The Priestess's Chambers

A knock comes at the door. Sarena rises from her chair by the fire and opens it.

Sarena smiled at how she was addressed by this young voice.

"Certainly, you may," she replied, opening her door further and motioning inside.

"Whom do I have the pleasure of welcoming as my first guest in my new chambers?"

"Well then little princess, you should tell me much of yourself, so that we are on fairer terms," she said in a friendly yet somewhat removed tone.

Easily making her own way around the chambers, she moved over to a cabinet and opened it. "Would you care for honeyed milk or watered wine?"

She took some honey from the cabinet and spooned it into a mug. Then she fetched some milk from a jar sitting on the window sill to keep it cool. She mixed it together than handed it to Daenya.

"Quite an adventure for one so young, you must be fearless to face such a foe. Do not be disappointed that this Dragonbane bested you, the fires that forge us will be made of both success and defeat. Every hardened warrior has tasted of both."

"I am not," she replied, taking a seat opposite the girl.

"We all become someone else, sometimes. I have terrible memories and I sometimes ask myself 'who was that person, who did that thing?', though I can't truly say I would not make the same choice again, if it was put to me once more. But I appreciate that is not exactly what you mean."

"Perhaps it can not, sweet one," she answered softly, "many are born with afflictions, and all want rid of them, but wanting can only serve to make it more painful." She put a hand to her eyes.

"When I opened my door to you, you named me sorceress, I fear that may have given you false hope. I am a priestess to the Lord of Light, my powers are his will. You could only be cured by me if he wanted it to be so."

"There are many gods in many different lands, young one. Gods who are kind and gods who are cruel, gods who are powerful, gods who are weak, indifferent gods and inexplicable gods, but above them all is the oldest and greatest of them, and his name is R'hllor. He who wages battle eternal against The Great Other, the cold god of death, who takes from us happiness and leaves only despair."

"R'hllor is warmth and life, hope and power. He is the heart of fire, the god of flame and shadow, he is all that stands between us and night unending."

The fire in the fireplace danced and hissed loudly as she spoke.

"R'hllor's powers are indeed great, I have seen them and felt them through me. Should he choose to end your affliction he could in a moment." Her fingers played at the fire, and the flames seemed to reach up to them as if a pet trying to lick its master.

"R'hllor will not come to your beck and call, he will not serve you and he will give you naught for nothing. He wants your service and your sacrifice, and if you are devoted to him, and it is of use to him to do so, he will rid you of your affliction."

"By opening your mind to him, by accepting his power and allowing him to do his work on earth through you. By casting aside false, lesser gods, and spreading his word. You must become his sword, his shield and his rallying horn. You must be his light in the darkness, his warrior of life. Can you be these things?"

Sarena nodded. "No important decision should be made lightly, and this is the most important of decisions. Go think on this, search you heart, stare into the fire and find your answers."