P R A Y E R S

"The world only exists for you if you're alive, lady."

Chuckling at the diplomatic yet obvious answer of the carriage man, Princess Rosemary shrugged off carelessly.

Seems like the carriage man was desperate to live.

And she was desperate to risk it all to rule. So she's gotta do what gets her to her throne.

Taking 4-5 steps ahead to take a closer look of the church her mind ran another silent marathon.

Rooting for the further schemes about how to meet master Xavier and execute the next step of her trial, Princess was worried a little deep down until she got disturbed by someone speaking next to her again.

The carriage man was it...

"Have you been veiled all your life, lady?"

The carriage man questioned being curious.

Meanwhile Princess Rosemary Jen obviously not expecting the sudden question, got shocked by the directness of the carriage man's speech.

She immediately faced him again through the veil to figure out what did he mean by his question.

The carriage man scratched the back of his head as he looked everywhere else being suddenly anxious obviously, having the eyes of the mysterious lady on him had a powerful effect.

Was he scared of her?

Hell, he was.

"It's just... they say witches are ugly. Is it true?"

His real bother was soon revealed by his statement.

As that was when the disturbed princess took a short breath of relief inside her veil.

For a moment she thought the carriage man started doubting her identity but luckily that was not the case...

But still Princess wanted to be careful about everything she was doing.

Hence taking a dangerous step forward towards the already terrified carriage man, Princess Rosemary uttered blankly.

"You wouldn't want to see what is behind the veil."

While hearing her claim, the carriage man almost looked at her immediately being dead horrified.

He wouldn't want to wonder how dangerous would she look taking off her veil as at this point he had already believed the fact that the mysterious woman was a WITCH.

But little did he know that it was all his myth, a fantastic cloud of lie which Princess Rosemary prepared to not get caught by anyone.

Her reality was not harmful rather disastrous... hence, she needed to portray herself as a mysterious woman for now.

Unknown to the real intentions of her, the carriage man started fearing her extends.

He was scared of her.

Very scared.

"I am sorry, I will behave from now on lady!"

The carriage man bowed in respect as scoffing at his reaction, Princess Rosemary's features behind the veil held one huge question.

Eyeing the church again with judgemental eyes she strictly frowned.

If master Xavier was about to arrive here then what are they doing at the backyard? Standing here won't help her at all.

Princess Rosemary shook her head.

"So how am I going to find him next, Gabrio?"

Questioned the curious Princess knowing well that the next way ahead, was not easy at all.

Absolutely not!

The carriage man got alerted as he gulped hardly.

Obviously he was not sure how to make the lady cross path with his master as well.

"Soon it will be master Xavier's time to visit the church to offer prayers for his late mother, I am afraid someone would catch us breaking the regulations so let's figure out what to do here first."

The cart boy nervously stated looking around the scene yet in order to check again, he made sure no royal servers were around to catch them there.

While hearing him, the princess's dilemma increased more. A town where no woman comes out, how was she going to meet master Xavier without being caught?

This was a real trouble.

Hands balled up and eyes hardened, Princess then closed her eyes to think about one sort of scenario for further step.

"He will be offering his prayers for his late mother, you said..."

Princess Rosemary uttered as the carriage man looked at her being confused for first few seconds while trying to understand the meaning of her words or what she was trying to indicate.

But before he could have read her mind well, she spoke something unexpected which immediately terrified his guts.

"So during the time of prayers, he would not allow anyone near him. There won't be any security with him... which means he would be alone."

The carriage man shook his head as his eyes widened.

True was that, at the time of offering prayers to his late mother, besides him no one would be allowed there to interrupt his custom.

"Don't tell me you are thinking about stepping inside the church when master will be offering the prayers. That is not less than inviting your own death, lady!"

Upperclassman Xavier was a highly learned man. He was very particular about his customs.

And indeed, wanting to take advantage of that very fact... Princess Rosemary Jen smiled in utter satisfaction.

"Lord of young Europe won't be so cruel to kill a someone in the church, let alone be a woman. If he has a heart to kill a woman then he should not be worshiping one."

True if he would kill a woman then he wouldn't be worshipping his own mother today.

That means still in a corner of his stoned heart he does hold respect for women, though that was bound with many limitations of honour.

He was just forbidden to have connections with women to suppress his desires. That be young women who could be threat to his path of service for people.

He was practicing strict celibacy because people thought of him as a god and referred to him as the same. Hence, he made himself devoted entirely to them as well.

Princess Rosemary understood the meaning of all as she smiled in irony.

Death be death, she feared none at this time.

MEANWHILE

"Master it's time to proceed..."

One of the head priest alarmed the master who nodded at the call before turning back.

The culture of learned and upperclassman promised high respect to their ancestors, the goal of this veneration was to ensure the ancestors' that to continue well-being and positive disposition towards the living and people.

Sometimes to ask for special favours or assistance, master used to seek his mother's blessing.

That be done only with offering prayers for hours sometimes, even days.

Master Xavier was already living well with the royalty and success, he believed his ancestors were blessed with the life with such opportunity.

The saying goes that to the woman who gave master Xavier a life and herself accepted the death in exchange, was mother Isabelle.

Master Xavier obviously never saw his mother growing up but he did owe a lot to his birth giver. She provided him the life to serve people of his territory.

And being the mother to the god of young Europe, mother Isabelle was the prophet herself. She was respected in the entire territories of young Europe equally like master Xavier.

The social or non-religious function of ancestor veneration has always aimed to cultivate kinship values, such as filial piety, family loyalty, and continuity of the family lineage.

To carry the family lineage sure, master Xavier was announced to be the last successor of the family as he started practising the strict celibacy since his birth.

The tale of him being a celibate was in fact surprising than tragic, master Xavier was the chosen one to the title being the only heir of Sebastians.

However, at his birth when his mother had to accept death while providing him a life... his birth created a sense of supremacy around the entire territories of young Europe.

His birth was not one normal birth for the people to believe, the saying goes by that when master Xavier was about to be born... the entire territories of the young Europe were being divided by the rule of rulers.

But at the night of his birth, came the time when the territories had to come forward and be one because of the disaster.

When master Xavier cried for the first time... the nature cried the entire month with him.

Witnessing the natural disaster approaching for the very first in a massive life threatening way, the rulers of the territories had to put away their egos and join hands with one another to support each other.

People believed that master Xavier's arrival in the world prevented the division of lands and restored humanity among the people again.

His occurrence was divine and hence, since then he was believed to be a god of the young Europe.

The master of Sebastian dynasty was born to rule the territories and secure harmony among the people.

And hence, people accepted him only their god. Master Xavier later was raised to be the heir of the Sebastian's realised that his life belonged his people.

That was the start of him ignoring his own greeds since he was young and starting to lead a simple life for his people. And in order to accept the path like such, he had to give a huge sacrifice of him.

Sacrifice to devote himself entirely for the well-being of his rule and never get married or even have any heir of his own.

To put that way, master Xavier believed that after having a family of his own, his dedication for the people would be divided.

When master was still young, the priests prohibited women in the territories of Sehran where master's town was located.

It was to prevent himself getting distracted, master Xavier accepted the decision and started practising heavy and strict celibacy since then.