Nemorosis
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The Bell Tolls for Me 36: From Far Afield
🕑 Added 2025-03-29 07:04:28 +0000 UTCIsabella had been expecting that the investigations for signs of pregnancy from the nuns would be very invasive, but it turns out that had been a mistake to assume. Theyâd been rather intrusive at first, but as time wore on, they lightened their interrogations and examinations. The reason for that was sitting on the end of her bed.
âIâm sorry about the nuns.â Gaspar shook his head. âEvidently thereâs someone in the church that holds a deep grudge against you. Iâve talked to them. Theyâll know to be far gentler with you going forward, or theyâll face my wrath.â
Isabella studied Gaspar. His handsome face, his gently curling blonde locks, his blue eyes⊠many young girls tripped over themselves to earn the favor of this man, and perhaps Isabella had once been one of them. She honestly didnât remember. Once she knew what he was really like, however, she had immediately turned her back on that idea. Gaspar was as much a power player as anyone else when she had known him.
She couldnât tell if Gaspar was feigning his friendliness, but her experience with Bernadetta had taught her a great deal. He had no reason to be so kind. That meant that he was spying on her, likely at Albertâs direction. Isabella had spurned Bernadetta, and by consequence lost the ability to exploit her ties to strike at Duke Albert. That wasnât a mistake that Isabella wanted to make again. Her emotions had gotten the better of her in that case, but this time was vastly different.
Isabella studied Gaspar, and said, âAnd how can I be sure that youâre not one of them? What reason does the knight-commander himself have to involve himself in my Inquisition?â
Gaspar looked a little hurt. âYouâre understandably wary, but I simply wanted to do what I can to make up for the fact that I laid the tragedy of Count Faust at your feet.â He shook his head. âPerhaps if I had done something more⊠protested, perhaps, even argued with the king⊠you wouldnât have to live with that hanging over your head. This is my amends.â
Looking at him, Isabella honestly didnât think he was lying. Was she such a bad judge of character? If she was this terrible at reading faces to believe the words of a man she knew to be a power player, perhaps she deserved to be smothered by a pillow.
âAnd you believe that you can make amends by personally taking charge of my Inquisition?â Isabella asked pointedly.
Gaspar straightened. âI can, at the very least, ensure that itâs a fair Inquisition. I will do my duty, and nothing more.â
âAnd why would the archbishop allow fairness if this is political?â Isabella pointed out.
Gaspar smiled. âBecause the archbishop believes that Iâm loyal. And⊠I believe that he doesnât genuinely wish you any ill-will. Heâs doing this on behalf on someone elseâsomeone powerful within the church.â
Isabella tried to look convinced, but that was the only thing that she knew was a lie. There were no other factions within the church of yet. Everything was solidly controlled by the archbishop, and control would soon pass over to Gaspar when Pius disappeared.
âPerhaps youâd like to accompany me for my morning sermon,â Isabella said.
Gaspar brightened. âIâd love to. Does your fiancĂ© attend?â
âSeldomly. But I think in this case, he most certainly will,â she said.
***
Isabella, Valerio, and Randolph stood in the middle of a decrepit slum where a great crowd had congregated. There mustâve been thousands here, and the three of them wore humble clothes concealed by a cowl to blend in. They were all assembled to listen to a man who wore dirty white robes. The crowd was absolutely enraptured, and it wasnât difficult to see why. Alistair of Veymont commanded an absurd presence. Black skin, taller than even Valerio, and a robust mane of braided hair⊠even in dirtied robes, he looked very holy.
"Brothers and sisters, do you think the gods peer kindly upon the man who sways like a reed in the wind of coin and comfort?â Alistair shouted. His voice had a certain timbre to it that made it sound emotional, while still commanding the square. âNo. The divine gaze is fixed upon the unbending, the unbribed, the unseduced."
People clapped and hooted in appreciation. The contents of his sermon were quite pertinent to what they were dealing with. That wasnât a coincidence. Alistair had been struggling with the corruption of the church for a long period of time. He absolutely hated it, being a very godly man himself.
âOh, peopleâŠâ Alistair continued. âWe must be diligent in our pursuit of incorruptibility! Diligence is the prayer of the body. It is the liturgy of the hands, the devotion of rising before dawn, of finishing when others rest. The slothful wait for miracles. The diligent become them," he declared boldly.
More clapping. Randolph looked back to where Gaspar watched from a distance. He didnât seem to want to disturb the crowd, and he wore his holy paladin get up.
âEugh,â Randolph made an ungodly noise once he turned back.
âWhatâs the problem?â Isabella asked.
âThe problem? Your Knight-Commander,â he sneered.
âNot mine,â Isabella reminded him. âBut why? Do you get a bad sensation from him?â
âI find myself instinctively skeptical of those whose facial symmetry grants them undue social currency,â Randolph said, then gestured toward her. âThe aesthetically blessed rarely suffer the burden of self-awareness. Beauty, much like inherited wealth, often absolves its bearer of the need for personality development. I take it upon myself to treat them like ugly people so that they know the feeling.â
âI see,â Isabella responded. âYouâre quite nice to me. Does that mean something?â
âNot particularly,â Randolph said. âWell⊠fine, perhaps it means a little. That isnât to say you arenât beautiful, just that youâre a bloody rare exception, dear. Your personality is quite developed.â
Isabella smiled as she watched the sermon continue.
"Every brick laid in silence, every task done unseen, is a hymn sung in labor. The gods hear it. They always hear it!â He shouted grandly, and the crowd came alive. âDo not seek ease, my brothers and sisters. Seek worth. The path of the indolent is smooth, but it leads to the pit. The path of the diligent is steep, but it ascends to the light!"
As the crowd embraced the impassioned words of the bishop, it slowly came to a close. Isabella turned toward Valerio and asked a favor of him. âCould you ensure that Gaspar doesnât see me talking to Alistair? I donât want anything to lead back to us.â
Valerio looked back, and then gave a quick nod. âGood luck,â he said.
Once the sermon had finished, the bishop left and went inside a small and humble church. He was preaching only to those in the slums of the capital while he was here, even though his principal territory was far from the capital. He had taken it upon himself to provide high-quality sermons for those who wouldnât often get them, providing solace with faith in this time of unrest.
Isabella went inside the cramped church, only now reminded of how much the luxuries in her life had afforded her. Even when she was being humiliated and degraded, it was in the royal court. But these people? These people, who no one was looking after? Sometimes, this small church was all the comfort they had. They needed someone to look out for their interests. Alistair was one of those people.
Now more than ever, Isabella was glad that she had refused Valerioâs offer and stayed and to try and make a difference.
Many people were talking with the bishop, but Isabella waited patiently in the church, trusting in Valerioâs ability to keep Gaspar distracted. When Alistair was finally alone, she approached.
âFather. Could I have a moment of your time?â Isabella asked.
Alistair greeted her with a warm and wide smile, none of his energy lost despite the lengthy sermon heâd already put himself through. âOf course. How can I help you, my child?â he asked.
After today, Isabella was certain that Alistair had more than enough capability to stand up to the church. He had the charisma, he had the flair, and he had the theological arguments. He was every bit the man that he was reputed to be, even now.
âIâve heard that youâre here in the capital on a temporary stay,â Isabella said.
Alistairâs smile faded somewhat. âYes, I am. I tend to the needs of the faithful here while those in the archbishopric review the thesis that I submitted. When the Archbishop finishes reviewing my thesis, I will return to my beautiful city of Veymont. Why do you ask?â
âDo you think I could have a copy of your Hexas Veydrimor?â Isabella asked.
Alistair raised his brows in surprise. âIâm surprised that you know of it, my child. I assume that you come from a well-educated family. Nevertheless, Iâm afraid that the thesis is in Elestian, the language of the gods. It may be difficult for you to read without a tutor.â
âĂlara vesin ar selin.â Isabella held his gaze plainly.
âYou speak and read it?â Alistairâs eyes showed sincere respect. âThatâs a rare and unusual talent for a lady. Why do you have it?â
âI believe thereâs some merit in reviewing the scriptures personally, before theyâve been translated into the common tongue,â Isabella said, repeating something Alistair himself believed.
âThatâs an uncommon opinion in the church. They believe that only the clergy can interpret the words of the gods.â Alistair looked around. âIâll get you a copy, my child. Iâm flattered you would come all this way to ask for something as humble as my writings.â
Isabella watched Alistair walk back into the makeshift church, each step creaking the floors. If all went well, soon enough this man would be going toe-to-toe with the church. He seemed more than capable for the task.
***
Isabella watched as various paladins, clergymen, and other such clerical roles walked around Valerioâs estate. The inquisition had progressed, and part of that was ensuring they couldnât mount any adequate resistance.
âTheyâre going to make it very hard to get anything done.â Valerio shook his head. âPerhaps we have some recourse in bringing this to the crown. Iâm still on the council as Lord Admiral. My attendance isnât mandatory as weâre not at war, but I could appear at council meetings if I wish.â
âNo need.â Isabella looked at him. âDo you think you could ask Igraine to meet me tonight? Iâve little doubt she can be discreet, and the paladins canât well stay inside my room at all hours.â She looked back. âI believe I can kill two birds with one stone.â
âWhich birds might those be?â He asked.
âFun and practicality,â Isabella said. Isabella shook her head with an amused smile as she said, âIf itâs not going to cause you trouble, Iâd like to use your bird, Captain, as the model for my familiar.â
âFamiliar?â Valerio shifted in his chair. âIâm a bit ignorant. What does that mean, exactly?â
âFamiliars are magic given form,â Isabella explained. âTheyâre linked to a mageâs soul. Youâre intended to choose an animal to model them after. I can think of many uses for the spell, and Iâd especially like it to be Captain I imitate, but⊠I donât want to cause you trouble.â
âCould it harm her, somehow?â Valerio asked. âIf so⊠Iâll have to refuse. I donât want to take chances with Captain.â
âNot directly. But if my familiar is flying to and from your estate, people might⊠seek her out, perhaps. She is a very beautiful bird. If you want to keep her existence quiet, thenâŠâ
âIsabella,â he said as if sheâd said something cute. âIf I didnât care about you thinking I was some deranged killer, Iâd tell you how many intruders into my mansion Iâve put down. Instead, Iâll say that no one has ever stolen from me and lived for long. Feel free to draw as much attention as you want."
âI⊠see,â Isabella said with a nod.
***
âYou want to make a familiar already?â Igraine asked. âHmph. Not days after recovering from your illness, and youâre already begging me to teach you new things.â
âIâm sorry,â Isabella said. âBut I just enjoyââ
âDid I say I was displeased?â Igraine said. âJust a remark, young lady. A remark. And⊠here.â She held out a package. âI happened to find some excess books in my home. You mentioned wanting some spells of a certain quality, and so I thought of you.â
Isabella took the package with a bright smile on her face. âThank you, Igraine.â
âYouâll call me âteacher,ââ Igraine said. âI wonât back down on this issue. Iâve agreed to be your teacher, and that means Iâm entitled to some degree of respectâdonât care who your father is. I had my own son call me âteacher.ââ
Isabella blinked. She couldnât recall Igraine agreeing to be her teacher beyond forming her mana lock, butâŠ
âYes, teacher,â Isabella said.
âGood good,â Igraine said, giving a curt nod. âNow⊠familiars, is it? Itâs been some time⊠some time indeed. Thatâs not a bad thing, though. Why do you want to learn about familiars?â
âWell⊠it would be fun to explore the city through different eyes. Perhaps I could deliver things,â she said, looking toward the translation of the Six Errors on her desk.
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Comments
Antony Claughton
now, then be left ==> now, than be left Youâre intended to choose ==> Youâre expected to choose
Michael Frankford
Fantastic đ honestly love how level headed all the characters are in your stories. It's refreshing to read something where the plot comes from things happening and reacting rather than people sharing the idiot ball.
WarStrider72
A Certain Magical Isabelle is about to be Born!
AâPow(A)
I'm enjoying how harmonious Valerio's household is atm, so I'm hoping Veronica doesn't listen to Roderick and instead canon balls her way into Isabella's circle. She already seems the type. đ More character dynamics would be fun. I can see it adding depth to Isabelle's relationship with Valerio.
Nemorosis
Previous chapter title is from the Diet of Worms. So... maybe a little Martin, yeah. Just a smidge. But Martin wasn't even the first to have the ideas that he had, just the first for the reform not to get snuffed out and decried as a heresy. I could go on, but I'd be spoiling stuff. Church history is very fun, regardless of what you believe.
John Anastacio
Veymont heresy - something like Martin Luther? I currently suspect Gaspard himself disappeared Pius. Editing note: âRandolph,â Solomon said. âThat is Roderickâs sister.â âNo. Sheâs trouble,â Valerio insisted. âFeel it in my bones.â change Valerio to Randolph
