Priestess of Castle D'ior - Part 05

Ursa Blacksong
Castle D'oir - Winterlunde
Year 113 - 38th Day of Midwinter

…

Ursa had chanced to overhear talk of some illness the evening prior in an exchange between a pair of the household maids while she had been taking the queens stair on the way back to her bed chambers for the night.

Not that the appearance of some illness was all that remarkable in these first months of winter and yet the young ladies voices were subdued and quiet as they spoke in hushed tones that suggested that perhaps it was bad luck to speak of the matter illness here in the Winterlunde's.

Perhaps it was a taboo subject, the idea not really all that surprising given Ursa herself had noted a number of odd little beliefs and superstitions that were apparently commonplace amongst the locals. Throwing salt over one's shoulder to ward off bad luck, Knocking one's knuckles on a tabletop for good luck after a business agreement, Avoiding the mention of a deceased friend or family members name were all pretty common amongst the common folk thus the idea that speaking of Illness might have been considered a reasonable way to avoid it.

…

It wasn't until the next morning after the morning ritual had been performed and she was sharing first meal with Sir Kristov that she brought up the subject anew.

"What of this illness I've heard is going around of late?" She commented off hand between dipping freshly baked bread into a thick meaty gravy on her plate.

Kristov for his part only offered her a brief upwards glance from his meal before nodding his head in understanding as he leaned back in his seat. " It is custom here not to speak of such things during meals my Lady but then again you being you I doubt seriously that you could care one copper about local custom."

Ursa gave passive shrug of her own. "I'm a priestess of the Goddess, the care of people and sickness are matters that concern me."

Kristov brushed the bread crumbs from his hands with a cloth before replacing on the tabletop by his dish. "Which oddly enough marks you as very different from your fellow priests of whom I gather have already started locking themselves up in their temples and charging an arm and a leg to even address aid and comfort of anyone who even might have this illness."

Ursa rolled her eyes as she shook her head, not all that surprised at the actions of her former brothers and sisters. "Church doctrine has gone through a good number of changes over the past several decades.” She grumbled. “Not so long ago things like charity and mercy were the rule of the day replaced only recently by greed and the want of personal wealth."

Kristov gave a soft chuckle. "This Church you speak of my Lady must have been long before my time."

Ursa smirked. " Before my time as well I'm afraid. That said from what I have read, a portion of the taxes the nobles collect are paid to the temples are they not?"

Kristov ran his fingers through his beard thoughtfully. "I don't recall the specific details but I do believe the temple is included in the yearly budgets."

“I think it might be time for someone to speak with the Duchess about conducting an review of the original agreement between the crown and the temple and sort out what it is, exactly, that the nobility of the Winterlunde’s is paying the temple for and if they are even holding up their end of that agreement.” Ursa frowned then as she pushed herself to her feet. “ And if you would be so kind as to arrange for an armed escort for this afternoon as I will be requesting the Duchess permission to leave the castle so that I might see this illness first hand. Better to address this matter now rather than wait for it to become a more dire issue later in the season.”

“ If I may be so bold….” Kristov spoke as he rose to his feet following her lead. “ It sounds as if my lady is planning to pick a fight with the High Church just ahead of the Trail of Succession?”

“That sounds about right.” Ursa agreed. “The priests of the High Church have given us an opportunity to swing public opinion in our favor. I think we would be foolish not to take advantage of that folly. “

…