Yes he allows you to prepare in peace.

Loren takes you into the back of the temple into a small room with a bathing pool and steam room heated by clay boxes filled with lighted charcoal. As you strip she takes you clothes and locks them into a chest, which you give her a puzzled look.

“Your clothes will be returned to you once your maiden duties are complete by next dawn.” It was still morning when you arrived at the temple, which meant you’d be walking around naked for the remainder of the day? You didn’t mind, it just you dressed yourself so the more prudent of society wouldn’t scold you. She hands you sweet smelling soaps and perfumes to wash yourself with. As you bathe yourself, she pulls a kettle that had been sitting on a rack over the coals heating the room. She pours the browns liquid into a cup and hands it to you.

“Here drink this. This will cleanse your body, making you as pure as can for the ritual.” Taking the drink into you hands you sniff it, it smells foul for sure but Leron gives you a reassuring look. You drink it and it has a bitter sour taste, but under the eyes of the acolyte you finish the drink and continue to bathe. As you bathe Leron looks over the purple paw print tattoos that cover your ass, back of your shoulders, your breast and inner thighs.

“You have a unique way of showing dedication to the Earth Mother.” You grin and give a little flex.

“Yeah got these the second year, got into the military, wanted to show how tough I was. Gathered the berries for the ink myself. The Earth Mother has given me so much, I wanted to show how much she meant to me, my dedication to her. I had so much juice left over from the tattoos I used it to dye my hair as well.” You give her a chuckle as you continue to bathe. About 30 minutes after drinking the tea, you feel your stomach start to rumble and gurgle as wave a nausea comes over you causing you grab your stomach.

“That is normal and part of the cleansing process, perhaps you have partaken in the consumption of food not properly blessed by the Earth Mother?” You think to yourself that is impossible your mother makes sure everything brought into the castle kitchen has prayer for Geia’s blessing. You and Thunder also said a prayer to ease the souls of the pigs you had for breakfast. Luckily the nausea passes quickly as you finish your bath.

As you finish and dry off, Loren takes your hand and takes you down a hall to a small room. The room had a bed on the northern side of the room, a table and chair in the center, and a bookshelf lined with books on the southern side of the room. On the eastern side of the room was a tiny window with iron bars across the window.

“Here is the maiden room, you are to remain here until the priest comes for you for the afternoon sermon to formally introduce you as the Fertilization Maiden.” You raise an eyebrow at her.

“So I am to remain in this room all day?” You gesture to this room which is starting to look more like a dungeon cell than room of a temple.

“You are to remain untouched until the ritual.” You gesture to the bars on the windows. Loren sighs.

‘We have had people attempt to break in and get with maidens in the past. We chose bars over bricking the window up entirely so you can still look out the at the garden and reflect on the Earth Mother’s gifts. We also have a wide array of books for you to pass the time with. If you excuse me. I am in need to help the priest with his preparations for this afternoon.”

With that said she leaves you in the relatively small room and locked the door. Luckly the room’s ceiling is high enough so you don’t bonk your head, but you can barely take 5 or 6 steps, stretching out your arms out you can almost touch the east and west side of the room which causes your breath to shorten slightly as you had being confined, especially in tight spaces. You try focusing on the garden outside, but it is only mud as it hadn’t been tended to this year. You look at the bookshelf and sigh as you can not stand reading, for books bore you. Even on subjects you like such as war and fighting you just can’t get into them.