A week had gone by since Anja arrived at Mt. Bur Omisace. Word was spreading like rapid fire at the news of Ivalice's Priestess. Hundreds of people wanted to meet her and see what she was like. Before any of that could take place, certain requirements had to be met. Anja was given a proper cleansing bath to wash away any and all impurities. Second, she needed to be measured, and the right outfits picked out. A sloppy looking Priestess was not open for discussion. The third most important thing to prepare for was finding someone who was the same height and weight. Anja didn't like the idea of having a decoy, but it was for safety reasons. If anyone were to take advantage or try to kidnap the Priestess, they would have a hard time getting their hands on the right one.
"What if I disguise my voice?" Anja suggested. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at her. Anja cleared her throat. "Sure, a decoy is fine, but what if they have to talk? If I talk normally, people will easily spot the real one."
"An excellent point." Said Relj. The beautiful Viera had become one of Anja's protectors.
Anja balled her hand into a fist and put it in front of her mouth, clearing her throat a second time. "How does this sound?" Anja's German accent disappeared and became more sweet and girly, doing her best to perfect the people's accent.
Anja's decoy stepped forward and copied her. "How did I do?" she asked.
Anja smiled. "That was really good, Piper." Piper's hair was once long but cut short and styled to look like Anja's.
"No more wasting time." Relj ushered the girls to hurry up. "Lady Ashelia B'bargin of Dalmasca and Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor of Archadia will arrive at any moment."

While Anja's decoy, Piper, dressed up, Anja dressed down. Instead of wearing anything fancy, she chose to wear the same blue and grey uniform as Relj. The pants hugged her legs, but they were stretchy. On the top, she wore a long sleeve grey shirt with a dark blue vest over it, and for shoes, she wore long black boots. The uniform was designed for traveling purposes, or in some cases, fighting. It was easy to move around it, and it covered everything.
As for Piper, the style of the dress was very oriental. The sleeves were long and wide at the ends, the back had a train that trailed behind her by a foot; she wore matching silk slippers with soft padding, making her footsteps silent. Lastly, on top of her head, sat a silver headset with a white silk veil hanging down in front of her face to hide her identity. With the help of magic, the veil stayed in place and it allowed whoever was wearing it to clearly see through it.

Anja's reasoning to wanting Piper to take her place when first meeting their guests was so that she could see them without being looked at as the Priestess. With her standing by Piper's side, Anja's true self would go unnoticed by the eyes of the authority.
Without another moment to lose, Anja walked beside Relj, Piper, and a few others as they made their way to the front of the temple. When the doors opened, and the light from outside poured in, Anja saw two giant airships floating in the sky. At the bottom of the steps where their guests, Ashelia B'nargin of Dalmasca, and Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor of Archadia.

On their way down to greet them, this gave Anja time to look them over without being obvious. Lady Ashelia looked like everything Anja thought she would be: beautiful, slim, well dressed and a perfect posture. As for the Emperor of Archadia, Lord Larsa was not what Anja had imagined. She was surprised to see that he was not as old as she thought. Even though he was fairly tall, his young face proved that he was about the same age as her. He wore a handsome smile on his face, however, that smile wasn't directed towards Anja, but at Piper.
Perfect, thought Anja. All was going according to her plan.

The Gran Kiltias stood at the bottom as well and introduced the two groups. "Anja, Priestess of Ivalice, meet our gracious guests, Queen Ashelia B'nargin of Dalmasca, and Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor of Archadia."
Anja watched with amusement as Piper shook their guests' hands.
"Thank you for coming." Piper mimicked Anja's sweet voice from earlier, causing Anja to purse her lips together so she wouldn't smile and give herself away.
Now that Anja stood only a few feet from the Queen and Emperor, she felt giddy knowing they suspected nothing.
"Please come inside," Piper gracefully gestured with her hand. "There is food and drink waiting for you."

Once the doors to the temple were closed, Piper turned to their guests. "Excuse me. There is something I forgot in my room. Please, follow the others and I will be with you shortly." Neither Piper nor Anja needed to retrieve anything. This was their way of swapping places, and the two walked off in the opposite direction with Relj close behind.
Anja and Piper switched clothes as quick as they could.
"Take this," said Relj to Anja.
"What's this for?" She held up a shiny red fan.
"If they ask, tell them that's what you forgot."
"O-of course!" Anja took the fan and slipped it into her sleeve. Forgetting a fan seemed like a silly thing to go back for, but perhaps Lady Ashelia and Lord Larsa would not question it.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the temple, Lord Larsa and Lady Ashelia were taken to the dining room.
"We ask that you please remove your shoes here. The Gran Kiltias wishes to keep any and all dirt out of the room." Explained one of the servants.
The two stole glances at one another but said nothing about it, and proceeded to take off their shoes. When inside, they were greeted with a wonderful aroma of food. A table that sat close to the floor was covered in dozens of dishes to choose from, and some of the food was still so hot that steam rose from them.
Sitting on the floor were pillow cushions and Lady Ashe and Lord Larsa took a seat. Already their first impression of the Priestess was an odd one, but very interesting nevertheless.

When they were left alone, Ashe was the first to speak. "My, this is a surprise."
Larsa smiled thoughtfully at this as he picked up a teacup to admire the simple yet wonderful designs. Since hitting puberty, he found himself hungry more than usual, and the smell of the food was awfully tempting. There were other things that tempted him as well. As a young man of fifteen, his body was rapidly changing, causing him to have unusual urges, especially in the morning. Ever since hearing about the Priestess of Ivalice, he came up with multiple scenarios in his head about the first time meeting her and what he would say to her, and the fact that her appearance remained a mystery teased him in the best of ways. No matter his natural teenage cravings, Larsa was able to behave himself and mind his thoughts if they wandered too far.
"Larsa, did you hear me?"
Larsa set the teacup down. "I'm sorry?"
Ashe raised a brow, a tiny smirk growing on her face. "I asked what you thought of all this."
The young Emperor took another look around the room. "It's changed much. However, I like it."
"And the Priestess?"
"I'm unsure at this point. She seems...delicate."
Ashe nodded knowingly. "Yes, that's the word I thought of too. She seems far too young to hold the title of a Priestess."
This surprised Larsa, for he became Emperor shortly after his brother, Vayne, died in battle three years earlier. "Really?" It was all he could say, hoping the Lady Ashe would elaborate more on that statement.
The beautiful Dalmascan Queen reflected on her last words more carefully. "What I mean to say is: she seems out of place."
"You did read the letter, yes?" Larsa reminded her. "Or did yours say something different?"

The same letter was sent to every kingdom and noble-house in Ivalice, letting the whole country know that their Priestess was from another world. Although reasons for her being there were still unknown, the Emperor and Queen doubted not that they would soon find out the answer.

Anja made her way down the hall, talking to herself inside her head. She was thinking about what she wanted to talk to them about. These people were extremely important in the eyes of, well, everyone. Anja wanted to make a big impression on them, that's why she went through the trouble of picking out every meal, table cloth, drink, and even the silverware.
She had read up on Chinese and Japanese culture during and after the war and found it all very fascinating. That's why chose the style she did to entertain her guests.

The moment arrived when she stood just outside the door to where Lord Larsa and Lady Ashelia were waiting for her. She could hear their muffled voices and strained to hear, but alas, she could not make out what they were saying. With a deep breath, Anja calmed herself and mentally told herself that she could do this. Ever since she was very young she had always aspired to be an actress, and this was her big moment.

As the door opened, Larsa and Ashe turned to look at her. They were speechless in her presence as she definitely had a different way about her. The reason for that was because the Priestess was now actually acting as Priestess.
Lady Ashe and Lord Larsa stood immediately to greet her, and Anja wished they handed. It made her feel silly. All her life she had been a nobody, and now, all of a sudden, in just one short week, Anja had become one of the most important figures in an entire country! How was she supposed to deal with that?
Anja smiled sweetly behind her veil, getting ready to mask her voice. "Oh, please don't stand for me. Sit! Sit!" She gracefully walked over to the table and sat opposite of them. "I hope you're hungry."
"Oh! What was it that you forgot?" asked Lady Ashe.
Anja nearly forgot and quickly swiped out her fan. She flipped it open, making a snapping sound. "I get warm easily." She said as she started to fan herself.
Larsa grinned, finding her amusing.

While the three of them readied their plates, picking whatever they liked off the table like a buffet, it was then that Anja poured them each a cup of tea.
"I hope you like green tea. It's my favorite."
Ashe smiled. "It is. Thank you, Priestess."
"Call me Anja."
Ashe's smile lingered. "Of course, Anja."
During their friendly banter, Larsa was doing his best to make out whatever features he could that danced behind Anja's veil. He soon gave up as there was no good way of getting a glimpse at her. Besides that, a part of him would end up feeling guilty on the off chance he would see her face. He wanted to respect her privacy, and left the rest up to the imagination.
Suddenly, Anja's itch to change the subject brought Larsa back to his senses. She said to them, "Do you know why I have us sitting and eating this way?" The others said nothing and waited for her to respond. "It's because I wanted to us all to be on the same level. No special chairs, no separate dishes, we all pick and eat from the same food, and drink the same drink."
"Like equals." Ashe didn't mean to cut in, she was just eager to say what Anja meant, for she too, liked the idea.
The innocent smile that played across Larsa's face showed that he agreed as well. "I think we should eat like this more often." Already the Priestess was setting up ideas in the young Emperor's head.

After a moment of eating, and they had had their fill, Anja dabbed her lips clean. She was forced to eat slowly as she did not want to get any sauce on her veil. "You two must be wondering why we have called you here." Anja retained her angelic voice. "One reason is simply that I wanted to meet you. The other is to create a friendship with each of you. I hope that we can become good friends."
Even though the veil hid her face well, Ashe could tell that she was smiling. "I hope for that as well."
"There is more to this meeting though, than getting to know one another. The gran Kiltias has asked me not to speak on that matter though until he is present."
"When can we meet him?" asked Larsa. Since the Gran Kiltias Anastasis was murdered, Larsa had yet to meet the new man in charge. With that in mind, it left him wondering who was really in charge: the Gran Kiltias, or the Priestess?
"Very soon," Anja promised.

When they had finished eating, Anja led Ashe and Larsa out of the room. They walked casually through the temple and spoke mostly about Ivalice and her people. As they arrived at the main part of the temple, the Gran Kiltias was waiting for them. Ashe and Larsa bowed to him.
"Your Grace," Larsa said. "An honor to finally meet you."
"Thank you for gracing us with your presence." Said Ashe.
Rather than stand by her newly acquainted friends, Anja stood beside the Gran Kiltias. It was his turn to do all the talking now. "The honor is all mine." Answered the Gran Kiltias. "Although I wish I could continue to speak to you about such pleasantries, there are other matters at hand that need to be dealt with."
Anja could feel the tension in the room shifting. She gulped.
"The Esper's have become restless. I've seen it in my dreams, and I fear the reality of them breaking free is at risk."
"What can we do to help?" offered Larsa.
The Gran Kiltias chuckled softly. "Lord Larsa, Emperor of Archadia, you have always been so eager to help those in need. I admire that." He took a breath. "If the Esper's seek freedom from their gilded cages, there is but one way to put an end to them, or at least, seal them back in their rightful place."
"What must we do?" Ashe wasn't hesitant to lend a hand at all.
The Gran Kiltias gestured with one hand over to Anja. "The Priestess, pure of heart, mind, body, and soul, will collect all thirteen Esper's."
"Do you mean for us to conquer the Esper's?" Larsa wanted to know.
The Gran Kiltias nodded slowly. "Indeed. By doing that, their power will flow into the Priestess. When all thirteen are collected, you must return here where a special ceremony will take place. That ceremony will ensure the seal on all Esper's."
Ashe thought on this for a moment. "To do this, we will need a willing and able party to help and stand by us no matter the cost."
"I'm sure that won't be a problem." Larsa cut in, thinking about his sky-pirate friends.
Ashe glanced over at him. She was thinking the same thing too.
"I will leave that up to you to decide who is worthy of such a task." Said the Gran Kiltias.
Suddenly, Larsa said, "What if the Esper's do not break free? What will become of the Priestess?" This was his way of trying to figure out who was in charge without being too obvious. He also wanted to know who he would be able to turn to if things got out of hand.
"The Esper's WILL break free, Lord Larsa, that I am sure of. In my dreams I have walked the ashed covered grounds of Ivalice, looking up to the sky as the Esper's wreck havoc on her people."
"How much time do we have?" asked Ashe.
"It could be days, weeks, months," he paused. "It could take years before all thirteen Esper's can be collected. Until then, the Priestess must remain safe and unharmed by lustful hands."
Ashe wanted to know more. "And when we are not out there fighting the Esper's, what duties will the Priestess and the rest of us perform?"
The Gran Kiltias had an answer to everything. "By my orders, the Priestess will be treated as a title of power." In other words, Anja was to take part in any major meetings concerning the safety of Ivalice. This granted her the ability to speak with all members of the royal kingdoms in Ivalice.
"Understood," said Larsa.

Later that day, as evening was fast approaching, a party was hosted and many of noble status were invited. Anja was swamped with strangers, as they all wanted to meet her. Ralj, on the other hand, was quite forceful and had to guide Anja away from them half the time. Meanwhile, Piper was now dressed in the same grey and blue uniform. She stood by if ever Anja needed her.

When the handshakes finally came to an end, and Anja had met everyone, she scurried away to the side to catch some air. It was all very overwhelming for her, and all she wanted to do was return to her chambers and fall face first into her pillow. That all seemed like a pleasant dream as the party was far from over.
"Excuse me." Said a voice.
Anja jumped a little and spun around on her toes to see who it was. "Oh! Emperor Lord Larsa!"
Larsa smiled. "Larsa is fine, Anja." He remembered hearing her tell Ashe to just call her by her first name.
"How are you enjoying yourself?" Anja asked, trying to make small talk.
Larsa took a few more steps closer to her, but still minded his distance as he could sense Relj staring him down. "I'm having a wonderful time. I hope you are too."
Anja nodded. "I am, although, I wouldn't mind a smaller crowd."
Larsa chuckled at this. "If large crowds bother you, then being Priestess may be difficult."
Anja rested her arms behind her back. "You must be used to these sort of things, being Emperor and all."
Larsa nodded. "Very much." He told her.
"Tell me what it's like. You look so young to be an Emperor. When I was told I'd be meeting you and Lady Ashe, I imagined you older."
Larsa smiled warmly, hesitant on answering her question. He did not want to talk about himself, he wanted to know more about her. She fascinated him! "Tell me about you first." Larsa flipped the subject. "What is your world like?"
Listening to Larsa's calm and gentle voice was almost a trick in itself to get to say anything. "My world is very interesting, trust me."
"What's not interesting?" Ashe joined the conversation, a glass of red wine in one hand.
"I was just asking Anja to tell me what her world is like," Larsa said.
Ashe'es eye's beamed with delight. "Yes, tell us, Priestess Anja."

With the two of them eagerly wanting to know, how could Anja refuse them? She wanted to tell them the truth, but at the same time, she didn't want to shatter their vision of a perfect realm in which the Priestess once resided. In truth, it was not perfect. Far from it, actually. In the end, Anja decided to tell them the truth. Lying to them was not something she could do.
"There is a world war going on right now, or at least there was before I was taken here. You see, the Gran Kiltias told me that time flows differently between our worlds."
"Interesting. I guess that would make things difficult if ever you would wish to return." Said Ashe.
Anja nodded. "I was told by the Gran Kiltias that fifty years have gone by since my human mother and I were taken to the other world. As you can see, I am only fifteen. The former Gran Kiltias Anastasis was my father." Ashe and Larsa gaped at her, and Anja knew at that moment that she blurted out something she really shouldn't have.
"The Gran Kiltias Anastasis had a child?" Ashe was shocked and washed down the rest of her wine.
However, the wheels were turning in Larsa's head. If Anja was really whom she said she was then perhaps she held a higher position than the Gran Kiltias now. "You said your mother was human? So, that makes you half Helgas."
Anja nodded. "I'm still learning about everything and everyone here. I'm sorry if I've said something I shouldn't have."
"It's all right," Ashe assured her. "Go on, tell us the good things about your world." She smiled.

Ashe had a way of making an uncomfortable situation bearable.
Anja sighed. "The simple things are the best: playing in the park with friends, reading, eating your favorite candy bar, or seeing a film."
"What's a film?" asked Larsa.
It hadn't dawned on Anja until this very moment that the people in this world might not have anything resulting in a movie. "A film is like a play, only the play is set up on a screen and the events taking place have been recorded ahead of time by a camera."
Ashe raised a curious brow. "A camera?"
Before Anja could explain, she was pulled away by more people and forced to interact and act courteously.

By the end of the night, most of the people had retired. Anja could hardly stand as he feet hurt so much.
"Priestess," said Relj. "We should return to your chambers for the evening.
Anja nodded, happy that Relj was there to save her from anymore forced conversations.
"We will walk with you." Said Piper.
"We should all get some rest." Lady Ashe followed suit with Anja. "Do you mind if I walk with you as well? I believe our rooms are headed in the same direction."
"I don't mind." Said Anja.
Larsa took the other side of Anja. "I believe I will do the same."
With Piper and Relj walking close behind, the three's conversation from earlier was still on hold. Instead, they talked about Ivalice and all the wonderful things you could.

Lady Ashe's room came first and she bid everyone a good night, leaving Larsa to reach his room next.
Together, Anja and the young Emperor walked in silence. There was little to talk about with the two still following.
"This is where I am staying." Larsa stopped short at a door. He turned to Anja and bowed, taking her hand and brushing his lips against her soft skin, giving the back of her hand a very tender kiss. "I wish you a pleasant night, Priestess Anja." There was a playful ring in his voice.
Anja was thankful for the veil because her face flushed and no doubt she was red as a tomato. "G-good night, Lord Larsa."

When Anja reached her chambers, she sent Relj and Piper away. She could manage to take off her own clothes and putting on her nightgown, and then headset came off and the veil slipped away, Anja breathed a giant sigh of relief. The first day of many more to come was over. She jumped into bed, burying her face in her pillow just like she wanted, but when she lifted her head, her pillow had wet spots. Anja touched her cheeks. She was crying. After a stressful day, it was no wonder she didn't break down sooner. Plus, she was homesick and she missed her parents. Then there was Mila to think about. Her friend was dead, killed right in front of her. This brought Anja to tears even more and she hugged her pillow tight.

The next morning, Lady Ashe and Lord Larsa had to leave early in the morning. They had eaten their breakfast separate from Anja, and only when it came time for them to leave, did she grace them with her presence once again.
The airships were still high in the sky, and Ashe and Larsa stood at the base of the stairs to the temple and waited for the Priestess. However, it was not Anja who would say farewell to them, but Piper. The young girl acting as Anja's double took on the role as Priestess while Anja dressed down in her uniform.
"It was an honor meeting you, Priestess Anja." Ashe gave her a small bow and shook her hand.
"I look forward to our next meeting. Until then, I hope you stay well." Larsa bent down and gave Piper a kiss on the back of her hand.
Anja watched, remembering what it felt like to have Larsa touch her in such a way. Now she wished she hadn't swapped places. It was too late now.
"Safe travels to you both." Piper bowed her head.

Finally, the Queen and young Emperor were far and away. Anja did not know when she would see them next, but she did not doubt that it would take long to hear from them soon, whether it be by letter, or in person.
Suddenly, Anja turned her head in the opposite direction. A loud crack sounded through the air. It was coming from the Stillshrine of Miriam. Perhaps the first Esper to collect was no too far off.