Amelia and Ophelia: The Former Grand Duchess and Saintess.

Stepping out of the portal, Amelia and her group found themselves inside a large room. It smelled of old wine and cheese. 

"Right, let there be light" Alistair stated as she conjured a flame in the palm of her hand

The flame's light allowed the group to see the shelves along the walls stocked to the brim with wine and cheese rolls. 

"So you set the teleport inside one of the storerooms under the Cathedral?" Mother Felice asked as they stepped out of the room and into a hallway made out of cobblestone 

"Well we had to place it somewhere the priests wouldn't regularly look" Alistair replied

"I get that, but in a storage room? that has the ritual wine?" Sister Mary chimed in, looking as confused as Mother Felice 

"Oh, this one place is where the priests store their personal wine and personal cheese" the elven paladin replied as she looked at one of the cheese wheels and stored it inside her own item box 

"Anyways, you guys are good to head up to your meeting with her Holiness, she is in the third floor's farthest conference room to the right when you exit the cathedral and head to the resting building next door" Alistair added 

"Is Jacon. here by any chance?" Amelia asked, a hint of worry in her voice 

"The pope's successor? no. last we saw was that he was heading off to the city of Marland up north to meet with some of the other clergy members" the elven paladin replied 

"And when was that?" Mother Felice asked 

"About a few hours before we came here. Father Alen and his cronies accompanied him" 

"Of course, Father Alen would accompany him, that malignant bastard. I am still amazed we did not outright kill him so many times" Mother Felice growled at the mention of the clergyman

"Who is Father Alen?" Amelia asked 

"A priest who sponsored Jacon's introduction into the church. He used to be a beggar who was taken in a long time ago, but ever since he was passed up on being a cardinal who could become pope he has been doing things that aren't...well....good to say the least" Sister Mary answered her daughter 

"He was the leader of the Order of Histy when I was a young paladin but when I replaced him and became commander he did everything in his power to fuck me over. unfortunately, it resulted in the massacring of children which made me step down. I know for a fact he had a hand in their demise but there was never any proof, chalking it up to unforeseen circumstances" Mother Felice added, a bitter and angry tone seeping through 

"Worse still, he is now backed by the Crown Prince, and given our already tenuous relationship with the Imperial Family, we can't really do much about it" Alistair finished as all of them had bitter and angered expressions on their faces. and a few moments of silence filled the dimly lit hallway 

"We will deal with him if he poses a threat to our plans, and with him being associated with Jacon, I believe he will. Meaning I get to send that malignant bastard to hell if I have the opportunity" Mother Felice stated as she broke the silence 

"Indeed, but for now let's get to the pope. time is of the essence" Sister Mary added 

"Agreed, we will part for now and I will be waiting here when you all return" Alistair added as she nodded them goodbye before she and her squad turned back into the storage room 

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The three of them quickly moved upwards and past the many doors and floors leading up into the cathedral, once on the surface they made their way to the resting building right next to the cathedral and went up the stairs, with many paladins who were once under Mother Felice's command nodding in greeting her and allowing her to pass without much trouble. 

"Seems that they still know who I am, that's great" Mother Felice remarked as they went up the flight of stairs 

"When your commander is a competent leader and not a religious fanatic you tend to stick out like a sore thumb my love" Sister Mary added with a loving smile as they shared a glance at one another 

"Seeing both of you like this makes me happy" Amelia chimed in as they finally reached the third floor and began moving right 

Upon reaching the end of the hallway, the conference room on the right had a figure that could be seen through the semi-transparent glass, with an understanding nod between the three, all of them entered the room and were greeted by the sight of a woman of amazing beauty waiting for them.  

decked in a full white cassock that accentuated her curvaceous figure, with a golden cross sewn into the center of the piece, right above her ample bosom, her face was overflowing with beauty and grace as she gave them a gentle smile, her golden eyes twinkling as she gazed upon them, with flowing raven-colored hair cascading down her back and onto the couch, and a pair of similarly raven-colored kitsune ears on her top. The current Pope of the Church of Histy, Pope Liliana, sat before them. 

"Greetings, I have been expecting you" Liliana said, her deep and mature voice soothing to the ears 

"It is an honor to meet you your Holiness" Amelia replied with a bowed head 

"Likewise, Amelira Erstad" the pope replied with a grin

"She isn't an Erstad yet" Mother Felice interjected, with Amelia's face blushing as she imagined herself married to Ophelia

"Ah! Forgive my words, and a pleasure it is to see you again commander" Liliana quickly added 

"It is a pleasure to see you again, and you needn't call me commander" Amelia's Mama nodded 

"My apologies and finally. my dear sister" Liliana stated as she rose from her seat and walked over to Sister Mary, the height difference evident as Liliana was taller than all three of them, and as she stopped in front of Sister Mary, the latter was barely above the former's chest height

"It has been a while Liliana. You certainly got...taller" Sister Mary stated as she looked up at her, a smile on her face 

"Hehehe, thanks for noticing," Liliana said with her soothing voice becoming a bit higher pitched and sounding happy as she hugged her, with Sister Mary's face placed between the two very soft assets 

"Ok, now that greetings are finished. let's get down to why you're here in the first place" the pope stated as she pulled away from the hug and sat back down on the couch, gesturing the other three to do the same on the opposite couch 

"Alright, for starters, I am saddened and understandably angry about the things I heard from my aides regarding what my chosen successor Jacon has done while I was away for a few years on a pilgrimage, so if it is any consolation to you, I am deeply sorry and apologize for everything he has put you through" Liliana began as she bowed her head towards Amelia 

"Oh! uhh, you don't really have to apologize for what I went through, in fact, there are many more people who deserve an apology, but not from you. You can't take responsibility for that manipulative bastard's actions" Amelia replied 

"Hmm, I see. But I offer my apologies nonetheless. Now, I believe that you have a plan in the works in cooperation with the emperor no?" Liliana continued 

"That's right, but I must ask, what does that have to do with you?" 

"Simple, I am going with you"

"Wait what?" Amelia responded, her eyebrows raised in confusion 

"It's part of the plan, I am going to leave with you as it is for my safety" 

"But how? You are the Pope, the literal head of the church, why would you need to leave for your safety?" 

"It's because she is not human" Sister Mary cut in 

"Indeed, I bet you can see the kitsune ears protruding from the top of her head" Mother Felice added 

"I can but I don't see how this relates to her safety" 

"Well, it's concerning the new changes of the laws, while you were out training Sharon, it seems Visnet, Jacon and their cronies have been pushing for a more human-centric and human-supremacist government. the policies were not in effect in our duchy so it's understandable that you did not hear about them" 

"Indeed, and with me being a kitsune, there are whispers from my trusted circle that Jacon is working with several other factions in the church to have me removed...prematurely before my step-down date which is by the end of the year" 

"Oh, I see" Amelia muttered as she leaned back into the couch and began to process all of the information 

"Additionally, I am Sister Mary's actual sister, we are related you see" Liliana added 

"Huh? How?" Amelia asked as she locked eyes with Liliana 

"Technically we are step sisters, but Mary is the older one by two years. Our father married my mother and had me after Mary's birth mom died of a heart attack" the pope continued, with Amelia looking at her Mother who gave her a confirmative nod 

"Oh my, that is something" Amelia remarked as she looked upon the pope with widened eyes 

"Yep, it took me a while too when I heard it from them the first time" Mother Felice chimed in as she moved closer to her daughter 

"Now onto more pressing matters. Miss Amelia, you are going to have to see the emperor after our meeting for he has something to share with you, but before you go there. I have to tell you something crucial about the plan that involves me and him during the festival that is to be held in a week" 

"I'm listening" 

"You know for a fact that the Andria Eclipse will be on the same day as the Holy Festival, meaning that as the Saintess, you will be present here in the capital with me in order to indoctrinate you into the order. Now before you say anything, you will not be actually indoctrinated, it will be our cover, to sneak this onto you" Liliana continued as she pulled out a black briefcase from her item box 

"This is a Halo of Histy, one that is granted to those who are crowned the title of "Saintess"" Liliana explained as she pulled out a medium-sized ring that had a dirty gold type of color.

"This is what I shall place on your head during the ceremony, and when the eclipse comes, I will activate it, as the Halo stored a limited amount of Holy Magic that will be powerful enough for you to successfully get us out of here without much trouble" the pope continued as she placed the halo back in the briefcase and placed it back into her item box

"Now, His Majesty told me that Miss Ophelia gave you a book detailing a certain spell that was to teleport us out of here right?" 

"Yes, I memorized it and I know I can use it" 

"Good, very good. His Majesty can detail the rest of the plan to you along with whatever he wishes to tell-" 

Then at that moment, the golden cross on Liliana's cassock began to glow a bright gold, temporarily blinding the people in the room before it subsided and began to pulsate softly with the golden color 

"Hmm, seems that she wishes to speak with you" Liliana stated as she locked eyes with Amelia 

"Who do you mea-" 

But before Amelia could ask, she felt herself fall, her entire vision clouded by nothing but darkness, her physical body falling into an endless dark pit. her physical form had hit the couch but her spiritual found itself in a freefall, with Amelia screaming all the way down. When she turned her head to face the dark abyss, she was met with a blinding white light, her eyes were blinded, and she covered them with her right forearm, but it was not enough as she twisted her head to avert her gaze from the blinding light. 

As it subsided, she opened her eyes and saw that she was in the same room as the one she was just in, her eyes and head moving as they scanned the place. Although it looked the same, Mother Felice, Sister Mary, and Pope Liliana were not present, with all of the furniture and surroundings being that of a tint of white. 

"Hello Amelia" a mature and benign voice suddenly called out to her, her head whipping back into place

She let out a gasp as she saw a figure sitting across from her, one leg on top of the other, a woman with a godly body, flowing golden hair that fluttered in the breezeless room, her eyes piercing into Amelia's soul and their golden color giving her a warm feeling in her heart, the fair skin upon her was something that any woman would be jealous of and her ethereal beauty was unmatched. 

"Ar...Are you?" 

"Fufufu, Yes. I am Histy, Goddess of Creation" Histy replied with a curt nod and a wave of her arm 

"Your Holiness!" Amelia suddenly followed up as she bowed her head, this action causing Histy to chuckle 

"Fufufu, you needn't address me like that young one" The goddess stated as she extended her hand, placed it under Amelia's chin, and gently pushed it up 

"Instead, I would love it if my creation would face me with confidence" she continued as she gave a warm smile 

"Y..y..yes" Amelia weakly replied, the unending beauty of Histy leaving her flustered 

"Hmm, I am aware of the effect I have on my creations, so I am sorry for doing this to you, despite you having a lover already" Histy apologized with a small bow before returning to her original position 

"It's fine Your Holiness, but may I ask. Why do you wish to speak with me?" Amelia asked as she was able to muster up enough courage 

"I wished to see how the object of Ophelia's desires was doing, given that has just been crowned the newest Saintess" 

"You know Ophelia?" the young mortal's eyes shined with curiosity 

"Of course, I know each and every one of my creations, especially her" the goddess answered with a smile 

"Then is she ok? How is she doing on that continent? what is she doing?" Amelia quickly asked as she leaned forward, her eyes digging into the golden irises of Histy 

"Don't worry, I will tell you, but in return, you will have to hear some words of caution from me" Histy replied with her smile disappearing 

"Of course" 

"Good, now for starters, do you know of the first Saintess to ever be crowned?" 

"I only heard that she brought about an age of enlightenment and prosperity to the world" Amelia answered 

"Heh, let me tell you the true events, I suggest you get comfortable, you will be here a while" Histy told her with a smile 

"But what about the outside world?" 

"Don't worry, I froze time outside our small pocket dimension, meaning your world won't be moving at all and no one will be the wiser"

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A few minutes before Amelia went into said pocket dimension

Inside a dungeon underneath the city of Marland, a sinister sight was unfolding. A group of beastkin of various races were gagged, stripped down to drity rags and robes that barely covered their torso, no undergarments, no footwear, no nothing. All of them were shackled to the cobblestone wall, their bodies bruised with the cuts of a whip and looked more like husks, their eyes showing nothing but darkness as they continuously stared at the floor. Some were children, others were teens and a few were adults. 

In front of them was a man dressed in the white and red robes of that of a clergyman, a priest, a priest who was much more tubby that he looked. His face was filled with nothing but rage as he continued to whip and beat a young beastkin child who cried and screamed for him to stop, his pleas falling on deaf ears as the priest only beat him harder and harder, the fury in his eyes being clear as day 

"You unworthy and ungrateful rat! you deserve nothing more than this! you are stain upon this world! a mistake given by a goddess who loathes you! I shall remind you of your place in this world!" Father Alen shouted as he repeatedly switched between his whip or a kick to the child who was now in a curled-up ball position

"I suggest you tone it down a bit Father" a venomous voice came from the shadows, 

"Ah, Jacon. you made it!" the priest grinned as he turned to where the voice came from 

Stepping out of the shadows with a small smile was a young boy with black hair, his face was handsome enough that it could make almost any woman swoon. he was dressed in a white robe without a stole, with a pair of black slacks and black leather shoes, he was just as tall as Father Alen but unlike the other suitors pining for Amelia, he lacked the physical strength the others had. 

"What brings you here? my child?" Father Alen asked as he and Jacon walked closer to the shaking child 

"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to check up on you, the festival is almost here you know?" Jacon stated as he pressed his right foot down on the child, grinding the hell of his shoe onto the young boy's fragile body 

"Ah, is that when you plan to make your move? capture the Saintess for the order and kill the Imperial Family?" the priest asked with a grin 

"Precisely, just like you taught me Father, we must cleanse this world of the unworthy. whether they are royals or the foul beasts like the ones before us" the successor to the pope answered with a sickening grin 

"Hahaha! good boy, I knew all my effort would pay off, soon the world shall be bathed in Histy's holy light and never again shall the unfortunate such as ourselves feel oppressed by those who deem themselves chosen" 

"Of course, all will be ours soon" 

The two of them then began to cackle as the skies above the city began to darken, a storm was coming. And no one knew what was in store. 

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Meanwhile, inside a massive dark chamber underneath the capital of Scaneth, three people were meeting in secret. 

"General Fang" The deep and menacing voice muttered as the Varangian Guard's crimson eyes showered the wolf beastkin general in it's red gaze 

"Sir Antwerp, it has been a while old friend, come to see what is left of the Emperor's Grand Army?" Fang joked as he gave the Varangian a wry smile 

"Of course, I came too see how goes the preparations" the Varangian Guard stated

"I have about ten thousand able bodies, some of them civilians, others discharged soldiers. We will rise up from the sewers when the signal is given, spreading across the city and setting fires and damaging as much infrastructure as we can before fanning out and dispersing with the civilian population, before regrouping into our secondary groups and helping to escort our civilians out of the empire" the wolf beastkin answered, his tone full of remorse but with the knowledge that is has to be done

"How is His Majesty?" Fang asked, a frown on his face 

"He will not live until the end of the month, we suspect his final day will be when the plan is initiated" Sir Antwerp answered with a saddened tone 

"Ah, I see. and who is that with you?" Fang gestured to the Lamia still in hiding in the dark

"This is Agent Linora, currently the second-in-command of the Imperial Investigation Bureau, she will be assisting you during the uprising" Sir Antwerp answered as he gestured to the lamia now slithering into view 

"Good Morning general, let's discuss routes now shall we?" 

 

A/N: Hello! so here is the finished chapter! took a lot of rewriting but I am very happy with how it turned out! I hope you enjoy the chapter and I hope you continue to enjoy the series, we are almost at the end of Volume 1 which I plan to hopefully wrap up by December. anyways, if you have any comment I will be happy to read and reply to them, and as always Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Day!