Sleeping Arrangements

"Madam Baroness.. may I ask what you are doing?"

The young maids questioning voice found Nayuns ears even with the sounds of pews forcefully being moved across the stone ground of the church. She wouldn't answer yet yet, instead the girl let loose a grunt while pushing her weight into the pew once more and forcing it to slide and turn. It had been one of the many she had pushed out of place. Why? To open up a large space for herself in the middle of the church's main room.

".. I'm making this my personal quarters. Is this a problem?" She looked with a confused expression.. though her lack of tone made it seem that she could be angry at the woman for even questioning her. The maid brought up a hand in apology.

"No, no problem at all. It looks to be tiring work.. You could have asked for assistance, we are here to serve you."

Nayun blinked at this and shook her head. "No. I'm fine."

Not to say she wasn't used to servants; her sister had many. But Nayun hadn't been raised in the palace, she instead took residence in the Ichi home and never grew all that comfortable with having people do things for her - at least things she could do herself.

--

The two would meet once more thirty minutes later. Nayun, no longer burdened with her pew moving task, had turned her efforts onto dragging in a mattress. Tugging it along on her own till she felt a little help from it's opposite side. Turning her attention from watching over her shoulder to the one now helping move the large mattress.. It was that maid again. ".. You don't need to worry yourself with helping me.. Please, there must be other things you could do.. Other tasks." -- "They've been finished for quite some time, Madam Baroness, for now you should allow me to help you." Nayun gave her a stare as they continued to move the sideways held mattress.

".. If you fear the loss of your job, do not worry.." She'd finally say after the both of them let go of the mattress and allowed it to drop flat onto the box spring. The maid didn't seem to be listening. Her focus seemed to be more on straightening out the mattress to make sure it covered the box spring fully.

"Allow me to take care of the rest, Madam Baroness. You did say you wanted to take a tour of the district once it grows dark.. did you not?"

Nayun looked to the side and thinned her lips. It was true.. she did say she wanted to get a better look at the night life of this area. So, with a nod, she'd turn. "I will leave the rest to you.. There is a small table in the back office that I want brought out here, and candles.. bring me candles." Reaching to grasp onto that red cloak that had been draped over one of those moved pews; all while the maid bent to give her bow. "Yes, Madam Baroness. As you wish."

Nayun paused.. then finally shifted that cloak about so that it covered her whole form within it's warm fabric. She said no more and would instead move to leave the church all together.

Through Heaven's Eyes

"Our Lord and Savior.. Jesus Christ."

Nayun was startled slightly by the voice that came from behind. Eyes, once focused on the beauty of the statue before her, instead turned about; as did her body. The color of red that flowed throughout her eyes now found themselves drawn to the woman who spoke. Her maid.. a woman she knew by the name of Maria. The girls expression contorted to one that spoke confusion while she tried to understand what the woman was saying.

".. Lord and savior?" A voice that spoke question; one that matched well with the look she had been giving the other. Maria only smiled and pressed forward. The distance between her and the young Baroness being only a foot or so now. Maria, now beside Nayun, looked to the statue.

"You looked interested. That is who this is." Nayun watched as the woman's delicate arm rose to point an uncurled finger toward the statue. No, not at the statue in whole -- but at the small child that looked to be resting within a woman's arms.

"Jesus Christ.. the one true son of God." The hand moved once more. A turn of the wrist to bring palm facing up to the heavens so that she could give gesture to the woman. ".. and his mother, the Virgin Mary."

The word Virgin was one that caught Nayuns ears almost instantly. How could a virgin be a mother? The question itself seemed ludicrous to her. Ludicrous enough for Nayun to even speak up about it. ".. How can a virgin be a mother? Are you saying she adopted this boy?" There was no other way. But Maria looked to her with an inviting smile. ".. No, the lord blessed her with child. A pure vessel to give birth to the king of kings."

King of Kings.

Nayun shifted lightly in her stance so that she turn to face the statue once more. ".. He is the son of a God? The child." Pointing out that image of the child for herself.

"Yes. A child to save us from damnation. A child to lead the people of these worlds to salvation."

Nayun wasn't buying any of this.. but that was not to say she wasn't interested in the woman's words. Her mind had been plagued with doubt, obviously, but something kept her drawing back to the conversation.

"I thought this religion only had one God.. if this boy is a Gods son, wouldn't that mean he is a God as well?"

The maid chuckled at this. "Christ our Lord is God. To explain this simply to you.." The tips of her index fingers touched one another, as did her thumbs, to create a triangle. ".. The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.. one co-existing entity here to keep us on our path.. To show us what is right in a world so full of wrongs.. and to reward those who strive to do right.."

"Reward?" The small girl pressed. Her eyes turning from Maria so that she could look back to the statue.

"Eternal salvation.. in the life after next, young Baroness."

Eternal. Salvation.

"Life after next? Do you mean there is more to come after death? I have heard of the plain of spirits.. Is this what you mean?"

"No, no.. those wandering souls are lost and searching for their entry into the kingdom. Eternal salvation is heaven.. a realm where there is no pain, no anger, no sorrow.. only happiness."

Nayun furrowed her brow. There had been bits and pieces she understood throughout this conversation, but the longer it continued? The more questions came to mind. She could feel those gentle digits come to curl about her shoulder to give it a light squeeze. The feeling of pressure against her flesh caused the girl to turn and face the maid once more. But, Maria had already been gently turning Nayun about so that she faced away from the statue.

"You must be confused, but it's alright. Here. I'll show you something you might find interesting." The taller female bent gently; attempting to place herself at the same height as Nayun.. no, even smaller. Her head turned about to peer up at the confused girl before she rose up a hand and pointed up. Nayun kept her sights on the maid for what seemed to be twenty seconds before finally following the direction she was pointing.

One of the stained glass windows. One that Nayun had looked to many times throughout her few nights of rest within the church.

"Saint Joan of Arc. The patroness of warriors. I believe she's someone you could easily associate with, right?" Offering the girl a smile. One that Nayun would only seem to ignore. Her eyes now being fixated on the image of the armored woman. The way the light gleamed through the glass and shined down onto them from their place within the church.

".. Could you tell me her story?" Nayun spoke softly. As if fearful that even the smallest bit of rise in tone could cause damage to the glass she seemed so fixated on.

"Of course, Madam Baroness. I would be more than happy to."

".. and could you tell me more of this King of Kings?"

This brought a bright smile to the maids face.

"Yes, Madam Baroness."

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5924/stjoanofarc.jpg

Welcome Home

"I will be leaving."

Those words came as a shock to the maid as she watched the young Baroness packing away her things. Dress folded carefully and placed over yet another. This had been the last of her items, and what came next would be the soft thump of that closing trunk before she moved to pull all those straps to seal the case nice and tight.

"There is nothing I can do for this city." -- ".. but, Madam Baroness.. The people." The maid pressed on while stepping forward. Her hand met with the young girls shoulder, but was easily shrugged off.

"The people have the Scathachians, Maria. I've been here less than a week and it's already clear to me that there is no point to me staying. I am a warrior, not a politician. I took this barony as a test of skill, nothing more. I will say this as simple as possible.. This is no longer my problem."

How did she allow herself to get caught up in all of this nonsense? She looked to the maid, who only looked back with a face that read she wanted to speak. "You're dismissed, Maria.. Go tend to the garden and leave me be." She saw the older woman's jaw clench in distaste, but she also saw the maid do as she was ordered. This left Nayun alone within the main building of the church.

Another thump. This time as her rump came to press down against her case. She'd only sit there and stare to the stained glass image of Joan of Arc once more. ".... I've been branded a witch by my actions as well.. haven't I?" Nayun closed her eyes then and let out a sigh. "So be it.. Adenna is where I belong."