14 A Lesson on Kindness

Three days passed quickly, the twins came to a unanimous decision after much struggle. They decided to reject the request. It was too much for them to risk their peaceful life in Eriden. They hoped the prince would understand.

Only the twins were summoned to the palace. I did not have the permission to enter, so they left me at a nearby cafe to wait for them. The cafe had a view of the majestic palace that adorned the city with its magnificent architecture. Generations of kings lived and ruled from the throne inside the stronghold. Each generation of rulers gradually added the amount of gold and rare metals decorating the enormous structure. I wondered how long it would stand in the face of the ongoing civil war.

There wasn't much I could do in a cafe, so I decided to take a stroll and view the shops in this street while I had the chance. The selection of shops were no different from the ones at the shopping arcade. However, this street had a local makeup manufacturer, the same one Miss Clementine talked so fondly of to her female customers.

Two Sariyan Knights passed by as I was enjoying my surroundings like a tourist. One of them saw me and stopped.

"Excuse me, Miss, do you mind if we have a look at your necklace?" he asked.

I nodded in reply.

He examined the pendant. "Where did you get this necklace?"

"It was given to me by a kind lady."

His companion also had a look at the pendant. "That looks exactly like the necklace of Her Holiness. She hasn't been wearing the necklace lately. Perhaps she accidentally dropped it and this girl picked it up?"

"Are you certain you didn't pick this up from somewhere?" asked the first knight.

"It was given to me," I said.

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"I gave the necklace to her," a familiar voice came out of nowhere.

It was the same lady I met at the courtyard of the royal military's headquarters. By then, I deduced that she was no other than Marianne XIII, the leader of the Sariyan Order. She wore the same type of garments as when I first saw her.

"Your Holiness! Forgive us for the wrong accusation." The knights were embarrassed about their actions.

"It is not I you should ask forgiveness from." She turned her head to look at me. The knights bowed their heads while apologizing.

I stood still, unsure of what to do.

"Forgive them, dear. They knew not about my little gift to you." She held the pendant between her fingers. "This was a special custom-made necklace. I had it made by a metalworker from Anbernel, the city of clocks. It bears a special symbol held dear to the Sariyan Order. Would you care to hear all about it?"

"A special symbol?"

"Come and walk with me, dear." She started moving forward. I followed beside her.

We passed by a bank whose signage bore the same cross and caged bird design on the pendant. She stopped right in front of its entrance. "This banking system originally began as a safety precaution for pilgrims. They were often attacked by highwaymen during their travels for carrying valuables, so we devised this system for them to prevent their money from being robbed. The knights you met earlier were also part of that original system. Their duty was to protect pilgrims. Now, their duties extend to keeping the peace and protecting the innocent from harm."

She paused. "The bank, too, evolved in its own way. Now, the Sariyan Order gives loans to the wealthiest merchants and even to powerful nations. With this, we were able to sustain our own army dedicated to the defense of the innocent and provide a home for victims of war."

Marianne XIII resumed walking forward. "The pendant I gave you bears the official symbol of the Sariyan Order. We live by our motto: True strength is in mercy and compassion, not vengeance. Wisdom is its companion, and serenity its reward." Her lips curved into a smile. "When you look upon that pendant, I hope you will remember this motto."

As we were walking, we passed by two children in ragged clothes staring at the bakery's display of bread. Marianne XIII made no hesitation to purchase two sweet rolls for the children.

"Remember, when someone does something kind to you, pass it on," she said as she gave them the bread. They thanked her and walked away.

"You're a very kind person," I remarked.

"Everyone has the capability for kindness, Aliciel."

"Why are some people much kinder than others?" I asked.

"Perhaps it's the way they see things. Do you see these people around us? Are they strangers to you or friends you haven't met yet? Each one of them has their own story to tell. Their own struggles. Their own time. When we are too preoccupied with our own troubles, we lose this awareness. It is easier to ignore strangers than people we've gotten to know."

She took out a pocket watch and checked the time. "My apologies. I'm afraid it's about time for me to leave. It was a pleasure seeing you again today. May the goddess bless and protect you, child." She did a little wave and left. I waited until I could no longer see her.

I turned around and went back to exploring the street while thinking about the words of Marianne XIII.

There was still so much I did not understand about the world.