden now, so she should be leaving for the chapel soon.”
Indeed, now that Philine was operating as an apprentice blue, she needed to participate in Spring Prayer. I’d given her the ceremonial robes I’d worn during my own tenure as an apprentice, and alterations had since been made so that they were the perfect length for her. They were still emblazoned with the Rozemyne Workshop’s crest, but Philine hadn’t seemed to mind. In her words, because she was no longer with her house, the thought of wearing her protector’s crest was actually quite comforting. I just hoped that it would help keep her safe.
“There,” Monika said. “Everything is ready.”
“Let us go, then.”
Fran guided us to the chapel. Because I was so much taller now, I was actually able to keep up with him, but that didn’t stop him from looking over his shoulder to check on me. He gazed down at where my head would once have been, then noticed his mistake and corrected himself.
“It would seem that I no longer need to slow down for you,” he said with a sad smile. It was a simple remark at face value, but I grasped the double meaning: not only was I taller now, but I would also be leaving Ehrenfest soon. My eyes started to water and my nose burned.
“I really don’t want to go...”
“Today is your final ceremony, Lady Rozemyne. Come, see how much the temple has improved because of you.”
“Because of me...?”
Fran stopped outside the chapel and slowly turned to me. “The gray priests once abandoned in the orphanage have been given work in the printing and paper-making industries—work that will play a crucial role in the future of our duchy. Visiting commoners are more sincere with their prayers, for they know they will receive true blessings. Nobles come and go without batting an eye, though they each have their own motivations. And of course, the orphanage has managed to produce its own nobles with Dirk and Bertram. Our fortunes do not end there, however: having Lord Melchior—a member of the archducal family—as the next High Bishop will ensure the temple’s safety for years to come, and even now, Aub Ehrenfest searches for ways to protect the temple and the lower city.”
Protecting the temple had previously fallen to Ferdinand and me: a noble forced into the temple by Veronica and a former commoner, respectively. That this duty was now falling to one of the archduke’s biological sons was immensely significant—and according to Fran, it had only been possible because of the changes I’d made.
“The High Bishop shall now enter!” came a voice from the chapel.
Fran opened the door for me, then gave me a calm smile as I proceeded inside with my bible held to my chest. The young children were all staring at me in shock, probably because they’d heard so many rumors about the High Bishop being tiny. It was fun to imagine what must have been running through their heads.
As I continued toward the stage, I couldn’t help noticing that the children were so much shorter than me now. They all seemed so tiny and adorable. It really made it clear how much I’d grown.
“Lady Rozemyne,” Hartmut said, then smoothly held out his hand to me. I was tall enough now that I could climb the steps on my own, but I didn’t want to be awkward. I gave him the bible, then took his hand and let him escort me onstage.
“Ah...”
There was a stand in place behind the lectern, but I no longer needed one. Hartmut discreetly moved it while putting the bible in place, his lips curved into a half smile.
Remembering what Fran had said to me, I paused to take in my surroundings. Things really had changed. Melchior, his retainers, and Philine were all clad in blue. The apprentice blues now attending the Royal Academy were free to join the knights’ dormitory in the castle, yet they had chosen to stay in the temple for comfort and to obtain more divine protections, while the gray priests who had monitored the children with hard expressions during my baptism were now standing tall. Even those due to be baptized stood out to me; rather than lazing about and seeming entirely uninvested, they were facing straight ahead with tense looks on their faces. I could already sense how much the general perception of religious ceremonies had changed.
Now, where’s Kamil...?
It was customary for the richer children to stand at the front, so he was probably farther back. I used mana to enhance my vision, and mere moments later—
Over there! That’s him!
He had the same blue hair as Dad and was unmistakably boyish, yet his facial features reminded me a lot of a young Tuuli. It hadn’t taken me very long to spot him, since he was standing with all the other kids from his neighborhood. He also had glossy hair and excellent posture, both owing to his role as an apprentice of the Plantin Company.
Looks like Mom used dyed cloth instead of relying on embroidery.
Baptismal clothes were traditionally embroidered around the edges, but Mom had opted to use her dyed cloth instead. This promoted our duchy’s new dyeing method while also emphasizing the connection between Kamil and me. Mom must have wanted to make it easier for me to recognize Kamil, since I’d never properly met him.
I’m sure that using dyed cloth in place of embroidery is going to spread... just not in the way that Mom expects.
The practice would no doubt become popular among mothers who couldn’t embroider very well. If I were them, I would desperately cling to it, using excuses like “I’m not being lazy! This is a new trend! Even those working for the archduke’s daughter are using it!”
At last, it was time for the ceremony to begin. I read from the bible, taught the children a prayer, and then granted them a blessing.
“O Flutrane, Goddess of Water, hear my prayers. May you grace these newly born children with your blessing. May those who offer their prayers and gratitude be blessed with your divine protection.”
The green light that shot out was slightly larger than usual, but there was no helping that. Besides, it was still several times better than the explosion I’d accidentally created at the end of Tuuli’s coming-of-age ceremony. Repression wasn’t good for the body.
If anyone asks, I’ll give the same excuse that I gave Melchior: I wanted to give a huge blessing as a final gift to Ehrenfest’s commoners.
The doors were then opened, and the children started filtering out of the chapel. I could see my family waiting outside. There was Dad, Mom, Tuuli... and for some reason, Lutz. They were all staring at me in shock—apart from Tuuli, who had already seen me since my sudden growth spurt. She had a triumphant look on her face that seemed to say, “See? It’s just as I told you.”
Mom and Dad continued to stare at me for a moment; then their surprise gave way to overjoyed smiles. They didn’t see my unexpected growth as disturbing—they were just glad to see that their daughter was doing well.
A wave of emotion spread through my chest.
“You didn’t all need to come all the way here!” Kamil exclaimed, sounding embarrassed as he ran over to the others.
Lutz made a remark of some kind about it not being any trouble, then gave Kamil a pat on the head and waved at me. I resisted the urge to wave back and instead broadened my smile.
They’re so far away. So, so far away...
I understood that I couldn’t join my family in celebrating Kamil’s baptism, but still... Watching them made me feel so terribly lonely.
And as soon as those doors close, even these fleeting interactions will be a thing of the past...
Moving to the Sovereignty would mark the end of these little moments. I would struggle just to see my family.
Once the children were all outside, the chapel doors were shut. I couldn’t suppress a heavy sigh.
“Your hand, Lady Rozemyne.”
Hartmut knew about my family in the lower city. That was why he’d stayed with me until the end, not saying a word. I took his outstretched hand, and together we descended from the stage.
Outside the chapel, my knights were waiting in a line with stern looks on their faces. Cornelius alone took a step toward me.
“Lady Rozemyne, an ordonnanz arrived from the castle. The archducal family is holding a meeting about Ehrenfest’s defenses, including their plans for Spring Prayer. You and Melchior have been asked to attend. You are to bring one guard, one scholar, and one attendant each.”
It seemed that I wouldn’t have time to process the end of my final ritual and the loss of yet another connection to my family. I turned to Melchior, and we both exchanged nods. I would need to think carefully about whom to leave behind to ensure that the temple remained safe in my absence. We couldn’t risk exposing it or the lower city to danger right now.
“Cornelius, I shall take you, Hartmut, and Lieseleta with me to the meeting,” I announced. “Damuel, Angelica, Matthias, and Laurenz will remain here in case they are needed, while Philine will serve as the orphanage director. Summon Leonore and Judithe to guard me on my way to the castle.”
“Yes, my lady!”
Melchior and I instructed the knights we weren’t bringing with us to guard the temple while we were away. We also told them to remain in close contact with the knights stationed at the gates. Wilma, Monika, and Nicola would prepare the orphanage director’s chambers for Philine while also getting everything ready for Spring Prayer.
“I will contact Damuel if something happens on my end,” I said. “Everyone, coordinate sending ordonnanzes to the lower city’s gates. If you need to contact the orphanage, send an ordonnanz to Philine. Should an incident of some kind require the orphans to evacuate, remember our drills.”
“Understood.”
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