The Christmas Episode

I took a moment to back away from the little reason that had me working my ass off during this early bit of the morning. The thin Holly tree that I had ordered was particularly tall, almost scratching the ceiling of the living room as I finished setting it up for the big event for today.

Lancelot hummed from afar, silently pondering over the madness that I was trying to implement for today since I had yet to completely explain to him what my plans were since it was the Eve of Christmas. The reason why I had yet to do so was tied to the fact I was waiting for Felicianus to come by and listen to this explanation himself. Today was a good day to further shift the Church to a benevolent entity while also tying it to a tradition that was easily going to boost its standing with the people.

The Bishop arrived particularly early, perhaps sensing that today was really a good day. After exchanging some formal greeting I had him check the Christmas Tree while explaining why I had decided to

"Why this tree?" He inquired, sounding more surprised than else. "Is there any… major significance to it?"

"It's particularly common here in our nation," I replied with a small smile. "If it has to be something people could actually afford, then it should be something that can be found quite easily and at an affordable price. It should be a day of joy and remembrance for our Lord Jesus Christ, and his ways of kindness and friendly bonds among the sons and daughters of God."

"A fascinating way to interpret Christmas, my liege. I suppose this is but a first step of many," The elder admitted and I quickly gave him a nod before laying out what was supposed to happen next. The meeting didn't last for long, with the most troublesome element being tied to the fact that I was trying to have him make a public declaration of goodwill together with Altuos. It wasn't a novelty for these two to still bicker from time to time, but their 'rivalry' had settled to a somewhat exchange of witty remarks with the softening of the Church's position over magecraft.

It did help a lot when it was confirmed through some old tomes recovered by the Magus Guild that Solomon was known to make use of extensive magic during his reign. The little tie between God and Magic effectively removed any inclinations to define magecraft as a product of Satanism. And that meant less harshness being exchanged by both parties.

A proper exchange like a handshake or something of the kind was definitely going to make some lasting impact for the Church of England for the next few centuries. And I really was making plans to prevent this from ever going bad since… it worked. Somehow it actually worked and it prevented any possible 'witch hunts' that were going to eventually happen the moment the early medieval situation settled down.

After sending a letter to Ria to bid her and her wife a joyful Christmas day, I proceeded to also make plans for a small private celebration at the castle. Guards were granted the chance to enjoy some food while they were off-duty, but no alcoholic beverages to prevent them from failing at their jobs. It was important to still keep their attention sharp at their role despite the kind approach I was trying to go for today.

Mia was quite happy when I mentioned the idea of gifts, and she asked to join my little crusade in getting all the items that I planned to offer to our closest friends. After hours spent trying to find all the stuff I had in my list, I eventually brought the large bags of objects by the living room where I had planned for a little party for midnight.

Gareth and Gaheris were relieved when I settled to give them some winter-only new armors that were stuffed with some fur meant to keep them warm in these trying temperatures. The twins were rather thankful for that set of gifts, with the boy surprisingly enough being the most flustered of the two.

Marcus was laughing in disbelief when I presented him a fully restored set of Roman armor and garments. I also had a Gladius, a Pilum (medium-sized spear) and a Scutum (Shield) added to the set, making it a particularly nice addition to the overall gift. With him running a broken record of 'not grasping the joke I made', I turned to give other gifts.

Lancelot was happy with the new saddle for his horse since it was the only thing I knew he had complained about. The man was just so reserved when it came to complaining or protesting if it wasn't for any life-threatening situations.

Scathach was the one that actually found the entire idea the most fascinating. Having spent centuries away from the real world, the concept of having a festivity that centered about bonds and the celebration of goodwill among those that are your fellow humans was enough to drive her out of her domain and peek at what I had planned for her.

Imagine the frown on her face as she stared at the small box that contained the gift I had planned for her. The woman quietly gave me a questioning look as she slowly unwrapped the piece of violet and red cloth I had prepared for her. She unraveled it and then realized what it was.

"A… scarf?"

"I remember when you said that you had trouble handling some of the harsh cold that is common in the Land of Shadows during this season. I know how much you dislike minor distractions that could hinder your combat prowess," I answered her indirect question. "So I decided to have a custom scarf prepared with enchantments meant to solve problems like the material being a little rough and now it's smooth enough to not make any problems for you to wear during battles."

The woman merely nodded, putting it on and… keeping quiet. Still, I felt relieved when I saw a flash of a smile appear on her visage, genuinely proving how happy she was over this nice little thing.

Finally, it was Mya's turn and… she was really surprised when I unwrapped a book. Not just a simple book at that, but one filled with tales I told her. 'Her' tales. The realization struck her rather amusingly. Tensing up, her shoulders lifting up as she stared wide-eyed at me, I smiled kindly at her as I explained the reason behind that book.

"I took some of my spare time to write down the stories I used to tell you before bedtime," I explained. "I was planning to give you this, so you can remember back to these times and… remember those moments fondly."

There was a curious amount of silence coming from her, the woman taking some time to open the tome and giving a quick read of the first page. She easily spotted the little dedication written for her, and the affectionate words I used to depict the idea behind this book. She looked up, her red eyes almost growing blurry as she prepared to cry at the gift and... I was tackled down by the overjoyed girl. Chuckling, I patted the back of her head, eliciting her to snuggle closer and drop me a storm of 'thank you's as the other admired the entire situation in pure amusement.

At least I could enjoy this few moments of peace with those I care for. What a merry Christmas indeed.