The Priest...Anthony was more logical and indeed more convincing than Arabella may have been prepared for. She could not argue that he was right, regardless of whatever child she or her sister had, war was likely inevitable. A full on conflict, armed to the teeth in which so much life would be lost. Brother against brother. It was a grim thing to consider, but it was worth spending a moment here or there to do so.
How many times in her life had the Queen heard the phrase that God never gives one more than they can handle? Too many to count. How many times had she said that to another? Too many to count. But when Anthony said it, when those words left his lips or something close enough to that effect she could not help but be struck by them, and for once she may have actually believed them. It would have been difficult not to believe Anthony. His words were calm, and he was a man of God. Truly a man of God and that was something that appealed to Arabella.
A genuine piety, the kind Anthony exuded was enough to send a flush through Arabella, it reminded her of Richard for just a moment, and she would quickly need to cast an appropriate though from her mind. He was a priest, and she was married, he was not Richard. He was not her current husband, such things were foolish, and momentary. She believed in him. She believed him.
"Thank you..." Arabella said softly as he transitioned from her situation to that of his upbringing. He was a foundling. He had been raised at the same hospital she had just seen not long ago. He was one of the unfortunate souls to have to suffer at the hands of overseers that did not care for them, but used them as little more than a means to a paycheck from the patrons. "My God." The Queen said as she found herself drawn closer to him, she took several steps forward until she stood before the seated figure. A slender hand raised up and moved slowly closer to him, coming to rest upon his cheek. Her thumb was now stroking his cheek. "To grow up without the love of a mother... and to grow up in a place where the light of God barely shines down..." Perhaps it was her hormones, but tears began to form in the corner of Arabella's eyes.
"I've been there... not long ago. I...was appalled, shocked by what I saw there." Arabella also understood she was crossing yet another line with her hand upon his cheek, but she didn't really care. Priest or not he was a person who deserved comfort and some degree of affection. "But even through the suffering you heard His calling... You have no idea how lucky you are, for just that much." Arabella understood further he was not lucky for his upbringing, but to hear a calling from God was the most magnificent and important honor one could receive.
"You are no longer a prisoner. You are no longer forbidden to ask that which troubles or interests you. If I am not a slave to the will of another, save for God, you are not a slave to those who deny you the quest for knowledge and understanding. I pray you will not keep your voice trapped in your head, not with me." Arabella was on the verge of bawling, but she held back as much as she could, a small smile painted across her face. He shared her feelings of imprisonment of being trapped. For the first time in her life, perhaps, she felt seen and validated. Not as Richard had done, but that seemed like an entirely different life compared to this one.
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