The Balance: Finale

Chapter 28

It was a merry group that met for the evening meal later that day. All six of them were gathered in the dining hall in the temple. Angela was pleased that Sean had made a conspicuous effort to make a good impression. Though he still bore the marks on his face from his fight with the thieves on the border, he was dressed in freshly-laundered clothes; clean leather breeches with a white tunic, with a leather vest over it.

Indeed, all of them were dressed in their best. Abiron and Ariana wore the clothes, Ariana said, that they had been wed in. Diana was resplendent in a white gown so thin as to be practically translucent. It both revealed and concealed her curves, including the small rise of her belly where her child lay. Paul wore a robe that reminded one of his former life as a monk, but it bore the brave sunburst of the Deity on the chest, and was cut to emphasize the graceful strength of his arms and legs.

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, and put down a forkful of gravy-soaked rabbit to surreptitiously adjust her clothing. Ariana had made sure the clothes she had left behind had been brought to the temple in anticipation of Angela's return. However, her soft green dress, the color of new leaves, did not quite fit her new...dimensions. Rather than risk her breasts overflowing the bodice, she had loosened the laces. However, this stratagem had only meant her breasts were free to move about, and the rubbing of the cloth on her nipples was causing some distinctly...distracting...sensations within her.

Her eyes fixed on Sean. At the moment, he was regaling the group with a tale from their time traveling together.

"...so we're at the temple of the Lover, in...where was it, Angela?"

"Graikos," she said shortly, cheeks warming as she recalled that evening.

"And all the men there looking at her like she's a side of beef and they haven't eaten in three days," Sean continued.

"Bunch of horny louts," she muttered, just loud enough for the rest of them to hear.

"And after Angela here goes to her chambers, it seems they all had the same thought, which was to ease the poor girl's loneliness. I was in the guest chamber next to hers, and I could hear them, one after the other, knocking on her door."

"Five of them," Angela said with exasperation. "I had to answer the door five times, and tell five different men that no, I did not need any comforting this evening. You may want to have a look at that temple, my lady," she said to Ariana. "I am not sure how many of them actually have a vocation. Not that they were rude in any way," she said to Ariana's narrowed eyes, "but they certainly were eager. Very eager," she said with a small smile of remembrance.

"It's a danger," agreed Ariana. "Too many people thinking that serving the Lover or the Wanton means a steady supply of women or men to bed. I'll make some inquiries."

"At any rate, after the fifth one, I went downstairs and rang the dinner bell until I had roused the whole temple, and told the entire group..."

"In no uncertain terms," put in Sean.

"That I was perfectly well and did not need any easing, or comforting, or soothing, or consoling, or any other word which would allow them to get their greedy hands on my body. I also told them the next one to knock on my door would get themselves a knock on the head from a staff blessed by the Deity Himself.

"That put an end to that foolishness."

Abiron and Diana laughed, and Angela went on the attack.

"But what about you, Sean? If I recall correctly, there were several ladies who were eager to jump into your bed after we told them what happened here. A genuine hero of the realm sitting and eating and drinking beer right in front of them, and you wouldn't even crook a finger."

"I was your guard," Sean muttered, face flaming. Across the table, Diana narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. "Can't guard you if I'm busy with that sort of nonsense."

"Which brings me to a question that I had been meaning to ask you," said Angela, cutting off what was for Sean an embarrassing line of inquiry. "Sean, we know you used to be an atheist. But that when the Deity manifested in throne room and healed your hand you received the proof you needed. If you are going to be our Captain of Guards, I need to know if your faith is still firm.

"No one is asking you to join the priesthood, though if you spend time with us here, you may surprise yourself. There have been many soldiers and guardsmen in our past who have become warrior-priests, and have served that avatar of the Deity."

Sean nodded. "As for faith, my lady, who can say for sure? How much of my rebellion against Rome was due to a false god, and how much was due to the greed and stupidity I saw when I was younger is anyone's guess.

"But I can tell you this. I believe that your Deity is real. And after what I have seen over the past few months, I would happily lay down my life for Her," here his face grew grim. "Or for any of you that are in my care."

"Speaking of greed," said Abiron, "but was it Kris that you went to see earlier? Did the annulment that Rome held for ransom come through?"

"I did see him. He is happy and healthy and married. And if that widow-woman of his isn't pregnant yet, it isn't for lack of trying. He was walking like she had worn all the skin off his..." he suddenly caught himself, looked at Diana and Ariana, and blushed, cutting short what he was going to say.

Diana put her chin in her hands and looked at Sean piercingly. "For a fighting man, you certainly try to keep your tongue under control when you are speaking with us. That is a sad thing. We try here to make sure our men's tongues are under our control."

Ariana laughed loudly at the jest, as did Abiron. Paul only smiled fondly, and leaned over to plant a kiss on his wife's lips, which she returned strongly.

Seeing them all together, happy and joyous, brought a warm sense of comfort to Angela. She thought how close it had all come to ruin. But here she was, snug in the bosom of her new home.

In fact, she was beginning to feel very warm indeed. With a start, she realized that her right hand was cupping her breast, fingers caressing the sensitive flesh, her thumb idly stroking the nipple. She dropped her hand and took a bite of vegetables, face flaming.

She looked up to see Diana observing her with understanding and sympathy in her gaze.

"It's all new to you, isn't it? The increased desire, the changes in your body?" At Angela's startled nod, she continued. "It was the same way for me when I first found my vocation and the Wanton manifested in me for the first time. I could hardly keep my hands off myself. If you find that the gifts of the Deity are a little bit...more...than you need, you can ask Him to moderate them. Though I would leave the chest alone. It suits you very well, my dear."

"It's not that I'm ungrateful," Ariana said. She made a vague motion towards her bosom. "I am just having a hard time adjusting to what I have. And will it continue? What good is a set of teats if I can't haul them around?"

From her seat at the head of the table, Ariana nodded. With a keen glance she took in Angela's body. "I do not think He will give you any more than what you now have, daughter. But please know that this is the Great Temple of the Diety in Heklos. It is here that His presence is strongest."

"This has its good and bad points," Abiron said with a crooked smile. "We are stronger here. But so is She. And gods sometimes lose track of how they are aeffecting mortals. If you find it is too much for you, or that you feel you are losing yourself in Her, let us know. We have ways to help."

Ariana looked at Angela. "Seeing you now, with no cloak or coat on, it does seem that you have been blessed...disproportionately. What say you, Abiron? You are the only one who has seen her with her clothes off. How much has our friend's bounty been increased?"

Abiron glanced at Angela, and decided a little gentle teasing would not be out of place.

"Well, my lady, it is difficult to be absolutely sure. Regarding the past, what Angela had was delightful. What there was of it.

"I mean, from a purely physical point of view, what she had was certainly enough," he sighed in mock-sadness. "Medically speaking, I would say that they were...adequate. But there are always going to be those small-minded fellows who think that more is always better. And those people would be happily surprised to see Angela now."

Diana was red-faced as she sought to control her giggles. Across the table from her, Angela slowly ran her thumb down the edge of an eating knife, eying Abiron as a butcher does a particularly troublesome joint of meat.

Ariana glanced at the hourglass. "I think I should cut this line of inquiry short, before Angela cuts Abiron short." She gathered Paul, Abiron, and Diana in her eyes. "My friends, are we agreed? Angela to join with us, as novice and priestess of the Huntress in training? Sean to join with us, and to become our Captain of Guards?" The others nodded.

"With all my heart," said Abiron.

"Gladly," said Diana, with smoldering glances at both Angela and Sean.

"Love shared is love doubled," quoted Paul.

Ariana nodded. "Very well. Let us go to the worship area for the evening rite."

As they walked slowly down the hall, Angela asked, "Sean, did Angela ever tell you about the relationship between Abiron and myself?"

Frowning, Sean shook his head. "My lady, we discussed you very little. She did speak of her feelings for Abiron, and the hope that she could return here. And she had nothing but the highest praise for you. But she did not discuss your marriage with the High Priest at all."

"Not my secret to share," said Angela quietly, walking a few steps behind.

"Not a secret," said Angela with a small smile. "Just something we don't discuss much."

In a few sentences, she told Sean of her and Abiron's true relationship, and the reason for it. Sean was strangely accepting.

"Local custom," he shrugged. "Each religion has its own oddities. The christians pretend they are eating their god's flesh and blood. Making love to your mother or son isn't any stranger than that."

Ariana nodded. "However, I think the Deity is changing the rules on us," she said, as they drew near the worship area. "Rather than depend on one family for faith, and to interbreed it with itself to keep the line pure, He is casting a wider net. When I visited Pathia, I passed along my belief that the Deity would be choosing those of superior faith and asking them to sire children on each other.

"Much like a stockman breeds sheep for finer wool, He is breeding us for faith."

She opened the door, and they gasped at what they saw within.

"Of course, this does have its advantages."

Chapter 29

Just as in the audience chamber many weeks before, all twelves incarnations of the Deity stood before them at the head of the room.

Angela stood stock-still and turned to Abiron. "I thought we were merely going to observe the evening rites. What are they doing here?" she asked, her voice half-fearful.

Abiron grinned. "They're marrying us."

"What? Marrying us? You're already married, you dolt! Are you going to divorce Ariana and try to marry me? If that's what you think I advise you reconsider!"

From Angela's other side, Paul cleared his throat politely, "I think Abiron may have chosen his words poorly," he said solemnly. "When he said that the Deity was marrying us, he meant that the Deity was marrying all of us. To each other," he explained to her open-mouthed astonishment.

"So, I'll be married to you. And to Abiron. And to Sean. And to Ariana. And to Diana?" she asked, an unidentifiable emotion clouding her voice.

"Yes," said Diana, her voice warm and loving from behind her. Angela felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, and she shivered as Diana's lips brushed her neck. "All you have to do is to promise to love us and protect us, and to guard our children as you would your own."

Angela looked at Ariana for guidance, nearly weeping. "Why?" she asked. "Why us? Why me?"

"Because we love you," she answered.

"And because of your faith," added Abiron judiciously. "Do you know how hard we had to fight for you? We could have broken Ulf in two days. Lambert would have taken...four days, Mother?"

"Three," she replied.

"It took us damn near a fortnight for you and Paul. Ariana performed one of the greatest healings she has ever done, and it still took a trip to the temple of the Wanton and a betrayal by his superior to bring him over.

"And as for you, Angela, you shine. There is so much faith and love in you right now you practically glow with it. To have that, to be able to call upon it at need? You have no idea how potent a weapon you are, my love.

"And Sean as well! When Paul first met him, he was as firm in his non-belief as Paul was in his devotion to his god. But look at him now! A firm believer in the Deity and now our Captain of Guards. Who wouldn't want to have a mind that strong on his side?" He waved a hand where Sean had been a moment before.

And found Sean absent.

He was huddled on a bench next to the far wall. When they approached him, he looked up, eyes haunted in an honest, homely face, tanned by winter sun, thick brown hair falling over his intelligent brow. He tried to smile, mouth shaking, but that failed and he lowered his head again.

"No," he said softly. "No. No no no no no."

Eyes hot, Angela opened her mouth, but was cut off my a sharp gesture from Ariana. Diana stepped forward, but she shook her head. She gathered them together.

"This one needs a gentle touch, I think," she said softly. "The poor man is terrified. If you try to force him, Angela, I'm afraid he will only dig his heels in deeper. And Diana, he does not know you well enough to trust you. Not yet. Not with something of this size staring him in the face.

"Go on ahead. We'll be up momentarily."

"I know what I want to have staring me in the face," Diana said with a smirk. She then flushed and turned away before Ariana's frown.

"There is a time and a place, Diana. Not now, I beg you."

She walked to the bench and sat down beside Sean and watched the others wander slowly away. Beside her Sean stirred and spoke quietly, his accent that of his far-away land.

"My Ma died of the fever when I was six years old. My younger sister died when a damn drunk fool cut her with scythe and the wound went foul when I was eleven. My older sister died in childbed when I was sixteen, and my Da died of the cough when I was nineteen.

"I was alone, and had little land, no prospects, and was no great beauty to look at. All that the world taught me was that your loved ones will leave you, and will leave you all alone. I could find no woman to share my life and continue my line. Eventually I left my home and came here. Until three months ago, I had one good friend in all the world. And no family."

He took a wracking breath, "And now you are asking me to marry five other persons. To love them, to protect their children. Children that may be mine!

"I can't do it."

"Of course you can," Ariana's voice was low and kind. "Sean, don't you see? We are all of us damaged in some way. We all lose those who are close to us. I lost my mother and father when I was barely an adult. Angela was cast out of her own home. Paul is an orphan who was flogged for the most innocent of acts. Of the six of us, only Abiron and Diana are whole. And Abiron was informed at the age of eighteen that he would have to marry his mother and sire a child on her, while the hand of the Deity rests so strongly on Diana that she is half a saint already."

"I've never been married. I don't know how to be married. I never thought I would marry."

"You had never been a guard before you came to Heklos, but from what I hear, you are very good at it. Just because you have never done anything before doesn't mean you have no skill. It just means your skills are untried."

"My lady," Sean said desperately, "you don't want me. Just because I knocked that bastard Lambert over when he was going after Angela is no reason to reward me so highly. I am just about resigned to be Captain in a temple where, Deity willing, there will never be any violence. I was a free farmer with my own land, but I am not suited to the high tables of the nobility. I will shame you in public and embarrass you in private. Pick someone else."

"And what makes you think," said Ariana, beginning to lose her temper, "that we are the ones doing the choosing? We have been pulled and pushed, guided and goaded, so that the six of us would be in this place at this time. Do you think it simple chance that Paul and Angela were chosen to come here? Do you think it a mere twist of fate that you traveled hundreds of miles so you could be here, now?

"You have been chosen, Sean," she said softly, "just as much as the rest of us. And we approve of you heartily. Angela and Paul spent enough time with you to be sure of you. Do you think she would hesitate for a moment to say so if she did not find you to her liking? She knows what a marriage means. Paul sees no problem being a co-husband to you. Do you think he would allow someone unworthy to watch over his child? The rest of us value you just as highly, although it may be on less acquaintance, because we trust them. And because we trust the Deity, who, in the end, was the one who chose you.

"And as far as the nobility is concerned, do you think that we spend our days in castles, eating our meals off of silver plates? We are priests of the Deity, Sean, not of the christian god of your youth. We worship and we teach. We help and we heal. We do not spend our time squeezing peasants for coin or measuring ourselves for silks. Trust me, you will be spending far more time grubbing in the garden than you will attending high functions. Our temple is wealthy, but only because we only take what is freely given, and plow that money back into the land. It is a means to aid others, nothing more. We do not love money for its own sake, but only for what it may accomplish for us.

"So, will you marry us?"

Sean looked up and his throat worked convulsively.

"Let's make it easier. Sean, will you marry me?"

"Lady, I will," he said hoarsely.

"Will you marry Angela? Paul? Abiron? And Diana?" He nodded as each person was named.

"Good. Now that this silliness is over, let's go get married."

@@@

It really was absurdly easy, Sean thought later. They stood in a line before the twelve incarnations of the Deity; Ariana, Abiron, Angela, Paul, himself, and Diana. He was shaking like a man with a fever when a small hand snuck into his and squeezed it tightly. Returning the pressure, he looked down at Diana smiling up at him. Taking a deep breath, he tried to put the strangeness of the situation out of his mind.

The Father walked to Ariana. "Ariana, daughter of Persephone and Aethon, will you take Abiron, Angela, Paul, Sean, and Diana to be your husbands and wives?"

Ariana's voice was clear and joyous, "Father, I will."

Next, the Lass approached Abiron. She held a rag dolly, Sean noticed, and her face was decidedly grubby. "Abiron, son of Ariana and Aethon, will you take Ariana, Angela, Paul, Sean, and Diana to be your husbands and wives?"

Abiron's voice was low and firm. "Lass, I will,"

The Huntress stalked slowly towards Angela, carrying a bow over one shoulder, and a sheaf of arrows at her hip. Angela started to lower her eyes, then raised them and met those of her avatar's likeness firmly. The Huntress' lip's quirked.