The Paladin stood in the back corner of her office, leaning against the wall. The events of the day were replaying through her mind as she scowled at the floor. A copy of the Lantern was sitting on her desk a few fulms away. She did not notice the woman standing at her door till she decided to call out. There was a quiet knock and a meek "H-hello?" as she straightened herself.
Coatleque looked up momentarily startled and cleared her throat. She scrambled to the desk as she had not been expecting anyone this evening. "Oh, yes? Apologies... one moment!" Quickly taking the paper from in front of her she crumbled it and dropped it into the waste basket to the side. She then sat down abruptly and scooted forward to address the newcomer.
"May I help you?"
"A-ah? Yes. Hello, um, Miss Crofte. My name is Anita. Anita Aezantia, and I'm a trainee under Captain Jenlyns...!", she began with a salute which Coatleque returned quickly.
"Oh, another new initiate? A pleasure to meet you Miss Aezantia."
With that she gestured to the chair before her small desk.
"Did you need something? Please come in."
"Y-yes, ma'am.", the woman nodded before proceeding to walk in. Her posture was straight, perfectly rigid as she had been taught. "I was here to... um, inquire about the Trials?"
"Ah, the initiate's Trials? Your sword training has been completed and you wish to move up to the Gallantry then?"
Anita squeezed herself into the small cubicle-like room, her heart slamming against her breastplate. She did not let her nervousness show through. She responded with a small nod before sitting.
"I've had both training from the Captain himself, and my own private tutoring."
Coatleque smiled.
"I should first congratulate you then, for coming so far! Have you already sworn your oath of fealty to her Grace?"
"I... yes, yes!", she replied enthusiastically.
"I do apologize for not being there. I know how important the ceremony is, however... the Captain typically has me attending other business so that he may be present himself. So... have you bee told anything about the Trials before?"
She leaned back in her chair in an attempt to relax the mood settling over the room. It snapped and creaked under the weight of her armor - a miracle it still has not broken yet.
"I understand the Sultansworn are quite bus-- um, no, I haven't... my wife is also something of a Sultansworn, but she's more of a, um... a diplomat..." She trailed off at this, realize she had not mentioned such before. "Anyway, she told me of the trials."
"I see."
Anita stood then, the metallic fingers of her gauntlets crossed together. She looked over the room quietly before settling her eyes on the veteran Sworn before her once more.
"Well, the first thing you should know is that the Trials in no way impact your current status as a Sultansworn. You have completed the training. You have sworn your Oath. You are a full-fledged member. We are all equals under one banner."
She nodded softly. "Yessir. Captain Jenlyns taught me as much. And I am glad for it."
"Aye, good. Good. Some have placed too much weight on them in the past, declaring themselves failures based on their own performance without me ever having cast such judgement. The Trials are not a test of usefulness to our cause. They are more a test of self worth. What you gain from them is different from what someone else may."
Anita closed her eyes for a minute, thinking back to her own performance.
"I've made my mistakes, but I won't let that stop me. I am prepared..."
Coatleque nodded once before continuing.
"While your training to date has been more martial than anything else, the Trials teach the finer points of morality. Service, brotherhood, loyalty, justice, courage, meekness, humility. In essence, what it means to be a Paladin. You may learn much of yourself in the process. Is that something you are prepared for?"
"Yes, sir. I'm confident that I've already found myself... and I believe the Trial a test to further my convictions."
"As you say, Ser Aezantia. Hold to those convictions, to that purpose, and I believe you shall do well."
Anita cracked a soft smile at that, her emerald eyes lidding. "Yes, sir."
At that, the Paladin opened the top drawer of her desk and reached in to retrieve something. She slid a linkpearl across the desk to Anita. It was white with a swirling blue pearlescent color.
"This is the Sultansworn's own pearl. It is held by those of us in the Order, as well as Free Paladins who have left to pursue their own goals. We use this to relay orders, news, in effect - any business that we Sworn should be privy to. It is often quiet, but rather useful when it needs to be."
The woman took it from the desk, metallic fingers dancing across its surface.
"I understand. Thank you for this.", she said with a nod before inserting it to her ear.
Coatleque leaned forward and folded her hands on the desk in front of her. "Congratulations once again, Ser Aezantia. Your Trial of Purpose is now complete. With this you now have a goal. I pray the Twelve give you the strength to see it through.
Her look of surprise was evident. "...ah! Sorry?"
There was a light chuckle from across the desk.
"Unexpected?"
"... honestly, yes. It is a good surprise though."
"Allow me to explain then, as I am wont to do at these times...
You sought me out, Ser Aezantia. Or your own initiative and desire. It was your own interest in the Trials that brought you here. You set yourself to a task, and saw it carried out, simple as it was. So should you approach everything you do as a Paladin. We perform our service with purpose behind each of our actions. And even now, I would imagine you begin to understand the Trials more than when you started."
"A bit, I suppose." She rubbed the back of her head, face flushing in embarrassment.
"Do not worry, they will not all be so easy. In fact..."
The Paladin held a hand to her ear for a moment before continuing.
"To all current initiates. I am preparing us for the Trial of Service and Brotherhood. This is a group Trial for all who are interested. Not tonight, mind you, but soon. It was a favorite of the late Ser Mcbeef. I aim to carry it on in her memory as well."
Her hand lowered with a smile to the woman across from her.
The pair conversed for a few more minutes before Coatleque stood to bow.
"Thank you, Miss Crofte. I have some business to attend to, but I hope to speak with you more in the future."
"Of course, I look forward to it. May Nymeia guide your path until then."
"You as well.", she replied with a final salute before turning to leave.
Coatleque sighed as she retook her seat. Once Anita was out of site she retrieved the crumpled paper from the waste bin and flattened it back out.
Coatleque looked up momentarily startled and cleared her throat. She scrambled to the desk as she had not been expecting anyone this evening. "Oh, yes? Apologies... one moment!" Quickly taking the paper from in front of her she crumbled it and dropped it into the waste basket to the side. She then sat down abruptly and scooted forward to address the newcomer.
"May I help you?"
"A-ah? Yes. Hello, um, Miss Crofte. My name is Anita. Anita Aezantia, and I'm a trainee under Captain Jenlyns...!", she began with a salute which Coatleque returned quickly.
"Oh, another new initiate? A pleasure to meet you Miss Aezantia."
With that she gestured to the chair before her small desk.
"Did you need something? Please come in."
"Y-yes, ma'am.", the woman nodded before proceeding to walk in. Her posture was straight, perfectly rigid as she had been taught. "I was here to... um, inquire about the Trials?"
"Ah, the initiate's Trials? Your sword training has been completed and you wish to move up to the Gallantry then?"
Anita squeezed herself into the small cubicle-like room, her heart slamming against her breastplate. She did not let her nervousness show through. She responded with a small nod before sitting.
"I've had both training from the Captain himself, and my own private tutoring."
Coatleque smiled.
"I should first congratulate you then, for coming so far! Have you already sworn your oath of fealty to her Grace?"
"I... yes, yes!", she replied enthusiastically.
"I do apologize for not being there. I know how important the ceremony is, however... the Captain typically has me attending other business so that he may be present himself. So... have you bee told anything about the Trials before?"
She leaned back in her chair in an attempt to relax the mood settling over the room. It snapped and creaked under the weight of her armor - a miracle it still has not broken yet.
"I understand the Sultansworn are quite bus-- um, no, I haven't... my wife is also something of a Sultansworn, but she's more of a, um... a diplomat..." She trailed off at this, realize she had not mentioned such before. "Anyway, she told me of the trials."
"I see."
Anita stood then, the metallic fingers of her gauntlets crossed together. She looked over the room quietly before settling her eyes on the veteran Sworn before her once more.
"Well, the first thing you should know is that the Trials in no way impact your current status as a Sultansworn. You have completed the training. You have sworn your Oath. You are a full-fledged member. We are all equals under one banner."
She nodded softly. "Yessir. Captain Jenlyns taught me as much. And I am glad for it."
"Aye, good. Good. Some have placed too much weight on them in the past, declaring themselves failures based on their own performance without me ever having cast such judgement. The Trials are not a test of usefulness to our cause. They are more a test of self worth. What you gain from them is different from what someone else may."
Anita closed her eyes for a minute, thinking back to her own performance.
"I've made my mistakes, but I won't let that stop me. I am prepared..."
Coatleque nodded once before continuing.
"While your training to date has been more martial than anything else, the Trials teach the finer points of morality. Service, brotherhood, loyalty, justice, courage, meekness, humility. In essence, what it means to be a Paladin. You may learn much of yourself in the process. Is that something you are prepared for?"
"Yes, sir. I'm confident that I've already found myself... and I believe the Trial a test to further my convictions."
"As you say, Ser Aezantia. Hold to those convictions, to that purpose, and I believe you shall do well."
Anita cracked a soft smile at that, her emerald eyes lidding. "Yes, sir."
At that, the Paladin opened the top drawer of her desk and reached in to retrieve something. She slid a linkpearl across the desk to Anita. It was white with a swirling blue pearlescent color.
"This is the Sultansworn's own pearl. It is held by those of us in the Order, as well as Free Paladins who have left to pursue their own goals. We use this to relay orders, news, in effect - any business that we Sworn should be privy to. It is often quiet, but rather useful when it needs to be."
The woman took it from the desk, metallic fingers dancing across its surface.
"I understand. Thank you for this.", she said with a nod before inserting it to her ear.
Coatleque leaned forward and folded her hands on the desk in front of her. "Congratulations once again, Ser Aezantia. Your Trial of Purpose is now complete. With this you now have a goal. I pray the Twelve give you the strength to see it through.
Her look of surprise was evident. "...ah! Sorry?"
There was a light chuckle from across the desk.
"Unexpected?"
"... honestly, yes. It is a good surprise though."
"Allow me to explain then, as I am wont to do at these times...
You sought me out, Ser Aezantia. Or your own initiative and desire. It was your own interest in the Trials that brought you here. You set yourself to a task, and saw it carried out, simple as it was. So should you approach everything you do as a Paladin. We perform our service with purpose behind each of our actions. And even now, I would imagine you begin to understand the Trials more than when you started."
"A bit, I suppose." She rubbed the back of her head, face flushing in embarrassment.
"Do not worry, they will not all be so easy. In fact..."
The Paladin held a hand to her ear for a moment before continuing.
"To all current initiates. I am preparing us for the Trial of Service and Brotherhood. This is a group Trial for all who are interested. Not tonight, mind you, but soon. It was a favorite of the late Ser Mcbeef. I aim to carry it on in her memory as well."
Her hand lowered with a smile to the woman across from her.
The pair conversed for a few more minutes before Coatleque stood to bow.
"Thank you, Miss Crofte. I have some business to attend to, but I hope to speak with you more in the future."
"Of course, I look forward to it. May Nymeia guide your path until then."
"You as well.", she replied with a final salute before turning to leave.
Coatleque sighed as she retook her seat. Once Anita was out of site she retrieved the crumpled paper from the waste bin and flattened it back out.
