23 October 2022

Something I strongly believe is that our struggles, our challenges, our painful moments have the power to make us more empathetic. It doesn’t always happen; it’s a choice to recognize someone else’s pain. And no matter how similar the situations may seem on the surface, there’s always nuances that keep us from knowing exactly how someone feels. But we can get close, and there is beauty in that, and I think that’s one way we can trade beauty for ashes.

As I mentioned before, I’ve done away with the “trial” bit; Aislin is in a sort of probationary period with the trial, where they’re trying to figure out what to do with her, and she’s trying to figure out how long she’s going to stay before she bails. Similar to the last one, though she decides to stick around long enough to fix this garden, which is now just a normal garden their goddess mandated they keep, even though none of the priests or priestesses are willing to risk getting their clothes dirty to keep it maintained.

She got to work. The two acolytes, who were named Owen and Cordelia, followed her instructions when asked, but between their obvious reluctance to get their hands dirty and their unfamiliarity with even basic gardening practices, Aislin was inclined to handle things herself.

She weeded and trimmed, planted and fertilized, over the next several days. She didn’t care about the dirt on the simple dresses she was provided or the sweat that beaded on her forehead. She cleaned and groomed herself, of course, but took little care beyond that.

One day, in the evening after Aislin had washed up, she entered the main hall and found an older woman, who appeared to be overwhelmed with the grandiose nature of the main hall. With a gentle smile, Aislin approached the older woman. “Good evening. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Oh, um, no, that’s alright.” She looked up at Aislin and relaxed a bit. “I just wanted to think for a moment.”

Aislin studied the woman. “If you prefer, we also have a small garden over this way. It might be easier to think there.”

The old woman visibly brightened. “Oh, that would be lovely!”

Aislin walked the old woman over to the garden, along with Cordelia, who was her assistant on-shift at the moment. Once the old woman was seated, she admired the garden and relaxed. “Thank you, dearie.”

“Of course.” The two sat in silence for several long minutes, while Cordelia shuffled around awkwardly off to the side.

Eventually, the old woman began to speak. “This place is quite special, isn’t it? Not that the main hall is bad, but it is hard to relax there.”

“Between you and me,” Aislin whispered, “I do think it’s a bit too much.”

The old woman chuckled, and Cordelia frowned but didn’t say anything. Another moment passed, and the old woman said, “I’ve been a little lost. My Cedric passed away just recently, and it’s been so hard.”

Aislin could relate. “Did he go peacefully, at least?”

“Oh, yes.” The old woman nodded. “But… he’s been by my side so long, and now it just feels… empty.”

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16 October 2022

When I wrote this, I was too focused on moving Aislin to being a combat-capable knight, like in the picture that inspired the story (by Sandara). I fixated on the idea of Aislin earning her place as champion, somehow, and being awarded with martial prowess or in-depth training or something. When I came back to it on the 23, I could see the problems, so a lot of this is no longer applicable, if not outright non-canon. But it was fun to write, and I’m pretty happy with the idea I came up with for a trial given by a goddess of beauty.

For a minute or so, Aislin just studied the high priestess. “At a time when I believed nothing could be right or good or beautiful anymore, and my life was gray, the Eternal Rose comforted me, and showed me the quiet beauty all around me. I wanted to thank her, and to help others the way she helped me.”

The high priestess nodded. She herself looked around at the priests and priestesses, and at the lavish temple. Perhaps a change was in order. “Perhaps the Rose guided you to us. Would you be willing to take the trial of the rose?”

The other priests and priestesses began to mutter amongst themselves, and several of them smiled maliciously. Aislin ignored them all and asked, “What is this trial?”

“It is a method the Eternal Rose uses to select her champions,” the high priestess explained. “Come. I will show you.”

The high priestess led Aislin deeper into the temple to a moderately large courtyard garden. At the center, a statue of a beautiful woman extended her right hand to offer a rose, while her left hand rested on a sheathed sword. Around the statue, and even creeping up it, the garden was overgrown, and very much at odds with the carefully arranged design of the rest of the temple.

“No one is allowed in this garden except those who are attempting the trial,” the high priestess explained. “If you can take the rose the goddess offers, then you have passed the trial. You may spend as long as you like, but once you try to grab it, that is the end of your trial one way or another. If you take long enough to need them, here is a room here where you can rest and bathe, and food and water will be provided.”

Aislin pondered to herself what she should do. This seemed little more than an attempt to force her to leave, but perhaps she could teach them some of what she knew of beauty before she left. “Very well.”

Two acolytes were assigned to see to her needs, and they begrudgingly took her things and showed her to her room. She thanked them, then went and stepped into the sacred garden.

Inside, it was even more wild and overgrown than she initially thought. Traces of a once-beautiful garden could be seen here and there, and though the untamed feel it had also carried a certain beauty, Aislin mourned the loss of what could be. It struck her that once she left, no one would be allowed to even try to tend the garden.

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