Liam and Cordelia entered the sitting room with their guests in tow.
The greying Marquis and still beautiful Marquess wasted no time acquainting themselves with the Del Montague siblings. Their scrutiny was mainly on Felicia, as they had already met Alex on a few occasions while he was still attending the Academy with their son.
Liam's mother, in particular, was determined to understand her son's infatuation with the Grand Duke's eldest daughter.
Her son had never expressed interest in a woman before.
So what was so special about her?
Wasn't the adopted daughter, Helena, who also happened to be the Saintess of Elysium of more interest? The girl was as beautiful as a white flower in full bloom and possessed a very gentle disposition.
Although, taking in Felicia's visage now, the Marquess had to admit she was stunning beauty in her own right. The way her red hair glowed in the sun and those bright emerald eyes which dominated her face...no wonder Liam was smitten.
To Felicia's enormous relief and appreciation, it turned out that Liam's parents did not peddle in gossips and rumors. Though she was certain they were aware of the amount of stain on her name, they were very cordial towards her and clearly willing to give her a chance to prove herself before passing any kind of judgement.
The interaction was very amicable.
She could see where Liam got his fair mind and kind heart from.
Felicia felt a sting of jealousy and longing in her heart as she watched the open affection Liam's parents had for him and Cordelia.
We had this once. Back when our mother was still alive. We were one big happy family. Thought it would last forever.
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Half an hour later, all three of them were seated in the Del Findel library.
Liam had wanted to have this discussion in his bedchamber, but with Lady Felicia also being here, it would be indecent. She was lawfully an unwed maiden who was also betrothed to the Crown Prince.
His mother would have twisted his ear if she found out he took Felicia to his bedroom.
Even if Alex were also there.
And it wasn't a good idea for his sanity either.....imagining Felicia in his bedroom...
How difficult would it be to kick Alex out and lock the door?
Cordelia had tried to enter the library as well, but Liam informed her that it was a private discussion and she needed to leave.
She had looked a bit upset, but cheered up significantly after Alex placed a kiss on her hand.
Even though it was only mid-morning and sunlight was streaming in through the large oval windows, the mood in the room grew somber once they started their discussion.
After all, knowing more only meant more problems to deal with.
Alex summoned the Holy Sword and placed on the table they were seated around.
Yellowed manuscripts with illustrations of the statue of the Goddess were spread out.
Liam had also found an old journal which belonged to his great uncle.
When Felicia had inquired how a mere priest was able to access and remove sacred scrolls from the church, Liam had pointed to the entries in his great uncle's journal.
Turns out, Father Albert Norris Del Findel was very much aware of the corruption within the church, as he went on long winded rants in his writing. He was greatly angered by how far the brethren had fallen from their predecessors.
As such, he took to covertly removing the scriptures he deemed most valuable.
Scroll by scroll, over the course of several years.
He feared some heretic priest may become the future Pope and decide to destroy them.
Father Albert had tried to bring the church back to where its focus should have been, but he was met with dismissal from most of his brothers.
Even the members of his faction had cautioned him against speaking out.
Something which he took to heart.
The man was a coward.
Apart from stealing scripture, he wasn't willing to openly challenge the authority of the Pope or the first faction. He wished he could be brave, but was ultimately too scared.
Consequently, this filled him with anger and frustration which he released by writing down his grievances in a secret journal he kept locked in his desk at the Del Findel manor.
Felicia voiced was laced with bitterness. "This makes me wonder just how may chose to stay silent as opposed to those who were silenced. To the extent that we are where we are right now."
Liam reached out a hand and lightly stroked Felicia's closed fist. "Do not be so bitter, my lady. When the time comes, you will be able to take your rightful place as Saintess. We will do away with that imposter."
She smiled back in appreciation.
Alex rubbed his chin as he examined the writing. "These illustrations are very rudimentary. It appears to be more symbolism than actual drawings of the architecture. But what do they mean? The Goddess is made out of marble. It's only her head, or rather her eyes and her crown which hold significance."
"Well, didn't you say that when you encountered the Goddess's spirit in the so called mists, she only presented her eyes and voice? That is not separate from the fact that her statue always sheds tears when she is trying to communicate with her worshippers. Red tears, clear tears...it's all connected, is it not?" Liam hypothesized, looking between the siblings.
Felicia nodded, excited by his dissection. "And the red ruby on her crown! Liam you said that it was placed there by the Goddess herself after her statue was completed, right?
"Yes," he replied, picking up another open scroll. "A bolt of purple lightning came down and struck the head of the statue. Rather than breaking through the stone, a giant red ruby had formed and carved itself into the center of the golden crown. The people praised the event, seeing it as an appraisal from the Goddess." He stopped reading and looked back at Felicia.
She was lost in her thoughts for a moment before shooting to her feet. Both Alex and Liam were startled.
"My power. My magic. I had purple lightning! I used it before, remember?" Her eyes locked with Alex's, who instantly put it together.
"So that's how we get the ruby out of the Goddess's crown. You have to strike it with your lightning and it will come undone."