The ability to adapt is an innate trait within humans. It has allowed us to survive for so long and become the dominant life form on the planet. That all-important trait manifests to different degrees depending on the individual.
Some people handle change well and can go on living even when the foundations on which they stand crumble beneath them. Others freeze and cannot even lift a finger if they so much as miss their morning meal.
It was because of this ability to adapt that Dean found himself spending time in a very unusual place for one of his age.
"Yeah, it's as bad as you'd imagine up there."
Dean sat in a small children's classroom in the orphanage listening to Maria as she told him about the academy and the classes within. His chair was much too small for him, and he had to hunch over a desk that was not much bigger. Dean sighed and scratched his head.
"And so freedom dies," he muttered. "Should we hold a toast to our fallen comrades?" He asked her.
Maria chuckled softly.
"I wouldn't say no to a drink. But Dean, it's ten in the morning and also, if anyone has fallen, it's clearly you, no?"
Dean laughed aloud, hiding the pang of shame he felt from her scathing remarks.
"I assure you, I've only faced a temporary setback. So, what's it actually like in there?" He asked.
Maria shrugged.
"From what Rose has told me, the lessons feel more like funerals. Marianne threw out old Layota and has stationed guards at the entrance. Though I'm sure you already knew that."
Dean sat back in his chair, which almost fell backwards because of his weight and size. He had tried to ignore Marianne's ban this morning but had been restrained by two guards wielding shockmaces charged with lyth stones. Wasn't it a severe diplomatic insult to bring private soldiers onto church property?
"What about the other students?"
He wanted to ask about Matin specifically, but a little bitterness from last night's confrontation prevented him from mentioning his friend's name directly.
"Never seen a more dreary crowd, to be honest. I stole a glance whenever I could, and not once did I see anyone chatting or having fun. Then I got caught, was called a filthy commoner by Marianne and was thrown out on my ass," Maria replied, making it sound like she was discussing what she had for breakfast.
So it would be just like last time when Matin had been taking the entrance exams. Only now he wasn't even permitted to take part in the whole farce.
"Lucky me, not having to deal with all that trouble. Looks like my big mouth has saved me from all that!" he said aloud with a casual laugh.
Perhaps his suspension was actually a gift in disguise. He just hated that he couldn't stop thinking about those still trapped.
"Now you're part of the bottom-feeder clan with me," Maria said with a wide grin. "Though you're not fooling anyone here with that act."
Dean waved a hand.
"Dunno what you mean. By the way, did you see all the guards on the way here? Rarely see that many."
Maria nodded.
"Yeah. Do you think they're Marianne's men? If so, then it almost feels like…"
"She's holding the monastery hostage," Dean finished.
Was there honestly no lengths that woman wouldn't go to in order to get what she wanted? Sure, the exams were important, but to occupy the center of the most dominant religion on the continent just to ensure her son passed? Talk about over-protective parenting.
"What the heck are Methaeus and Addi doing?" Dean wondered aloud.
Of course, there were obvious reasons the church wasn't fighting back. If this had been before Oscar's victory in the war, when the church was at its full strength, then there wouldn't have been a chance in hell Marianne could have pulled this off. It was more than likely that Methaeus and Addi simply couldn't enforce anything upon Marianne. The only person who could do that now would be the emperor himself, and even for him, it would come at a significant cost.
If nobody else was going to take action, then it fell to him to get something done. After all, if you wanted something done, then it was best to do it yourself.
At that moment, the door swung open, and a group of young children being led by an energetic young boy ran in.
"Dean, Dean, why are you studying in our classroom?" The young boy asked as he rushed over and ploughed himself onto Dean's lap.
He was soon followed by the rest of the children, who did a surprisingly good job of pinning him down.
"Hey, hey you lot. Hey Mark, that's my stomach, please don't step on - ack."
Dean could hear Maria's uncontrolled laughter from beyond the tangled arms and legs.
"Our brave and powerful charismatic leader. Brought low by a bunch of runts!" She said with amusement.
Dean's struggles only continued as his only ally betrayed him to his torment.
"Maria, please…help," he begged.
"What? And miss out on this display? Wish I could hire a painter to record this moment for all eternity. Or maybe one of those lyth mirrors? I've heard they can take your reflection and put it right onto paper. Weird stuff, eh?"
Maria sat back on the desk, removed a pouch of dried fruit from her bag and began to eat. It seemed Dean's struggles would continue for some time until a high-pitched yet stern voice interrupted them.
"Get off him, you lot! That's no way to behave in the classroom!"
In the doorway stood another child with long black hair flowing freely down her shoulders. She leveled her stony gaze at the other children.
"Come on, Joan, you want to play with Dean too, don't you?" Mark said excitedly.
Joan's mouth hung open for a moment as she tried to think of something to say. She then raised her chin and looked away.
"Of course I don't. Now get off him. Mother is on her way."
With a flurry of complaints, the children climbed off him, though they did manage to step on a couple of more sensitive parts as they did so.
"I'm sorry about them, Dean. Are you alright?" Joan asked, walking over to him rather quickly and looking up at him with big, worried-looking eyes.
"I'm fine." Dean replied in a pitch that was at least an entire octave higher than his usual voice.
"Darn, I was really enjoying that, you know," Maria said in disappointment.
"Oh, be quiet. You should have helped him. He was getting hurt! You're supposed to be the oldest, so act like it," Joan said, getting angry at the woman who was twice her size.
"You're right, I'm sorry, sorry!" Maria said quickly, raising her hands towards Joan.
She was trying to sound sincere. However, Maria could not hold back her laughter, which only served to anger Joan further. Sensing further escalation, Dean put his hand on the girl's shoulder.
"It's alright. Look, I'm fine really." He said in his usual voice.
Joan's anger and worry seemed to dissipate slowly. He'd have to remind Maria that children saw things differently than she did and small things could come across as very serious in their eyes.
"Well, if you say so and as long as you're alright," she whispered shyly.
Dean smiled and got to his feet.
"Have you been enjoying that book I lent you?" He asked, changing the subject.
Joan nodded with a cheerful smile.
"It's good, but Dean, the goddess hasn't shown up yet, and neither has any of the famous priestesses. I'm halfway done, and I'm worried they won't show up."
Dean sighed. The whole point he had lent the poor child that book was to show her that there existed many tales in the world of fiction that weren't related to the teachings of the church. He wanted to broaden her mind, so to speak.
"Well, this one shows us how people can persevere even when it seems like the Goddess isn't watching." He explained diplomatically.
Joan's face scrunched up in thought. Bless her, she was trying to see things from his point of view, which she would never have done before.
"I think I understand…" she drawled.
"It's fine," he said, patting her on the head. "The most important thing is that you enjoyed reading it. Are you having fun?"
Joan nodded.
"Then that's all that matters," Dean said with his best smile.
He hoped the child could expand her horizons a bit. Being chained to this place and listening to nothing but religious dogma her entire life wasn't going to do her any favors.
"Anyway, what do you think of it so far?" He asked, trying to get her to engage.
"It was a little scary when the girl was walking alone in the woods. Some monsters started chasing her! I heard from Mother that the woods outside the monastery are like that too," Joan said, her eyes wide.
Dean laughed. The girl often tried to put on a mature act, but now that she was caught up in telling him about her reading experience, she was behaving just like a kid should.
"Don't worry, you're safe from those monsters as long as you don't go too deep into the forest by yourself. Besides, the guardsmen here will protect you from them," Dean assured her.
"Oh, might you be speaking of the creatures who call the great forest home?"
Dean looked over toward the entrance of the classroom. Standing there with a kindly smile was Sister Layota. It might have been his imagination, but there was a look of deep tiredness behind that smile. Her habit was a bit more disheveled than usual, and her gray hair, tied up in a bun, had more than a few strands loose. Beside her was Addi, who gave Dean a little wave.
"Those monsters have certainly grown bolder in recent years, ever since Oscar tore down the monastery's wall and marched his armies inside. Remember to never enter those woods alone, especially at night," Layota said, looking at Maria and Dean.
"Oh, come on. Those things haven't come within ten miles of this place in hundreds of years," Maria said dismissively. "I've never even seen anything more dangerous than a wolf before."
Dean could see the children's eyes widen slightly. Where usually there would be a ruckus, now they were all listening intently to the conversation.
"Should we really be talking about this in front of the kids?" He asked.
Layota nodded firmly as she made her way to the teacher's desk, a much simpler piece of furniture than those found in the academy's lecture halls that might have been older than Layota herself.
"Now might be an excellent opportunity to teach them about the dangers," Layota said in a serious tone. "Addi was going to teach them fables from the scriptures, but that can wait."
"You'd throw aside your Priestess' duty just like that?" Dean asked with mock severity as Addi joined him and Maria among the desks. "Why, she might have an aneurysm in response to such rudeness!"
"Oh, I'm sure she wouldn't mind hearing tales of the horrifying creatures that call the nearby woods home?" Layota asked, raising an eyebrow.
In response, Addi nodded vigorously and eagerly took a seat on one of the tiny chairs next to Dean. It didn't look quite as ridiculous as it did for him, but it still looked rather comical. It was often hard to tell, but he could tell now that she was actually growing up. He wondered how much longer he could realistically tease her for being pint-sized.
"Mother, I think she just wants to laze about," Dean argued, raising his hand like a good little schoolboy.
"Shut up!" Addi hissed, punching him in the arm. "I've had to read scriptures all day. Let me have this!"
She leaned towards him and whispered under her breath.
"Nothing will stop Layota when she decides to talk about something, so let's just play along and enjoy our break, yeah?"
Dean shrugged as Layota finished gathering her thoughts.
"Yes, young children should be wary of the woods at night," she was saying in a low voice. "For there are creatures there that never sleep."
Dean hoped Layota wasn't about to permanently scar the minds of these young children. He looked across to find most of the kids leaning forward intently and chuckled quietly. They actually appeared eager to hear about the dangerous forest. It reminded him of the times he had come to the monastery as a young boy. He would spend hours with his friends and read books with-
No, this isn't relevant to the current story. Just stop thinking and listen.
"Goatmen, with their primitive weapons ready to slice and dice. Wood wraiths, who possess the very trees you walk under, their roots grab your legs and pull you under. Ghouls, shambling corpses of those long dead. All hungry for the flesh of the young, ready to pluck out your your eyeballs for their stews."
Dean's eyes widened.
"She really is going all out on this," he muttered in amazement.
He looked over at the children once again. Many were still leaning forward but, unsurprisingly, some had their mouths hanging open, eyes wide in fear.
"She's always enjoyed telling these kinds of tales." Addi said fondly. "She did it with us plenty of times, remember?"
Dean did indeed remember Layota telling them scary stories. He had enjoyed them personally, but he remembered Matin and Rosetta not taking to them so well. Marianne had gone to have a serious word with Layota afterwords.
"So, is what she's saying true? Are the monsters of the forest getting bolder?" Dean asked.
Addi nodded.
"The scouts have reported sightings within a ten mile radius," She whispered.
"And that's why there's an increase in the number of guards?" He asked.
"Well, that's part of it." Addi said.
"Part of it?"
Addi didn't respond and just looked at him apologetically. Well, with Marianne present, it was probably no wonder. He should probably concern himself less with the monsters and more with the various factions of soldiers who had appeared so suddenly.
"Don't worry, I don't think the monsters in the woods will be a problem. I'm more worried about the monsters on the inside," she said, reinforcing his own thoughts on the matter.
"Teacher, wouldn't we be safe if we brought a lyth lamp with us?" A girl asked.
Her name was Fuelle, if Dean remembered correctly. A quiet, well-behaved and very perceptive girl. She was often the one to ask questions first and got along really well with adults.
Layota smiled but shook her head.
"If you brought enough people with those lamps, you could scare off the smaller creatures, but don't rely on them too much. After all…" Layota paused and looked around with a mischievous smile.
"…there are whisperings that the evil creatures of the world and the lyth stones used to power all our modern conveniences have the same origin."
"Oh, here we go again," Dean whispered, folding his arms.
"You don't agree with her?" Maria whispered to him.
"It's not that, but it's just too soon to be sure. We've only been using lyth for the last ten or so years. Monsters and similar creatures have been around forever. It's way too soon to be linking them like that."
"Well, the church used to condemn the use of lyth as sinful, so linking it with monsters really helped convince the common folk away from its use. Funny how the church just ended up keeping all the knowledge for themselves," Maria said, shrugging.
"Things are different now." Addi replied a little too quickly.
Having lost the civil war, the church was forced to accept the ideologies and viewpoints of the nobility, and the allegations against lyth were quickly dropped. Soon after, Oscar mandated the widespread use of lyth resulting in a huge leap forward in the empire's technological capabilities.
At the front of the classroom, Layota was continuing her spiel about old legends and stories. She was currently speaking about her own experiences within the woods around the monastery. Most of the children were listening intently, but Dean noticed that Joan would occasionally cast a quick glance towards Addi. Dean assumed she was just interested in her as the Priestess. Joan still held a devotion to the church that was rarely seen in one so young.
"Dunno why we're so worried about those monsters on the outside when we've got plenty on the inside, know what I mean?" Maria asked as she lounged on a nearby desk.
It amused Dean how her thoughts echoed both his and Addi's. They might have spent a bit too much time together as a group.
"She'll end up doing much more damage to this place than any ghoul," Dean agreed.
Marianne's interventions had already completely changed the atmosphere of the monastery, and it would only get worse from here on out.
"Wouldn't it be great if she just went and died? Maybe took a tumble off a tall building like the library? That would solve all our problems," Maria muttered.
A flash. Standing on a rooftop. Nicolas and Maira. No, it was nothing. Just a stray daydream.
Regardless, Maira's words went a little too far, but considering Maria communicated mostly with sarcasm and jokes, it wasn't that alarming. What surprised him was Addi's reaction.
Immediately following Maria's grim suggestion, Addi's eyes shot towards Maria.
"What did you just say?" She asked, eyes wide and tone hushed.
Maria looked surprised at first but then leaned forward, a smile appearing on her face.
"I said she should take a leap of faith from the roof of the library. Sorry, was that a little sacrilegious of me? That old harlot deserves it, you know."
Maria was still apparently treating this as a bit of fun, but Addi didn't return the smile.
"Don't even think about something like that," Addi said. She spoke much louder than Maria had, getting the attention of some of the nearby children. Maria's eyes narrowed in slight confusion.
"What's wrong, Ad? Usually, you'd be the one agreeing with me. Come on, it's not like I'm actually going to murder her. Well, not ye at least." Maria said, finishing with a mischievous wink.
"When you talk that way, I can't even tell if you're serious. I'm warning you, Maria don't ever bring something like that up again. Don't even think about it."
Dean wondered if he should interrupt, but Maria had gone silent herself, a rarity for her.
"No idea what's gotten into you, but since you asked so nicely, I suppose I'll hold off," she said in a disinterested tone before turning her attention back to Layota.
There was still an air of light humor in Maria's voice, but Dean could see her smile was strained. Nobody but Addi could talk down Maria like that. He couldn't fathom why Addi had reacted so strongly. It had been a rather cruel way to speak, but that wasn't unusual for Maria. Addi was usually much better at detecting sarcasm and irony.
"You're scared of her, aren't you?"
Dean looked over to find that Joan had approached Addi, having separated herself from the other children. There was a wide grin on her face, something Dean had never seen before. Addi looked taken aback by the child's appearance.
"What? Scared? No, it's just-"
"Now you're stuttering." Joan scoffed. "Aren't you supposed to be the Priestess? You shouldn't be showing weakness like that, you know. You're supposed to be immaculate, the avatar of the Goddess herself!"
Addi stared at the young girl. All three of them did, unable to believe that a child could speak in such a manner.
"Hey Joan, what's the matter?" Dean asked, getting up from his chair and approaching the black-haired girl.
"I'm perfectly fine. It's that girl who calls herself the Priestess that has something wrong with her," Joan sniffed.
"Don't think you should be talking to her like that, runt." Maria said with a wide grin that showed her teeth.
Where Dean felt his blood run cold at the smile, Joan didn't even flinch. Instead, she raised her chin up to meet Maria's and Addi's gazes. Her eyes were wide with anger.
"She's not the real Priestess!" Joan cried aloud. "She's just a stupid faker!"
Any attention Layota had over the children was broken instantly and all gazes turned towards their small group.
"Don't think for a moment you'll last more than a year. Someone better will come. Someone who is the real Priestess, not someone like you!"
Dean had heard enough. He got down on his knees and looked Joan in the face.
"Come on, kid, that's enough. I know you don't really like her, but give her a chance, yeah? She's still young too, you know. She can get better."
He heard Addi sniff behind him but didn't break his gaze with Joan.
"It doesn't matter how old you are. Once you've been blessed, you should be perfect. She's a liar, a fake!"
Joan began stomping her feet and punching Dean's arms, her tantrum only growing by the second.
"Step away, Dean. I'll handle the little one." Layota said as she made her way through the crowd of children between them. Once she arrived, she spoke again.
"Can you take the priestess back for now? I fear Joan won't calm down until she's gone."
Dean had no choice but to nod. Casting one last regretful look at the furious Joan, he turned to Addi and Maria.
"Let's get out of their way," He said simply.
Maria nodded but Addi didn't seem to notice. She was still looking at Joan with a complicated expression.
"Addi?" Dean said, tapping her shoulder.
Addi jumped slightly, as if being shaken from a daze.
"Huh? Oh yeah, let's go."
Without waiting for either Dean or Maria, Addi quickly left the room.
He looked at Maria, who shrugged.
"Let's not leave her alone, yeah?" She said.
Dean nodded.
"Sorry for the trouble." He said, turning to Layota.
Layota just shook her head with her usual kind smile as she embraced Joan. Joan was still struggling fiercely, and Dean was worried Layota might be hurt.
"Should I?" he suggested, looking down at Joan.
Layota shook her head.
"I'm as tough as a gnarled root, child. You go support her holiness. She is not as strong as she lets on and the careless words of a child can cut deeper than you think."
"Yeah, sure." Dean said with a nod.
Dean followed Maria out of the classroom. They rushed to catch up with Addi who had just stepped outside the front entrance of the monastery.
"Hey don't forget what they were saying about the recent monster sightings, Addi!" Maria shouted, trying to slow her down.
Addi's pace didn't slow.
"She'll be the death of me someday," Maria muttered. "Hey Dean, you go after her. I'll only end up pissing her off more."
"Can't you just say you were joking about throwing Marianne off a building?" Dean asked, slowing down a little as Maria came to a complete stop.
Upon hearing his question, Maria smiled.
"Was I joking though?" She asked mischievously.
Dean chuckled, though it sounded weak and forced even to himself. She wouldn't actually throw someone off the edge of a building, would she?
"Even I can't keep up with you sometimes," he whispered. "Anything you want me to say to Addi on your behalf since you're ditching me like this?"
Maria's smile faded as she turned and began to walk away.
"Just tell her that no matter what happens, I'll keep her safe." She said in a serious tone.
With that, she made her way towards the servants' quarters, leaving Dean standing in the snowy forest alone. Looking back in the direction Addi had run off to, Dean couldn't see her anymore. It didn't matter. He had a good idea of where she had gone.
A few minutes later, Dean found himself in the cathedral backrooms. There had been a guard posted at the door in the nave, but dropping his father's name was enough to make the young guard allow him through. That, and a bulging coin purse. Small change from his last visit to the city.
The hallways were mostly empty, though he got odd looks from the occasional guardsman. Luckily, Dean was not an unfamiliar face in this place, so nobody bothered to stop him. As he reached Addi's quarters, he came upon another familiar face.
"What did you do this time?" The black-haired guardsman asked in a low, emotionless voice.
"Not me this time, Mitch. Maria." Dean replied.
Mitch, an older guardsman, had known Dean and Addi a long time. In fact, he had guarded the previous Priestess as well. Dean couldn't quite remember who she had been, though.
"If you're going in, watch your words. If she asks me to behead you, I'll have no choice but to obey."
Mitch spoke in a completely serious tone, but Dean knew he was only joking. There was no way he'd say such a thing, surely not. His sharp, pale face was as far from smiling as one could be, but Dean knew he could hide his true emotions well. Besides, Addi would never give such an order. Yes, Surely not.
Mitch lightly knocked on Addi's door three times.
"Young Master Kasanagh is here to see you, Your Holiness."
"Let him in." Came Addi's immediate response.
Mitch opened the door, and Dean stepped inside after nodding his head in thanks. Addi's room was as ornate as you'd expect for the person who stood at the head of the church. Sky blue wallpaper and pure white furniture gave Dean the impression of a summer sky. There was also enough space to hold an imperial meeting between the door and the massive canopied bed against the far wall. In short, the room was immaculate. Addi, who was standing next to a chest of drawers, was pouring something into a glass from a decanter. When the door closed, she spoke.
"Charging into the Priestess' private quarters when she is not in a good mood, you must have a death wish."
Dean put on his best smile and spoke in as soft a voice as he could while still being heard.
"Come on, Addi, I know you'd never do that to me."
"No?" she asked, turning to face him. There was a glass of wine in her hand. "You'd be surprised what a person is capable of when there is no danger of repercussions. Maybe I could ask Mitch to put you in the stockades instead?"
Dean grimaced slightly. It wouldn't be the first time she had ordered such a thing. He had played some cruel pranks on her in the past. In his defense, it was nothing physically harming, but then again, a maiden's heart was a fickle thing, and sometimes public embarrassment was worse than any wound.
"You really shouldn't be drinking at your age." He said in a weak attempt to go on the offensive.
Addi's look instantly made him regret his choice of words.
"I'm a year younger than you, and you've been drinking since you were twelve, so don't even start with that," she hissed.
She turned her back again, pouring a second glass of wine. Silently, she picked it up and walked over to him.
"Take it."
Dean looked down at the glass suspiciously.
"What did you put into it?" He asked.
He noticed Addi's eyebrows twitch slightly, so he decided to take the glass without another word of complaint. If it had been laced with something then, well, he probably deserved it.
Addi turned away and walked over to her bed, sitting on it. Dean followed soon after.
"So what's wrong? This isn't just about what Maria or Joan said, is it?" He asked gently.
Addi was silent for a moment. A good long moment in which she imbibed several mouthfuls of wine. Was her hand shaking a little?
"I think things are slowly falling apart again," she said after a long time. She spoke in a whisper, her usual high spirits and strong will absent.
Addi looked so small next to him. Nothing like the priestess she had presented herself as the previous evening with Methaeus. She reminded him of how she had looked the first time they met in that dark, dirty alley in the capital.
"You're right," he replied. "What with Marianne throwing her weight around like some greedy king from a storybook. It's got everyone on edge."
"It's not just that," Addi said. She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "As you know, Oscar's also visiting tomorrow, and I think your father will be with him."
He took a large mouthful of wine for himself. Were these tests so important that the entire leadership of the empire had to gather here? It was simply ludicrous. So, that scumbag of a father was dragging himself all the way here, was he? As if Dean didn't have enough on his plate already.
"Having everyone together like this is never a good sign," Addi continued.
Dean looked over at her, slightly confused.
"What?"
Addi didn't reply and simply shook her head. Silence came between them for a long moment. Dean wondered what she meant. He supposed that having so many powerful nobles in one place could end in disaster, but for it to have so much of an effect on her, there must have been a deeper meaning to her words. Could she simply not tell him the details? That was fine. He would trust her regardless. Unable to stand the silence, Dean spoke up.
"Well, with Marianne, Oscar and my father in the same place, I don't blame you for thinking everything is going to hell."
Dean wondered what Oscar would think of Marianne's sudden takeover of the entire monastery. Would he even care?
"Wait a second," Dean said as an idea bloomed in his head.
"We could talk to Oscar about Marianne. If the emperor himself sees what she's doing, she'll have no choice but to back off!" he shouted, growing more excited by the idea.
Addi looked up at him blankly.
"You're going to go to Oscar directly?" She asked.
Her tone made it sound like he was doing something impossible or, at the very least, ill-advised. It was the emperor they were talking about, so he supposed she had a point to worry. It didn't matter, though. They were already out of sensible options.
"Of course I am. He's the only one in the entire world who can tell Marianne what to do."
"And how are you going to secure the opportunity to talk to him in the first place? He's a busy man, you know."
Addi was being unusually contrary, but Dean pushed on.
"That's where you come in, my dear apprentice," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Touching the priestess is punishable by death, you know?" She muttered, staring a whole though his hand.
"As the priestess, you'll be having a private audience with him, and if you request that I be there, then there's nothing he can do about it," Dean continued, ignoring her threat. "I can talk to Oscar and put a stop to this. Matin won't have to kill himself studying every waking minute, and Sophia and the other students will be safe from her cruelty. I can do it."
His last words came fast, like a torrent of water from a burst dam. He realised he was getting too worked up, but it didn't matter. He had to convince her to let him join their meeting.
"You should be spending more time with us. With Matin and Maria rather than going around trying to solve problems that are way bigger than you can handle, you know."
Despite her reluctance, she still hadn't removed his hand from her shoulder, so he was forced to do so himself. Any longer, and it would just start feeling awkward.
"And just let this whole thing fester? Besides, Matin has Sophia to look out for him, and Maria has Nick and Rose."
Addi sighed.
"I know that look. You're not going to let me talk you out of this, are you?" She asked in a low voice.
"Nope, I've made up my mind."
It was always better to try everything you could. Doing nothing would never change a thing. If talking to Oscar didn't work, he'd find another solution. He'd try over and over until he made things right again.
"Stubborn, always so bloody stubborn."
Dean just flashed her his most confident smile and patted her on the head. She grumbled but didn't move out of the way. He had to make this work, for everyone's sake. Even Addi's.
"I'll let you join the meeting on one condition," she said.
"Name it." Dean replied without hesitation.
"I want you to spend the rest of your free time with me today until my duties as priestess call me out again." She said, leaning against him.
Her voice had a hint of fear and uncertainty. Dean could only imagine the burden she was bearing. He supported her for a while as she leaned against him, all the while wondering what he could do to take her mind off things. Then it came to him. Since they were sitting on her bed, he could wrap her in the blankets, immobilizing her. He could then play whatever prank he could imagine on her, and she would be helpless. He could lock her in her closet and pretend to go through all her things. It would likely only end up enraging her, but that would be for the best if it helped her forget her current troubles, if even for a single moment.
He jumped up, grabbing the edge of the blanket, ready to cover Addi entirely. However, before he could even begin to subdue her, he felt something smash against his side, followed by a sharp pain. All of his muscles relaxed and became numb as he fell onto the bed.
"Knew you were gonna try something like that. You really are getting predictable in your old age." She said, looking down at him with a smug grin.
She was holding a metal rod with a green lyth stone attached to its end. Where had she gotten a bloody shocklance from? Those weapons were particularly popular among city and town guards around the empire for their ability to disable criminals with no need for lethal force.
Dean couldn't move a muscle. He tried to speak, but his words were a jumbled mess, and saliva began to trickle down his cheek.
"Ah wasn guna duh anyfing."
"Yeah, sure." Addi said, putting down her glass on the bedside table and pulling something out of a drawer. Dean craned his neck ever so slightly and saw that she was holding an ink glass and a brush.
With both items in hand, she got onto the bed and straddled him.
"Wow, Dean, with you like this, I can do just about anything to you and you wouldn't be able to fight back," she said with the most terrifying smile Dean had ever seen.
Dean tried to shake his head, but his muscles wouldn't respond.
"Prish nooo. Addeh prish don't."
Addi's smile vanished for a moment. She looked into his eyes with a somewhat vacant expression, her lips drawn in a straight line.
"If it's all going to come to an end-" she mumbled to herself.
She slipped in and out of talking out loud, and Dean could only hear fragments of what she was saying.
"It'll all be wiped clean soon."
Her voice was monotone, and she was giving him a strange look he had never seen before. Slowly, she reached out her hand towards his face. Her hands were shaking, and her lips were parted as she took in a deep breath.
Before she reached him, however, she froze. Addi bit her lip and quickly looked away while continuing to mutter under her breath.
"No, just this will be fine. For now," she said in a shaky voice as she turned back to him.
She dipped the brush into the jar and started drawing something on his face. Dean tried to struggle, but it was all in vain.
Hours later, Dean stumbled out of her room completely drunk and with unspeakable markings on his face. He felt exhausted. Addi had made him stay with her for hours just talking, playing card games and drinking with no regard for the fact that he was studying for exams.
"The stockades might have been less humiliating," Mitch commented when he saw Dean's face.
Dean cast him a withering look as he silently stumbled past.
"See you at the meeting tomorrow, Dean!" Addi said brightly as she waved him goodbye from her bedroom.
Dean responded with a nervous smile. Well, at least she seemed happy again. That was worth all the pain and humiliation in the world.