One week later…
"I am honored to have my request granted, Your Majesty."
Aries gazed at the old yet beautiful woman sitting across from her inside the empress's chancery. Marcia Graves was a part of the night council, a Wiccan leader, and also a high priestess of the church. The irony, but she was well-respected.
Aries already had most of the people's support when she was crowned the empress. But because Marcia Graves, who was said to be the strongest candidate to become the next pope, supported the new empress, Aries's supporters had become solid and so secure that a disparaging rumor wouldn't be enough to shake it.
Of course, that support was not free. Aries simply told Suzanne to stall her some time, and Suzanne managed to stall this private meeting for half a year.
"I had always thought of you, Reverend Mother, and I am guilt ridden for not being able to accommodate you promptly. For that, I apologize for making you wait this long."
"There is nothing to apologize for, Your Majesty. I am certain you made a lot of adjustments to your new position as the empress and as the member of the night council."
"It's reassuring you understood me well, Reverend Mother." Aries kept a friendly smile at the beautiful elderly whose grace didn't pale in comparison to those young ladies in high society. "I heard His Holiness' health wasn't getting any better."
"His Holiness is blessed by the heavens. Though he is old, he was satisfied with being able to serve his purpose until now."
"I see…" Aries rocked her head mildly. "... I'm glad he will not have any regrets."
Marcia Graves smiled, getting Aries's hint with her remarks. "Your Majesty, it seemed you already know the purpose of why I requested an audience with you. Therefore, I will cut to the chase."
"I prefer that, Reverend Mother."
"As you already know, the heavens might've blessed his holiness for the triumphs he had earned over the years. However, as he aged, his obsession with the word he spread had slowly become more and more absurd," explained Marcia, making Aries arch a brow. "The last time His Holiness went to a missionary, a report returned that it wasn't like any other missionary he had done in the past."
Marcia's expression turned stiff, keeping her sharp eyes on Aries.
"I am aware His Holiness had lost his missionary zeal due to his old age, but I didn't anticipate what he could do to regain it," she continued solemnly, making Aries tilt her head slightly.
In the Haimirich Empire, the palace wasn't particularly close to the church since Abel would just commit more blasphemy if the church involve itself with the emperor's affairs. Both the Church and the Palace maintained a respectable relationship, and the church also focuses on doing what it could without implicating the emperor.
It was the same for the palace. The only time the emperor would bother the church was if they offended him, or they caused disharmony in the empire. To put it simply, Abel didn't know much about the church and its affairs, and so did Aries.
"From what I had heard when I went to the same land years later, it seemed His Holiness had preached about something else. Something unusual, a topic he wouldn't dare broach within the borders of the empire," Marcia continued as a glint flashed across her eyes.
"What did the Holiness do, Reverend Mother?"
"He purged people — women, in particular."
Aries drew a breath as she raised her chin, guessing where this was leading. "Women… who were suspected of being witches?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Women who were seen as witches for being too beautiful, too outspoken, who are naturally good, skilled — or just anything," Marcia stressed. "They said women were held underwater during their trial. If they float, they are they were guilty and thus executed. But if they sunk and drowned, they were innocent."
"This all happened during His Holiness' missionary," she added under her breath. "He had gone to many towns after that with his newfound zeal, and now, he was planning to turn against the empire and start preaching about it."
"That will be troublesome since he is still the pope and his words still have their weight. It will greatly affect your candidacy." Aries rocked her head calmly, assessing the suppressed fire in the old woman's eyes. "But Reverend Mother, if I may ask, why did you only report this now?"
"His Majesty would never care. In fact, if he knew about what happened, he might fuel it… for the thrill."
'Make sense,' Aries commented, mentally nodding her head. Abel might've protected humans, witches, vampires, and other creatures in the Haimirich Empire. However, this one in particular was more of a personal interest.
"So?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "What sort of help do you want from me, Mother Reverend? Lest you are not aware of my disposition, I, as an empress, couldn't meddle with the church's affairs and decisions unless it was affecting the empire."
Marcia cleared her throat and looked her straight in the eye. "Your support, Your Majesty."
"My recommendation? That's all?" Aries's brows rose. "Many devotees of the church support you already, and I doubt my recommendation will even change anything."
"Many devotees might support me, but I'm certain the general council thinks otherwise. Your recommendation will secure my candidacy. After all, you and His Majesty's words will have an authorized vote for it."
Aries pressed her lips as she pondered about it. It was true the emperor and empress had one vote each, but their votes had the same count as the rest of the first council.
"Reverend Mother, I find this interesting," said Aries before she agree or refuse Marcia's request. "You are a skilled witch. Do you really need to go through all these nuisances?"
"I had spent my life honing my craft, indeed. However, I had reached this far fighting fair and square," explained Marcia proudly. "I had seen different men who claimed to have unbending faith but ended up getting blind to worldly matters. Some had played underhanded, but not me, and that makes me proud."
Aries let out a brief chuckle, nodding in understanding. "Once again, Reverend Mother, you inspired me. Very well. If my recommendation is what you need, then I shall give it to you. Don't worry about His Majesty, you got his vote as well."
"You have my gratitude, Your Majesty. The sisterhood will surely be at ease once they hear the news." Marcia heaved a sigh of relief, only for it to stop, when Aries spoke again.
"But in one condition." Marcia slowly raised her head, only to see the sly smirk plastered on Aries. "I will secure your position as the next pope — the first woman to be ordained the pope and become an inspiration for many of us. But there's something I might need from you and the church."
Aries's lips stretched until her eyes were squinting. "Do you want to hear it, Reverend Mother?"
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