Meet Helmid

You made your way past a banner, depicting a gold lion raising its head over a cross pattern of red and green, to one of the neater looking camps. It seemed whoever tended this one was in the habit of keeping it clean and tidy, which they must attend to personally, considering the absence of any servants or laborers. Whatever the case, the person in this camp was clearly nobility, based upon the decorations. This lady still enjoyed a generous accompaniment of banners, silk curtains, and comfortable furniture, even this close to the war-front.

At the center of it all waited a statuesque woman with flaming, orange-gold hair, tasteful makeup, and a high-necked, snug-fitting green dress, bound by a red corset. She was womanly in every way except for one: the tightness of the dress made clear the definition of her shoulders and biceps. She had the air of a noble, drinking tea at a small table with one leg crossed over the other, but the suit of armor hanging in her tent let you know that despite her countenance, this was the party's paladin, a front-line fighter sworn to live in Geod's service.

You estimated she must be nearly twenty years your senior, but it had done nothing to tarnish her beauty. You further estimated she must be as rich and well-bred as the queen herself in the royal capitol, but the kindly smile she gave radiated a genial warmth, as though the two of you were friends of equal status. You felt beckoned closer to her before her greeting left her painted lips. "The new Squire! Oh, how pleasant. You're here right on schedule. Such punctuality is very becoming," she praised you, standing to give you a bow rather than a curtsy. "Please, grace me with the name of the gentleman I am to serve."

Something felt backwards in her statement. It was as though she was a knight, swearing her loyalty to a princess. You told her as much: a squire's place is to protect a saintess, isn't it? She shouldn't be referring to herself as a servant.

The sympathetic smile on her face told you that you'd probably presumed too much, trying to mansplain squireship to her on your first meeting. "A servant of Geod ought to do what they're best suited for. I, with my Geod-given powers and this body I've trained, am best suited to protect, not to be protected. There is no shame in it," she chuckled, sweeping her arm to indicate you should take a seat at her table. As you did, squirming awkwardly at her show of manners, she took her seat again, smoothing her skirt around her tall, black boots.

A playful grin spread upon her lips. "Sir, is withholding your name part of an early courtship strategy, intended to garner some mystique?"

You shook your head rapidly, then babbled out your first and last name.

"Well met, Sir Vin Lavender. I am Lady Helmid Fastner, but please, feel free to call me Helmid. There is no need for formality between us." Even as she said that, she bent her shoulders ever so slightly to pour tea from a high angle into your cup and then handed it to you upon a saucer. You couldn't imagine a more formal introduction. "Tell me everything about you, or what you deem worthy to share. Your family, your training, your favorite wine– I'm interested in all of it."

The woman couldn't be more kind and inviting, but something about the atmosphere felt stifling. It was as though you, the squire to this saintess, were having a difficult time imagining how you could measure up to a woman like this. You managed to stumble your way through light conversation for some time, drowning your nerves with the occasional deep swig of tea, while looking for some way to break the spell she held over you.{if Fat = True}

Worse yet, you found yourself to be a bad fit for the tea-table and seat, given your stature. It was clearly made for someone with less girth. Helmid seemed to notice your difficulty and smiled apologetically. "Oh dear, I do apologize. These seats were all made with my own body in mind. Yours is..." she trailed off, before waving one hand awkwardly. "Oh, and another gaff! I didn't mean to insult your figure. Actually, I find your shape rather... Ahem... And now I'm getting too personal." She sipped her tea to calm herself-- you'd seen a rare chink in her composure.{endif}{if Freak = True}

"I hope you don't find it too strange, sharing tea with your recruit commander's wife," she spoke calmly, with a slight smile.

You returned an awkward smile of your own, reminding her that you were going to be sharing more than just tea in the days to come.

"Ah... Ah, yes! An adventure together. We shall share an adventure," she spoke awkwardly over the lip of her tea-cup, as though hiding some hidden expression on her face. She sounded vaguely titillated. It was a standout moment in an otherwise routine conversation, before returning to small talk.{endif}

Finally, it slipped out: you asked her about her own family.

Helmid's eyes sparkled as she took the teacup to her lips, hesitating just a moment before continuing. "My family lives very comfortably in Missionaire. My sister… my mother and father, advanced in age… no children." She took another small sip, watching you with a brief, meaningful silence as you waited for her to say it. "My husband. I believe he was your recruit commander during the squireship program! I hope Mattieu didn't drill you too hard. He has only the interest of the recruits at heart, I assure you."

You reflected for a moment what an uncanny coincidence this was and what a bizarre marriage Recruit Commander Fastner had. The woman was as tall as him, and perhaps nearly as muscular, clearly from some noble house, but the warmth of her personality would surely clash with his own characteristic coldness if they were together. Plus, you sort of figured he would go for a more conventional woman, not the statuesque Helmid, with his old-fashioned views. They couldn't be more of an odd pair.

"I can see you want to ask me about it, so I'll address the topic myself: yes, we both agree to what I'm doing out here. It was my decision once Geod awakened within me, naming me a saintess of Missionaire, but Mattieu was receptive. Our marriage…" she paused for a moment, showing not discomfort, but perhaps calculation, trying to think of a tactful way to proceed. "Our marriage as always a little frayed. He lived for his work and I love that about him. But…"

An odd smile began go play at the corner of her lips and her eyebrows raised. It was the look of a friend who is having a difficult time keeping a secret, begging someone to fill in the blanks to spare them the indignity.

"Well… perhaps you will learn, in time. It isn't a fitting topic for our first meeting."

An awkward silence persisted between the two of you, as you sipped your tea, until finally, the woman's unusually tough hands clasped hold of one of yours.

"Sir… what do you think? Of what I'm doing to Mattieu, I mean. It's simply awful, isn't it? I go on about Geod and how I must do what He asks of me, but surely Geod would have respected my wishes if I declined this sort of service in His name, wouldn't He? Perhaps that was even a test from Him that I failed from the very outset. It's disgusting, isn't it? I'm a dreadful woman…"

Her words were dripping with self-loathing. The look on her face wasn't despair, but rather, staring meaningfully into your eyes with an anxious frown, as though she wanted something from you.