Chapter 31 Refer to me as Your Holiness
[You know you’re playing into her trap right? This is what she wants; do you have something in mind because I do?]
’I have this covered; you have nothing to worry about, and if it all goes well, it ends with my face buried in between those magical milkers’
[Hehe... I knew the goddess picked the right person for the job, good luck to you sir]
Aiden walked into his room and sat on the bed. His plan was simple: he was going to act docile and let her reveal what she had in store for him. He knew she wanted something, but acting out wasn’t going to achieve anything, so he was going with this.
This wasn’t the modern world where cameras and CCTV were all over the place; there was no evidence of what he had done, and even if there were, how was she going to get it to the king? There’s no way the king would entertain the presence of a priestess when there’s a Head Priest in charge.
Olena stepped in after Aiden and quietly closed the door behind her. She stood in front of him, and since he sat on the bed, she towered over him, looking down with the calm smile she wore when she introduced herself.
She let the silence linger for a moment before clearing her throat to speak.
"Your Holiness, I’m sure you already know what I’m about to say, but what happened in that bathroom goes against the doctrines of the church. A head priest and a priestess being found in such a situation would be considered a grave violation of the church laws"
"It wouldn’t only damage your reputation; it would also affect the church, given it was done on the same day the kingdom was attacked. The church has lost a great deal today and needs someone to place their faith in"
"If words of this spread now, that trust you have will disappear even before you had the chance to lead," Olena spoke so eloquently; Aiden was so amused by it, still he continued looking at her without saying a single word back.
She took his silence as confirmation that he understood the seriousness of the situation, and since he hadn’t said or done anything, she pressed on.
"Fortunately," she continued, "No one else knows about this, and I was the one to find out. If I choose to remain silent, this matter would end here: no investigation, no rumors, and no questions from the royal palace." Her smile softened a little as she continued to the next part of her speech.
"I do not wish to make an enemy of the new Head Priest. In fact, I would rather support you, but trust goes both ways, and if I help you with this, then you’ll help me with something else"
"What can I help you with? I’ll do it, anything you want, just tell me, I can’t afford to let the king hear of this," Aiden spoke frantically, and Olena couldn’t help but smile.
Everything she wanted was coming into place, and now to drive the nail home. She slowly raised one hand towards her face, and without breaking eye contact, she pressed the top of her thumb against one of her canine teeth and bit down just hard enough to draw a small drop of blood.
The wound healed the next moment, but with the blood droplets on her hand, she whispered a short incantation and a magic circle appreciation above her palm with a tiny light floating on top of it.
A moment later, the light unfolded into a neatly rolled parchment, and the scroll dropped gently into her hands.
"You must know what this is. It’s a binding scroll, and unlike other binding magic, it is pretty powerful, as you can’t force an individual to sign on the scroll. When signed, neither party can break the agreed conditions without suffering the consequences written into the contract"
Olena held the scroll open so Aiden could see the blank lines waiting to be filled.
"The terms are simple: I’ll never reveal what happened here today to another soul. In return for my silence, you shall appoint me as your first advisor. My counsel shall always be heard before decisions concerning the church are made, and I shall remain by your side in matters concerning its administration, and become your second in command"
"You’ll acknowledge this agreement by signing the scroll with a drop of your blood. Once the contract accepts both our signatures, and the consequence is in place, the oath becomes absolute." Olena spoke.
Her expression remained calm and unwavering; the confidence behind her eyes was unmistakable. She had prepared a more elaborate plan on how to befriend Aiden over time, but an opportunity landed right on her lap.
She knew Aiden had no choice; he was going to sign this, and with that, she would be his second in command, and with that be in complete command of the Western Church. Every council meeting that requires Aiden, both of them would attend, and slowly, fame would naturally follow.
"What are you waiting for, sign it?" Olena stretched her hand towards Aiden.
Aiden looked at the scroll for a few seconds, and then his mask came out as he let out a chuckle, then another, and soon he was laughing openly in front of her face.
Olena’s smile slowly faded; she couldn’t believe what was happening. "...Did I say something amusing?" She asked.
Aiden wiped the corner of his eye before looking at her again. "I was just wondering if you thought this through before coming here, or simply seized the opportunity because it presented itself?"
Olena frowned, but she wasn’t bothered yet; she needed to see what Aiden had to say. "I don’t understand?"
"I know you don’t, and when speaking to me, refer to me as Your Holiness," Aiden said as he sat up from the bed and closed the distance between them.