Metafiction (BL)

4. duke and general

Changing into clothes without removing his veil was awkward, but luckily the robes of the temple didn't need him to pull anything over his head. The attendant sent to dress him was also smart enough to keep any comments to himself without asking questions. Though Dan had to wonder if just one helper was overly simplistic for the saintess of a nation...

"Um, so about the ceremony," he began, trying to catch up on current events. "I'm sorry, could you explain it to me again?"

The young teen seemed to understand immediately. "Don't worry, Our Light Most Holy. Since it's your first formal outing after being selected as Saintess, just undergoing the Goddess' Blessing is enough."

"The Goddess...oh, I see." Dan thought back. In one of the information packets fed into his brain by Window, there had been a brief explanation of the saintess and her (well, now his) role on the continents. Apparently, instead of showing off any abilities, every new Saintess proved their legitimacy through a public prayer to the Goddess after being recognized by the temple. If She accepted her new envoy, She would bless them with a sign in full view of the masses. Faintly, Dan recalled that Jokoskia traditionally invited heads of state from every nation to witness the phenomenon in person.

Isn't this just a way to gather all of the Author's love interest candidates in one place? Dan wondered while his mouth twitched. I guess that'd speed things up. He still wasn't above falling for a shopowner or villager instead, though...

"What should I pray for?" Dan asked next. He'd never been the center of attention for anything in his life, and wondered if this time came with special rules.

The attendant looked surprised, but tried his best to hide it. "That's...well, whatever Our Light Most Holy picks can't be wrong!"

Oh, so you don't know either. Dan's expression fell. Fortunately, his veil hid his disappointment perfectly.

"But you should remove the veil when it comes time to pray, Saintess," the boy added enthusiastically. "One of the most important parts of the ceremony is letting the people see your face!"

"Aha, right..." Quietly, Dan secretly reached out a hand to pat his face beneath the veil. The skin was still the texture of paper, meaning the reader votes hadn't taken effect yet to change his looks. He hoped it wouldn't take too long. Although time in white space had matched the Author's world exactly, Window had once told him during the long 3-day waits that it'd be different once he entered Aleria properly. After all, he couldn't put another character or plot point on hold for 72 hours just to wait for poll outcomes. So time would be adjusted and he'd get his poll results almost instantaneously on his side, if not within the same day.

Meanwhile, the attendant had finished inspecting everything from the golden shoulder decorations to the intricate gold belt, and finally a delicate pair of sandals on Dan's feet, before nodding in approval.

"Our Light Most Holy, please follow me!"

"Ah, right."

Outside Dan's room was a beautiful wooden hall that extended into an exterior walkway. As they walked past quiet atriums and lush green gardens, Dan tried to make small talk. He found out that the boy with him was named Jonathon, who had been with the temple since birth, and if everyone went as planned would stay on as one of Dan's personal attendants---if he was willing. Personally Dan didn't see the need for any helpers at all, but his comment upset Jonathon so much that he was forced to admit it was only a joke.

They were supposed to find the head priest first for final instructions, but mid-way through the gardens Jonathon quickly held out an arm to stop them. Dan saw him looking ahead and followed his gaze to see a man not far ahead. He was standing beneath the stone archway of the main temple building, right beneath the wisteria blossoms. The sight of him confused Dan, for while the man wore something akin to a high-collared priest shirt, the detailing on it was strictly military and didn't quite match the long flowing robes he'd chosen to adopt for his bottom half.