The birthing chamber was empty, but it was quickly filled with bleary eyed maidens and servants.
Two women settled Mia onto a mat. Some grabbed towels and hot water, while some held her hands. Ava positioned herself behind the laboring woman while rubbing soothing circles into her shoulders. She began the recitation she knew by heart.
“Oh! Goddess divine, Eupheme, patroness of women in labor. I am your applicant. I fall before you as your slave. Befriend this woman in her hours of need. Grant her protection and her child health. Amen.”
The maidens moved around her automatically, having been well practiced. The younger servants just watched, training for when they became temple maidens and potentially priestesses. Some coached Mia’s breathing, others watched for signs crowning. It was an exhausting process for all involved. Some labors would be done within an hour, others would take days of assistance.
Regardless of the time it took, it was completely worthwhile to watch a mother hold her baby for the first time.
Mia’s cries echoed loudly through the birthing room. Lately, the maidens had been providing additional emotional support since few men remained in the town. Many husbands had left to fight in the war. Most would come back just long enough to impregnate their wives and then leave again.
Mia’s contractions persisted for hours. Her face held the scared look of a first time mother. “I… I don’t know if I can do this,” she groaned as a contraction ripped through her body.
“You're almost there!” Ava assured. “You are so strong. Just a few final pushes.” Ava knew it would be much longer than that, but there was no point in scaring the young woman. She needed to know there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
It was late into the evening when Mia’s screams were finally replaced with a small, feeble cry.
“It’s a boy!” one of the servants exclaimed. “Congratulations!”
The writhing child was placed on his mother’s chest. This was Ava’s favorite part. The look in a mother’s eye the first time she held her child.
Another maiden placed a gentle hand on Ava’s shoulder. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized she’d been crying. “Ava, you’ve been assisting her for hours. Go rest, we have it from here.”
Ava nodded. She had decided not to take breaks or switch out with other maidens. After her confrontation with Kalliope, she had felt especially invested in the delivery.
Before leaving, Ava hugged Mia, wishing her a speedy recovery. She went to hug Mia's sister-in-law Ren, but stopped herself. Suddenly, she was unsure of how to act. In her exhaustion, she gave a half-curtsey before leaving. Luckily, Ren had been too distracted by her new nephew to notice the embarrassing display.
Ava wiped sweat from her brow and lit a candle before moving down a dark corridor. It was late and she wanted nothing more than to lay down.
The temple was like a large and winding maze. It was easy for most people to get lost, but Ava had spent her entire life in this building. She knew it like she knew her own heart.
On her way back to the shared sleeping quarters, the young maiden walked by the kitchens. The fresh, yeasty scent of bread permeated the air. Her mouth watered at the smell, while her stomach rumbled loudly.
Rather than stop, she quickened her pace, remembering the promise she’d made. No meals until Mia’s tithes were paid. She’d easily done spiritual fasts before, but assisting in a delivery was always draining. She could sleep the hunger away… for now. Hopefully Mia and Ren would get their money from the village leader, Timon, soon.
The blonde eventually reached her destination. She rubbed her aching muscles as she sat on her meager bed. The mat sagged beneath her as she settled into it, removing her sandals. The bed chambers were musty and the windowless; they gave the illusion of a long, dreamless sleep. The only color was the glowing flame of her candle. It reminded her of a single star in a black sky.
She raised her arms over her head to stretch, but before she could lean back, she felt the sting of a hand swat her cheek.
“Insolent girl,” a harsh voice hissed like a snake through the darkness.
Ava could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She held her burning cheek and peered into the dark. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. “K-Kalliope?” she ventured at the familiar voice.
“Who else would it be?” The older woman leaned forward into the light of her candle, making her vulture-like appearance even more menacing. “I said we would discuss Mia’s tithes later. It’s later.”
Confused by the abrupt assault, fear skittered through Ava’s heart. She shrunk closer to her mattress, like a small animal seeking refuge from an unknown predator. Like most people, the priestess was much taller than her. Her looming made Ava feel completely helpless.
“I- I thought we had an agreement. I’m to go without meals and pick up extra duties until the debt is paid. What more is there?”
“There is the matter of your rebellion. It seems you have not accepted the change in leadership here. Rita is no longer the head priestess; she is dead. I speak with the goddess Eupheme and she dislikes the disrespect you showed me.”
“I meant to harm,” Ava assured, voice trembling. “I only felt that Eupheme would want us to hel-” her sentence was interrupted by another harsh slap to her face. The quick strike caused the flame of her candle to flicker.
Pain shot through the point of contact. The intense stinging caused her eyes to water. She hadn’t experienced physical rebukes since she was a teenager. It brought back a slew of horrible memories she’d kept buried deep inside her heart.
“I decide what Eupheme wants,” the older woman spat. “She wants you to learn a lesson. Follow me to her shrine.”
With no time to put her sandals on, Ava’s tired body was pulled off of the bed. Kalliope grabbed her roughly by the wrist, dragging her feet against the stone floors. The halls, which had previously been deserted, now echoed with whispering voices. It wasn’t uncommon for servants to be reprimanded, being younger and less accustomed to the rules and expectations, but a maiden being shamed was definitely cause for gossip.
“Wh-where are we going?” Ava breathed. Of course, she already knew the answer. Kalliope intended to shame her in front of her goddess.
The priestess brought her to the inner sanctum. They stood before a large white statue; the wide eyes of which penetrated her soul.
Kalliope released her aching wrist, then pushed her between the shoulder blades, making her kneel before the sculpture as if in prayer. She could feel her knees scrape as they forcefully touched the stones.
The young maiden began a recitation. “Oh! Eupheme goddess divine, absolve me of—“
“Stop that! That’s not why you’re here. Pull off the top of your dress.”
“Priestess?”
“You heard me. Disrobe now.”
Confused, Ava lifted the white gossamer fabric from her shoulders with shaking hands.
“Please,” she whispered, pulling the garment off. “Please don’t…”
“I’ll do what I please.”
Kalliope pulled out the willow switch that was kept in her billowing robes. Rita had barely used hers, but the dried blood on Kalliope’s proved that it was her favorite method of giving rebukes.
The switch whistled through the air as it moved towards her. Her back stung at the contact as it tore at her creamy skin.
Ava couldn’t help the tears that ran down her face. Not only at the pain, but at her shame. She’d disrespected Kalliope, and therefore the wishes of her goddess. She deserved this. She needed to learn a lesson. Why was it so easy for the other maidens and servants? She had lived in the temple her entire life, why was she still so bad at everything?
Kalliope continued moving the switch. “The pain you feel now is the pain you have caused your goddess to suffer.” Suddenly stopped, looking at her with disgust. “Will you disobey me in the future?”
“N-no,” Ava replied shakily.
Kalliope returned the switch to her pocket, leaving it bloody. “Good. Remember what you learned here today. Do not question me again. Now, clean up here.”
Ava looked around and noticed the red specks that dotted the floor. She waited for Kalliope’s footsteps to fade before she broke into sobs before the statue.
She was completely unaware that someone had watched the entire horrible display from the shadows.
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