《The Mischievous Maiden & The Sleeping Prince》


 Chapter 1 - The Maiden and the Bride

    Firm knocks on the carriage window made Alexa and the other maiden, Lady Cordelia, startle in anticipation. Cordelia the bride hold her breath then exhaled carefully, knowing that outside, her husband-to-be, Prince Magnus von Wutenfall, probably wanted to greet her for the first time. They had arrived at the border of the two kingdoms, and the noble groom was there to escort his future wife to the castle.


    ''Ah, if he had advanced across the borders and met the comitive two nights ago, then he would have been of some use!'' Alexa thought, looking at her bandaged and aching hands.


    Lady Cordelia cautiously opened the sliding window. Alexa curiously peeped out the outside. She wanted to know who Lady Cordelia was promised to.


    A handsome face showed up.


    Alexa''s violet eyes met Prince Magnus''s golden eyes immediately. What she saw was the immediate shock into those eyes. Before she could concatenate any reason for this reaction, or remember her dagger under her travel hooded cape, the door was fully opened and Alexa was violently pulled out the carriage by the sleeves of her cape, getting out of balance in the process. Cordelia shouted,


    ''Prince Magnus! Stop! Stop! Please!''


    Alexa fell to the muddy ground, but was agile enough not to prostrate. Turning on her fours, she tried to get up, but as the maiden''s hands were wounded and bandaged she could not use them for support. The nimble prince once again turned the maiden with a tug of her cloak, causing her to lie flat on her back. He stood menacingly upon her, with Alexa between his legs, pointing the sword at her neck.


    They faced each other again. Alexa just breathed heavily but didn''t beg or scream.


    Cordelia hastily got out of the carriage,


    "Please, Your Highness, cease it! Stop! What did this girl do?! She saved me two nights ago, don''t hurt her I beg!!" the bride pleaded, on the verge of despair, not understanding the reason for the sudden violence against her new friend.


    Alexa dared not look away from the lion''s eyes of the Saxon Prince. The damsel understood a little more than Lady Cordelia. She understood that her face attracted both and either hatred and passion since she was a child. The handsome, dark-haired prince sighed, apparently annoyed that he had to deal with his bride before dealing with Alexa. In her thoughts, Alexa thanked Cordelia for being there. But on second thought, if it wasn''t for Cordelia, none of this would be happening in the first place.


    "Who are you?" his voice was deep, and naturally he spoke with the hard accent of his people. Alexa was the expat, and although she could speak the language of the Saxon people, she was sure they would have difficulty communicating. Starting with the fact that he was above her, with a sword pointed at the damsel''s chin, while Alexa had her back in the cold, fetid mud, surrounded by hostile soldiers and a mad prince.


    The Greek maiden thought of many things to do and say, but given her fragile condition and health, the best thing to do was¡­


    Cough.


    She began to cough and raised her bandaged, now muddy little hands to her face. Her best ally was Lady Cordelia''s compassion, who was distressed surrounding the prince.


    "Coff Coff Coff¡­ Coff Coff"¡­ Alexa rolled a bit for a most dramatic effect. She hated it, but as the mercenary who accompanied her journey until days ago would say, ''honor is to be lost''.


    He would have laughed at Alexa''s situation, the bastard.


    As she lifted the filthy rags toward her face, the Prince pulled the maiden off the ground, trying to pull her hood off. At this moment his bride intervened, and grasped his strong arm bravely, trying to keep Prince Magnus from hurting the petite lady,


    "No! Don''t touch her! Don''t do it, Your Highness! She is my friend, she is¡­ my lady-in-wait! What are you doing?!"


    Alexa could not prevent her own instinct of preservation and also held the arm of the Saxon prince, who was pulling her by the hood. Her hands hurt as if a thousand needles stung her. Only then Alexa moaned, in pain.


    "Who is this creature? What kind of nonsense is that ?! "the man asked angrily, taking his bride''s hand away from him. The two faced each other. Alexa, sitting on the humid ground, watched the couple, who should get married in five days, on their first meeting.


    The prince wore black, with a dark green cape. He didn''t look much alike the blond people of the north. On the contrary, he had dark striking eyebrows and large green-golden eyes, the features of his face apollonian as a classic statue. If not for his angry and nasty expression, he was a handsome man of southern descent, Alexa imagined. Lady Cordelia, on the other hand, paled in the face of her husband-to-be''s strength, vitality and beauty. Nowhere could the combination of her features be considered beautiful. She was too tall, too thin, too wan and pale. Her eyes were faded blue colored, just as her lips were discolored and fishlike, and her teeth large. But Alexa thought Cordelia''s best assets were her eyes and voice.


    Just because they were always full of kindness and innocence.


    The prince, however, showed neither. ''Poor Cordelia,'' the maiden found herself thinking as she stood, watchful of the noble couple''s clash of glances. Naturally, the man won, his intense gaze dominating the delicate-minded bride. Cordelia turned her gaze, but pleaded once again,


    "Please don''t mistreat her, I beg, Prince. I''d be dead today if it wasn''t for Lady Saskia."


    The arrogant prince even tried, but didn''t hide his indifference to his bride. ''Maybe if she was beautiful ? She''s so sweet and so innocent¡­!'' Alexa really wished Cordelia had a better destiny than consorting the arrogant Prince of a kingdom that wasn''t even cited in the older maps of where the maiden came from.


    And yet it wasn''t over, Alexa knew, but before the Prince gruffly answered his bride, the galloping of horses was heard. One of the men warned,


    "They are messengers, my prince!"


    ''Meh meh meh'', Alexa thought peevly, mimicking the words by the back of the prince. She could indulge this much, after the events of the last minutes. She had rolled in the mud; she was stinking, and she was freezing. She had gone out of her way and was now stuck in a most complicated situation. And now a jerk with a title wanting to drag her face to the ground for no clear reason. Titles, what are titles when death comes to everyone? He couldn''t possibly know what had happened, could he? Worse than that¡­ would he possibly know who Alexa really was?


    "Your Highness, the castle is in turmoil. Your brother Prince Alexander¡­ He''s dead!" said the messenger who wore the same uniform as most men around the Prince.


    For some completely nonsense reason for Alexa, everyone''s eyes turned to her.

 Chapter 2 - The Maiden and the Prince

    Given the fact, Alexa could not help thinking about the irony of fate. Would Cordelia''s fantastic adventure go unquestioned, and would the mourning for the young prince overshadow the pressing marriage? Perhaps that way, her own existence would also fall into oblivion and she could simply disappear with a modest farewell letter to Lady Cordelia. It was all she wanted the most. Return to her original plan and preferably put a great distance from this realm, as soon as possible.


    But right now, on a whim of Prince Magnus, she is riding his stallion with him, despite all the nonsense against decency. His men pretended to ignore it, and the best the foreigner maiden could do was try to push her body as far as she could from his, and cling to a bundle of clothes she managed to bring with her. ''Spoiled and perverse bastard, not even in front of your bride and the news of a brother''s death, you could stop trying to take advantage of a girl below you.''


    If Alexa were another kind of maiden, she would be on the verge of tears.


    Cordelia was still in the carriage, a bit behind with what was left of her entourage. Alexa noticed the Prince did not ask questions about the events that caused the comitive to arrive in such weird circumstances to Holstein frontiers. That was pretty weird.


    At first Alexa had not linked the facts, but stopping to think, he was a Prince. According to Lady Cordelia and her old maid had told, she was about to marry Prince Gutard''s eldest son. In that region, there were no kings, for they all swore allegiance to the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. But as it turned out, heredity also worked, which meant that this man could be Holstein''s next ruler. But he was engaged to a maiden who was neither noble nor beautiful. Apparently Cordelia was quite rich from what she wore and all the rich trousseau her staff carried.


    "Speak. Who are you?" he questioned in a hoarse voice. "And what happened? Why is my bride saying you saved her? What rags are these and where are the rest of the people in her entourage?"


    "I''m Alexa Zo? Saskia, from the Byzantium''s Saskia House," Alexa spoke with a tone of pride and pomp, purposefully. She was betting the ignorant man had no idea, just a general notion of direction and a few stories in his head about Eastern Trade and Crusades.


    " The Saskias from Byzantium¡­" he repeated thoughtfully as she imagined. "And why are you so far from home, fair maiden?" he was as grumpy as Alexa, and because she took a while to answer, the Prince grabbed the bundle she was holding against her chest and threw it away. Alexa, of course, was taken aback by the crude and arbitrary gesture of the arrogant nobleman.


    "What are you doing?!"


    "You''re very suspicious, foreigner," with one hand he grabbed her chin and turned her face to himself. "Pretty suspicious, maybe you don''t want to tell me now as we head back to the castle, so I imagine you''d rather tell my men," his mischievous smile left no doubt that this could involve pain. Alexa squeezed her eyes, and moved her face away as he loosened his grip on her face. ''Damn bastard!''


    "You shouldn''t treat me like that, Prince. When you don''t know who I am. Look at my situation, being humiliated because I''m alone and helpless, exactly by the nobles who should recognize and respect my birth and noblesse."


    "Lady Saskia," he said mockingly, "I will apologize to your family and pay your weight in gold for any offense. But at the right time. Until then, tell me what I asked or, be sure, I''ll treat you like a stray dog."


    "Hmmm¡­" At least Alexa saw that one of the men caught her bundle on the way, "Kill me then, Prince, if you believe I lie. So far I have only helped, although my own situation has only worsened by doing so. The horrible things that have happened to us in the last days are obscene and unnatural. See what I''ve got for saving your bride, the precious Lady Cordelia!"


    Alexa showed her bandaged hands once more, knowing that the outward appearance of the rags was disgusting and pitiful, "My hands burned, it was my last resort to save Lady Cordelia and myself. If there is any nobility in you, you should look into your heart and think if you should really threaten me as you have done. But¡­" realizing that he shifted closer to her, Alexa moved to continue the distance and crossed her arms in front of her chest, holding as she could the hood drawstring. It would avoid the ''accidental brushing''.


    She continued, "Don''t worry, you''ll have a spontaneous report of all the horror we experienced. Lady Cordelia said I would be welcomed here as her esteemed friend, but I see that her future husband does not think so."


    "You make many assumptions and have a fast, poisonous tongue, Lady Saskia. But I will leave it for now. At the news of my younger brother''s death, many things surely will change. I''m glad my bride arrived unscathed, apparently thanks to you. Let''s first hear everything everyone has to say," was the acid response of Prince Magnus.


    In the distance, they could already see the fantastic sharp peaks of Holstein. As Cordelia had said, it was a kingdom apart from the others.


    "But I have a question, Your Highness, if you will allow me," said the maiden.


    "Hmm," he looked surprised, but intrigued enough to hear.


    "Why did you drag me out of the carriage if it was the first time we met?" better to ask the question abruptly and candidly, Alexa knew.


    He growled behind her back, annoyed, "How could you know, wouldn''t you?" The tone of suspicious was evident, and of course Alexa didn''t know. But at least she realized that he had reason to be suspicious of her¡­


    "My dear Prince, I have already abused your hospitality by being on your horse and not in the carriage with my friend. I have already abused your patience for having, as you said, a fierce tongue and strange manners. Forgive me. I am foreign to your customs. I find it odd that I am riding on your horse with you, just as you find it strange that I have a mouth to ask things out."


    "A mouth that you use freely, by the way. But do not think that I will forget you because the other events. Soon I will come back to you. Your arrival can only mean something bad."


    "Your Highness is quite superstitious."


    He took one of her hands, using it to point at the tall buildings they saw on the horizon, and said in her ear, maliciously,


    "Once you step there, Lady Zaskia, you will see that there are indeed reasons to be superstitious."


    Alexa felt a shiver of foreboding run down her spine.

 Chapter 3 - The Maiden and Holstein

    Alexa gaped as she approached the city gates. She had never seen anything like it in all her journey west. The sharp peaks she saw in the distance were skyscraping towers, with strange and seemingly impossible structures. They seemed to defy the known architecture and rules of nature. She marveled and wondered how man could build such vertical things. As they passed through the gates in a tightly knit group, she looked up to see the ceiling of the tunnel they passed through, with an intricate and very high ribbed-vault. From any point of the city one could see the towers of the cathedral, tens of meters high. It was vertiginous. Its elongated shapes seemed to drip from the sky into fantastic sharp forms.


    The church seemed to be the center of the capital, but from a distance she could see the silhouette of the castle, set back and surrounded by another wall, on a craggy hilltop. Holstein was a seaside kingdom, and its main city of the same name was a large and prosperous port.


    "Is the ''Greek Princess'' impressed?" teased the prince softly, close to her ear. "The West has found new routes to what the East has. We no longer need Byzantium or the Venetians.''


    ''I don''t care,'' she thought, still intrigued by the buildings. Surely this kingdom was richer than she had imagined. Alexa saw signs of ancient yet firm ruins marking the public sites of an ancient Roman settlement on the way to the castle.


    The city should be prepared to celebrate the arrival of the Prince''s bride, but Alexa saw that people were quickly exchanging flowers and festive banners for black crapes and other signs of mourning. The city was not noisy as usual on a busy day of trade and fair, but there were heralds playing funeral instruments through the main streets, warning,


    "Our Prince''s beloved son died today¡­" he repeated in his wailing voice, distancing himself and multiplying in the voice of other heralds.


    Probably because of the signs of mourning or simply because of some decorum, the Prince motioned to one of his men, who approached and took her from Prince Magnus''s horse to his own. The Prince then accelerated his horse, galloping toward the castle while his men continued to escort Lady Cordelia.


    ''What a sham!'' thought the maiden, not impressed that royal brothers had no affinity. She just came to think that it was better to have a plan, a good plan, to keep her identity secret, and perhaps with the help and gratitude of the local royal family, take a boat to Britain.


    But the more she thought about the events of the last few days, and the mischievous expression of Lady Cordelia''s future husband, more she thought the poor Lady was in danger. ''A young prince dies. The bride almost dies attacked by demonic things on the way to her wedding¡­ The groom doesn''t seem at all sensitized by any of it¡­ And yet he insinuates to know something¡­ Why I thought I should believe it would be a short, quiet stay as Cordelia promised? Uh, let me see¡­ Because I didn''t have another alternative? '' Resigned, the maiden rode along with the entourage into the imposing castle of a thousand flying buttresses, pointed ogive archs, and intricate architecture.


    At dusk, after meeting Cordelia and her family members who were already waiting for her, Alexa was able to rest for a while in a chamber they granted her. She had to insist not to stay with either Cordelia in her chambers until the wedding day, or with other ladies, so the room she was given was a small studio under a spiral staircase, climbing to a tower in the wing where the Flemish guests were staying. The room was about ten steps where a bed, a table and a chest were placed beside a stained-glass window. It was enough for Alexa, and she had been in much worse situations anyway. After bathing and getting clean clothes at the request of the Prince''s bride, Alexa was instructed to visit her in her room to change the bandages.


    Alexa arrived and Cordelia was with her cousins ??and some women from the palace. She was already dressed in the white of mourning, which noble women used to wear. Alexa, by contrast, had been given an apparently hastily-dyed black dress.


    Cordelia gently but firmly dismissed the visits so she could be alone with Alexa, and as the door was closed, said with a kindly gaze,


    "Come here my friend, let me take care of your wounds."


    Really that maiden goodness might overcame the fact that she wasn''t really a noblewoman by birth. Maybe all this kindness would be enough to start a spark of change in that spoiled and naughty prince? She supposed, trying to be optimistic for a change.


    Cordelia would be a good, wise mother to the next Prince of Holstein. Alexa sat next to her new friend, and showed her palms.


    The wounds were still open, and were barely beginning to heal. They were not burns, but raw sores. Cordelia began to apply a balsamic salve, which certainly gave some relief.


    "Thanks for not talking about it, Lady Cordelia," Alexa murmured as the other maiden was bandaging her hands.


    "When I lived in the convent, I heard about such phenomena. They are miracles. Called stigmata."


    Alexa just nodded, and said,


    " Lady Cordelia, after your wedding I must leave without delay. My guardian and the mercenary who accompanied us no longer live. My mother''s family can shelter me in England. Can you help me?" There was no other way but to distort the truth so no one would get hurt. Cordelia seemed the type who would keep her secret, if not out of gratitude, just for being a discreet person. But Alexa really only knew her for a few days. How could she really know?


    "Don''t worry Alexa my friend. My family treasures you for what you have done for me, beyond your strength. My father will contact your family, just name them. He does trade with the whole Britain. He has already said that he will take care of it personally and deliver you to your uncle''s house as the most precious thing, like a new niece to him! He wants to give you a generous gift too."


    ''Oh, damn it! I didn''t expect it! If one of Hansa''s Masters decides he''ll find my family, it won''t be long before he finds out the truth!'' such were the thoughts running by the damsel''s mind, but she modestly said,


    "Yes, of course! I am grateful. But this matter can wait for after your marriage, as I said."


    "Oh, my dear! The death of the young prince! My father will find out, after tonight''s rites, what the schedule will be. He will meet with Great Prince Gotard¡­ But the Sovereign Prince, though composed, must be desolate¡­! My father said Prince Alexander was actually the best-loved of my future father-in-law," Cordelia whispered.


    ''Hmmm, so was the second child actually the favorite? And died?'' Alexa reasoned, imagining a very interesting political scenario. Only two things did not close to connect the prince''s death with the attack on Cordelia: the dead who came back to life at the villa.


    "Lady Cordelia, do you think people from Holstein tried to kill you for some reason?" Alexa asked abruptly.

 Chapter 4 - The Maiden and the Promise

    "Do you think people of this place wish you dead, Cordelia?" the Greek maiden asked without much tact.


    Cordelia widened her eyes, clearly thinking about it for the first time.


    "D-do you think so? Do you think they could? But¡­ the demons ?! What kind of evil plot would it be that¡­!" the poor Flemish bride was so stunned and frightened that her eyes immediately filled with tears of terror as she recalled the moments spent in that villa inhabited by evil spirits, from which they barely escaped alive. Out of compassion, Alexa hugged Cordelia and brought her head to her shoulder,


    "No! Forget what I said! It was just a strange thought, and that makes no sense at all! Your arrival was so anticipated that even your groom, the Prince was awaiting for you on the road. Why would they want to do this? I''m just impressed with what happened, that''s it. Please don''t cry, dear Cordelia!"


    "I''m scared, Alexa, my friend! The horror we experienced was beyond comprehension, may the Eternal Father have mercy on us! The reports I had about my future husband¡­ just came true! He''s not a kind man!"


    "Oh¡­!" There wasn''t much she could say about Prince Magnus regarding that, after what Cordelia herself had witnessed. Both knew this was a marriage like most royal marriages, with a single purpose: settle and secure alliances for power.


    As she desperately thought of words of solace that weren''t blatant lies and really could sooth the other maiden''s heart, Alexa realized with a shiver the howling sound of heavy rain and violent gusts of wind lashing the thick walls of the castle.


    Having spent most of the day inside the huge, labyrinthine castle, she could not remember having noticed the rain before, especially with the buzz of frenetic activity removing the festive decorations and switching to the funereal crapes. She knew the castle was packed with visitors, the guests to the Prince''s wedding.


    A sudden bolt of lightning broke out, followed by a roaring thunder, so close that the two maidens jumped in unison, embracing each other even tighter.


    "Cordelia, is there a possibility that you can ask your father to cancel the marriage?" Alexa asked, stroking the Flemish girl''s light hair with her bandaged hand as she tried to calm her down.


    "I¡­ I never thought of that."


    "So think about it."


    "What if his mistress wants to kill me?"


    "Oh, that." Alexa was going to say that Cordelia was being quite imaginative, but imaginative would be to naively believe that the Prince had no mistress, or mistresses at all. "That probably means it will save you a lot of hassle¡­ I hear so," she added quickly, realizing Cordelia''s puzzled look. "Listen friend, the convents in the East are different. I was prepared to marry a man from the East, so I know many...different things."


    "How different?"


    "Uhm, just¡­ different," Alexa held Cordelia''s hands gently. "After you give him a child, everything will be alright. You don''t even have to be near him at all."


    "Yeah, that''s what they say. But¡­"


    "But¡­?"


    "But until then¡­" Cordelia buried her face in her bony hands. It was really unlucky that she was so ungraceful in appearance and Alexa didn''t think Magnus would have mercy on Cordelia.


    ''Oh my god what are you doing with these girls around here? Look how she trembles!''


    "You shouldn''t worry so much," the maiden told the bride.


    "Stay with me! Be my friend! "Cordelia fiercely asked, panting. Alexa was taken by surprise, and stared at the other maiden with a quizzical startled gaze.


    "You are different from the women I know, my mother, my cousins, all of them! You are smart and fearless! You," the words unexpected sprouted from Cordelia''s mouth.


    "Cordelia! No!"


    "Please, I beg you! Help me! I''m going to die here, I feel it!" the taller girl grabbed Alexa by the shoulders with her scrawny hands, which was unpleasant, but Alexa endured in silence. Cordelia''s big eyes were teary and pitiful.


    ''Oh no¡­'' Alexa felt her heart to soften, which wasn''t good at all. "Cordelia, I need to go¡­"


    "You have to be the godmother of my first child !!!" yelled Cordelia frenziedly. Alexa inhaled deeply, at the unusual scene, when an absurdly strong flash illuminated the entire room in a fraction of the time, and several things happened before the eyes of the Byzantine maiden, as if time had stopped for a moment and everything had been suspended in the infinite ether for the duration of a heartbeat,


    Thump.


    A glimpse of the future flashed before her, and in it, poor Cordelia was covered by blood from head to toe and a twisted, contented smile played on her face, her gaze bright and mad;


    thu-thump;


    Around Alexa, in that very room, the Shades watched behind the veils that covered their dead faces, all of them surrounding and watching the two girls.


    The candles in the room went out in unison.


    Alexa stepped out of her little moment of transcendence, just in time to realize the inevitable: the lightning had struck the stained glass window of the room, and a spurt of wind, rain and broken glass was spat furiously against them. In her mind, a woman''s angry, loud, arrogant scream mingled with the chaotic sound of glass and thunder.


    Alexa threw herself on the other girl, forcing Cordelia''s body and face against the mattress. There was no time for anything else.


    Just when the sounds ceased, Alexa stopped squeezing Cordelia against the mattress, and lifted her own scared face in the darkness.


    Their hearts were beating so loudly that they could be heard even in the torrential rain outside. They both faced each other in terror, now kneeling and still embracing, in the middle of the bed.


    "Don''t move, Cordelia. You''ll get hurt," for some reason she whispered, perhaps knowing the ghosts of the castle watched it all.


    They were surrounded by shards of colored glass all over the bed, the rain still hitting them violently, but they could not move without the risk of being cut.


    As if a bubble separating them from reality violently burst, normal sounds returned; the air was breathable again.


    The maiden then heard the hurrying footsteps outside, men and women attending in at the urgency of the accident. Before they were separated and rescued, Alexa whispered in the bride''s ear,


    "Yes, my dear, I will stay and be with you until you give birth to your firstborn."

 Chapter 5 - The Maidens Glimpse of Horror

    Alexa put rags in the keyhole, and only after that she undressed and entered the tub filled with warm water and petal of flowers, trying to relax a little in the face of new facts.


    Her birth gift was a curse in a hostile world, and her entire family had been wiped out because of it. And those who did not die from carrying the gift died because of Alexa. With a sigh meant to dismiss the ennui, the maiden dipped her face into the water in front of her. Holding her breath for a moment and another and other, she meant to experience one of the three petite morts, or ''small deaths'', as she was taught, wishing to seek the oracle in transcendence.


    How many times had she died like this?


    But not today. Alexa felt weak, in fact exhausted, and backed away before she stepped on the brink of death, as brief it was. Because she must have the strength to return from there. The damsel threw her head back, filling her lungs with air again, and clutching at the edges of the tub, her hurt palms aching as if the skin and tendrils were tensioning again.


    "Ahhh!" The relief of being alive. Even the pain was a good sign. Alexa enjoyed living, even if she lived on the run.


    She coughed as gasping for air, and reached for the towel to dry her face when she saw that there was something on the bed. Filled by curiosity she got up because there was nothing there before.


    Was there nothing there before she entered the tub?


    A small panic took her heart by storm.


    Or was there nothing there before she left the room to see Cordelia?


    It was a huge difference, she knew.


    Drying herself, she approached the bed and saw a white dress and matching veil about her size. It was a pretty and rather prudish dress, although it was made from the finest fabrics and had small embroidered flowers in relief. They were daffodils, a detailed inspection proved. Alexa, however, had a somber feeling about this. Where she came from, the white daffodils had meaning.


    Was it a message, somehow?


    But mundane thoughts came to her mind, and Alexa wondered if this noble dress had been the Prince''s doing. A noble dress suitable for court mourning. Had he really listened and considered her words while riding?


    It had to be that. Either that or some lady in the house had heard the rumors about the unusual company of Prince Magnus''s bride.


    With a slight snort, Alexa began to dress. ''Now I had no excuse not to have clothes to attend the young Prince''s funeral.''


    One, two knocks on the door.


    "Yes?" The maiden asked, a little startled.


    A young, female voice said,


    "You are expected in the main hall, where the court meets for the evening wake."


    "I will come soon," was her reply. ''What is this custom? Well, whatever it is, I better be there and discover.''


    Rushing to share the candlelight that the servant certainly carried, Alexa took the veil and opened the door, but only found the corridor empty and lit by a few widely spaced candlesticks and occasional lightning from the windows.


    ''Don''t tell me she''s so quick¡­'' She just hoped it wasn''t a prank of spirits, but after the events less than half an hour ago, the maiden wouldn''t doubt if it was.


    Still, her heart was racing. The encounter with anything otherworldly was not a light thing.


    "Right, now where should I go?" It wasn''t as if Alexa remembered the paths out this wing, and she was sure she hadn''t passed the Great Hall before. As she hesitantly turned back to her room and locked herself for the night, still tempted to perhaps try to venture in the castle, Alexa saw one of the nearest candlesticks in the hallway flaring with a brighter glow, the flames fluttering violently from the surge of instant combustion.


    The first words of a forgotten prayer came to her lips, the hair at the nape of her neck bristled with tension. What was that?! A signal? A friendly or a mocking Shade? Taking a deep breath and remembering that she was not unarmed, Alexa closed the bedroom door and approached the blazing candlestick with a distinctly unearthly halo.


    Her heart was pounding with uneasiness and dread. Another candlestick ahead flared similarly, standing out in the dimness of the corridor. After the third of them blazed forth, Alexa quickly realized that the candlesticks were taking her to the opposite end from where she had arrived earlier with the comitive.


    Whether or not it was a mistake to follow the supernatural tracks that called her somewhere, Alexa would only know if she followed the eerie invitation.


    "Where are you going, Lady Saskia?"


    The unfamiliar male voice reverberated in the empty hallway, and Alexa suppressed a startled scream, turning around,


    "Me? I don''t know. I don''t know where to go, actually," she was relieved this was a normal human, approaching with a candle that lit almost nothing. Alexa actually couldn''t see much of his face. She didn''t know if she met him before, but apparently he knew her and her name. The man''s arrival seemed to dismiss the tenebrous mood. The air again seemed fresh and breathable. The maiden felt a relief in her chest and catching her breath, she approached the man. "Please, I need to join Lady Cordelia."


    "Yes, Prince Magnus figured she would need you," were his words, which made room for her to follow him.


    After rounds and rounds of places she was sure she couldn''t make out the next morning, they finally began to hear the murmur of the court and the cry of the mourners. The lighting was better here, but the shadows of the arcades and columns still drowned out the light from a great many candles. They arrived at the colossal doors of the Great Hall, and the man helped her navigate through the court to the bride''s party with her family and attendance. As soon as the maiden stood beside Cordelia, the bride squeezed her arm briefly in thanks.


    Alexa turned to thank the man who had brought her, but he was no longer there.


    On a luxurious bier, right in the middle of the Hall, surrounded by a mountain of flowers, stood the youngest prince''s body. In the distance she was from the bier, though, Alexa could not see any details. All she could see beneath her diaphanous veil was the low-murmured court figures in discreet conversations or prayers. She listened to the mourners in the galleries, wailing, and even heard the rhythmic cracking of rosaries in the hands of the most faithful ones.


    Then Alexa craned her neck to look where she knew she would see the Prince who had sent a dress and also someone to pick her up. She looked up at the platform where the royal family should be.


    She saw an older woman, already gray-haired and slightly burly, and next to her a handsome-looking boy with brown hair and fair complexion. She saw Prince Magnus, sitting next to the throne, looking somber and brooding. In contrast, the maiden saw the Sovereign Prince, and although his figure was striking, in a glimpse Alexa also saw them, each on one side of the sovereign.


    The Queens.

 Chapter 6 - The Maidens Discovery

    At a glance, the Ghost Queens vanished from her sight, leaving only the remaining dread to haunt Alexa''s memories. The ''Black Queen'', to the right of the king, a dark figure in dark garments and arrogant regal posture. The ''Queen'' White '', to the left of the Sovereign Prince, in white drapes of grim appearance, mysterious and appalling in her penetrating and defiant gaze.


    Alexa named them in her head as Queens because the figures seemed to display royalty symbols. But what if not? It was only a brief glance, in a speck of time, only she knew their grotesque power as Shades were as real as the columns that held the high ceiling of that Hall. At least this much Alexa could know of her fleeting vision.


    Cordelia squeezed her arm, bringing the maiden back to reality, and whispered in her ear,


    "You''re cold¡­"


    ''If you had just seen what I saw¡­'' But Alexa wouldn''t tell Cordelia anything, she''d already passed for much. Diverting for a more suitable conversation, she said, "Just impressed with this place. And how sad. You lost your future brother-in-law¡­ "


    "I heard that Prince Alexander was the son of the second Queen, Gisela¡­" Cordelia whispered.


    A harsh ''shhh!'' was uttered from behind the maidens, Alexa glanced quickly and saw that it was Cordelia''s mother, whom she had met that afternoon. The maiden just nodded accepting the scold.


    The information Cordelia gave her seemed to be perfectly matched by the glimpse of Shades she had seen beside the throne, and the Greek maiden shrugged, trying to get the terrifying image of the infernal duo out of her mind.


    "So was the ''King'' widowed twice?" she asked quietly, just to be sure.


    "Oh no. He married five times and was widowed five times. Prince Magnus is the son of the first wife, Letitia. And Alexander was the son of the second wife, Gisela. All the five Princesses died very young¡­ "


    Alexa gaped in surprise, but before she said anything, Cordelia''s mother approached behind them, clearly angry at their talk.


    "Stop now! People are watching! "


    "But, I was just¡­ "


    "Shhh! Show your respect! Go to your groom and father-in-law to offer your condolences!" With that, the matron pushed Cordelia forward, propelling her into action. However, as Cordelia held Alexa''s arm, both were impelled forward, and nearly tripped over their skirts. The movement caught the attention of everyone, including the people on the royal dais.


    Cordelia pulled Alexa with her to cross the large empty space between them and where Prince Gutard and the royal family stood at the stage. Alexa agreed to play the role of lady-in-wait for Cordelia, slowing her pace slightly so that only Cordelia stood out. Both bowed a few paces from the royal dais, and Alexa kept her gaze down, now more or less aiming at the Sovereign Prince''s hand and chest from where she stood.


    The moment before, when she had first glanced at the throne, the maiden had seen an imposing yet grieving figure. The ruler of these lands was a large, tall man, apparently with blond hair that touched his broad shoulders as well as his well-trimmed beard. He looked more like a military chief than a politician, judging by his strong and severe appearance. Now the maiden just watched his hands move in a cadenced swing, as if his thoughts were absent, and more than it, as if he were planning something.


    Cordelia hesitated and shuffled, but when she began to speak, she no longer seemed so pathetic, ''Majesty, Your Highness, on behalf of my family, I would like to express our sincere condolences. May our close relationship help comfort the family of which I will soon be a part. And may our prayers help you in the days to come, both to bring strength to those who have remained; and to hasten Prince Alexander''s soul''s journey to paradise. ''


    Alexa kept her head cast down, a step behind Cordelia, but realized that the waving hand stopped, which meant the Sovereign Prince had heard Cordelia''s considerate words.


    His voice, powerful but hoarse, sounded too loud as he addressed his future daughter-in-law,


    "Lady, your virtues are just as told. It is sad that your arrival found this family so desolate. The Wuttenfall accept and thank the sincere wishes of your family. Your future husband will make good use of your comfort, maiden. Be by his side from now on," the Regent''s hand moved indicating her son''s direction, clearly indicating that she should approach Magnus. Cordelia hesitated unsure of what to do, but Alexa quietly led her to her groom''s side, also placing herself beside her. The court''s mean gossip mavens had their eyes fixed on every move of Cordelia, and it was already being difficult without any social slippage.


    Without saying a word, the Prince stood up, offering his arm to the stunned bride who accepted.


    Alexa was just going to slip sideways and into oblivion, leaving the scene, but in her first step to the side, felt a strong tug on her sleeve. Astonished, the maiden looked at the fabric of her dress, only to discover the prince''s steady hand holding the cloth. He started down the dais, leading one and almost dragging the other. Alexa had no choice but to discreetly join the couple or fall to the ground in the middle of a Prince''s wake.


    "What a moron ?! What does he think he is doing? ''


    Soon the maiden realized they were going to the center of the Hall, to the hearse of Prince Magnus''s dead brother. They entered the area that certainly looked both like an altar and a garden, and where the huge amount of flowers exuded an intense scent, and to Alexa, slightly nauseating.


    She tried to stop before she got too close to the body in respect, but Magnus kept pulling, this time almost with a jerk, and she had no alternative. "Despicable prince," the damsel muttered angrily, knowing Magnus could hear her. In response, the Prince put his hand on the maiden''s shoulder, forcing her toward the bier.


    Without understanding, Alexa took two steps forward, finally looking at the poor Dead Prince, lying as if resting in his splendid cradle of flowers.


    Alexa put her hand to her heart, gasping slightly.


    The Prince was dressed in an elaborate shroud in deep purple and blue, extravagantly embroidered with gold thread and adorned with topaz, amethysts and pearls. But the far-fetched luxury of his final garment did not live up to the placid breathtaking beauty of his face. Alexa had never seen a creature, man or woman, so beautiful in her brief existence. His skin was like the most perfect alabaster, where the most accomplished sculptor masterfully carved an angel off. His delicate face had the most innocent and voluptuous mouth, if such a paradox were possible, and still held a slight blush stored in the recesses of his lips. His features only resembled all that men believed heavenly, his head nestled in a satin pillow was covered with platinum luscious hair strands, like silken threads, where a light band rimmed with amethysts rested.


    Admire him was like falling into a spell. Alexa put her hand to her chest, rapt, touched by a feeling of awkwardness and confused familiarity. Intrigued, she moved closer, followed by the couple.


    Cordelia uttered a shocked ''Oh!'', briefly captured by Alexa''s ears, but the maiden simply could not take her eyes from the mouth of the creature lying in front of him.


    Close to her ear, the Prince spoke in his usual dubious tone,


    "Don''t you recognize this face? From the mirror, perhaps?"


    In shocked realization, Alexa nodded, holding her breath at the unusual fact. Magnus then pulled her veil from her hair with a right-handed motion, as if to confirm once again his own words.


    And the court people simply gaped in astonished awe.


    Taking her eyes off the bier and Prince Alexander, Alexa looked at the couple next to her, and at the people staring at her and exclaiming in shock. She caught a glimpse of the Prince Regent, who had risen to his feet and was striding toward them like a tiger ready to pounce.


    Anything else mattered, though.


    She just pointed again at the bier, and exclaimed loudly,


    "The Prince is not dead!"

 Chapter 7 - The Maiden and the Sleeping Prince

    "The prince is not dead! Watch! He''s just sleeping! "Alexa exclaimed loud and clear, and even in the face of the growing buzz of the court, the content of her words ran fast as the Greek fire''s fuse. Prince Magnus went to his younger brother, impassively lying among hundreds of people. It was not possible. He even raised his hand to touch Alexander''s body, but the Sovereign Prince''s explicit command was laconic and firm:


    "Don''t."


    Alexa was standing next to the Supposedly Dead Prince, in a great state of excitement! Two amazing revelations at once! The Prince was not dead, and she and he were so alike they could be twins!


    For this brief moment the second fact did not bother the maiden, but the first one did! The court doctors did not have the knowledge to identify a rare case of someone whose soul cannot return from the trauma that struck him.


    However, Alexa had a problem. Of many. How could she explain this without being put on a fire once they had enough dry wood? Even for her self-preservation, she could not let Prince Alexander be buried as dead, could she?


    The huge figure of Prince Gutard stood before her. Alexa stared at the laces on the chest of his regal clothing. She raised her violet eyes to him, and met the open, cold, intimidating scrutiny of his green eyes. Alexa was sure that huge man had already killed many people in person.


    His eyes changed, touched by the shock of the similarity between Alexa and his second child. He raised his hand to touch Alexa''s head, but the maiden couldn''t stand the idea and stepped back a little. Even if he was the Prince, King, or Emperor, stroking an unknown maiden in front of a large audience was still strange and intimate, right?


    In the midst of this strange moment, she took the opportunity to look into the sovereign''s eyes and say, with the best of her expressions:


    "Your Majesty, your son is alive! He breathes! Look! Do not condemn him to a tragic end, your son is not dead!"


    "Who are you?" he asked softly, through his teeth. Alexa realized that he wanted to believe her, but now the maiden also understood that the physical resemblance between her and the king''s son could be a big problem.


    "Alexa of House Saskia, from Byzantium, Your Majesty. I''m just a guest invited by Lady Cor¡­"


    "Who is she?!"


    "Who is?!"


    "Is this a joke??"


    " Is Prince Alexander playing with us?!"


    "Is he really dressed in¡­"


    Alexa he heard the murmurs, getting louder and louder, until Prince Gutard shouted angrily, silencing the mob:


    "Royal Physicians?! Where are you?! What scheisser is this?! Does this foreigner tell the truth? If she doesn''t say it, she will soon sway to¡­"


    "No matter what they say, Majesty. Don''t bury him. You''ll see that he''s alive because nothing will happen to his body," Alexa spoke quickly and with conviction, just to him. As they faced each other, she and the greatest authority of those lands, she realized that a group, probably the physicians, were gathering near them. The Regent turned, his eyes bloodshot with hatred, toward them,


    "Doctors or monkeys, what are you? Is my son alive or not?"


    "Why, Your Majesty, when we saw him, he was¡­"


    "So what should I do if my son doesn''t rot like all dead things? What should I do if he rises? Is it the work of God, the Devil, or Nature? What about you doctors?!" he spat the words out literally, and Alexa pulled back a little, immediately feeling Prince Magnus''s heavy hand on her shoulder. But the Sovereign Prince pointed at her, his index finger reaching the tip of the damsel''s nose, which drew back, a little cross-eyed,


    "If she is right, you will all die fortreason. You would make me murder a son!"


    The maiden looked at them, her eyes narrowed with suspicion and justice. ''Incompetent madmen! Charlatans is what you are!'' her thoughts stamped on her face.


    "If she''s an ignorant freak, she''s the one who will be hanged for mocking this house and this people!"


    Alexa widened her eyes, not expecting this second part. The court seemed able to agree however.


    ''Wait, wait!'' said the maiden, lightly touching the sleeve of the Sovereign Prince''s clothing. He turned around. Alexa, however, managed to grasp that she had a slight advantage there. Her resemblance to Alexander seemed to somehow disturb and move Holstein''s ruler.


    "Majesty, before they touch him, let me show you. Allow me."


    The Regent nodded, and they both moved closer to the bier where Alexander rested. Once again looking at that serene face, Alexa was impressed to compare with him. It was just like looking herself from outside. ''If I am like that, now I understand a lot,'' the thought came, and the maiden knew that she would still have time to better reflect on this and also on the strange coincidence between them.


    Alexa quickly began to unroll the hands of the bandages. The expectation in the great hall was so great and heavy that it could be cut in the air. The breath caught in everyone''s breasts, waiting in anticipation, made the suspense unbearable.


    "Majesty, hold your son''s hand," without hesitation, still a little puzzled, but hopeful the stern-looking man grasped the boy''s delicate hand.


    Alexa carefully touched Alexander''s forehead with her bare hand. Nothing on his face moved, not a micro expression, just the slightest breath. "But he is dying, your majesty. He needs to breathe."


    Alexa couldn''t see anything with the eyes of her soul, Alexander''s soul wasn''t close to his body, just wasn''t there at all. It was like a dead body, but just slept without being able to wake up. There were no clues, there was no history¡­ Just like that other time¡­ But this thought also led the maiden to think of the cause of this prince''s peculiar state¡­ She was dragged back from her thoughts by Prince Gutard''s watchful gaze upon herself.


    "If you want him to live, Your Majesty, you need to blow your breath into him!"


    "But. .." he exclaimed in confusion. Surely the concept was not so simple to imagine if it had never been seen, so a little impatiently Alexa leaned over the Prince, presumed dead, and resting her lips on his cold lips, blew.


    They were a mirrored and inverted image of each other at that moment.


    Only when the maiden felt his breath return, a little stronger than before, she considered it a success.


    She lifted her face with satisfaction and happiness,


    "It worked, Majesty! He is breathing better! He will survive, even if it takes him a long time to wake up! "


    Everyone around her stared at her with some indistinct expressions in which the shock inevitably stood out.


    "Take her to the interrogation room!" Was the Regent''s order.


    "Uh?!"

 Chapter 8 - Maiden is Interrogated!

    ''Ah, what a disappointment. For a moment I thought they''d give me a prize¡­ '' the maiden thought to herself as she was led by the guards out of the Great Royal Hall. Taking a deep breath, she felt apprehension afflicting her chest as she again bandaged her hands with pained ''uhuhuh'' sounds. The guards didn''t really touch her, as she offered no resistance and, being not inexperienced in these situations, Alexa gave them her best innocent and frightened look that inhibited them from taking any brutish actions against her for no reason.


    As they walked through the corridors on that stormy, cold night, Alexa knew she had to think fast to secure her life. She still didn''t understand what the rules were that governed this court. Which clans and parties vied for power and how it altered the balance of justice. That being so, she could only count on her hope that justice would prevail.


    The maiden realized that as the group walked, more people joined the procession. Alexa still had no way of knowing if this was good or bad. Finally they came into a different corridor, less decorated and looking more suffocating and gloomy. ''Uhn, I probably have to go out by the same door I came in, or¡­'' Alexa figured as she concluded that other paths would only lead to the dungeon or worse destinations.


    Torches were lit in the room that smelled bad, out of sweat and blood impregnated on everything. The place was not even very big, and had only arrow slit windows as the only source of fresh air.


    She turned to the guards, putting both hands together in sudden display of desperation,


    "Masters, I don''t know what I did wrong, but please don''t torture me!"


    The soldiers in unison looked away from her, embarrassed, and each one stepped aside, Alexa rubbed her arms, shivering before everyone, as virginally as possible.


    "No one plans to hurt you, Lady, um ..." a male voice said as people pushed their way for him to pass.


    "Zaskia," someone said.


    "It''s actually Saskia," Alexa corrected sweetly. She finally saw the owner of the voice, a man in his thirties, warrior-looking, and in clothes that were a pompous version of the castle guard''s outfit. With a look she also noticed the presence of a group of priests, which was a bad sign, and some people dressed in noble clothes. All men.


    Someone brought a chair for her to sit on. Alexa thought it should test the strength of her attributes and asked if someone could kindly "bring a blanket, please".


    The soldier looked at his captain, and received the nod motioning him to attend the innocent request.


    While they were getting her a blanket, the captain began,


    "Lady Saskia, do you know why you''re here?"


    "No! I just saw that the prince was alive! That''s all I did!"


    Apparently this simple statement made everyone very uncomfortable, but she could understand it perfectly. The captain stroked his blond beard.


    "And how can you say that? How can you know that? The doctors couldn''t identify¡­ "


    "Master, forgive me, but I don''t know why the doctors didn''t see that a dead person didn''t become¡­ hard after a while. And the people who prepared him? Did they not see it? I mean... With all due respect, people here have to be more attentive, don''t they? What if they buried him? Or put a heavy slab over him? In the case he could wake up ...?! And then he would find out that he had been sealed forever and no one would hear his voice and¡­!" she bit a pulse, unable to continue. Alexa looked up at the captain, sitting a few paces from her and surrounded by the people, who were restless now. Alexa watched over the priests; her main concern there, as she did not want to be accused of witchcraft or the like.


    "But, Lady Alexa. Where do you come from and what did you do to have this knowledge? What about ... that? You reclined on the Dead Prince and¡­ "


    "Supposedly Dead Prince. To you he was dead. To me, who was very close to him, he was alive. Just as still as a rock. He''s¡­ so white! "She touched the back of her bandaged hand on her face for comparison. Watchful that they couldn''t take their eyes off each of her movements ... It had always been so, and Alexa gradually learned to make good use of it. "If he were dead, he should have been blue or purple, but he is not."


    The captain looked at his peers, who raised eyebrows returning the question, with faces that showed that everything she was telling them was very plausible and reasonable. The maiden brightened when she realized she was doing very well. She beckoned with both hands, calling them to come closer and hear something she would tell in secret. Several of them leaned forward at the maiden''s request.


    Seeing the door open and the soldier with his blanket come in, she continued, in an innocently secretive tone,


    "I really am a fool! For a moment, I even thought the Prince was playing a trick! Yes! He was still there, with everyone around him... But he was not dead or sleeping with a calm breath. That''s why I asked his father to touch him! I thought he would be scared! But¡­"


    Alexa realized that behind the guard with the blanket, Prince Magnus entered the interrogation room. ''Uhn, what is this person doing here?'' She watched as he took the blanket from the guard''s hand, but had to stop looking because her listeners were still waiting anxiously,


    "...But no. He cannot move. He barely breathed. I don''t think he can wake up alone," the maiden said at last, noticing the Firstborn Prince turning around the chair, and positioning behind her. After it, he carefully wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. He was being very deliberate and nothing good could come of that. Magnus leaned over and spoke into Alexa''s ear,


    "Sounds like you''re having fun, but your scam isn''t convincing me. Looks like I have to make sure we''ll hear the truth of your garrulous mouth."


    "Oh!" She exclaimed as if she''d heard something very inappropriate, turning to face him in self-defense.


    It was clear that he was very annoyed to realize that she was not in chains or taking lashes to speak. Quite the contrary, Lady Saskia was being treated very well. Magnus just narrowed his eyes in response, and walked away, going to a corner of the room and leaning casually against a column.


    "Captain Gunnar, may I ask Lady Saskia some questions?"


    "Uhn, of course, Your Highness," the Captain seemed not very comfortable with the idea, however.


    "Lady Saskia, tell me something I''m pretty curious about: When you looked at my brother today, lying there on his bier in the middle of his wake, what did you think?"


    "Ah, it was a pity that such a young person was dead. And also¡­ I also wondered why the Prince was squeezing my shoulder so much." They both knew he wasn''t squeezing her shoulder, but she hoped they would get into the technicalities and make it clear to everyone that he was harrassing her since that she showed up there. From interrogation to confrontation.


    "I wanted Lady to see something that puzzled me since I first saw her¡­ without the veil, this morning."


    "What?" ''Let me play silly some more¡­'' Alexa playing dumb sure irritated the prince the most. He growled, "Why, Lady Saskia, it is impossible that you have not seen anything about his appearance!"


    "Well, truthfully, I found him¡­ hihihi. Well, hihihi, very gorgeous! Such a beau!" she cutely hid her face in her bandaged hands; some men sighed, comments about her grace spurted among the ''interrogation'' spectators.


    The maiden looked up and faced the Prince, who mumbled something she didn''t know whether it was ''sly'' or ''salad''.


    "So you didn''t realize that you and he are very similar in appearance?"


    "Oh!"


    "Yes or no?"


    "Oh, well, I even thought we had similar traits, but ..." she looked back at the group of men as she around her. Alexa knew she was the sweet beloved, little sister, daughter, of most of them there. And she daintily asked, squinting in vain sweetness, "But the Prince is so well formed! I can''t be that beautiful!"


    "OH YOU ARE!"


    "Even more beautiful!"


    "You''re the most heavenly maiden!"


    "So sweetly divine¡­!"


    Were the expressions that came out from the male group.


    She sighed with a grateful smile, demurely clasping her hands in her lap, "Does the Prince think I''m very much like his brother?"


    Magnus''s gaze gleamed, but he replied, even in a bad mood,


    "There''s no comparison. He''s just a boy. You''re¡­ so much more beautiful."


    "Ahhhhhh!"

 Chapter 9 - The Maiden and the Priest

    Before Alexa or the Prince could say anything else, one of the priests, lean and short in stature, with big dark eyes on a thin parched face, stepped through the audience and stopped beside Captain Gunnar,


    "There''s a rumor, Captain, that this "maiden" appeared near Lady Cordelia, and now the two are suddenly very friendly towards each other after the tragedy that struck the Bride''s entourage!"


    "Ahhh!" the maiden snapped her tongue in annoyance, "Father, none of this is a lie. Yes, this maiden met Lady Cordelia just as hell came to earth, and for that I have only to thank. It allowed us and a few other people escape the evil clutches of the fleshless spirits."


    "What''s up, Father Romuald? Is it also said that this damsel is not what she appears to be? Not a noble, much less¡­a maiden?" said Prince Magnus in a slightly aggressive tone, leaving his seat to return to the center of the room. Alexia just couldn''t figure if he was directing his somewhat aggressive questioning to the priest or to her. Looking away to Captain Gunnar, she realized that the officer was growing impatient with people intruding on his interrogation.


    "We only have her word here, and this foreigner young woman¡­ What are she doing here? What are her purposes? This is what we all want to know. We are still intrigued by this girl''s resemblance to Prince Alexander. Even their names are similar. It can be mockery of an evil spirit with an innocent face. Do not forget that the Prince''s mother was¡­


    "Enough! Enough, gentlemen! " said the Captain, rising at last and addressing no one in special. "Your intrusion is not making things any easier. Be quiet until I finish asking what is needed. If you can''t keep quiet, then I ask you to retire!"


    Alexa shook her feet eagerly, she wanted to be sleepy, but despite the tiredness she was quite alert and tense. Her ordeal wasn''t over yet.


    "Maybe then we can hear the maiden''s narrative of how she met my bride''s retinue and what really happened. I know other people have been heard, but not Lady Saskia. Shall we, Captain?" at first the Prince seemed to totally ignore the prerogatives of the Royal Guard Captain, but granted him authority in the end. ''You whimsy bastard, so full of himself,'' thought the maiden.


    "Yes, Lady Saskia''s accounting is important considering what we have heard from the other witnesses. And that''s why a group of priests are here, "said the captain.


    "Now that I''ve arrived, I think I can help with that," a soft voice with a strong Florentine accent spoke from the back of the room. Everyone looked over, and the path cleared to the newcomer''s entrance.


    He was also a priest, dressing in the style of Rome. This man must be related to Magnus by blood, judging by his features, the damsel figured. But he was thinner, darker-haired, and had piercing blue eyes that stood out in his light tan complexion.


    Apparently the arrival of this priest deeply angered about half of the room, and even among the priests, Alexa noted, there was a respectful resentment towards him. In any case, he, like Magnus, ignored any embarrassment and came to her, extending a rosary of ivory beads for the maiden to take.


    Alexa quickly wondered if he was the eye of Rome on this court, and if so, what would that mean to her, a foreigner from the East. ''Is he testing me to see if I''m a demon or something?'' Carefully she took the rosary he offered, and nodded in appreciation.


    The Father turned to the Captain, saying, in the same soft, modulated voice,


    "Good evening, Captain. In the face of the good news tonight, we all have to calm down, don''t we? As a confessor to the Princes, I thought it was my obligation to offer help with this ''conversation'' with the young Constantinople''s young lady. I certainly want to make sure this young woman doesn''t feel intimidated or abandoned by God just being alone in a foreign kingdom."


    The Captain took a breath again, Alexa knew he was deeply offended but probably couldn''t retort to this person. The priest must be really important in the setting of that court. The military replied to the cleric,


    "In fact, it is possible that in the presence of a confessor Lady Saskia you will feel more comfortable. You will probably be able to ask more specific questions, and deal with a maiden with the due respect. "Clearly this was a criticism of the other priest. "And so, I also think the presence of so many people is unnecessary. Since the confessing priest of the Royal Princes and even a representative of the Wuttenfal are here, that''s enough."


    Alexa, who had gained the sympathy of the majority there, was not pleased to see them retreating among low murmurs, but the presence of the Blue-Eyed Father, of whom the maiden did not yet know the name, did not soothe her at all. Despite his soft speech, her intuition told her that he was as dangerous, as Prince Magnus.


    Now that she, the Priest, The Prince, the Captain, and two guards were the remaining in the room, Alexa really thanked her for being wrapped in a blanket. She felt cold for no reason. The three men in front of him were silent for a moment, until the priest said,


    "Lady, your arrival has come at a very important time for this kingdom. I would say it was even a blessed arrival. We would all be murderers of an innocent soul. I was about near him performing the holy rites of Extreme Unction and I was not able to see that the Prince was alive, as were many other people. "


    Alexa nodded, listening, thinking it would have been a great tragedy indeed.


    "If Prince Magnus did not think I resembled his brother, I would not have been taken to the bier, Father¡­"


    "Agnello di Borghesi, servant of God," said the priest, and Alexa understood why the priest was treated with deference. He had the surname of the richest and most influential family in Florence, which in turn was the richest city on the Italian peninsula. "Yes, my young friend. If nothing of what you went through had happened, by noon today we would be burying a prince alive! "


    Alexa pursed her lips in anguish at the mere thought of such atrocity and torture.


    "But we still don''t understand what happened on the road with the retinue of Prince Magnus''s bride. Your testimonial is very important. We are still trying to understand how several people died. Only the Hand of God protecting your lives can explain that the two maidens have escaped the horror¡­ "


    "Maybe not the Hand of God¡­" Prince Magnus said mockingly, stretching his legs and scratching his leg inside the high boots.


    "It''s about time," said the maiden, aiming at the Prince, "for me to tell my part of the story."


    She straightened in her chair, taking another breath.


    "I do not know if you will believe or not, but that''s what I lived for two nights ago."


    The Maiden, then said,


    (CONTINUES)

 Chapter 10 - The Maiden and the Bridge

    "I am not going to tell you the reasons for my trip right now, but will go forward to what I have seen and witnessed these last few days," the maiden tested, and at Father Agnello''s consent, the Captain also agreed. Only Prince Magnus continued to stare at her with his feline judging gaze, as if to say, ''All in due time, Milady, I''m just letting the mouse think it can escape.''


    The events were still fresh in Alexa''s memory, and she knew that when she had the opportunity to really sleep, no doubt the harrowing images would come back in her dreams. But she couldn''t tell things as they actually happened, could she?


    Her mind wandered to the fateful afternoon facts where they simply should have led the way, as omens warned, but she had been unable to follow. Was it really as Father Agnello had just said, Destiny, this mysterious God, linking the facts with a higher purpose?


    She didn''t know, not yet.


    "I, and the diplomat Iain Bressac, and also the man we hired to guide and protect us, were riding down the road¡­"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The day was cloudy but steady after the cold, rainy night that had brought them to a small inn by the river for a hot meal in the morning. Iain complained of hemorrhoids. Locke, the mercenary who still accompanied them after all they went through, cynically said that an incubus had visited the wrong maiden the night before, and that was the cause of the other man''s hemorrhoids.


    Alexa laughed as she ate the porridge, but Iain didn''t find it that funny at all. He just said they''d have to slow down, and Locke agreed, while he used his head to motion Alexa to the little tavern''s kitchen,


    "Lex, how about a discount on our travel rations, huh?"


    "Why don''t you do your trick, for a change? " was the answer. The smell of roast and fresh baked bread was irresistible to Lex, but the ''they must save any possible coin for unexpected needs'', according to Iain, who greedily kept them away from Locke.


    "Because my trick is really effective, but I don''t want to waste our time or my cock with those ugly maids," the devilish mercenary replied, continuing to eat.


    "So what you want is for my face to be remembered around so our persecutors can find us faster?" was Lex''s quick reply, pulling the hood of the travel cape a little tighter over her face.


    "Hmmmmm, actually your smartass is right, Lex. I don''t want problems now that we''re almost done. But honestly, I don''t know if I should¡­ "


    Lex laughed again, it was not this time the maiden would play the angelic, kind boy who would get some free food for the trip. Even women liked to feel appreciated by a ''boy'' with ''his'' looks. Angel, that was how they invariably sighed. But that had already proved a mistake not long ago. Luckily, Locke was really efficient with the sword and had been able to rescue Lex... and then put an absurd price on it.


    It would have been easy to win the friendship of the women at the tavern, but Lex didn''t think it wise to risk it. Her masculine clothes and long-lived experience dressed as a boy for most of her life allowed the trick to be convincing most of the time¡­ but not always.


    Locke tossed a coin in the air, saying, "Shall these maids must get wiener with their buns?" His tone was so malicious that there was no doubt in the connotation of his words. He was always like that, and Lex didn''t really care. She laughed along with Iain as the coin fell to the tails, meaning YES. Jonah Locke, the Englishman, would take chances convincing one of the women to feed them. Locke just shrugged, wiped his mouth, and nonchalantly went to the kitchen''s area. Lex didn''t know how this was could the rude man managed to get his free food trick, but it invariably involved wild coitus first.


    As they waited, the boy-dressed maiden and her fianc¨¦''s messenger sat on the stone bridge''s railing, trying to make the most of the shy sun showing behind clouds in that early afternoon. Lex leaned against Iain, seeking more heating; after months and so many adventures together, she trusted him. But not so much in Locke.


    "The weather is really getting colder and colder, isn''t it, Lex?" Said the long-faced, freckled redhead messenger. He had a nice look that hid the fact that he was greedy and full of pedantic quirks. But his parley, bargaining and language skills proved to be very useful along their journey.


    "Yeah, my socks haven''t dried up yet, nor have my boots."


    "That''s no more suffering than my hemorrhoids," said Iain, but this time Alexa suppressed a laugh.Iain, who was the oldest of them, and this adventure was really testing the endurance and courage of his fiance''s servant. He was dedicated and loyal, she would not laugh at him suffering from the dry diet and riding so much and so often.


    In addition, she spotted the swaying of colorful banners and standards coming down the road. Iain saw the same.


    "It''s a procession, just pull the hood and wave, no one will be surprised by a boy sitting on the bridge," said the experienced English messenger, jumping off the rail with a wow! of pain.


    Lex continued where he was, enjoying the cold sun, and waiting for the noble retinue to pass. Two different flags stood out, but the farther north they went, the less her knowledge of heraldry made any sense. The entourage should have four carriages and about forty people on horseback, plus some coming further afield. From where Lex stood, it was clear that two of the carriages were far behind, and they moved along the road with difficulty, being pushed many times into the most difficult spots of the muddy road. Even watching it was cringy.


    When the party finally got close to the bridge, Alexa noticed that no one there seemed to be having fun. They all had tired or angry expressions. She had thought of waving, but changed her mind.


    Some of the guards, who carried white-and-red-patterned uniforms with a wolf symbol, talked to each other before one of them shouted to Alexa, or rather the bridge boy,


    "Do you know anyone who can fix wagon wheels, lad?"


    Lex just pointed at the inn, not showing much of her face. It was what she could do to help.


    The entourage split in two at the entrance of the bridge. One part would stay to solve the problem of damaged carriages, and another part would go on. That was easy to grasp. The maiden wondered if her hired warrior was going to be taken by surprise in his lovemaking at the back of the inn, but that was unlikely.


    Lex watched as the other maiden stepped out of the carriage for air with her companions, as she awaited to move on. The girl dressed as boy admired and envied her beautiful lilac and green dress, her purple cape, and was absorbed by watching them when she heard beside her,


    "Lord Jesus, what a ugly woman! See, Lex! Your fiance will at least have a nice surprise when you arrive! Even if it''s a boy haha. We go now! But what about this place that''s populated with ugly women?!" Locke grunted as he buckled his belt behind the bridge wall. "Let this entourage pass. I''ve heard that this caravan takes a Prince''s bride!"


    Lex nodded, not understanding why Locke was always so talkative when he returned from his random carnal affairs, but saw that he carried a sack that smelled of fresh food, and merrily followed him away from the bridge.


    "Is the maiden in the carriage a princess?"


    "Uhn, I heard this conversation, that she was the Prince of Holstein''s bride."


    "Isn''t Holstein the port of departure from our ship?"


    "Yes, but let''s not get the ship there, It is a big and very busy port. We''ll take the ship to a smaller port where the ship will stop for water, "said Iain who joined them.


    "Can''t we go to Holstein, join the wedding festivities?" Lex asked the men, momentarily hoping for some moment of amusement in her existence that in the last year and a half had become a nightmare. "It''s going to be so crowded that no one will notice us."


    The men looked at each other, and said, in unison,


    " No! "


    They knew the maiden''s restless spirit.


    Only when the entourage had taken a half-hour lead did the trio cross the bridge. The trampled and muddy terrain made it hard for them to continue on the road, and they soon regretted their delay in the inn, seeing black clouds with their bellies full of rain rapidly approaching.


    "If you hadn''t been taking ''getting food and thanking the stay'', which was already well paid with sounding cash, we would have gone further and not been behind this damn bridal entourage", Iain grumbled to the warrior, in a grumpy mood.


    "Ah, if the incubus would have been kinder to you last night, your ass wouldn''t be so sore and your mood would be better!" replied Locke, but then changed the subject, spotting something in the horizon,


    "Hey, Lex, look, say hello to ''your friends''!" said the mercenary, pointing a flock of crows in the black sky, hovering a spot not far away.


    The maiden looked up at the sky and didn''t like what she saw. It was a large amount of crows, and they did seem to flock over carrion. ''Does anyone need me?'' wondered Lex.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Going back to the present moment, Alexa said,


    "and we spotted the Bride''s entourage, but as we wanted to get to a shelter fast because it was going to rain, we avoided the path after the comitive, and tried to overtake them across the field. That''s how we came across something terrifying."


    (CONTINUES)

 Chapter 11 - The Maiden and the Old Chapel

    "Riding across the meadow and looking for shelter from the rain, our group was attracted by a flock of crows. The amount was large, so we thought something bad had happened. My guardians decided to check it out, but they didn''t want me to go, because it could be a horrible thing to see¡­"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Come on, please! Ahhh? Iain? Locke ?! Don''t be like that, I''d better go and see!"


    "No!" said the mercenary flatly, ignoring Alexa''s pleas. "Decidedly not!"


    "Iain ?! Please tell him I have to go! "She turned to her greatest ally, but Iain looked up at the sky, pretending to be distracted by thoughts, until he turned and said, "Don''t think about that, Lex. Will we continue our path or will we eventually regret it. The rain is coming. It could have just been an animal struck by lightning¡­"


    "It''s not! I''m having feels about it¡­" she exclaimed, dramatizing as best she could and starting to roll her eyes¡­


    PAF!


    A slap at the back of her neck, and Locke passed her indifferently, saying,


    "Don''t even start! I saw a tall building right there, let''s see what it is, it''ll start raining soon. No more looking for carrion, or spending good money, or getting us to make funeral pyres or rock mounds for strangers. You just have a piece of sea left to stop being Lex and being a respectable married lady. You won''t get any plague right now," the mercenary grunted, and somehow Lex thought the brute warrior was being, in his own way, sentimental and protective. Iain agreed with him and they changed course toward a building at a distance. The maiden still stared at the crows in ominous foreboding, but followed with the men.


    They soon saw that the building they were heading to was a small ruined chapel next to a small watercourse. It deviated from the river they had crossed for about an hour, apparently. A small wooden bridge, falling apart and clearly unfit for use, connected the stream to one side. It was possible to see a beautiful estate on the other side of the creek, quite prosperous, with a stone manor standing out in the distance.


    "This place still has a roof, it should shelter us from the rain," Iain said cheerfully, but the maiden was not that excited. The door was locked with planks and a heavy chain, as were the windows, but the two men skillfully broke into the room and they entered the abandoned chapel as soon as the rain began.The small wild animals that made the abandoned place their home were moving away from humans as they explored the place.


    Iain providentially found candles and lit them with his flint, so they had lighting in front of the altar, the most preserved place. There was no image of a saint on the altar, but there was still a pulpit, benches, and the totally dry holy water sink.


    Alexa was checking the painted pictures on the walls, with the help of a long altar candle, when Iain approached her, and extended a bundle,


    "Take it."


    Puzzled, Lex asked,


    "What''s this?" She really didn''t have seen this bundle before. Her fiance''s servant said,


    "Well, you said you had your socks and leggings wet. Take it off. I bought it for a good price from a maid of that entourage. It''ll be useful soon, anyway."


    She scrabbled at the bundle, pulling out a gray-blue velvet winter dress with the collar and sleeves embroidered. Clean socks and a undergarment to wear under the robe. They were about their size. She was struck by the beauty and luxury of the soft-to-touch fabric, the delicacy of the lacework, and also thought that Iain really had good bargaining power and possessed the good fortune of finding dishonest servants at the most unexpected of the moments.


    "It''s beautiful! Thank you! "


    "Aherm! "The redhead pretended to cough, embarrassed," Go to a corner and change, far away from that pervert. And away from those painted angels there too."


    "She nodded, feeling very happy for a while. After so many misfortunes and setbacks, a little joy like that. Feeling like a woman and being able to do that. Much of her life had been banned from being a girl, and had only briefly experienced the small pleasures of feminine vanity. Then again she was forced to flee and dress like a boy, toward a fianc¨¦ whom she had seen only once, and people willing to murder her ...


    She didn''t think she deserved it.


    The maiden untied and set free her thin platinum hair, which reached just beyond her shoulders, and twirled, feeling the fabric sway around her legs. It felt so beautiful!


    She returned to her fellow travelers, dancing down the aisle of the chapel with graceful twirls. They were dividing the food sitting on an altar step, but stopped to see the maiden''s mischief.


    When he stopped in front of them with a graceful bow, the two men were wide-eyed and gaping, as if seeing a vision. Alexa opened a beaming smile, satisfied. ''Not even these two clots are really immune to my feminine charm! Hihihi¡­ ''But before she bragged or mocked them, the maiden felt a sudden discomfort, and put a hand to her head, a little dizzy.


    "See, she''s spinning then she''s dizzy. If you only stop those childish things ...! "Iain said suddenly angry, but getting up to help her. Locke grunted, his mouth full of bread and roast,


    "Lex is making drama to get more food. Stop it, don''t make the man with hemorrhoids make unnecessary effort. Take, stop in the morning and eat soon. Ah, just because you put on a dress¡­ "He held out a piece of meat, but the maiden refused with a gesture. She was nauseated, and the image of the piece of meat only made her glimpse human flesh plucked by pecks, out of fresh bodies lying in the cold field.


    Iain laid her down on one of the benches, and covered her with her cloak,


    "Now you''ll be warm. I''ll save you some food," he rubbed her cold hands, and taking off his own fingerless gloves put them on the maiden.


    The messenger had learned to be more tolerant of Alexa''s problems and weird quirks during the months they spent together. The darkness and flickering candles, allied with tiredness, made the maiden''s eyes weigh, and soon she dozed off.


    Alexa woke up to the sound of a person praying fervently, muttering his prayers in an almost disorderly manner. She could hear Locke''s soft snore coming from somewhere, and the pitter patter of the light rain outside was the earthly part of the sounds she heard. But the voice¡­ The voice was definitely not.


    The maiden cautiously raised her head to look at the altar, protected by the pew in front of her. A faint bluish glow came from the front of the altar.


    A wisp flickered in front of the altar.


    Alexa widened her eyes, she heard the whispers and moans of the soul that sought solace in front of an empty altar. Alexa cautiously sat on the bench, wondering what to do next. Her heart was pounding so hard she wanted to get out of her chest. It wasn''t because she knew about that she wasn''t afraid to deal with restless souls.


    The bluish flame burst, and the supernatural cries ceased.


    Alexa heard the heavy footsteps coming from the altar toward her in the semi darkness of the chapel.

 Chapter 12 - The Maiden and the Wisp

    ooo


    "Who are you?" The maiden demanded from the Shade.The candle flames didn''t allow Alexa to clearly see the ghastly masculine silhouette standing two meters away. The hairs of her neck stood up.


    "Ahhhhhhh!" the tormented wailing echoed through the chapel. That spirit was struggling in confusion. Alexa imagined that he was beginning to figure out that he was dead, and regretted his misery deeply. Dying and wandering in spectral form was a great ordeal.


    The spirit then passed beside her, toward the door. His presence was strong, for the sensation was the same as a living being passing beside her, making the same sounds of a human body moving. Whoever it was, it was a being full of resolve and willpower. He, like many confused spirits, did not want to leave because he believed he had something to do. Alexa wanted to know his name, so she could set him free.


    "Who are you?" She repeated the question, with emphasis and firmness, turning to follow him. As they emerged from the chapel, the spirit was bathed in the dim moonlight, and the maiden saw a man in uniform resembling that of the soldiers they saw earlier. The whole breastplate of his uniform was drenched in blood, and just below his bleached, cadaverous face, a huge rip in his throat made a grotesque half moon.


    Alexa realized that the murder was recent, and suspected that it might have to do with the crows they saw during the day.


    Alexa hurriedly began to take off her gloves, knowing that a spirit with this untamed strength, great regret and feeling of hatred would turn into a spiteful and vengeful soul. She had to send him to the Wheel of Reincarnations without delay!


    But before she could do anything, the ghost in front of her raised his arm, pointing toward the stream.


    "What the hell!" Locke''s angry voice behind her made Alexa jump in fright, literally. The mercenary wrapped his arm around the maiden''s neck, pulling her back as he swung his sword toward the spirit. The spirit just faded, becoming a wisp of eerie bluish fire that floated away in the direction from which they had come earlier.


    "No! Why did you do that, you stupid man!" Alexa lost her mind, and turned to her bodyguard, still heart pounding, but extremely annoyed.


    "Ah? What?! Didn''t you yourself say how deceiving ghosts and demons can be? But for all saints, how can it not be possible to leave you a moment without surveillance that random creepy things happen to you! Why do you have to be a beacon for the dark things?! Ahhhgh!" Jonah Locke was angry, too, and kicked the threshold of the chapel, releasing his frustration. "Stop talking to ghosts! Sto¡­ Hey, where are you going?! Lex, where are you going?! Lex !!! Damn it!"


    The maiden freed herself and ran as fast as she could through the meadow, chasing the wisp of mutable shapes wandering away from the chapel. She knew she was going to the place where this man had suffered a strange and violent death. She just regretted not even bringing a torch with her. Although within her the feeling of dread struggled with her will to release that suffering soul, Alexa knew that her companions had no appreciation for her involvement with death.


    Listening Iain and Locke''s voices coming closer as they called her, she felt a wave of relief that she wasn''t alone in this phantasmagoric chase, and turned to see them. She looked over her shoulder, knowing she could not stop to wait for them, or she would lose the wisp, and saw them with torches quickly coming near.


    Turning forward, the maiden ran into the spirit again. The spectrum once again showed himself in his horrible human appearance, standing a few feet away from her, with a burning gaze. An outstretched arm in a clear signal to keep the maiden from advancing.


    Taken aback by the sudden apparition, Alexa slipped, and fell to the ground, appalled with the grim appearance of the spectrum in the pale moonlight. In the reflex act, she rubbed her muddy hands, which before the spirit began to emit a strong light. She rose, breathing heavily, and faced the spirit, watching its fiery eyes and imposing, if not terrifying, martial stance.


    "Follow the light, and receive your judgment," the maiden firmly spoke, showing her palm to the defending spectrum. She knew that he felt compelled to prevent a tragedy, and that he had not succeeded in life. His regret caused him to suffer and wander, and for some reason he believed she should not approach the source of the stench that seeped into her nostrils even from a distance now.


    The maiden began the rites to allow that suffering soul to depart from this world, and as she did so, her palms began to pour blood. It hurt as the light that guided the the spirit to the path of souls shone brighter and stronger from her hands.


    Alexa suppressed a groan of pain as she dispatched the Shade on its way to rebirth.


    When her fellow travelers arrived at Alexa, they just saw the spectrum crumble in the crisp air like ashes in the wind.


    Locke pulled her by the shoulder, annoyed, shaking the maiden out of rage for her reckless behavior. He seemed to have a lot to talk about, but Alexa was showing pain, so he just snorted, muttering,


    "You''re going to get hurt by dead things and you won''t stop until you see this damn place, are you? What will happen when these things from hell are too big for you, Lex?"


    "I''m going to die and be reborn," she said simply. She knew what he said was heresy by the Holy Churches, but it was her belief. "I am the last Light Bearer."


    "Ninini, this is no big deal. All you have is a bunch of enemies and killers hired to eliminate you. The spirits don''t have time to be grateful, do they? In short, you don''t make many friends with this Light Bearer title," he was in a bad mood, but took her by the arm, guiding her toward the field where they would surely see dead people. Iain slowed behind them.


    The sweet, burning smell of death was already bothering the trio''s sense of smell as they walked by torchlight across the frozen meadow.


    They came to a depression in the terrain, and came across the grotesque scene.


    ooo


    "I reached my travel companions, because I was afraid of being alone. The place stank so much! There was a hole dug in the ground, and five stakes the height of a person around the well. On each of the stakes was a dead black dog, its mouths wide open skyward!" Alexa cringed as she gave her testimony to Holstein''s trio of men. "My guardian approached, and lit the shallow and wide pit with his torch. Then I could see that the hole was full of human bodies!"


    "And what else did you see?" Asked the Captain.


    "Iain said they looked like local people. From their clothes they looked like servants and soldiers like the ones they had seen on the road. With the Holstein flag."


    "In short, people from the villa Cordelia would stay for the night. Your last stop before reaching the capital, "grunted Magnus, and Alexa nodded.


    "Luckily," she said, "my guardians soon understood that there would be an ambush in that house, and immediately thought of interfering and helping! We couldn''t waste time!"

 Chapter 13 - The Maiden Cries

    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Well, it doesn''t look like they all fell into that hole while they were planning of feasting on dog meat," Locke said with a sinister smirk. "So, ''Light Bearer'' what do you have to say?"


    "Uhn ..." She covered her nose with the fabric of her dress sleeve. "I don''t know. I think I should know, but I''m not sure. The dogs¡­ "


    "That''s great news. You don''t know. So there''s nothing you can do," Locke interrupted her, taking Alexa by the wrist to get her out of there. "As such, we must be be very far from this pit before everyone decide to blame the foreigners."


    "Should we at least warn someone? That''s ... Cruel and these people don''t deserve this end. We''ll let someone know and then we leave," Alexa already figured that her pragmatic travel fellows would not be easily convinced to help anyone, not in the situation they were in, a few leagues from the port, and after a few disastrous past experiences on this field.


    "Nops, no, non!" muttered Locke as he pulled the maiden away from the pit. He turned to Iain,


    "What are you waiting for? Beelzebub appear to claim these bodies? When he comes, say hello on my behalf!"


    "Actually¡­," Iain began, "Lex is right. These people need to be honored by their families. The Christian rites must be performed to purify their faithful souls. Everyone but you deserves the respectful farewell from the living. We don''t need to get too involved. I go to that villa to warn the retinue about it. I''ll talk to the woman who sold me the dress. You wait for me in the chapel. I won''t take long."


    The grotesque sight of this pagan-like slaughter certainly had shaken everyone''s emotions, and even Locke didn''t retort in the face of a seemingly sensible solution. None of them wanted to be exempt, they just couldn''t afford to take any greater risks. Not when they were so close to the end of their dire journey.


    They went back to the chapel and Iain took his horse, and they watched him cross the shallow stream carefully, as its was running faster after the rain. Alexa, however, was restless after the messenger''s departure, and preferred to stay in the chapel porch, looking in the direction of the manor, in anticipation.


    Trying to dig up her memories about the teachings on underworldly matters, this dark ritual had vaguely familiar characteristics to the maiden. But those were things she knew only in theory and everything was confused in her mind, and the eschatological view of those violated and exposed bodies engulfed anything else; people who even a day before hadn''t even imagined that they would end as dead corpses in a pit.


    "What kind of thing is that?" she muttered to herself, puzzled and shocked, trying to concatenate her thoughts to make some sense.


    As she thought, Locke didn''t disturb her and was grooming the horses again to leave as soon as Iain returned.


    Necromancy.


    The word came to the maiden''s mind, with the image of the cold moon revealing behind the clouds. Someone with a very specific heretic knowledge. Not just some political group trying to blame it on supposed witches, as usual. The five stakes meant a cycle¡­ and¡­ and¡­"


    It was of no use, she just couldn''t remember. It wasn''t like she wanted to learn such heresies, either.


    "Look, Iain is coming back!" Said Locke absently, glancing over his shoulder at the messenger''s silhouette against the night horizon. He was coming very fast, at a fast gallop in fact, and before he crossed the stream, Lex noticed something strange.


    Locke and Lex''s horses fidgeted, trying to get out of the ropes, and that caught Locke''s eye as well. The pair turned to Iain and his horse, approaching wildly.


    He braked the animal with terrified eyes and nervous behavior, and jumped off the horse. In a way it was the same Iain as always, except that his expression was not the same. It was just his illusorily corporeal spirit. It was his Shade.


    He stopped in front of Lex, and said in his hollow voice,


    "At least the hemorrhoids don''t hurt anymore, damsel."


    Lex felt the same tightness in her chest that seemed to tear the flesh like when she lost each of her brothers, and her father... Iain was family to her. The stagnant, intense gleamy eyes of the apparition fixed on her face, but the maiden could already see cloudy and thick tears were streaming down her face.


    "What happened?!" she asked, her voice breaking with emotion, and the apparition only answered,


    "Why don''t you say your prayer? I want to go to a good place. Am I going to a good place?"


    "Of course you are! Of course you are! "Lex was crying openly now, disgusted that her friend from so many adventures had left them so suddenly. She clapped her hands once, feeling it burning and heating, but Iain''s soul gestured for her to wait, and addressed Locke,


    "Don''t abandon her, don''t steal her, and don''t touch her. My master will find you and will tear your heart out wherever you are."


    The mercenary seemed to swallow, his face severely contracted, but he adjusted his belt and mockingly replied,


    "The messenger doesn''t stop talking bullshit even after he''s dead. Iain, shut up at least now. Rest in peace, bastard."


    Fantastically the idea that man and spirit could start a silly arguing for a long time without anyone giving up crossed her mind. That got a sad smile from the maiden. She stepped between them, and raised her palms in front of her dear Iain''s face, and began sending him on his journey into the next world.


    As Iain''s apparition faded into light, something fell to the floor. Alexa now felt that her hands were really starting to burn as if burned by fire, but suppressed a moan of pain. Her sorrow was greater than the physical pain. She crouched down to try to see the small object.


    The metallic item was shaped like a half moon, and the maiden took a while to realize that it was half a coin. An obolus to be precise.


    Only half of an obolus?


    What did that mean?


    She turned to the warrior, who had his back to her. Lex figured he might be dealing with his own feelings, though he always preferred to prove to be the worst person possible.


    "Locke ..." she called, and after a few moments of silence, he turned, his expression resolute.


    "Prepare all your prayers, Lex. We''ll get Iain''s body back. You fight with your Spiritual Torch or whatever, and me with my good old sword."


    The maiden reached for air, and inflated her chest while mentally preparing for what was yet to come.


    "Yeah, let''s get Iain."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Alexa continued,


    "Because I had a bad feeling, and I was scared, they didn''t know what to do with me. So Master Bressac went ahead while my bodyguard waited for his signal. But¡­ " the maiden could not help remembering the facts, and her voice choked with emotion,"it was not long and his horse returned alone as we were crossing the stream. Even more worried now, we were sure something bad was going on in the stone manor. Master Locke thought of the wickedness of men, and I, after what I had seen, only feared the infernal powers!"

 Chapter 14 - Maiden and the Manor

    "When we crossed the creek, we decided to tie the horses near the bridge, afraid to warn of our presence with the trample of horses. We made our way down the bricked path, from the old bridge to the mansion, with the torches in hand.


    The cold fog emanated from the ground, and we discovered that the place looked prosperous and well kept. If by day it seemed lively and welcoming, we had no way of knowing, for under the nightly shadows it seemed the most inhospitable and ghoulish place. If we had no duty to find our fellow and alert the Flemish entourage, we would not be behaving like thieves in the night, walking cautiously around the impressive manor. There was no sign of fire, or lit torches around the house. In our defense, we were suspicious that a vile plan could endanger the lives of the bride''s retinue. Also our friend was missing after coming to this location.


    The first thing I saw, and had to cover my mouth to prevent a scream from sprouting from my lips, was the glimpse of a body reclining on the edge of a well, the legs in a strange and twisted position!" Alexa rubbed her eyes with her wrists, drying the moisture from them, "by coming closer it was possible to confirm what was obvious from afar: that person was no longer among the living. He was one of the guards in Holstein''s uniform. His livid face still showed the horror of his horrible death, and there were traces of bloody foam on his mouth and chin. The eyes of that poor soul were still squinted in pain, and Master Locke said to me,


    "Lady Saskia, this poor warrior has died poisoned! He was certainly induced to ingest some, and dined and drank happily earlier this night, without expecting that this would be his last meal¡­! A plan to get rid of this entourage is at work! Our friend is in danger!


    I shivered and cried, taken by sudden terror!"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "What a bitch! What did he think? What would drink water and survive?" Muttered Locke impatiently, pushing the corpse with his boot. Lex tugged his arm, annoyed at the lack of respect toward a deceased one,


    "Don''t do it!"


    "Looks like he''s looking for his own way to hell!"


    The maiden just shook her head in disgust, figuring Locke was very upset and at worst of his humor, but that still didn''t give him the right to mock the dead.


    "Listen, Little Bougie, this has more to do with some living trying to get rid of the ugly Lady and their friends. Just a few leagues from the Holstein border, to make things a bit more interesting. Let''s find the living, because they killed Iain."


    The mercenary''s logic made perfect sense, and Alexa shook her head in agreement when they heard some screams, followed by loud, hollow thuds. They came from the opposite side of the manor.


    "People are locked inside the house," Locke noted.


    "Look!" Alexa noticed the movement before him, and soon noticed a cart coming out of the stables. The warrior did not wait, and stooping a little, advancing quickly in the same direction. The maiden followed him as best she could, but the clothes she wore did not allow as much agility as she was most used to. The maiden stumbled a few times until she managed to discover how to run with a dress, as Locke swiftly reached the wagon and leaped at it. Seeing that there was not much to do about it, and trusting that the warrior would beat the wrongdoers deservedly, Alexa proceeded to the main door, which was being ravaged from within by people desperate to escape.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Crying and screaming mingled in complete cacophony. People inside the house were in complete panic and their words were ininteligible to me. When I arrived at the main door, I found signs of fighting and a lot of blood, and two warriors dead¡­! Please don''t make me describe the horror of this vision!"


    The men nodded to her request, and she continued,


    "Well, the massive wooden door lived up to the size and stature of the house, and there was no way for those people to break in without a battering ram and coordination, as a heavy lock had been set, and chain perhaps as thick as my wrists kept it sealed. Alone, I couldn''t do anything either.


    So taking a helmet that I found lying down, I knocked back on the door to get their attention, and shouted that I would seek help, that they had to stay calm, because there was no use keep doing that!"


    "And that worked?" asked the priest. Alexa put some thought on it, and replied,


    "I think, only partially. Because a man''s voice answered, asking me to help them, for God''s sake. But I think other people were overwhelmed with terror and unable to understand.


    "So?" This time it was the Captain who questioned her.


    "I was scared, but I needed to help those people. I said I would look for an easier way out. I even thought of fetching the horses to help break down the door, but it seemed like a quite Herculean task to me. It had to be otherwise. "


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    While trying to communicate with the crying hysterical people of the Flemish entourage, without much success, the maiden looked here and there near the dead guards, thinking of perhaps finding something that might help. She felt rather than saw the presence looming behind her, and instead of turning to face whatever it was, the maiden slid to one side in time to avoid having her head crushed by a spiked mace.


    She leaped behind the bushes surrounding the mansion''s entrance, and turned in time to see the mace rising again, and the heavy bulk of a huge man wearing an executioner-like leather mask, moving in her direction.


    She thrust the torch into his face, which flinched in fright trying to chase away the flames.


    Alexa didn''t afford to scream, and spared her breath to grab her skirts and lift them as high as she could, and run at top speed, figuring only speed could be an advantage against such a strong man. This man was not a ghost, but a fleshed person. Just the kind of enemy Alexa didn''t have many weapons to fight against.


    At least everything she learned from her brother Narses and also from Locke was of use to her now! She went around the house, looking for somewhere to hide, knowing she could hardly handle this giant man with her little strength and size. At least she''d have to hide until Locke came to her rescue...again.


    Sneaking through the wall of the mansion, her would hand feel the way as the maiden sought to remain hidden in the darkness, since as, like most humans, the ''executioner'' could not see her in the dark. Her hand reached and touched the rough wooden surface of a door...


    That opened shortly after she withdrew her hand, with a slight creak.


    The maiden sensed that the supernatural was acting, but she could not know whether to help her or to lure her to death.


    But Alexa had no choice but to enter.

 Chapter 15 - The Maidens Hands

    ooo


    The door opened after Alexa''s touch, and in the current situation where not entering could mean facing a huge man with a spiked mace, the maiden chose to risk and enter the mansion.


    Groping her way along the wall, she found the handle of a broom, which she gripped quickly. That would definitely be helpful. Alexa realized she was in a service part of the mansion. If she was not mistaken, the front door was on the north side of the house, where she should go if she wanted to help them.


    "Help me!"


    A low voice was heard, almost near her feet. Her vision had not yet become accustomed to the almost complete darkness of this part of the house, and she bent slowly, groping as she could, until she touched something soft and wet, uncomfortably cold. The Greek Maiden withdrew her hand quickly, sensing a crescendo of malice in the atmosphere. Even without seeing, her other senses were keen and fully alert, and Alexa was once again fast enough to roll aside as the huge wooden cup-holder collapsed onto the corpse on the floor, exactly where she had crouched seconds before.


    She stood, gasping for breath, and even in her fright, shouted, "Reveal yourself!"


    Little by little the Shade, a shadow in the shadows, had her dark silhouette revealed in the Light Bearer''s eyes. Wickedly, bright-eyed, she, because it was a she, stared in surprise at the maiden. But there was something different about this Shade. A half moon symbol with a glowing halo over its forehead.


    Alexa just understood that it was the same symbol, the obolus split in half. ''An allusion to the infernal fee to the Boatman of Souls? Proof that one was really dead?'' she conjectured as she simply raised her hands in spectral flames to exorcise that soul from the realm of the living.


    Gasping and aching, after getting rid of the ghost that tried to kill her, Alexa used the purifying flames of her hands and lit the tail twigs of the broomstick, creating a makeshift torch. At least that way, she''d see the way ahead and see whatever spirits without disguises. Anyway, the Light Bearer didn''t want people to see bluish flames coming out of her hands either.


    Advancing down a corridor, she heard moans and screams, heavy thuds and grieving whispers, but could not identify whose where the work of the living or the dead in this cacophony of unsettling sounds.


    The smell of fresh blood reached her nostrils before she could see the source of this ferruginous smell. Using the torch, the maiden scanned the path ahead, looking like a bloody trail that ended at the end of the corridor.


    ooo


    "I found dead people and heard terrifying voices, tortured screams, bullying whispers, and realized that the spirits were restless into the manor. It was as if ... How can I say? The darkness of the hells had descended over this house, torturing innocent souls. What the purpose of it, I could not imagine, because I did not understand the context. Fear drove me on, but I also knew that I couldn''t turn my back on people left to fend for themselves in that horror. Even if they were just strangers to me, if I could only help one person out of here ... " she turned her eyes to Father Agnello, who touched her shoulder in consolation, "I asked the Heavenly Hosts to protect me in this moment of danger while my friend outside was trying to intercept a wagon that sneaked from the property!"


    "So that''s how you parted ways?" Magnus asked.


    "Unfortunately, but we''d meet again, even briefly."


    oo


    A loud boom came from the door direction, which left Alexa in a frenzy. Realizing the screams that followed, the maiden made sure it was the right direction where people were in a group. Rushing over and ignoring everything else, she came to the door, which she immediately realized was locked by the artifice of unnatural forces.


    "Ah, Guardians ..." the maiden understood the least to know that heretics used Orphic knowledge for evil purposes. Enslaving souls and sealing doors. She couldn''t get through that door, not during the dark hours, and suspected that many other doors in that mansion were sealed the same way. But she could at least try to make herself heard by people on the other side. So she proceeded to do it.


    But their answers were too chaotic to make any sense.


    They had as much trouble understanding her as she did them, in that moment of terror. Finally she realized that someone, in the midst of the hubbub, was trying to say something important:


    "Listen, girl! A guard captured a witch, the witch who poisoned our water! The damned bitch revealed before she died, she said something about the well! He said he was going there!"


    ooo


    "Through the door I had no strength to open, someone told me that the source of the spell was in the well. I had seen a dead guard near a well, so I assumed it could be the same place," the maiden revealed. "Sure the poor man tried to break the infernal spell, but died before that, that''s what I thought at the time. I asked them what the loud noise had been like, and this person, who seemed to be one of the few who still could reason, told me that a body had been hurled upstairs to the hall. And that ''Lady Cordelia'' was still up there without any help."


    Alexa looked at her interlocutors meaningfully,


    "I couldn''t judge anyone at that time, I didn''t know how long or everything they lived. I just thought that if I had to go to the well to get it over with, it was what I should do."


    ooo


    ''Uh damn, the well is out there, exactly where that masked giant is waiting me with a mace to crush my head,'' Alexa thought. Though she imagined that with the dawn, the disturbing influence of darkness upon this house would diminish, it would take time, for by her calculations it was not even time for the first Matin. It was the pinnacle of darkness and the pinnacle of acting power of these troubled souls attached to this place. The Greek maiden thought she couldn''t wait until then. More people would die before the fury of those who were dismissed.


    "Glad you''re there, Lex," she heard behind her, her familiar voice a little breathless and turned in anticipation, wishing she wasn''t hearing another ghostly voice this time.

 Chapter 16 - Maiden and the Well

    ooo


    Turning on his heels, Alexa came across Locke, alive and well, coming her way.


    "Thank God! she exclaimed, "Found Iain?"


    "No, I put down two of them. They are mad bitches, completely mad! They cursed me before they died, and died happy because they were going to serve ''their goddess'' in Hell! Their words!"


    "These doors are impossible to be opened until dawn. But someone on the other side of the door told me that the spell might be in the well! I believe this well is connected with that pit in the meadow¡­"


    "Don''t tell me! I definitely don''t want to know. Do we have to undo an evil spell? Just tell me how," the mercenary said, cutting off the mystical part which he never had interest or patience for.


    "There''s a big man with an mace outside, I was afraid of meeting him again! Let''s go to the well, I need to see what I find there. You give me cover."


    "Very well," was Locke''s simple answer, and the pair once again went out onto the manor''s courtyard, but the maiden was far more relieved to have the virtuoso swordsman at her side to deal with the big guy.


    ooo


    "You are a very brave Lady. Many women would not have this presence of mind,'' said the Captain. The Prince added, though,


    "In fact, it''s a little hard to believe."


    "It may be hard to believe, but that''s what happened. I went into the well while my bodyguard held the rope which he tied me with. It was too dark to try fishing an object with the bucket without knowing what to look for. I had a torch, and descended the well trying to see what the ''spell'' could be. Of course I was scared! Then I found it. A little sack that contained weird half-moon ''coins''," the maiden said, a little annoyed by the prince''s constant taunting and sarcastic tone. Despite feeling Father Agnello''s heavy gaze upon herself, Alexa knew that this information could be known to someone and she didn''t want to be caught hiding more than she should. But definitely, she was exhausted by the report and the ups and downs of the day. Perhaps it would be interesting to show a little tiredness at this point. Besides, Locke''s death still stirred her emotions.


    "To the Prince, who treats me like a suspect, it may seem that I am creating this grotesque fantasy out of my crazy mind. Unfortunately everything was real. When I saw him this morning, I was sorry! I was sorry wished that the Prince and his men could have crossed the border earlier to fetch his Bride along the way, instead of waiting by the border. Surely today I would not be here giving a report on my actions in the middle of the night!"


    "¡­ "the Prince just shut up, and Alexa, still frowning, continued her story,


    "When I took that purse and opened it, the spirits were even more restless, and I knew I had touched something I shouldn''t have! My bodyguard shouted to me that he was pulling me up,and there was a tone of urgency in his voice! And to be honest all I wanted was to get out of that well as soon as possible. It felt like a mouth from hell was opening under me as he pulled me up! I clung with all my strength and faith to the rope he had bound around me, and even before he could get me out of there, spirits plunged into the infernal abyss whose gaping mouth used that mere well as a channel with the world of the living The spirits dove down to the underworld with terrifying howls and extreme voracity, while I was trying to make the contrary movement! I just asked the Heavens for that hope to hold me tight so I was not thrown into hell ¡­"


    She covered her eyes, showing want to forget the incident, and after a few minutes in silence, the Captain asked,


    "Unfortunately we have to continue, Lady Saskia. After that, what happened?"


    "When we realized that the spell had been broken, we ran back to the mansion to open the doors. Those locked people left in despair without even looking back. They just ran out in disorder, shouting, apparently without proper direction. In the impression that it was all over, Master Locke and I wanted to find our friend, and we started looking for him when I remembered that there was still a woman upstairs.


    So Master Locke said we should get her out of there too."


    oo


    After the souls sought their freedom and headed for the well as if it had indeed the power to lure them past Lex with their thirsty frowns, the maiden went. hastily hoisted by Locke. As he took it off and began helping her untie, Lex realized that his hands were shaking. She looked up and saw that the dark hair of the mercenary was streaked with white gray. The abrupt passage of that number of souls by him had left a physical imprint, and probably had touched his unbreakable spirit as well.


    They just looked at each other, checking each other up and down, clearly trying to know without asking if they were physically well.


    "Let''s finish this," said the mercenary. "You advance with your holy torch and I cover you. Let''s get Iain, get the rest of the people out of here, if there is someone left."


    Grabbing her makeshift torch again, Alexa marched into the great manor, now knowing that these souls were no longer trapped in the physical world. They could leave whenever they wanted. Her job was to guide them, and though it wasn''t the nicest thing in the world, the maiden gritted her teeth in determination to make it happen by the end of the night. When they arrived in the great Hall, they found poor Iain''s corpse, respectfully placed on a table. The scene was one of complete chaos, torn tapestries and broken furniture, thrown objects and the scent of death and rot pervading everything. The maiden wasted time wrapping Iain properly with the white linen towel, like a shroud, with affection, so that he had his farewell ritual in the most appropriate way. While Alexa was doing this, Locke checked the spot, but Alexa didn''t really pay attention, dedicated to her task as she was.


    A sharp, sudden scream cut through the night from upstairs. The first scream was followed by several others, broken by loud sobs.


    The sense of urgency was quite clear, and they both ran for the stairs immediately.


    They reached the chamber on top of the mansion turret, whose path was clogged with fallen objects and bodies. Advancing with her torch, Alexa led the way, until they reached the door of the room where Lady Cordelia was cornered by the remaining spirits.


    The maiden entered the door cautiously as the screams were suddenly muffled.


    "Hmmmf!" she heard fighting noise and struggling movements.


    The first thing Alexa saw was the four poster bed, with the veils closed. At first her mind played tricks on her and she wondered if she had been deluded by a ghostly call, drawing her here. But the heavy bed made dragging noises. Alexa took two more steps with her torch, approaching, and realized, with horror, what was happening. Three Shades were dominating the young woman, who was trying to struggle. Their intentions were clear. They intended to violate her.


    "NO !!!"


    Without much thought, Alexa threw herself against them, in bed, setting fire in the gauze curtains in the process. She touched them, the Shades, with her hands on blue fire, furiously shouting at the exorcisms and their crimes. The wicked Shades squealed in despair, being wounded by the flame emanating from the Light Bearer''s hands, trying to escape. But Alexa chased them and definitely expelled them from the land of the living toward the judgment they deserved for this posterior crime.


    When she finished the third and last exorcism, she turned and saw what she already saw behind her. Curtain fire was rapidly spreading through the room. She looked for the maiden who was being attacked, and saw her huddled in a corner, trying to protect herself. Alexa went to her, unable to understand well why the girl simply had not run away in the meantime, instead of staying in a room on fire, and reached out to help her. At that moment, everything was very frantic and she really didn''t pay so much attention, her blood seething with the emergence of each of her actions.


    "Gotta go! Come on!" she called, and the girl pulled on her partially torn nightgown, trying to cover herself as she cringed.


    Alexa then realized that her outstretched hand still emanated blue flames, and simply turned her back on the other maiden, urging the Flemish girl to follow her out.


    That was when she saw the masked giant with the mace standing in the doorway, treading on Locke''s chest.

 Chapter 17 - Maiden is Free... By Now

    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Alexa felt a chill on her spine, feeling the cold energy of death coming once more to touch the living, as she witnessed the monstrous man with his scorched mask lift the mace above her friend''s head with a disturbing laugh. A bloody mess already covered Locke''s head, but Alexa could hear his strangled laugh,


    "Lex! Anon!"


    Locke shouted,then raised his sword one last time, using it upwardly as a stake, impaling the huge man upon him by the lower belly as the spiked mace descended toward his face.


    The giant freak collapsed like an ox to the side, moaning horribly. Alive but agonizing.


    Alexa couldn''t really look at Locke, closing her eyes as she prayed with her burning hands toward him. Her friend''s Shade just passed her like a breeze, touching her hair lightly as he left.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    On the way to the turret I saw a small wooden shrine, with a single and almost extinguished lit candle, before a saint who, I will not lie, I don''t know the name. To me it was an unmistakable sign that God''s light still illuminated this place. I lit a torch with the light of that candle before climbing the turret," Alexa said, not even blushing, knowing that the truth was riskier than the offense at this time.


    "When I entered the Lady Cordelia turret, it was surrounded by three" things, as dark as pitch," and what I did was use the torch to get them away from the woman I didn''t know at the time, was Lady Cordelia. They fled as the torch approached, but threatened us again as I backed away. I didn''t know then, but a terrible surprise still awaited us. But in my desperation, I started burning the room cloths, and that''s when¡­" she showed her bandaged hands once more, like tokens of her deeds. As expected, the men looked down in pity.


    "This ''possessed'' man," said Alexa, not really knowing why that unhappy soul had participated in it, whether willingly or not, "suddenly came up and killed my bodyguard, but was killed by him in return while defending us¡­ As he died, the hideous giant took off his mask in despair, and I could catch a glimpse of his gruesome retarded fool face, malformed by birth I guess. But the fire I used to drive away the demons was growing rapidly and my bodyguard had sacrificed so that I could escape¡­ So¡­ I took Lady Cordelia with me, we left the mansion and ran through the grounds to the horses. By now the turret was already burning.


    So we rode in the direction we came from, and halfway we met the rest of Lady Cordelia''s entourage, coming to rescue¡­" The petite maiden waved her arms, childishly showing that she had nothing more to report.


    She was really exhausted. Remembering and cautiously distorting the facts had been quite an exercise. But her emotions were shaken too, but she couldn''t let her guard down.


    Decidedly, she was now alone in the world.


    "Thank you so much for your cooperation for now," said the Royal Guard Captain, standing and flexing his muscles after the long hour and half listening her report. "We will talk again about the reason for your trip, but at this moment I believe the Lady needs to rest."


    Father Agnello asked if he could stay with Lady Saskia for the Captain Gunnar a moment longer, and he agreed.


    But the Prince apparently invited himself to whatever it was, staying when the Captain greeted them and left the room. The priest looked over his shoulder, realizing that the Regent''s firstborn was still there, but did not scold him. Alexa just put on a desolate expression, deep down wondering what would come next. But she kept an expression of undefined sadness no matter what, staring at the hem of her skirt.


    "Let''s say a prayer for the souls of Lady Saskia''s guardians, Prince Magnus. Join us? asked the Florentine priest.


    "Uh? Prayer? Oh yes, yes," Magnus joined them, kneeling and pulling a jeweled cross out of his clothes. Alexa was going to kneel but the priest motioned for her to remain seated.


    "Thank you, Father Agnello," said the maiden, truly grateful for the kind thought of the religious. She should pay a Catholic mass for both of them, Iain and Locke, shouldn''t she? Yes, surely she should. She would, because they professed Catholicism. Uhn...


    The priest said a beautiful and brief prayer, which Alexa listened for the first time. She opened her eyes during the act and met the prince''s golden eyes staring at her. The priest was apparently the only one concentrating his thoughts on prayer. She squeezed her eyes again, until the end of the prayer.


    When it was all over, the Italian priest stood up and said,


    "It will be tiring days ahead, Lady Saskia. I heard the manor burned to the ground, and I think it was better that way. But there will be a mass, and other arrangements that the Church must take. After all, your account indicates that there were acts of witchcraft."


    "Since this happened in another kingdom, we can get closer to the authorities there, as there was an attack on my¡­ Lady Cordelia. This needs to be thoroughly investigated,"


    Alexa just evaluated the words on both sides, weighing how she wanted to leave as soon as possible. That case of witchcraft seemed very complicated, but now ... Lady Cordelia was very afraid. After what she went through, she naturally feared intimate contact, and Prince Magnus was unreliable. But deep in her heart Alexa regretted having promised to stay a bit for the other maiden. Perhaps must have a way to leave while not breaking her word¡­ ''Uhn¡­''


    "Shall we?" asked the reason of her thoughts, and Alexa blinked, taken aback. "Uhn? Shall we? Where?"


    "I''ll take you to your ward," said the prince, cryptically, keeping his jeweled cross in the folds of his clothing. The priest said,


    "I go with you, then."


    Alexa thought it was purposeful that Father Agnello had interposed, and found it very convenient, in fact. In any case, Magnus showed nothing but indifference to it,


    "Of course, cousin. Come on, it''s late."


    She followed the two men through the corridors, the priest leading the chandelier a little forward, and Magnus went to her side. Alexa went all the way with the uncomfortable feeling of his gaze on her. She had many theories as to what he might be thinking, but his expression was serene and enigmatic.


    Arriving at her bedroom door, the priest said with a kind smile,


    "Tomorrow morning ask someone to show you where you can find me. I have many things to talk to you about, Lady Saskia. It''s important."


    Alexa nodded, thanking and leaning in to kiss the priest''s hand as usual, and confirming that she would.


    "Will I really be interrogated again?"


    "Don''t be afraid, if they allow me and you wish so, I''ll be with you," Father Agnello said soothingly, "But lock the doors tight and stay vigilant and fearful, maiden. You have your soul and body to watch over. Keep helping God to watch over you, as you have done."


    Alexa thought this was a subtle message to the Prince, who looked away with a bored expression at this point. Realizing that he would not have the slightest chance of speaking with Alexa alone, since his cousin did not seem in the slightest desire to go before him, the Prince called the Father to let Lady Saskia rest.


    Alexa sighed as she closed the door behind her, glad that she wasn''t currently being tortured as a witch in a fetid dungeon.


    She would do everything to keep it that way until her departure from that weird kingdom.

 Chapter 18 - Maiden of Constanti...nom...ple

    Alexa woke up, knowing that she had dreamed of the Prince in the flower cradle, but without exactly remembering what she had dreamed of.


    As soon as she left the room, she realized that people didn''t know how to treat her. Not only was she an exotic foreigner whose social position was not really clear to anyone; there was the fact that some considered her a hero, but her resemblance to the handsome Second Prince seemed to disturb everyone.


    It had been a long time since Alexa had exposed her face openly, and it became increasingly uncomfortable the way people looked at her. Sometimes the servants stopped in the midst of an exaggerated bow, which she imagined to be because, for a moment, they forgot that she was not Prince Alexander.


    Alexa wanted to see him in daylight, but imagined that she would have to ask someone for permission to do so. It was not as if the Prince were to be on display as a rare flower under a glass, open to the public.


    She was called in to join the women for the first meal, and saw that the castle''s servants were busy again, removing the crapes and putting back festive decorations alluding to the impending marriage.


    ''Oh what a futile hassle all this strip and hang again,'' she thought. ''Neither is happy with this marriage. Leave only the crepes on, for the bride and groom it''s a funeral anyway.''


    The maiden sat at the table with Cordelia and other women. They would have breakfast before going to morning Mass, which would be especially devoted to the souls who lost their lives in the tragic incident involving Cordelia''s retinue. No one was in the mood to comment on the matter at the table, and the maidens and older women ¡ª both Cordelia''s kin and Holstein Court people ¡ª tried to keep the mood light but not overjoyed in respect of the mourning.


    Then servants started to bring and place the food on the table, in front of the Greek maiden.


    Creamy milk, tea, cider, and apple and cherry cakes. Various types of bread and smoked sausages, meat and fishes. Jams and fresh butter. Soup, porridge and red fruits, Mediterranean olives and cakes with cardamom and cinnamon. Cheese and meat pies. Honey, uh! Honey! It was a parade of goodies and Alexa soon grabbed a bread and the jar of honey, so she had the opportunity. Nom Nom! Her mind wandered to the good times before misfortune struck her family, when she lived in a small palace and she could eat whatever she wanted.


    "Lady Alexa, where are you from again?"


    "Constantin... nom¡­ apple. Byzantium."


    "How old are you?"


    "I''ll be eighteen¡­ nom¡­ years next spring," ''What''s up with these people, aren''t they hungry? I''ve traveled all over the continent and it''s the first time I''ve¡­ uh my God this is so good!'' she reached for another meat filled dumpling and set a tower of cream on top, clenching her teeth on it with lust. As everyone was watching, the maiden checked to see if the food was enough for them all. Apparently so, so she just kept eating.


    ''Uhn¡­ They are still looking at me. They must think I''m looking like a malnourished and overworked peasant... Yeah, just eat like goldfinches. I need energy for the rest of my trip,'' wiping her mouth on her napkin, Alexa turned to Cordelia, and whispered that they needed to talk.


    Cordelia smiled and was about to answer when a small group of women entered the dining room. Alexa looked up from her plate to see that a beautiful woman with sleek brown hair and gazelle eyes, dressed in sky blue, came in accompanied by other women and ladies. Ladies-in-wait bringing gifts.


    Holstein''s natives at the table acted acutely embarrassed, and that of course was a sign of the woman''s identity.


    One of the women sitting there made introduced the belle to Cordelia. This was Charlotte Duvignes, the young wife of the French ambassador. And of course, she was here to be the first to pay tribute to Prince Magnus''s bride.


    Alexa did not disguise she was examining her, while Lady Duvignes presented Cordelia with a beautiful mink fur coat, and the two exchanged amenities and compliments. The Greek maiden wondered if the beautiful French woman was a lover of the Regent Prince or his son, though she bet it was the second case. She looked like a very cunning woman and navigated the court with the bearing of a princess, which was how she obviously felt.


    When Charlotte''s gaze turned to her, however, Alexa was taken by surprise.


    "Lady Saskia, I need to say that I am mesmerized by your beauty, not to talk about your courage! And yes, it''s true, you could even be Prince Alexander''s twin sister!"


    "Oh, uhn me¡­ Isn''t that a weird thing to say, Lady Duvignes?"


    "Oh, maybe! Forgive me if I seem inconvenient. But I would also like to give a little something to you! Your arrival saved the lives of so many people! Lady Cordelia, her friends, and the Second Prince himself! You challenged the royal doctors, and this morning the mourning bells rang¡­ Please accept my friendship, Lady Saskia. Nothing compares to your beauty, but accept this cap!"


    ''Uhn you already hate me. Bells? What a beautiful way to say the doctors died. It wasn''t my fault, and I hope they can have a wiser new life. Why, it''s a beautiful cape.''


    Alexa remembered the lessons she received from her preceptor at the convent where she spent a year of her life, relearning with a noble relative how to behave like a woman after so many years living as a boy. The reasons why her father allowed her to take on her gender were also the cause of her family''s ruin, but for Alexa, they were moments of happy discovery. Using the grace and etiquette she learned with her cousin, the former lover of a Bizantium general, the maiden responded to the French ambassador''s greetings by accepting the hydrangea velvet cloak.


    As they were all preparing to go to the Mass, a servant came to Alexa, at the request of Father Agnello, asking her to go in his carriage, as they could talk on their way to the cathedral. Thus, Alexa had to postpone her plans to use this time to talk to Cordelia about her inability to stay in Holstein.


    As soon as she got into the carriage, and the servant closed the door, the priest greeted her, praising the cloak she wore, in a calm tone,


    "It indeed enhance the color of your eyes, Lady Saskia¡­ or rather, Alexios Dallassenos."


    Alexa''s eyes widened in shock.

 Chapter 19 - Maiden is Cornered!

    "Alexios Dallassenos."


    The name reverberated as a brass bell for Alexa.


    "Who?" She tried to ask casually, trying to cover up her nervousness. The Florentine priest repeated the name with a slight smile, "Never heard of him?"


    In fact, pretending ignorance could be worse. But first, she needed to know what Father Agnello knew.


    "Being related to my family, yes, I listened vaguely about the Dallassenos. But I am confused, Father Agnello. I don''t understand much about politics or religion, I''m just¡­"


    "Our trip is not that long, Lady ''Saskia'', so you underestimate my intelligence. Fortunately, I am a very well informed man. I know what happened to the Dallassenos and that Alexios is missing. That last time he was seen, was in Venice, about a year ago. That this poor tortured soul, whether a heretic or not, has more enemies than friends. And I know some of his enemies know, or guessed, his destination and are very close. The last time I heard the name Dallassenos was right here in Holstein, in fact."


    The Italian Father''s deliberate manner of speaking while playing with his rosary beads was unnerving. He was in control. Alexa still tried,


    "But¡­ I''m not Alexos Dallassenos. I am Alexa Zo? Saskia. Our families have been related to business in the past, but¡­"


    "Wouldn''t it be interesting if Lord Saskia, this political expert,unfortunately now deceased, had a daughter who came up after a few years in a ''convent''? Exactly a year after a certain scandal involving young Alexios? And¡­ Does this young woman travel while the Dallassenos were exterminated for heresy, according to the Orthodox Church?"


    Alexa wanted to protest the way the priest spoke, because of course things weren''t that simple, but she was still astonished that he really was so well informed from how much he had stated.


    "Ah, uhn¡­ Is that what they talk about? That the Dallassenos were heretics?"


    "Don''t worry, I know the situation is far more intricate than that. It involves a lot of things, and if it wasn''t for the pivot, this young Alexios. Who is about your age, is said to be as beautiful as an angel, and because of him, Eastern assassins came to Holstein, attracted by the description of such a young man¡­"


    The maiden inhaled deeply, trying to calm down in the face of so much distressing information.


    "You mean Eastern assassins are in town?" she asked, even though it was the strangest question of all.


    "It would be a problem for both Lady Saskia and Alexios Dallassenos if they were. But that''s not the only problem, is it?"


    "Father Agnello, with all due respect, I don''t know what you''re talking about. I need to continue my journey, and get to my destination."


    "That''s what I thought yesterday, when I heard about everything that happened. I thought, ''If I were Alexios Dallassenos, trying to travel incognito, the last thing I would want would be to get involved in problems or anything that draws attention to my origin and my destiny. And I would do my best to leave as soon as possible. Getting to a safe place where I have allies."


    "Are the affairs of the Orthodox Church in Constantinople so relevant to a Holstein-based priest, Father Agnello?" Alexa couldn''t contain herself and was sarcastic, but deep down she was feeling quite under pressure.


    "Well, if the affairs have come to the Roman Curia, and there are people concerned that a new wave of heresy will start to plague our parishes...then yes."


    The priest''s cynical tone of speech implied far more than his words. Alexa knew the stories of how both churches fought the Cathars and bogomil, and various other sects, during the centuries until the present days. Being considered heretic by both churches was the least desirable situation one could wish to themselves.


    "Why, Father is freaking me out. The fact that I''m a foreigner doesn''t mean I''m less Chris¡­"


    "Watch your next words now, maiden, "the priest warned rather seriously. "Don''t say anything you''ll regret later." There was a threatening tone now. "For a person with so many problems, you are very careless and also, you seem to be unable to recognize when a hand is reaching out to you."


    ''Because I thought the priest is actually preparing a really painful lunge, that''s it,'' the Greek maiden thought, feeling absolutely unhappy. She looked out the window of the moving car, but she knew nothing and didn''t know if it was long before they reached the cathedral.


    "I just want to finish my trip and get to my destination, where they await me. I don''t want to stay in Holstein, "she said sulkily.


    "To travel safely you need help. Someone who tells you, for example, that a group of Eastern foreigners arrived in Bruges and they are assassins. And one of them was in Holstein, hunting down a person whose approximate description is that of Prince Alexander von Wuttenfal. And that about three months earlier, letters putting price on a Greek boy''s head came through the post office in some guilds of lousy reputation. Finally, the rumor that the last survivor of the sect known as the Lazarites in the East might have come to the West, bringing pernicious writings with him," the priest stared at the maiden with his piercing deep blue eyes as he said these things.


    ''What a lie! Lie! Lie! We were betrayed and sold! '' she wanted to scream out of her lungs, but for her survival it was better to shut up.


    "If this news came that way, other people must know," she said, reasoning that knowing how to avoid her hunters was important, but she wasn''t sure whether Father Agnello''s silence was that important. If he were not alone in knowing ...


    "These matters are not in the interests of the Holstein Court for now," said the Italian priest, to settle her doubts. "But it takes some effort, and a great effort, to find a good route, a safe route, to get this person to where they want to go."


    ''After all, what do you want, Blue Eyes?'' thought Alexa, aggravated, but took a deep breath before capitulating. If she could get an ally inside the most important Florentine house, she might be able to get rid of her problems. She should bend to the circumstances, as she was only a maiden alone in this world.


    "Father Agnello, I really am an ignorant person. I wouldn''t know how to repay people who want to help me. All I want is to leave in peace, but I imagine they might confuse my origin and my connections with the Dallassenos family. What could I do now ?! Alone, with no one at my side! How can I survive if I''m all by myself, at the mercy of luck alone?"


    "Uhn¡­ " the Machiavellian priest took the maiden''s bandaged hands in his, thoughtful. "Do not worry. I will protect her. As long as I find a way to send it to yours, do you agree to be under my tutelage? Do you promise to be obedient and faithful?"


    ''What does he mean by that?'' she wondered, but the carriage stopped, and by the sounds outside, they were in front of Holstein Cathedral. The priest was still holding her aching hands, awaiting her say on it.


    "Yes, Father Agnello. I am grateful for your kindness in guarding me while I am in Holstein."

 Chapter 20 - The Maiden Takes Action

    As Alexa imagined, the splendid Holstein cathedral was crowded with the city''s noblest and wealthiest Christian families. Father Agnello said he would do something to make his protection of her official soon, and let her join Cordelia''s little court, as had been Alexa''s plan from the start.


    The Greek maiden was always intrigued to realize that a mass was always more than a religious office to Westerners. It was also a social event, which many took advantage of in order to create or strengthen ties, to see and to be seen. Even at a mourning event like this, most people barely disguised that their real intention was to start business and contacts.


    She saw Prince Magnus with an entourage of nobles, of course representing the Wuttenfal family, and also that older woman with the brown-eyed boy, who looked about Alexa''s own age. He also dressed like a prince, and Alexa was curious to know who he was, but had no one to ask at the moment.


    The Greek maiden was aware that many glances were upon her at this time, and was grateful that she was half hidden under a veil. During the rites she was respectful and silent, but during the departure her group of girls and the Prince''s best men met in one of the side aisles. As casual as it might be, Alexa very much doubted it had been.


    Bride and groom greeted each other with the usual bows, and Alexa realized that Cordelia was the same height as the Prince, who was a tall man himself.


    "Lady Cordelia, it was planned by our relatives that we would go see our official residence today. If you''re not indisposed, could we stick to the schedule?" he was especially handsome today, his dark stubs shaved and his hair tied in a kind of short braid. He didn''t look at Alexa at any moment, but she felt he was aware of her. A tension that made her uneasy. As her distant cousin Eudoxia taught during her stay at the convent, she had to pay attention to where a man''s feet were pointing. And the Prince''s feet were turned to her.


    Young men and women seemed to want to take advantage of this brief moment so that they could talk and mingle while the elders tolerated this proximity under God''s roof. Thus, Alexa just realized that Cordelia had agreed, without even hearing her voice saying so, because a blond man among the Prince''s companions came close to her, and with a bow, offered a folded handkerchief.


    Was she being courted?!


    Alexa did not know what to do; if she took the scarf, what did that mean ?! She hesitated, and that simple moment of hesitation was reason enough for another man to step forward and slap the first man''s hand, knocking the handkerchief to the floor. With a flourish, he stepped in front of the Greek damsel, taking off his own handkerchief, and laying it on the floor at her feet,


    "You are a saint, an angel on earth! You must not tread the ground that mortals tread!"


    After that comment, made aloud and so openly, everyone, including the Prince, stared at them.


    The blond man scowled, and said as he pushed the other daring man,


    "Lady Saskia won''t listen to your vapid sentences. Just allow me, graceful lady, to escort you to the carriage this time. Just a little of your presence and company will be enough for me."


    It was a little funny, but also scary. Besides, it was better to make it clear that she was already engaged. Pulling the cord around her neck from the collar of her dress, she showed off her engagement ring, saying nothing as images would tell it better.


    "OHHHH!" Was the general reaction of the people around him, recognizing she was taken for what mattered. However, many agreed that it was something that made a lot of sense, that Alexa was on age of getting married and was very pretty. The men in front of her apologized, as expected. As the group began to make a lot of noise, the matrons soon separated the groups in the name of good manners and the noble girls returned to the castle.


    In the carriage with Cordelia, Alexa was quiet, trying to decide whether to stick to her plan to ask for help from Cordelia''s family to leave for England, or to keep her word with the devious Florentine Father, hoping that he would get her safe passage to leave the Kingdom.


    Her attention, however, turned to the sobs beside her, and when she turned she saw Cordelia trying to stifle her cough and tears as she held a piece of paper in her hand. Alexa immediately snatched the paper from the other maiden''s hand, reading its contents:


    THERE IS STILL TIME TO GIVE UP AND SAVE YOUR FAMILY FROM THE SHAME OF BEING REJECTED.


    NOT EVEN FOR 6 GOLD VESSELS AND GOLD CHESTS THIS KINGDOM DESERVES A PRINCESS SO UGLY AS TO BOTCH WUTTENFAL BLOOD WITH AN UGLY-FACED HEIR.


    "Who delivered this? Was it the Prince?"


    "I don''t know! When I saw it, it was with me."


    Of course, they did all that pantomime with the handkerchiefs and that boasting scene to distract them.


    Alexa went all the way comforting how the poor humiliated Bride as she could, now knowing how much the Holstein Princess position was sold for. Alexa was boiling with anger, in fact. If there was one thing she hated most of all, it was injustice.


    She couldn''t leave things like that. No one could mistreat such a sweet person just for not having such a nice face.


    "Rest assured, Cordelia, that was certainly the work of some desperate, childish woman. Your husband-to-be must have dismissed her and she wants to plant intrigue and insecurity in your heart¡­ What you need now is to stay warm and healthy. See, you are coughing! We were cold that night, we rode and you were just wearing your nightgown on that cold night! When we get some rest before we go to see her new pretty home."


    The maiden herself was quite inexperienced in matters of the heart, so she felt that her words were having no effect as solace. But she had a way of solving it. And she would put her plan into practice today. After all, a few days were left before the wedding.


    So later, when the carriage door closed and Prince Magnus reclined in his seat, ready for the half-hour ride, he was taken aback when the Greek maiden appeared under the seat.


    "Hello Your Highness, I think we have to talk."

 Chapter 21 - Maiden in the Carriage

    The Prince hit his boot hard on the floor of the carriage, next to Alexa''s head, who squinted and rolled instinctively. The coachman understood this as a signal to begin the journey, which caused the whole car to shake as the maiden fled from the Prince''s large hands,


    "A Greek mouse!" Although he had a falsely angry expression, his eyes betrayed his fun with the situation.


    "It''s a very serious conversation and it needs to be discreet, Your Highness," she said, once again escaping deftly from his fingers, slipping under his arm to the other side, taking advantage of her small size in the narrow space. Her escape techniques were usually very good, even for a trained warrior like the Crown Prince, but having no real escape from the wagon was a problem. For now, she just wanted to keep away from the prince''s eager hands.


    "Uhn, you really are a little sweet mouse¡­ Besides the quick tongue¡­ But if you came to share my wagon, did you finally decided to reveal yourself to me?" It was his question as he finally used his own body to corner the maiden in a corner, blocking her escape. "Shhhh¡­ This game is exciting¡­ The hunt¡­ But couldn''t you have picked a bigger place to make it even more tilitating?"


    Matching his words, the carriage went through a hole in the road and Magnus hit his head on the carriage''s ceiling, and Alexa took the opportunity to make another escape move. Between the Prince''s cursing, threatening the coachman, and Alexa''s nimble escape, the Prince hoisted her by the eyelets on the back of the maiden''s dress, with a victorious, wicked half-smile. Another hole in the road, and both were thrown against each other.


    Magnus parried the maiden''s fall by pulling her toward him, and so they fell together in the gap between the two opposite benches. The Saxon Prince laughed hard while still suspending her up by the cords of her outer corset, Alexa using her hands and feet to keep away from the Prince''s body. He said,


    "No, you are not a little mouse. You''re a kitten with puffy mittens!"


    When he tried to pull her harder into his body, the Greek girl plastered the paper over his face with a flat hand.


    "I told you, Your Highness, that you should stop treating me like I''m a commoner!"


    As Magnus needed his hands free this time, to remove the paper from his face, she escaped and sat on one of the benches, panting and angry. All the effort had made her hands hurt again, and she looked at her palms to see if the bandage was stained with blood. This conversation with the First Prince was being harder than imagined.


    Out of the corner of her eye Alexa noticed that he checked the paper with just a glance, but wasted no time reading the contents, just tossed it into a corner while sitting next to her.


    "Don''t you think the same? That this marriage is not good for either of us?" he asked, and took her hands into his. "Don''t pull them or I''ll crush your hands, I promise. I want to see those wounds of yours¡­" Magnus started to unroll the fabric around one of her hands, who protested,


    "You don''t have the right..."


    "I''m a Prince, maiden. You slipped into my carriage. What did you want? Murder me? Rub a paper on my face? None of this will sound good, so act wisely and be cooperative."


    "Nor will the story that the Royal groom humiliated his bride in such a cowardly way through a note, a not signed note, by the way."


    He snorted, exasperated, when he finally took off the long strip of bandage, seeing some bloody spots on it, and then, the pitiful state of her palms. He made an expression of disgust, and began to roll the fabric again, carefully,


    "For God''s sake go see one of the doctors as we arr ... Oh, I forgot, you killed the doctors."


    "I did not kill anyone. Who demanded their death was the Regent Prince."


    He laughed, actually laughed heartily, and Alexa almost laughed too, but those deaths weren''t funny at all.


    "Well, new doctors will arrive. Just stop using your hands and don''t let it get infected, you don''t have to be the next to die."


    The maiden nodded to his words, after all he couldn''t imagine that she wouldn''t die from this kind of injury, derived from the use of her gift. People usually used to confuse this with the stigmata that some martyrs had, but it seemed that the thought didn''t even cross the Prince''s mind.


    "Why did Your Highness do something so cruel to your bride?" she asked, using the moment he was focused on the task of redoing the bandage.


    "It would be better if Lady Cordelia and her vessels returned where they came from," he said cryptically, not bothering to deny that the note had been his own work.


    Of course Alexa understood the power of such a fantastic dowry.


    "She''s a good girl, can''t you just take care of her? If she loses everything after she have come this far, her life will be over¡­And it''s not her fault, too..."


    "Humpf, what are you talking about, what do you understand? Just be quiet, it''s really impossible for you to be a maiden of a noble family with this crazy behavior," he grunted, finishing the bandage. "Look at me," he ordered, but his tone had a new fun tone. Alexa looked suspiciously out of the corner of her eye, which only made him crack a bigger smile,


    "What are you doing now?"


    "Uhn?" Alexa couldn''t imagine what he was thinking, but he just nodded, saying,


    "Right. You''ve been questioned once and done very well, but there are still a lot of questions unanswered. I''m not going to start this now, but I have a question you need to answer now."


    "Which one?" she still acted suspiciously at his amused look.


    "With my fiancee and family coming right behind us, how do you intend to justify your presence in my carriage?"


    "Uh¡­ Well, I don''t need to justify, I just stay here where I am and come back as I came, if it''s not a trouble for Your Highness."


    "Very funny how you remember the formalities and good manners when it suits you¡­ But so be it, you stay in the carriage, and keep your good-girl mask for everyone as I carry this wedding farce forward. Then we can continue our conversation on the way back.''


    ''Uhn, he''s really thinking he''ll have his way with me. What an arrogant fool,'' she only agreed, for as she knew, she could not be seen by Cordelia or others, as her presence couldn''t be justified.


    "Of course, Your Highness," though Alexa did not like the sardonic smile the Prince gave as he leaned back in his seat, still watching her intently.


    Soon they arrived, and Alexa could only see briefly the facade of the palace with a beautiful front garden, which would be the official residence of Magnus and Cordelia, Prince and Princess of Holstein. But he jokingly smashed her head down in his way out of the carriage, reminding her to stay hidden. Turning to close the carriage door, he flashed a malicious wink, seeming to be having a great time with the whole situation.


    Not quite how Alexa had envisioned the whole situation, but she would be more incisive and serious on the way back.


    She heard the loud chatter of Cordelia''s and the Prince''s parents, moving away from the carriage, and sighed, thinking it would be long hours of waiting. She wrapped herself in the traveling cloak the Prince had left on the bench, as it was a cold and misty afternoon. The cover had his scent, and it was good. Her body began to warm, and she shifted as comfortably as she could on the bench.


    The maiden''s eyes began to weigh with boredom, and she thought it would be no problem to take a little nap¡­


    "Shhh¡­ Kitten Kitten, you weigh nothing¡­" Prince Magnus shushed when Alexa woke up in his arms, being carried to the house. It was night.


    "Uhn?!"

 Chapter 22 - The Maiden in His Arms

    "What are you doing?"


    "I thought it was obvious," was Magnus''s reply, without even looking at her. Alexa looked around, still a little stunned, realizing that she had slept a lot and were still in Prince Magnus''s new residence. The night was dark and windy, but his body was warm and somehow protected her from the cold, as he carried her. Still it was a relief when he crossed the porch and entered the residence.


    "Why are you taking me inside? Did you tell them?" surely Alexa wasn''t thinking straight yet, and once again realized that she had dreamed, but couldn''t remember exactly what. What had she slept on? Two, three hours?


    "They''re gone, but I''m staying tonight. Should I have left you in the carriage?" he said, setting her sitting on a puffy cushion and walking away. The maiden narrowed her eyes in suspicion, realizing that this change of plans was not without purpose.


    "My absence will be noticed!"


    "A risk you was aware from the beginning, wasn''t you?" he was provocative.


    Alexa just did not respond, because indeed the Prince was right. There was a risk, but she decided she should do it anyway. "Did you think about what I said? Are you going to apologize to her?"


    "It wasn''t even me."


    "Was it your lover then?" Alexa was incisive, wouldn''t let him escape without taking responsibility. She really hoped he wasn''t behind what happened in the villa, but his words in the carriage hinted that he knew something.


    "My mistress?!" he laughed in surprise.


    "She went to Lady Cordelia. How much will you allow for humiliation for the mother of your future children?"


    He took a deep breath, his muscles clearly tense. Alexa was pleased to realize that she had hit him hard this time. But he finally said, "Enough of that, Lady Saskia. For a change you are talking about things you don''t know."


    The tone was low and dark, but he laughed shortly afterwards,


    "Instead of arguing, come see the house, I''m sure you''re curious. We''ll have dinner later," he reached out to her, but then remembering that their hands were bandaged the Saxon Prince helped her to her feet holding her elbows. This was more or less like her brothers or Locke used to do, even if Alexa protested. Even wounded the damsel liked to be independent and adapted herself to using bandaged hands, since she was rarely without the bandages.


    The grand residence was more of a small chateau, and Alexa followed the Prince as he showed the rooms. The residence was adorned with several precious gifts received from important families from Lower Saxony and also from other parts of the Empire, as well as from some foreign kingdoms. In a moment, in the main room, he stood in front of a splendid and big domestic oratory, richly carved with sacred images and decorated with an elaborate piece of embroidery. All this Alexa saw, and admired without attachment. Apparently the Prince expected another reaction from her, as he was staring at the maiden a little surprised, but said nothing and continued the tour, showing the main floor. In front of a door, he said,


    "Here''s my personal armory, but I don''t think you''re going to ..." he didn''t finish the sentence as she was practically going under his arm to get inside. "Bring the light," she pleaded, as he stepped aside to give the damsel passage.


    Different armors but all adorned with House Wuttenfal symbols were the focal points of the weapons room, and different types of weapons and war accessories were dispayed across the walls and tables. Swords, shields, spears, and even two hand cannons were exposed. There were some oriental weapons that Alexa knew very well, and others that piqued her curiosity. Magnus would explain something when he saw her looking at something a bit longer, while holding the lamp beside her.


    The objects were organized by type and size, and Alexa soon reached out to touch a short sword whose blade was slightly bluish in color, only to be slapped on the wrist. She withdrew her hand, but soon saw another weapon that interested her, and her hand went instinctively to the sharp object. Just to be pushed away with a new slap.


    Each attempt was a slap on the wrist, and a word from the Prince,


    "Take. Your. Hand. Off it. You. Little. Pest. You''ll. Hurt. Yourself. Now. I know. How. You''re. Wound!"


    After realizing that he wasn''t going to let her touch his precious swords, Alexa just ignored him and turned her back, going to the other table where the hand cannons were. Pointing the modern firearms, she said,


    "In Ankara I met a man who created a different cannon. It''s easier to use because it has a hook shape in that part."


    Magnus approached her, looking thoughtfully at the firearm, then glared at her,


    "So you like guns more than embroidery?"


    "Oh, well, when I was a kid my dad used to host a lot of foreigner visitors, and I enjoyed listening to the stories."


    "But do you like weapons?"


    She laughed, spontaneously," It''s not me who is hoarding such a collection here, isn''t it?"


    "And what do you like? Jewels? Rabbits? Flowers?"


    "I like horses," she confessed, beaming a smile, knowing it surprised him.


    He seemed to like what he heard, "Well, my horses are not here yet, or I would show you tomorrow before we leave."


    They were still looking at each other as a little silence fell after the Prince''s comment. Alexa realized that she should look down, but when she did that, Magnus with his free hand gripped her chin gently, which made Alexa startle.


    "Let me see it again. Your fiance''s ring."


    ''Uhn? What the hell? Why does he want to see this up close? Would it be good for me to show? Well, but I don''t have a good excuse to avoid showing,'' the maiden thought worriedly.


    She started to pull the cord off the modest neckline of her dress, but Magnus reached the cord with one finger and fished it deftly, making the hairs on Alexa''s neck prickle in the process. He didn''t pull the cord from the maiden''s neck, however, just held the ring between thumb and forefinger and brought the light closer, rolling the jewel to analyze the details.


    Alexa knew the jewel very well, it was a heavy ring with a black stone, where the complex family crest was expertly engraved.


    "A Blackrose? Is this your fiance''s family? "The tone of distrust and amusement with which he spoke so annoyed Alexa. What should she say? Does anyone really fake such a jewel? In fact, maybe it was even better that he considered her a scam. She just kept silent, and he dropped the jewel with some disdain, as if it were something false or of less value. ''Ah, you really are so arrogant, Prince Magnus¡­''


    "Let''s have supper, it''s late," The Prince invited her in a way that sounded more like an order. To be honest Alexa was really hungry, so she followed him happily even though she still thought she shouldn''t let her guard down around him.


    "Your Highness?"


    "Uhn?"


    "Tell me a little about Holstein, please?" The time had come for her to gather some information about the castle and the people who lived in it. Alive and dead.

 Chapter 23 - Maiden is Pampered!

    "Uh-hun."


    "Open your mouth," the Prince stared at her once more, this time the frown on an order, after insisting twice. He held the soup spoon in front of the maiden''s mouth.


    "Why can''t I use the spoon myself?"


    "Do you still ask?"


    They were alone in the dining room, after the servants had served the supper and dismissed at the Prince''s snap of fingers.


    "Come on, Lady Saskia, or do you like cold soup?"


    The aroma of the food was delicious, so Alexa capitulated on that prince''s odd whim, and opened her mouth for him to feed her. ''Maybe he has some crisis of conscience after dragging me in the mud'', she thought.


    After two spoonfuls under the Prince''s watchful eye, Alexa recalled,


    "Your Highness was going to tell me about Holstein, about your family¡­ I heard Your Highness calling Father Agnello a cousin¡­ Is that true? Are you really cousins?"


    "Yes, Father Agnello is my cousin, my uncle Cosimo''s third son. The Di Borghesi is a family with a lot of business in Florence. My mother was the first female daughter, Letitia."


    "Do you remember her?" Alexa imagined that Letitia was the Black Queen, who had long dark hair. A very intriguing and active Shade, with a lot of power. And as for the indifferent way he spoke of the Di Borghesi, she didn''t know what to think. Father Agnello was the confessor of the princes, and that meant some kind of influence, didn''t it? She just didn''t understand how much Magnus felt attached to the Italian side of his family.


    Magnus suspended his spoon for a moment, and even in the half-light of the candlelight, the maiden thought she noticed a change in the Prince''s gaze, but he said,


    "Yes, she died when I was four. She was a very beautiful woman and I look like her, as you can see."


    Alexa laughed at the self-praise, sipping some more soup, "Am I going to get some wine too?"


    He poured a glass of wine, tasting before, and asked casually,


    "Do you have any connection with my brother''s family?"


    "Do you really think we can be related, me and the Sleeping Prince?"


    "You tell me, Lady Saskia," he took another sip of wine, looking at her with his feline eyes. "If it''s some kind of approach what you want, maybe it''s better to have an ally like me, right?"


    ''I don''t think so,'' she thought. ''You are not the kind of person with good intentions. You reacted impassively at the news of your brother''s death. It seems like you expected it. Do you think if I had something to do with Prince Alexander, I would say something to you right away? '' But she shouldn''t argue about these things while she was alone with him in an unfamiliar place, right? No one knew where she was or with whom. She hadn''t even paid attention on the way. It should definitely maintain a friendly atmosphere. The years of accompanying her family on various east-west journeys had taught her a great deal about the art of diplomacy, and she thought she had learned enough to apply there. It was time to give in a little.


    "I am ignorant of what happens here in the north, Your Highness. I only know of a state of war between the kingdom of my future husband and France, and that is why I should travel incognito and wait for his return in his castle."


    "But did you travel only with two men?"


    "No. It just happened to be two men left in the end. But now I only have the human charity and divine piety to help me reach my destination."


    "Ah, you do have such a sweet tongue to win people''s hearts, Lady," he scorned the shameless tone the maiden purposely employed in her last line, serving another kind of food in Alexa''s mouth.


    "It''s just Your Highness and Prince Alexander? Are there any girls? Who are that gray-haired lady and the handsome brown-haired boy?" she snapped after chewing and swallowing.


    "Just the two of us. Alexander is the son of another woman. That Lady is my aunt, my father''s older sister, Countess Godiva von Habsburg. And the boy¡­ handsome? Did you find him handsome? You found Alexander handsome, and Konrad handsome¡­ Do you find every young man you meet handsome?" he blinked in astonishment and indignation.


    "Can I have some wine?!" the maiden conveniently remembered that she was thirsty, with a devilish smile, obviously not responding to the Prince. He poured more wine in the same cup, and said, while slowly swirling its contents,


    "Konrad is a Duke in a neighboring kingdom, and my cousin. Son of my father''s younger sister. Aunt Godiva has been his guardian since his parents died. They have been here since Christmas. Is your curiosity satisfied now?"


    "Uhum, but the wine¡­?" she insisted, looking anxiously at the Prince and the cup in his hand.


    He took a deep breath, staring at her, then stood with his goblet in his hand, coming to her. Alea parted her lips waiting for the wine, thirsty.


    The cold metal and the cooling liquid touched her lips and she realized she was really thirsty. The wine was also of excellent quality, slightly astringent and tannic, and she was tilting her head back to sip the wine at once. Magnus followed the movement, allowing her to drink it all, and even supporting her head with one hand as the maiden leaned back thirstily. Alexa felt his big firm hand slipping through her hair, embracing her skull carefully.


    When she finished drinking the contents of the glass and breathed, opening her eyes, Magnus took the goblet out and held her in same position, facing her from above. Their eyes locked at this moment. Candlelight reflected in the golden eyes of the fiendishly handsome Prince, she could see the green dots on the amber, between the thick and long dark lashes, approaching¡­


    ''Approaching¡­?''


    Magnus''s lips touched the maiden''s lips, while the hand holding her skull became more possessive, fingers digging into her thin hair. The pressure of those lips to part hers, the heavy breathing meeting his, all this was new and caused a strange heat rising through the damsel''s body from forbidden places.


    Then the Prince''s tongue touched her lips, her teeth, and like a snake seeking to invade her mouth¡­!

 Chapter 24 - The Maidens First Kiss

    The maiden drew back quickly, placing both hands over her mouth, her face burning and her cheeks red as two roses,


    "What was that?!"


    Magnus licked his own lips, staring at her with his eyes now a golden brown, in an expression of who prepares his next speech carefully. He said, "Wasn''t it good? Wasn''t it different?"


    "That was a kiss! A kiss from man and woman!"


    Magnus suppressed a laugh, and stared at the ceiling for a moment, pretending to be pondering,


    "I think that has many names, but the names don''t matter anyway. What matters is whether it was good or not."


    He swiveled the chair where she was sitting, turning her to him, and crouched in front of her. It kind of make her a bit dizzy.


    "Your thirst inspired me. I wanted to taste the wine from your mouth. And its taste too¡­"


    Alexa was still with her face and body burning from the contact of her lips, and her mind agitated by the event. Her lips touched a man''s, and this man was Prince Magnus von Wuttenfal!


    "The taste¡­ of my lips? Out of everyone, me?"


    He rubbed an eyebrow, finding her reaction a bit funny and unexpected, which made Alexa even more shocked. The Holstein First Prince said,


    "Lady Saskia, this is not a sin or anything. It''s just a good thing. If we do it again you will realize that¡­"


    "You take me either for a fool or a wanton woman, Your Highness, and I am neither. That''s the so-called Florentine kiss, it''s a lewd thing a pure maiden shouldn''t be doing!"


    "Well, you already know the name, that''s a good start. But you haven''t even really tried it to know what it really tastes like," he laughed, delighted. "Are we going to pay for a whole sin having committed just a third of it?"


    ''Should I throw this soup in his face ?! No, I would be arrested for attacking a Prince. Ahhh I should have not lower my guard!'' the Greek maiden rose, pushing the Prince with her bandaged hands, and went to a window. Alexa showed her hands and signaled at the window with her head. The Prince raised an eyebrow but came and opened the window, standing beside her, while murmuring, ''You''re such a kitten, even behave like one, uhn?''


    Alexa didn''t respond, just stared at the stars and the coastal landscape in the distance, in silence.


    When the silence became unbearable, Magnus said,


    "Don''t be so mad. Come finish eating."


    "What''s that? A lighthouse?" Alexa pointed a distant light near the sea.


    "Uhn, yes. It''s a surveillance post, and a lighthouse, on the cliffs west from the capital," he said without regard to the fact, and put his hand on her shoulder casually, bringing her to him. "Come on, it''s very windy tonight."


    Alexa quickly turned and kicked one of the Prince''s knees, which bowed in surprise as the maiden walked away from him.


    "Ask someone to tell me where I will sleep tonight, Your Highness. I will say my prayers and sleep. I beg you, don''t do that anymore. Don''t try to kiss me again. Nothing good will come out of a kiss between two people who are engaged to other people," Alexa said as firmly as she could, even if just thinking about the strange and good feeling that made her body react like never before. Her lips still tingled.


    Magnus just straightened, also serious and haughty, and said, passing her toward the dining room door, "As you wish, Lady Saskia."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    About an hour later, when only the night sounds were heard around from the residence, Alexa''s feet groped the ground beneath her, trying to land far from the bushes. Her escape from the second-floor balcony had not even been difficult, and apparently the house did not have all the necessary guard yet, since it was not officially inhabited. Running to the stables, she crept to one of the steeds of the carriage, which rested on a aisle, and within minutes she left the property toward the road. Now that she had a landmark, Alexa knew that she could easily reach the lesser port where she would get a ticket to England, as well as simply return to the castle by following the road in the opposite direction.


    The maiden had been under the illusion that she could help Cordelia with the Prince, but he seemed less interested in starting a family than in continuing to lead his wanton life with all the women he wanted.


    Why wait if she could just sail the first ship to her final destination? If she stayed, the stakes were as great as if she boarded alone. But another thudding sound behind her interrupted the howling wind sound on her ears. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed the silhouette on a horse galloping on her track, and imagined that it was indeed the Holstein First Prince in her pursuit.


    ''Damn it!'' What could he do if he reached her? Alexa simply couldn''t trust that man, so she didn''t really know what to do. But she realized she couldn''t make it either way with the First Prince chasing her. A flash of thought came into her mind, a bold and risky plan indeed. But that would be a good way not to have to explain why she had run away in the middle of the night.


    She leaned sideways, slowing as she leaned lower and lower leading the horse into the tall grass beside the road. She kept her eyes open as she realized the prince was fast approaching. When he took her off the horse where she was supposed to fall, Alexa was soft-bodied, and gave a shrill scream as she was hoisted and placed on his horse. Magnus stopped his animal, and went down with her in the tall grass field.


    "Easy! Easy! Why did you do that?! You almost died!"


    "I¡­ I¡­ What was I doing? I¡­ I was dreaming that¡­" Alexa knew she needed to look around with a frightened expression. But the Prince gripped her shoulders, shaking her,


    "Now you''re the one who takes me for a fool, Lady Saskia!"


    "Uh¡­ don''t yell at me, please! I''m saying the truth! I just remember I said my prayers and had not even taken off my shoes when a¡­ strange sleep came over me¡­ I couldn''t resist and¡­ I just woke up here. Where are we?" After all the ghost events witnessed by all the survivors of the haunted villa, the Prince could not argue that she was lying.


    Unexpectedly he hugged her, pressing her head against his chest. Alexa blinked, confused, though secretly pleased to have gotten away with it. She wanted to ask the reason for the hug, but that wouldn''t match her fragile moment, so she just slid her hands around his waist, accepting the hug and ''seeking comfort''. ''Just think that you are hugging one of your brothers, Alexa¡­ Uhn, decidedly not equal to Narces, Iacintho or Michalis.''


    Intriguingly, it seemed that the Prince really wanted to comfort her, and Alexa wondered if the things she had invented looked like something he had seen before. She had no answers to that, but no answer to the fact that she liked it when he touched her either.


    "I''ll call the horses to go to the castle," Magnus said, still holding her in his embrace. But now it felt like he wanted to hold her closer, and Alexa let go of him with a shrug.


    "Where are the horses?" she looked around without seeing the animals.


    "They are beyond those trees, don''t you hear the water running? There''s a creek over there," he explained, and turned toward the woods.


    She listened, but what she heard was not the murmur of the waters of a stream, but the trot of horses. A fair amount of horses coming from the direction of the coast.


    "Your Highness, I only hear horses approaching."


    The Prince looked toward the road, and in an abrupt movement, pressed the maiden''s head down, forcing her to duck and hide in the tall grass, just like him.


    "Quiet! We can''t be seen! "


    The duo crouched and hide into the grass, and Alexa whispered, annoyed that he had put so much force on her skull,


    "It hurt! Why did you do that?"


    He snorted, answering in an acidic tone, "Because it''s a large group traveling in the dark of night. They most definitely are not up to good things. And, I am a Prince. My life is worth a lot."


    Alexa gaped, staring at him in disbelief ''What a coward prick!''


    "Don''t look at me like that, maiden, I''m not alive for being an idiot. Besides, what would a group do when they meet a man and a woman in the middle of nowhere doing devil-knows-what?"


    Alexa knew that would not be a good thing. It had happened to her before.


    "Shhh then stop talking, you idiot."


    "...!" this time was the Prince who stared at her in astonishment. But they had no time for further argument, as the group was passing by them at this exact moment.


    Hidden, they could see the passage of the group of about 10 horses and their riders. Among them was the unmistakable figure of Prince Gutard von Wuttenfal, his blond long hair blowing in the wind.


    Alexa and Magnus did not expect this, from all things.

 Chapter 25 - Maiden is Blindfolded!

    After the Prince Regent and his men were gone, Alexa asked,


    "Wasn''t that your Father, Prince Gutard?" she could tell by Magnus''s thoughtful expression that he was also trying to understand what he had seen. But he answered her dryly,


    "This is not your business. And if any rumor about tonight transpires in the future, I''m sure you were the source."


    To those who had been hugging her just now, this was a drastic change in attitude, although she could understand the political aspect of the situation.


    "As you wish, Your Highness. Keep your promise and take me back to the castle," she answered as coldly as him, thinking it would not hurt to have a map of Holstein to try to know where the Regent Prince had been. ''What''s the problem with having information you could trade for your security later?'' she thought.


    While Magnus fetched the horses she still looked at the horizon, but all she saw were the rugged peaks of the coastal rocks, the lighthouse, and the southeast, the Prince''s new residence.


    They returned in silence, and as they neared the city gates, he stopped both horses, to Alexa''s surprise.


    "Alexa," he called her by her first name, and his voice was deep and very serious. The Byzantine maiden looked at him expectantly, realizing that he had something important to say.


    "Yes?"


    "If you''re not who you say you are, it''s not a problem. You don''t have to leave. I can arrange things for you for a comfortable and quiet life here. But if you''re really engaged to a Blackrose, tell me right away. I''ll find a way for you to get out of here as soon as possible."


    ''But¡­ what the hell was that about? Did he want to protect her or just wanted to make her his lover?'' Alexa could not define, by the expression of the Saxon Prince, his real intentions.


    "As little as I understand Western customs, my dear Prince, your concern for me may be misunderstood if the wrong ears hear your words. I told you I wish Lady Cordelia''s happiness¡­"


    "Ah, you have a fixed idea about that, don''t you? Don''t you realize, Lady? That she can''t be happy here? By my side?" he laughed in a strangled, bitter way. " *The morning steals upon the night, Melting the darkness.* Don''t waste our time, my lady. And what do you want? Go to England? You will depart on the next ship, I''ll make sure. But make up your mind," the demanding tone he used left no doubt now on his words.


    "It is a fact, ''Magnus'', she used his birth name with some disdain,'' that I am engaged to John Blackrose and this can be proven. So I will pretend that we didn''t talk, for as always your view of me is derogatory, which matches my view of you, from now on."


    The Saxon Prince sighed heavily at her words, looked up at the sky, and said,


    "Very well. It''s better this way. That way I won''t have to falsely comfort you when my wife dies."


    "Ahhh! What a morbid thought! Or is it your plans ?! Can''t you just¡­?"


    "Just what, noble lady? Make up affection for the woman who bought her title? I am for sale for the benefit of the kingdom, but do I have to smile while I lie with her? Is it required? Don''t demand too much of me. To pretend to appreciate someone I don''t want in my bed. Don''t you think this profession has a name?" he glanced at her, with a sarcastic expression. "It doesn''t seem like you have much left to offer but the innocence of your body and your beautiful face, so you''re no better than me. Don''t waste your time offending me when in fact yourself was also sold. It''s you who sighs for Alexander and Konrad sweet looks, but you''re going to marry this Blackrose instead."


    "I don''t sigh for¡­"


    "Just shut up and stop annoying me about this whole ''Cordelia'' affair. Tear off a piece of your petticoats, you''ll need it soon."


    "You boar!" she grunted, obeying his request. She didn''t need to listen the obvious, she knew exactly how many coins she''d been redeemed for, but of course a person like Prince Magnus would do his best to offend her, even if despising himself in the process. "You are the one to shut up! Who has the right to complain is the poor toothless whore who sells her body for a handful of beans, to feed her children; you cost several ships and will only be sold once¡­ By the way, if not for the title, what would you have to offer? A mean mean person¡­" she murmured.


    "Lady Saskia, have you ceased your babbling already? Give me the rag," his tone couldn''t be more imperious and cold. The maiden disdainfully handed him the rag, but did not expect him to use the fabric of her petticoats to carefully blindfold her.


    Alexa figured they would use some secret entrance to the city and the castle, and of course the Prince would not show it to a foreigner newcomer to the city.


    "You''re not going to throw me in the pit, are you?"


    "No, enough of funerals and wakes for a while. And be warned that if you take off this blindfold, it''s good for you to know how to sing, because you''re going to be a blind singer from the moment on."


    "Oh, yes, yes, enough of threats, I get it," she said loudly, clutching her saddle as Magnus guided her horse by the reins. She wouldn''t do that as long as he had a chance to notice, of course. He had been in a bad mood ever since... Well, she had thought it was since he had seen his father riding at dark hours around the kingdom, but in fact, the damsel remembered that Magnus had been grumpy before. It had only gotten worse with the accidental discovery.


    Again the maiden had to trust the person she least wanted to trust if she wanted to enter the castle with him.


    The sensations of having her vision impeded only exacerbated her other senses. Every sound, smell and texture seemed to fight for recognition. She was trying to grab information from everything, but her instinct just wanted to take the blindfold off. At some point, when she realized they had passed some buildings, he helped her off the horse and reminded her as he obviously tied the horses somewhere,


    "If you take off that blindfold I''ll keep my promise¡­ But I can tie your hands with your own bandages if you don''t trust yourself."


    "I trust myself, but you know the one I can''t trust is you."


    He grabbed her forearm and led her, replying,


    "It''s good for you to know that, Lady Saskia. But for now, I''m all you have."

 Chapter 26 - Maiden in the Catacombs

    "Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, now we turn left¡­"


    Alexa inhaled the air, sensing it moist, earthy and smelling of mold and wet straw. The sounds confused her, but then Magnus caught her wrist again, guiding her into a place she soon imagined to be a long, downward corridor that smelled of all this and also lime. The stagnant air soon became thick in her lungs, and the resinous smoke from the torch the Prince carried made her breath short. The maiden realized that Magnus was trying to keep up a quick pace, and that he was navigating the tunnel with familiarity.


    She heard dripping noises, which increased as they descended, and the air grew fresher, and once again he released her, this time to open a railing, the sound of pulleys and metal chains. Now Alexa imagined that they were walking on a bridge in a pluvial water gallery, listening to the sounds of running water, and shrieking screeches of rodents fleeing the path of humans.


    It was horrible to go blind, her heart pounding with every step she took, and her free hand soon went for the blindfold, but Magnus was alert,


    "Should I really tie your hands?"


    Alexa could of course not allow this, her balance would be affected, and she would be stumbling all her way ahead.


    "Is that a long way off?" she asked, changing the subject and giving up her cheating plans.


    "Not. Just shut up from now on and just speak again when I tell you."


    It was a strange order, and the maiden tried to figure out why, but as they turned away from the underground gallery to a new corridor, she realized that the reason was just the weirdest of them. She had been in catacombs before, and the smell of this corridor was similar. The crackling, the scent of old bones and a subtle rot, mixed with incense and the smells of gases accumulated and impregnated in the porous minerals of the walls...


    Also, the lead-dense energy of the forgotten ages seemed to almost retard her passage. She sensed being watched from afar by the Lost Ones who could no longer be rescued. Their names forgotten by everyone and themselves, and their insanity even prevented them to identify themselves as once humans. Decrepit fragments with no identity at all.


    She didn''t like being there. But something has changed. After a sharp turn, she felt the chilling pulse of something strange and new to her.


    Something dead and paradoxally throbbing alive vibrated not far from where they were. She felt it in the soles of her feet, felt it in her heart. Something scarily pulsating. Her throat went dry, and Alexa grabbed the Prince''s arm in front of her with both bandaged hands. The man stopped, and turned to her, encircling the maiden''s wrists with his callous hands and holding her trembling body. Maybe he had thought she had tripped.


    It was then that Alexa felt the cold breeze envelop her, and felt the imposing presence of one of them, very near.


    One of the Ghost Queens.


    Alexa almost screamed, the Light Bearer wanted to see her face to face, but she couldn''t! Who was she, from the two Queens?


    Magnus was still, motionless indeed, and Alexa cursed being blindfolded, as she couldn''t see anything, just feel the Shade a few feet away, emanating her morbid powerful aura of dread. Alexa bit her lips when she felt the delicate and eerie touch of light and gentle fingers. Semi ethereal Shades kind of caressing her face and touching her clothes and hair.


    ''Not! Don''t touch me! '' she wanted to scream, but she wasn''t willing to provoke the dominant presence. Why was Magnus motionless? Is he seeing it? Feeling it? Or doesn''t he even realize...?''


    "Your Highness¡­ What is going on? Why did you stop?!" disobeying the explicit order seemed the smartest thing to do. She tried to release her arms from his strong hands, but he wouldn''t allow it.


    He didn''t answer, but she realized he twisted his body forward again.


    To face the Queen, perhaps?


    How she wanted to see what was going on!


    A sharp tension, like the upwardly high-pitched sound of a rebec, intensified aggressively. Alexa felt her body hair prickle in anticipation, but nothing could she do, with her arms stuck and without seeing.


    "Magnus¡­" she begged for an answer.


    As suddenly as it appeared, the Queen''s presence faded, as did the other minor Shades.


    What was happening? Alexa did not know.


    "What happened? What was that? "


    The pressure on her wrists loosened, and the Saxon Prince gave her a slight tug to keep her walking, without answering her. The maiden quickened her pace, feeling her body strange and heavy. The touch of the Shades as always seemed to take some of one''s vital essence away.


    After a few minutes at a fast pace, which Alexa could barely keep up, she finally began to feel the more breathable air again, and soon she heard something heavy being dragged. They crossed a courtyard, climbed stairs, and after a door opened, he said,


    "Count to twenty aloud, and take off the blindfold after that. Then head right until you find your ward."


    Blatantly, the Prince blew a peck on her cheek, whispering, "Sleep well."


    She noticed him walking away, but couldn''t stand it and took the blindfold well before she started counting. She only saw his back coming down a staircase in the semi darkness of the castle corridor. But taking the blindfold off after so long and so many turns made her a little dizzy, and she leaned against the wall, breathing fresh air with lust.


    He didn''t allow her to see¡­ ''What did he see back there? Did the Ghost Queen show herself to him? '' It was strange to think that he could have done that to protect her, if he had done so. ''For that, he would have to know what to expect, wouldn''t he?''


    Tonight''s adventure had had so many twists and Alexa decidedly felt the weight of tiredness over her body. She followed the directions indicated by the Prince, groping the walls to find her way to the ward where she was staying.


    As soon as the Greek maiden got close to the ward and was hiding behind a column, assessing whether she would be seen by the guards at their posts, she was pulled violently by the arm, then immediately by the ear.


    "Hfmmm!" she herself covered her mouth as she realized that Blue Eyes was the one pulling her ear so hard.


    The Florentine priest pulled her out by the ear as she tried to free herself without a sound.


    He opened a door, and upon entering, Father Agnello asked, rather annoyed,


    "Where and who were you with, Lady Saskia?"


    Alexa stared at him with huge eyes.

 Chapter 27 - The Maiden Prays

    "Ouch Father, it hurts!" she rubbed her ear with hurt expression, ''Blue Eyes should decide whether to act as an unscrupulous blackmailer or as a kind and concerned priest, I can''t understand both!''


    The maiden looked around and realized that she must be in the Florentine Priest''s quarters. But something quite surprised her.


    Alexa expected to find books in a man of the God''s room, but not the piles and piles of books and scrolls scattered on the tables. Or the sacred symbols, in such profusion, around the doors and windows. It looked more than a sanctum; it seemed a fortress of faith. Against what, exactly?


    She turned to the Italian priest, and used her favorite tactic,


    "Father Agnello, the things that happened at the villa on my way here¡­ Do they happen here too?"


    "You think you''ll escape telling me where you were, but I already figured it out. Lady Cordelia asked of you during the evening meal, as well as other people. I said I sent you to the convent of the Poor Clares for a visit, so you could get a blessed ointment for your burnt hands, so don''t forget it. And¡­" he paused dramatically. "The Sovereign Prince got up in the middle of the night, went to see his son Alexander in his bed, and asked of you. A nun taking care of Alexander told me that. Do not disappear again, for the Sovereign Prince can call you at any time."


    ''Meh meh meh, how he is well informed,'' although she scorned him internally, Alexa knew that the Florentine Father ability and network was quite important and lethal. But the Byzantine maiden thought the priest was her best ally at the moment, and perhaps Blue Eyes would open up and reveal things if he felt she was acting willingly. In spite of Prince Magnus'' threats about her telling, Alexa concluded she should give the priest something in exchange.


    "But that''s not all that happened tonight, Father. If you explain to me what is going on in this castle, perhaps my brief passage here is not at all useless."


    "Why, it''s good that you''re seeing things that way. I know your situation is uncomfortable and uncertain, and you of course haven''t had the luxury of trusting people, but I said you can count on me to do my best for you. I have already proven that I can understand your situation and tolerate our different philosophies¡­ to an extent."


    "It would be better if I knew how I can repay your generous help until my departure, Father Agnello. It''s hard to know what can be helpful¡­ Are your interests either secular or spiritual?"


    "In this court, Alexa, both things are the same thing. If the rumors of the Dallassenos'' activities are true, you should have realized that already."


    The maiden didn''t answer directly, still preferring to make her identity dubious,


    "And since Father is guarding me so well and generously, I think I should know what I saw."


    Alexa then said,


    "I went to talk to Prince Magnus about a horrible note Lady Cordelia received from him earlier at Mass. I didn''t want to be seen by my friend, so I hid myself. Unfortunately while waiting to chat with Prince Magnus, I slept in his carriage. He found me there and took me to the manor for supper. I was going to sleep there, but found it inappropriate and decided to return, even without his knowledge.


    He saw me leaving with one of the horses and chased me. When he reached me, we noticed a group coming from the coast. We hid because we found it dangerous to be seen by a group of strangers, as they could be bandits.


    But they were not! It was Sovereign Prince Gutard and some trusted men riding back to the castle. So,..."


    "So he didn''t get up in the middle of the night. He came back from where he was and went to see Prince Alexander," concluded the Italian man.


    "Yes," Alexa was agitated, "but the most interesting is yet to come! In return, Prince Magnus blindfolded me so that I would not discover the secret passages!"


    "Uhn¡­"


    "And there were ghosts under the castle! I felt! They were very close to me!" Ensuing, the maiden tried to describe the feelings she had as she walked blindfolded through the secret tunnels with the First Prince, and the Italian priest asked many questions about it.


    Alexa sensed the priest''s poorly disguised interest in the ghosts and the underground, but in the end, instead of talking about it, Father Agnello advised her with a serious tone,


    "Stay away from my cousin and his friends. It''s the advice from a priest. Become uninteresting, or he''ll comb heaven and earth to find out who you are."


    Alexa nodded, making sure that it indeed fitted the Prince Magnus she had met.


    The priest opened a drawer and took a wooden rosary, handing it to her,


    "Before you go to sleep, I think you need to pray a little to ease your soul. Do I need to point out loud the reasons?"


    ''YES!'' Alexa thought, but she only nodded regretfully, looking at the western rosary in her hands, "Thank you, Father. I''ll be going then¡­" she turned to the door.


    "Not too fast. You can kneel there on the rug and start. Pray as you have learned: the Hail Marys for the souls you have seen, and the Our Fathers for your sins."


    "How many, Father?" Alexa knelt in dismay. ''I am so tired¡­! Blue Eyes is so cruel!''


    "As many as your conscience commands you, Lady."


    ''Not many, then,'' she thought fiendishly, but said with the utmost sincerity, "Wow, so many Father Agnello. I was a great sinner today."


    He came close to her and gave the same ear a tug, which hurt more than the others, "Double for acting mockingly, not repenting, and lying to a priest."


    "Uh¡­" she pouted, but started praying aloud, watching the priest sit in his chair and open a tome, wetting his quill in the ink, and start writing ...


    ...


    Alexa woke in the priest''s quarters rug, overhearing a conversation about herself. Blue Eyes said quietly, near the door,


    "My heart bleeds to wake up the poor little soul, see, Lady Alexa spent all night praying right there beside me while I was meditating. She was so restless!"


    "I see, Father Agnello, but the Sovereign Prince is already waiting, she better hurry up!" said the male voice, a little distressed. "Our Majesty waits in Prince Alexander''s chambers, she shouldn''t make him wait."


    Alexa knew this would happen sooner or later, but she would like to be better prepared.

 Chapter 28 - Maiden & Prince Gutard

    Going across the stunning gothic corridors well guarded by impassive warriors, the maiden was welcomed into the Princes'' Wing, and taken to Prince Alexander''s chambers.


    Alexa tried to look her best to give the sovereign of those lands a good impression. Fortunately, due to her achievements, the Greek maiden found that during her absence the previous afternoon she had received several gifts from grateful people. In addition, when she arrived in her room, there was a maid sent by Prince Magnus to help her change. However, Alexa had never really gotten used to someone else dressing her since her mother had died, and since she spent much of her life hiding a secret, she simply couldn''t stand anyone seeing her nudity. So she dismissed the maid, "for she had no such habit. At the convent in Antioch we were taught not to need anyone to get dressed," had been her explanation for her maid.


    Wearing a deep green dress and the proper symbols of mourning, she entered the chamber, finding great activity inside Prince Alexander''s quarters. Nuns, guards, and finally the Sovereign Prince, who was sitting near the youngest son''s bed. For the first time she saw him in the daylight, and up close. He was truly imposing, with a shrewd expression in his green eyes that had the same feline expression she''d seen a few times in Magnus.


    The maiden bowed at a good distance after being announced. Her eyes darted to every corner, only finding luxury in every detail. She could say nothing about Prince Alexander''s personality just by looking at what was exposed.


    "Leave everyone, only Lady Saskia stays," the Sovereign''s dry, harsh voice commanded. Like cockroaches people evacuated the place, and he had her to approach. He sat carelessly, as he did the other time, in his chair, but Alexa was not mistaken. The fabric stretched across his broad shoulders and stiff thighs showed plenty of action-ready muscle and strength, and he looked like anything but a man who liked indoors or hours of reflection. He was as handsome as his offspring, but as much as his firstborn, his personality showed under the Apollonian features and transformed his expressions with toughness and malice.


    Alexa looked away to the bed where the Prince was asleep, now without the majestic shroud, but still no less beautiful. Naturally her curiosity drew her to him, but she waited.


    "Lady Saskia, you saved my son. If not for you arrival, he would have been sentenced to death.''


    ''But you thanked me with an interrogation session, and possibly a hanging, not gold, ''she thought, but kept her head down. The Prince of Holstein, however, got up and came to her, and placing a lead-heavy hand on her shoulder, carried her to the side of Alexander''s bed.


    The sleeping young man looked identical tonight, with his serene face and almost imperceptible breathing.


    "You knew what he had. But you didn''t even tell what you knew," the Sovereign''s voice was soft, but Alexa was not mistaken.


    "Your Majesty, I am a lonely daughter from a distant kingdom. The situations that brought me to Holstein were not happy, and I arrived at a strange time. Since I didn''t know anyone, I was afraid for my life. I was afraid they would get me wrong. "


    "Is it your fear that they will burn you like a witch just because you are a foreigner?"


    "I profess Christianity as I was taught in my land.My family''s closeness to people who believe in the Koran and in the Torah were for business reasons, so many things I know come from other lands and cultures. My family struggled to have relationships with people who were condemned by the church. But my father was innocent. He sent me away to get married. I know I risked a lot by saying out loud that your son was alive. Maybe at this very moment they plan to kill me. The enemies of this kingdom, I say. "


    The sovereign''s strong fingers gripped the flesh and bones of Alexa''s shoulders.


    "I believe you. You are an exceptional young woman. Anyone who knows less would think you are related to my son, for you look alike, except that you are a maiden. I can only believe that... the angels sent you here. You saved Magnus''s bride and also Alexander''s life. Tell me now, Lady Saskia, how did you know? Was it a poison? Was it witchcraft? How do I get my son back and how am I going to punish who did this?"


    Alexa swallowed hard. In fact, if it was as Iacintho had shown her, eventually the sleeping Prince''s beautiful mortal body would writhe like a flower after being torn off.


    "Your Majesty, I don''t know¡­"


    "Fear not, Lady Saskia. I am a desperate father. God will not hear my prayers, and will not bring my son back. But he sent you to save my innocent son!" he didn''t have a desperate or nervous tone, but Alexa pondered that he wouldn''t say those words, putting himself in a pleading condition if it wasn''t really true for him. Prince Gutard was clearly a man full of pride.


    ''Not quite, as much as it makes me flatter,'' she well wanted to answer, but in fact she was afraid, "Well, when I was in the convent, sometimes Sister Galena was called in to help a doctor. She was a knowledgeable woman, but age was making her blind, so I used to led her to him. More than once I''ve seen people in this situation," the maiden blatantly lied as she kept her gaze on the handsome young man''s face.


    "This doctor? Could he get people out of this state?" was Prince Gutard''s next question.


    Alexa held her breath. If she said no, Prince Alexander would be abandoned to his fate.


    But the Sovereign Prince noticed her hesitation. Again his fingers dug into her shoulders, and he said,


    "Lady Saskia, if you give me a thread of hope about how to get my son out of sleep, I will reward you like you never imagined. My son''s life is in your hands once again. If he dies..." She could feel the eyes of the Shades upon them, even if she didn''t see them now, watching the scene carefully. She felt the suspense with which they awaited her answer, and she didn''t believe when the words came out of her mouth,


    "There is a kind of poison, Your Majesty. A poison that causes this effect. I guess your son ingested this poison!"

 Chapter 29 - The Maiden Remembers

    ooo


    "He will take longer, Iacinthoooo?"


    Alexa, or rather, Alexios, was quite bored, in the big tent with his middle brother, Iacintho. The camp near Belgrade was a large concentration of people, and the Dallassenos were an important part of the political scheme, fundamental to two or more kingdoms, resisting the massive and persistent Ottoman force. Lex had already piled up containers, then read the glossaries, and recalled terms in other languages, aloud, hanging like a bat from the rafters of the big tent. Summing up, really taunting Iacintho, of his brothers the most crabby and least likely to put up with childishness of his youngest sibling.


    The three older brothers knew about Alexios'' condition and his secret, which they had to help protect, but they didn''t even think about it much in their daily lives. The 14-year-old was an annoyance for other reasons.


    "Lex, I already said. When the Lord of Languedoc gets here, don''t bother him like the other time, "Iacintho warned, going to the table where a sheet covered a body.


    "You''re jealous because he''s your master, but he likes to talk to me," Lex teased, climbing one of the tent''s support posts for the tenth time in seconds and crawling across the horizontal beam. Light and thin, like the rest of his family except the firstborn Michalis, this was an easy task for ''the boy''.


    "You''re like a parrot to him. You likes to repeat the sounds he speaks and even stands on a perch," without looking at the youngest boy, Iacintho discovered the face of the person lying there. The hard-faced, dark-skinned man, lying there motionless, looked like a corpse even at a closer inspection, but Lex knew he wasn''t dead. Lex slid himself upside down slowly, over his brother''s head, and descending the most sneakily as possible, he deposited a copper coin over Iacintho''s dark tousled hair. Iacintho, in turn, reached out quickly and grabbed the younger boy''s arm, holding him and pulling him toward the lying man.


    "No!!! Stop it!"


    "Look into his eyes! " said the older of the siblings, relentlessly and inexorably winning the battle of strength as he pulled Lex down.


    "So stop pulling me! I''m going down!" the boy asked, and Iacintho nodded, leaving him alone and allowing Lex to straighten himself upside down, suspended over the body on the stretcher.


    "Use your hands and you will see something interesting," explained his brother, and that was enough for the younger Dallassenos to have his curiosity piqued. Lex spread his hands toward the sleeping man, and Iacintho opened the man''s eyes so that Lex could look into them.


    And Lex stared in.


    Behind the dilated pupils like two dark saucers, and the curtain of light to which his consciousness was briefly swallowed into, the young Greek saw the darkness. A faintly lit form was visible, but there was no sign of the silver thread that used to bind living souls to their physical bodies. The soul swayed in intensity, like a distant blinking star. Nothing changed about her or around her, so Lex thought there was nothing left to see and shut his own eyes, turning away from the Erebus. And back onto the beam where he sat and swayed his feet while Iacintho gave water to the sleeping man.


    Lex told what he had seen, and asked,


    "So his soul is free to leave, but isn''t he going? How does that happen?"


    "He''s just a stupid man who thought he had the guts, but haven''t. If he were the man he thought he was, he would have used this opportunity to seek what he wanted¡­ But he is spending all his time close to his body, afraid of betrayal¡­," Iacintho sneered, finally covering the man''s face. Lex had heard that this man, a Hungarian Prince, had paid the Order a small fortune so that he could "go to Hell." What he was going to do and with whom he intended to meet there, Alexios had not been able to know, he only knew that this money would be used in the campaign to reconquer the Serbian kingdom from Ottomans.


    Of course, what each person thought to be the Underworld varied immensely. Lex had heard his father roar against the Order''s new policies, which initiated acolytes in the Mysteries without much care or preparation. But Lex was only concerned with himself, and in fulfilling his next mission to be able to move up to the next rank, where more mysteries would be revealed to him, as Bringer of Light as he was. It wouldn''t be another spring without it. His family was the primacy of the Order, and Lex was very proud of it.


    "This elixir, when does its effect ceases?" Lex asked.


    "This elixir, as you say, Alexios, is a free ticket to Charon''s boat," the musical provencal accent Lex liked so much spoke provocatively, while His brother''s master, the dreaded and admired Lord Petrus of Languedoc entered the tent followed by Lex''s and Iacintho''s father, Bryennios Dallassenos.


    "Master Petrus!" Lex said cheerfully, waving to the dark-haired man with intriguing and mysterious features, who at that moment had a slight smile for both brothers.


    "Still wondering how it works?"


    "Yes Master!" Lex had a huge admiration for the foreigner man. Kabbalist, alchemist, doctor and man of a thousand knowledges and talents, both mystics and seculars, the "Lord of Languedoc" was a legend, and always found time to teach young Lex something new. Although he have taken Iacintho as his acolyte recently.


    The man, who was about their father''s age, approached the table where he was, examining the foolish Hungarian Prince, before saying,


    "Young Alexios, the active principle of this elixir is a rare poison from the Egypt damp lands. Even there, only the priests of the ancient cults of their anthropomorphic gods used it in concoctions for their rituals, to experience what lies after death and to talk to their gods. But when it''s used pure, this substance mimics death perfectly. In the right amount, it paralyzes every muscle in the body. If the amount is strong, even the breath will be affected and the person may actually die, or when the person comes back to himself, it will only be a shadow of himself; his intelligence and movements will be sucked out from him forever."


    Lex looked up at the body, wondering if the elixir would even take the man to the other side or just transform him into a retard. The Languedoc alchemist continued,


    "So those who did not want to pay the weight of having murdered someone in life, sought to have their enemies ingest this poison, so that during the preparatory process to extract their internal organs, or during a hasty discard, the person died by other hands."


    "Ingenious, but equivocate," Bryennios said, and everyone agreed. Petrus de Languedoc looked up at Lex above his head and smiled. "But there is a way to identify someone who has been poisoned by the ''Lotus-Fruit Slumber'', come down and come see," invited the alchemist.


    Lex obeyed quickly, and faced his brother defiantly in the process, showing that he was not just a parrot for the Languedoc Alchemist. Iacintho just raised an eyebrow, and winked his also violet eye, demonstrating that he already knew what Lex was going to hear now.


    "See, little one. Here on Prince Stefan''s lips. A dead man has his lips pale, and the recesses turn purple because dead blood darkens in his veins. But when the person ingested some Lotus-Fruit, the mucous membranes of the mouth become the color of the lotus¡­ Just like your very lively lips, by the way," the Master pulled the lying man''s lips so that Lex could see that they looked bright and glossy, with a pleasant pink color inside.


    "And is there an elixir to wake him up anyway?" Lex asked, fascinated.


    "Yes I have the antidote. But we just found out that Prince Stefan has deceived us, and that the final half of the gold he promised for the Serbian cause will not be paid. Soldiers will die because this man played with his word."


    Lex was shocked, and Iacintho called him to leave the tent. Lex didn''t dare to disobey the implicit command, and in fact, wasn''t sure if he wanted to know what would happen to the Prince who wanted to "visit Hell'', but wasn''t able to pay the price.


    ooo


    Alexa had not revealed about the poison because of some reward, but because Alexander would die without the antidote. Or live as long as his body could take it ... or until they decided he should live. That was horrible to think about.


    "And the doctor? Does the doctor know how to cure it, get the poison out of his body? Who is this doctor?" Holstein''s Sovereign Prince showed for the first time agitation and despair.


    The Greek maiden fought the tears welling in her eyes at the thought of her beautiful brother Iacintho, imprisoned, tortured, and killed.


    "The doctor is dead, Your Majesty."

 Chapter 30 - Maiden in the Maze

    "Am I going to England today ?!" the maiden exclaimed in surprise, barely able to believe what Cordelia was telling her. Her new friend had come to her with the good news shortly after Alexa had left Prince Alexander''s quarters.


    After she revealed about the poison, the Greek maiden was uncertain about revealing the name of Petrus de Languedoc, the only other person she was sure kept the formula of the antidote to such a poison. Perhaps it could lead to a persecution of the Master Alchemist, and eventually even reveal Alexa''s identity as well. The lack of a name coming with his son''s salvation frustrated Prince Gutard, and Alexa felt bad about it, but the Sovereign Prince dismissed her and called a meeting with some people that Alexa had no idea who they were.


    "Yes, my fiance arranged for you to depart on a Portuguese ship later this afternoon with an escort! He met with my father about this, and personally chose the people who will accompany her! I sincerely wish you would stay, as you promised me, but¡­ My fiance is being so generous to work personally for this! He came to tell me himself!" Cordelia blushed, becoming the color of a cooked crustacean, and Alexa figured that maybe her words hadn''t been in vain after all. The Prince could have found someone else to tell you that.


    But of course, the maiden knew what they both had talked about on the city walls, and saw that the Prince was keeping his word¡­ or was it a threat? Alexa did not care.


    "You have to promise to return to see my firstborn!" Cordelia recalled the promise, and the Greek girl agreed. Unexpectedly, she would reach her destination without even relying on Agnello di Borghesi''s help. "HAhaahhaahahAH What a twist! And that came from the simple fact that Prince Magnus wanted to show who was in charge here."


    The man who threw her in the mud and put a sword to her throat, what was the Prince thinking at that moment? That she was his transvestite brother, perhaps? Or a witch, mocking them all? Or someone else entirely?


    Witch or not,the Holstein Firce Prince had tried to seduce her, and make her his mistress. But there was no other way but to send her away to her fianc¨¦''s house.


    Alexa could not be happier, could she? She was about to leave that strange kingdom and also leave behind the problems that did not concern her.


    But in the afternoon the Greek damsel came to the people who presented her, to say goodbye and thank them, and also Cordelia''s relatives who treated her so well. But she could not leave without speaking to the Florentine Father, so she went to the ward where the cleric resided, and asking for him, a servant tald that Fatehr Agnello was probably studying in his studio. Alexa then knocked on his door, rehearsing a polite farewell while waiting to be received.


    But no one answered, even when she insisted.


    Finding it a bit odd, she thought maybe he had fallen asleep, and tried to open the door, but couldn''t.


    Alexa tried to peek through the keyhole, and as she was leaning toward it, she heard a voice,


    "Lady, if you want to talk to the priest, I can take you to him." Alexa jumped, straightening her body a little embarrassed, and turned around. She was a matronly-looking castle maid at the end of the corridor.


    "Ahem¡­ I thought my boot loop had untied, haha. Yes, please take me to him," she pleaded, quickly heading toward the servant, who leading her was leading her out of the castle. They walked out a door, through a courtyard, and the servant pointed at a gate,


    "Father Florentino likes to spend some time reading in the garden, you''ll surely meet him there."


    Alexa thanked her, and walked into the garden, hoping it was just a place where bushes and flowers grew without any aesthetic sense, but found a circular courtyard with stone benches and in the center, an ogival gazebo in the same Gothic style as the castle. Below the gazebo was a small fountain where a young Adonis showed off. The courtyard was surrounded by tall hedges opening to three separate paths; north, east and west. Although it was autumn and there was no exuberance or scent of flowers, Alexa recognized the species and imagined that in spring this was a very beautiful place. But the priest was not in sight.


    Alexa didn''t think much, just went west, soon discovering that the hedges formed well pruned walls and about one and a half their size.


    ''What is this, a maze?'' The maiden found it exciting, and if she wasn''t in a hurry, she would definitely enjoy having fun there. But she heard a song being whistled, it seemed to be Father Agnello. Alexa paid attention to the direction the sound was coming from, but when she stepped forward to follow the sound and find the priest, she stopped.


    This was definitely odd.


    So the priest was the type to whistle?


    She kept walking, gingerly this time. Now some details stood out. The dried hedges, the absence of other sounds. No birds, no insects. The wind did not flow through the alleys of the maze; everything was still, stale, suspended. The whistled song continued, with a failed cadence, and Alexa wondered what the ghosts did to the priest.


    Was it possible that¡­?


    Overcome with a feeling of distress, the maiden began to quicken her pace, and soon she started to run through the green corridors of the topiary maze, overwhelmed with a sense of urgency, imagining that this call had a purpose.


    The woman who had said she could join the priest¡­ On second thought, everything had been very weird from the beginning, right?


    Remembering how the Italian priest had turned his quarters into a bastion of his faith, it was now very clear that Father Agnello was aware and was an enemy of the resident spirits. And it was not pointless to imagine that there was a war going on.


    A little dizzy from so many corners and turns, Alexa stopped to breathe, realizing that she was getting nowhere trying to guess where she should go. The spirits reigned over this place and would scramble it as much as they wanted ... leading her into the traps they wanted. Alexa just hoped that Father Agnello was fine.


    She looked at one hand, considering using her gift to dissolve spiritual illusions, but if she did so, she would continue to slow the healing of the sores.


    ''What the hell! I don''t want it to go on it anymore!'' Alexa began to unwrap the bandages on her left hand, realizing that she still hoped to find Father alive and well.


    But as soon as she began to do so, she felt a gust of wind pass through her, strong enough to inflate her robes and lift her hair. The whistle lullaby ceased.


    ''What is it?!'' the maiden wondered, noticing the presence of a Shade of considerable power not far from her. ''Did she reveal herself?''


    This was a surprise, and Alexa began to move forward, tense but resolute, hoping to meet one of the Ghost Queens, face to face.

 Chapter 31 - Maiden Meets the White Queen

    Alexa walked resolutely, feeling the hairs of her body prickle from being close to a manifestation of the infernal worlds. After the next corner, she at first thought she had come back from where she came. Only after a second glance, did the maiden realize that the circular garden surrounding the gazebo had no statue, but at first glance the central piece looked like a sort of stone table.


    She approached cautiously, feeling watched from every angle. Alexa could not distinguish where, nor saw the Queen, just felt her very close, invisible.


    Under the pergola, Alexa saw that the marble table had a chess set on it, with artfully carved pieces in Onyx and Alabaster, but some pieces were missing from it.


    Before she could examine further, the Shade stopped beside her.


    "What do you want?" the maiden asked abruptly, without turning to face her.


    She knew it was the White Queen.


    "Lady, you need to save him," was the unexpected answer, crystal clear uttered from the ghost''s mouth. Alexa did not hold back, and looked at the White Queen. The apparition had a terrible beauty; pale as a lily, flashing eyes the color of stormy skies. Just looking at her, Gisela, her heart went cold as hail rains.


    "He''s not dead so I can''t help him," Alexa said, not wanting to compromise. And anyway, it was true. Her gifts were not for the living. Because she was involved in Holstein''s affairs, her fellow travelers were dead. With the gold this kingdom seemed to have, especially after Cordelia, they could find the best doctor¡­ Well, Alexa didn''t really believe that, to be honest.


    But the chess pieces in front of her began to move strategically, in a kind of game that made sense, but a bit quicker than Alexa''s ability to process the strategy underlying the game. The maiden''s eyes followed the movements until the white pieces made a castling in the queenside. Of course there was some meaning on it, which Alexa could not figure out at that time. Then, the harsh voice of the White Queen whispered,


    "Bring him back, you know how. Bring my boy to his place of right. I will make you queen beside him, nothing will touch you both, never again... Will you bring him back to life? Yes?"


    The maiden sighed heavily, wondering if her knowledge would be enough to exorcise a ghost queen. Alexa didn''t know what the Ghostly regina was really capable of, but what emanated from her seemed not like what a common ghost emanated, but way stronger. If the damsel couldn''t handle a grudging, overly attached, strong Shade, she risked her own life.


    But if she tried, what kind of imbalance would it cause?


    "Lady Saskia! Lady Saskia! Where are you?" An unfamiliar voice called her name at intervals. At this intromission, the mighty White Queen faded into white mist beside her, while Alexa held the white king in a strong grip on her left hand. The Greek maiden looked around, seeing a blond page coming, followed by Prince Magnus, from the north side.


    The Prince looked her up enigmatically,


    "What are you doing here, Lady Saskia?" The tone suggested a certain disdain, which puzzled Alexa.


    "I was looking for Father Agnello. Do Your Highness know where he is? I thought he was here."


    "You don''t have to come here. Nor would my Italian cousin be here without Alexander," was Magnus''s sour response.


    "I need to find him, I want to say goodbye to him before I go," Alexa stared at the First Prince in the eye as he criticized her for being in a ''forbidden'' place.


    The page watched them with distress, and the Prince sent him to notify Father Agnello and the others that he had found Lady Saskia. This information naturally left her confused and shocked,


    "What do you mean? I am looking for Father Agnello and he is looking for me? Are people looking for me? How long has it been?"


    Again the Prince looked at her intriguingly, as if trying to read her face, and said, frowning,


    "Don''t worry about that, Lady Saskia. Father Agnello had a minor accident but he''s fine. He''s a tougher person than his looks show."


    Was it just her impression, or did it seem that Prince Magnus was stressing the information to possible hidden listeners? That was the maiden''s feeling at his choice of words.


    They both heard a soft noise near them, and turned their eyes to the source of the sound.


    Then, the black king fell on the chess board, as a dramatic omen.


    Alexa had no doubt that this had been caused by invisible forces, and got agape. But the Prince went to the chess board, and raised the black king again, putting it on its original place. His golden-green eyes turned to Alexa. He looked so angry and somber now! The maiden knew it wasn''t her fault... or was it? ''Why does he glare so intensely at me?''


    Two more steps toward her, and Magnus grasped the Greek girl''s hand, the one holding tightly to the white king, and unrolled her fingers around the object.


    For some inexplicable reason to Alexa, this seemed full of meaning and tension. Her heart began to pound, and her eyes immediately rose to meet his. Being in his shadow was disturbing. His expression was unreadable, only she felt that he moved and acted deliberately and irritably. He took the white king out of Alexa''s small hand at last.


    "You''re leaving for your new home and your future husband," he said quietly but imperiously, and Alexa''s eyes darted from his eyes to his well-designed mouth. ''Why am I so nervous? Why couldn''t I even open my mouth to say anything? Why am I feeling so small and fragile, and why am I long for¡­?''


    Magnus lowered his hand to her waist, Alexa felt the pressure of his hand even under several layers of fabric. As he bent over, his breath held, Alexa instinctively also held her breath in anticipation and suspense as well. ''He said these things and will kiss me again, does that make any sense?'' That was what she could ascertain just before their lips touched for the second time. His hot breath so close seemed to dominate hers so that they had the same rhythm. And Alexa again felt a rush of heat and excitement spread from her heart to the rest of her body, as she began to feel pleasantly dizzy and lightheaded.


    This time the Prince got what he wanted, his tongue advanced and overcame the maiden''s resistance, then exploring and dancing in her mouth. Alexa could hardly believe she was allowing such a licentious thing, but when she thought to protest any sound was drowned out by more pressure and possession of Magnus''s lips. Moreover the Greek maiden was feeling new and strong sensations in forbidden and feminine parts of her being; ''why is everything so hot and pulsing inside me?''


    Then Magnus encircled her hips and lifted her, sitting her on the marble table, never ending the bold kiss. He let out a moan of pleasure, looking ecstatic, and brought his thumb up to her face, caressing lovingly over Alexa''s soft skin.


    It was as delicious as the kiss, but in different ways. In the back of her mind she knew this was all so wrong, but she was feeling so light-headed¡­ It even seemed as if she was dragged by a spell, away from reason.


    Alexa felt his hand slide to her shoulders and push the fabric away, kissing her bare shoulder in a way that made her face burn even more if it really was possible. He drew back a little to admire her, his eyes narrowed with pure desire. But in a flash his expression changed and the Prince said in a dark tone,


    "You would be mine if you stayed. It would be your doom. Indeed it''s better that you go."

 Chapter 32 - Maiden is Departing

    Alexa blinked, reason coming back to her mind like a layer of frost, immediately cooling out any passions of the body. ''What¡­?!''


    "Min¡­ yours?! You arrogant pervert!" she got down the table, her eyes flashing with all her contempt for Prince Magnus.


    Worst of all was the Prince''s loud laugh at his reaction.


    Alexa was outraged, and more than that, regretting not putting an end on it once all of that started. Taking a deep breath, she passed by him, and stopped a few steps away. Without turning around, she said,


    "Lucky for us both, Magnus, I''m really leaving. This kingdom don''t need to be left without the two of the Wuttenfal heirs."


    She strode out, never looking back as her eyes watered with fury and shame. ''Damn you! Damn you! Three times damn you!'' the maiden listened to his footsteps a little behind and just kept her steps fast so that she wouldn''t have to be alone with the Prince again ...


    Her only consolation was that she would leave this realm within hours and never have to think about it again. Her marriage would be a new life, as Locke had correctly said. John Blackrose was her destiny. All these things would be left behind. Magnus and Alexander would be left behind. She didn''t care. She doesn''t care¡­ ''Oh how hateful man!''


    In her thoughts and in her mouth, lingered the sweet, teasing taste of that erotic kiss, but also the words uttered by Magnus before and after the touch of his lips. ''What does he think he is doing ?! How dare he¡­ ?! '' the damsel thoughts swirled around her indignation and guilt as she emerged from the maze followed by the Prince.


    She soon spotted a group coming toward them, led by Father Di Borghesi. Only at a glance did she realize that he wore a sling on his left arm, but only as he approached the maiden, did she realize that a suffocating smell of perfume emanated from him and his damp hair. A scent of perfume that barely disguised a strange and unpleasant odor coming from the clergyman.


    "Father Agnello, I beg your blessings!" She ran over, using the opportunity to join the group. She reached out to take his hand, for a kiss, but he wouldn''t allow it this time.


    "The Lord be with you. Lady Saskia, let''s skip the traditions for today. I had a nasty accident¡­" the Italian priest didn''t look particularly happy, but added, "You disappeared and we were worried. What happened?"


    Instead of answering, Alexa asked, "Accident? How was that? I was looking for you all this time, Father. I was worried too."


    Blue Eyes made a sardonic expression, and said, "I fell into the second-floor latrine pit, dear Lady Saskia. And I had a hard time leaving. I''m sure I''ll be a laughingstock for a long time, but I''ll accept it because it''s not a lie."


    Alexa widened her eyes, totally surprised, but the information really had two sides, and she imagined poor Blue Eyes screaming for help half buried by human feces. Unfortunately for her the scene in her mind was really hilarious and she struggled not to laugh. But before she could find the right words to comfort him about it, Father Agnello said,


    "Lady Saskia, enjoy this moment until you embark on confession and come home to your new family with a clear conscience of all sins.''


    ''Meh meh meh he doesn''t miss an opportunity,'' she thought with a bit of grudge, but nodded, for it would be strange to try to get rid of this activity. However, Alexa thought she noticed a subtle exchange of glances between the Prince and his priest cousin. But soon Magnus left them, saying that he would be at the docks at the time of departure to say goodbye to Lady Saskia, in the name of the kingdom.


    The priest didn''t give Alexa time and called her to confession, but to the maiden''s despair they went to the castle chapel''s confessional, where she would choke on the unbearable smell emanating from poor Blue Eyes. But could she really confess? For him?


    "When was the last time you confessed, Lady Saskia?"


    "Uhn¡­ it was near Cologne about 10 days ago," she said, kneeling by the lattice side. Until the last moment Alexa knew she would have to lie and misrepresent, but after the initial blessing, Alexa took a deep breath, her mind rehearsing with the truth of the latest and most disturbing of sins,


    ''Father Agnello, I committed a sin against chastity. I kissed a man''s lips, and it wasn''t a chaste kiss. And this man is neither my fiance nor my family! What should I say? Not that, right?''


    "My daughter, are you truly sorry?" Was the question.


    "HEY! WAIT! Did I really speak out loud?" the maiden asked, astonished, clinging to the lattices and trying to see the priest''s blue eyes.


    After a little silence, Father Agnello''s voice sounded amused but kind,


    "Yes, Lady Saskia, you spoke it aloud. Maybe because your conscience is seeking relief from the agony of guilt?"


    Alexa covered her mouth, not believing what she had done.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    In the evening, a delegation of considerable size was in the harbor pier, next the Portuguese ship called the Philomena. Alexa was introduced to Antonio and Dieter, two warriors whose sole task was to protect her until she arrived at the Blackrose''s Castle; Nerissa, a maid, and Thomas Raymond, an English messenger chosen to clear out any matters, and official bearer of letters from one kingdom to another. Cordelia''s father had also provided three servants to attend her and take care of the maiden''s belongings, which had increased from a few bundles and a small chest to a considerable amount of boxes and luxurious chests. He had also secretly given her a small chest of gold coins, a considerable fortune, and other wedding gifts in gratitude for saving his only daughter.


    Alexa carried Locke and Iain''s few personal belongings to their homeland, thinking of returning them to their heirs if they found them. She would do everything in her power to do that.


    The maiden had delivered a letter to Cordelia, asking her to give it to her father-in-law only when she was gone.


    Now she and Cordelia were arm in arm and laughing, awaiting the shipping of Alexa''s trousseau, and had already presented each other with flower wreaths when the royal entourage pompously arrived at the pier.


    The horsemen at the head, with Prince Magnus and his cousin Konrad, and a carriage from where Countess Godiva von Habsburg descended. Alexa certainly hoped that the despicable Prince would make sure of her departure, and had already decided that she would behave with indifference. But after the Duke helped her down, the elegant noblewoman came to the maiden with a friendly smile. As they had not even talked in person, Alexa was surprised, bowing to her arrival.


    The ruler of Holstein''s sister, herself a powerful woman, broke the protocol, and when Alexa rose at her request, the Countess hugged her tight,


    "Thank you, fair girl, for giving our family renewed hope. Renowned doctors have been summoned to assess the condition of my dear nephew, and thanks to you, Lady Saskia, this is possible. Accept my parting gift, allow me to give you your wedding gown and the jewelry you will wear on the day of your wedding, "the woman said, and naturally Alexa tried to humbly decline. But the Countess said,


    "We eagerly await news of your arrival and your marriage, it would be lovely to meet your husband and the Blackroses. Consider us as part of your family, so accept our wishes for your happiness without any embarrassment."


    Alexa also perceived political implications in the Countess''s skillful speech, and a subtle promise of possible alliances. The maiden did not fully understand the western political scene, but she had already understood that the Blackroses were on the rise and very close to the throne of England. Whether honest or just a ploy, Alexa had no stature to refuse the Duchess''s ostentatious gift, and answered as Lady Eudoxia would.


    From the corner of her eye she could see the prince''s falsely distant expression, but she could tell that he was annoyed by the situation, looking at the aunt''s chest with a sarcastic smile. He certainly felt victorious over what he had done, but she would not be intimidated after kneeling for an hour in front of Father Agnello, apologizing for participating in lewd acts as a bride of another man. In fact, seeing him and being with Cordelia also made her feel very annoyed that she had enjoyed being in his arms.


    And to think that Magnus would make her friend suffer many more times¡­!


    When the Countess departed, and Cordelia went with Alexa to the ramp for the ship, still arm in arm, the Prince joined them.


    This was really a surprise for Alexa, and she turned to face him with narrowed eyes. In fact, she made a decision: she should call Cordelia to leave with her and leave this dangerous kingdom behind, forever. Her new friend was taking risks there.


    Abruptly, she began to speak, but the Prince also said,


    "Cordelia, I have something to reveal."


    The sudden unplanned unison made the three of them look at each other in confusion.

 Chapter 33 - The Maiden Says Farewell

    The trio stared at each other, confused by the coincident timing, and Cordelia coughed nervously,


    "Why, what could it be?"


    The prince of Holstein and the Greek maiden stared at each other suspiciously, appraising each other strategically. Alexa took the lead without even stopping to breathe, turning to the Flemish maiden,


    "Cordelia, you don''t have to marry this Prince. You can come with me, I''ll take care of you. Come sister, your family is to understand that you can not marry such a bullish person."


    The look of Cordelia darted from one to the other, in disbelief, and once again she started coughing heavily as she tried to ask, "Why are you doing this, Alexa?"


    Magnus apparently didn''t expect this to be what the Greek maiden meant, his reaction wasn''t the best either. He pulled Alexa by the arm to the deck,


    "You never tire of surprising me! One day the damsel says she wants to save my marriage, the next she tries to destroy it. But what are you doing now? Flee with the bride? Does it make any sense?"


    The maiden just stared at him with eyes full of fury, and the Saxon Prince continued, apparently ignoring this fact,


    "I never know what to think of you. All you say is a lie. But I''m doing everything you asked me, don''t forget it."


    He released the maiden''s arm, and walked down the ramp, ignoring the bride who was still coughing and unable to contain herself. Alexa went to Cordelia, choosing to ignore the words of the Prince of Holstein, and tried to help her friend to calm down.


    She whispered, "Cordelia, I''m serious. This is a very good chance to avoid this marriage yourself fear so much! Be brave and let it all behind!"


    "Lady Saskia¡­ When my fiance compares me to you, he feels he''s making a bad deal. But¡­ I can''t turn my father back on his word on this deal."


    "Cordelia, please!" the maiden wasn''t biting this, and insisted.


    "My friend, just leave, even if you''re uneasy. Even you is about to have a marriage with someone you don''t know, to manage. At the very least, it would be foolish," and a little lower, she added,


    "It breaks my heart that my fianc¨¦ prefers you in such an extravagant way, but I can''t even blame him either. There is not even a fortune in gold to match your beauty or the greatness of your heart."


    Alexa felt terrible about it, and when she was going to insist, Cordelia just shook her head, starting to cough again,


    "My dear friend, we are not to blame on anything of it. But you must leave, and I, must rest. I shall not, and will not, shirk my responsibility to my father. You will always be in my prayers."


    The Greek maiden realized that the stressful conversation only aggravated the other girl''s cough, and nodded, leading Lady Cordelia back to her parents.


    It was time to leave. Nothing good would come from revealing what had happened between her and Magnus in that circumstance, where Cordelia seemed unwilling to change her destiny.


    The ramp was retracted and she stood on deck as the ship sailed away from Holstein, waving to the friends she had made.


    She no longer saw the Prince, but thanked him for it, as Magnus disturbed her, and the words he said still weighed on her mind, without making much sense though.


    "Goodbye Holstein! Goodbye, Wuttenfal family of beautiful men. Goodbye, Shades of the castle. Goodbye, Blue Eyes! Goodbye Idiot Prince! Goodbye, Sleeping Beau Alexander!" She waved as she uttered. The twilight fell over the harbor, and after admiring the beautiful view of the bay for a while, Alexa entered her cabin.


    Not once noticing the man who watched each of her movements inside the boat.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Dinner with the captain and her new traveling companions had been pleasant and merryfull, and Alexa had managed to communicate in Provencal with Captain Diego Braga, a language she had learned from Master Petrus of Languedoc.


    The crew acted as if she were a princess, bowing and silencing in her wake. Alexa had never had this kind of treatment, but also had never traveled as a noble maiden before, all dressed accordingly. She had always been in her male identity as Alexios, either traveling the East with her family, or fleeing the pursuers to the West.


    When all was lost, Sir John Blackrose came into her life, and now she was heading toward him for her fresh start as Alexa Zo? Saskia. Her mind wandered, melancholically, as she prepared to sleep, to the past she would rather not remember.


    She unrolled a tanned leather briefcase, removing the only letter from her fianc¨¦, which she reread for a connection with this person. Her memories of him were confusing, for the moment they met was one of terror and pain. And the maiden wanted to see beyond the hero, who was John, the man to whom she would dedicate her life in a near future.


    ---


    ''Dear friend,


    I imagine you will be reading this letter when you are already in Verona. I am sorry to depart from you without saying goodbye, but soon we will meet again, then husband and wife, at our home, Baynard.


    I am worried about your health, but these men who serve you will be valuable allies. Iain will enlighten you on everything I didn''t have time to do. When you arrive at our house, my sister Elizabeth and my sister-in-law Claire will take care of you until I return. My brother James will receive you as his sister-in-law already. I sent him a separate letter with the practical subjects. You should not worry about anything, for everything will be prepared for you.


    As for me, I regret that I am not returning with you to our home land, but I have told you the circumstances that prevent me from it. I''m looking forward to our reunion, rest assured.


    As I promised you, I will be brief on my mission to my king, to come back and secure our nuptials oaths before God, protecting you and honoring you for the rest of our lives.


    Don''t cry anymore, I ask you, the hard times are behind you, I promise you.


    Beloved, trust God above all things and keep your prayers to the Lord and the Virgin Mary, I will do the same every night thinking of returning to be by your side.


    May the Angels protect you and guide you,


    your fiance


    John William Blackrose. ''


    ---


    Alexa dried a stubborn tear. She had read this letter so many times, seeking solace on the most distressed nights, trying to associate the kind and protective words with her fianc¨¦''s figure. It was a difficult task, for whenever the maiden remembered him, John Blackrose was the man bathed in blood from head to toe.


    ooo


    "Narces, please brother, hold on a little longer!" Alexios worked to help the third and closer to his brothers, running in the middle of the swamp on the outskirts of Venice, as they fled.


    But Narces seemed to weigh more and more, losing the strength to walk on his own legs, and the darkness of the night, the slippery terrain, and the panic made the escape of the two brothers even more painful.


    The Dallassenos had been betrayed again, and the pursuers were very close.


    (TO BE CONTINUED)

 Chapter 34 - The Maiden and Her Third Brother

    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    They were at the table of the wealthy and influential merchant Gherardino Figa, as his guests, idly watching the summer evening over the Venice Grand Canal by the open balcony. Unexpectedly, the host said to his brother, under a wide and insidious smile,


    "Narces, I knew that you didn''t do what I asked you to."


    Hearing his brother''s real name being said in a demeaning tone, Alexios took his eyes off the channel to look at his brother and the benefactor who had sheltered them after their escape from Constantinople. After the death of the other Dallassenos as heretics, the Lazarite Order was excommunicated and officially dissolved, and its members, persecuted. Betrayed by a dissident faction inside the Order, the names of Alexios and Narces Dallassenos were widely known, and any news of their whereabouts was paid with a good amount of gold anywhere around the Bosphorus, Black and Adriatic Seas.


    Now as fugitives in the Republic of Venice, staying about two months ago, Narces was Apollon and Alexios was Aris Gallanilis. Hidden and protected by the rich merchant, they were awaiting the return of Figa''s ship that would take them to the Iberian Peninsula, from where they would go to Languedoc next. More precisely, Carcassonne, where they expected to find shelter with Master Petrus.


    "I understood that the first case was necessary, Brother, but the second case was not in my hands. I could not direct that man to the gates of death just because he was someone preventing the rise of a new Catholic Pope," his older brother''s response had immediately puzzled Alexios, or rather the maiden who was once again forced to take a male identity during the escape.


    "In the Order, thinking wasn''t part of your duty, Narces. Nor it is your greatest talent," the repulsive Italian rose from the table with a sarcastic smile. "You are as arrogant as you are beautiful. Your belief just makes of you good assassins and sorcerers, nothing else. There is nothing sacred on what you do, but this you will see soon in hell, since¡­" the older man turned to the two brothers again, with a devilish expression, "You are of no use to me if you cannot be my dogs."


    The younger Dallassenos moved closer to his older brother, alarmed, only to notice the handsome face of his brother; of the three, the one with more resemblance to Lex. It was pale as wax and dotted with beads of sweat. He didn''t look well.


    "Narces!" Lex called as his brother stared at the evil host with hatred, and spat the words,


    "Why did you do that? Have you forgotten your oaths ?!"


    Narces simply put his finger to his throat, without the slightest shame, trying to throw up what he had just ingested. Lex drew his dagger, and looked for the best place to escape, but Figa''s henchmen began to enter the hall. Apparently everything was arranged in advance.


    "Oaths? To whom? Haha ha. I was acquitted of my past sins seven days ago. It is my Christian duty to find and punish heretics of the faith, demonists and criminals. But¡­ Your young brother, he''s still worth a lot of money."


    "Damn bastard!" Lex shouted his outrage, not because of himself, but because he was understanding all the vile betrayal, and how the bastard still tripped them for their blind trust. Narces bent over in pain, and the human jackals advanced on the Greek brothers, clearly enjoying the moment. Lex stood by his brother''s back, wielding his dagger, ready to stab the first one who dared to try to touch them, while Gherardino Figa laughed,


    "That would not have happened if you had bowed to those who fed you. Do not blame me, but a man should not keep a dog that bites his hand."


    Focused on defending his poisoned brother, Lex knew very well that his size and strength did not match that of the mercenaries serving the Venetian merchant. If he wanted to have some escape alternative, he couldn''t let them get close. Unfortunately, he wasn''t sure if his brother, the most lethal and capable of spies in the service of the Order, would long resist the poison, since they didn''t know what it was.


    But Narces leaped onto the table, and with another fantastic jump forward he drew his daggers from his sleeves, catching the fat, disgusting Gherardino in the third movement. In Narces''s fourth movement, Figa fell to the floor, his throat slit and spurting blood over his linen tablecloth. The celerity of the action astounded the Italian henchmen, and even Lex struggled out of his trance and seize the moment, nimbly darting toward the ceiling chandelier, and running down the support beam to the balcony.


    There he found his brother, again bent, suffering from severe cramps caused by the toxin. Narces raised his face to the crossdressed maiden with a manic laugh and motioned for his sibling to climb onto the balcony railing. Lex obeyed without blinking, as Figa''s men reached the balcony.


    Narces swung his blades back, and in a fantastic leap toward his enemies, drew blood from two of them as he clung and climbed to the third floor balcony. The screams of the wounded thugs cut through the night. Lex looked back, and saw their faces mangled by the curved blades of Narces''s daggers.


    Glancing just once at the canal, he threw herself into the air, falling onto the felze of a passing gondola. The little boat lurched, and Lex threw himself to the side, trying not only to rebalance the elonged boat, but also to avoid the oar the gondolier lifted against him. Unfortunately, the passenger inside the cabin put his face out, and it was his face that the gondolier smashed with his oar.


    The young Greek escaped to the back of the gondola, and then lunged for another boat that was cruising in the opposite direction. Looking up, he saw his brother waving from a roof.


    Lex threw a coin at the gondolier, which prevented him from being thrown into the channel''s dark waters like a mere thief. As soon as Lex saw a bridge across which the boat would go across, he jumped at its railing, running in the direction where his brother was, frightening the night passersby with his crazy escapade.


    He found Narces vomiting, hunched like an old man, in a dark alley; his throat and face seemed to have grotesque spasms that turned the young blond beau into a caricature of himself. Although Lex did not want to do so, he had no choice but to steal a horse from the vicinities, putting his older brother on the back. They fled to Castello district, trying to reach the Greek community where perhaps they could get shelter into.


    But apparently their enemies predicted that it would be the wisest step of the Dallassenos brothers, and Lex soon saw them coming another way. His brother writhed close to his body, and whispered for the younger to try to leave the city across the continental gates, which Lex obeyed.


    The chase would not stop, but luckily the path the pursuers followed was cut by a channel, and so the brothers again gained some advantage. Crossing the gates of the Serenissima to the north, and perhaps due to tiredness, Lex lost for a moment the notion of direction.


    He did not know the place or where to go. He just knew he had to save his brother.


    "Water¡­! Narces''s voice could barely be heard, and the youngest turned to see him, just in time to prevent his brother from slipping from the animal to the ground. Desperate about the health of his only brother and living relative, Lex stopped the horse and helped his brother down.


    One more vomit, this time bloody, followed, and Narces moaned loudly. But they were on the main road to the most important merchant city in Europe, and would soon be reported, but Narces could not keep riding. Lex just helped his staggering brother off the road, abandoning the horse. Unfortunately Lex didn''t have the strength to carry it alone.


    His feet wallowed in the flooded grassy ground, and Lex became convinced that he had made a mistake. When his brother couldn''t take it anymore, he bent, falling to his knees in the mud. Lex crouched beside him, hugging him in tears of despair,


    "Narces, brother, please don''t die! Please! please! Don''t leave me alone!"

 Chapter 35 - The Maiden and the Unholy Madonna

    Lex woke up with a feeling of panic and a huge headache, listening to loud conversation and music in the background. He had bound hands and feet, and was lying on a luxurious rug, which confused the young Greek''s aching head.


    His last recollections were of his brother Narces fainting in his arms, in his last breath, and soon after being pulled from this last embrace by rough hands. Captured.


    Thick tears streamed down the crossdressed maiden cheeks, having lost her beloved, closest brother, and being alone in the world.


    For the first time Lex felt unwilling to live another day on earth. The thread of his destiny was longer than he apparently wanted, and it was also the stranglehold that had taken the lives of his entire family.


    He cried over it, hiccupped even. All of them, killed because of his cursed existence.


    "I don''t deserve to live!" he sobbed, almost drowning in his tears. One person approached and crouched beside him. The man wore a strong scent of benzoin and frankincense, and pulled Lex''s hair so that the youngster looked up.


    He was a man of white skin and refined appearance, but for whom Lex immediately felt revulsion.


    "Yes, it''s the cutest boy I''ve ever seen. Is this Alexios, who seduced the megadux of Constantinople?"


    Lex widened his eyes, not believing that it would start over.


    "Yes, Maestro Rinaldo. They say he dressed as a woman to seduce the megadux and kill him," a faceless man''s voice was heard.


    What a big lie! Each time the story changed form and version, becoming more and more stupid and senseless. But the maiden had no strength or desire to explain the truth. Those bandits didn''t deserve the truth. And Rinaldo¡­ this name was not strange to his ears¡­


    "Where am I? Who are they going to deliver me to? For the megadux?"


    This man, Rinaldo, laughed with pleasure, caressing Lex'' face,


    "It would be interesting, little pagan, but I have even more delicious plans for you. You are at Palazzo Ottieri. What I want to gain from you is so much more than pleasing a foreign idiot. You can say you''re in luck. Yes, definitely being in the Palazzo Ottieri means luck for many."


    The men with Rinaldo in the room all laughed, clearly happier for the gold bags the elegant man gave each of them, than for sharing whatever his plans were. Lex''s tears dried when the place''s name finally made sense to the young Greek. Palazzo Ottieri was a mansion on one of Venice''s many private islands, where a luxurious brothel was run by a pimp named Rinaldo.


    This fate was unexpected and worse, far worse than having died beside his brother, but at that moment Lex thought it was heavenly punishment for his miserable existence.


    But his mind, even against his willingness to just accept his punishment, began to devise ways to gain time and escape.


    If she turned out to be a girl, surely her virginity would be publicly auctioned and soon have to sell her body on a daily basis. With luck, she might become a lover of some powerful man, who would afford her some luxury while the relationship lasted. She would have unwanted children and many miscarriages.


    But if he could keep up with Lex''s identity¡­ The customers would have to be more discreet and the pimp would probably choose carefully, maybe even be taken off the island to visit a customer who would want to hide his vice¡­ It would be much easier to make way for an escape. So he continued his farce hoping to break free soon.


    He simply did not expect to be bound by one foot to a very heavy iron ball attached to a thick chain. Though he could walk around the room and even reach the open window, Lex found no way to loosen his foot from the shackles.


    Whatever was Rinaldo was planning, Lex was kept in this room alone, and only one old woman came everyday to bring meals and clean the place. She was deaf, Lex soon found out.


    Until one day a pretty boy''s garment was brought in, and Lex understood that perhaps his opportunity was coming, so he bathed and dressed as expected, and waited. In the middle of the afternoon, Rinaldo entered the room accompanied by a tall red-haired man, sunken and sickly in appearance.


    "Maestro, here is my secret. Is this the most beautiful boy you have ever seen, or not?"


    Lex remained impassive, inside seething with hatred, wondering if Rinaldo just pretended to believe the scam for convenience, or was he even the stupidest pimp in the world? Rinaldo put his claws on the young Greek''s shoulders, leading him close to the window, where the afternoon light entered the room.


    "See what I see? These lips like rose petals, keeping a sweet secret? The eyes that look like two shiny amethysts? That ivory skin and hair like¡­ a crown of gold threads?"


    "I''m not blind, Maestro Rinaldo, you don''t have to sell out your fish to me. It is certainly the most beautiful boy I have ever seen. You are right. You said you had first rate material, but I still don''t understand¡­"


    "Yes, I commissioned you, Maestro Jan Peter, to make me a madonna, and I said I would provide you with the model. Well, this is the model."


    It was Lex who couldn''t stand the surprise, and turned to the pimp indignantly,


    "Sir, aren''t you going too far? What madness is this? I can''t be a model for a madonna! I refuse!"


    "I will not paint it either, Master Rinaldo!" said the painter in disgust. Rinaldo laughed cinically,


    "I paid your debt in good faith that you would make me a picture with your exceptional technique. I don''t care the hypocritical shame of a painter that accepted my gold."


    In the face of their shocked expressions, the madman continued, with a delirious expression,


    "In the end, everyone comes to Rinaldo, accepts my wine and my gold, even when they offend me behind my back and blame me for their sins. In fact, by the end of the year, it will be me who laughs at everyone,"


    and turning to Lex, he said, "If you collaborate, I will consider of setting you free, my beautiful bird of colorful feathers. Even looking at you brightens someone''s day, haha. They already call you a heretic, lie down on the bed of your fame and enjoy it fully. Laugh at the face of the ones trying to destroy you!" and,


    Isn''t he really handsome? The very little snake of shiny scales in the Garden of Eden! You''re really the sweetest of traps."


    Changing the tone though,


    "But you''ll find I can be spiteful, so weigh down your actions, little one."


    For 10 months Lex, trapped in his room, posed for Master Jan de Bruges, a foreigner disgraced by his vices, but a fine artist nevertheless, to the unholy madonna he painted.


    Rinaldo always came to see him, the moods swaying as he treated him as if Lex were indeed an exotic animal held captive, just to be seen. Other times he revealed his most secret thoughts, so the young Greek imagined that he would be killed as soon as the painting was finished. That was how he discovered the reason for all this crazy convoluted plot.


    Rinaldo intended and had all the means to make the madonna painting the gift that the Venetian Archbishop would bring to the Catholic Pope at Christmas. His plan was to reveal the secrets of the work and disgrace the Archbishop soon after. Apparently this Archbishop had mortally offended Rinaldo, but Lex didn''t care to know the details on how. Probably both were the same kind of perverted people; two sides of the same coin.


    The seasons passing by her window, and her wretched situation, as well as the memories of her family, took the mood of the distraught maiden forced, once more, to live and behave as a boy. If her identity as girl was discovered, surely Rinaldo would discard her as a dead dove by the morning.


    She saw the painter cease to be the silent and contrite man, forced by a situation to participate in the sordid plan, to begin to become indifferent to the supposedly heretical act. Indifference that soon began to become a kind of euphoria. He commonly said that if he could capture the beauty of Alexios, this would be his masterpiece and the most beautiful madonna of the papal palace. Rinaldo, of course, applauded this attitude, also euphoric by the idea of heresy and taboo infused in his perverse ploy.


    One afternoon, while posing, indifferent on his usual position, Lex felt the painter''s gaze burn on his skin, and as he looked up, he realized something he had never realized before.


    Lasciviousness.

 Chapter 36 - The Maiden and the Cursed Painter

    His intuition had not failed him. The painter said,


    "Come see, Alexios, my masterpiece! There is so little to be done. Come see how I see you."


    Curious, Lex rose from his chair, dragging his shackle, and pulled the veil off his head, going to the painter''s side. His surprise was huge when he finally saw the cause of his ten months of captivity.


    Accustomed as he was to oriental art forms and Hellenism, and also to orthodox pictography, Lex saw for the first time the technique of oil painting, the most modern expression of Western art. Out of boredom, he had even helped prepare the pigments by grinding gems and minerals for the painter, but he had not yet seen his portrait as a young, resplendent, innocent madonna, bathed in heavenly light and surrounded by little angels that reminded him of chubby Cupids.


    "Ohhh!" Was ecstatic, even forgetting it was a portrait of himself.


    The painter laughed, delighted and vain, letting a hand sneak around Lex back, bringing the ''Greek boy'' close to him.


    A shiver of revulsion ran through his body.


    Lex discreetly disentangled himself, but when he actually tried to put a distance between them, the redhead wrapped his arms around the boy''s waist, turning Lex to him with eyes full of lust. The youngster, disgusted, shook his head, denying permission, but the painter just got angry at the refusal.


    He tried to use force to make Lex sit on his lap, but the Greek was slippery and nimble, and in moments it became a silent fight, where the smallest tried to escape the largest. Lex kicked the stool where Jan de Bruges placed his painting material next to the easel, thinking that this would distract him enough to move away. But the lustful satyr had only one purpose in mind, and he put his full weight on Lex''s small body, turning him face down. Lex, more than desperate, was possessed by deep hatred against the vile man who wanted to **** him.


    More hatred made him hear the rattle of the chain at his ankle. Lex hated the painter and his scent of onions, hated the oily smell of paints, hated the carpets in that room and the smell of frankincense impregnated on everything.


    He felt the fabric at his waist tear with the hard pull the man applied on it, and the cold air touching the rarely exposed skin of his buttocks. One more tug, a sore squeeze on his soft flesh, and the pervert moved his body a little, clearly pushing his own clothes away urgently.


    Then the shock,


    "But you, you are not¡­"


    It was enough time for Lex to reach out and grab one of the paintbrushes, and push down hard between Jan''s metacarpals, on his hand resting on the floor near the maiden''s face. She heard the flesh tearing and the wood crack with a sharp sound, and only stopped pushing when she felt the contact of the object in her hands with the floor, crossing and breaking on the other side.


    The scream of pain.


    The long, desperate howl of pain.


    Who was this damn bastard to dare screaming in pain?


    Lex also shouted, in fury, loud and animallike, turning and releasing all her anger in one more blow, which hit the red-haired man''s throat. Blue eyes wide with shock, and the strange sound of blood and air pouring through the hole where the rest of a brush was stuck in.


    It was all very fast. She covered the nakedness of her inner parts and walked away, still looking at the damn painter who was silent, knowing that if he screamed, he would possibly die.


    "I curse you¡­ Your life will be long, for the hounds guarding hell won''t let you in. You will beg for relief and rest, but your life thread will not be cut ... Perverted hypocrite, your name will be forgotten; your enemies, exalted," she muttered word for word deliberately, looking intently at Jan de Bruges.


    Then she remembered the painting, and rose again, ignoring the horrible wheezing the man was making, now lying on his side on the floor, agonizing in pain.


    Lex took an ink pot and opened it, ready to throw it at the madonna and erase it forever, when the door opened and the room was invaded by the palazzo''s security, followed by Rinaldo.


    It was the palazzo''s owner who held her wrist and took the ink, punching her in the face which made Lex fall near the bed, bleeding.


    She cried at the shock of what had happened, not at the pain in her face.


    They took the painting and Jan away, and locked the maiden again.


    The other day, Rinaldo entered the room, finding Lex in bed, despondent and dispirited.


    "So, you deplorable thing, are you a girl, in the end?" he waved a poorly written note that read the word ''woman'' scrawled in charcoal at her face. It was surely the filth painter who had denounced her with his left hand. Lex just turned her face, and said,


    "Your ploy loses nothing. I''m still a monster and a demon, this painting is horrendous and smells of blood, heresy and sin."


    The crazy courtier laughed, delighted,


    "Yes! Yes! I will still have fun and profit from my little Paradise serpent. He can''t talk! He cannot speak anymore! And there are those who would pay fortunes for a night with you, no matter what is under your nightgown¡­"


    Lex felt a freak and pitied herself after Rinaldo''s ironic words, and just lay in bed, caring no more. She had no desire for anything anymore.


    Lex had no idea how much time had passed, only that there was a time when the old deaf woman helped her bathe, eat, and even gave her a rosary, which the woman kept pulling in her hand.


    Rinaldo would sometimes brag about how the madonna, though not finished, was the reason of covet and gossip in the halls of Venice. He also informed her that the price of her first night was already more than a thousand ducats, and it would be soon.


    But that didn''t even matter to her anymore.


    That night she dreamed of her brother Michalis, the firstborn. He, as always, fierce and dignified, the lion of Dallassenos family, was beside her bed, accompanied by two other figures. Somehow the world was under divine judgment outside her alcove, but there, Lex was protected by her eldest brother.


    She woke up from her restless sleep, smelling smoke and hearing screams and cries, pandemonium and sounds of clashing metal. Her door slammed open, but the dim candlelight did not allow her to see clearly behind the curtain of her bed.


    She knelt on the bed and asked,


    "Who''s there?"


    The answer was,


    "He who came to kill you."

 Chapter 37 - The Maiden and the Knight

    Something in that voice gave Lex the certainty that it would happen, tonight. He didn''t lie, he''d come to kill her. She pushed the curtain away from the bed with the rosary in her hand and faced the man.


    All he saw was the warrior with long tousled dark hair and beard, his armor covered in blood, and the bloody sword in his hand.


    Dark eyes scanned her as Lex knelt in front of him, slowly, and looked into his face, not really seeing the person, just what he meant.


    "Warrior, then come and set me free. I can''t stand being with the living anymore, if it''s Heavenly will, set me free from my torment, I beg you."


    She then closed her eyes and bowed her head, awaiting the coup de grace.


    That didn''t come.


    Then Lex opened her eyes to face him and saw the warrior in the same spot, standing with his sword ready but still staring back at her.


    "Knight, set my soul free, I beg," but this time, if Lex was honest with herself, her desire to give her life was a little less intense.


    "Sire, sire, don''t do it, don''t do it!" they both heard a trembling, loud voice interrupt them, and Alexa turned to see the puffy, brave entrance of the old deaf woman, who threw herself beside her, on her knees as well,


    "Sire, sire, take this useless old woman instead, not this holy girl!"


    "Is she really a woman? Aren''t you a man?" he turned to Lex again,


    "Poor girl, this unfortunate soul only bear pain in this world, she has lived in this room for a year, look at the shackles at her feet, sir! Someone gave her a man''s name, but she''s a perfect girl, and is a maiden indeed! She defended her virtue with her own strength! Only God''s protection explains this miracle, sir, that she was not touched by sin here in this den of debaucheries. Nothing touched her, not even a mosquito touched her! It''s not her fault, it''s them trying to corrupt her day and night, to no avail!"


    Lex was less impressed by the all bullshit said so sincerely by the deaf nurse than by discovering that she really wasn''t deaf at all! ''How shameless! She wasn''t even deaf! '' the maiden was looking at the old woman in amazement. But when the man told the old maid to shut up, something in Lex chest imploded and the maiden just started crying, crying nonstop, still not understanding what was going on.


    The unknown warrior broke his chain with his sword and picked her up, as if the maiden weighed the same as a feather, and pulled Lex out of her prison.


    Lex saw nothing but blurs on her way out of Palazzo Ottieri. It just seemed that her dream was real, and a Divine Judgment had fallen upon the place of debauchery. She stuck her face in the stranger''s neck, wanting to avoid seeing the angry or upset Shades she would inevitably see in the massacre.


    When she returned to herself, the maiden realized that she was inside a church. It was still night, and the man still protected her with a hug. Lex didn''t know she had so many tears inside her.


    "Sire!" She noticed that he was staring at the altar. More than that, he was in deep prayer.


    Her body looked light, and she realized it was because she no longer had to drag a chain. It made her so happy! She looked again at the altar, and the man beside her.


    To be honest, he reeked.


    He reeked of sweat and blood. But he seemed so calm in his prayer! He really seemed in communion.


    She stood for a moment from his side, and went to the holy water sink, tore off a piece of the her nightgown hem, and wet the cloth; then returned back to the warrior''s side.


    Without him asking or her getting permission, she began to wipe his face, which surprised him. He opened his eyes and frowned,


    "What are you doing, milady?"


    "Shhh! Don''t you think He''d probably want to see your face without all this blood?" she scolded him lightly, continuing to wipe his forehead, cheeks, and beard as best she could. He patiently endured what seemed like a torment, then took both her hands in his. The girl realized that her hands simply disappeared into his.


    "Why did they do this to you?" he asked, his strong English accent showing through each syllable.


    It was a tricky question, but Lex knew she didn''t want to die anymore. The depressing feeling had faded the moment this man had slammed that door open, freeing her from her prison.


    "Maybe so we could meet, you and I," was her reply. It made sense then. Maybe they were destined.


    He smiled after a while, and she saw his perfect teeth, thinking he should be as good a warrior as Michalis. He hugged her again and placed her beside him, covering her with his cloak, in the silent church.


    The maiden probably dozed off as she awoke with the movement of his body and the creak of armor. But she was quiet, pretending to continue sleeping. He heard the deep voice speak low, as did the other.


    "Did you get the madonna''s money back?"


    "Yes master, almost all the value. Here are 13,120 golden ducats, Sire. Should we return it to the bank?"


    "No. This was the lady''s ransom money. I will donate it to the Church."


    "But, Master! "


    "It is decided."


    "Yes, Master."


    "Has the Archbishop been notified?"


    "He comes at dawn, Sire."


    Lex opened an eye discreetly, trying to see the face of the Man with the money bag. She knew that because she was able to sniff the smell of gold anywhere. But honestly, that amount of money was too much for a church gift! ''I was the victim, can''t he give me a part of it?!'' the maiden wondered, quite outraged, pretending to yawn and wake up. The warrior released her from his embrace, still holding her wrapped around his cloak.


    "Feeling good, milady? What should I call you? Alexios?"


    "Please don''t call me by a man''s name anymore, it''s just not right," she said, rubbing her eyes dramatically.


    "Iain, provide a place."


    "About that, Sire¡­ Doge Farnese sent the guard to look for those who caused the¡­" the man with the gold sacks at his feet seemed to hesitate and look for words to soften the fact. The knight just said,


    "Whatever. Let''s wait for the Archbishop then. And turning to Lex, said, "Have patience, little one, it''ll be all sorted out."


    She nodded, curious about who he would be, but he was back in a contemplative state, or maybe wondering what to do. Alexa looked back at his hands, tanned from sun exposition and full of scars, and her heart filled with gratitude.


    This stranger, this man-at-arms and with a heart hard enough to be a good warrior, had come to kill her, because she was the unholy madonna. It was the duty of a good Christian, apparently.


    But he didn''t kill her.


    She held his hand tightly, wanting him to feel her gratitude. In fact, her throat was knotted out, and her chest hurt with emotion. Even if she wanted to, she couldn''t express the gratitude that was in her chest.


    "Milady, what do you think if we get married? Will you accept me as a husband?" the warrior''s deep voice seemed to resonate inside the church, and Lex opened her eyes in astonishment.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã

 Chapter 38 - Maiden Aboard

    "When will Sir John come back so we get married?" Alexa wondered, pulling the blanket over herself in Philomena''s best cabin.


    Archbishop Giotto Albizzi promised to ask the Catholic Pope for permission for this wedding, in secret not to warn of Alexa''s situation and location until everything was fully resolved. The marriage could not be performed immediately in the face of the complex situation of the maiden, recently declared excommunicated with her baptismal name, by the two Churches.


    The Archbishop looked like a good man, unlike her first judgemental thoughts, and perhaps that was why Rinaldo wanted to destroy Archbishop Albizzi so vigorously.


    The maiden closed her eyes, thinking of her fiance, but it was the image of Prince Magnus that came to her mind. Alexa shook her head in disgust, and that''s when Nerissa, the maid, began to snore heavily in the upper bed.


    "Gosh, she''s so much worse than Locke!" the maiden wondered. But having a light sleep, she knew it would be virtually impossible to sleep.


    "Maiden!" she thought she heard a voice, and felt the typical chill of lifelessness near her. The blanket on her feet lifted a little, and she felt a cold hand touch her heel.


    "I''m awake," she said to the Shade. She knew who it was, the warrior Antonio, who vanished after her words.


    Naturally a sense of alert fully awakened her, and she climbed out of bed cautiously.


    Alexa did not know the cause of the death of one of her escorts, exactly the one who should do the first shift, and did not know what time it was, to be sure of the end of their shifts. But of course, she suspected a killer was on board.


    ''Blue Eyes was right! I didn''t care much, but he said some hired assassins were around!''


    The maiden didn''t know who exactly was paying these killers, but she guessed why.


    The Dallassenos knew many secrets, and the identity of many secret members of the Order, as well as many secrets of the Emperor of Constantinople himself. Hadn''t this been the real reason that led to the whole tragedy? Since all members were condemned to death, it made sense to try to ensure the silence of those who knew.


    Alexa crouched, and as slowly as possible began to push one of the chests to the door, to prevent the door from being opened from the outside. Her maid''s sleep wasn''t disturbed the slightest by the soft shuffling noise, drowned out by the waves of the sea hitting the ship''s hull. She dressed quickly in her men''s traveling clothes, also picking up her dagger, with an increasingly acute sense of danger.


    ''Think, think Lex!'' she tried to focus, to plan what to do. About dawn the Portuguese ship would stop at the village where ships used to get water for the voyage. Many believed that this water was of better quality. Alexa practically heard the voice of her brother Narces, the Emperor''s spy, saying,


    ''A killer in such a situation will seek to neutralize threats and ensure a safe escape. He probably intends to kill the target shortly before the escape, to avoid being discovered. Then he will try to go unnoticed until just before the crucial moment, as he intends to leave immediately with the accomplishment''s proof_ that is, your head_ near dawn. Either shortly before, or shortly after. So, to get off the ship, the assassin has two options: get out on a cockboat, already close to the port, or walk out, when the ship docks.''


    But there was no guarantee that it was just one assassin. It could be a group, and they could even have bribed the crew and seamen to act without any hindrances.


    ''Oh, the more I think, the more paralyzed with fear I get! I can''t just wait! I need to know what to do!''


    Glancing at the hatch, she decided to try to sneak out and find out what was going on without the assassin or assassins seeing her. After making sure no one was outside, she squeezed herself through the hatch and crept stealthily around the corners.


    The maiden heard a TCHBOOM! She hid behind the thick main mast to peer at the hooded figure who had just plopped something rather heavy into the sea.


    Alexa imagined it was Antonio''s corpse, and said a little prayer for his soul not to be lost in the sea. From where she was, she could only see the killer''s back. Alexa tried to see if there were any sailors in the crow''s nest, but eventually found it pointless, because if there were any, awake, he would have seen the killer throw a body overboard.


    Perhaps it was best to go back and see if Dieter was still alive, and warn him. But where would he be?


    The hooded assassin passed close to her, luckily Alexa was attentive and hid quickly. She had been trained by the best, and even though she wasn''t great, the maiden had a lot of confidence in her rogue skills.


    Alexa even evaluated fleeing using a cockboat, but that was really a stupid idea because she didn''t know if she would have the strength. And besides, she could just get lost, paddling the wrong direction. She could see the coast in the distance, but she didn''t know if she could handle the boat by herself.


    Dieter was certainly on the lower deck, and Alexa wondered how to get to him. The hooded assassin was heading for it, but stopped just as the door to the lower deck was opened cautiously from inside. The hooded figure hid, pulling from its folds a blade that gleamed in the moonlight. Alexa covered her mouth for a moment, unsure whether to reveal her own hiding place or to help who was coming to the main deck. As her intuition told her, it was Dieter!


    The killer was very skilled at using the shadows as cover, and the Holstein''s warrior stepped out onto the deck, not imagining being so close to the assassin. Dieter was clearly searching for Antonio, and perhaps for her, and had his sword ready for use in one hand.


    He walked cautiously, and the killer loomed behind him like a big cat for its prey.


    Dieter, however, suddenly turned on his heels, attacking the thug, and they both began a melee fight.


    Alexa jumped up from her hiding place and ran down the side, climbing over the lower deck entrance as the men dueled with their blades. The assassin had his back to her, taking advantage of his protected rear guard, and focusing on the powerful attacks of the Saxon warrior.


    But the assassin was as fast as a desert snake, and in one blow managed to hit the warrior in the face. Dieter at this point slightly lost his upper hand, and Alexa decided to interfere. Then the maiden grabbed a bucket that was there, at the right time, and threw herself over the assassin''s shoulders, shoving the bucket on his head.


    Dieter seized the opportunity with one blow, killing the opponent who inevitably tried to get rid of the person on his shoulders. Alexa felt the body beneath her soften, and smiling and victorious looked at Dieter¡­


    He also smiled back, unaware of the person behind him with a blade pointed at his back.

 Chapter 39 - The Maiden and the Assassins

    "No!" The maiden couldn''t suppress the surprise, and Dieter turned back, but it was too late. The blade was already buried between his ribs, and he still let out two deep moans, looking at her with an expression of surprise and pain, before collapsing to the side. Dead.


    The other assassin, dark-bearded with grimy yellow teeth, grinned at her, and took another blade from his waist.


    Alexa started stepping backward in fear, and when he came toward her she kicked the dead assassin''s blade to the air, catching it right by the hilt.


    The assassin was not impressed by her blade trick, and Alexa wondered how much he knew about her. Still advancing, the killer apparently intended to corner her, so Alexa couldn''t waste time. With half-moon motions of her blade she tried to push him away and gain ground. He gave in, leaning back so as not to be hit, and Alexa seized the moment to quickly sneak into the ship''s lower deck.


    She needed to hide, and fast!


    Unsure of who to trust, the maiden thought of rushing to the store parts, but knew that if she got trapped there, she would have little chance of getting out of the ship alive. Unless she could hide in a crate¡­ But if she couldn''t trust the crew, that wouldn''t be a good idea either!


    The maiden just threw an object into the basement, closing the hatch, and using her hands and legs, used the passageway bulkheads to climb to the overhead, her specialty after all. Tight space and darkness covered her, though her face was now covered with cobwebs older than Noah''s ark.


    She watched the yellow-toothed killer approach, drawn by the noise she made as bait. Alexa held her breath, to avoid being betrayed by her own anxiety, only hoping that the loud noise of her heart was only in her ears.


    Suddenly, she felt a strange weight on her leg, and turned her head just a little backwards¡­ A rat, and not a small-type rat, decided to use her body as a bridge as she was in the way.


    ''Oh Gosh oh oh oh!'' Alexa held back, gathering the willpower to stay still, as it happened just as the assassin was under her. And the bastard decided to stop, looking back too. ''Mouse mouse, go away please, please! Don''t bite me, please!''


    As if listening to her thoughts, the bright-eyed creature squeaked and quickened its pace past her back and paused for a moment just around the maiden''s neck!


    Below him, another man, the third member of the group of assassins, apparently joined the first. They started talking in whispers, and Alexa soon realized that they were not Portuguese but Slavs. She didn''t understand much of their dialect, but she could understand that one of them would investigate the basement while the other got rid of the corpses. At that moment the rat was on her head, deciding its next destination, and the maiden''s hands tendons began to hurt badly from the excessive strain. Right now that her palms were almost completely healed! She really didn''t know how much longer she could endure it up there.


    Fortunately, the men split up, and the first killer entered the storage compartment while the other went back out onto the main deck.


    Breathing out of her lungs, she tilted her head to one side, forcing the animal out of where it had decided to be a great nest. With a squeal the creature finally left her head, and Alexa slowly climbed off the ceiling, looking for a better place to hide.


    If she could stay hidden until dawn, she might have a good chance of escape. Figuring that the thug who was on charge of getting rid of the corpses was really busy on deck, to keep his activities undiscovered, Alexa decided to risk going back there as it would be easier to get off the ship later.


    Cautiously she managed to avoid him, and hid in the folds of one of the lowered sails, leaving only a small crack to peek from.


    It seemed like an eternity, and every crack of the ship made her heart start to beat, until the sailors'' voices began to be heard again, at dawn.


    Why did everything sounded normal? However, they soon noticed something wrong, a boat was missing, and they also found bloodstains on the deck. A bell rang in alarm. But Alexa also noticed that they were already arriving at the port.


    The maiden didn''t think the assassins would have all left the ship without having found her. She had seen the face of only one of them, and most likely this was the one who had left the ship, as he knew she also had only two options: trying to continue the trip to England, or trying to escape after the ship docked.


    But¡­ what would she do?


    Her little entourage was looking for her in the ship, with the help of the sailors, and Captain Diego Braga was shouting like a madman, already threatening the night watch for relaxing in its duties by being near the coast. They would be whipped. Three people were missing. The English messenger argued with the captain, demanding that he return to the port of Holstein because Lady Saskia had been kidnapped, but eventually someone shouted that they were seeing Holstein''s flags in the port. A royal comitive was waiting at the village pier.


    The captain ordered to dock at last; Alexa patiently waited, still hidden, now intrigued, as everyone else, about the motive of a royal entourage of the capital in the port. Had they discovered something?


    As soon as they announced that the ramp was ready, the maiden quietly began to emerge from her hiding place. She crouched down and braced herself for a run up the ramp, but someone shouted,


    "There! Near the main mast! A stowaway! Get him!"


    Alexa was a little astonished that she hadn''t recognized her, Lady Saskia whom they had been bowing to the day before, but then she remembered that she wore a bag-cap and men''s clothes, and she certainly looked like a dirty 14-year-old boy!


    Before the sailors came, the maiden simply fired on her run, zigzagging through them to the ramp. Later on she intended to dispel the misunderstandings; she just didn''t want to risk taking an ''accidental stab in a stowaway urchin'' at her last moment inside Philomena!


    Her head hit something hard, and she almost fell back, but two hands held her in place, her head nestled in someone''s solar plexus.


    "Uh ?!" She looked up.

 Chapter 40 - Maiden, Duke, Assassin and... a Loaf of Bread

    "Hey, be careful where you¡­ Alex ?! What?! Uh, oh, Lady Saskia?" The hands moved away from her, and Alexa realized that she had shoved her face in Duke Konrad von Schauenburg''s belly, who was as young as her. Straightening her back, she grinned,


    "Eh! Oh! Well, it''s me, but¡­ I''LL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING! Just get me out of here!"


    "Yes, of course, that''s what I came for," said the young nobleman, impressed to find the beautiful Lady Saskia in those deplorable conditions.


    Alexia was still trying to figure out why the Duke himself was there, ready to take her back, but thankful that it had happened. The arrival of this escort only increased her chances of survival.


    But this short break was enough for the group of sailors also to reach the ramp, already occupied by the Duke and his men.


    Alexa had no choice but to report in front of everyone, briefly, that she had been hiding all night from bad guys trying to get into her room. The Duke, who kept Lady Saskia at his side all the time, did not wait for the controversy to become a festival of accusations. Duke Konrad assertively appointed Thomas and another warrior from his escort to take care of everything, while he returned with Lady Saskia to the castle, as requested by the Sovereign Prince.


    Duke von Schauenburg put her in a carriage and glanced at his steed, where he had probably rode on to the village. In a second thought, he decided to come with the lady in the carriage, instead.


    He searched a basket on the bench for a bottleskin of water, and handed it to her. The handsome young man seemed concerned,


    "Lady Saskia, I heard of your courage and skill, but I''m impressed! These ruffians¡­ Is there any special reason why they are after you?"


    Alexa almost choked on her water, but kept drinking and drinking and drinking until she could think of something,


    "Gulp gulp gulp gulp¡­ gulp! Ahhhh!" nodding as truthfully as possible, the damsel said,


    "Ah, my fiance is from an important family, it''s not the first time they try to kidnap me. I was kidnapped once. That''s why my travel group has been reduced."


    "Ohhh!" he was thoughtful for a moment, but said,


    "I see. Sir John Blackrose''s name is known across much of the continent as a brave warrior, from a noble English family."


    Alexa nodded, she had also heard all the stories Iain had told, though she used to think half of them were exaggerated telltales, where her fiance was described as a kind of invincible and legendary warrior.


    "But Your Highness, why did you come in person to pick me up at this port?"


    He replied promptly, scratching his head with a rather spontaneous youthful smile,


    "As if I knew it myself...! My uncle personally asked me to come and get you, Lady Saskia. In fact from what I understand he was not aware or according to your departure.''


    ''The letter!'' the maiden immediately remembered. The letter in which she told of a man in Occitan lands who knew the medicine that would save the Sleeping Prince, but would not be seduced by any gold or vain promise! "Damn, I wasn''t supposed to be around when he opened the letter!"


    "What?!" the young Duke naturally didn''t understand and seemed alarmed by her use of words, but took a handkerchief from his velvety doublet and handed it to Alexa. She figured she must be very fuzzy and smelling of fish. The Duke looked friendly and possessing a gentle personality! She smiled gratefully and reached for the handkerchief.


    At that moment the carriage shook and seemed to lose control for a brief moment, which made the Duke go to the window of the vehicle and put his head out.


    And he quickly retreated his head and body, bringing his hand immediately to the sword in its sheath.


    Before the Duke could draw his sword, the carriage door was opened and one of the assassins threw himself in, from the roof of the vehicle. The Duke reacted, trying to keep the killer from reaching the maiden, stepping between them and striking an unexpected punch to the bandit''s face. Although the killer felt the power of the punch, he did not give up, and both began to fight in the narrow space inside the cabin. Alexa was squeezed in a corner, practically unable to move. She reached for the basket with food, but all it had were bread and cakes and fruit, and she didn''t think she would make a lethal attack with apples and strudels.


    The carriage was at full speed, she could hear shouts from outside, quickly understanding that the other killer was in charge of the reins now, as the Holstein soldiers chased the carriage. At this point, the yellow-toothed killer, much more experienced in hand-to-hand combat than the young nobleman, simply hurled him into the carriage door. The impact broke the door and the nobleman hung with his head and arms out, the killer laughing delightedly and ready to bury his blade into the Duke''s chest!


    What could Alexa do besides dump fruit and bread on top of the killer? She grabbed a loaf of Italian bread and in a moment of inspiration, interposed it between the knife and the Duke''s chest. The blade sank into the crusty bread, dampening the impact considerably. It was a desperate move, but apparently it worked, because the killer''s shock was so great that he grunted in hatred, turning against her!


    Alexa hit the wicker basket in the killer''s face, moving as far away as possible from the thug. The Duke reacted, getting to his feet, pulling the assassin by his shoulders, pushing him away from the maiden again.


    However, Konrad was pulled out by his clothes, by the assassin in the coachman''s place,


    "Nooo!" Alexa shouted, seeing the young nobleman fall from the carriage at high speed. The maiden feared that he would be trampled over by the chasing horsemen, even involuntarily cringing at the thought of the violent and unnecessary death of such a lively young man.


    The assassin grunted something at her, his face bleeding, but she did not understand anything of it. The maiden had to admit that he had some good reason to hate her, though.


    "Hey, wait! Why don''t we parley and¡­" she waved her hands, trying to protect herself, since she was trapped inside the carriage now.


    An impact on the roof of the carriage shook the vehicle once again, and the killer looked up, as did Alexa. Suddenly, Prince Magnus''s handsome face appeared where once there was a door, upside down. With a sardonic smile that didn''t match his devilish eyes, he said,


    "Is this passenger bothering your ride, Lady Saskia?"

 Chapter 41 - The Maiden Is So Ungrateful!

    Secretly, Alexa was happy to see The Prince Magnus, and even with his dexterity to get in the carriage to face the experienced assassin.


    His bravado, however, prepared the assassin to receive him promptly, and the maiden saw the agility with which the Saxon Prince swerved from the bandit''s blade, drawing himself a dagger more suited to the narrow space than a sword.


    The girl cowered in a corner as best she could, while the grimy-toothed killer had difficulty defending himself from Magnus''s fast and precise attacks. Turning around and using the seat for support, Magnus switched sides with the Slav, standing between the killer and the maiden.


    "What''s the matter with you? Your sense of fashion doesn''t favor you," he commented, looking slightly back to her for the briefest of the moments.


    She gaped at the fact he was apparently having fun. But the expression on his face was really that of someone who was having a good time.


    The bandit used the pommel of his dagger to injure the Prince''s face, and Alexa shrieked, for a moment thinking that the assassin had buried the blade in Magnus''s eye. But the Saxon reacted in kind, and at that moment Alexa saw a space through which she could reach the opening of the carriage.


    She wasted no time and threw herself beneath them, crawling and reaching for the door, and holding on tightly on its frames. Glancing at the coachman''s seat, she saw that he was tipped over, an arrow thrust into his back. She tried to see the horse''s reins, but they were not in sight. It didn''t look like she could take control of the animals and make them stop without reins.


    The prince''s horse kept pace with the carriage beside her, and Alexa considered jumping onto it. But at the last moment her heart failed with fear. That was when she heard Magnus'' loud whistle calling the animal closer.


    Glancing back, he saw the Prince rebalancing and rising as the bandit lay between the seats of the carriage.


    Wrapping her waist, Magnus placed her first on the steed. Alexa clung to the saddle, frightened and at the same time relieved that it had worked. Then the Prince also jumped on his trained stallion, getting off the road and letting the chasing soldiers take care of the runaway carriage affair.


    Returning, they reached where the Duke was, receiving help from a soldier. The prince immediately dismounted, and went to see his young cousin.


    Konrad was bloodied and moaning in pain over the grass beside the road.


    "Cousin," the Duke tried to smile as he held up to the soldier tearing a banner cloth and using it as a tourniquet, "I think I broke some bones."


    "We''re going to take care of you, Konrad. But our aunt will want to kill you, though. So perhaps we should save the trouble curing you," Magnus joked, but did not laughed, wiping the sweat off his face with the sleeve of his clothes. The lump on his face caused by the hilt of the melee weapon was already swollen and purple. Konrad asked,


    "But Lady Saskia¡­?"


    "I''m here," Alexa stepped off the horse, coming to the Duke''s side. "I was so worried, Your Highness!"


    Konrad coughed. He looked in pain, but smiled and said he would be fine. Prince Magnus sneered,


    "Uhn, I hurt myself to save you too, but the lady didn''t even ask if I''m fine."


    "It seemed Your Highness was having fun, since you had time to make jokes and all," she replied, crouching beside Konrad and cleaning his forehead with a cloth soaked in wine.


    "Hey, where did this wine come from? Give it to me, my throat is dry," he held out his hand, demanding, and Alexa shook her head, denying,


    "This is to take care of the Duke, get your own wine, Your Highness."


    But the soldier searched his saddlebag for one more of the wineskins and handed it to the prince, apologizing for not offering it before. Other people were arriving, as well as more soldiers, ready to take care of the Duke''s situation.


    Prince Magnus, after emptying the soldier''s wineskin, commanded,


    "Come on, Saskia, Konrad will rest better if he doesn''t have to be tough in front of a lady," and reached out to help her stand up.


    His younger cousin still tried to laugh and protest, but that only caused more pain, so Alexa thought it best to follow Magnus'' idea.


    "What has His Highness come to do here?" of course she had to know, since Prince Gutard had sent the Duke, not his son, to fetch her.


    "Save you, apparently," was his smartass response, putting her back on her horse.


    Four soldiers joined them on their slow way back.


    "Do Your Highness think your cousin will be all right?"


    "He''s a Wuttenfal, so yes."


    ''Does that answer make any sense?'' the maiden wondered, but dropped the subject. She hoped the Duke wouldn''t have any sequels.


    "Who were those guys?"


    "Kidnappers?" She replied, feigning doubt, but Magnus returned,


    "If they wanted to kidnap you, they just would not be acting as determined killers."


    The maiden preferred to stay quiet as they rode toward the capital.


    "Aren''t you really going to thank me?"


    The damsel turned to him, and nodded vehemently, looking into his face,


    "Yeah, I was just wondering how to express that."


    "Liar."


    "Oh! No! I''m telling the truth! I was thinking of some beautiful words!"


    "You do it on purpose, don''t you?"


    "What?" she realized that the Prince was talkative and slightly euphoric, but understood that the heat of the battle, and his ensuing victory, made him agitated and in a good mood. ''Strange person'', she thought.


    "Act all worried about my young cousin, and ignore me."


    "My Gosh, this wound of yours will be forgotten tomorrow!"


    "No, it won''t!" he took her hand and passed over the bump under his eye, which was more swollen and uglier every time she looked at.


    "Nonsense! Do not compare this little tiny lump with how much the Duke was injured!"


    "Gosh, you don''t even pretend to be charitable! And your hand smells bad!" he pushed her hand in disgust from his face, holding the reins again.


    Alexa smelled her own hands and had to agree,


    "Ew!"


    "You entirely smell bad," he added, sniffing her head.


    "So stop sniffing at me," she demanded.


    "After all, why are you dressed as a commoner version of my brother?"


    That was hard to explain, so she said, trying to soften the prince''s wounded pride,


    "Prince, how can I thank you for saving my life today?"


    He laughed, delighted,


    "I have countless suggestions, milady, and all of them start with a bath!"

 Chapter 42 - Maidens Petite Mort

    "What''s written here anyway?"


    Frowning, Sovereign Prince Gutard von Wuttenfal was trying to decipher the paper in his hands. In the room were just Alexa and him.


    "Ah, it''s¡­ Excuse me, Your Majesty, if I¡­"


    "Get closer. It doesn''t seem like you worked hard in writing classes. In that at least, my son is far superior to you," the Prince gave her room to approach his chair and looked over his shoulder, as he pointed a written line.


    The maiden zealously peered at her own manuscript, grimacing at the scribbles of her own handwriting.


    "It''s just that I was in a hurry¡­ Your Majesty. So does Prince Alexander have a beautiful handwriting?"


    "Umm. If you read what you wrote right away, you''ll know him in person soon, to know how much my words are true."


    "There it is written, ''ALL I KNOW IS THAT THIS WISE MAN LIVES NEAR CARCASSONE, AND HIS NAME IS PETRUS," she revealed. The ruler turned to face her, narrowing his eyes,


    "You''re a very knowledgeable girl. Is that all you know?"


    "I don''t claim to know more than the ones who taught me. I''m just a¡­"


    "Yes, Lady Saskia, we are NOT going to talk about you today, but tomorrow. Today, let''s stick to what you tell me in this letter. That the doctor you once knew and now is dead, was taught about venoms by this man, Petrus, who lives in Languedoc."


    "Yes, Your Majesty. The doctor told that himself. He said the man who taught him was not a Christian. He was from Occitania lands, and had a lot of assorted knowledge, both in Medicine as in other sciences. And¡­ He also said this man doesn''t trust anyone. Gold does not buy him, nor titles or promises of any kind,'' Alexa added cautiously. Petrus of Languedoc the Alchemist would be considered by many to be a wizard, a Kabbalist mystic, and a man of infinite knowledge. As far as she knew, Iacintho''s Master didn''t trust men, especially men of power. And he was as capricious as them.


    "What in the world can this man want to cure my son?" the Sovereign Prince''s harsh tone made no doubt about his impatience.


    Alexa could not be sure whether she could convince the Saxon Prince that this was all she knew. With the proximity and intense way the Holstein ruler scrutinized her, the maiden doubted that her ploy was really working. But he didn''t dispute her words, strangely.


    "Why, Your Majesty, I don''t even know if this letter could help you. I just didn''t want to leave knowing that I had a name to suggest, even if it was a false beacon of hope, in the end. I just hoped to somehow help Prince Alexander. But I really don''t know whether this will be helpful at all. The way the doctor spoke¡­ Well, it seemed this Chemist was a capricious person, and he will not be easily seduced," the maiden had little hope that Master Petrus would accept coming to rescue the poor sleeping Prince. But still some.


    "Hmmm¡­" the Sovereign Prince pondered over her words, and then turned his attention to the letter again, straining his eyes,


    "And what else is written here? Let me see."


    Alexa bent over his shoulder to see if she''d written anything more important than that,


    "Oh, well, there''s nothing more important there, I''m just thanking the hospitality of the Holstein people immensely, and blablabla¡­ well, my teacher in the convent said you don''t send a letter to an authority without making a courteous and proper finalization¡­ But I didn''t get to learn this part, just writing family letters¡­"


    That made Prince Gutard laugh. He put the letter on the arm of his chair, and stood up,


    "Lady Saskia, you are very cute. I like you to be smart, I can''t stand stupid women by my side."


    The maiden bowed, a little puzzled by the real meaning of those words,


    "It''s good to be of use, Your Majesty."


    "Tomorrow we''ll talk again, I''ll summon you when you are necessary again," he dismissed the damsel, seeming, as when she first saw him, to plunge into inner thoughts and plans even before she left.


    Leaving the private room where she had the conversation with the Holstein ruler, Alexa barely had time to look both ways in the corridor. A maid called her and took her to an alcove not far away, where a table set with various delicacies was waiting for her.


    When the door closed and she was left alone, the maiden laughed loud, delighted as it was all she wanted most!


    "Great! My stomach was aching from hunger! I''m starving! At least a reward for my misadventures!" she poured herself wine and tore a loaf of bread as she walked around the table choosing what else to eat.


    The maiden leaned back against the table and breathed in the delicious scent of a roast turkey with apple sauce as she chewed the bread and drank wine in a gulp, "Hmmm Delicious! Hang on a little buddy, soon you''ll keep company in my bowl, for this bagel and that lamb pie too!"


    "I had heard rumors that you were rude and a gorger, but I thought it was just the big mouth of the court ladies," Prince Magnus''s harsh voice rang out behind her. Alexa got a fright because she was really distracted, and choked with the food,


    "PFHHHHHHH!" She reached for air, bending pathetically and slapping her chest with a clenched fist in a ridiculous attempt to help the bread down her throat. Her eyes filled with tears of pain as her chest burned internally. Shortness of breath clouded her thoughts for a moment, and she saw a flash of the future before her eyes:


    THIS IS YOUR WEDDING TIARA...


    MY MOTHER USED IT BEFORE ALL OF US...


    YOU WILL BE THE FIRST OF THIS GENERATION...


    THE WUTTENFAL FAMILY WELCOMES YOU... HONOR US...


    A slightly familiar female voice spoke these words with kind emotion as her hands lifted an old-style tiara studded with gems and seemed to weigh heavily toward the top of the maiden''s head.


    But everything faded and swirled and she was back to the present, out of air¡­ Now everything went darker and darker¡­


    The Prince rushed to her aid, rubbing her back and giving her some more wine to help digest the wedged food.


    Fortunately, the little sips he made her take helped the food to resume its natural flow, and she breathed eagerly, seeing black dots in front of her.


    "Are you well, Alexa?" The Prince asked, his expression worried as he caressed her back gently. Realizing that his huge hands now seemed to be measuring the bones of her ribs, Alexa stepped back,


    "Thank you, Prince Magnus. It''s the second time you save me today."


    He laughed, noticing her maneuver, and put his hands behind his back with a big, mischievous smile,


    "I''m just fulfilling in advance the vows to protect you until the end of our lives."


    "What are you talking about¡­ Your Highness?" Alexa suspiciously went to the other side of the table, still shaken by the foresight brought by an involuntary ''petite mort'' experience. What the Prince was talking about made less sense than the sight she had had.


    "I told my father about what we did in Alexander''s maze. You know¡­ How intimately close we were yesterday," he laughed, savoring some kind of victory.


    "WHAT?!" Alexa could not believe it.

 Chapter 43 - Our Private Meal

    The maiden felt her face ablaze as she remembered the lewd kiss they had exchanged in the maze''s gazebo. And now Prince Magnus had decided to torment her!


    "That''s not even funny, Your Highness! First you almost kill me by frightening me and inducing a choking! Second... I don''t even know what Your Highness is talking about. What ''intimacies'' in the maze? Are you sure these are not your sinful dreams or hallucinations? Wouldn''t it be better to reveal this to your confessor? Could it be a succubus visiting your dreams?! Oh, let me tell you, once I knew boy named Nikol and he told me a story about the demoness living in his house! She visited the male''s dreams and consumed the¡­"


    "Uhn, this is not even unexpected! That you want to deny the facts! But it is not necessary, darling! I''ll take responsibility on my acts at your purity," Magnus sat up and picked up a juicy peach, voraciously biting the fruit as he waited for the maiden''s reactions.


    ''I don''t believe he is being serious, he couldn''t have done that! Did he do?! Did he tell his father?! Is that why I was called back?! Is that why Prince Gutard said he''ll talk to me again tomorrow?!'' Alexa''s mind jumped from one conjecture to another, unable to fix on one single line of thought.


    She sat across the table and stared at him, but the words were missing.


    "When we get married, please no longer wear the clothes you were wearing earlier," the eldest Wuttenfal''s comment was only boastful, judging by the prince''s mischievous expression, staring at her with a barely concealed smile.


    "Did Your Highness really¡­?" cautiously Alexa asked, simply not wanting to believe he had been able to.


    "Hmm," he nodded, his eyes gleaming with pleasure. "Why do you think I went to the village port?"


    "But¡­ you even went to say goodbye on the Philomena!"


    "Well, that was when I regretted acting like a bad son and a vile man, and before God. I had to take responsibility, didn''t I?"


    ''But what nonsense is that ?! It''s not like you really put your¡­ thing¡­ into my¡­ thingy¡­.'' Alexa thought, but she wouldn''t even have the courage to say it out loud. But a thought came to her mind like lightning, clearing it all,


    "Oh! OHHHH! You want to use me so you not to marry your bride! You set everything up! From sending me to the maze to¡­ until¡­"


    "Having you in my arms, tasting your mouth as I did this peach?! Is that what you''re stuttering on, Lady Saskia? This will be repeated ad infinitum when we get married. That and more," he laughed at the maiden''s nervousness and indignation.


    "But¡­ Was it a set up or wasn''t it?"


    "AH¡­ Well, in part I had planned on getting what you denied me the other day. But then I knew you really were a maiden who hadn''t even kissed. And I felt like¡­ I took advantage of your innocence," Magnus sighed, pouring himself wine. Alexa could not tell if what he said was a lie or truth. "But I didn''t take you to the maze, I was just looking for you. Things just happened to my advantage"


    "Ahhhh, but you really are such a cynical person! This whole staging of yours, since I got here, is to get rid of your family-agreed marriage! Don''t get me involved in this, Prince!"


    "Look at you," he said sardonically, "we are already so close that you even forget the formalities. You already call me intimately, as lovers we are! Just stop denying and relax a bit. You will be a Princess, this is so much better than marrying a Knight who is not even the oldest son! What would happen to you? You''d just hope to become a widow soon and make a better marriage!" he finally got up and came to her, getting behind the damsel again, behind the chair. Alexa remembered the wine''s incident, and shivered¡­


    She just could not describe exactly why.


    Leaning over her shoulder, Magnus began serving a plate of food while Alexa was very aware of his breathing near her neck and ear.


    "Your Highness¡­"


    "I had a meal prepared for my little ogress¡­ Let''s feed your hungry paunch; isn''t that what you wanted? In fact, I don''t know what I could think of you might look like my brother. He doesn''t have half your appetite,''


    ''Oh how annoying! Will he really be taunting me and having fun at my expense?! I can''t let him use me like this to get rid of his marriage¡­ It''s his revenge for calling Cordelia to run away with me, of course!''


    "This! Your brother! He''s in this dangerous state, but Your Highness only cares about your marriage."


    "Am I a doctor by any chance?"


    Anyway, after her words, Magnus dropped the plate and walked away from her, apparently aggravated. She didn''t have to think long to know that her words had hit him hard.


    "His Majesty asked me if I knew anything that could help. At first I didn''t want to suggest a controversial treatment, so only at the last moment I wrote him a letter, delivered by Lady Cordelia. That''s why he called me back. Not because of your supposed words, Your Highness. Your joke isn''t fooling me at all."


    As the maiden imagined, the First Prince was unaware of the content of the conversation between her and his father, and raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.


    "If you intend to postpone your marriage, why don''t you offer to go get the doctor who can save your brother?" she suggested, finding it best to put an end to the silly arguments they were having, which apparently only exacerbated the prince''s diabolical side.


    "Is there really a cure?" he asked, and Alexa was intrigued by the vivid expression in the prince''s golden eyes. She nodded,


    "Maybe so."


    At this moment there was a loud knock at the door, and Father Agnello''s voice was heard,


    "It''s me, Agnello, may I come in?"


    The Prince went to the door and opened, and Alexa. He thought he saw an exchange of glances again between Magnus and his cousin. But the Prince said,


    "Please, cousin, keep Lady Saskia company. I need to talk to my father."


    The priest nodded, and Magnus just left without saying goodbye to the maiden.


    Strangely the priest waited a few good minutes near the door, until he came to Alexa and whispered,


    "At this moment they are ''interrogating'' the captured assassin, at the request of Prince Magnus. He''s about to find out who you are!"

 Chapter 44 - A Deal

    ''What a sly fox! He was here bluffing and using my time so that I could not interfere with his investigations! '' Alexa didn''t know if she was angry or relieved to have realized that. Although she felt very stupid that she didn''t realize it was all a ruse from that shameless Prince from the beginning, imagining that all he said was just empty words had its positive side after all.


    And as for the Florentine priest¡­ well, it was hard to know what to do with this situation. She was convinced that he and the Prince had some scheme going on. But here he was, giving her important information by his cousin''s back.


    "Where is the assassin right now?" she asked, as he seemed to know.


    "In the dungeon, but he won''t be alone for a while. I still don''t know exactly what he has let go, but it seems very little so far. What are you going to do, Lady?" Blue Eyes sat impassively by the table, not even looking at the good smelling foodies once. Alexa admired his self-control, and admitted,


    "I don''t know, Father! I don''t know how the news would be received."


    "I don''t think it would be dissociated from the events in the villa where you joined Cordelia. Things could get complicated for you," the clergyman contributed his opinion, which the maiden considered quite thoughtful.


    "Hmm¡­" the maiden could only wonder how much it would complicate things for her. And to imagine that perhaps she would lose her only possible current allies: Cordelia and her family¡­


    "Lady Alexa. In the past, this kingdom found and condemned a witch: Princess Gisela, mother of Alexander. She was found committing witchcraft, or so it is as story goes. Prince Gutard himself had her arrested, and she died in prison. Although people don''t often comment on this, for fear of the Sovereign Prince''s reaction, I imagine they are very sensitive and watchful to any signal of heresy."


    ''My identity and my family history should never come to light!'', Alexa knew this much. And this new fact revealed by the priest was devastating! ''The White Queen had been a witch in life!''


    "Could that be the reasons behind why they poisoned the Second Prince?" she asked.


    The priest seemed to ponder for a long, until he replied, "Lady knows that in the end, either of the two Princes could be the next ruler, don''t you? Of course the court divides on this. I''m only a year here, and I don''t know all the facts. But my family worries about the fate of my young cousin."


    Alexa wanted to tell the priest that it was not just the political factions among the living who were interested in the succession to Holstein''s throne. But couldn''t figure out a way to say that to a priest, even Blue Eyes, without signing the witchcraft confession with that.


    "I need to leave! I don''t want to get involved with any of this!" the maiden complained, and Blue Eyes just shook his head,


    "But you sent a letter to the Sovereign Prince, and he brought you back, so I don''t know if I really believe that."


    Alexa gaped at the clergyman''s ability to get information so quickly. She just wondered if he knew the content too.


    "It is a fact, I just wanted to help poor Prince Alexander by mentioning a person who might know how to cure him."


    To her surprise, that drew a subtle smile from Blue Eyes,


    "I will pray for this miracle, Lady Alexa. You indeed gave me good news now."


    "So Father is not in the "Italian" party, defending Prince Magnus as successor?" she was intrigued and had to ask.


    "If you knew Alexander, you would find it hard not to like him. And even if I''m on one side, which I''m not, I want him to live. He doesn''t deserve to die or end like this, whatever the reason."


    The maiden even thought she might like Blue Eyes if what came out of his mouth wasn''t a lie. Also, for the first time, she started to think of Prince Alexander as a human being, not "The Sleeping Prince." She already learned he was amicable, by Father Agnello''s words; he was a good student with beautiful handwriting, by his father''s opinion; and had little appetite, according to his older brother Magnus.


    Alexander was a person, not an event, or a statue in a flower garden; or an inverted mirror reflection of herself.


    "Lady Alexa, let''s make a trade of small favors. Some things are impossible for you, as others are for me," the Italian priest''s voice drew her from her philosophical contemplations.


    "Uhn¡­ What is it, Father Agnello?"


    "I can try to stop the killer from revealing your identity."


    This statement naturally made Alexa wonder at the possibilities of how this could be done. She herself did not want to imagine having to sort this out in person. That would be dirty and she wasn''t sure if she would have the stomach for everything that was needed. Besides, if she got caught by Magnus¡­ No doubt that would be her end.


    It was clear that he had suspected her from the beginning, and as a merciless hunter, the First Prince was determined to expose her. ''And the bastard is very good at it, and full of tricks as well!''


    "I don''t think I should like to know how, but¡­ Father Agnello is a very unusual ''Son of God''¡­" she pointed out, still unsure whether to agree or not.


    "I will accept the judgment of the Almighty Lord when He deems it appropriate. Until then, my means should not interest you. But rest assured: if your decision is swift, I think I can stop him from speaking against you," Agnello di Borghesi stood up, showing he was ready to go as soon as she agreed to the terms.


    "And¡­ for my part, what should I do? What is impossible for Father Agnello, but possible for me?"


    "I heard that Alexios was as good as Narces in the rogue arts. That the brothers'' passage through Venice was... memorable to some. So there is a mission Alexios could do for me," Blue Eyes smiled cryptically.


    Alexa raised an eyebrow in disgust,


    "Don''t think I''m going to become an assassin at your command, Blue Eyes. Forget it, it won''t happen!"


    He reacted with surprise, but quickly composed himself,


    "Blue Eyes?! This is funny, little one, really funny. But no, I would not ask you to do acts against any of the Divine Commandments. Be sure of that, at least."


    Still suspicious, but a little more relieved, the maiden asked,


    "Uhn¡­ So what would I have to do for you, anyway?"

 Chapter 45 - The Nightingale

    Alexa reached the wing of the castle where she was staying, carefully watching the entrances and exits, this time, as she would have to leave quietly later when night fell.


    The dry morning weather had been replaced by a nasty, gray drizzle afternoon, and surely that was the reason why everything was quiet and still. People probably slept before dinner and any activities that took place after that.


    A small noise in one of the beautiful stained glass windows caught her attention. She went closer, and saw a small nightingale huddled on the inner railing. The maiden cautiously reached out to catch it, and the little bird came gently to her finger, accepting her caresses.


    "Sweetie, you are such a cutie! How did you get here?"


    A brisk trill surprised her, and Alexa cupped her hands to catch it. At first she had believed the birdie had come in through the window or one of the arrowslits, but now she had some doubts. The docility of the little bird could mean that it was domesticated. Placing her finger as a perch, the bird promptly positioned himself comfortably on her finger, and Alexa whistled at it, and patted its little head,


    "Come on? Later I will find your owner, but now you will have to come with me. I saw a lot of cats and dogs in this castle. Not to mention the ghosts. This is no place for a cute little thing like you!"


    As she turned the corridor into the studio under the stairs, her bedroom, the maiden came across Lady Duvignes, just coming down the stairs.


    The Frenchwoman greeted her, but she wasn''t smiling,


    "Lady Saskia, there you are."


    "Were you looking for me, Lady Duvignes?"


    "Oui, I was told you were staying here on this staircase, but¡­"


    "Yes, on the staircase!" Alexa pointed out with her free hand, "Under the stairs."


    Lady Duvignes apparently wasn''t in a good mood. She didn''t really look happy to see her, and the maiden could only think the other lady was happily getting away from really finding Alexa¡­ but got unlucky, hahaha.


    "What''s the point of the visit?" One of the perks of speaking the language with a strong accent was pretending not to realize that her questions were too straightforward and rude.


    "Bien, I¡­ Lady Cordelia is not well all day, and when she received news of your return he asked to see you. But it hasn''t been easy to find you¡­"


    "Oh¡­ "


    Indeed, the maiden needed to talk to Cordelia. But the fact was that after talking to Cordelia''s fianc¨¦ earlier, Alexa felt bad and didn''t know how she would behave around the Flemish girl. Even if she didn''t see the facts as her own fault, something inside her felt embarrassed for the whole situation.


    Even if Cordelia was unaware of the facts.


    "I¡­ I will see her soon, thank you for coming personally, Lady Duvignes," yet Lady Duvignes was too pompous and important to have personally come after her. Was that really the reason? Alexa doubted.


    Wasn''t the Frenchwoman the Prince Magnus'' lover?


    ''Ah, what a hateful man!'' Alexa thought, suddenly annoyed.


    "Is this bird¡­ yours?" the French ambassador''s wife asked, in a tone between curiosity and imperious questioning. The maiden, who already had her spirit flammed, pursed her lips to keep from giving a rude response.


    "No, Lady Duvignes, I just found it. Isn''t that cute?"


    "Oui, of course it is! And trained, then! It really looks like the bird Prince Alexander has. Isn''t that the same, by any chance?"


    Alexa looked at the bird again, and the bird looked back at her, laying its head down to the side. ''He'' was so cute!


    "Aw, look at this creature! I don''t know who he is, but if this nightingale belongs to the Prince, who''s taking care of it?"


    The lady shook her head, "I couldn''t tell. Good to see you, Lady Saskia. You have been quite the court''s sensation in recent days! Shaking the routine of the entire royal family! You must be proud of such attention!''


    ''Is she saying this because she knows that Prince Magnus was with me all morning, or because of my presence, the Duke got hurt? Oh, I don''t know if I can like this woman!'' the maiden sensed, unsure what to do about it.


    While they were there, the water girl, carrying a steamy capped bucket in a kind of wheelbarrow, bowed to them and hurried to Alexa''s bedroom door, leaving the bucket on the floor and knocking on the door. Completely absorbed in her routine activity, the maid just did it and went down the hall, trying to be invisible to the nobles.


    This was intriguing to Alexa, but Lady Duvignes took advantage of the cue,


    "Bien, ch¨¦rie, I''m not going to disturb your bath. Excusez-moi, as I will return and prepare for dinner too", and with a bow, matched by the maiden, walked away.


    Alexa again petted the bird, still watching the elegant silhouette of the French woman leave her, just a little bothered to have found Lady Duvignes there. Turning, Alexa put her hand on the doorknob, only to feel the cold breath of death pass over her skin like a sheer veil.


    The bird fluttered on her finger, and Alexa frowned, knowing she wouldn''t like what she would find. She just was sure of something.


    Someone had just died.


    Slowly the maiden pushed open the door, which squeaked on its hinges until the door was wide open. But Alexa did not enter. She the damsel heard the ambassador''s wife''s voice,


    "Is there any problem, Lady Saskia?"


    Alexa did not immediately answer, because she did not know what to say to the woman, who returned when she noticed the maiden''s reluctance in front of her own room.


    It was still early enough that only one oil lamp was lit, hanging from the ceiling, and she saw the chests piled beside the bed, and a tub of bathing water from which warm vapors still condensed in the cold air.


    "Nerissa?" she called the maid''s name, for the only logical explanation was that the maid they got her was preparing her a bath.


    An unrequested bath, by the way.


    Taking an anxious step forward, the maiden entered the room, searching.


    Then she saw Nerissa, or rather her Shade standing motionless beside the tub. She had wet hair; in fact, she was all dripping on the floor while staring at Alexa with burning feverish eyes.


    Alexa, however, did not see the body.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    It was Lady Duvignes screaming, noticing the dripping arm barely emerging under the lid of one of the chests. She pointed out at it and muffled her own voice with the fist, in horror.


    The bird flew to the beam on the ceiling with the shrill noise, and Alexa still saw the ghost follow the flight of the little bird with her gaze, and then return her hollow gaze to the maiden.

 Chapter 46 - A Dead Maid

    Lady Duvignes had screamed loudly, and the nightingale flew away, while Nerissa''s ghost seemed confused and quite incredulous at her own untimely death.


    Then Alexa felt her palms clench in pain, and Nerissa began a pitiful wail, at seeing her own body, and suddenly turned once more to the Light Bearer, with staring eyes. Slowly, the Shade began to come toward the maiden, arms outstretched¡­


    Alexa knew that the ghost just sought the light, instinctively. But Alexa also knew that that castle was so dark! Souls couldn''t get out on their own.


    But there was a problem.


    If her hands began to bleed in front of that Frenchwoman, or if Lady Duvignes witnessed Alexa using her gift, the maiden was sure she would have the same fate as Alexander''s mother.


    So what could she do?


    Lose consciousness.


    That''s what a lady do.


    It was a coward action, she knew, but the damsel couldn''t solve Nerissa''s problem now.


    "OHHHhhh!" the maiden plummeted to her right side, falling heavily on the Frenchwoman, who obviously had to hold her weigh and carefully manage to lay Alexa on the floor.This made the French ambassador''s wife force herself out of her shock,


    "Lady Saskia! Saskia! Cette fille stupide, ce heure entre tous?*", getting no response from Alexa, the woman realized she had to act quickly and seek help, exactly as the maiden expected.


    Lady Duvignes went to the door and shouted, and then went down the corridor, but she didn''t go far. Alexa could already hear sounds of doors opening and other noises of living people. They would soon be there.


    Alexa lay on the cold floor, eyes closed, still pretending unconsciousness.


    The maiden heard the sounds of wet cloth, and light, slow steps coming toward her.


    She felt the cold air of undeath touch her face, knowing that Nerissa''s spirit had reclined over her, and watched her face very closely.


    The maiden opened her eyes.


    The dead woman''s ghostly face almost touched her own, and her glassy green eyes stared at Alexa frighteningly. The dead redhead maid''s wet hair dripped like guts, touching Alexa''s skin with the chill of her lost spirit spiritual form. It was almost as real as a living person, but infinitely more unpleasant.


    The maiden felt more ghostly presences approaching, but did not see them yet.


    ''Oh how I hate it!'' Even if she somehow understood and was even accustomed to the idea, contact with ghosts, especially such ones, full of grudge and confusion, was not pleasant at all.


    "Later on! Not now!" the maiden whispered, asking for understanding and sympathy, and at that moment people hurried into the studio, answering the call of the French Lady.


    Nerissa''s ghost faded as smoke, annoyed, and Alexa closed her eyes hurriedly again, feeling that she would soon have problems with this ghostly matter.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Alexa, are you feeling better ... coff coff? You''re still so cold!" Lady Cordelia tried to smile as she placed a hand on the Greek maiden''s forehead to measure the temperature. Alexa found Cordelia''s hands particularly hot, and said,


    "You''ve done a lot for me, Lady Cordelia! I know you''re not fully recovered, and still you worry about me!"


    In fact, since Alexa was brought into Cordelia''s quarters, the young Flemish lady had been taken care of the damsel, ordering her ladies to bring blankets, hot tea and even warm socks to her friend. The case of a maid''s murder in Lady Saskia''s studio had taken the castle by storm, and was the main subject of the night.


    Alexa, however, knew she had to hurry to fulfill the Blue Eye deal, and it was tonight. Fortunately, most of the questions about the maid''s assassination were directed to Lady Duvignes and not to her, who got unconscious as soon as she entered the room. Now she had to get rid of all the attention, and do her part in the deal.


    Alexa had no doubt that she should not be due to the priest di Borghesi. However, she did not expect this complicated situation!


    "The doctor just asked me to rest a lot until my wedding day, and take my medicine. The cold of that night didn''t do me any good. By the way, none of that did me good," the bride said, and Alexa knew it was true. Cordelia was so kind!


    "I want you to take good care of yourself, right, my friend?" she held Cordelia''s hands, "The things I told you before, I just said because I want you to be happy and well," all of this was true inside the maiden''s heart, and so it hurt more to think that among them was this man, Cordelia''s fianc¨¦, being a perfect selfish rascal.


    Alexa didn''t speak anymore because her heart felt inexplicably guilty and confused. She just wanted Cordelia, at least, to recover from her cold soon. "Don''t disobey the doctor then, since you''re really getting married!"


    And wasn''t she the one who had told the prince that same morning to go in search of Petrus and postpone his marriage, since he didn''t want to marry Cordelia?


    In fact, this situation of duplicity was becoming unbearable, for she really had deep sympathy for the Flemish maiden. Alexa then took a deep breath and started talking but she was interrupted by Cordelia,


    "Alexa, have you visited Duke Konrad? I heard he was badly hurt when the bad guy threw him out of the carriage! You should undoubtedly be one of the first people to pay a visit to him!"


    Alexa, deep in her mind, knew that, but had thought she could do it the next day. However, the maiden agreed with her friend, leaving the most unpleasant subject, Magnus, for later, "Yes, Cordelia, I intend to pay him a visit by early tomorrow."


    "No no, you better go tonight, he''s already getting visitors and you can''t wait to visit him and show your consideration!"


    The maiden considered that these feminine kind gestures were not yet spontaneous in herself, she still had much to learn about the expected charitable behavior of the girls.


    "Well, I''ll do it right now!" she stood up, thinking that would at least give her an excuse to get out of there and continue her plans for the night.


    But Cordelia had other plans for her, as she called a maid and asked her to bring something that was already prepared, apparently,


    "See, knowing that you couldn''t prepare coff for yourself, even after the incident, coff coff...maybe you can present him this little gift to comfort the Duke¡­"


    Alexa looked at the item the maid held, it was a pillow with a beautifully embroidered linen cover, and it exuded a delicious aroma of soothing herbs and flowers.


    "Cordelia, you really think of everything!"


    With the maid to carry the gift, Alexa had no alternative but to go see the Duke immediately.


    Upon arriving in the Duke''s chambers, the door was open and she was greeted by a lady-in-wait, who announced her arrival.


    Some people, among them Countess Godiva, and Prince Magnus, were there, talking to the convalescent young Duke.


    The Prince''s eyes and hers met for a moment, and he looked at the gift Alexa had brought to his cousin. Magnus raised a scornful eyebrow at the maiden.


    ''What''s up with this man?'' she wondered.


    ---


    * This stupid girl, now of all times!

 Chapter 47 - Under the Pillow

    Bedridden, the Konrad the Duke was ailing and Alexa could smell the medicines and ointments from afar. Still, he smiled and was very happy with Lady Saskia''s visit.


    The Duke was a tall, handsome, broad-shouldered, athletic-type young man who, even bedridden from injuries and fractures, still seemed more vigorous than many healthy people, though he had lost some of his glowing and serene looks.


    Still, his general appearance and state were far worse than the solitary purple bruise under the eye that Prince Magnus sported. He was pale and had purple circles around his eyes.


    But there was something strange, at least in the perception of the young Greek lady, and it took a while before she understood what was out of the ordinary here.


    The energy was good, happy and relaxed, and Alexa realized that it was different from most other places in the castle where she had been before. She felt calm and comfortable at Duke''s chambers. Surely the fact that Konrad, though recovering, kept a smile at his older cousin''s constant teasing and sarcastic jokes contributed to that. But Alexa felt that it had some other reason.


    He was very grateful for Lady Alexa''s visit and for making sure she was all right. Rumors of a maid''s murder had reached the bedroom, but they spoke only briefly of this, as the Countess vetoed the matter, saying,


    "Leave the unpleasant affairs aside and let''s work on cheer Konrad up, so that he will heal soon. My nephew can''t stand being bedridden! He''s got too much energy for standing still!"


    It was the cue Alexa needed to offer the calmant herb-filled pillow.


    "I thought this could help you withstand the recovery period, and get a better rest, Your Highness! I must admit, I didn''t do it myself, but I would have done it if I had the opportunity! I''m so sorry for what happened! It''s all my fault!"


    The girl was sure Konrad would survive, and hoped no sequels or scars to remain. But the same, she felt bad he''s gotten hurt because of the assassins chasing her.


    He smiled, thanking and calming her, and teased Prince Magnus then,


    "Cousin, you captured the bad guy, but I get Lady Saskia''s care! I''m very lucky! And don''t worry, Lady Saskia, now that you''ve brought me a special pillow, it won''t be so hard to stay in bed."


    "Don''t brag or show your teeth so much, Konrad. She just does it because you''re convalescent, don''t think you should try to be charming. You look more like a horse with huge teeth, with that stupid smile on your face," the comment was followed by laughter, but Alexa felt a hint of irritation in the Prince''s voice. And maybe that''s why she had done what she did next,


    "Let me put the pillow under your head, Duke, you''ll find you will rest better with that fluffy smelling-good pillow. The lavender, mugwort and chamomile pout-pourri will make your rest invigorating , Your Highness!"


    With that, Alexa approached and with a gesture, got the Duke raised his head so that she changed the pillows. The Prince quickly came to her, ready to take the pillow from her hands,


    "Give it to me, you don''t have to!"


    But Alexa quickly tucked the pillow under the Duke''s head. Before the Duke rested his head, however, Magnus pulled back the pillow.


    "Cousin, why do you want to stop the Lady from getting me a pillow? It''s me here with broken bones!"


    "Yes, why can''t Your Highness let me be glad to the Duke and try to make up for some of the discomfort he feels, UHN?" Alexa stared at him with fiery eyes, pulling the pillow from the prince''s hands again.


    "This is not even appropriate for a lady!"


    Alexa was again setting the pillow for the Duke when Magnus pulled back the pillow, but Alexa pushed it back with her fingers.


    "GET OUT, Lady Saskia," the Prince stared into her eyes with a cold glare, but Alexa stubbornly pushed the pillow a little further, defying him like a cat. Magnus jerked, still staring at her, pulled at the pillow at once, dragging the other pillows and making his cousin moan and complain,


    "Can you two make up your mind? My neck hurts¡­" Konrad caught the couple''s attention beside his bed.


    The Prince of Holstein stuck his hand under the bottom cushion, and Alexa sensed that he was hiding something there as he groped for the bedding under the old pillow. Maybe she wouldn''t have noticed anything if she was a little farther away, but now she was sure the Prince was up to something. ''Uhn, so that''s it¡­ As always, making a scene to hide your real purposes¡­!''


    She used the herbal pillow as a shield, and quickly tucked it once more into the Duke''s back, and used this ploy to slide her hand under Duke''s original pillow as well.


    "What are you guys doing?" the Duke sounded worried now, as his head bobbed above the jumble of pillows coming and going under him.


    While both were pushing and pulling the herbal pillow and feeling the soft cushions and bedding for something, her hand found his, firmly clutched around something that fit the Prince''s palm. Her hand only partially covered his, as they were disparate sizes, but it was enough to feel he was holding something.


    "...!" She stared at him, with sparkling eyes and a defiant smile, but Magnus just keep his cool and pulled the pillow hard enough this time, shifting the maiden forward with a strong thrust. The fabric of the pillow ripped, and goose plumes and dried herbs flew down across the alcove, and over the convalescent Duke and belligerent couple.


    Alexa coughed up a plume from her mouth, with a grimace, while composing herself again.


    "It''s enough! That was very funny, but now Konrad needs to rest!" The Countess scolded them in an exasperated tone, rising from her chair as Konrad laughed and complained,


    "Hahahah You mustn''t make me laugh! It hurts!"


    The maiden tried to see what the Prince had removed under the Duke''s pillow, but he was very skillful at concealing the object and keeping it in his doublet. Apparently taking advantage of the cue, he apologized to his cousin and aunt, and said goodbye for the evening, saying,


    "Lady Saskia, I know you are quite agitated with the events of the day, but take a rest. The seneschal and palace housekeeper have already provided a new place for you to stay, at my father''s request, so enjoy and rest. As you have seen, my cousin has plenty of pillows, and the herbs will have a lot of effect after being so vigorously shaken and rubbed! Sleep well!"


    As always, Alexa thought that all his words and expressions had some double meaning, but at this moment she did not bother to analyze the possible meanings. She had to go.


    Magnus had another mystery hidden from her, and probably, from everyone.


    But Alexa, in this case, had suspicions of what could be. And that really changed things a lot.


    However, the maiden had already lost a lot of time tonight, and if it took a while longer, she might not be able to follow Prince Gutard where he was going.


    ''Gotta go!''

 Chapter 48 - The Lighthouse

    ''Ug, I didn''t think that would be so tiring!'' Alexa complained mentally while looking for a recess where to set her foot while climbing the watchtower.


    Following Prince Gutard and his men unseen, and without losing sight of them, had been an almost impossible task.


    Luckily, she soon guessed where they were going and so managed to move on the other side, reducing the chances of being noticed and captured. The maiden was very proud of her achievement and her cleverness; unfortunately, the Greek girl had no one else to brag about, now that all her brothers were dead.


    Alexa followed the small group of knights, with Prince Gutard in the center, to the outskirts of Prince Magnus''s manor, Schwarzenhofhausen. Then she remembered seeing them coming from the direction of the lighthouse, the other night, and decided to cut her way there across the field. It was riskier, but it would be faster and harder to figure out.


    As agreed, Blue Eyes had provided all the accoutrements Alexa deemed necessary, since what he wanted was for the maiden to find out where, and what, the Holstein Regent went to and spoke to so often and so secretly. Father di Borghesi had arranged for her to find the bag with the dark clothing and tools that only a rogue would wear, in the royal stables; just as a horse was ready and available for her. Alexa just needed to discreetly reach both, and depart unseen.


    Reaching the marshes near the coast, Alexa tied the horse higher up near the rocks, and advanced over them as far as she could, avoiding the dark wetland that would only slow her movement. Reaching at last for the narrow barren headland, she saw the small rocky island where the lighthouse and guard post was, and also the road where the horsemen were coming from, ending on a pier.


    Despite the fine drizzle that had persisted since the afternoon, everything was calm in that isolated bay,


    ''Today is my lucky night after such a difficult day! The tide is low!'' She was pleased that a large sandbar would give access on foot from the side of the promontory. Indeed a lighthouse was needed here, for although the headland formed a small bay, at first glance a boat could easily be stranded or thrown against the rocks of the coast if it came from the other, deeper, side.


    Cautiously descending, she gained time by running down the compacted sandbar to the rocks near the tall building. After some rest she came closer, avoiding being seen by the small group of men awaiting the Prince''s arrival outside.


    Hidden by rocks and darkness, in addition to her dark hooded tunic, Alexa counted the men and saw that some were uniformed soldiers and others, possibly servants or responsible for operating the lighthouse, as they wore civilian clothing. The site had two buildings besides the lighthouse: a large stone shed that probably served as a storage and housing, and a small pillbox, so Alexa decided to wait to find out where Prince von Wuttenfal would enter.


    ''What can you have in this watchtower that makes the Prince come here so often?'' the maiden wondered, but Father Agnello''s theory was the most logical: he came to visit someone.


    When at last the Sovereign Prince''s party arrived at the building, Prince Gutard chatted a little with someone, and then entered the lighthouse.


    Sighing, as that meant, once again, a risky operation, Alexa slipped to the base of the lighthouse, and preparing some simple accessories, began the dangerous climb under the light rain.


    Like every lighthouse, the tall, slender structure lacked many windows and was not designed to house anything other than the great sailor warning torch. Thus, Alexa imagined, after evaluating the structure externally, that there would be at most one or two rooms from the top of the building, below the lighthouse. That was where the person should be.


    Now she had to count on luck.


    Her hand slipped a few times, due to the dampness on the stones and the aged accumulated slime, but Alexa persevered. Her training, and the lightness of her nimble slender body, helped to keep the damsel from smashing against the sharp rocks below the lighthouse.


    She, however, needed to hurry.


    Looking up and feeling the cold, salty moisture falling over her face and blinding her eyes, she reconsidered whether the other alternative, dealing with the captured killer, was easier. But filling her lungs with air, the maiden decided that she would rather climb this lighthouse a thousand times than ensure the silence of the mercenary hired to kill her. As the Italian priest assured her that he would not break any of the Christian commandments, Alexa could only hope that Blue Eyes was not lying.


    Her gaze even wandered to the landscape below, darkened by the night, and melancholically frightening. The noise of the sea, even at low tide, seemed to hold many secrets about Holstein, and Alexa now knew that this lighthouse held one of them.


    The maiden seemed to see a window just above her, and tried not to get too excited to lose her concentration and plummet to her ultimately death. Alexa did not want to die anytime soon.


    Like all mortals, she wanted to use all her life to the end, not die stupidly.


    Rising cautiously, and feeling the fingers of her hand freeze and hurt, she stretched a little farther, now making sure there was a window about three meters above her head. From the opening, a faint light escaped, compared to the glow of the headlight a few meters higher.


    ''It can only be there'', the damsel thought happily, as she was exhausted.


    It was then that she noticed something dark by the window, seemingly wedged between the stone window sill and a cross beam just below it, which probably helped support the inner storey. ''What is that? A stork''s nest?'' If it was a large bird''s nest, and so it seemed, she knew she would have problems. ''Af, I think I bragged too soon that I was lucky!''


    Her fingers hesitated, groping the slimey stones near the window sill, and the maiden grimaced in pain and tiredness, thinking she had no choice now.


    That was when her hand was suddenly and tightly grasped, and she suppressed a startled scream, nearly losing her balance and falling several feet to the ground.


    It was a hand, gripping hers.


    And this hand lifted her to the ledge in one motion. Alexa took advantage of the thrust to steady her feet on the 30-centimeter parapet, and cling to its slippery edges as soon as she could. She was being grabbed now by the collar of her dark tunic. Turning, she met Magnus''s golden eyes.


    He was definitely the last person she expected to meet on a lighthouse windowsill in the middle of the night.


    "You!" Alexa exclaimed, still incredulous.


    "I was waiting for you," apparently Holstein''s first-born Prince never missed an opportunity to be sarcastic. She tried to pull away, but had little room to maneuver, and he was much better positioned, actually sitting in one corner, and pulled her close to him.


    "Would you rather I throw you?"


    "No!" the maiden had no choice but concede, startled. Still not understanding how far this man would go to pursue her, Alexa went still, her heart pounding so hard it seemed it would leap out of her mouth at any moment.


    Magnus settled her closer to him on the ledge, so it was possible for both of them to sit down; her back to him and between his legs, and he propping one of his legs on the transverse beam. The window had checkered grilles, which allowed little view on either side.


    As they settled in, the Prince said,


    "I knew Lady Saskia was a fake. But now I really got you."


    Alexa just kept quiet, as she couldn''t argue with the evidence. But the fact that he did not immediately take her inside as a prisoner confused her. Was she captured or not?


    The maiden was about to ask that when the Prince signaled her to be silent.


    Prince Gutard''s voice was heard from within.

 Chapter 49 - The Cloistered Prophetess

    Atop a lighthouse, once again in the arms of the disturbing Prince Magnus von Wuttenfal, Alexa knew she could not escape this situation this time. Now the Prince definitely knew she was not an ordinary noble maiden. He probably believed she was a foreigner mercenary who had come to spy on the Sovereign of that kingdom.


    But then he motioned for her to be quiet and still as soon as they heard the thundering voice of Prince Sovereign Gutard, his father, booming within the room,


    "The time you have asked me has passed, witch, so give me the answer now."


    That was definitely the last thing Alexa expected to hear out of the mouth of Holstein''s Sovereign Prince. Wasn''t he the one who had arrested Gisela, the mother of his son and his wife, as a witch? And had he left her to die in the dungeon, according to the rumors Blue Eyes had told her?


    The maiden tried to peer through the barred window and saw only the Prince''s silhouette, as well as the back of a woman with shaggy hair and dark clothes.


    "So after years of neglect here, suddenly my words are thirstily sought by?" the mocking tone of her raspy, hoarse voice left no doubt that she was no friend of the Prince, and did not even respect him. Through the bars in the window, Alexa can imagine that the lighthouse was the prison of that woman. And judging by her first words, she might be a pythoness or clairvoyant.


    Someone who Gutard von Wuttenfal was deeply interested in.


    "You seem to forget who you talk to, woman," he also showed no appreciation for the witch, considering the tone of his speech.


    "No, I don''t. The one I talk to is the monster; the arrogant man sitting on the top of his high mountain of stone and gold. And who comes up here to talk to this woman, whom he feeds on bread and water for years. He should have choked on his tongue, ''Your Majesty''¡­" the woman coughed and pulled back a little, muttering.


    Alexa wanted to stick to the window to try to see and hear more, but Magnus pulled her back, keeping their presence outside the room undiscovered.


    "The letter you mentioned earlier; it has arrived. The messenger, the foreign girl ... She talks about a man; probably a wizard. She says this man can get my son out of this sleep ... So far I''ve been confident that your words refer to this girl. But you didn''t say¡­"


    "What is the point accusing me of not telling you whether it is the right person? Want me to say this person is ''The One''? Is that what you want from me? May I point out the solution to your problems? Don''t think you''re going to get away easily, let alone thanks to me!"


    ''Are they talking¡­ about me ?!'' Alexa could hardly believe it.


    "NOT YOUR CRAZY PESTILENT BITCH! CRAZY INSANE WHORE FROM HELL! I''m talking about my son! MY SON! He is innocent! THE PROPHECY SHOULD NOT TOUCH HIM! "The Mighty Prince lost his temper and hollered in fury at the imprisoned woman who insisted on provoking him. But she countered,


    "Your sins have touched everything, you damn arrogant dog! There will be no time if the shadows consume the kingdom! Your youngest child is the smallest of problems!"


    "NO! NO! He''s important, and if you don''t know why, I''m just listening to a madwoman all this time."


    "Hahahaha your regret almost moves me, Prince! There is only one way to save your child. Yes, the person who arrived brought the answer. This prophecy has not changed. This person brings the answer; the way, and the light."


    Alexa grunted,


    "It could be Cordelia, right? She arriv¡­" Before her reasoning was concluded, the maiden''s mouth was covered by Magnus''s hand, avoiding them being noticed by the people inside.


    A long silence followed, until Prince Gutard ordered,


    "Speak at once. What did you see in your vision, Sigrid?!"


    The old woman laughed, "The birds in my window, it''s all I have to see with the one eye you left me, bastard assassin!"


    The maiden immediately thought the old woman might to know that she was being spied on, and if she was really a pythoness, even who the spies were! She noticed that Magnus was also restless as he shifted in his position, but nothing happened.


    Ignoring the pythoness offenses, the man spoke, remembering words that were not his,


    "It is night, and the mountain roars from its bowels¡­ At the northern gates sleeps the white dog; at the southern gates howls the black dog ... The first bell has already rang, before the second warning, the message will arrive ... The messenger has silver feathers and drags the stars ... It drags darkness into the sun of the new day. It runs with the dogs and feed them on their mouths. Without the key, the child does not open the door. But until the day comes, on which side of the mountain does the silver bird sleep?"


    "Yes, that I said before. The person who arrived, as you asked me, is the messenger bird. Put the bird in the south; the south door will open. Similarly the north. That''s what I understand from prophecy," the unpleasant woman answered.


    "What about the message? Is the message true? Should I trust this girl? Now make your prophecies about my questions," apparently the Prince wanted more direct answers.


    Alexa tried to peek again, and this time saw the woman lying on the floor, humming a meaningless jumble, and laughing and moaning all at the same time,


    "I see¡­ Hahahah! A trip, noble Sire! Twins walk side by side. The pilgrim turns to penance. He chooses what matters most. Oh! The knight arrives at the tower with his sword; and die shot by many arrows."


    "That means¡­"


    "Give me water," the woman''s voice demanded, suddenly. New silence ensued, but Alexa saw that Prince Gutard didn''t move from where he was.


    While all this was going on, Alexa was practically breathless in deep anticipation of the mysterious prisoner''s prophecies. The Sovereign Prince had called her by name, Sigrid, and the maiden wanted to know more about the prophetess and the reasons why Gutard kept her locked up as his private pythoness. But mostly, knowing that Prince was asking about her, Alexa.


    It was frightening to think that he believed her arrival had anything to do with the problems of his kingdom and his family. The damsel immediately wanted to flee Holstein, for it would do no good to be mentioned in a prophecy involving the Wuttenfal and the Dead Queens.


    She wanted nothing to do with the secrets of this damn family.


    But here she was, kept alive only by the will of a man, Magnus, who with one movement could throw her from the tower and end her life.


    "One more warning, Gutard¡­" the woman said, and Alexa stepped out of her conjecture to hear, "Don''t forget that the Third Queen is the last."


    "I know," he said. A silence followed and then the door slammed, announcing the Prince''s departure. The maiden was still trying to understand everything she had heard when Sigrid''s disturbing laugh echoed through the islet.

 Chapter 50 - Rain

    Alexa was very aware of the heavy breathing of the man behind her back, and asked herself what he was thinking about. Alexa wondered if the Prince knew beforehand who was imprisoned in the lighthouse, and if he knew that his father was consulting with witches. Holstein was definitely a complicated and dangerous place.


    The fine drizzle had given way to strong, cold drops as they concentrated on trying to hear the mighty Prince''s conversation with the prophetess. Alexa found herself freezing and turned over her shoulder to look at Magnus. He, in turn, tried to keep up with the group leaving the boat. She touched his cheek to get his attention, and he got startled,


    "You have to tell me," she whispered, "do you have any other way out of here?" the maiden had a hope that she didn''t need to risk going down the slippery wall with all that rain.


    He snorted sarcastically,


    "Just flying, ''Princess of Constantinople''. We''ll have to wait for this rain to die off, if we don''t want to die together like bird poop down on the rocks."


    Without much thought, Alexa knew it was the best alternative, although it is uncomfortable to perch on the window sill several feet off the ground. Even if leaning against his embrace. It was essential not to sleep.


    The Prince, however, adjusted his cloak to cover her and protect the maiden from the rain as well.


    Alexa would like to support her back on his chest as it would be relaxing for her tired body. But it wasn''t appropriate either, and she remained tense, leaning against him as little as possible. Magnus made no effort either, just kept an arm around her to hold the cloak in place.


    "Who is this woman?" she asked after a while.


    "Shhh. If I knew, why would I tell you?''


    ''I''m not a spy,'' she thought, but it was useless to say that, even because it was a lie. She was a spy, and more than that. What she meant was that she had no interest at all, just curiosity. But that too was a lie. Since it became clear that Prince Gutard von Wuttenfal was waiting for ''the messenger child; the silver bird, or whatever'', Alexa was inserted into Holstein''s Sovereign Prince''s plans. There was a prophecy, and¡­


    "My father is getting distraught with what happened to my younger brother. He would not do that in his right mind; he wouldn''t have come here if it wasn''t a desperate act."


    If those words were just a smokescreen to distract her, Alexa wasn''t sure. The bitter tone was audible in the Prince''s voice. Sadness, concern, anger, and spite; it all seemed to be pour in a single line.


    "A loving parent can fall prey to such pitfalls, yes," Alexa understood that very well. A father could do strange things to protect a child.


    A mocking chuckle came from the prince''s throat, full of doubts,


    "Just be quiet, or they''ll notice us here."


    The maiden just nodded, letting the silence fall between them.


    Gradually the maiden''s body relaxed and Alexa''s tiredness overcame her. Even when the Greek girl noticed that she had leaned instinctively against the heat of the other body behind her, the maiden thought it was inevitable. At that moment and place they were only two humans seeking shelter and warmth.


    And even as the Prince''s fingers absently touched her ear, only at first did she find it strange; but then. the soft touch of his fingers playing with her earlobe brought her no erotic connotations, or a sense of threat or disgust. She knew Magnus was lost in thought, watching the rain and the sea. So she just enjoyed the good feeling, which would surely last shortly.


    Most likely in the morning, he would decide what to do with her.


    Would he kill her?


    Probably not, or he would not even expect to come down from the lighthouse. It was simpler to throw her from there, as he had said.


    Would he arrest her?


    He would hardly do so, knowing that his father seemed inclined to believe the words of the cloistered clairvoyant.


    He could send her away, as he had once tried. But maybe secretly.


    That was a good plan. She could try to convince him of that later.


    But as Alexa tried to make plans, many disconnected images and ideas came to her mind.


    Nerissa, and the nightingale; the French ambassador''s wife, and Blue Eyes, ... Konrad and the Sleeping Prince too ...


    No doubt she lost track of time, and when the rain subsided sufficiently, for a short while, the first rays of sunlight were already dawning on the horizon. The Prince was motionless now, behind her.


    Alexa even wondered if she had dozed off at some point.


    "AHAAAAAAAHHH! Damn birds! Get out, get out! AHHHHHHHHH " The woman''s raspy, looud voice startled them both. Alexa turned to the grilled window, and saw the woman''s face very close to the window.She was poking Magnus with a broomstick through one of the holes, trying to get him out of his corner.


    Sigrid the prophetess was not as old in appearance as her voice sounded; but a horrible scar on the left side had sewn the place where there had once been an eye. And the other eye was covered with white opaque cataract. The sight of her face was terrifying, but the maiden now knew that the woman only could see blurs.


    Magnus used a rope and a hook to start climbing down, before the blind woman could finally get him out y force. Alexa also began her descent, and standing side by side with the Prince, she teased, smiling,


    "You say I''m not what I should be, but look at you, acting like a thief,"


    Magnus smiled back, and though it was clear to her that he did not have the practice and was making much more effort than she was, he was determined,


    "I am what I need to be, Lady Saskia."


    "So be my friend, Your Highness," she dared to ask; perhaps their unusual situation together might be the way for him to help her, she mused.


    "I can''t be your friend," he answered promptly, still smiling, as he handled the climbing gear,


    "And why not?"


    "I told you, you''ll be mine," was the reply.


    "Uhn ?!"


    "I wasn''t kidding yesterday," he replied, jumping to the floor, followed by her. He didn''t bother to pick up the equipment, just waited for Alexa. They crept to the pier and used the boat to get out of the lighthouse, since the tide was high now.


    "Where are your men, Prince? And why did you come to the lighthouse?"


    "I tell you if you tell me the content of the conversation with my father yesterday, and what letter is that," despite the demand, the tone was friendly, and the maiden was grateful for it. Maybe if she told him, he could do something.


    Briefly the maiden reported to the Prince what she told to his father about Petrus de Languedoc and the antidote, as he paddled the small boat to the beach.


    The rain was strong again by the time they reached land, and they ran for their horses, not caring about the mud or how wet they were at this point. In fact, as they climbed the rocks, they fought a silly, tricky race that drew laughter from both of them, and of course Magnus won.


    The Prince shouted, starting a horseback ride down the deserted road,


    "Let''s go to Schwarzenhofhausen!"

 Chapter 51 - After Rain

    In retrospect, there was nothing stranger than to be laughing like never since coming to Holstein. Riding on the muddy road after an exhausting night, not to count all the surprises and revelations, seemed to her a way to escape the excessive weight of those truths.


    Even the Prince''s taunts about not being friends were lost at that moment. In that little moment on the way back, they could be themselves.


    Alex even decided to show off some of her adventurous tomboy-acquired skills and leaned in her saddle to reach a mud puddle and throw some dirt on the Prince. When could a person have this opportunity again?


    "Hey, stop you little pest!"


    He laughed, trying to deflect, but the mud still hit him. Still riding the Prince took off his wet cloak and tunic, using the later to hit Alexa like a whip.


    "Ouch!" the wet wool weighed heavily, and it hurt, but she laughed back, deflecting a second blow.


    When did the damsel start to find him so handsome?


    In different ways, Magnus was as handsome as his sleeping brother. The dark hair of large and capricious waves, now wet and touching the skin of the neck and broad shoulders, freely; the strong chin and chiseled face of Dionysian beauty; the strong and shapely arms...


    As he now chased her for more blows with the wet cloth, her vision captured the view from the prince''s bare torso. In the middle of his chest, a huge vertical scar, faded with time, marred the perfect harmony of his body.


    The maiden had only seen that kind of scar on the dead.


    Slowing down, Alexa pointed to the scar, shamelessly asking,


    "What was that?"


    He knew what she was talking about without need to look at, and replied,


    "I have it for a long time. I don''t remember how I got it, I was a child. But as you can see, I survived."


    Alexa couldn''t believe he didn''t remember something like that unless he was just a baby, or a very small child. But would he have survived such a strike if it was inflicted when he was just a baby?


    "I don''t believe you! It''s too big a scar for you not to remember! Was it a very painful defeat to keep in mind?"


    "Don''t be silly. I''m telling the truth. I have no other scars of note, by the way. I don''t lose! Never!"


    "Hahaha the same arrogant prince ever!"


    "Well, if you want to know so much!" he hit her with his wet tunic once, but not in a way that hurt her. She raised her hands to defend herself , while evaluating a way to get revenge, and he continued


    "It happened when my mother died. They attacked us and killed her. They tried to kill me too. But I don''t remember any of that. Satisfied?" he still tried to hit her a few times, but realizing she was trying to take his horse''s reins, he maneuvered away from her.


    "Ahhh!" Alexa agreed, stopping to disturb him. It was an intriguing story, but now she knew that the Black Queen had been murdered when Magnus was a child, and he had almost died too. Still, that scar was disturbing.


    However, they soon saw the entrance to Schwarzenhofhausen, and their childish games ceased.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    A huge, beautiful tub of warm, clean water waited for her, aromatized with flower essences, as promised by the Prince, in a room of his manor.


    That definitely took a smile of satisfaction from the Greek girl. It was all she needed.


    Alexa let her cold wet clothes fall to the floor, happy to finally be able to take them off, and eager to enter the comforting relief promised by that beautiful luxury object. Only her many-year-old habit of never fully undressing kept her from being totally naked. So she was keeping her inner tunic for protection.


    Im pleasure, she rubbed the honeysuckle petals on her face, and rubbed her hands, assessing that her nails definitely needed care. Her palms were almost healed, but she needed new clean bandages because for all intents and purposes Alexa should still carry them for a few more days. Who would believe that her ''burned hands'' would heal so quickly, even with the best care?


    The maiden was almost asleep in the tub of warm water when a different sound took her out of her lethargy. The door was opening,


    "Alexa?"


    It was Prince Magnus!


    Alexa sank into the tub, just sticking her head out,


    "Hey! I can not receive you now! Can''t Your Highness knock before you come in?" she turned her face away in outrage, hiding she was panicking, in fact.


    "This is my house, I don''t need to knock," was his reply. If it were anyone else, it would have been unbelievable that he had come in, rather than apologizing and leaving. But this was Magnus von Wuttenfal. She heard his bare footsteps approaching the tub.


    Barefoot steps?


    Alexa turned to him, her heart pounding fast.


    The Prince was at the other end of the tub, rummaging through the toiletries on the side table, and pretending not to pay attention to Alexa. He was still bare-chested, but no longer muddy. Even though the other end of the tub covered his lower body, Alexa could guess,


    "A-are you naked ?!"


    "I thought you would want to see my other scars. They''re a lot harder to find," he teased, throwing a handful of tiny flowers at her.


    "No! I do not want to see anything! I don''t want to see you naked!"


    "Well, I think differently, since you were looking at me so much on the way here," the Prince said teasingly as he poured some more clean water into the tub.


    Alexa squeezed her eyes shut tight in response, "I didn''t do any of that! I don''t want to see your¡­ thing!"


    "Hahahahahahaha! Well, stay like this. With your eyes closed! I''m getting in the tub," the Prince warned.


    Alexa felt the movement and displacement of the water when he actually did what he promised,


    "You can''t!" she protested, but knew it was a lost battle.


    "Alexa, stop protesting so uselessly! We don''t need such games, you and me! Don''t you understand that you have no choice but to be mine?" the sarcastic Prince threw his head back and leaned back on the bathtub, looking very pleased with himself as she kept sinking to the neck on the other side, her eyes wide open in shock.


    "What are you talking about? Your arrogance and presumption in this regard is ridiculous! I don''t HAVE to be yours!"


    "Silly Lady! You heard it yourself! What do you understand about that prophecy anyway "


    Alexa was about to answer when she heard heavy, fast footsteps in the hallway.


    In panic she stared at the Prince.

 Chapter 52 - Bad Move

    When the loud knock on the door was heard, Alexa just thought she didn''t want to be seen in a bathtub with a naked Prince Magnus at all.


    "Your Highness, it''s me Dankmer!


    Apparently whoever Dankmer was, he was a man of the Prince Magnus'' utmost trust, because he barely said that and opened the door, without any qualms.


    "Dankmer!" The Prince''s voice sounded both alarmed and irritated. Almost at the same time he suddenly stood up in the middle of the bathtub.


    Alexa still had a glimpse of the Prince''s firm buttocks while she had the opposite idea of ??submerging. But all the Prince''s sudden movement caused a great oscillation in the water, creating waves that entered the damsel''s nose and mouth as she slid under water. Then her survival instinct spoke louder than her need to hide; she spat out water and tried to get up, completely blind.


    That was when she felt the Prince''s hand push her down again for a moment, and she couldn''t do anything about it.


    She even heard, or thought she heard,


    "The prisoner, something happened to him!"


    Alexa wasn''t sure if she had been seen by Dankmer or not, she just struggled with the horrible feeling of drowning. The pressure on her skull suddenly ceased, and the maiden felt it when the Prince left the bathtub, and a new wave of water came over her.


    Her mind wandered away from the petite mort once more, and she saw at the bottom of the tub a topaz that was the color of Prince Magnus'' eyes. Her hand reached for the object, but as soon as she touched it, female hands started to push her head and shoulders to the bottom of the basin, and no matter how hard she struggled and tried to break free, she heard the voice of the Shades howling in pleasure, echoing the words of the murderer, USELESS GIRL! She was running out of breath and realizing with astonishment that she was dying. She was being murdered.


    The door slammed loudly, and Alexa emerged fully, searching the air with grief,


    "AHHHH! ''Damn bastard! Damn bastard! He almost drowned me!" it was what she expressed when her lungs had enough air again. Her eyes and nostrils stung like hell and she must have swallowed more than a honeysuckle with the water.


    As the maiden calmed down, the images in her vision started to make sense. Recently, one person had drowned: Nerissa. That view had probably shown the most recent death near Alexa, by the same means as the petite mort.


    She was still angry with the rude Prince, but she was relieved to be alone, at least.


    Indeed, the moment of idyll was over, and more or less as she predicted: a new opportunity for the Prince to show that he was a selfish idiot and that he would never take anyone else''s interests into account before his own. But Alexa had no time to waste remembering how deceptive that man was, always so full of ruses and stratagems.


    What to do?


    Alexa had only one alternative: to leave Holstein as quickly and secretly as possible. Getting out of the bathtub, she searched the room for some clothes she could wear. There was actually a dress there, over a chair, which she didn''t really want to think about who belonged to. That had to do.


    Minutes later, riding towards the capital, Alexa hoped that her hastily made plan could work. Although after the shower the tiredness of so many hours without sleep, and so many events in the last 24 hours made her blink again and again to keep awake. She knew she needed a little more persistence.


    Now it was not only Prince Magnus obsessed with her, but also her father, Gutard von Wuttenfal. What had Magnus hinted at in his words? Did he talk about the ''Third Queen''? Did he fear that his father would want to take her as his wife? The maiden was not feeling very bright in this tired moment, so she decided to focus only on the plan ahead: leaving Holstein.


    As soon as Alexa crossed the city gates, she went straight to the cathedral. There, it was not difficult to get a messenger to go in search of Father Agnelo di Borghesi. He was the only one who could get her out of Holstein secretly.


    Looking for a more discreet spot to await his arrival, the maiden snuck through the side chapels and found the entrance to the ossuary open. Alexa made sure that she would not be locked there by mistake, taking the locking bar with her, and went down the stairs. She would spend time there while waiting for the messenger to go to the castle and return with the Florentine.


    She was not afraid of bones. They were nothing but remains. Alexa just had a little curiosity about the past. The maiden was sure that most of the names on the wall signs were now Shades lost without any solace, wandering the castle.


    She read their names and tried to imagine what kind of people they were. BARTHOLD ZWICK, FLOREKE VON HORGEN, OTILIEN TETTINGEN, ELSE AIGELS. There was a ZILDA BARTOLLINI, LOVED MAID OF PRINCESS LAETITIA. It was not the only name of Italian origin there.


    Alexa sat for a moment on the stairs, to rest a bit. She really hoped to have hired a messenger able to find the Priest discreetly, as she demanded.


    Holstein''s story was closely linked to the Italian court that had come with Prince Gutard''s first wife, Magnus''s mother. She was murdered and her son survived by a miracle. And now she was the Black Queen, a vengeful Shade.


    While Alexander''s mother was the White Queen, and had been accused of witchcraft.


    All of it would be important if she were to stay in the city.


    Or if her visions were relevant to the future. But the maiden definitely wanted to ignore the vision with the wedding tiara she had in her first petite mort.


    But the most recent experience, the death of Nerissa, the maid, still left the Greek Lady with a bad feeling of incompleteness.


    However, her body was overcome by exhaustion, and she soon felt the sands of Sleep, Sibling of Death, in her eyes, taking her away from this world. Her head rested on a drawer of the ossuary, and she hugged herself promising it would be just for a little while¡­ She just wasn''t able to resist the darkness wrapping her sleep.


    When she opened her eyes again, remembering nothing but Alexander''s beautiful, serene face, he met Father Agnello''s blue eyes, shaking her shoulder gently,


    "Lady Saskia? Please wake up. Lady Saskia?"


    Her energy suddenly returned, and Alexa had no idea how much she had slept; few moments, or hours?! Putting herself on alert, the maiden pleaded,


    "Father, please help me out of here!"


    "Shhh! Calm down, bambina, calm down. Let''s work it out!" Blue Eyes kept a half smile, but his eyes did not follow his lips. Alexa, without understanding, looked around.


    And then she saw the castle guards behind the priest.

 Chapter 53 - Roque

    "You will have nothing more to fear from now on, Lady Saskia," said the Sovereign Prince of Holstein calmly, as he walked beside the girl. Alexa carefully chose where to step, on the soggy grass of the hill. She understood that the location of the conversation was strategically picked. Everyone could see them from afar, but they certainly couldn''t hear them.


    They were in the Holstein''s Campus Martius, with a privileged view of the castle, the city, and the sea coast. From there, even the port was seen. The Bride''s ships, part of Cordelia''s dowry, stood out for their bright and vivid colors, and could be seen from there easily as well.


    It was a little cold that afternoon, and she was hugging herself, feeling tired and miserable. The maiden was sure that this conversation would define her destiny, but the prognosis was uncertain.


    From previous experience, Alexa knew that a powerful man simply did not need to follow any logic or ethics applied to the rest of his court. This was a man who built a cathedral but consulted witches. He arrested witches, but had children with them. She might even have thought that it was just rumored to denigrate him, but then she had seen it with her own eyes.


    But what had she seen, exactly? Did the fact that he talked to the Oracle really mean that Prince Gutard listened to her, as Magnus seemed to believe? Or that he pretended to listen to her, just to make Sigrid tell more and more? No doubt the blind woman, even though she said she hated Prince Gutard, answered all his requests. Alexa still didn''t know what the truth about the intimidating Holstein''s Sovereign Prince was.


    "I may have been overeager, Your Majesty. Only that, after recent experiences, the maid''s murder made me uneasy. So I went to spend the night in church, hidden away."


    "Hmm, as I said, what I like about you, maiden, is how smart you can be. You are full of resources and have no qualms about using them. I wonder why your father allowed this kind of education."


    "Well, Your Majesty, my father had great ambitions for me. I must say, with all due filial respect, that he dared to plan a grand future for me, far beyond our status. He wanted me to get married to an imperial house, and so he allowed me to study languages ??and archery, and he allowed me to question him on matters of commerce and relations between kingdoms. Due to the warlike climate that has endured for decades throughout the region, he also wanted me to be able to survive with my children, if necessary. Unfortunately, due to our family''s connections with another family that came into enmity with the Megadux, we were unfairly punished. I was in the convent, because my father was preparing my wedding at that time; but perhaps I would have paid unfairly too, if I were at home," this story had been rehearsed so often that it came very naturally to Alexa''s mouth. If I repeated it a dozen more times, maybe even she would start to believe it.


    "It suits you. A palatial and stately life, as your father envisioned. It lives up to your intelligence and beauty. Furthermore, it is impossible not to recognize your nobility."


    ''What should I do now? Pretend blushing? Just thank him? What?''


    Before her silence, Prince Gutard remarked,


    "Unfortunately an English knight, even if he has a certain reputation, but doesn''t even have a castle... That''s not up to your qualities."


    It seemed not a good course of conversation.


    "Please, Prince Sovereign, have pity on this foreigner girl. I''m tired of hiding! Assassins are chasing me, but I don''t know why!" she ran ahead of him and put her hands together in a pleading and anguished gesture, purposely a little pathetic. Something worthy of the teachings of Lady Eudoxia. According to her, powerful men melted with a little exaggerated and unfounded despair, coming from a beautiful woman.


    The blond man, who looked like a giant next to her, took her hands in his, leaning down. She dared to look up slightly, and had the impression of seeing a corner smile, slightly embarrassed, on the sovereign''s lips. ''Did it work?''


    "Lady Saskia, tell me sincerely, do you really not know?"


    ''What could I say? Certainly not the truth. I can''t trust anyone here."


    "No, Your Majesty. I have no way of knowing."


    "But we''ll find out soon. One of the mercenaries who attacked you at the port is being questioned..." The Sovereign Prince released her hands and laughed suddenly, "not as Lady Saskia was, I assure you."


    "But it got me scared, Your Majesty!" she wide opened her eyes in protest, but the Prince passed her, continuing to climb the hill. His heavy boots made splash splash on the soaked terrain, and Alexa tried to use his large footprints to step in, taking advantage of the now compacted terrain and the crushed grass. When they reached the top, he took her hand and placed her on top of a rock. Alexa knew that that place was where the Grand General supervised the armies.


    Looking back, Alexa could see the beautiful city, Holstein, in its way the most beautiful Western city she had ever seen, with its dizzying towers and its apparent and opulent wealth.


    A shiver ran through her body, thinking of what might come next. Prince Gutard had put her in the place of a Grand General, so that she could see all of Holstein and its magnificence. This had to have a reason.


    "Lady Saskia, with your fiance, Knight John Blackrose, ... you don''t know him carnally, do you?"


    "OH NO!" Alexa didn''t even have to pretend to blush, the reaction was very natural.


    "So my son was the first?"


    "The first?"


    "Didn''t you kiss my son?"


    Alexa blinked, in shock. This was something she definitely didn''t want to talk about. ''It wasn''t like that! He kissed me; I didn''t want to,'' she thought, but thought it was inappropriate to detail and start such a technical conversation.


    "Lady Saskia, this morning I made a decision to avoid a bigger problem. I cannot allow you to leave Holstein in this situation."


    "But Sovereign Prince, I ..."


    "Lady Saskia, I sent several messengers in search of Sir John Blackrose, to inform him that you can no longer keep your engagement to him, because you will marry a Wuttenfal," he interrupted, staring into her eyes. Now Alexa was at his height, sitting on top of the rock, and started to feel a pain in the belly. ''Would I need to interrupt the conversation for something so embarrassing?'' This was definitely not in Lady Eudoxia''s teachings on how to charm a man and get him to do what you want. Furthermore, the Prince of Holstein''s imperious tone was difficult to challenge.


    "Your Majesty, let''s take it easy, it was just¡­"


    "Besides, I told you that I would give you a reward if you told me how to save my son. I never fail to keep my promises, my lady. Look at those vessels," he pointed at Cordelia''s ships in the harbor. "That dowry is of incomparable wealth. Those ships can make this city the richest in Europe in a few years. But you, Lady Saskia, brought me an even greater dowry. You allowed my son not to die."


    "Ah, well, that¡­" she was embarrassed, and even a little vain about it, but she still needed to work out the ''marrying a Wuttenfal'' part. The maiden certainly didn''t want to be the wife of a man who had been widowed five times. Let alone cause a scandal by marrying Magnus in Cordelia''s place. It was beyond ridiculous.


    "So, Lady Saskia, in two days you will marry Alexander, whom you kissed on the lips when you arrived here."


    "Alexander?!"

 Chapter 54 - Confabulation

    "Is it important to say that technically, it wasn''t a kiss, Father Agnello?"


    "Hm," the religious man didn''t seem very interested, but she insisted, vehemently,


    I was blowing into the Prince''s mouth! He should breathe properly to survive, or the poison would paralyze the ¡­ gahh! I give up!"


    After telling the events at the lighthouse, as agreed, the maiden tried to enlist the support of Blue Eyes. Marrying the Sleeping Prince was an idea that just didn''t make sense to Alexa.


    "Lady Saskia, let''s say that those who could defend your point of view were wiped out of Holstein the next morning. For all the lay people who watched the scene, what you did may have looked quite differently! Don''t forget, from my homeland to these lands in the Holy Roman Empire, a maiden who kisses a man on the lips has to marry him! It''s how it has to be!"


    "What a ridiculous and bizarre conception!" she boldly declared, completely irritated by this type of traditionalist thinking, while her mind wandered for the moments in Magnus'' arms, in the maze.


    "Bizarre?! Good Lord, what kind of debauchery do you want to defend?"


    Alexa sat down, sulking, given that her argument to get the priest''s help was not going well.


    "Father, how is it that a Sovereign Prince of such an important kingdom is going to marry his son to a person like me?"


    "Lady Alexa Zo? Saskia, in addition to a vague AND DUBIOUS connection with the Saskia of Byzantium, what else do you have? An engagement with an English Knight, who is on a mission for his king. A very famous knight¡­ and controversial, in fact."


    Alexa opened her mouth, shocked. It was the first time that anyone seemed to have something bad to say about John Blackrose.


    "What about Sir John¡­"


    "Let''s assess your current situation, Alexa. All you have is a promise that he will marry you when he returns home. If he comes back home. And all you have now is a letter from him, and none of this proves that you are really the maiden he refers to. Your witnesses are dead!"


    "He sent a letter to his brother, and ... "


    "That may have arrived. That may not have arrived. That may have arrived and not been well accepted. If the people of this city had not presented you royally, how would you arrive in the lands of the Blackroses? Probably with only a bundle of clothes, a letter and a ring, Lady Saskia. In the case you actually make it to the Blackroses. Admit it at once, what is the benefit to the Blackrose house that Sir John marries a foreigner, without land or influence? I really expected a little more common sense from you."


    Although it was difficult to admit, Alexa feels she had the feeling that arriving in England was a distant dream. She heard from Iain about a hostile climate among the England''s powerful houses. And in fact, the priest was right, with England''s conflicts with France, the marriage to a foreigner who had nothing to offer was not strategic for the Knight.


    However, she still took Sir John''s word for it.


    The priest seemed to be able to see it on her face, and sat down across from her. "Dear maiden, this is your golden opportunity. From a persecuted person without a family, to a Princess! Lady Alexa Zoe Saskia will become real, and will be Princess Alexa von Wuttenfal. How can you refuse an opportunity to erase your past and embrace royalty? Not to mention: when Alexander recovers, you will be married to a gentle handsome Prince of your own age! It''s something very rare and you should be happy."


    Of course, the Italian Priest didn''t mention anything about the eventful case of Alexander never returns from his sleep.


    "Father Agnello ... After all I told you about the woman at the lighthouse, Prince Gutard decides to make me marry ... ?! Can I ignore the relation of one thing and the other?"


    "This is definitely strange, Lady Saskia. Consider everything this man is giving up to marry his son to you. He certainly has expectations. However, I see something that you are not seeing, " the priest stood up again, apparently getting a little tired of Alexa''s obtuse stubbornness.


    "And what is it, Father?"


    "That he is preparing the situation to protect Alexander. Only an intelligent and ambitious wife could keep Alexander''s chances, unconscious in that bed, of staying alive!"


    "¡­! "


    The reasoning was not so complimentary to the maiden, but it made sense. At that moment the Prince depended exclusively on Alexa being really telling the truth, and pointing the right way. In addition, your fragile life could be erased in an instant, if not protected tooth and nail.


    "I am sure that the news will be received mixed by the court. But it is a story that has fascinated the people in the taverns and on the streets!"


    "People?! Taverns?! Streets?!" with amazement, the maiden realized that the event had surpassed beyond the castle walls, and reached the commoners, always eager for news from the court.


    "Yes, minstrels always look for beautiful ''love'' stories to sing in exchange for a few coins, no matter how true ..." The maiden almost laughed at the contemptuous way in which the clergyman spoke of love, but at the same time it was worrisome. Alexa has always liked minstrels and storytellers, and more than once her brothers, and even Iain, scolded her for spending coins on them. But the maiden knew very well that a bard''s tongue knew no bounds. She inquired, suspicious and uncomfortable.


    "What are the minstrels singing around, Father?"


    "The most popular song tells the story that, one day, a horrible spell was struck on the youngest son of the King of a certain city far away from here. And he immediately fell like fulminated by a lightning! However, while everyone was crying and lamenting, the lady he loved, a princess from a distant kingdom he saw once through a mirror, came up and woke him up with a kiss of love¡­"


    Alexa was impressed with the way Blue Eyes summed up the story, and as he ironically completed,


    "Anyway, that kind of impious nonsense. Naturally, the story has several versions, some more realistic than others."


    The maiden cringed at the notion of sudden popularity.


    "Well, but ... Just two days for the wedding?"


    At that, Blue Eyes seemed to enjoy himself internally.


    "Without a doubt, marrying you to Alexander on the same day that Prince Magnus marries Lady Cordelia¡­ We cannot say that our Sovereign is a man of modest strategies. He is not intimidated by anything."


    What everyone, from the Wuttenfal family, the court, Cordelia''s family, the Holstein, and especially, Prince Magnus, would be thinking about all of this? Just imagining the confusion of this sudden decision started to make her head to ache.


    Alexa decided not to think about it anymore, and asked,


    "Father, as for your part of our agreement, what happened? The Prince was warned about the prisoner, as I said."


    "It was not easy, but I took him from where he was, and be sure that this is why the Prince has not yet returned. He''s looking for the man right now," the priest''s tone was casual, but not his eyes.


    "So doesn''t Prince Magnus know yet that I''m going to marry his brother?"


    "Probably not, but he will know as soon as he arrives."

 Chapter 55 - About to Become

    "Come on, hurry up, the parade is going to start!" Alexa heard the noise of the younger ones echoing across the halls of the palace, before opening the door and leaving Father Agnello. For a moment, she compared the oppressive atmosphere of the Father''s chambers with the joy of the voices outside. Cordelia and Magnus'' wedding festivities officially began today, and many extravagant events were scheduled.


    "Isn''t Father going?"


    Blue Eyes turned to her,


    "Be calm, I will be with you so that you are not alone. Our tutor and tutelage deal will not end here.''


    Alexa preferred not to argue now, and rectified,


    "In the Bride''s parade and in the procession, I mean. Didn''t the Father hear the children''s joy?"


    The priest looked at Alexa as if he were listening to a crazy woman talking, and understanding the situation, the maiden opened the door, facing an empty corridor.


    Without explaining, she just bowed in reverence and left, and then thought about joining Lady Cordelia. They had a lot to talk about.


    Although her conscience logically agreed with the cunning reasoning of Blue Eyes, Alexa felt uncomfortable with the fact of breaking her word given to the English Knight.


    Her feet hesitated as she headed for the ward where she was previously staying. There was a ghost maid waiting for her there, and the damsel couldn''t risk dealing with her inside the castle right now. Or could she? It was definitely better to do it at once.


    But before she could really decide what she would really do, Alexa was spotted by Chamberlain. He came towards her and in his trail there was a small court of servants and ladies-in-wait. The maiden was legitimately overcome with a feeling of panic.


    Chamberlain was a bald and pompous nobleman, and the Greek girl thought she remembered him as part of the audience for her quasi-interrogatory. His name was Otto Wemmel, and really the only thing he did was to introduce Lady Saskia to the Chief Chambermaid. And to the body of servants who would be available to the maiden. Besides one of Chamberlain''s own daughters, Maria, and his niece Edel, whom he suggested as Alexa''s chaperones during the festivities, Alexa now had twelve personal servants.


    But why was the maiden counting thirteen heads down and looking at the floor?


    ''One, two, three, ... six, eight, ten, thirteen.'' she really accounted it mentally, but then she discovered the mystery. That redhead with wet hair, among the other servants.


    Nerissa.


    The maiden sighed.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    While much of the court had already left for the port, where the First Prince''s wedding festivities would begin, a private event would take place behind closed doors.


    Alexa was dressed in a beautiful indigo silk outfit, and adorned with some of the jewelry she had won, in addition to a tiara made of purple irises. She was accompanied all the time and there was no opportunity where she could be alone. Prince Gutard had already acknowledged and recognized her tricks and quirks and prepared for that.


    That was how the maiden met Father Agnello at the door of Alexander''s apartment. The priest looked serene and supportive, and even put his hand on her shoulder for a moment, trying to calm her down. It was not very effective, because Alexa felt her legs tremble with anxiety and anticipation.


    The guards opened the door, and inside, a small court awaited the arrival of Lady Alexa Zo? Saskia for mass blessing her engagement to Prince Franz Alexander Emanuel Reinhardt von Wuttenfal.


    The large chamber had been adapted for the private ceremony, which involved only a small circle of people close to the royal family. Sitting were Prince Gutard and his sister, Konrad, and an empty chair where Magnus probably should have been, to the right of Alexander''s bed.


    The curtain was pulled back, and the Sleeping Prince maintained its beautiful appearance. Now, if such a thing were possible, Alexa would even begin to believe that he was truly spell struck.


    Near the bed, too, was a group of clergymen and their helpers. By the ornate garments, Alexa recognized a high figure of the Catholic Church. It was hard not to be intimidated when the Dalassenos were persecuted and destroyed by the Church.


    It was clear that the will of a sovereign strong enough was pivotal for the Church to turn a blind eye to this hasty wedding of a Prince with a suspicious stranger.


    It was the Countess who called her, gently, to come closer, and when Alexa did, the woman held her hands for a moment, with a penetrating smiling glare surrounded by ascending wrinkles. Alexa believed reading in her expression conveyed a message of courage. She therefore did not know whether Countess Godiva approved or disapproved this engagement. But the maiden was grateful for that contact and for the kindness built into the gesture.


    It was apparent that Konrad had made an effort to be there, even convalescent. The Duke still had a puzzled and deeply concerned expression, however, keeping his eyes at his cousin in his bed. There was a hint of horror in his eyes, and he barely took notice of Alexa.


    The Sovereign Prince nodded with a half smile at her formal greeting, and allowed her to sit on the left side of the bed, ''the bride''s side''.


    In addition to Father Agnello di Borghesi, who sat beside her, there were black crepes and white flowers on the empty chairs that represented his family, the ''Saskias''. The nobles present were divided behind the chairs, on both sides, standing.


    ''What a farce.''


    The Bishop then, realizing that it was about time, asked the Holstein ruler if he could start the rites, and Gutard nodded.


    The maiden looked at her future husband, not sure if he was aware of what was happening there or not. When she touched his hand the other time, Alexander''s soul was not close of his body. However, engagements and weddings have never needed the consent of the bride and groom before. Anyway, she wondered what his reaction would be when he woke up and found out he was married.


    He had such a pale face! She noticed in awe. Alexa dared to suggest, suddenly.


    "Can we open the windows a bit, before we start? The Prince needs to breathe," turning to the Bishop, she also asked, "Can we limit the use of incense to a minimum¡­ Your Excellency?"


    Both Bishop and Sovereign Prince were a little surprised, but soon agreed. It seemed to get a smile from Prince Gutard, although the maiden was not making it for any other purpose than alleviate Alexander''s discomfort.


    After the arrangements were made, the mass in celebration of the engagement began.


    A loud knock on the door suddenly interrupted the homily. In fact, it looked like the intent was to knock the door down. Alexa was alarmed, and her hunch was confirmed when she heard the familiar voice scream,


    "FATHER! I need to talk to you! LET ME IN! "


    It seemed that the First Prince had a lot of urgency and fury, and Alexa felt her heart beat like a bird flapping in a cage.

 Chapter 56 - The Brides Parade

    The furious knocking completely paralyzed the private event, and continued, since the door was not open. Feeling hyperventilate, Alexa stared at Magnus'' father. Prince Gutard had an impassive face, betrayed only by a small, spaced out rictus.


    Finally, Holstein''s Sovereign said aloud,


    "Tell Magnus that if he isn''t at the Memorial Arch waiting for his bride, he must leave the city at dusk, never to return."


    This was not addressed to anyone in private, but the Seneschal immediately came to the door, alarmed. The Countess and Duke looked equally embarrassed and uncomfortable, but remained silent. Only the fans with which the servants waved the Sleeping Prince could be heard. This and the rhythmic tapping of Prince Gutard''s boot on the marbled floor.


    "YOU WILL REPENT THIS!" This was Magnus''s last cry in disgust from the other side of the door, followed by strange noises and then silence. Alexa imagined that Magnus had been restrained to give up the scandal, considering the calculated tone with which Gutard, the Prince, had intoned his order.


    Looking at her trembling hands over her embroidered silk skirts, the maiden grabbed the fabric, trying to keep them from shaking. She looked down to avoid the Sovereign Prince''s gaze on her. She could feel across the room that at that moment he was not at all satisfied at her, as he used to pretend. She was sure he suspected, if he didn''t actually know, something about her and his Firstborn.


    ''Could it be that that madman really told his father about what he did, in an attempt to escape the marriage to Cordelia?''


    "Please continue, Your Excellency," the Prince asked the Bishop of Holstein to resume Mass.


    At that moment, Alexa started to think about the latest events. And how everything converged, so that Magnus was not around in the last hours before the parade and also, his brother''s engagement. And she began to suspect the conscious involvement of her ''tutor'', Father Di Borghesi, in this scheme.


    If before, he got her consent by promising to help her leave, he probably realized that he would earn a lot more if he made her stay! But of course!


    She peeked at him with the corner of her eye, and Blue Eyes responded with a beatific expression that could deceive anyone but Alexa.


    But she would confront him as soon as possible; oh yes, she would.


    There was no other interruption until the end of the mass, and after that Alexa was called to the side of Alexander. Then his father, the Sovereign Prince, put engagement rings on the couple''s fingers.


    Alexa this time could not disguise how much her hand was shaking, when the ruler took her finger to put the exquisite ring with the Holstein seal.


    They''re officially engaged now.


    After that, a herald read the official proclamations, which would be posted throughout the city today, and the witnesses toasted and blessed the young couple.


    A glass of wine eased her tension, however, when the effect of the drink passed over her entire body and relaxed her muscles. Oh! She could drink a little more!


    The Countess suddenly surprised her, putting a hand on the maiden''s shoulder,


    "Young lady, you have only two days left of your ''maiden''s life''! Join the other maidens while you can! There''s a party going on outside!"


    This unexpected intrusion caused the Prince to raise an inquisitive eyebrow at his older sister, but Countess Godiva patted Alexa on the back.


    "Go, go, your friend, Lady Cordelia, must be missing you! Go and have fun!"


    It was a subtle dispute between the siblings, and this time it was the woman who won. Alexa thanked the von Wuttenfal family, the bishop and the guests, and withdrew with her two chaperones as soon as possible.


    In fact, the Countess''s suggestion served her purpose: Alexa could not only avoid any ambush by Prince Magnus, but perhaps she could even escape Holstein!


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    In total, a group of eight people left Alexa with the castle, much to their despair: her two new friends, Maria and Edel, the guards and the servants. The noble girls were very enthusiastic, not in tune with the inner spirit of the Greek lady, and they kept talking merrily. Maria was the same age as Alexa, and Edel was only fourteen.


    Maria gifted Alexa her own mask, saying that every year they had a party promoted by the ''Italian Court'', that imitated the Florentine carnival. Alexa imagined that it was a party similar to the famous event of the Venetian Republic, analyzing the luxurious prop.


    The Mask covered only the upper part of the face, and was made of starched lace dyed purple, and had gold stars glued all over, artfully. The girls praised when the maiden tried on the accessory, and Alexa was curiously wondering how she was looking like.


    They were late for the event, of course, and then headed for Holstein''s central square. Loud music could be heard from afar, as could the noise of the crowd.


    However, it was not possible to ride in a carriage on the central streets, and the group had to abandon the vehicle to get to the roads where the floats paraded. Surrounded by the guards, the three maidens remained protected, looking at everything with interest.


    Alexa remembered when she begged Iain and Locke to let her see the wedding festivities for the Prince of that kingdom. Ironically, there she was, participating in the event as an insider.


    Soon, they could see the giant floats with beautiful, fantastic or extravagant sculptures, parading by the widest street in the capital and receiving enthusiastic applause from the spectators. She didn''t expect it to be so luxurious and beautiful. Musicians came in front of or behind the cars, as well as circus performers, making amazing performances as the parade went on to the apotheosis site.


    She saw the car where the Bride was standing, waving to the people graciously. The car was a large flower sculpture, from which her family waved and tossed confectionery and coins generously. Cordelia was in the center, in a prominent place, richly dressed, and wore an elaborate veil covering her face.


    "Why is she hiding her face? She''s the Bride! Everyone wants to see her!'' But Alexa remembered that Cordelia was quite ill from a cold, and she must not be looking good. The Greek maiden lamented that Cordelia was ashamed of her face, in the great moment of her life. However, in retrospect, the situation of the unwanted bride must have hurt a lot for the poor and dear maiden. Alexa really couldn''t know what it was like to be in the shoes of Magnus''s Bride! It was intriguing that she and Cordelia were in such opposite situations.


    Her chaperones waved to a group of nobles who were in one of the floats, and soon called Alexa,


    "Come on, Lady Saskia! Let''s join them! It should be fun!'' The guards agreed that it was better if they were in a float, joining the parade, than in the middle of the crowd, and helped the trio to get on the float.


    This float depicted an allegorical Garden of Eden, for some reason, and the young masked nobles on it distributed apples to the people. She started to pretend to relax and have fun doing the same. But her eyes kept searching for a way to get out of sight of the guards who were watching her.


    The road took a sharp turn, before entering the main square, in front of the cathedral. After the corner, Alexa saw the sea of ?people and cars around the temporary building that had been erected to mark the end of the parade. It was a long sequence of arches decorated with flowers that ended in a high place, where under a larger arch, she saw the figure of a man, prominently. Magnus.


    However, at this moment, her gaze was drawn to a strange movement on the cathedral roof. She scanned the structure with a watchful eye, ignoring the movements around her.


    What was that? A man with a crossbow?


    ''A killer!''

 Chapter 57 - The Masked Lady

    The Greek maiden kept her eyes fixed on the figure of the man perched overhead. The assassin kept himself half-hidden behind a gargoyle that adorned the eaves of the western buttress. Looking around, the maiden accessed the situation. There was only one reason the killer was there, when he could be in the crowd and approach with a dagger discreetly at his target. And this reason is that he would kill someone inaccessible by ground.


    An elite assassin would only be hired if something big was at stake. Alexa could place her bets.


    Either it would be the Bride, in her glorious flowery seat in the float. Or it would be the Prince, now with his back to the murderer, on the platform under the main arch, surrounded by nobles and soldiers. Both were perfectly isolated from the population.


    But Cordelia was the unwanted bride, and had suffered a horrible attack before, which failed because of the unexpected meddling of Alexa and her friends. An attack that involved witchcraft and slave spirits.


    The distance to hit the Bride was still extreme, even for a weapon like a crossbow, and the killer would have to wait for the right moment to act.


    Calling one of the guards, the maiden pointed to the killer on the cathedral''s roof. Alarmed, the soldier called one of the other two companions, and soon both of them ran through the crowd.


    Would they be able to warn the rest of the royal guard and prevent the killer from taking action before being captured? Considering the sea of people and the time it would take to reach the cathedral, it was very unlikely. Alexa felt a flow of energy pouring through her veins; Cordelia would be murdered in front of the crowd!


    That certainty and the feeling of injustice, after so many unjust deaths that she witnessed, motivated her to act. This couldn''t be Cordelia''s time! It couldn''t be like that!


    Even though she knew she was doing wrong, Alexa couldn''t stand still. Bending down, she quickly grabbed some apples, which she placed anyway inside the neckline. There was a lot of space there. Apples would serve as stones, since she was empty-handed. This would get Cordelia''s attention at the right time.


    Jumping out of the floar too, she ran through the crowd, dodging the artists and trying to get as close as she could to the flower float. But the damsel''s limitation was the same as that of soldiers who tried to pass through large numbers of people. She didn''t even have legs big enough for that.


    Only if she made it to Cordelia before the Bride was in a good position for the sniper! And Alexa saw that the best way to do that was ... over the top!


    Climbing into one of the floats again, she used the decorated structure to reach the balcony of one of the German-style houses, where onlookers happily applauded. Naturally, they were startled at her sudden appearance. And so was she, when she felt that part of the skirt of her dress hooked into something and tore. With a jerk, she got rid of the piece of cloth, and kept running, jumping to the neighboring building''s marquee, and reaching a narrow balcony, this time, full of flowers.


    In the back of her mind, she felt guilty for stomping on the house mistress''s begonias, and taking a breath as she kept moving, prepared for the next challenge. Cross the cross alley. By luck or whim of fate, a covered carriage and a street vendor with a stall could serve as a bridge to the building on the other side. It exhausted the maiden, like the other time she had to do similar things with heavy clothing, but she couldn''t give up now.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed people were pointing and shouting at her, in surprise, confusion, and joy. From the building, the maiden jumped onto two balconies before looking for a way to go to the center of the square.


    Jumping on top of float that looked like an adorned long wagon, she ran over it, then jumped to the ground.


    She was in the square now.


    The maiden looked around to position herself, feeling that she couldn''t let her body cool and lose energy and momentum. Alexa saw that the flowers float was already in front of the entrance to the arches, and that she had very little time to get there.


    The people nearby screamed with enthusiasm, following her stunts, and she once again took a breath to continue, running towards the nearest float. This was shaped like a ship, with a very tall false mast, which swung quite a bit with the flag.


    She was sure she could try a risky maneuver with that flexible long rod. Well, Lex had done it once, learning from Narces, but then, she was ten years old and she wasn''t wearing a fancy dress. She had only one chance for it to work, and it would only happen if she was quick, very quick; and never stop.


    The odds were¡­ she could die.


    Throwing herself on the ''stern'' of the boat, she disengaged herself from the guests and reached the mast in a single fluid movement. She heard the gaping crowd''s cheerful "OHHHH! WOW!"


    But her greater attention was at a distant point. Was it her impression, or was she seeing Prince Magnus moving in this direction?


    She didn''t have time to think now. Alexa started to feel the stick bend, then she kept going. Her feet really barely touched the mast, while the flexible material tilted in a parabola and the path ahead became an arc. She felt herself sway slightly to the side, and another huge "OHHHH!" from the crowd, when the big stick started to descend, towards the flower car. Before the stick either broke; overcame her opposite bending force, or moved in a random direction, Alexa jumped in the air, hoping to reach the flower float. The maiden fell on top of the fancy vehicle, more gracefully than she expected, behind a huge rose made of fabric and wire. Lady Cordelia was on a landing below, still on her flower-decorated throne, preparing to descend.


    The crowd frantically applauded the ''performative stunt'' of the mysterious masked lady, still without understanding. Alexa''s gaze returned to the cathedral and the murderer. The sharp point of the crossbow bolt reflected in the evening sun.


    She also saw the Prince arriving in the float, crossing the long arched lane between the platform where he was supposed to wait, under the main arch, and where the fancy cart had stopped.


    Magnus'' gaze was fixed on the top of the float, and Alexa would even imagine that it was fixed on her.


    "Cordelia! Cordelia! Get down! Killer!" She shouted, but as she suspected, Cordelia wouldn''t be able to hear her with all that roar and music. The Bride was waiting for a ladder to be placed so she could climb elegantly out of the car.


    Taking from her neckline the only apple that did not fall in the way, Alexa threw it twice in the air, before throwing the fruit on her friend''s back.


    This happened at the same time that several things were happening. Alexa saw Cordelia turning to her, although she couldn''t see her expression. She also saw the Prince jump into the float, apparently coming for his bride. Did he also see the murderer on the cathedral roof? Apparently, the Prince realized the danger and came to save Cordelia!


    But she also saw that ''Cordelia'' had a semi-hidden blade in one hand!


    ''The murder was for the Prince!'' the maiden realized her mistake in horror.

 Chapter 58 - Surprise!

    The sheen of the bladed weapon in Cordelia''s hand caused the maiden to hold a horrified scream. It became even greater when she realized that the bride was preparing to bury the dagger in the First Prince!


    Magnus, in agile movements, was ignoring any obstacle to quickly reach the top of the float. Alexa could not allow him to be murdered, though.


    Surrounding the big rose-shaped prop, the maiden arrived at the flowery throne at the same time as the Prince, only on opposite sides. She grabbed Cordelia''s elbow from behind, and at that moment the maiden realized that it was definitely not her, but a stuntman. The killer was stronger than she was. And even though the assassin was taken by surprise, the false Cordelia gave Alexa a shove and freed the arm that held the blade.


    That, however, was enough for Magnus to see and understand his mistake. In a movement so fast that Alexa barely saw it, he simply punched the veiled assassin''s in the face. The fake Cordelia went back with the impact, and Alexa saw a devilish smile on the prince''s face, which then focused on kicking the weapon that the assassin wielded.


    However, Alexa jumped on him, and the two fell together, on the float''s lower level where Cordelia''s family was.


    Magnus fell on his back, absorbing all the impact, and Alexa saw a pained expression on his face. The Prince opened his golden eyes, holding her by the arms, and Magnus'' expression was not the best. But Alexa looked up for an instant, then pushed him aside as far as she could.


    ZUMMMMM! The bolt stuck to the floor of the float, next to the Prince''s face, at the same time that people were screaming. Looking to the side and seeing the bolt, Magnus grabbed her tighter and turned to the opposite side, dodging another bolt nimbly. Alexa felt pinned by something until she realized that her dress had been stuck by the second bolt. On impulse, she dropped the Prince and tugged on her dress, watching him get up too.


    Chaos had set in, and people were screaming and running in panic. The Prince again jumped to the upper level of the float, knowing he had little time. Both the maiden and the Prince knew that even the best crossbowman would take at least another minute to reload before the next two shots.


    Alexa followed him, while everyone else abandoned the float. They had to stop the killer from escaping!


    Alexa was right behind the Prince, when she heard the humming near her ear, and pulled Magnus by the leg, preventing him from continuing. This time, the bolt stuck close to the Prince''s hand, which supported him to rise to the level of the Bride''s throne.


    When they arrived at the Bride''s throne, it was not quite a surprise that the assassin was nailed to the flowered chair by a bolt. Alexa wondered if this was not the plan from the beginning. The crossbowman being a securer of the Prince''s death and the silence of the main assassin.


    Magnus went to the fake Bride and pulled the veil from her face, and they both saw a completely different person from Cordelia. The false Cordelia was a young guy with makeup, but Alexa saw when life abandoned him abruptly.


    The Greek maiden turned to the cathedral, straining her eyes and shielding them from the evening sun, trying to see the killer in the pinnacles of the tall building. But she couldn''t see the crossbowman in the position on the buttress.


    Any minimally intelligent sniper would have tried to escape with some time advantage after that failed attempt. Alexa remembered something important, though. She reached for the fake bride, feeling the assassin''s body for signs of identification.


    Yes! In a satchel, she found a black coin with an engraved symbol. This no doubt meant that the dead man belonged to an assassin''s guild and was the symbol that would allow him to receive the rest of his payment.


    Magnus looked around, as did the maiden. The population was in a panic, moving in the opposite direction, making it difficult for the soldiers to arrive. The Prince shouted orders to those already nearing, asking to ''save his Bride!''


    Alexa glanced at Magnus, surprised by his wit!


    Their eyes met at this moment. However, Alexa did not like what she saw in Magnus'' eyes. In fact, she saw Magnus'' expression change completely, seeming to be furious with the damsel.


    "Y-you don''t think I have anything to do with this, do you?"


    The same sardonic half-smile Magnus had given the killer moments before appeared on the Prince''s face.


    "We need to talk about all these assassins, don''t we ...?"


    Alexa took a step back, at the same time that Capt. Gunnar and other warriors arrived at the throne of flowers. Magnus just ignored them, focused entirely on the maiden.


    For a split second, they stood, prey and hunter, while Alexa tried to understand the reason for the sudden change. However, at the Prince''s first move in her direction, Alexa fled.


    Jumping out of the float, she crouched on the floor, beginning to feel her leg muscles complaining that day''s overexertion. Looking over her shoulder, Alexa saw Magnus doing the same, just seconds behind her.


    ''Whatever this maniac is chasing me about, it doesn''t look good!'' it was her primary thought, and the maiden sprinted amidst the crowd, running away.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Exhausted, the maiden kept the beautiful mask in a trunk, while thinking about what to do next. It was night, and all she wanted to do was throw herself into bed and sleep. Her body hurt a lot!


    She returned to the castle with her entourage, who had been in a panic at the event. It didn''t improve at hearing the account of the assassin false bride from Lady Saskia. Maria was about to cry, imagining that they''d be in trouble, but Alexa said she would take any responsibility. In fact, that was one reason she returned to the castle. The damsel was afraid that those girls would end up trying to find her in the crowd and get in trouble. But the main reason was that she wanted to know if Cordelia was hurt. After that, she would look for Cordelia''s father, with the information she had, about the assassin''s guild.


    After taking a shower and looking presentable, Alexa left her room to go to Cordelia.


    As soon as she turned the hall, she was gripped by two men. Alexa tried to struggle, but they were stronger than her. At a glance, she realized that the men holding her by her arms were two young noblemen, and that made no sense. They had mockingly and mean expressions.


    Then Alexa saw Prince Magnus, with a huge, derisive smile on his face.


    "Now I''ve got you ... Alexios!"

 Chapter 59 - First Princes Misstep

    The maiden swallowed when she heard Prince Magnus'' words. That meant that she was in big trouble now. What could happen next?


    "Can''t we talk about it another time¡­? I was going to see Lady Cordelia, and find out if she''s fine," she didn''t think Magnus would give up this easily, but that wouldn''t stop her from trying to buy time. "I can explain everything, just this is not the best time and ..."


    "Knowing everything you are capable of, I don''t think I should leave it for another time," he winked at Alexa sarcastically, turning his back and leading the way. Magnus'' friends started to drag her, and Alexa tried to get rid of them in all ways, but it was impossible.


    "You are hurting me! Let me go! Your Highness?! What are you doing?! Shouldn''t you be looking for who tried to murder you, instead of harassing me? Let me go, I promise I''ll explain everything!"


    "Hahaha, don''t make me laugh, everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie! Were you having fun at our expense?! AT MY EXPENSE?!" without turning to her, the Prince shouted, and the sound echoed down the hall. Alexa really started to get scared.


    "And wait! Where are you taking me to? I should have a right to defend myself and, I ... I''m innocent! I am innocent! I AM INNOCENT!" she yelled too, struggling again. However, she felt so weak after all the stunts of the day!


    "Innocent is the only thing you are not!"


    Alexa wondered where the Prince got the information about her identity, and how much he would know. Was it with the port killer, or somewhere else? She had no way of knowing. The maiden didn''t get surprised that the Prince was feeling furious, having been deceived that way. However, she''s got surprised to realize that she was not being taken to the interrogation room or a place like a dungeon, but the Royal Family''s Private Wing.


    The guards at the door got surprised, but they did not stop the First Prince from passing by bringing Lady Saskia, dragged by his friends.


    The maiden realized that it was a private dining room, and at a glance she saw Prince Gutard, Countess Godiva, and some Ruler''s trusted men, sharing supper while they talked. The Bishop who performed her engagement mass was also at the table, with a less pompous cassock, Alexa acknowledged. The tone of the conversation seemed friendly and even cheerful, but it fell silent when Magnus arrived.


    Magnus kneels briefly to one knee on the floor in greeting, as usual.


    Finishing the sip of his wine, Prince Gutard assessed the situation and asked,


    "What is going on?"


    "With all due respect, Your Majesty, I must interrupt your meal. I need to prevent a terrible mistake," said Magnus without looking up. Feeling that everyone''s gaze strayed from the Prince''s figure immediately to her, Alexa made her best possible expression of suffering and injustice.


    "By God, son, what is it now? What are you doing with Lady Saskia? I''ve been told about what happened in the square. We''ve been talking about it right now."


    "Lady Saskia? She is not a Lady, nor is this person''s name. I interrogated the mercenary who tried to murder ... this person at the port."


    "I thought you told me he died."


    "Not before he even confessed that. That he was hunting a Greek boy named Alexios. Who used to dress both as a man and as a woman. The price for Alexios'' head is high, his weight in gold, for what I was told."


    "Does that make any sense, Magnus? We just heard that Lady Saskia once again interfered in an assassination attempt. Is it not true that if the ''Purple Mask'' had not arrived in time, you would be dead?" said the Countess, aghast.


    This drew a low grunt from the Prince, who cannot avoid answering his aunt.


    "The reasons for this attack are not yet clear, are they? But, whether or not I would survive? Don''t you think you''re underestimating your nephew a little, Aunt Godiva?"


    Countess Godiva did not reply, but Prince Gutard, who finished his plate as the conversation unfolded, while keeping his eyes fixed on the whole action, muttered,


    "And you at least do you know who this Alexios is and what he did to have his head costing this much?"


    Magnus looked at Alexa, this time,


    "No, but ''Lady Saskia'' said he could explain everything," his look was malicious and condescending. Alexa saw there the opportunity to try reversing the situation. Revealing her identity to those people. Not in the Bishop''s presence was a no-deal, though.


    "Your Majesty, please! Allow me to disagree with Prince Magnus. I am not this person. But I know who Alexios is, even though I don''t know him in person."


    "Hmph! You really are¡­" Magnus grunted, furious, but the Prince interrupted him,


    "Speak, Alexa,"


    "The Dallassenos were a family very close to my father, who was an imperial diplomat. We had business relationships, and they attended my father''s meals, and vice versa. Alexios was the youngest son," the maiden tried not to be moved, but felt her eyes moist with just the first words. "This family also served the emperor, but they apparently committed terrible crimes, and the emperor took his hand off them. The Church persecuted them. They took my father and all his men for questioning, to reveal their whereabouts. My father sent a letter about me to get me out of the city. I lived in the convent, as I said, since I was fourteen."


    "Your lies have no end!" This cried Prince Magnus, outraged by Alexa''s audacity. But he couldn''t understand the fear she felt, or what she had already been through. She would lie as many times as needed. Magnus countered, inflamed,


    "Have you ever seen a convent maiden capable of so many feats? Is this a boy thing or not?! Father, this filth boy''s tongue is trained in the art of lying. Don''t be fooled by this appearance! He''s a boy! And this marriage to my brother, this is inconceivable!"


    The realization that Magnus''s fury was because he received the news of Alexa''s identity and thought he kissed and lusted after a boy came to Alexa''s mind. She would have a little sympathy if she wasn''t getting angry at his motivations. Magnus could say it was because of Alexander, but in fact, he was disgusted, for imagining he had committed a ''sin''! He had a very convenient list of sins!


    Now thinking from this point of view, she understood Magnus''s bloodshot eyes, and how he almost spit when talking about her. But the Prince didn''t have many details about the Dallassenos, she realized. Or he would have said it there, in front of the Bishop, to get her killed immediately. The maiden imagined that she was not yet dead only because she had Prince Gutard''s protection, as Alexander''s Bride.


    And she had to work with it,


    "I''m not a boy! Please listen to me, Prince Magnus! Everything I said now, I had already told Your Majesty. Why are you bullying me so much, Your Highness?!"


    "You should spend all your energy on more useful things, Magnus," the Sovereign Prince said in a bad mood, taking another sip of his wine. "Select a few men to help you investigate these attacks on you and your Princess, and leave your brother''s wife alone."


    The terms could either be interpreted as a suggestion or order, but it surprised Alexa to see the definitive tone with which Prince Gutard spoke of couples. For greater dramatic effect, she shook herself into the still tight grip she was being subjected to, and moaned and sighed in frustration.


    Being treated as a capricious futile person angered the First Prince in such a way that he came towards Alexa. Alexa thought Magnus would slap her, as his father did, and got up immediately from his chair. She instinctively closed her eyes, curled with fear.


    But that was not what the First Prince did.


    His raised hand grabbed Alexa''s skirt. Magnus lifted it in a sudden and single movement, petticoats and all, up to her neck, exposing her body.

 Chapter 60 - Crocodile Tears

    Gutard blinked three times, agape at the unexpected sight in front of him.


    The Bishop didn''t blink, but turned red as a beet.


    The Countess immediately turned yellow, her mouth twitching in dismay.


    The other men at the table held their breath, wide-eyed.


    And Magnus ... His mouth opened at the sight of Alexa''s exposed pubis, and the color of his face fled at once.


    While everyone''s gaze went to the most obvious point, and she saw the startled expressions on their faces, the maiden felt her face burn like fire. Her eyes filled with tears, which immediately overflowed across her face.


    It didn''t matter Magnus''s pale expression, or faces as red as hers in front of the damsel. She grumbled in deep pain and embarrassment, suddenly wanting to die.


    "MAGNUS!" Gutard called out as if he was scolding the worst dog in the kennel.


    Her skirts were released as quickly as they had been lifted, and the arms holding hers loosened as if by magic.


    She recoiled and stumbled to the floor, haunted by all the sour memories about it. Feeling dirty and worth less than cat poop.


    "I ... I ... Holy Sh ...!" The always arrogant and canny Prince Magnus was now speechless, and his face was wax-colored. He looked at the maiden, and reached out his hand to her, probably thinking of helping her to get up, but Alexa just shrank more.


    Amid her tears, the Greek maiden saw the Countess Godiva approach her nephew and slap Magnus in the face with such force that a stone in her ring came free and fell close to the girl''s face.


    "You inconsiderable brat! How could you?!"


    The Bishop and another nobleman came to help Alexa get up. In the midst of her humiliation, anger poisoned her heart to the point it throbbed. She wanted to curse him, scream her lungs out, and stab him a thousand times, for putting her to shame. She just had her private parts exposed in front of the Inner Council. What had she done to deserve this?


    She could have died earlier today, trying to save him and Lady Cordelia. Interfering with fate and risking being punished for it. But that was the payment she received for.


    But Magnus was the Prince, and no punishment would touch him, in the end. There would be no justice for her.


    It was a stinging taste in her throat, and she realized that if she let the offense pass, Magnus would soon be snickering and bragging about the fact.


    Sitting in the chair, she started to cry copiously, searching within herself for all the bitterness she pushed well to the bottom, to produce the worst and most meaningful cry she could manage. She was going to drool and make snot bubbles, from crying so much. She was going to have a fever and fell ill and broken-hearted. Only then would they forget about Alexios.


    After all, she was a BRIDE into Holstein''s nobility, wasn''t she?


    No doubt the men in the room started to get uneasy with her endless crying, and the Countess came forward to hug and console her.


    Magnus was about to sneak away, asking for leave in a low voice, but his father ordered imperiously,


    "All three of you, don''t you dare leave here!"


    The Sovereign Prince himself came to Alexa, crouching in front of her,


    "...!" Apparently he couldn''t find words to comfort a damsel in this kind of situation, and tried to wipe her tears with the sleeve of his shirt.


    Calculating, Alexa threw herself into his arms, continuing to sob on his shoulder. The maiden felt his huge hand smoothing her hair, trying to comfort and shush her.


    "Shhh ... Shhhh!"


    Yes, as Lady Eudoxia would say, a woman''s best weapon is crying at the right time.


    "Well, I was wrong, I ... How could I know...?" Magnus tried to start easing off his complicated situation. His friends were silent behind him, hoping the Prince could save all of them.


    "Good question," interrupted the Sovereign Prince. "You have disappointed me in many ways. You have refused to fulfill your obligations in a dignified manner, and have tormented your brother''s bride, spreading rumors and lies about her. Enough. Don''t think this attitude will go unpunished."


    "Dad ... Your Majesty, I can ..."


    "Magnus, you better shut up now," Prince Gutard spoke in a cold voice, handing Alexa to the Countess. A docile Alexa obliged, weakened from sobbing, and nestled in the padded breast of the Saxon matron.


    Weakened in her body, but her spirit had risen from the ashes like a phoenix, fueled by the fire of her rancor. Her swollen eyes peeked out from under her lashes as the case unfolded.


    While the three culprits stood in the middle of the room in silence, the other men gathered in a corner to advise the Holstein Ruler on the situation.


    The atmosphere of tension made the air in the room dense, and to keep this atmosphere favorable to her, Alexa ensured sobbing and stifling at alternate intervals, bemoaning in distress,


    "... Such a degradation ... My God, everyone saw me naked ... Mocked ... on my lack of femininity¡­. I''m horrible¡­ My cleavage isn''t full fleshed, I understand, but¡­ What did I do to deserve¡­ I want to die¡­ Naked¡­ Oh!"


    When the Sovereign Prince returned with his advisers to the middle of the room, the Countess straightened Alexa on the chair, whispering,


    "Let''s hear it, honey. Magnus will apologize to you for the grievance he committed."


    "Alfrid, Mario, what a shame! Who gave them permission to seize and drag a Prince of Holstein''s bride as if she were a nothing? You would deserve to be whipped for that! But I know that you were ill-advised by the one who devised such a vile plan! Therefore, each of you will serve for a year in the border forties, in your respective military posts! Tomorrow morning I will sign the decree," this was Prince Gutard''s statement to Prince Magnus''s comrades. Alexa imagined how angry their families would be at the news. Border posts were usually problematic and never glorious.


    The two noble young men immediately knelt, lamenting their thoughtless attitudes and thanking the ruler for his benevolence.


    "And you Magnus ..."


    Magnus left the contrite position from before, after his friends'' sentences. He lifted his chin slightly, kneeling to receive his sentence, but not hiding a new arrogant attitude. This ignited Alexa with hatred.


    ''Of course, if he gets an equal sentence, it won''t be a problem for him. Just a good excuse to stay away from his spouse. Damn Magnus! Where''s justice?''


    "Apologize to your future sister-in-law," ordered Prince Gutard.


    Magnus already expected this, and turning the body, without getting up, spoke to Alexa,


    "Lady Saskia, forgive me for my mistake. I just tried to do the best for my family. I tried to defend my brother from a problem, and my father from shame. But I was the one who bring shame to myself. Please. Forgive me."


    ''What is this? Is it all?!'' she''s got speechless. How could that bastard sound so fake? His words were far from convincing! Alexa pulled the air out of her lungs, to say,


    "No, Your Highness. That was too much and I don''t forgive you."


    And turning to Sovereign Prince Gutard, she dared to suggest, with a serious and determined expression. "Your Majesty, accept that I choose the punishment your son deserves, and then I will feel vindicated."


    Magnus narrowed his eyes in alarm.

 Chapter 61 - Pink

    The Monarch of Holstein turned to the maiden,


    "As long as it is up to the affront he committed, you can choose Prince Magnus'' punishment," he conceded, to the perplexity of those present. Magnus didn''t open his mouth, but his face contracted in a grimace of hatred.


    "All dismissed."


    The order of the Sovereign Prince quickly disbanded everyone, and Alexa was taken to the sumptuous chambers of Countess Godiva. After enjoying a soothing tea, as the Countess said she needed it herself, the older lady wanted to know,


    "Lady Saskia, I know my nephew seriously offended you, but what do you have in mind?"


    Alexa spoke without thinking,


    "He needs to go through similar humiliation to what he inflicted upon me!"


    "My dear, your pain is legitimate, but he is a Prince, and you will marry his younger brother. He may be the future ruler of this kingdom; please be wise in your retribution," advised the older woman.


    Possessed by a fixed and persistent desire for revenge, Alexa could not absorb the wisdom of those words. No matter how much she saw common sense coming from experience there. She just craved REVENGE! REVENGE! REVENGE!


    "Your Excellency, I''ll think of a discipline that will serve your eldest nephew as a lesson in humility and maturity. If I pay any consequences in the future, it''s because Prince Magnus cannot sympathize with a woman''s suffering. Isn''t it enough for him to mock his own bride?! All he''s been doing since I arrived is treating me like I''m the cheapest of criminals. Why does he pester me this much?"


    "You''re a smart girl and you know that''s not why Magnus chases you," said the Countess. "It''s a man''s attraction to a woman."


    "I don''t know any of that. All I know is that he always wants to have the last word."


    "Well, no matter what feelings Magnus may have for you, it''s your role to refuse his advances. It''s a terrible sin, as both are compromised to other people. And you both will be part of the same family soon. But remember, when you are part of this family, you must join the effort to protect it. The legacy of one is the legacy of all," the Countess got up, and went to the bed, pulling the covers off. "Rest here tonight, and sleep as much as you can. I''ll be with Konrad during the night. He is a little feverish. The attendants will help you change."


    Alexa took pity on the poor Duke, and wishing him a good recovery, she obeyed the Countess.


    An hour later, her eyes were still open in the dark, cracked only by a lamp inside a glass shield. From time to time she heard loud laughter and a subdued sound of music, which were part of the castle''s private festivities.


    She was unable to sleep, seized by endless recapitulations of the day''s events. The Countess''s words reverberated in her mind. She would soon be part of the Von Wuttenfal, and would cease to be a Dallassenos. ''The legacy of one is the legacy of all.''


    While still trying to figure out what it meant, she heard a loud noise in what appeared to be a wardrobe on the wall. Startled, Alexa reached the silver candlestick next to the bed. She was just getting out of bed when the closet door, painted with an exquisite country landscape, opened with a certain fuss. To her utter surprise, the one who came out of the closet, now clearly a secret escape passage, was Prince Magnus.


    "But ...!" The maiden preferred a thousand times that he was another murderer than the despicable First Prince.


    "Shhhh, what are you doing? Aren''t you in your room?! How can I talk to you if you are never doing what you should be doing?" The slurred speech, even if still coherent, revealed the Prince''s alcoholic state. ''Gosh, this is the last straw!''


    Still gripping the sconce, she sat on the bed, saying firmly,


    "Go away, Your Highness. You are drunk. And we have nothing to talk about."


    "You have a reservoir of tears, don''t you? But I must grant it to you, you are the most fascinating person I have ever seen," he approached with a grin, reaching for the lamp and bringing it close to the bed.


    "I''m going to call the guards," the maiden warned, struggling to contain her desire to smash the sconce on the prince''s head.


    "If you call the guards, I will say that we were reconciling, as lovers we are! That it was just teething troubles," he laughed.


    ''Ah, how pathetic!'' she thought. Few men escaped being pathetic when drunk, and Magnus was apparently no exception. ''He''s the seductive and romantic type when he''s drunk, why isn''t that even a surprise?''


    Magnus sat on the bed, overlooking the threat of the candlestick, and setting the lamp down beside the bed. Alexa rocked the object in her hands from side to side, feeling its weight and getting ready to use it if necessary.


    "Don''t be ridiculous. How could we be lovers when I was a boy to you? Wasn''t that the reason for your anger? What nonsense to say it was to save your family''s honor! It was because you were horrified to beg for a boy''s kisses!" She spoke contemptuously, savoring the truth of her words. But Magnus laughed softly, inclining his torso to rest his head on the cushions on the bed, while his feet remained on the floor.


    "Yes. I was mad. I always knew you were a liar, but itching to make love to you with such yearning, and learning that you were a boy! I got crazy as hell! Crazed that you played with me like that. But look, I had reason to conclude it! I saw you doing things that I never believed a girl could do."


    At least the last part should have filled her with pride, but it just pissed her off.


    "I thought that it''s because I don''t have a fleshed and womanly body. Admit it once for all."


    "Also this. You really aren''t that hot to hug. But I go crazy about your smell, and your ... vulva ... It''s beautiful. Pink and beautiful," he said dreamily, staring at the embroidered canopy of stars on his aunt''s bed.


    "Mine ... vuldfhh?!!!" Alexa felt herself starting to become apoplectic, especially since her reaction brought another chuckle from the drunk Prince. "Ah, you bastard!!!"


    This time, she really lost her mind and tried to hit him with the candlestick. But Magnus, despite being drunk, was still agile and dodged, rolling to the side and running away from her. Alexa continued to chase him across the huge bed, though just hitting pillows and blankets while they both crawled on the mattress. Hunt and huntress.


    "Come back here, I''m going to smash your head!"


    "It doesn''t change the fact that¡­ I really want to make love to you!"


    "Let''s see when your head is bleeding! Get back here!" she pulled him by the leg, making him slide and fall flat, with his back to her in the middle of the mattress. She raised the candlestick very high to hit him, but the Prince still replied, apparently feeling very audacious and comical,


    "It won''t change my opinion!"


    But at that moment, there was a knock at the door, and the call,


    "Alexa! Are you awake?"


    It was Cordelia''s voice.

 Chapter 62 - Exploring

    "Go away," Alexa grunted to the Prince, still threatening him one last time with the candelabra. He just rolled over on his back, and said,


    "Why don''t we use the opportunity and ask Cordelia why she wasn''t in the flower float?"


    "What are you talking about? Go away! Ask those questions in broad daylight!" she pushed the Prince out of bed, but he didn''t move. Apparently the comfort of the bed was appealing to the Prince''s drunken mind, and he didn''t seem willing to leave.


    Cordelia''s voice came from the other side of the door, again, "Alexa? Coff Coff! What are these noises? I''m coming in," the door opened, and Alexa scowled at the Prince, covering him with a blanket and throwing cushions over him. Alexa relied on the darkness to hide Magnus in the princely bed. ''It''s going to have a payback, you bastard!''


    "Ahhhhwnnn! Who''s there? Is it you, Cordelia?" She pretended to sweep away her sleepiness, and sat on the edge of the bed. Taking the lamp, she placed it next to her, as far away as possible from the pile of furs and pillows where Magnus was buried below. If that drunk asshole decided to reveal himself, Alexa knew that it would be the end of the undeserved trust that Cordelia had for her. In addition to other possible consequences. The maiden just wanted to have faith that the First Prince was not that stupid and impetuous.


    "Alexa! I heard noises, I thought there was someone here," Cordelia approached the bed, with a candlestick.


    "This castle is full of drafts and the wind brings sounds from everywhere," Alexa made up an excuse. When Cordelia was close enough, Alexa was startled as she looked cadaverous and ghastly, and got up quickly.


    "Cordelia, what''s going on? Are you fine?" When Cordelia touched her hand, Alexa noticed that she was still slightly warm, as if the Flemish damsel had a low fever. "Are the medications working?"


    "I''m afraid they are poisoning me, my friend, so I stopped taking them!" The Flemish girl then confessed, "I can''t sleep either! Those sounds that you speak of, yes, it disturbs me all the time! It also seems that there always someone is watching me, especially when I close my eyes!"


    "There is no better remedy for this than prayer, Cordelia. But tomorrow morning we can talk to my confessor, Father di Borghesi, and you can tell him these things," Alexa hugged the taller girl. She realized that while she was becoming a bride herself, and fleeing or chasing assassins, the affliction of Magnus'' Bride was not over yet.


    Cordelia sat on the edge of the bed, which forced Alexa to sit by her side. The Greek girl tried to stay in a position that would prevent the other girl from looking at the other end of the bed. The long shadows of the gothic style chamber could help with this kind of pathetic concealment, just as it allowed an assassin to easily hide inside a room.


    "Alexa, once again you took a chance to save my life! But tell me, there are so many rumors coming to me, I don''t know what to believe!"


    "I saw a man armed with a crossbow on the cathedral roof, Cordelia. But the killer wasn''t there for you, but for the Prince. The girl they put in your place ... well, to begin with, it wasn''t a girl. He was also an assassin!"


    Cordelia had a coughing fit, and Alexa had to reach for the water jar and give her water, so they could continue talking. It was natural for Cordelia to be nervous, but Alexa followed the instinct that she should put pressure on her a little. Even if it made her suffer.


    "Cordelia, why weren''t you at the parade? I thought you were infirm, but look at you there, walking down the castle halls at night."


    "My father came in the morning and said that I shouldn''t go, because Prince Magnus was not even in town. If I went and was shamed that he didn''t come, our family would be humiliated and demoted. Everyone was scared, and decided on this ploy," she sighed.


    "Maybe he was too busy, that was the reason. But he did arrive at time, didn''t he?" As much as she hated to defend Magnus''s honor, it was better that way. Cordelia nodded, with a smile, which ended in a dry cough.


    "But ... what happened to the person who would replace you?" Alexa asked.


    Magnus''s fiancee was confused for a moment, and said, "Well, I don''t know. I didn''t know until now that someone else was there."


    ''What an incredible coincidence that her family thought of replacing the bride on the day that the murderers have the same idea,'' the Greek maiden thought, but kept her suspicions for now. Cordelia seemed to cringe, and Alexa wondered if the maiden was not having her own suspicions at this point. But she decided to dispel the uncomfortable mood.


    "I''m glad you weren''t there, Cordelia. I thank God for that."


    "Me too. And I''m glad for you not get hurt too. But ... They said the Prince chased you, I mean, the masked maiden. I was also told that you were seen being dragged by two men in the early evening. I begged my dad to try to find out if it was true and to interfere if necessary, but he didn''t return until I retired."


    "Well, Cordelia¡­ That''s true. I have many things to tell you. It is better that you know it by my own mouth than by rumors, and ... ouch!"


    Magnus'' pinch on her ribs made her start, and she held her breath so as not to curse him and end the farce immediately. Of course, the worthless Prince didn''t want her to reveal all his stupidity. He was so full of himself, so cocky!


    "My God, what was that?!" Cordelia was startled too. Their recent struggles had certainly left the poor maiden on edge. Alexa pointed to the painted closet door,


    "Look! That door moved!"


    "Ohhh!" Cordelia groaned, grabbing Alexa''s arm in a painful way, "Are they evil spirits?!"


    Alexa, however, knew it was a secret passage, and at that moment, exploring its destination would be more than convenient. When would she have another chance to be alone in the Countess''s bedchambers? In addition, she would divert Cordelia''s attention and get rid of Magnus, all at once.


    The maiden did not answer her friend, and lighting up the chandelier, she went to the closet, opening it and groping its false bottom until it slid. "Cordelia! A secret passage! This is where the noises you say you heard must come from!"


    Alexa felt a little guilty about playing this prank on Cordelia, but it would be for everyone''s good. Cordelia came with her own candle, moved by curiosity, "Should we be peering at this?"


    "Of course we should! You need to know well every recess of your new home!" Alexa pushed the taller girl into the closet, following close behind.

 Chapter 63 - At the First Princes Chambers

    Passing the narrow secret passage between the castle walls, the two maidens walked in silence for a brief moment. Alexa felt a current coming from somewhere, so she imagined that soon they would reach a more open place, and she was not mistaken.


    Cordelia, who was ahead, exaggeratedly took a deep breath when they arrived in a circular chamber. This was the connection point for several narrow corridors as dark as the one they had come from. On each of them there was a symbol painted in red, symbolizing animals: lion, wolf or dog, horse, rabbit and a bird, and one without any drawing. Cordelia breathed heavily after a coughing fit, and whispered,


    "We shouldn''t be doing this! They will hear us!"


    "If we get caught, what will happen to us? Not a single thing!" The Greek damsel tried to reassure Cordelia about the consequences, and knew it was true. But to her surprise, the other girl took her by the arm, and asked,


    "Lady Alexa, tell me the truth! Why did the Sovereign Prince call her back? You act in very peculiar ways for me, and the events that surround you ... And the fact that you and my fiance are always seen together ...!"


    It was definitely not the time or the way Alexa would like to address the situation that plagued both of them. Her adventurous spirit preferred to be exploring the secret passages at the moment rather than giving Cordelia these answers. But she did not shy away,


    "Cordelia, don''t worry, everything you thought and said on the deck of Philomena, proved to be just wrong assumptions. Your fiance was always intrigued by my identity, which is why he chased me. I have told you this a few times, but my family had political complications in my homeland, so they confused my identity with someone else''s. A boy. And your fiance thought I was a boy dressed as a woman!"


    "You can''t be serious!" this was Cordelia''s astonished reaction.


    "But I am. Your fiance arrested me and lifted my skirt in front of several people," Alexa summed up the facts in a dark tone, not hiding her resentment. Cordelia also revealed that the Holstein Sovereign Prince had forced her engagement to Sleeping Prince, for even greater consternation of Magnus'' bride,


    "Then are we going to get married on the same day?"


    "Yes. It seems that Destiny wants us to be sisters, my dear!"


    Alexa expected a good reaction from Cordelia, but realized, even in the gloomy ambient, that the news left the maiden perplexed and uncomfortable. But Alexa preferred not to care that Cordelia''s reaction was not as effusive as she expected. The maiden imagined that she had many things in mind at that moment. Turning, she pointed to the drawings.


    "Do you know what they mean? I think they can give us a clue as to where they are leading to."


    "Let me see¡­ Well, I think I know what they mean. Here in the West, the lion can mean the King and Leader, so this passage must lead to Prince Gutard''s quarters. The Dog is the most loyal, therefore the oldest son''s chambers, and the Horse symbolizes the youngest son, according to the practice of centuries ago. The other symbols, I think, refer to the women''s rooms."


    "Ah, it really makes sense," Alexa commented, asking next, "Well, where do you want to go?" If she was alone, she would certainly follow the hallway without identification, because it promised more mysteries to be unveiled.


    Cordelia didn''t even hesitate, although she had a coughing fit before uttering her choice,


    "To my fiance''s quarters!"


    ''What a plain person!'' Alexa concluded, a little discouraged, and asked.


    "What if he''s there?"


    "I thought he was with his friends at a party," Cordelia said, and the Greek maiden concluded that Cordelia was very well advised by her attendants. Except it wasn''t where Magnus was.


    "Very well, so let''s explore some of your groom''s secrets," Alexa agreed, this time leading the way. Soon they found the sliding door that was half open, and went to the Prince''s valet room. There was no one in the room, as expected, and sneakily, the two maidens began to search the First Prince''s quarters.


    Magnus''s bedchamber was, as expected, luxurious and full of intriguing objects. Alexa''s attention was drawn to a painting in a golden frame. A stunning woman with mysterious brown eyes and a green gown, was masterfully portrayed. She had the same mole next to her lips that Magnus also had.


    The maiden knew at once that this was ''Princessa Letitia'', Magnus''s mother. The Black Queen. She approached the painting to inspect it further, losing Cordelia''s focus for a moment. What caught Alexa''s attention in that picture was the ring that Princess Letitia wore on the hand that led to her chest.


    Despite the rosary of pearls on the neck, the ring contradicted the Princess''s Christian faith. The red stone ring had the symbol of Diana Hecator, the Queen of the Night.


    Letitia di Borghesi was also a witch while alive.


    Her gaze shifted to the movements behind her, and Alexa saw Cordelia lying on the Prince''s sheets, rolling across the huge bed like an agonizing snake. ''What is this weird woman doing? Do not tell me that she is ... in love?''


    "Cordelia!" the maiden chided with a peevish whisper.


    The other maiden sat on the bed, a little more flushed, and coughed nervously,


    "It takes so little time before I finally become his!" Cordelia hid her face, laughing silly. Alexa frowned, and said dryly, turning around,


    "Well, there''s no accounting for taste... Go on, pretend I''m not here."


    She didn''t know why she was angry, but of course seeing Cordelia demonstrate her feelings did Alexa to think Magnus''s words about marriage. ''And he was right about having been sold out...''


    But an object on the sideboard, just below Princess Letitia''s picture, intrigued her enough. It was a filigree silver box with an ivory lid. Upon opening, the box turned out to be a case of what she at first thought was a very luxurious razor. But it was so unlikely that even a prince had such a prosaic object of such quality, that she decided to remove it from the case to better evaluate it.


    It was actually a small, rather pointed blade, which caused Lex to doubt its usefulness as a weapon. It could also be a letter opener. There was also a capped bottle in the case. She approached, more and more intrigued, to see what the stain on the object''s pointed blade was about.


    What most puzzled Alexa is that both objects smelled of fresh blood.


    How was that possible?


    When she actually touched the blade, a breeze blew out suddenly, extinguishing her chandelier.


    Alexa shivered, knowing that the breeze had supernatural causes. Most likely, to prevent her from seeing the object clearly.


    But she would not be so easily overcome by ghosts.


    The maiden decided to take the objects to examine them elsewhere.


    "Cordelia, that''s enough. Let''s go."


    "My Good Lord, look at the size of his shoes!" Cordelia exclaimed in a mix of awe and horror, squatted by the bed now. Snorting at Cordelia''s frivolity, Alexa went to the small room of the Prince''s jack. She wondered if the maiden''s bewildered reaction was because of the ridiculous myth that a man''s masculinity can be measured by the size of his foot. Lady Eudoxia said that, at least.


    The maiden had had the opportunity to find out if it was true, in the bathtub, but she hadn''t.


    "Cordelia¡­! Come on!" she called again, more and more inexplicably annoyed. ''How can she not cough so much when it comes to prying on her groom?''


    "Lady Cordelia, what are you doing in my chambers?!" The Prince''s hoarse voice came from the master bedroom.


    Cordelia coughed, and babbled,


    "M-my Prince?"


    ''What a slick bastard!'' Alexa thought, turning on her heels to return to the main chamber and save Cordelia.


    But the door between them slammed shut in her face, moved by unseen hands.

 Chapter 64 - Crime and Punishment

    When Alexa felt the cold and supernatural breeze push the door, she couldn''t be quick enough to avoid it. She pulled the bolt, but it was tightly locked, and the Greek damsel didn''t have the strength to pull. The maiden raised her fist to knock on the door and demand that the Prince open it, but something halted her. Lady Cordelia''s voice, mixed with her cough, pleading,


    "Coff coffff No Your Highness, don''t do that!"


    "What do you think you''re doing, pestilent creature? Not content with not being able to kill me earlier, did you dare to come to my room?!"


    "Cofff Coff¡­!" Alexa really couldn''t understand Cordelia''s attempted response this time.


    "You and your family are completely mistaken if you think you are deceiving me with this circus. Where were you? Is your father sorry to use his precious boats in this wedding?" the Prince''s arrogant and menacing tone was one to fear, even through a door. Cordelia kept coughing, but the Prince didn''t seem to have any mercy, as he went on,


    "When I get my hands on the evidence against your family, you and all of them are going to pay me for it. I will watch you bleed as you wanted me to bleed. I will watch your flesh spoil and be eaten by worms, but you''ll be kept alive. You will be left to have your eyes eaten by crows, while I drink and rejoice on your putridness. Not because of the Von Wuttenfals or Holstein, but because you are the opportunistic and treacherous rats whom I loathe the most!


    "B-but ... coff I don''t know anything my P-Prince! Forgive me, I don''t know anything! No! No! Please let me go! Let me go!" the damsel''s horrible and desperate cry alarmed Alexa, who finally thought she had waited too long to interfere,


    "Magnus! Your Highness! Open this door! Stop this! Open the door!!!" she banged hard on the wood of the door, but the Prince just ignored it. Alexa heard odd, unidentifiable noises from the other side. Knocks on furniture, strokes, and dragging sounds.


    "Magnus !!!" she pleaded, alarmed. The Prince was drunk and acting aggressively, and Alexa didn''t know what to expect from the constant changes in the attitude of that man. "Please! Please! Don''t do anything you might regret ...! Open that door, you bastard!"


    "Cordelia, I loathe you! I loathe your face, I loathe your money! I loathe your family. Why didn''t you die?! It would be better ...!" More than the words spoken, the deep contempt and legitimacy in the violent tone of the Prince hurt even in the heart of Alexa, to whom the words were not addressed.


    "No, please, please Your coff coff, Highness no! I¡­ didn''t have any parti-cipation in that, I swear! I ¡­ coff coff I am devoted to you, please don''t kill me!" Cordelia pleaded in a weak, breathless voice.


    "Hahahaha! Do you want to be the Princess of Holstein? Want that much?! For real?! You are disgustingly pathetic, Cordelia!" the cynical and savage laugh sent a shiver through Alexa, who decided that just listening would not solve anything. Clapping her hands against each other, she summoned a quick prayer to expel the invisible spirits that kept the door closed. Only then would she reach the next chamber and prevent the tragedy she imagined was imminent.


    However, the maiden''s hands didn''t burn nor did the light appear.


    ''W¡­ What''s going on?'' She felt a sudden panic wash over her mind. Her gift was not working! Alexa tried a few more times, to no avail, to her despair. Apparently, her state of mind was quite visible to the Shades who were watching her, but which Alexa didn''t see at the moment, as the room gradually began to get darker and darker. Menacingly darker.


    Alexa realized that the only alternative was to leave where she had arrived, and go back through the front door to save Cordelia.


    Without looking back, the maiden passed the entrance to the secret passage, feeling the familiar shudder of ghostly eyes watching over her actions. As quickly as she could, Alexa reached the circular chamber, and returned by the Bird''s passageway, which led to the Countess Godiva''s quarters and was where they had come from before. Only this time did the Greek damsel run in complete darkness, with no candle or the light of her gift to guide or protect her.


    Lex stumbled in the dark, and got scratched several times. But she finally reached the sliding door inside the painted closet. However, as much as Alexa pushed, the door did not slide or open. Again, she knew that the spirits decided to interfere with her. The maiden wasted no time knocking on the door to try to get someone''s attention, but came back the same way.


    Ghostly laughter and whispers chased her, and the darkness was beginning to seem almost tangible. It was as if she had to remove black veils from the path to move forward, while groping the corridor walls to move forward.


    The maiden tried all the animal doors, but found them all solidly locked. Alexa''s grief at leaving was mainly due to her haste to save the poor Flemish girl from the fury of Prince Magnus, but she couldn''t get out of there!


    "Please, please! That girl is innocent! Don''t let him kill Cordelia or do anything to hurt her! " She pleaded softly, as she returned to the circular chamber. At least there was a small speck of moonlight that came from a narrow opening in the wall. Impossible to pass through. Lex had one last alternative, and wishing for luck this time, she turned to the last tunnel, without animal marks. The maiden hoped that the tunnel would take her out of the castle, at least.


    Advancing blindly, Alexa entered the tunnel, whose downward slope renewed the maiden''s hopes that that was the way out. She used her fingertips to locate the corridor walls, and took a deep breath in order to feel the fresh air that would indicate that her expectations were correct. But that was not what the maiden''s aspired for, and the sweet, burning aroma of things long dead. Suddenly, her fingers touched soft recesses, and Alexa had the impression that she touched human faces! Withdrawing her hands in revulsion, the damsel felt she was surrounded by the dead!


    "No ...!" She moaned, starting to run. Was she being punished for interfering? Was that why her light had gone out?! Would the angry Shades now have the power to destroy her? Lex had no answer to that, nor did the maiden know whether what she touched was real or ethereal. She just didn''t want to die now!


    The Greek girl had no idea where she was going, and hit a wall in front of her. Standing up, with a bruised knee and forehead, the maiden started wandering in total blackness, just not knowing if she was going on or going back!


    The maiden crouched down, trying to feel the ground and figure out what to do, when she felt hands that pushed her forward.


    And Alexa found out, there was no ground in front of her.

 Chapter 65 - Echoes

    Alexa tried to hold on to something, but her hands found nothing, and she slid in the darkness, in despair.


    The damsel felt a firm hand grab her wrist, when all her body was in the air and plummeting to an unknown and probably lethal end.


    The sudden bump hurt and almost dislocated her arm, but she grabbed the savior hand with her other hand promptly. A miracle! The maiden was hoisted, and even before she left the hole, Alexa knew it was Prince Magnus'' hand.


    How was that possible?


    The First Prince put Alexa on her feet, and reaching for the torch again, examined the maiden thoroughly,


    "Are you hurt?"


    Instead of answering directly, she came close enough to look him in the eye, even in the semi-darkness broken only by the flickering light of the fire,


    "Someone pushed me. Was it you?"


    Magnus stared at the maiden as well, analyzing her expressions. Apparently the alcohol effect was gone. He looked perfectly sane and alert, Alexa noticed. But if Magnus was there, how could he be threatening Cordelia in his quarters?


    "Alexa¡­ Why would I have saved you if I had pushed you myself? Where is Cordelia? Did she fall into that traphole?" It was his exactly same questions.


    "Magnus¡­ Hurry! Let''s go to your room!" she wouldn''t waste any time explaining, and turned to make her way back, hurriedly. Magnus followed suit. The maiden was confused by what happened, but at that moment Lex knew two things: she could not trust the man who had just saved her. And she had to get to Cordelia.


    It was so fast that the maiden was surprised, as it seemed that she had wandered in the darkness through those corridors for an eternity. When they were coming to the secret door of the room of the Prince, the First Prince grabbed her arm, and asked,


    "Why did you leave Cordelia and why have you gone to that place alone?"


    "Let go of me! Don''t you really know what happened in your room?" with a jerk, the damsel broke free, and went in before him. The connecting door between the jack''s room and the master bedroom was still locked. Alexa punched the door in fury,


    "Cordelia?!"


    There was no sound on the other side. Magnus pushed her gently aside and broke down the door using force.


    Alexa barely waited for the door to open to pass through Magnus and enter the room. The maiden encountered a frightening scenario. Furniture and textiles were fallen as a sign of struggle. Cordelia was unconscious on the bed, with bruise marks on her arms and face. Her neck was clearly strangled and bloody.


    Cordelia was alive, relieved Alexa could feel even before touch her.


    The maiden ran to the bed to try to help the poor girl, but the Prince stood still, watching the scene.


    At this moment too, the guards entered, attracted by the loud sounds of the break-in. Alexa shouted for a doctor to be brought.


    "What the fuck is this?!" said Prince Gutard, entering just behind the guards.


    Neither Magnus or Alexa could explain.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "I said it already, I went to my aunt''s room, to talk to Lady Saskia and apologize to her. I was a little drunk, and a little sleepy. Cordelia knocked on the door, and Lady Saskia thought it would be inconvenient for us to be seen together, and insisted that I hide. Although I disagreed, I accepted, but I ended up dozing off and didn''t see the two of them leaving the room. I woke up suddenly, hearing a knock on the safety passage door. I figured the two of them had been stuck there by accident. I went into the hall behind them. I saw the silhouette of Lady Saskia and tried to reach her. Which was good, because she was falling into a trapdoor or something," that was Prince Magnus'' report to his father, in the Royal Office.


    The next statement would be Cordelia''s. When she could speak, that is.


    Sitting in the chair next to the Prince, the Greek maiden evaluated each of his gestures, trying to understand that man of many facets.


    At this moment, she was considering whether Magnus would have had time to go out the front door of his quarters and, through the Countess''s room, to meet her in the secret passage. But, if the First Prince did it, why not kill her at once? Why save her? Professing a carnal desire for her was enough reason for doing such a stupid thing? She was a witness to his lack of control. And why didn''t Magnus kill Cordelia? Was it a thoughtless act that he regretted?


    And¡­ who pushed her?


    Alexa could have sworn that all of this had been the work of one of the Queens and their Shades. The Black Queen, perhaps, indignant at her son''s fate?


    The maiden, however, would like to know how conscious and conniving Magnus was with the activities of his mother''s powerful Shade. One initiated in ancient dark cults. Did Magnus have anything to do with the attack on Cordelia at the villa, as she had originally thought? And when did she stop distrusting him?


    The Sovereign Prince''s snapping of fingers brought the maiden back from her unanswered assumptions.


    "So as you said, Lady Alexa, you only heard a man''s voice, because you were locked in the jack''s room. However, Magnus denies that he was there. And you never actually saw Magnus in his bedchambers."


    "Yes, Your Majesty, it was just like that. But the words I heard made me believe that it was Your Highness, the First Prince. Lady Cordelia seemed to treat him as if he were Prince Magnus."


    "This is ridiculous!" Magnus muttered, quite annoyed. The Prince had already stated several times that he had not done anything that Alexa reported.


    "What threats were these?" Gutard asked, puzzled.


    "Horrible things like ''Because you tried to kill me, I''m going to watch you bleed the way you wanted me to bleed. I will see your flesh eaten by worms and your eyes gouged out by crows, and I will enjoy your misfortune! I hate you and your money! Why didn''t you die? It would have been better that way! '' Horrible things," Alexa reported, feeling terrible for replicating those words. "Cordelia asked for clemency and said she was ''devoted'' to the Prince ..."


    The maiden halted her report at this point, with an enormous doubt falling on her head. Those voices ... Could she say with any certainty that they were the voices of Cordelia and Magnus? Magnus''s voice was undoubtedly similar, and filled with emotion, but ... Cordelia''s voice ... There was something wrong about that in her memory.


    In any case, the startled expression on Prince Gutard''s pale face upon hearing this part of her recounting was noticeable to the young maiden.


    ''But what''s going on here?'' Alexa wondered, questioning if, like her, the Prince knew why the ghosts attacked Cordelia. For now, this was the only explanation.


    It wasn''t the First Prince attacking Cordelia in the bedchamber. Even if Magnus were an excellent liar, would he have had the cold blood to rigidly fragile evidence of his innocence, after strangling the bride?


    Furthermore, Alexa had the impression that Prince Gutard seemed to recognize a pattern, although he remained silent. Tapping his fingers in the usual rhythmic way, he thought for a while, while Magnus and Alexa remained silent and apprehensive.


    "Magnus, get your Bride''s father here. We will postpone this wedding."

 Chapter 66 - Pronouncements

    Alexa woke up in the middle of the afternoon, hearing her name being called softly. Edel smiled and asked if she was okay.


    Alexa wondered the same. After everything that happened, was she okay? She had express orders not to reveal anything about the events of the previous night. The maiden had tried to talk to Cordelia, but Cordelia''s mother did not allow it, saying that Cordelia needed to rest, as well as Alexa herself. The Greek girl had the impression that Cordelia''s mother seemed resented, perhaps at Alexa, by the tone of her voice. But there was nothing she could do about it.


    Before parting ways, Alexa asked the First Prince if he had seen someone push her. As a reply, Prince Magnus had given her his rosary, before returning to the meeting where the postponement of their wedding would be discussed. Anyone else would think how pious and concerned he was. But the only thing that Alexa knew was that she could not understand that man, nor know what he was capable of.


    What the maiden wanted was to confront Magnus and ask about that mysterious blade, but the elusive Prince always managed to not answer her questions. Alexa had fallen asleep thinking about it. In each of her hands under the sheets, Lex held one of the objects: the cross and the bloodstained blade. How could he live with both?


    "What''s going on?" She finally paid attention to Edel, who was waiting impatiently for her answer.


    "Lady Alexa, the Royal Dressmaker needs to adjust the dress for your wedding. He''s been waiting for hours, but there won''t be time to finish the dress if Lady Alexa doesn''t try it on now," the sweet Edel apologized with her eyes.


    One day of her deadline for marriage to the Sleeping Prince had passed. Meanwhile, Prince Magnus had his wedding postponed. Wasn''t it intriguing how fate played tricks?


    While trying on the dress, Alexa saw Nerissa. The wedding dress was the one the Countess had given her, but which would be improved for the marriage with a prince. The Shade was near the chest where the dress had been kept, and was staring the Greek maiden with a serious expression.


    The maiden wondered why this Shade wanted to be seen by her regularly. This was the third time, and Lex imagined it was on purpose. She wanted to help the poor murdered girl, but how would she do that now, that Alexa couldn''t use her powers? The maiden wondered whether the punishment she received was because she hadn''t used her gifts to free Nerissa before. Or was it because she had interfered with Prince Magnus'' death?


    In any case, Nerissa wanted to send a message or needed something from her.


    Like most Shades, the secrets they carried with them were locked in their mouths. If they could really speak clearly, it would be so much easier to consult the dead, wouldn''t it? Alexa did not know why it was so, just knew that it was no use asking any of them how they had died or what they meant once and for all.


    "Herr Henning! One of the gems is lost!" said one of the Royal Tailor''s assistants, horrified. Alexa looked at the dress front, realizing that something was really missing there. The dressmaker came rushing to check, and in a shock worthy of the discovery of someone''s death, he exclaimed,


    "The lovely golden topaz! Look it up! Look for it!" although the women started to rummage through the chests, Alexa knew it would be useless. She had had a vision with this topaz, and knew that it was closely linked to Nerissa''s death. It was gone and Nerissa knew who it was with, and why. Nodding at the ghost, she saw it disappear.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Later, during the feast, Alexa felt a little out of place with her new position at the table and also because she was ''encouraged'' to wear jewelry and props. It seemed that she made noise when moving, because everything clinked.


    The maiden was sitting next to Blue Eyes, in the most central part of the U-shaped table that held all the guests in the huge hall.


    This meal was part of the official events of the postponed wedding, and Alexa naturally didn''t see the bride''s family there. Lex imagined that they would announce the postponement in an elegant way, using the attack of the previous day as an excuse. She didn''t know if they would even announce her wedding to Prince Alexander. But Alexa had already noticed that the news had spread informally, as her position in the castle had evolved. After all, she had come to use a Princely room in the wing of the royal family, and had attendants and chaperones.


    The maiden really hoped she could see Cordelia right after the banquet, though.


    "Silence, Your Serene Highness Gutard Willhelm Von Wuttenfal has an official statement," said the royal herald. Alexa had never heard that title, but saved the question for later.


    The Sovereign Prince didn''t get up, and when the silence was absolute, he said only,


    "My Firstborn, Karl Magnus Wilhelm, prefers to wait for the complete recovery of his bride, Lady Cordelia, to perform the ceremony that will unite them in marriage. As everyone knows, the Bride suffered an attack yesterday, which is being investigated. Those who have news and evidence of the perpetrators of this attack will be royally rewarded."


    There was no murmur, as the statement was not officially ended. After a sip from his wine goblet, the monarch got up, and everyone did the same, immediately,


    "Although we have to adjourn the joy of my firstborn''s wedding, my second son will be married in a few days! Lady Saskia from Byzantium accepted my request to marry the one she saved! Let''s celebrate!"


    The maiden could not imagine how the court really interpreted the fact. It seemed surreal, but that court also looked like a place where people accepted unusual facts as prosaic. Everyone cheered enthusiastically, and when the Sovereign Prince sat down and the speech was closed, the music resumed in the hall.


    Many people came to greet Lady Alexa, and Father Agnello introduced people she didn''t know. And when they left, Blue Eyes would comment a thing or two about ''who'' they were at court. When a butler passed a tray behind them, the priest quickly turned and grabbed both the wine jug and the paper on the tray. The butler looked distressed, but Blue Eyes opened the note and read it, unabashedly.


    Alexa followed that with interest and shock, but the Italian clergyman just put the note back on the tray, and beamed at the butler, who was sweating profusely now.


    ''That priest indeed is ''devilish''!'' Alexa held her laugh, but her curiosity was not yet satisfied, and she imagined that the Priest would not tell her the contents of the note. She knew that cupbearers acted like cupids in every court in the world. It would be no different there.


    Her gaze followed that butler, who went to the Princes, and lowered the tray to Prince Magnus.


    ''OH! How immoral!'' she thought when the First Prince quietly took the note. Alexa was watching Magnus'' gaze. She knew that he would betray himself at some point. So it was easy to follow his gaze at Lady Duvignes, his eyebrow raised in surprised and roguish questioning.


    The maiden would like to believe that her sense of justice prevailed at that moment, when she stood up, and tapping a cup with cutlery, got the attention of the table. When Prince Gutard turned to her, Alexa greeted him politely with a bow. And the damsel said, hoping that her voice would sound firm and clear,


    "Your Majesty, yesterday you told me that I should decide until today what payment I wanted for the offense I received. I already have a decision. Allow me, Your Majesty, to charge your firstborn son to pay before my marriage for the injury he committed against me. That way we will start as a family without hard feelings."


    The entire court was thrilled by her words.

 Chapter 67 - Donkey Ears

    The corner of Alexa''s mouth twitched in satisfaction when she saw that her words had left Prince Magnus more than alert. His intense gaze strayed to her immediately, and it sent flames in her direction!


    Prince Gutard raised an eyebrow, and said in a tone between slightly surprised by Alexa''s daring, and amused by his son''s scare,


    "Very well, Lady Saskia. This is your granted right, after all."


    Before Alexa opened her mouth to utter her sentence victoriously, Blue Eyes grabbed her arm with a firm grasp, and interrupted the maiden''s speech,


    "My stubborn pupil is a victim of her own euphoria, my Dear Sovereign Prince. Lady Saskia means that she would like to have a word with you to deal with this matter in particular!"


    "Well, it is more appropriate that way," Prince Gutard rose promptly. Alexa was confused by the cleric''s meddling, but understood that she had made a too risky move. Then the maiden just swallowed her words and followed the group that withdrew for this conversation, amid the excited buzz of Holstein''s court.


    Magnus approached her, as they went to the Royal Office,


    "What are you doing?" he asked with gritted teeth. But Father Agnello didn''t even let Alexa answer him, entering between the two ostensibly and remaining as a shield for the maiden.


    As soon as they entered the room, Prince Gutard turned to the maiden,


    "You are right. Soon they will be a family and I want you both to let go of resentments. I will allow you to define Magnus'' punishment, within the rules I have already established. However, once this sentence is fulfilled, both must act honorably with each other. I will not tolerate any intrigue and disagreement anymore. What do you have in mind, milady?"


    The assertive tone left no doubt of the promise behind those words, and Alexa nodded, demonstrating that she understood. Then, looking up proudly, she said,


    "Donkey ears."


    "What ?!" Magnus was offended, but his father held up his hand for him to shut up.


    Alexa continued, without looking directly at the target of her revenge,


    "Yes. Donkey ears. Your Highness exposed me in a shameful and ridiculous way, in front of the most important people in this kingdom. I can barely raise my face in shame. Thanks to Prince Magnus'' misjudgment. If he acts like an ass, he must walk like one through the streets of the town."


    An awkward silence fell over the room, and Alexa thought if she had gone far beyond what was expected.


    As a bewildered and flushed Prince Magnus glared at the maiden, Prince Gutard began to laugh, pointing at his eldest son as if he had never heard a better joke in his life.


    Alexa also laughed, delighted.


    She would have her revenge.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Magnus laughed, delighted, while Alexa looked with disgust at the landscape in front of her. At the entrance to the valley, there was a sign painted saying "Fr?idenvig", and following the dusty road, Alexa was sure she could count the roofs of the tiny village.


    "This is cheating!"


    "As my cousin noticed, you specified every detail of my ordeal, but you never mentioned that it would have to be in the capital," Magnus quickly counted the houses,


    "It''s a town, technically. It has exactly fifty houses, a chapel, and a mill."


    "How could Father Agnello favor the Prince in this way?! I thought you were my friend!" Alexa turned to Blue Eyes for the tenth time during their journey to reach Fr?idenvig, still furious and with the feeling of having been betrayed.


    "Why, I did not favor him, on the contrary, I kept everything neutral and within the law," replied the man of God, quite serene.


    "Don''t think it will stop me, I will let every inhabitant of this village know that His Highness is a donkey," she muttered under her breath, intending to be threatening. The herald and the guards who accompanied them looked away, pretending not to hear the conversation.


    "Yes, yes, don''t forget the chickens and the geese," he scoffed, getting off his horse. "Let''s start from here so that the sheep will also know."


    Alexa got off the horse too, upset by Father Di Borghesi''s interference, subverting the Prince''s sentence to the point that it had become almost nothing. Magnus started to take off his travel clothes and keep only his underwear tunic and trousers, as it suited the punishment. Alexa frowned, resented by the fact that the Prince was acting as if it were all a joke he had invented himself. The Prince''s valet handed over the sign of shame, with shaking hands. The Prince read one last time, and closed his eyes in agitation, waving the item at her,


    "You are lucky that these people cannot read! This is not exactly my crime!"


    The maiden laughed wickedly, at least this much she had managed to infuriate him,


    "There is always someone where least expected, Your Highness!"


    She reached from her saddlebag to the huge donkey ears made for the Prince parading his shame. "Here''s what you''re missing. I have a mirror here too, if you want to know what it looks like," she teased with a sly laugh.


    Seeing the ridiculous props made the prince lose some of his false good humor and boastful manners. But the Prince couldn''t get away from it. The guards were there not only to protect them, but to overwatch if, at the last moment, the First Prince would refuse to serve his sentence.


    After Magnus put on the donkey ears, with the help of the priest, Alexa tied a rope around his neck, where the sign with the description of his ridiculous crime was hanging.


    The procession then started, led by the herald, who went ahead swinging a bell and calling everyone to come and see Lady Saskia''s Donkey. She came solemnly, on foot, ''pulling'' her donkey, the sulky Prince Magnus, right behind her. Following the parade, the priest on his horse and the guards entered the tiny town.


    The only road did not take long to walk, but apart from some children, there were not many adults at that time of the morning in the village. Everyone should be busy working and living their lives. They just went by some seniors who have had little curiosity, and some laundresses who laughed at the humiliated poor nobleman, not figuring they were laughing at the First Prince.


    Unexpectedly, some people came to ask for the priest''s blessing, and to request spiritual care. At that location without a resident priest, Blue Eyes presence was most interesting than some weird shame parade. And the townsfolk screwed down the procession to get the Priest''s assistance for their matters.


    At first, Alexa was outraged that her much-desired moment of reckoning was so lessened, but then the maiden started dragging Magnus and introducing him to the animals, as he had jokingly suggested,


    "Look, Mr. Duck. This gentleman here, well, he''s a complete idiot. An ass actually. Do you recognize those ears? He uses them only occasionally, but he should always use them, you know? Mrs. Pig, show your piglets this perfect specimen of Donkey that I have here. Watch out! He''s one to buy a pig in a poke!"


    "You have a prodigious mind, Alexa. What else? Look over there, that ram looking at us. Are you going to slander me to him too, ''Your Ladyship''?" Magnus was laughing heartily, because his ordeal no longer made any sense.


    "Don''t think I won''t!" she made him follow her to the pen, entering the field,


    "Come back, sheep! Come and meet Mr. Donkey!"


    But of course, Mr. Ram apparently did not like Mr. Donkey, and soon they both ran from the furious animal, who did not want intruders in its territory. Magnus helped Alexa to climb a tree and climbed right behind. Just in time to avoid the ram''s horn in his rear.


    "You crazy! See what you did?!" he scolded her, laughing. The huge ram just walked away and hit its tough head against the tree again, trying to knock them down. The soldiers would have a hard job to rescue the two nobles from there.


    "We wouldn''t be here if it weren''t for you ..."


    Alexa was talking, but she was surprised by the kiss that the Prince stole from her, on top of the tree. It was brief, but it caused the same feelings as before. Magnus still had an expression of satisfaction and ecstasy on his face, when he justified, with a smile,


    "Today is the last day I can do this."

 Chapter 68 - Queen Swans Spell

    To the maiden''s surprise, Magnus'' act, followed by his words, did not cause revolt and exasperation, but a new kind of sadness and tightness in her chest. When the peasant and the soldiers removed the violent ram, Prince Magnus helped her down from the tree, and held her in his arms for a moment.


    Alexa didn''t even remember when she needed help to get down from a tree, and she certainly didn''t need it now either. But the damsel didn''t protest. She quietly accepted the flimsy excuses to be in his arms and to glance into his eyes; to feel that the bodies were touching lightly through their attires. These little things provoked a strange excitement for her, similar to the sensations the maiden felt in the maze.


    But that was so brief and soon ended.


    Lex pulled the donkey''s ears from the Prince''s head, putting an end to the punishment. Running from an enraged ram had exhausted them, after all.


    "Satisfied with the end of your retribution, milady?" he asked, teasing the maiden.


    "It would be better if Mr. Ram had struck your rear, Your Highness. I''d have felt avenged!" she replied, still pouting.


    "It''s not my fault if you don''t know how to choose the punishments you will give me. Better luck next time," the First Prince chuckled.


    Somehow, now she was quite aware of her femininity and all of Lady Eudoxia''s guidance came to her mind. How to act, how to move her hair, how to laugh and how to entice a man with a mere glance. ''But I don''t want any of this, I don''t want to seduce him!'' she tried to tell her own mind to stop sending stupid instructions. There was nothing she wanted from Prince Magnus, other than distance.


    She just didn''t understand why now that they were walking side by side, they ran into each other all the time, like clumsy idiots,


    "Sorry."


    "Oops, I''m sorry."


    "Sorry, Lady Saskia."


    "Oh, I''m sorry again, Your Highness."


    When they arrived at the horses, the soldier''s captain suggested that the group wait for Father Agnello to meet the villagers. They could wait at the watchtower at the top of the hill where it would be most comfortable, and they could have a hot meal. When the Prince agreed, two men stayed to wait for the Florentine priest, while the rest of the party went to the watchtower.


    The soldiers were more relaxed after the unexpected exercise of restraining a territorial ram, and were talkative now. They told similar stories, of which Magnus laughed openly. He seemed distracted and happy, with no sort of sarcastic, arrogant or somber attitude.


    And Alexa enjoyed that ride. The conversation of soldiers and the simplicity of life away from the court. It reminded her of her best days, totally buried in the past like all those people.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The outpost''s crew on duty received well the group, despite the unexpected arrival. It delighted Alexa to be at the peak of that mountain and to see the whole valley on one side, and on the other side, the seascape. Also, because of the peculiar vapor fog that came from the forest, Alexa imagined that there must be some source of hot water nearby.


    The group of travelers ate at the soldiers'' ranch, next to the tower, amid laughter and bravados. The maiden asked questions. And since she showed herself accessible, they even asked Lex about things that those soldiers never saw, but imagined she knew. Alexa would like to talk more about herself and her experiences, but she just talked about generic things about the Ottomans and the wars in the east. She also asked the Prince questions, and as she imagined, he had already taken part in wars, since they considered him of age for it. Magnus, however, did not want to pursue this matter.


    A carter who brought milk and cheese for the soldiers in the mountain''s top arrived. Alexa got to talk to the peasant woman, pretending curiosity, but in fact, she wanted to eat free cheese. Old habits never die! The woman recognized her noble clothes but seemed intrigued by her manners. The Cheese-maker even commented,


    "You know, Maiden, if it weren''t for your beauty and bearing, I would think you are such a beautiful boy who appears near the milk girls and also the tavern maids, and seduces them with a sweet smile. But all he wants is a loaf of bread and cheese!"


    "Ahem! OH! Is there such a boy?! How awful! If I were that boy, would you give me a piece of your cheese?!" Lex smiled as seductively as possible, earning a toothless and happy laugh back.


    "The maiden shouldn''t ask for this when there is such a beautiful man around. Cheese is good but makes your breath sour, my child! Your man won''t like it, if all he wants is your kisses!"


    "No, ma''am, that''s not it, in fact, he is¡­"


    "My dear, enjoy your youthful days! You are close to the Queen Swan fountain! If he is not your man, soon he will be!" the old woman winked maliciously, full of wisdom, at the young noblewoman.


    "Queen Swan Fountain? What is it?"


    "My child, this is a women''s thing here. It was in this very spring where the ''Queen'' Gisela conquered our ''King''. She was just a peasant, and she certainly didn''t have half your beauty. And he made her queen! Imagine you, my fair maiden, who already has that dark-haired man already swooning for you!"


    Speaking of the half, half of Alexa wanted to laugh until she fell from the blunders that the woman was making up thinking she would like it. Another dark half, however, had doubts ... And the woman didn''t even distinguish Princes from Kings. So it was for the folks. The cheese-maker didn''t even know that Magnus was the Prince, obviously.


    "So that hot spring is the spring where the queen ..."


    The old cheese-maker climbed into her cart, making a sign of silence, "Shhh girl. Women don''t say that. In the past, a woman like Queen Gisela was called a witch and nothing was left of her. But Gisela bewitched the Greatest Witch Hunter; our king fell to his knees for her, yes ... And after she did that at that hot spring, a woman who wants a man always bathes there. Pray tomorrow if you think it will do you good. It''s just an old woman''s advice to a girl, hihihi," with a squeaky and scandalous laugh, the old carter lady said goodbye and left.


    Alexa was a little thoughtful about everything she had heard, and looking over her shoulder, she saw that the Prince and his men were having fun in the tower''s shadow. The afternoon was quiet and still, the gray sky just seemed to suspend the day in limbo.


    One day she hoped it wouldn''t end, because the next day, she would marry the Sleeping Prince.


    ''It won''t hurt if I go to check on the hot spring where that witch, ahem, seduced Prince Gutard. Was he a witch hunter in the past?! If a peasant witch seduced Prince Gutard, what would Lady Eudoxia do to him, ha?! Poor man!''


    The maiden moved away discreetly from the tower and went into the forest in search of the Queen Swan''s Spring.


    ''It''s not like I want to bathe and seduce anyone. I''m just curious¡­ ''


    Alexa didn''t have to go far to find the trail that led to the hot spring. The rocks were warm under her feet, and the maiden finally came to a misty rocky basin. She crouched down and touched the water that was just warm and pleasant. This water had a distinctive quality, but it had no smell, and only a slightly saline and fizzy taste. Her hand was immediately silky, and this effect amazed the maiden.


    She took off her boots and dipped her feet in the bubbling water. The sensation was exquisite. Only that, as Alexa dipped her feet and soaked them, her body felt immediately dirty, sweaty and dusty in comparison.


    ''It won''t be a problem if I do as usual, bathe in my undergarment tunic, will it? This is so good!''


    Alexa still hesitated a little, but the sensation of dipping her members into the water was too delicious to resist. Taking off her clothes and leaving them under watch, she entered with her undergarment in the hot spring, feeling surrounded by small fizzing bubbles and a wonderful feeling of well-being.


    "I was told that it was in this spring that my father gave me a brother. But it''s easy to understand, if that was the vision he had," Magnus crouched down beside the hot spring, touching the warm water. Alexa would lie if she said it had alarmed her. Perhaps she had expected this to happen. Perhaps she had wished he would come.

 Chapter 69 - Last Chance

    "Y-do you think this place is bewitched?" Was the first thing that came to her mind, a silly thing to talk about, and Alexa reproached herself for stuttering and keeping up the witch rumors.


    "Maybe," this was his reply, and now Magnus was taking off his shirt. The Prince''s intentions to enter the hot spring were clear.


    Alexa distanced herself from the edge, her heart racing painfully. Her stupid wish for him to come was unbelievable. The maiden just didn''t know what to do with it.


    "Still ..." Alexa turned to send the First Prince away, and found him naked on the edge of the hot spring, ready to enter. She blinked, shocked.


    Magnus Von Wuttenfal was like a Greek statue, perfect, except for the scar on his chest. ''And ... that ... part down there is not the same, not really, oh!'' No doubt that part was not the same as Greek old-style statues. The maiden didn''t know whether to peer further or close her eyes.


    ''What did Lady Eudoxia teach about staring it? Do I look, or do I close my eyes? ''


    ''It depends on the occasion ...''


    ''Oh!''


    "Don''t send me away," he said, almost at her side. Alexa cowered. It wasn''t cold, and the damsel noticed she was shaking.


    She glanced at him, speaking nothing. The maiden just didn''t know what to say. Anything she said would be either stupid, or dangerous. But she didn''t want him to leave. And he didn''t want to go, either.


    Then Magnus reached the rim of her tunic, which partially floated in the water, and deliberately, slowly, pulled Alexa toward him. The Prince didn''t hold her by the body even when the maiden was in front of him, the bodies separated by less than a foot apart. Magnus drew her closer, dragging Alexa by the wet and sheer fabric of her undergarment, and held on to the delicate gauze as if he would never let go.


    Alexa was now so close that she could see the details of his skin. His beauty mark close to his mouth, which the Greek maiden found provocative and charming. The veins in his arms. The light and shadow on the sculpted relief of his torso. And how Magnus'' skin was getting grainy right before her eyes, apparently because they were getting closer and closer.


    The maiden also felt her skin grainy and sensitive. Not out of fear, or cold, or disgust, as it had happened before. A warmth in her lower belly seemed to start to pulse as Alexa held her breath in anticipation. Her small breasts were getting sore from being so stiff, and¡­ down there, Alexa had never felt this burning and the yearning to be touched.


    Magnus and Alexa looked at each other, mesmerized. His eyes were so dark, then the Prince leaned in, his chin touched the maiden''s neck, his face touched hers. Everything seemed to happen so slowly! Too slowly for the desire they bore. Just without agreeing they wished to extend their only chance for as long as they could. They silently agreed with that. That this was the last chance.


    Alexa closed her eyes, feeling shiver without cold or fear. Just an inexplicable anguish that she wanted to put out of her mind.


    The Prince and the maiden mustn''t do that, but then they were touching forehead to forehead, cheek to cheek, nose to nose. Their eyes narrowed in anticipation. Not yet prepared to trust that the other would actually be there if they closed their eyes for a moment.


    Then Magnus touched his lips to her lips, and took a deep breath, as if that were the best and most pleasurable thing in the world. The Prince''s warm breath seemed to have something of a direct connection to Alexa''s legs, which instantly weakened. He deposited kisses on the corners of her lips, as if they were precious, and the maiden''s heart missed a few beats.


    Then Lex felt the tip of his tongue playing with the slit of her lips. Moving forward unhurriedly and only delicately, with each gentle push getting that her lips parted and craved more and more of him. The Prince seemed to idolize every moment he could play with her lips. That was what the maiden felt. His tongue touched the tip of Alexa''s white perfect teeth, provocatively, and then slid into her moist and warm mouth ...


    The maiden didn''t know what to do with the sensations and urgencies of her body. She wanted that sinful kiss entirely. She wanted more of that feeling of belonging, she wanted to mold herself to him ... Alexa dared to touch his tongue with hers, so that Prince Magnus knew he could, he indeed must, continue.


    The maiden didn''t know what to do with the sensations and urgencies of her body. She wanted that sinful kiss entirely, she wanted more of that feeling of belonging, she wanted to mold herself to him ... Alexa dared to touch his tongue with hers, so that Prince Magnus knew he could, he indeed must, continue.


    He moaned into her mouth, seeming to have to adjust his body and then step back a little, to watch the damsel again with dark, longing eyes.


    It was Alexa who grabbed the Prince''s face with both hands, impatient, and pressed her lips against his, with an urgency that would be disapproved by Lady Eudoxia.


    Finally pulling her clothes tighter, Magnus pulled Alexa fully against his body, while the maiden grabbed his hair to pull him down. The Prince smashed her against him, taking control of the kiss and devouring her mouth eagerly.


    It was so strange and so good to be in his arms, and even when Alexa felt that Magnus was squeezing her buttocks, her ribs, her thighs a little¡­! It was good. She, who had laughed and mocked when Lady Eudoxia described the loving arts and imagined that a woman could never enjoy being hugged or held by a man! She wanted him to squeeze her more, and in more places! Luckily, he craved to squeeze her in more places too.


    "Alexa ...! Please tell me to stop!" The Prince then pleaded, as he lowered his face to her belly, supporting the maiden by the hips. His hands held the rim of her soaked tunic, ready to lift it entirely. His path and destination were clear before, but this pause seemed like a last warning, a last thread of sanity and conscience.


    The words seemed to penetrate the fog of pleasure and desire in Alexa''s mind, bringing back the painful reality. Alexa blinked, dazed, and moved her body away from Magnus'' for an instant. And the maiden understood that if she didn''t say that now, she wouldn''t be able to look the Prince in the eye anymore.


    "Stop, please!"


    Magnus turned, pulling away completely, his eyes closed, seeming to gather some willpower inside him.


    Apparently, there was a boundary he did not intend to pass.


    Alexa stumbled out of the hot spring, rushing her hands through her hair in a kind of painful trance. ''What was I doing? Am I going crazy?!''


    The maiden didn''t quite know how to behave after that, when they started coming back from the Queen Swan''s hot spring.


    They just didn''t expect to find Blue Eyes waiting for them at the exit of the hot spring, escorted by the Prince''s valet.


    Father Agnello awaited them with a very, very disapproving look.

 Chapter 70 - Peas

    "THIS. IS. SIN!" the Florentine priest repeated for the umpteenth time, as he circled the couple. It was close to midnight, and their confessor seemed to realize that he would have a hard work ahead regarding those two.


    Kneeling on grains of peas, Alexa and Magnus kept their rosaries on their fingers, murmuring the prayers of their penances with frowned faces. They were there in those positions for hours.


    ''I shouldn''t have listened to the cheese-maker, or yearned for Magnus. The old woman was right about praying soon after, for the sins committed. But it seems that it is compulsory, nowadays¡­''


    "This damned cauldron of witches must be buried down!" the priest grunted with hatred, talking about Queen Swan''s hot spring. Father Agnello had admonished them for hours, and questioned them about every detail of what had happened, leaving Alexa confused, embarrassed and deeply miserable. Magnus was also contrite, and the maiden was sure there that the Prince heartily believed in the damnation of hell and absolution by penance.


    "You are young, and beautiful, and you have spent a lot of time together lately. That''s only the Devil using your empty minds! Even so, your spouses will be other persons, and they deserve respect and loyalty. Two people who are bedridden right now, needing your dedication and charity, and what? You two are being selfish and libidinous! Giving in to temptations and..."


    Although the punishment seemed light, at first, Alexa was cramping and thought at any moment she would fall to the side, exhausted. Lex paid regard to every word and even wondered if it had been a kind of local spell as it was being implied by Blue Eyes¡­ ''Really?''


    But mainly, she realized that Blue Eyes had a specific focus at that moment: the Prince. Intriguingly, the proud First Prince of Holstein had not rebuffed the reprimand or the preaching. Prince Magnus didn''t justify himself or disdain his cousin''s reproach, but knelt in silence and obedience, and prayed fervently. This fact left the maiden completely stunned.


    Whenever Lady Saskia failed in her litanies, the Father pulled her ear when she stopped praying. Alexa could recite the words and profess the Christian religion, but it puzzled her mind. Ever since she was a child, she had learned about the rites that her family had kept for centuries, as Bringers of Light. The maiden just wanted to find a place for herself! She wanted to live, in peace!


    When she was in the convent in Antiochia, under the tutelage of Lady Eudoxia, Alexa saw how the noblewomen who ''loved'' someone were thrown there, by their families, forced to become nuns or to have a worse fate if they rebelled. Lady Eudoxia was an exception, a woman who lived as she wished, but even she, with the death of her lover and protector, had nowhere to go with any dignity other than a convent. Lady Eudoxia no longer had a family, nor would she ever have.


    ''My beauty is gone, and so is my lover. What option do I have? Spend the days pretending not to know that people hate me, outside and inside this place. And the nights, dreaming off ... about my glory days that were long gone. That''s what love brought me, little cousin: a lonely end; a future on a headstone that will never be visited,'' once the lady confided in one of her rare introspective and self-reflective moments.


    Only when tears came to the Lady''s eyes did Father Agnello take Alexa out of punishment. But The Prince had received a greater penalty, so he must stay. Taking the damsel to another room, Blue Eyes went on,


    "Lady Alexa, if this is a plan, whatever it is, stop it now. Rest assured: this is the last chance you will have. Your last chance for redemption. So far I have done my best to fulfill our deal, and to save you. But I''ll be your enemy if you disown all common sense and decency, and bring other people down to your own damnation."


    The maiden listened silently. Blue Eyes was just a priest, but she was no longer a fool not to realize the power he had over the Von Wuttenfal family. Whether he wanted to save the Wuttenfal from the contact with witches, or whether he just wanted to ensure that the Di Borghesi continued to have a great influence on Holstein in the future, she still didn''t know. Alexa just knew that she still didn''t fully understand his ethics.


    "Tomorrow at this time, you will be a Princess, Lady Alexa. Married to a young man who is bedridden today. If he dies without you having consummated the marriage, the marriage may be annulled. However, you are left unprotected again. There will be no reason for you to stay in the kingdom, but you have nowhere to go. Don''t persist on scandalous behavior, or this court will ask your head. And even more so, do not attract Gutard''s fury. He loves his two sons, but he loves the kingdom his family has built even more. And he loves nothing more than those two things. Today you have his benevolence, but you have already seen how capricious he can be," the caustic tone was clear in the priest''s speech, but his words were sensible and logical.


    Whatever Blue Eyes was going to say next was interrupted when Prince Magnus himself entered the room, without knocking,


    "Lady Saskia will marry my brother. She will have a home in Holstein. When Alexander recovers, they will be very happy," he said gravely. And right after that he searched Alexa''s eyes with his, saying. "Lady Saskia won''t have to worry, I''ll get myself the person who will bring the cure for Alexander."


    Before she could open her mouth to say something, the First Prince nodded and left them, having said everything he needed tell.


    There was a barely contained smile at the corner of the Father''s lips, she noticed. Sighing, she tried to convince herself, just as Magnus had convinced herself, that this was the right thing to do.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    They returned to Holstein at dawn, and arrived in the capital with the first rays of sunlight. During the silent ride and the final decision about the future, Alexa had still reflected with a heart full of doubts. But Magnus''s words had an intrinsic meaning that made her feel good.


    Upon arriving, Alexa was told that Lady Cordelia wanted to see her. Eager to hear of the other Lady''s recovery, the Greek maiden went immediately to Cordelia''s quarters. Before knocking on the door, the damsel hesitated for a moment. But shook her presentiment away, knowing that she felt it because she felt guilty. However, Lex had made an important decision and promised herself never to leave anything remotely close to that happen in the future. And the maiden knew that Magnus had decided the same.


    A lady that Alexa had not yet seen opened the door. The Greek maiden thought she knew all Cordelia''s attendants and aides. As almost all of them had perished in the villa, the Bride had been supplied with servants by the royal chambermaid. That went to the back of her mind, however, as soon as Alexa entered the Flemish maiden''s quarters.


    Cordelia''s mother got up from the chair beside Cordelia''s bed, dropping her embroidery hoop. Alexa realized that Cordelia was waking up, and imagined that maybe she had come too early, even though it was almost time for the morning Mass.


    The women in the chambers looked at her strangely. Lady Saskia realized that there were more different women in there. Even a nun in a full habit was next to Cordelia''s bed. It worried her. ''Isn''t Cordelia getting better?''


    Alexa bowed and greeted them, but they were grimly silent. The maiden realized that something very wrong was going on, but when Cordelia''s mother approached, she was unprepared.


    In fact, she wasn''t prepared for the loud slap that hit her in the face, or the words that followed,


    "You little bitch! What do you think you are doing?!''

 Chapter 71 - Shifting Powers

    Naturally, her face burned, and Alexa held the urge to return the slap, but her eyes gleamed in revolt. Accepting that kind of offense was not in any kind of education she had, as Alexios or as Alexa!


    Apparently the Flemish woman was expecting a little fear and meekness from the maiden''s part, but she was surprised to see that there was none in the Greek Lady''s eyes.


    "You shameless, devious and malicious wench! How dare you demote the First Prince in front of the Court? What do you intend with that? I start to suspect that we were all seduced by you, when you are just an opportunistic bitch!" the matron spat the words, still with her hand raised.


    So that was it, Cordelia''s mother was furious because she was thinking about the last thing she should be worried about now. Prince Magnus'' honor or whatever she hadn''t the nerve to say.


    "Is that what I was called here for?! How''s Cordelia doing?" although her face was throbbing, she didn''t put her hand on her cheek. The maiden kept her gaze on all the time watching the reactions of Cordelia''s mother, and challenging the older woman. It was bigger than her.


    Her indifferent attitude made the woman furious, but before she could speak any further, a lady warned that Countess Godiva was arriving.


    The Countess little entourage of ladies entered the room before herself and her cloud of perfume. The eldest of the Wuttenfal came in, surveying Cordelia''s quarters with curiosity. Alexa noticed the Countess''s frown, before she greeted them all,


    "Good morning, ladies,"


    Godiva really knew how to use her title and occupy the space, although she looked slightly sulky this morning. "How are the ladies doing? Will Lady Cordelia be fine for her friend''s wedding later? Or ...?


    "Your Excellency, Cordelia is not recovered enough to attend the girl''s wedding ceremony ... Despite the tea you sent, and your personal physician be so dutifully caring for my daughter."


    The Countess clearly narrowed her eyes at Cordelia''s mother''s words, as if not entirely fine with every aspect of what the other woman said. The Flemish lady shifted uncomfortably in the silence that ensued, but the Countess finally said, nonchalantly,


    "Oh, what shame. I said to my physician earlier today. He says that Lady Cordelia complains about a lot of pain, but he thinks she will recover well!" the Countess''s voice, so vigorous, was a whiff of vitality in the gloomy atmosphere. "Do I see new faces?"


    For some reason, Alexa imagined that the real reason for the Countess to come had to do with these new faces at court. Cordelia''s mother hurried to explain,


    "Well, due to¡­ the tragedy that befell my daughter''s retinue, her chaperones¡­ We asked that other people from the convent where she studied come to help her... Cordelia needs to be surrounded by people she ''knows and trusts'', "the mother stressed the last part. It was naturally a veiled message to Alexa.


    The nun in full habit came to the front and greeted the Countess in a very formal way, introducing herself,


    "I am Sister Ludovica, and I obtained permission from my superior to be here with two novices, Catalina and Elke, until the marriage of Lady Cordelia. Apparently she has been very upset spiritually since she arrived. We want to help in every way."


    The Countess scratched her neck, in the somewhat firm way that the woman, about the age of the noblewoman herself, addressed her. "Right. Prayers are never too much."


    "Earnest prayers are never too much," replied the nun. The Countess seemed to have closed the matter, however and raised an eyebrow in question. Alexa could say that Godiva Von Wuttenfall had not sympathized with the nun. Neither Alexa, in fact, and knew that the opposite was true.


    "I am retiring, forgive me, Countess. I have to prepare," the maiden said, saying goodbye to leave the room.


    Countess Godiva then looked at Alexa directly, and naturally saw the maiden''s hurt face.


    "What was this? On your face?!"


    "Lady Saskia hit her face when she arrived," said Cordelia''s mother. Alexa looked at all the women watching her, and said,


    "No, it wasn''t that. But I will leave the matter alone. I''m happy that Cordelia is so well looked after. When I can talk to her, or she wants to talk to me, she will know where to find me," the maiden went to the door, but the Countess said,


    "Wait for me, Lady Saskia. I will go with you. We''ll help you with the preparations."


    And turning to Cordelia''s mother, she said,


    "Milady, I hope to see the rest of your family at the ceremony. We don''t want you to feel withdrawn from events because of Lady Cordelia''s postponed wedding. Besides, it will be a shame if he leaves on his trip without being able to see his bride," again there was a challenging question in the air posed by the noblewoman to the bourgeois woman.


    Alexa thought she didn''t want to attract the Countess''s enmity. She was clearly a woman used to crush her foes. But the last comment, left so subtly to warn that the game had gotten even harder, left Alexa worried. Was it really a fact that Magnus was going to travel in search of Petrus de Languedoc?


    She remembered the prophecy that the blind pythoness uttered in the tower and shivered. How could he go, knowing those words?


    After the usual goodbyes Alexa went down the hall with the Countess. The older woman took a deep breath, and after passing two guards, asked,


    "Why didn''t you hit back?"


    "Your Excellency, I ..."


    "If you let a commoner hit you in the face again, I will hit you ! Her daughter ''possibly will be a princess'', but she is and will always be a fishmonger. A fishmonger sitting on a mountain of gold, but a fishmonger. "


    The maiden did not reply, reflecting on that philosophy of nobility everywhere. But the words ''possibly will'' indicated something new. She decided to ask, shamelessly as she was,


    "Does this mean that the Wuttenfal no longer want Prince Magnus to marry Lady Cordelia?"


    Her heart was pounding, waiting for this answer.


    Perhaps the strategy of postponing the wedding was just a polite way to buy time and dissolve the deal later.


    Before Alexa had the answer, however, the maids opened the door to her room, and she entered with the Countess.


    "You are quite smart, Alexa. You can read between the lines," the maiden had her answer, however.


    With surprise she saw that several people were there, probably to dress her up for her own wedding. Her wedding dress was ready, on a dummy.


    And the bejeweled tiara he saw in her vision was on a pillow.

 Chapter 72 - Knight

    While they''re dressing, hairdressing and adorning her, Alexa''s thoughts went elsewhere. Her intuition told her that many hidden things, involving not only the dead of the castle, but the living ones as well, were in progress. As the White Queen had tried to show her, or show off herself, Lex wasn''t still sure. A macabre game of chess, a mortal match, was underway.


    Murders and assassination attempts were common in royal courts, where the power struggle was constant. However, the influence of the dead in that court was real, and impacting indeed. What are the ambitions of the dead, and what are the ambitions of the living? From now on, how would she live, bearing the surname Von Wuttenfal and being a Princess?


    Blue Eyes had said a few times that Prince Gutard was a strategist, and that his actions aimed at a larger scenario. Naturally, he was much more aware of the scenario. Alexa, however, was blind to it, knowing very little about the causes and consequences of each act in this deadly stage. On this board with two princes and their deceased mothers, both witches, what were the remaining pieces?


    The maiden remembered that the board was incomplete, and that Magnus grabbed the falling Black King. Was Magnus the Black King, or not? If so, was your own future husband, Alexander, the White King? And what would happen in the checkmate?


    Decidedly, she was now part of that board, and she needed to understand who was who in that game.


    Looking at herself in the mirror, the maiden barely recognized herself. Weeks ago she was just Lex, who played dice and bet on horses, cheated, and traveled on an endless getaway. Today she was about to become Princess Alexa Zo? Saskia Von Wuttenfal.


    When the surrounding people were satisfied, under Countess Godiva''s demanding baton, they walked away, in awe and sighs of admiration. Someone murmured very softly, but Alexa heard,


    "Isn''t it a shame that the groom can''t see how divine his bride is? On the other hand, poor Prince Magnus ...!"


    That irritated her, and Alexa bursted,


    "Shut up, never compare us again!"


    Nobody expected her angry reaction, but the attendant deeply retracted. She didn''t want people by her side to nurture the clear polarization ... And Cordelia, who would soon be going home, just as Magnus always wished, didn''t need to be snubbed. She had done nothing wrong.


    "Come here, Alexa," called the Prince Sovereign''s older sister, holding the stunning bridal tiara.


    Maria and Edel put on their veil, and helped her up. The dress was heavy, and in place of the golden topaz over her heart, there was an amethyst now. They said it was more befitting, and that it even referred much more to the groom with violet eyes like Alexa''s.


    The Maiden bent down in front of Countess Godiva, and heard the same words she had heard in her little death days ago,


    "This is your wedding tiara, my lady. My mother used it before us. You will be the first of this generation, I hope that one day you will pass this honor on. The Wuttenfal family salutes you ... Honor us, for you are one of us now ..."


    The tiara was placed delicately on her head, and she thanked the Countess, who had tears in her eyes. Godiva was clearly a woman of strong emotions, and Alexa felt a sympathy for her maternal, although proud, heart. Alexa smiled back and offered a hug to the noble matron, who accepted without reservation!


    "Go, the ladies will take you to see your groom before the ceremony."


    "Your Excellency, who will receive me at the altar?" the maiden asked. She knew that her wedding would be by proxy, something very common among the nobles. But she didn''t know who would represent her future husband during the rites.


    "Ah my dear. My brother asked Konrad if he could act as Alexander''s proxy, and my nephew said he would do his best to do so. But if it''s not him, this is irrelevant, even Your Majesty will receive you at the altar."


    "It will honor me in both cases," Alexa replied, although she preferred not to be intimidated at the altar for being next to Prince Gutard. She always felt tiny around him.


    Alexa imagined that there were at least two reasons for the ceremony to be held in the cathedral and with hundreds of witnesses. The first was that it would invalidate her previous engagement and make it much more difficult to revoke the marriage for technicalities. And the second, possibly, was to prevent weird ghostly events during the ceremony. Alexa knew very well that the Von Wuttenfal were fully aware, like most of the court, of the ghosts of the castle. Just, no one ever spoke of it.


    Leaving her quarters with her ladies, Alexa was taken to her future husband''s quarters.


    This time there was no crowd, just a nurse lady and the guards inside the room. She realized that the splendid bed was prepared for their wedding, and she noticed a beautiful ornate birdcage on the support beside the bed. The nightingale she had seen days ago was there.


    That intriguing runaway bird had apparently returned to its owner.


    Alexa was not sure what they expected her to do. ''Should I say a prayer? Just admire the Prince''s legendary beauty? Or who knows, just to say hello?''


    If she had her powers on her, she could try, with discretion, touch him and know where his soul was.


    She reached the bed, and through the translucent curtain, she saw that the handsome Prince seemed immutable and immobile as always. Pulling the curtain aside, she stared at that mysterious figure of someone who Alexa knew so little. Prince Alexander of Holstein.


    Staring at Alexander was a little unsettling, though.


    "Hello, Your Highness. It''s me, your bride. Alexa Zo?. We are getting married today," it was strange to speak to a person she did not know if she would be listening. ''If you were standing, how would you have received me in this court? Who are you, actually? What were you doing when you were poisoned? And most importantly now: where are your loyal friends, who can I count on to protect you?''


    The bird in the cage flailed, suddenly seeming to want to flee. The nightingale struggled from side to side in the cage, and shrieked incessantly. The maiden turned to the cage, knowing the bird was trained and would return, and opened the hatch so it wouldn''t get hurt.


    At that moment, her gaze was drawn to one of the soldiers on guard, who held the spear impassively in a corner of the room.


    And he made a discrete gesture to the damsel with one hand.


    The secret sign that identified a Lazarite. A Lazarite assassin.

 Chapter 73 - Double Marriage

    Who was that man? Alexa examined him from top to bottom while she took the nightingale from its captivity and calmed the bird with affection. The tall warrior with an enigmatic expression, a shaved head in the old Roman style, strong and clearly aged by battles, kept a calculating gaze on the maiden. A slight, almost imperceptible, smile escaped the corner of his lips.


    He was a Lazarite and he knew who she was ... That meant that ...


    She didn''t know what it meant. In the past, the Pater Chapter in Constantinople, headquarters of the Order, had split up because of events involving the Dallassenos. This could only be the trigger for something much bigger. But the fact is that Alexa''s family has been betrayed more than once. Should she trust this man, who presented himself to her as a member of an Order that was officially abolished and extinct?


    Or was that a divine sign that Alexa Dallassenos was never alone, as an initiate was taught to believe?


    She just had a way of knowing.


    Still holding the bird, she approached the guard. Closer, the remnants of his scars were more visible on the sun-tanned skin and a bad life.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Balbo, Your Highness. Balbo Cerd¨¢n, at your service," the man maintained his military stance according to the entire guard of the castle, without really looking at it now. Alexa was a little uncomfortable because he was the first person to call her Princess.


    "Well then, Balbo Cerd¨¢n. Are you part of the guard of my, my¡­ Prince Alexander?"


    "Your Highness, I am part of the personal guard of the Second Prince. I am also his fencing instructor!" he spoke with false pride, Alexa realized right away. This was very intriguing. Did he poison the Prince?


    Alexa definitely needed to know, and the best way was to play the game.


    "I am sure we will see each other constantly, in this case," she said this in a normal tone, but lowered her tone to ask,


    "Tanaion?" this word mean the specialty an initiate sought inside the Order. And it indicated that he followed the rites and manners to sweep from the world of the living those who needed to perish. With time and liberal interpretations of the high masters within the order, they were just well-trained and very lethal assassins. Alexa''s father, Bryenios Dallassenos, was an opponent of this prosaic and corrupted mentality of some inside the Order. The mission and talent of the Tanaion were largely misused in exchange for power and temporal wealth. Even so, his second brother Narces was a Tanaion himself.


    Again Balbo made the sign that symbolized a Tanaion, and Alexa made back the sign that symbolized an Archophoros, or Light Bearer. They nodded in recognition, and the damsel walked away.


    The discovery of a Lazarite so close to her future husband seemed so unlikely and strange, as well as surprising. Why was he at Holstein, and why was the Tanaion Balbo beside the Sleeping Prince?


    When the bird calmed down, Alexa put it back in the cage, and the beautiful nightingale seemed to be happy and went to eat his millet.


    With one last look at her future husband, she left the room. For the first time, the maiden thought the Sleeping Prince''s mystery could be solved much more easily than she had previously thought.


    And maybe Magnus didn''t have to make his long and dangerous journey.


    When Alexa left the Second Prince''s quarters, people greeted her, bowing at her passing.


    She was now Princess Alexa of Holstein.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The capital had prepared for one wedding, but they were getting the wedding of another Prince. Which commoner really cared about which of the Prince was marrying, as long as the celebrations continued? Music and wine distributed for free kept the city partying, hat''s what Alexa saw when the Bridal procession went across the crowded streets.


    Girls and boys danced, in their beautiful white and red clothes embroidered with bright colors and floral motifs, and threw flowers at the Bride''s carriage. This time it was a closed carriage, and Blue Eyes was seated in front of her, staring at Lex with a mysterious expression. But they couldn''t talk even if they wanted, as they were not alone. Edel and Maria accompanied Alexa to help her. After the attack at the parade two days ago, the guard was reinforced all the way. Alexa however, was attentive.


    The procession reached the door of the cathedral, and a chill of excitement ran down her spine. The maiden wondered if she could still get away. Or whether she should run away.


    ''Do I really need to get married, as Blue Eyes says? What will happen if I say, NO?''


    And the damsel also wondered why she had so easily agreed to marry John Blackrose, when he proposed, covered in blood. And comparatively, why was she considering fleeing so as not to marry the most handsome man she had ever seen?


    Lady Saskia and her tutor walked through the flowered arches in front of the cathedral. During her passage, Alexa blinked her eyes, seeing everything blurred and feeling herself entering a kind of ceremonial trance. What was happening?


    Was it a petite mort?


    But if so ... What was causing this sudden blurred vision, the feeling that her feet didn''t touch the ground? Why was the sky too high, and hell, just below her feet?


    The colorful shapes of the richly-dressed nobles, on the sides of her field of vision, were just brilliant Shades with white ominous grinning masks.


    The tall, slender columns of the central nave were lost in the darkness of the ceiling, if any. It felt like a night where the stars were hiding. Even the profusion of flowers, they were nothing but dry and shriveled branches in her path.


    At the far end of the bridal alley she was walking on, she saw the Great Infernal Goddess Persephone, with gleaming eyes, waiting for her with a smirk. Alexa could feel, somewhere not far away, the threatening and antagonistic presence of the ghostly powers, without seeing them, really. The maiden blinked again, astonished.


    "Did I die?"


    In a way, she felt light and just curious about how and why. Standing upright beside the Underworld Goddess, the Sleeping Prince was waiting for her. Alexander turned to Alexa, and smiled.


    "What ... ?!"


    The maiden felt herself stumble over the hem of her dress, and the ghostly vision that struck her disappeared as if swallowed by her own mind. Only her heart thudded in her chest like that bird in its ornate cage. There she was, stumbling over her wedding dress, in the bridal alley of her own wedding.


    "What the hell did I see ...?!" Lex murmured to herself. Father Agnello held out her hand to help her balance and her ladies rushed in an uproar to help with the dress again.


    "Stop grumbling, and behave like the first time I saw you," Blue Eyes spoke through his teeth, keeping his smile. The ladies left her front after fixing the dress and the rug, and Alexa looked up at the altar, a few meters away.


    There, beside the Bishop and his father, First Prince Magnus Von Wuttenfal was waiting for her.

 Chapter 74 - Vows

    The maiden froze for a moment.


    Magnus was imposing in a velvet garment of sober lines, black with details embroidered in silver. The First Prince was waiting for her with an unreadable expression, in place of his younger brother.


    They exchanged a brief look before Alexa reached the altar, and the Prince''s eyes seemed tense and anguished. Alexa needed Father Agnello''s firm hand on her back to remember to bow to the Highnesses and the Bishop, before kneeling beside Magnus in front of the altar.


    The priest''s words ran through her ears without being heard. The maiden stared at the saints at the altar, but her view was again becoming blurred.


    At the most critical moment of her life, Alexa''s empty stomach was spinning and making funny noises, preparing for a roar of protest. The maiden was still thinking about the amazing sight she had before entering the church. Was it a delusion caused by fasting and tiredness? Or a real vision?


    And, after spending part of the night kneeling in peas, kneeling again, even on a pillow, was not comfortable at all.


    Magnus pulled on her sleeve, and Alexa took time to understand, but he caught the damsel''s attention. The priest had said something that she barely heard. Did she have to answer?


    Apparently, impatiently, Magnus whispered,


    "Say your name and that you want to get married."


    "I, Alexa Zo?, wish to marry Magnus," the maiden said without thinking, realizing her mistake shortly after. Alexa''s red face was hidden under the veil, but the maiden saw when the First Prince turned around, barely hiding a smile between amused and embarrassed. Shaking her head, Alexa tried to correct herself,


    "No, that''s not it. I don''t want to!"


    This time, it was the Bishop who had an alarmed reaction, and looked quickly at Prince Gutard, to the right of Prince Magnus. Alexa felt hyperventilate and sweat under the heavy and hot vestments. The Bishop questioned as if asking a child,


    "Lady Alexa, you don''t agree with this marriage, is that it?"


    "Hm," black dots blinked in front of her, and she just wanted to get it over with. The damsel reached for the sleeve of Magnus''s cloak, pulling him in a silent cry for help. The Prince ran his hand behind her back, supporting the damsel. An indistinct murmur from those present was heard in the cathedral nave.


    "Yes? I will repeat, lady. You, Alexa Zo?, born in the Saskia family of Byzantium, daughter of Demetrios Karoulos Saskia, are aware and agree with the marriage union to Prince Franz Alexander Emanuel Reinhardt von Wuttenfal; represented here by his older brother, Prince Karl Magnus Wilhelm von Wuttenfal?"


    Her stomach answered for Alexa. A loud, clear GRRRRRR growling coming from the maiden''s belly. Of course, only those closest to them heard it, but to Alexa, it seemed that the rumble of her stomach had echoed throughout the cathedral. That bastard Magnus chuckled, and rubbed her back,


    "Just say yes, don''t pass out, bride," he again looked at her with a mixed expression of amusement and concern.


    Alexa probably did what he said, because right after that the First Prince took Alexander''s ring from the pillow they offered him. Then Magnus took the maiden''s hand and took it off her glove. When he touched her on the bare fingers, Alexa looked up at the Prince again. His hand shook a little, as much as hers.


    He stared up at her too, and Alexa swallowed. It was a penetrating and intent look. Soon after, the Prince lifted her veil as the last part of the ceremony, accepting her as wife on behalf of his brother in front of everyone.


    At that moment, they couldn''t stop looking at each other. The bishop said something about separation after death, according to the vows of the Western sacrament. Then they were sprinkled with holy water.


    A wave of melancholy hit her chest as Alexa looked into the First Prince''s golden eyes.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Back to the castle, in the carriage pulled by black horses, Princess Alexa was sitting next to Prince Magnus, voraciously eating a mutton pie. Little by little she felt her strength and humor return as she fed. In front of her, Prince Gutard and her tutor Father Agnello watched her with amused eyes.


    "I thought I was going to pass out there. I''m sorry. I was even a little deaf, "she looked up at both of them, apologizing.


    "It would have been worse if you had puked on someone," said her husband''s father, showing a good mood that Alexa hadn''t seen yet. "For a girl with your petite frame, you have a voracious appetite, Alexa!"


    "It''s a very polite way of saying that I''m a dwarf ogress, as recently pronounced Prince Magnus," she said, accepting the handkerchief Blue Eyes offered after finish her snack.


    "This is a known fact of the court, my lady," said the Prince at her side. And turning to his father, Prince Magnus changed the subject,


    "My father, enjoying the moment that we are together, please give me the answer I asked you earlier. Allow me to go to Languedoc in search of the so-called Master Petrus. I will leave with few men and I promise to be as soon as possible. Princess Alexa must give me the details of how to find him."


    The newly turned Princess, who drank water from the skin, noticed the penetrating gaze of men on her. For a moment, she felt trapped. Alexa knew that, once again, she should act cautiously now. Mainly because she had just found a Tanaion in the city. If there was an Order cell in Holstein, maybe there was someone else who knew how to get her husband back. However, Alexa could not reveal this and expose the members of the Order without having complete knowledge of the situation.


    "Your Majesty, I can repeat everything I have already said about the man who possibly has the antidote. But look ... Maybe the antidote is closer than we think. Unfortunately, we have already realized that there are several factions willing to attack the Von Wuttenfal, I mean, our family. They are in action nearby. What do we already know about them?" she changed the subject. "Since we''re talking about this, what do the investigations say about all these assassination attempts? The antidote may be close by, with who did it," she repeated, returning the penetrating look to them.


    "Right now, you shouldn''t worry about these political issues, Alexa," said Prince Gutard, after carefully choosing the words, while facing the maiden. Then a strange suspicion arose in Alexa''s mind, observing the strange climate among men. The newlywed Princess asked abruptly,


    "You know who tried to kill Prince Alexander, didn''t you?"


    After a moment of silence, Gutard raised an eyebrow, with an expression in which doubt and sadness fell on his face,


    "Yes. It''s better you know it now. Alexander was found in his favorite garden, with an empty vial in his hand. The poison, we are sure."


    Alexa took a deep breath. If that were true, it really changed things a lot.

 Chapter 75 - Princess Alexa of Holstein

    The festivities at the castle began with the arrival of the bride. The ladies threw flower petals when Alexa got out of the carriage, closely followed by the First Prince. Magnus remained a few steps back the whole time, respectfully, beside Father Agnello. They accompanied her to an antechamber. Court ladies were waiting to greet her before the coronation ceremony.


    The expression of joy of Maria and Edel, her ladies-in-wait, was so genuine that the damsel smiled and decided to put the worrying thoughts out of her mind for at least a few hours. Alexa just saved her plans for another moment. She should find a way to bring her husband, Alexander, back. And be as Magnus wished, happy beside her husband. Alexa at least got the certainty that they would return to the subject the next morning, since they were interested in what she could say. She also wanted to get more information.


    "Princess Alexa, let us change your veil. The coronation ceremony will take place in an instant," said Edel, reaching with a magnificent piece of translucent blue fabric richly embroidered on the ends.


    Alexa sat down for them to get her done, while receiving greetings and trying to be kind to the court ladies and visiting dames. Luckily, Blue Eyes had made the introductions at the banquet and she still remembered who was who. Maria commented at her side,


    "Your Highness is really beautiful. The painter who will portray Your Highness at the coronation has already taken notes in the cathedral. But he is also here to watch the ceremony and reproduce it later! I heard that he is very talented!"


    Maria''s innocent and inadvertent comment made Alexa''s heart speed up painfully, and her stomach clenched immediately. Parts of her depressing past that she would like to forget have returned to her mind against her will. The sudden change in the face of the newly married maiden startled Maria,


    "Princess?! Is your Highness okay?! Your Highness needs ¡­" she was just pushed aside by an Alexa gesture, got up hurriedly and looked at a vase of flowers as her only salvation in order not to throw up at the feet of¡­


    Too late.


    Alexa stared with disgust at the remains of the mutton pie she had eaten earlier, spread over the First Prince''s once shiny boots.


    "You take it all like a challenge, don''t you?" He reminded her of the conversation minutes ago in the carriage, with a grimace of disgust and mockery. Both the princess''s maids and the prince''s valet rushed in for help.


    "Sorry," she was embarrassed and dejected. Only the word ''painter'' seemed to bring the smell of paints and the nasty feeling associated with them to her nose.


    Looking up, Alexa saw that with the Prince there were some men. Foreigner noblemen by their clothes. Apparently, Prince Magnus intended to introduce her to them, but the pathetic scene didn''t make it the best time. They asked a question in a language that Alexa had heard before but didn''t grasp. The maiden thought they were Poles. They sounded to discretely mock her, by the tone of their voices. While a servant cleaned his boots, Magnus answered what was asked. Alexa had the impression that one of the men cast a derogatory glance in her direction. Which she could fully understand, due to the deplorable situation he met her.


    The group of men left, and the Princess asked who they were.


    One of the present ladies replied that Baron Florian Lubienski, a hero in his kingdom, was collaterally related to Cordelia''s family and quite influential in his court. The women only imagined that he came to Cordelia''s wedding.


    But Alexa imagined that political or financial interests brought the noble there. Which explained Magnus was hosting them. She no doubt imagined that the alterations that the Wuttenfal planned, in undoing Prince Magnus'' wedding, would not favor Holstein. Alexa had not previously realized that Cordelia''s family, besides being rich, had important connections there in the North.


    But her conjectures remained for another moment, as the coronation ceremony would take place in an instant.


    Alexa just demanded,


    "I don''t want to be portrayed. Please make sure it won''t happen."


    "But Your Highness, it''s your official portrait, and ..."


    "No. I will have my official portrait next to my husband, when he wakes up," was just his reply to silent them. Alexa would never have a portrait of her as long as she lived, the maiden vowed.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Now, officially as Princess of Holstein, Alexa sat on the left side of the Sovereign, at the banquet table.


    The festivities continued with dances and games that engaged the court and the guests, while the Von Wuttenfal talked with dignitaries or watched the entertainment performances. The maiden was just tired, after the brief and assertive coronation service. Luckily for her, Prince Gutard was an impatient man and with little love for excessive salaams or long speeches.


    Perhaps Princess Alexa was almost asleep after two glasses of wine if it weren''t for Duke Konrad at her side talking animatedly about Lower Saxony traditions. One of these traditions was one that would begin shortly. Men would deposit gifts, as at an auction, on the bride''s veil. The ones paying more could get to dance a dance called Weller with the bride. The young Duke apologized for not being able to participate, because he still couldn''t dance.


    "But I don''t know how to dance the way you do in here," protested Alexa. The Duke was about to answer her, with the usual smile on his face, but Konrad''s attention returned to the door of the hall.


    It was a surprise for the freshly crowned Princess when Cordelia entered the room with her family. She wore a rather prudish white outfit, which covered her neck and arms completely. And a headdress of jewelry that sparkled in the light of the chandeliers. In fact, the adornment on Cordelia''s head was something so extravagant and fabulous, that it was just fit for a queen.


    For the first time, Alexa was not happy to see the Flemish maiden out of bed. Cordelia''s sudden and dramatic arrival at the party, surrounded by her family, had something distinctive. And even the way the Flemish girl dressed¡­ Alexa still didn''t know what it was, but she considered that the sympathy that Cordelia had for her didn''t exist anymore.


    Even so, Cordelia''s family came forward to greet Princess Alexa for the wedding, although Alexa saw in their faces a disdain that didn''t exist before. Cordelia''s father then asked the Holstein Ruler,


    "Today would be my daughter''s wedding day, but because of her bad health state, we postponed it. As you can see, Cordelia made an incredible effort to be here. It is her tenacious spirit, and sweet personality, combined and thinking of her family, that made her overcome her discomfort and come to greet the newlywed couple. She can do it out of the friendship for her groom and the Von Wuttenfal. It baffled me to receive the news he''s about to depart on a trip. It puzzled me, but I can''t consider any of it an impediment to their wedding. And since our friendship has not been shaken by anything, Your Serene Highness, I think we must discuss a new date to unite our children."


    Gutard raised his glass in greeting to the millionaire merchant, and said, raising an eyebrow,


    "But your daughter didn''t even have the strength to attend my son''s wedding this morning. Her health is not good and you should not have forced her to come. She even had fever deliriums nights ago. How can she have the strength to get married? Can you oath about her health to comply with her nuptial duties?"


    "With all due respect, Your Serene Highness, today we had a singular marriage. A marriage of a sick girl who could barely stay on the altar, as I learned, to your youngest son. Who no one knows what ill befalls upon him," this was the prompt response from Cordelia''s father, whose gray eyes shone like two cold stones out of hatred.


    Prince Gutard lost his face color, after the Flemish man''s words.

 Chapter 76 - A Dance

    The maiden felt the powerful man beside her stand up like a furious lion, but Magnus put his hand on his father''s arm, asking him to calm down. It was the First Prince who spoke, in a dry tone,


    "Lady Cordelia has been indisposed since she arrived, even missing the parade in her honor. Don''t dare talk about the health of Alexander and his wife, as it doesn''t concern or affect you. But your daughter''s health should be a concern for you, as it is for me since I want a lot of children."


    Cordelia''s father turned crimson, but kept his chin up. Magnus continued, without allowing him a chance to speak, but this time in a compromising tone,


    "It''s indeed a fact that I must travel, but I will be back soon. It''s a matter of the kingdom that cannot wait."


    Cordelia was the one who courageously spoke, despite being the color of a cooked crustacean when calling attention to herself,


    "My dear fianc¨¦, this poor lady had the misfortune to go through bad times since she arrived. But I do my best to be a good bride, worthy of the Von Wuttenfal. Allow me, if my father also allows it, to have a word with you before you depart."


    Alexa was alarmed by this news. The timid Cordelia asking for the floor in front of princes, and even asking to have a private word with her fianc¨¦? The Princess knew the least of Northern etiquette to know how shocking and daring Cordelia had been. Her father, in fact, looked at her with astonishment, as did Magnus and everyone else. But, turning to Gutard, the Guild Master said, with a flourish,


    "Your Serene Highness, it''s just that you can speak if there is no impediment or embarrassment. So to the honor not be contested, they could do that in the ballroom if the father grants a dance of his son to my daughter."


    Gutard tapped three fingers on the chair, barely swallowing his anger. Magnus was taciturn but narrowed his eyes, looking as disturbed as his father. The role reversal was too glaring for the Von Wuttenfal to contain themselves. But it was Magnus who got up before his father yelled at Hansa''s Master in the middle of the wedding banquet.


    "I also want to have a say to Lady Cordelia. Let''s dance, milady."


    Alexa watched the events unfold apprehensively. She''d give a ring on her finger to know what they would talk about. Was it about the night in Magnus'' bedroom, and what really happened? Or anything else?


    The First Prince came around the table, signaling to the musicians. The couples who were already dancing made room for the couple to join them. By Alexa''s side, Gutard snorted, glaring at the couple in anger. Before the music started, the Sovereign Prince stood up, which stopped everything immediately. The herald naturally shouted,


    "Your Serene Highness will speak!"


    With a wave of his hand, the Sovereign Prince said,


    "I''m leaving for the night. Keep having fun, as guests of my son Alexander!"


    Only when Gutard left, the room did the party start again. Alexa knew that Gutard did this so as not to interrupt the celebration with an exacerbated reaction against the affronts of the Flemish shipowner. But the damsel figured he didn''t plan on leaving things like that after the incident. But now the Princess understood better the power of Cordelia''s father and the kind of connections that the shipbuilder and sea trader had in the region. He already acted like a nobleman, the bourgeois just needed a title. With Cordelia''s marriage, he would probably get what he sought, as Magnus pointed out.


    In the first chords of the song, the man Alexa knew to be Baron Florian invaded the space reserved for dancing, but without a partner. The Baron had in his hand two golden goblets adorned with gemstones, which by the way he carried them, were empty. Approaching Magnus and Cordelia, Florian gave an exaggerated greeting to the maiden, and touching the sparkling ornament on her head with the precious objects, spoke quite loudly,


    "Let''s dance the Weller, sweet bride!"


    Magnus laughed loudly,


    "Baron Florian, this is my bride. To dance Weller with the bride who got married today, you have to place your gift under her veil." And with that, he gestured with his hand to the veil that Alexa had worn at the wedding, which was on a stand.


    "Hahahaha," the foreign visitor laughed strangely. Alexa got on the edge of the chair. That situation was getting embarrassing quickly. Florian then said, aloud and mockingly,


    "I wouldn''t do that, I didn''t know it would have to be just with ''that'' woman. How could I dance with a woman that I couldn''t whirl around? She''ll get me dirty!"


    "But I think you''re the one who''s drunk, Baron!" even from there, the Princess could see the First Prince''s gleaming eyes at the swaggering foreigner. Alexa just wanted to bury herself at this point and never be seen again. Magnus continued, "You''d better not dance with my brother''s wife, because you''re the one who can''t whirl around. You must not dance with either one or the other. If you don''t throw up what you drank, you already throw up drunk words, which is the same thing."


    "You are the drunk ones. Poor boy, he''ll wake up as a father, like a cuckoo. That''s what makes another man''s bride get married. Only blinds cannot see it!" Florian faced the First Prince defiantly.


    Magnus immediately punched the Polish Baron in the face. Florian didn''t stand still either, and also tried to fight back. As the men fought in the middle of the ballroom, close friends on both parties rushed to separate them. Florian licked the blood from his lips, looking fiercely at Magnus, and said,


    "You''ll see that I''m right in a few months!"


    Alexa was so irate that she would have flown the table herself if Konrad hadn''t been holding her tightly by the wrist. "Leave me, let me go, Duke! I''m going to make this idiot swallow back his words!"


    "Don''t put yourself down to that, Princess," said Konrad, without letting her go. Even he had a dark, angry look. "Just pay attention, my cousin will not let you be dishonored like that."


    She quit struggling, as Prince Magnus spat on the floor in disgust, glaring at the insolent visitor,


    "Florian, I''m going to kill you at dawn. Be sure to be on the cliff in the first sunlight, and take your sword, son of a syphilitic wench! You will not offend the Princess''s honor and stay alive!"


    Alexa''s eyes widened.


    ''A duel?!''

 Chapter 77 - Bedding

    The honor of the crowned Princess was at stake.


    A duel to the death had been proposed, and Baron Florian, a ''hero'' in his own kingdom, did not back down. At dawn, in the cliff, they would establish who was the best.


    Her champion came to Alexa. With a flowery greeting, Prince Magnus asked, loud enough for everyone to hear,


    "My sister-in-law, grant me this dance. I put my life under your veil, I hope it''s up to your value."


    Still stunned, Alexa nodded, giving him a hand and accompanying Magnus to the center of the room. The feast atmosphere was awkward, but the master of ceremonies called on the dancing couples to resume their positions. Of course, Florian had left the ballroom with the Polish retinue.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Alexa saw Cordelia''s family, watching them in shock. The Princess didn''t know whether Baron Florian had done this spontaneously or as part of a Machiavellian plot. Alexa had just decided to stay alert, from now on. She had been taken by surprise by the slap in the morning. And now for that offense, which undoubtedly created a shadow of a doubt at court.


    It didn''t have to happen again.


    "Was that really necessary? A duel to the death?" she whispered when the dance started. It was a strange dance, spinning around the room, and the hands of the couples were in contact all the time. Despite the distance of the bodies, there was no exchange of pairs.


    "The Baron was very unlucky. He will lunch in hell in a few hours," was Magnus'' witty response. He was not looking into the Princess''s face, however. It was natural that he was edgy, but Alexa felt that there was something more.


    "Don''t tell me you have doubts too," she presumed, going rigid at once. They missed the pace because of that and Magnus got annoyed. Only when they set the pace again did he reply, in a dry tone,


    "I''m mad that they think that. But I don''t share their doubt. If I had any suspicions, you wouldn''t be married to my brother now."


    The Princess could not decide whether that was what the First Prince considered a compliment.


    "Don''t die," she blurted. The maiden felt she should say. She didn''t want him to become a Shade full of regrets in this place. Alexa didn''t even know if she could get him on the Path.


    "Die for you? Don''t worry, Princess Alexa. I won''t even come close to that today," it was Magnus'' caustic comment. Alexa was once again stunned by the Prince''s words. She knew his determination, but not the day of his death.


    The music reached its final moment, and Magnus bowed to thank her for the dance. And after that the Prince suddenly raised her hand, drawing everyone''s attention,


    "After accepting my life as her champion, I cannot allow Princess Alexa to dance with no one else. At that moment the Princess leaves for the night!"


    Under greetings and vows of happiness, the maiden withdrew with her ladies, for the bedding ritual.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    All the symbolic rituals she went through in her life would not have prepared Alexa for the idea of ??having her first time with an audience of people. In a tortuous way, destiny wanted the damsel''s first night with her husband to be just a night''s sleep. So there was no need for an audience.


    After dressing in one beautiful nightwear, Alexa went with her ladies to Prince Alexander''s room, where she would spend her first married night. Only by tradition did the courtiers greet the Bride when she crossed the threshold.


    In the morning, when she left her spouse''s bedchambers, the Princess would receive blessings from her father-in-law, the chief of the Von Wuttenfal family, and instructions on her position.


    The draperies of the princely bed were drawn as soon as the Princess lay down beside her husband. Then the courtiers were all gone.


    When the door closed, Alexa took a deep breath, turning to her husband. The damsel scrutinized the Second Prince, as always impassive in his slumber, in every detail. Alexander was breathing almost imperceptibly beside his wife. His heart was beating faintly, but steadily, the Princess checked as she placed her ear on his chest.


    Was it really true that the Second Prince, her husband, took the poison spontaneously? And why would he do that? Of course, one could purchase such an elixir with the right amount of gold. But who would have provided him with such a rare elixir?


    Remembering something important, the Princess kneeled on the bed and rummaged through the sheets, under the cushions and pillows, and under her husband''s head,


    "Excuse me!" she eased his head while she searched. Alexa had remembered that Prince Magnus had acted suspiciously with his cousin, Duke Konrad. He had hidden an object under the convalescent''s pillow. Was it a sigil, or a spell? Just a superstitious religious symbol? It was very likely that there was a similar item under his brother. And then she would understand better what beliefs the First Prince had.


    Alexa even left the bed to pick up a candle from the chandelier. She noticed that they put a cover over the nightingale''s cage so he would sleep peacefully. ''Someone is taking care of the bird as carefully as the Prince,'' the Princess thought. Alexa investigated every corner of the bed, under the mattress and also in the canopy. The magnificent furniture was massive, and she couldn''t check under it.


    Disappointed with her investigation lack of results, the Princess lay down again. ''What a fool I am! I had thought Magnus liked his brother! Did he put a patois under the Duke''s pillow, but not under Alexander''s? Ah, well, I should have remembered that when he received the news of Alexander''s death, the Prince wasn''t so upset. Maybe he''s just keeping up appearances ... And he says he''ll seek a cure from Mestre Petrus, ha! It''s just a way to escape the marriage to Cordelia. He did many things, including trying to seduce me and marry me, just to avoid this marriage to the heiress, didn''t he? At least ... He knew when to stop. How could I trust him? Just because he ... he ... can die today, for my honor? Don''t be silly Alexa, he''s not doing it for you, but for the Von Wuttenfals honor'', the maiden''s thoughts flew to Magnus again, dumbfounded by the ever-contradictory behaviors and dubious motivations of the First Prince.


    Then the Princess heard soft sounds inside the room. Almost imperceptible sounds. But it was steps, she was right.


    ''Oh crap, why don''t I have my dagger here?'' The only thing she had at her disposal were pillows, actually.


    "W-who''s there?" Maybe showing that she was awake would simply make the person reveal herself. The Princess wished it was Balbo, at least.


    There was no answer, but the veils in her canopy were thrown back violently.


    It was the First Prince.

 Chapter 78 - Three in a Bed?

    Her eyes widened in the dark,


    "Magnus, you have a way of showing up in the most unexpected places, at the most unexpected times!" she grunted sharply.


    "In this, we are no different, Alexa!" the First Prince replied. And the worst: he started to get on the bed!


    "W-what are you doing? It makes no sense! You can not¡­!" she watched with a racing heart as the Prince sat on the opposite side of the bed.


    "Don''t be vainer than you should be because of the duel. I''m not here because of you," this was Magnus''s cold reply.


    "I am not vain because of the duel. I''m furious to that man. And wondering if you don''t see that you have fallen into a trap," she said, annoyed. "But if you came to see Alexander ... Couldn''t you do that during the day¡­ Your Highness?"


    She saw that Magnus put his ear to his brother''s chest, and also checked the Second Prince''s breathing.


    "Don''t tell me you have knowledge of medicine and use it secretly!" it was the only thing Alexa could think of at the moment. "And how can you do this in the dark?"


    "Fetch a candle, if it bothers you so much."


    "Hn," she obeyed, just out of curiosity. Upon returning with the candle, the Princess wanted to know,


    "This room is well guarded. The guards know that you are here."


    "Don''t worry, Alexander''s nightguard will never spit I was here," he guided Alexa''s hand, with the candle, so he could see his brother''s face.


    "But what have you been doing here?! Have you been¡­ kissing him?" the older brother arranged Alexander''s head better on the pillow. What a mess is this?!" he straightened the sleeping prince''s slightly pulled clothes, "You really have been seduced by him since you saw him, haven''t you?"


    "UH?! What are you talking about!!!" Alexa roared in outrage, "I didn''t kiss him! I. Didn''t. Kiss. Him! You are crazy! He''s sleeping! I just ..."


    "Just what?" Magnus sternly looked up at the Princess, after fixing his brother''s hair, "You better be very careful with him. He''s not your toy."


    "T-toy?!" she stood stunned, but now also confused, "After all, did you come here in the middle of my first night with my husband, to find out what I was doing?"


    This was so outrageous and grotesque that the maiden did not even know how to express her shock and indignation.


    "That''s one reason, of course," and as always, the First Prince was the most shameless type in the world. He admitted the most absurd things as if they were perfectly natural. Magnus certainly thought being a Prince gave him divine rights, Alexa concluded.


    "How could I be doing anything? I mean, THAT?!" the Princess stressed so he understood exactly what she meant. He would understand, right?


    "In that sense, what can I say? You have that power. I would not doubt that you would awaken THINGS even in a dead man. And Alexander is not even dead," Magnus reclined, this time, staying in a comfortable position on the bed, next to his brother. Supporting his head on one arm, the First Prince looked at Alexa.


    "I don''t want to talk about that. I dragged Alexander a little, because I wanted to look under him. And I''m not¡­ by God! trying to consummate my marriage or anything. Just don''t think about such things!"


    "Promise?"


    "What?"


    "That you''ll wait for him to be awake for...?"


    "Your Highness! Are you drunk by chance?!"


    "If succubus and incubus are capable of such things..." he shrugged. Alexa took a deep breath, a bit tired of such nonsense talk,


    "I am not a succubus."


    "Sometimes I''m not sure," he commented, casually. "My dreams have been ...odd lately. The men in the castle complain of tiredness ... There''s a succubus here in the castle, it''s the rumor ..." shirt the tone was provocative, and the maiden narrowed her eyes,


    "I don''t even know if I want it to be not just a mockery. But you cannot stay here for the night..."


    "I can, and I will," he smiled defiantly, throwing his head back on the fluffy pillow. Magnus rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, with his arm up. Alexa was just watching, perplexed, unable to imagine what he could be doing.


    So The First Prince pulled that strange blade that the maiden had seen in his room from his belt. The damsel remembered leaving it unknowingly in the valet''s room when the door was locked. With a precise movement, Magnus made a longitudinal cut in himself on his right forearm.


    Alexa''s eyes did not blink when the thick red blood started to run from the wound. Magnus then expertly harvested his blood with his blade, and leaned to his brother.


    "What...?!" she had no words. As the Princess feared, her husband''s older brother brought the blade to Alexander''s lips. While feeding him the scarlet liquid carefully, Magnus gave a cynical laugh,


    "This is our secret, Alexa. If you betray me, you will also betray Alexander. And then nothing will save you from a horrible death, be sure."


    Magnus'' words might have scared her, if what he was doing was not beyond shocking. Now the utility of that blade was revealed!


    "If you expect me to keep your secret, at least reveal it completely. Don''t expect me to settle for what I''m seeing," the Princess replied acidly.


    "Yes, this is the third reason I am here. You need to know that this is why Alexander''s body remains strong. He needs to know that without my blood, the sand of Alexander''s time will run back to him as it does to all the sick people. And that I will have little time to return with Master Petrus. You need to tell me where this alchemist is, Alexa. That''s why can''t I take too long seeking for this man, if I really want to save my brother."


    Magnus'' tone was serious and sincere. The Prince was just focused on making his sleeping brother drink the ''elixir''. Alexa really had always wondered how Alexander remained so beautiful. Even with the best care, feeding him and taking care of his body''s needs was no easy task. The Sleeping Prince must have looked gaunt after so many days. But the Second Prince always looked radiant and healthy, just plunged into a peaceful sleep. Her ignorance of all the effects of the poison made the Princess ignore the obvious. There was another cause for this.


    "But ... Your blood ... What are you? so that your blood has this power?" Alexa questioned.

 Chapter 79 - Blood

    Magnus wiped the blade and also his brother''s lips, and patted his head affectionately as if he had been a good boy for taking everything. This exasperated Alexa,


    Only then, the First Prince answered her question,


    "What am I? I don''t know."


    The Princess watched the effects of the ''medicine'' on her husband''s body. Alexander''s cheeks seemed to become pinker and it agitated his breathing for a moment. As well as his heartbeat, gradually returning to normal.


    "This is incredible¡­!"


    "Incredible? I don''t know," Magnus chuckled bitterly, sinking his head back into the pillow and looking at the canopy ceiling. "But if it serves to save my brother, then it can''t be all bad. Maybe I just have to be what I am and pay the price for it."


    Alexa deposited the candle next to the bed, watching the First Prince without knowing what to say next. The startling revelation still seemed to struggle to settle in the Princess''s mind. Silence fell between them, until Magnus broke it,


    "I discovered this a few years ago. Alexander and I were training the bow. He was 9 or 10 years old, I guess. And ... The Nightingale. The poor bird crossed the path of Alexander''s arrow. It wasn''t his fault, but he ... "Alexander''s older brother scratched his nose with a half-smile, lost in his memories, "Well, my little brother lost it. He''s got very upset. He started to cry and to blame himself. That was the nightingale who used to sing next to his window, Alexander said. At first, I was angry with him. He was being very dramatic because of a hapless bird. So I got to where the bird was lying, with Alexander on my heels."


    The Princess could imagine the scene in her mind, as if she were witnessing it while Magnus recalled his memories.


    "I crouched down, and took the dead bird in my hand. As I pulled the arrow from the fragile little body, my hand was cut on the arrow. Blood fell on the nightingale. I was still talking to Alexander and trying to calm him down when the bird started to shake in my hand. I looked stunned, just to see the little creature revive! Before the nightingale was almost broken in half! But his flesh closed and his feathers covered his chest, and he stretched his wings in the end!"


    "This is fantastic, Magnus!" Alexa spoke with amazement.


    "You would have been as we were: without reaction, paralyzed by fascination and shock," he concluded.


    "That nightingale that revived¡­ Is THIS nightingale? Alexander''s nightingale?" The maiden asked.


    "Yes, it''s the same. Romeo is his name," the Prince nodded. "When I heard about Alexander''s death, I hoped that I''d be able to do the same, whatever the cause of his death was. But it didn''t happen. Nothing happened. He remains trapped in that accursed sleep."


    The Princess stroked the blond hair of the young prince asleep beside her, penalized,


    "But if you go far, he can become very weak!" Alexa concluded.


    "Perhaps. I should be back soon. So your instructions must be accurate, Alexa. Where does the Alchemist live? Does he really have the antidote or do you just assume that?"


    "To tell you the truth, I saw him once. And yes, Master Petrus has the antidote. Maybe I have to go get it, Magnus!" Alexa exclaimed. Yes, that would be the perfect solution.


    "Don''t be ridiculous!"


    "YOU, don''t be ridiculous! Do you think I can''t? Didn''t I prove that I know how to manage it alone?! A trip is no trifle for me!"


    Magnus sighed,


    "It won''t be like that, Princess. You must take care of Alexander. Keep him alive. You heard the prophecy. You will sleep next to him and feed him with your hand," he said in a definite tone.


    "Mememe, how convenient it''s to speak of prophecy. I could go, and I would certainly meet Master Petrus in Languedoc. It just has to be you because you want to get away from Holstein right now," the Princess resented.


    Magnus in a sudden movement took her wrist, firmly. He looked into Alexa''s eyes, over Alexander''s body, irritated. Looking down briefly at his brother, among them, the First Prince asked,


    "Don''t you think it''s better that way, Alexa?" and released her arm with a jerk. Alexa felt a lump in her throat, and said nothing.


    In fact, it might be better for their sanity to take a long time apart. A trip from north to south would take less than a month to go, and at least another to return. But Alexa doubted that Magnus could be back in three months. Summer would have come when the Prince returned with Master Petrus. It would be a good time for their hearts to cool.


    But what about Alexander? Would he resist all this time?


    There was still the possibility that Alexa could find the antidote in Holstein. She would look for it, in his absence. It was wise to let him go.


    "What are you doing? Why are your eyes closed?"


    "I''m resting my eyes, can''t you see?" this was the rude response from the First Prince, comfortably installed on the other side of the bed.


    "Go to your room," the Princess could empathize with fraternal love, but she was there! Wasn''t Magnus talking about keeping distance just moments ago?!


    "No. I''m just resting my eyes. I have a duel in a few moments and if I go to my room, a succubus, or Cordelia, will show up there. For one, I don''t have time. For the other, I don''t feel like it," it was Magnus'' cretin answer, putting an arm across his eyes.


    "My God, what an unbelievable man you are," Alexa got mad at him, and wrapped herself in the blanket after carefully covering Alexander as well. The Princess didn''t want Magnus to keep saying that she didn''t take good care of his brother.


    Falling silent for some time, the damsel realized that Magnus was not sleeping.


    "Some people told me that their father was a Witch Hunter. And they also say that Alexander''s mother was a witch, " she said. Magnus just grunted in response, sounding grumpy,


    "Hm."


    "By the age difference between you and Alexander, you must remember your stepmother."


    "Uh-huh."


    "What do you remember of her?"


    "It''s not like if one could forget her, Alexa. After a while living here, you will know everything. You don''t have to know it from me."


    "I''m not sure about that. People are very discreet in this court."


    "But you are nosy enough for your own sake. Just remember, in my absence, my dear Princess: accidents are deadly for those who are flesh and blood. Even you almost died in a hole that no one would take you out of. Take care of yourself."


    Magnus always shied away from matters, and that was nothing new. Alexa just shut up.


    "My stepmother. Yes, she was a witch. And she saved my life when I and my mother were attacked. She saved my life and demanded to be ''the queen'', in exchange for that," unexpectedly, the First Prince told.


    Alexa was going to ask for more details, but she realized by the flapping sounds in the cage, that dawn was coming.

 Chapter 80 - Honor

    Alexa sneaked out again, trying not to be seen, and squatted among the tall rocks on a scree part of the cliff. The plateau at the end of the cliff was not very extensive, it was only a few meters long but would allow a duel to be carried out without interruption in a more private place. This place was outside the castle walls, which turned away from the rough sea and was strategically perched on the eastern part of the cliff.


    The sun had not yet risen, but purple hues tinged the horizon, as a few people, all men, gathered there to watch the duel of honor.


    The Princess positioned against the sea wind, so she could reasonably hear what they were saying. But Lex couldn''t get any closer than that without being seen.


    As a challenger, Prince Magnus was already there, with his friends and trusted men, waiting for Florian''s arrival. Naturally, Holstein''s court got offense on his words, and the Polish entourage could have a lot of problems if Florian didn''t show up. But this was very unlikely, since the Baron was known as an accomplished warrior.


    The Princess''s mind wandered, and the memory of Michalis, her older brother, came to her mind, sharp and painfully.


    ''Honor? Sometimes honor only causes us pain. Locke, you were a wise guy,'' the Princess reflected, ''What is the difference between dying for your honor, when what is honor changes with each city?''


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Lex was in his eldest brother tent when Michalis came in with a big smile, "So there you go, rummaging in my things! Didn''t want to play dice with the men? Or to party around? The merchant is happy about you. I bet if you ask for the horse you used to win the race for him this morning, he''ll give it to you!"


    "I doubt it, brother! That horse is special! And I already have more horses than I can handle!" the youngest of the Dalassenos was flattered by his victory in the race, but there was another subject that bothered Lex.


    The slaves came to help Michalis undress for a bath, and Lex waited that he was relaxing inside the tub to get closer. Some time ago, he had stopped feeling comfortable with the male nudity which he had always been exposed to. Since Lex''s body had started to change under boy''s clothes, actually.


    "You are here because you have something to say to me. Either you''d be stuck to Narces'' tail, or around poor Iacintho, being yelled at. That''s why Iacintho doesn''t like to travel with us. He says you get him mad, always messing with his stuff and whatever, hahaha!" the older one laughed aloud. Lex''s big brother was a spontaneous, broad-shouldered, strong man. Everyone who looked at him said that Michalis resembled a lion, hence his epithet ''Michalis the Lion.''


    In fact, Michalis and Lex didn''t have that much contact. This was probably because of a 16-year difference between them. The eldest of the Dalassenos was a warrior by profession and vocation. Unlike Bryennios, their father, he was unable to be subtle or political. He was loyal and passionate, admired by everyone who knew him.


    "Well, I''d say that to Dad or Narces, but they won''t be back until tomorrow and ..."


    "It''s not about ..."


    Lex denied shaking his head, and putting his big brother at ease, at least on this part.


    The men had had a hard time when Lex thought he was dying because of his bleeding and aching female part. While Narces laughed loud and his father was embarrassed, Iacintho played the doctor and solved the ignorance issue.


    Then they gave him a slave, Martha, who officially ''initiated him'' and used to sleep in Alexios'' bed. The girl, who was only a year older than Lex, helped with what was needed about ''female parts''. It was a frightening and confusing moment in Lex''s life.


    But Martha was pregnant, Lex found out, and therefore the slave girl became unable to continue traveling with the men.


    When they were reunited with Michalis, the older brother laughed a lot at the situation, as the men would undoubtedly think Alexios had impregnated the slave. Michalis'' wife, Tarsila, was shocked to learn that her young ''brother-in-law'' was actually a girl. But that was not the case. Tarsila had taught him what Martha didn''t know either.


    Lex approached the tub and whispered in his brother''s ear, "That man, the emperor''s younger brother. He keeps calling me to his tent, or to teach me archery properly! He says he wants to give me an armor ... I don''t like him. He always tries to touch or sniff me!"


    Michalis paled and his expression changed from grinning to calculating. Lex still didn''t know what Michalis knew, only his intuition told him he should tell the family right away. They were traveling with great generals, and Lex was aware of that man''s importance. Doukas was also an important general himself.


    "From this moment on, Alexios, until our father returns, you are my shadow and you do nothing away from me," it was the instruction said in a worried tone.


    Now, looking into his brother''s eyes, the youngest asked,


    "Do you think he knows? Or that he suspects of something?"


    Because of this birth gift, which according to a belief of hundreds of years, was inherited only by the men of the Dalassenos house, Lex lived a boy''s life. In ancient times, they offered the young Dallassenos girls who developed these gifts as a sacrifice to the guardians of the thresholds between the living and the dead. But Bryennios could not kill his daughter when he found out she had the gift. Alexa Zo? became Alexios before she could understand what was going on.


    As a boy, his gift was not only accepted, but would be developed by the rites of the Order of the Lazarites. An order that, despite the Christian name, maintained the belief in the Orphic rites and the Eleusinian Mysteries that secretly survived Christianity.


    "No, Lex, he doesn''t know. Maybe if he did, he''d lose interest. This man''s habits are not well regarded by the Patriarchs and even by the Emperor, but everyone pretends to ignore his preferences," his brother revealed. But Lex already sensed that, too.


    Things didn''t go as planned, however. That night, when attending the banquet offered by the merchant, Doukas bought the champion horse and offered it to Alexios, in front of everyone. The paid sum was exorbitant, and the emperor''s brother made an obscene joke about how Lex rode the stallion. The spicy comment drew malicious laughter from some, but received the uncomfortable silence from others.


    Michalis said,


    "This gift must be refused, if it causes that kind of libidinous memory, General Doukas."


    "Ah, the virtuous Michalis! The Lion of the Dalassenos! Surely he must consider himself morally superior to others, as if the Dalassenos were untouchable creatures. Do you consider yourself above ALL mortals?" Doukas raised his voice as he spoke, visibly irritated by the dry and flat refusal of the eldest of the Dalassenos brothers. As a brother of the Emperor, Doukas undoubtedly knew why the Lazarites were so important to the Emperor of Constantinople. But at that moment, he wanted to induce Michalis to pronounce something that offended the Emperor in front of witnesses.


    A trap of words that could cost her brother''s life, Lex knew.


    (TO BE CONTINUED)

 Chapter 81 - Death And Justice Are Different Gods

    "My only virtue is in my sword. It defends the empire, but first, it will defend my family," angrily Michalis stood up, and Alexios did the same. Out of the corner of his eye, the youngest Dalasseno assessed the shocked, hostile, calculating looks in the merchant''s room. There was only a slight moment before both men drew their swords. Lex was pulled back by the merchant''s hand.


    The area around the two warring men cleared in a flash. The hostility between Doukas and Michalis was clear, but there were several other conflicting parties in that small space. Generals, opportunists and loyal fellows, calculating losses and profits quickly.


    When the two swords clashed in the air, Lex felt the seething and voracious presence of Death, prowling and waiting for its turn to feast.


    Michalis was a superior warrior, and in the third movement he would have the sword in Doukas''s neck ... if not for being pierced by the gladius that someone had timely and treacherously plunged into his flank.


    Alexios didn''t shout. His voice didn''t come out of his throat, for he knew at that moment, that Michalis would die that day. Death had come for him and for anyone else who wanted to follow The Lion.


    The formidable warrior spun swiftly, cutting off the head of the vile soldier who had delivered this sneaky blow. His blood was gushing and burbling and Michalis breathed heavily, avoiding bending his knee. Michalis swallowed hard and gritted his teeth. It was a serious injury; it was clear. Spinning quickly he parried another blow aimed to his back. This time Doukas laughed, and commanded: "Kill him!"


    This dishonored move caused revolt and turmoil among the warriors. Michalis roared and wielded his sword against the Emperor''s brother with hatred and disgust in his eyes.


    Many drew their swords while Michalis was still fighting Doukas.


    But Alexios couldn''t see any more. When soldiers turned to the boy, the merchant pushed the Dalasseno behind him, and a huge Nubian slave drew a curtain, pushing Lex in and blocking the passage with his body.


    Lex was in a narrow corridor, and heard the screams and roars of fighting behind him. Tears were streaming down his face but he couldn''t stop. After several dizzying turns while he kept going forward in the corridor, Lex came to a small door. A young and small slave who barely spoke a known language to the young Dalasseno promptly opened it. Together they ran for several meters on the rocky terrain, to a small stable away.


    A man who was cooking his evening meal spoke quickly to the boy in the local dialect, of which Lex only understood a few words. This man, in a matter of minutes, brought a horse and gave the fugitive a skin of water and a piece of goat meat. Pointing the sky and the stars, he gave Lex instructions on how to get to the nearest caravanserai without meeting the emperor''s men.


    Without thinking too much, Lex wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and left in the cold Cappadocia night, hoping to find his father and Narces before the emperor''s men.


    After a few hours of riding, Lex was exhausted and so was the horse. Even this part of the Silk Road was dangerous for a single traveler, but this was not his biggest fear. His great concern was not meet his family before they reached Doukas, only to be killed. He saw a tent rock and stopped under it, letting the horse rest.


    His frustration and fury broke free in his throat, finally, and Lex cried and bawled, choking on his pain.


    In the distance, the young Dalasseno saw through his tears a group of riders on the rocky plain. The one going ahead of them carried a flaming torch, which made a perfect circle of light at the front of the caravan. His eyes went dry when he realized that the group was coming towards him. He didn''t have a sword or spear with him, or anything else he could defend himself with.


    As the riders got closer, Lex recognized Michalis with the torch, guiding his men. Lex stood with shaking legs.


    His warrior brother''s Shade maintained a haughty posture despite his bloody death. Lex thought Michalis would stop, but the caravan just passed him slowly. Michalis still stared at Lex one last time, before riding with his men to their Judgement. The ghostly ride continued to cut through the wilderness darkness until it disappeared from view.


    The boy had seen everyone''s face, and he knew each of their names.


    It hadn''t been even five minutes after his brother''s Shade had passed, leading the loyal men who had died with him, when Lex had seen more knights coming.


    Those were alive, though.


    And in the back of his mind, Alexios knew that they had seen the procession of souls.


    His father and Narces, with their men, reached Lex, and dismounted quickly.


    "Are you hurt?" Narces asked, groping him for injuries. Lex nodded no, just whispered, feeling exhausted.


    "We have to honor their souls. We have to honor Michalis ..."


    He knew that Michalis had guided his family to him, and that they already knew the bad news. His father just passed his hand briefly over his head, and didn''t speak to him.


    The trio performed the rituals in honor of the dead right there. Their names were recited and no detail, even in a rustic way, was overlooked. A Light Bearer''s arrival in the other world would not be neglected.


    Lex couldn''t sleep, but he accepted Narces'' embrace and warmth that night. He wanted to dream about Michalis, and talk to him. Wished to ask for forgiveness for causing his death. But Lex couldn''t even close his eyes, without seeing the scene of that bloody dirty soldier digging a gladio between his brother''s ribs. The bubbling blood and Death''s laughing mouth gaping at the Dalassenos.


    Before leaving, in the morning, his father looked him in the eye, and said,


    "Alexios, starting today, you will be called Alexa Zo?."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    ''Death and Justice are different Gods'', Alexa had learned early. She couldn''t hope that a duel would be fair, nor that the most skilled warrior would win. Then, when Florian arrived with his pack, the Princess clenched her fists, feeling her nails dig into the flesh. Her palms did not heat up, though. What would happen if Magnus died?


    The men stared at each other, and even from a distance Alexa could hear the insults,


    "Not all women are like your mother, Florian!" the First Prince outrageously remarked.


    "You damn Saxon, I have no choice but to spill your blood. You won''t be here to find out how wrong you were!" Florian replied, angry at the offense. Now sober, the blond man looked truly menacing. The spectators moved away, and Magnus was the first to attack.


    The swords clashed, and the deadly dance of the swords followed in a tantalizing way. Both were excellent swordsmen, agile and strong. Magnus managed to deliver the first blow, dodging the counterattack. An arch of blood followed his sword''s move.


    The First Prince laughed, mischievously, as if relishing the sudden weakening of his rival. Florian seemed to halt for a moment, and charged with fury next, head on. His sword came to touch the chest of the Prince, who jumped aside, narrowly escaping. Parrying and fencing, Magnus explored the terrain on his advantage while laughing, mockingly. Florian was skilled and experienced, but was severely wounded. But with a growl of rage and resolve, the Baron chased Magnus and hit him in the back.


    Alexa got up behind the rock, alarmed, but just heard the Prince''s crazy laugh echo, while Magnus stumbled forward with the jolt of the blow. His sword slipped from his hand and into the rocks at the edge of the cliff. His own blood stained his shirt, and he turned, showing his teeth in a big and devilish grin.


    "You mocking devil! Die!" shouted Florian, raising his sword with a crazy bloodshot glare.


    Alexa felt death awaiting her tribute, as a beast.


    Magnus rose with a frenzied cry, and savagely knocked the Baron to the ground with the impact of his own body. Riding on the other warrior, he tried to take the sword from him, and they both fought fiercely for it. There was no dignity or technique, just strength and survival instinct. The sword fell on its side, forgotten as Magnus pounded the Baron with deep hatred.


    Alexa could not help herself and ran closer, watching the Baron lose his strength as a pool of blood formed under him, coming from his first injury. Magnus was sitting on the Polish''s chest, panting heavily, when he stopped for a moment, tired,


    "Florian ... You party-pooper ..."


    "... GRLLMMG ..." it wasn''t possible to understand what the Florian''s bloody face said. The first Prince, looking now more a beast intoxicated by revenge and dominance, reached for Florian''s sword, which lay beside him, and raised it towards the face of his vanquished opponent,


    "Some men do die ... by the mouth!" he thundered, his words only broken by the heavy panting.


    Alexa closed her eyes, distraught.

 Chapter 82 - Under Seven Locks

    "Alexa, the seneschal, the chancellor and the chambermaid in chief, and their teams, will help you with everything you need. As I am a widower, you will be educated to take on running the castle and its daily activities in the near future," Prince Gutard spoke to her as they ate together in the morning.


    Standing beside them were the three persons mentioned, as well as Captain Gunnar and one of the warriors who were always with the Sovereign Prince.


    She realized that her father-in-law''s mind wandered to other matters while they talked. But she also had to struggle to concentrate and not turn her mind to Florian''s brutal death at the hands of Magnus.


    Alexa didn''t want that responsibility, but as Lady Eudoxia said, ''If a woman lives like a cat, only on pillows, she is nothing more than a pet.'' In the East there were concubines and harems, and they all lived in leisure and oblivion. Their opinions did not matter because they had no influence. Only women who held any power were remembered. Having the power to decide who stayed in which room might seem silly to some, but it influenced an entire court. Just to mention one of the several other little and big powers the one in charge of such a castle in a rich kingdom as Holstein could hold. It would have made a eunuch envious, if it was the East.


    "I count on your help to supervise this soon, once you feel confident about it."


    "I will do my best, Your Majesty," she nodded promptly.


    "Alexander also has a property, as does Magnus, but it is further away from here. I would like, however, that you stay here when he comes out of his sleep," he continued. "I feel that you are too young and will be safer here for now."


    Alexa wondered whether it was the real reason for this request. But the Princess suggested, trying to be cute and feminine, "Your Majesty should remarry, of course. Your Majesty is in your prime," she was being sincere, because it was true. She only worried about the rumor she had heard from Cordelia. No Prince Gutard''s wife survived there.


    "Even when you''re flattering, you''re cute!" he laughed, standing. "If I get married, then you''ll have less work, that''s what you''re thinking about, isn''t it?"


    "I just feel like I may usurp someone else''s place. I''m merely the wife of the second child, Your Majesty," she lowered her head.


    "But you''re the first daughter-in-law. A beautiful, vivacious, canny and intelligent princess. Who knows how to read and write well, knows several languages, has traveled for many places. You know about commerce and is brave to raise your voice when necessary, and act when imperative. However, you''re never where we expect it to be, and it eats more than a goatling," he raised an eyebrow in a provocative and playful way. Alexa returned the small reprimand for never being where expected with a beaming grin, hoping to buy him with that.


    As for eating more than a goatling ... Well, she couldn''t do anything about it, and she kept chewing.


    The First Prince was announced, and Alexa trembled. It hadn''t been two hours since the duel, and the last image she had of Magnus wasn''t the most pleasant. His savagery had impressed her greatly.


    But the Prince arrived after bathing and changing, and smelled of medicinal herbs. Magnus wasn''t surprised to find her there.


    After greeting his father, he waited, standing, and after chewing and swallowing what he ate, Gutard ordered,


    "The Poles must leave in peace."


    "Let them do it. I will not chase them. They just need to do it in silence," this was his reply.


    "Are you injured, Your Highness?" Alexa asked when she realized that the conversation between father and son would not continue.


    "Yes, Princess Alexa, I just had a few scratches," he didn''t look at her, however.


    "If it''s over, Alexa, I want to give you something," said the Sovereign Prince, and Alexa gulped the rest of the wine in her glass at once and stood up, waiting.


    A servant accompanied by two royal guards brought an elaborate metal box. Alexa watched with curiosity when the Holstein ruler took the object in his hands. The box had several locks, and the Princess wondered what kind of treasure this little safe kept.


    The chambermaid in chief extended her key when asked, and Alexa understood that each of them should have one of the keys to open the safe. The Greek damsel also imagined that each time the box was opened, the keepers of the keys changed. Often the key keepers did not even live in the same city. She had heard a story about it from her brother Narces, but it was the first time Alexa had seen such a box.


    One by one the keys were being used, and their holders left the place, until Prince Magnus gave what was in his power, and Prince Gutard used two others in his possession.


    With all this suspense, Alexa was eager to know what was inside the box, and was a little confused when she saw three huge keys in its rings. The Princess also realized that the First Prince, at her side, was just as anxious as she was. Taking the three keys, Prince Gutard called the two to go with him. Even the guards were dismissed. Gutard himself took a torch and led the way.


    Following a corridor, the trio entered a narrow gallery which only allowed them to walk in a single line. After a long way, they reached a winding staircase, as narrow as the rest of the path.


    Now Alexa was sure that she was about to know one of the many secrets of the castle.


    A door painted in faded blue, with arabesques that made no sense to the young Greek girl, was where that big key fit. Gutard handed one of the keys to Alexa.


    At that moment, the maiden remembered the prophecy. The ''silver bird'' could open the door with the key, wasn''t that what the prophecy said? She could open the gate on the mountain side ...


    ''Did this man decide that I would marry Alexander to get this door open? Is it? And what would happen if I had married Magnus? Why did he choose this door and not the other?'' she had no way of knowing for now. She was just certain that Gutard was really a strategist as Blue Eyes had said.


    The Key was icy on contact, and Alexa felt her hand burn. Although cold, it hurt as if they were putting embers. She wanted to release the object, but Prince Gutard forced the key in her hand, ordering,


    "Open it!"


    She looked at the men with an anguished look, asking with her eyes not to do this or hurt her. Smoke emerged from where the key was touching her skin.


    "AHHHHHH!" she whimpered in pain.


    "Open it!!" Gutard took her hand impatiently, and with his hand over hers, drew it to the lock and forced it to open. Her hand hurt a lot, she screamed. When the key turned, she just struggled to get rid of the grip and the object that burned her skin, but she didn''t have the strength to do so. He just released the Princess'' hand when he heard that the door had been unlocked.


    The key fell to the floor, and Alexa moved away from Gutard, frightened and hurt.


    Gutard pushed the door open.

 Chapter 83 - The Second Prince

    Alexa recoiled when Gutard passed by her and entered the room, impetuously.


    Magnus stopped beside her and held out his hand to the maiden. Shaking and not understanding, Alexa stared at him, seeing in his frown and shut jaw that the Prince contained himself.


    Impatiently, the First Prince took Princess''s injured hand and checked, then immediately tied a handkerchief around the small burnt hand without saying a word. As soon as he did that, Magnus turned his back on Alexa and entered the room. Like his father.


    The damsel''s palm burned and throbbed, and it filled her eyes with water. Again, was she just a tool for someone else''s plans?


    Even though the Princess was very curious before, this disappointment was hurting not only in her hand, but also in her heart. In a way, she had believed that Prince Gutard had some sympathy for her.


    So Alexa turned her back and left the tower.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Alexander''s labyrinth was the quietest and most peaceful place she knew. Sitting on the lawn near the Gazebo with the statue, Alexa could cry as much as her heart wanted.


    The princess wanted to be alone, avoiding the noise of her ladies and anything else about her tragic wedding party, the duel or Cordelia. The Princess had brought Romeo with her, who seemed happy to come out of its cage and to flutter free through the solitude of the garden.


    But when Alexa pulled the scarf and looked at the palm of his hand, with painful blisters, the little bird landed on the maiden''s shoulder, looking curious.


    The Princess wanted not to feel as lonely as she did today.


    ~ Maiden! ~


    Alexa got scared, as the bird had spoken to her. It was a young, pleasant voice, with the same accent as everyone else.


    ~ Don''t cry! ~


    "R-Romeo ?! Are you talking to me?" Alexa wiped the tears away quickly, looking everywhere. But there was no one else who could speak to her.


    ~ You called me last night, ~ said the voice. Alexa took Romeo from her shoulder and ''he'' obediently got on her knee, seeming to face the Princess.


    "Alexander?!"


    The nightingale trilled very loudly, looking excited.


    ~ Yes, it''s me! Franz Alexander! How did you get hurt, milady? ~


    "Ah, I ...!" How could he have been worried about her when he had¡­ migrated to the body of a small songbird? And how had that happened?" The princess was stunned. It was not the time to talk about his resentments and his broken heart! she had found her husband''s soul! I was there with him all the time!


    "Your Highness, I don''t know how it happened, but you need to get back to your body soon! Can''t you leave Romeo''s body?" It was the only plausible explanation, unless Prince Alexander had a very specific reason for wanting to live like a bird.


    ~ No, I can''t ~, he said simply.


    Alexa observed the bird. Romeo was a chubby nightingale with a vibrant blue breast with an orange stain. There was nothing to distinguish him from other nightingales of his kind. Nothing human.


    "Did you take the elixir? Did you do this consciously?" Alexa had many questions for her husband but some were more urgent.


    ~ Yes, I searched for that. But things did not go as expected ~, Alexander replied.


    The Princess sighed. The Sleeping Prince had transmigrated to the body of his pet bird. The old teachings of the Lazarites talked about this possibility, so the concept was not new for Alexa. It was just something that seemed to complicate her husband''s situation. The Princess didn''t know how it could be resolved. But she hoped that Petrus de Languedoc would know.


    "Do you know that you and I¡­ We were married yesterday?"


    ~ Yes ~, his soft voice answered after a moment. ~ You must be scared of it all, milady. ~


    "The people here are not what they seem. The castle is full of ghosts. My husband is the Sleeping Prince, but his soul inhabits a nightingale. Witches immolate people for grotesque rituals, and everyone pretends that nothing of happening. Today I was forced to open a door with a magic key that hurt my hand ... "Alexa swallowed her wish to cry again for the injustice of the last situation. "Sorry, Your Highness, but I don''t like being chained to you by fate."


    A little silence followed, and Alexander said,


    ~ I''m sorry. There''s one person who can help you¡­~


    "Everyone who says they can help just wants to take advantage," the Princess grumbled, fully aware that even here only one person helped her without interest or gain in mind. John Blackrose.


    ~ Then trust me. I want nothing from you. ~


    "No? Not even if I help you get back to your body?" she was surprised, because Alexa thought that was what the Second Prince wanted most now.


    ~ What is the use of this? Would my return make everything better for you? ~


    "It seems to me that your family wants you to come back. Your father and Magnus wish you to come back, at least," but at this point, she was no longer sure. Alexa then heard footsteps approaching, and straightened up. The maiden knew it was the First Prince.


    The nightingale flew to the statue and landed on the young ephebe''s shoulder with the arrival of his older brother. The Princess did not turn around until Magnus was sitting beside her, while suppressing a small grunt of pain. Without a doubt, the toll for the back injury earlier.


    "What do you want here, in Alexander''s Labyrinth?"


    "He forbids everyone to come here without his consent. But I would come anyway. Eventually, " Magnus did not directly answer Alexa''s question, but he did bring a pot with a pungent smell. The princess soon guessed it was an ointment.


    ~ RASCAL! ~ Prince Alexander exclaimed upon hearing the revelation. This took the Princess by surprise, and she pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Magnus noticed, and his face seemed to clear as well. The First Prince opened the jar and wrinkled his nose at the smell,


    "Let''s treat this, we don''t want a princess who keeps showing off filthy rags as a threat," he recalled their first meeting.


    "It seems that the more I get involved with Holstein''s affairs, the more I get hurt," Alexa handed her hand, but kept her expression cool.


    "I''m not going to justify his actions," Magnus said as he carefully applied the ointment over the blisters.


    ~ How did you get hurt? ~ Alexa''s husband wanted to know.


    "Your father drags me to that tower and makes me open that cursed door. Just because of a prophecy! If the prophecy required my blood, would he have killed me? I have no doubt that I would!" the Princess spoke to Magnus, but also to Alexander.


    "My father''s sins are eating him away," said the First Prince, looking up as he carefully arranged the bandage. "At this point, he is not to be trusted. Stay away from him. "


    ~ Yes, stay away from him, ~ repeated Alexander, in a sulky tone.


    "Did you find what you wanted there?" she responded to the advice with resentment, refusing to dissociate Magnus from what had happened. He was there, and he didn''t stop his father from hurting her.


    "Yes. Alexander''s mother''s remains were there. It was there that Princess Gisela killed herself. "


    The bird flew up to them, and asked Alexa,


    ~ Take me there! ~

 Chapter 84 - The Secret Room in the Tower

    "Choo! Romeo, what is your problem?" Magnus tried to push Alexander''s nightingale away with his hand, probably thinking the bird could hit Alexa. But the little nightingale landed on the Princess''s head, and the Second Prince commanded,


    ~ Come on, milady! Let''s not waste any more time! ~


    ''Uhn, just a little while ago you said you didn''t need me for anything ...'' she winced as she stood up. The First Prince had an amused expression because of the bird on Alexa''s head, but he was certainly intrigued by the fact that Romeo stayed in place even while she stood up. He did the same and covered the jar of ointment.


    "Another oddity, Greek lady! Are you also a bird charmer?!"


    ~ My brother thinks he''s smart but has not yet realized the obvious, ~ Alexander scoffed.


    "Watch out, it can get your head dirty," said the First Prince, offering his index finger to attract the bird. Alexa started to laugh, and Alexander was outraged,


    ~ What is he talking about?! I know how to control myself! I won''t shit on my wife''s head! ~


    "Won''t you?" she asked, controlling her laughter and having the first bright moment of the day with her husband''s spirit inside the nightingale perched on her head.


    Magnus grabbed the bird quickly,


    ~ Hey! Let me go! Let go, Mags! ~ this time while Alexander protested, the nightingale was also trilling loudly, trying to escape.


    "Don''t do this, Your Highness. You''re hurting the poor birdie!" the Princess intervened. Magnus then released Romeo, but the nightingale came back and landed on his head, this time.


    "What''s up with this bird?"


    ~ Tell him, milady. Before he flicks me!~ the bird began to smooth the feathers, and as he sensed, Magnus carefully prepared a flick¡­


    "Don''t do that, Your Highness! You will regret it!"


    "And what should I do now? Let him place a nest in my hair?"


    ~ Milady''s hair is much softer, so don''t dream, ~ Alexander said, as if his brother could hear it.


    It was hard to keep from laughing. At least the Princess felt a little joy when she found Alexander and heard his voice. Contrary to what she imagined, he was full of energy!


    The touch of Magnus'' thumb under her eye surprised Alexa. There were no tears to dry there, but her eyes were swollen and small from crying, she felt.


    The First Prince, ignorant of his mistake, said,


    "If it helps you stop crying, he can stay where he is."


    ~ HEY! No-touch! Tell him I''m going to shit on his head NOW! ~


    Again Alexa laughed, pulling Magnus''s hand away, "You got a warning. He''s going to shit on your head!"


    "Witches have animals that speak to them," the Prince mumbled. Perhaps he resented the quick refusal of his touch.


    "He''s really stupid, Your Highness," the Princess said, taken with a new whiff of will. "I don''t know if I can get back there. Should I ask your brother?"


    "Who are you talking to, Alexa? Ouch! What the hell?! This bird is clawing at my head!"


    "Your impish brother has returned, Your Highness. He''s sitting on your head and he really wants to go to the door that was opened today."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Unbelievable!" Magnus was still grumbling as he climbed the stairs again towards the blue door, with the impassive nightingale perched on his head. Alexa followed right behind.


    "Actually, the name is metempsychosis. A process similar to transmigration, but a man named Pythagoras, who you may not know, recorded this on his writings. In the East, almost everyone knows that it''s possible," she explained. "Normally this should happen after a Trial, but for some reason, your brother''s soul is in Romeo."


    "You only spent a few minutes with my brother, and you''ve already started to talk like him! Stop speaking difficult foreign words," Magnus complained.


    The bird abandoned them and flew quickly ahead, reaching the door quicker. At this point, the First Prince turned to the princess and asked,


    "It seems that you know many things. Just tell me that the previous plan still works. Can he return to his body?"


    Alexa shrugged, showing that she wasn''t sure.


    When she reached the blue door, the Princess felt the moldy and typical breath of a tomb. Except that this burial chamber was a secret tower, sealed long ago by some spell.


    The walls were painted with different designs, faded and stained by time. The windows were open now, but closed years had passed, and mold had taken over the furniture that had once been luxurious. But there was no longer a skeleton there. The First Prince had already told them that Prince Gutard had removed Gisela''s remains.


    ~ Light up here! ~ Alexander asked, flying near a wall and landing on a chest. Alexa passed the torch slowly next to the drawings on the wall. The artist was very talented, but the wood panels were worn out by time and neglect. Alexa could see only part of the images. From the themes, the Princess suspected that the Witch herself had drawn each part and each piece of furniture. There was no type of written word other than her own name.


    Magnus also observed the drawings, full of pictures of stars, plants, animals and fantastic creatures, and scenes that she did not understand.


    "What is all this?" she asked.


    "I think that''s all she knew about witchcraft. She locked herself here for a long time when I was a child. This was where she was, and where I couldn''t come," said the First Prince.


    "So this is Gisela''s grimoire! Didn''t she know how to write?"


    Magnus shook his head, saying out loud, "If you keep flying around the flame, Ale, you will end up becoming a roasted partridge! I know you''re agitated, but stop or you will get hurt!"


    ~ It''s just like in my dreams! Milady, my mother was a witch, but she was not an ignorant woman. Not a bad mother, either! Ask Magnus how she treated him! ~ Alexander decided to rest on his brother''s shoulder and peck his ear.


    "Stop, you plague!" the First Prince complained, threatening to hit him, but without doing so.


    "Your stepmother saved you, you said earlier, Your Highness. Despite being the person who saved the First Prince''s life, she had a sad ending. Some people say that her father killed Princess Gisela. You said she killed herself. What is the truth? And what lesson should I learn from this?" Alexa asked Magnus frankly.

 Chapter 85 - A Visit to

    The First Prince only snorted sardonically,


    "If the Inquisition could have really established here, this kingdom would be on fire, don''t you think? We are all cursed, in one way or another."


    "When I first came here, you were sure I was a witch. You dragged me across the floor and I even thought you were going to throw me in a dungeon."


    ~ Did he do that? ~


    "And aren''t you?" Magnus retorted.


    "No, I''m not. I don''t know how to do spells or speak to demons. Or does talking to your brother count?"


    ~HEY! I''m definitely not a demon,~ Alexander''s voice interjected.


    "But you lie. That was proven when you opened the door," Magnus said, looking bored. He got up and went to look at the walls away from Alexa.


    "Nothing mattered to you until you had what you wanted!" Alexa stood up, feeling that if she didn''t say that, she would explode, "Nothing mattered, and you did everything you could to keep me here and open that damn door! You and your father are immoral!" she shouted.


    "Shut up Alexa, you are talking a lot of nonsense," berated the Prince, taciturn.


    "All I know is what I see. A woman is locked in another tower right now. She is also a witch, as you believe. But the Sovereign Prince is not at all against using the so-called infernal powers for his purposes, when it suits him! And then I think about what happened when I got here, about the diabolic ritual that almost killed Cordelia! And in your less than impressed reaction when your and I bride arrived in tatters, and we reported all those horrors. You knew they would attack her, didn''t you? Are you behind this, Magnus? Were you disappointed that she hadn''t died?"


    "Again you''re saying things that you don''t know!"


    "Then TELL ME!" The Princess couldn''t help herself and raged at him.


    But Magnus just looked at her as if he were staring at something very strange, an exotic bird from distant lands, perhaps.


    Alexa thought the Prince was mocking at her distress. Or that he had clammed into a stubborn silence. Only then did the Princess realize that he was looking behind her. Then, turning around, she saw something truly startling.


    It was the intriguing painted scene, of Gisela offering a girl with one hand and receiving a yellow heart with the other. Or vice versa. It was possible to identify the girl''s gender because the baby was naked, and Gisela was always painted in a blue dress and yellow hair. The black hand that held the yellow heart came out of a door guarded by a grey dog that, oddly, had four eyes.


    Alexa felt a shiver go across her body, a feeling of familiarity that bothered her.


    "Alexander, I don''t want to be here anymore. If you wish, come with me, or stay with your brother. Do as you like," she said, heading for the exit.


    The nightingale landed on her shoulder, and Alexa could hear the little heart beating fast very close to her ear.


    ~ He can''t help it, leave him alone for now, ~ said Alexander.


    "What?" Alexa did not expect this comment in defense of Magnus. Could Alexander read thoughts?!


    "It was the magic of a witch, my mother, who saved him, milady. But he believes that what keeps him alive is something bad that she has put inside him. He says his heart is no longer human," was her husband''s reply. Alexa was thoughtful.


    The images they both saw really told the story of a deal with a mysterious entity. A baby in exchange for a yellow heart. Was this the reason Magnus tried so hard to listen to Blue Eyes?


    "Where is the record of the family line, Your Highness?" Alexa had an idea that seemed strange, but it might make some sense. She had to check.


    "When are you going to start calling me a husband?"


    "Do we have the intimacy for that?"


    "You called me by name just now!"


    "Sorry, I went overboard."


    "Oh, well, I liked it," he replied candidly, and flew forward to guide her to the family register.


    After many turns in the huge castle, Alexa arrived in the manuscript room. She was delighted to find a large and airy environment, where consultation desks and writing easels were lined up in an orderly fashion. This room had more glass windows, and the glass was more transparent than usual. Several scholars were busy and absorbed in their work. A remote part at the farther end of this library had bars. It was there that the important books were kept, the princess quickly sensed.


    ~ Talk to the man who carries the keys. He''s Master Valerius, ~ said Alexander, again resting on her shoulder.


    Alexa addressed the Librarian, who did not hide his surprise when he received the new princess in his domain. With an exaggerated bow, the man heard Alexa''s request and led her to the important books repository.


    "The Von Wuttenfal Genealogy was just returning to its usual place. We drew it earlier today to include your name, Your Highness!" commented the guardian of the castle''s books.


    Blue Eyes was sitting at a single large desk, reading a huge codex full of small print. He looked up from the book when the grid opened inquisitively.


    ~ Father Agnello! He''s my confessor! He''s my brother''s cousin, and many people are afraid of him here, ~ Alexander had no way of knowing that the Princess was Blue Eyes'' proteg¨¦, of course.


    Mestre Valerius deposited the Genealogy Record of the Von Wuttenfal Family at the other end of the desk, and asked, in a soft voice,


    "Please, Your Highness, don''t let your pet bird damage this record. It is very important to keep it intact."


    "My ''pet bird'' is trained, Master Valerius. He always tells me when he needs something. Isn''t it Romeo?" saying that Alexa pouted funny for the nightingale on her shoulder and rubbed her nose on his head.


    ~ Stop! What are you doing?! Don''t do that in ... in front of the priest! ~ It looked like the nightingale got agitated, jumping on her shoulder. Alexa contained the urge to laugh, and the Librarian just bowed and locked the sanctum again, leaving.


    "What are you doing, Father Agnello?" she asked, after all, she was curious. He turned the heavy hinged cover, so it read, in Latin: ANNALS OF HOLSTEIN, followed by a distant date.


    "And you, what are you doing here with Romeo, a genealogy, and a bandaged hand, the day after your wedding?" questioned him.


    "I saw here to know if my husband had sisters before he was born," Alexa revealed.


    "And why is this important?" Blue Eyes stood up abandoning his book, and coming over to where Alexa sat. When she tried to open the book with one hand, he stopped it, and did it for her.


    "I found out that everything here is important, Father Agnello. I heard your advice that I should get married to have a home and a family, but now I think I made a deadly mistake."


    The priest exhaled and suggested,


    "Then we''ll talk about it, now let''s get to what you want to find," he went to the last completed sheet. The notaries dutifully recorded Alexander and Alexa''s matrimony and adorned it with illuminations.


    The princess didn''t know if the nightingale or Alexander could read, but she leaned over to make this easier while reading the description of her own wedding.


    This record had many details, including how people looked. She didn''t know why, but perhaps it was meant to help portraitists in the future. It has even been recorded that ''both the Prince and Princess are beautiful and young like angels, with purple eyes and the fairest faces. It is an exquisite eye color that has not yet been seen in this realm'', which Alexa found funny and exaggerated. She imagined a tapestry embroiderer choosing purple thread for the couple''s eyes.


    And she remembered having never seeing Alexander''s eyes.


    Blue Eyes turned the page carefully, in reverse order, and read Prince Gutard''s subsequent marriages and deceased and stillborn children, and the death of his young wives.


    They flipped to the pages mentioning Prince Gutard''s wedding with Gisela. Father Agnello explained,


    "The Prince didn''t want to void the Second Prince''s rights as a legitimate son, so he didn''t request the marriage annulation. He consulted the Holy Church about it."


    Alexa nodded, but she was looking for other information.


    "Does it say here that Gisela was a widow before marrying him?"


    "Yes, but how can you know if it was true? Peasants rarely register their marriages. I don''t know if there is a reliable record. But, coming from a person like her, lying to be a widow was a way to hide her profane debauchery."


    The Princess was a little embarrassed because the priest was inadvertently talking about Alexander''s mother. Alexa had heard horrible things being said from her loved ones, and knew how much it hurt. Alexander remained silent, however.


    There was no record of a child before or after Alexander, though. Since Gisela was a widow, the suspicion remained, but the Princess would have no answers in the library.


    A little silly curiosity caused her to ask the priest to see the records of Prince Magnus'' birth,


    "I want to know how the royal notaries registered the color of the First Prince''s eyes," she revealed. With a sardonic huff, Blue Eyes granted her request.


    To their surprise, the eye color of the First Prince, registered almost two and a half decades ago, was blue. ''Blue like the color of the summer sky,'' read the text.


    When the priest and Alexa looked at each other, puzzled, Master Valerius opened the door and rushed in,


    "Your Highness, Father di Borghesi. I thought you''d like to know! A fire to burn heretics is being built in front of the cathedral!"

 Chapter 86 - Burn the Witches!

    The people of Holstein were already gathering in the square, this time not because of a party, but because of a witches trial by fire. When Alexa, the priest and the bird arrived at the cathedral, the posts were already standing on top of the platform. There were five. Priests and soldiers circled the scaffold, finishing the final details for the execution.


    "Did the priest know that?" asked Alexa for Blue Eyes. He confirmed, "I knew that investigations into the profane sacrifice in the villa continued and that they had found suspects. The information you gave about the deformed big guy took Gunnar and the bishop straight into the family of a certain butcher, who had a son like that. It seems to me that he was obsessed with being an executioner, despite his malaise. Investigations continued from there. They poisoned the soldiers'' water. A day earlier, the coven had taken over the villa, and they killed the servants, as well as the family."


    "So did they catch those responsible?" Alexa was surprised. In fact, she imagined that they were not making progress, when in fact they were just acting quietly.


    "I don''t think they took them all, and this demonstration will only make the others withdraw or flee," said the Italian priest, looking annoyed. The news of the trial by fire had certainly taken him by surprise. "The captured witches only revealed that they would defile the Bride to destroy the Von Wuttenfal family."


    Alexa shivered, remembering everything she passed and witnessed in that villa.


    "Does the Holy Office really burn people?"


    "No. It''s only the secular power that judges heretics by fire, Your Highness. If they confess their crimes and repent of their sins, they will be returned to the Church. If the confession is true, they will escape purifying death, and will be kept in prison for the rest of their days."


    Alexander, in a somber tone, said to the maiden,


    ~ The Church accused my mother of witchcraft when I was about a year old. She was quickly tried and convicted, according to the records. My father should keep my mother in prison, as she confessed to being a witch in the past, and asked for Divine Mercy. ~


    The Princess was thoughtful, trying to understand how things happened. Alexander barely remembered his own mother, unlike Magnus, who had known both his mother and his stepmother. Even so, the Second Prince carried the stigma of being the son of a heretic.


    They continued in the carriage, where they could see everything without being seen.


    Turning to the priest, Alexa asked,


    "As I understand it, this region has had several cases of witchcraft in the past. The people call Prince Gutard a ''Witch Hunter''. In my travels, I heard that the Holy Office hardly works anymore, and the penalties are light, chasing common heretics. Witches are rare. But not here."


    "Heretics exist in droves, Alexa. Demon worshipers, apostates and blasphemers. Only, Holstein''s cathedral was erected to purify a previously cursed place," revealed the Florentine priest.


    ~ When he told me this story, EVEN I didn''t sleep for several nights. Don''t let him continue, Alexa! ~


    Despite the advice, Alexa was very curious and did the exact opposite,


    "Is Holstein cursed?"


    "Yes, hundreds of years ago Romans conquered and colonized this region. They didn''t know the Gospels and worshiped their old false gods. There were several temples here for these gods. The natives here had their pagan beliefs, too. The entire coastal region and forests were inhabited in the past by people who had come from Jutland and Denmark. With their gods and demons, and their barbarian customs. Getting them to accept Christ has not been an easy task, apparently. For centuries secret cults to pagan gods, and witches, have had a lot of power here. Until the Von Wuttenfal came to power. For three generations they have actively fought pagan customs and heresy in these lands. But the climax was during the reign of Otto Von Wuttenfal, Prince Gutard''s father," said Blue Eyes at once, while looking out of the carriage window. "That was when his eldest son earned his epithet of Witch Hunter. Reports say that he killed many heretics and sorcerers throughout the kingdom and even in neighboring kingdoms."


    Alexa had more questions, but her attention was drawn back to the outside of the carriage. At that moment, the nightingale escaped through the window, flying towards the cathedral, without the Princess being able to stop Alexander.


    Women, who were only identified as human beings because they wore white robes, were taken to the scaffold. One of them could not even stand on her own, and when they tied her to the pole by her feet and hands, she hung in a grotesque manner.


    "This is a horrible sight!" she exclaimed. Whether or not they were to blame for that slaughter, the sight disgusted Alexa. She could have been there at that moment, according to Magnus'' words earlier.


    Prince Gutard and the Bishop, accompanied by officers from the clergy and also from the kingdom, went up to the scaffold. On one of the posts, they tied a bundle in the best way possible. Blue Eyes murmured, puzzled,


    "What is that?"


    To which Alexa replied, as she now realized what was taking place,


    "Father, that is Princess Gisela. Today the Prince has recovered her body, and now he will burn her as a heretic."


    ''I just don''t think he should do that,'' she mused, watching black clouds form quickly over the square. The wind blew strong, raising dry leaves and dust.


    Blue Eyes took a deep breath, saying, "We need not be prophets to know that they will not win this war with a victory in this battle. Once again Gutard underestimates the malice of his worst enemies,"


    Alexa, however, didn''t answer, just opened the carriage door and left towards the cathedral. Alexander was perhaps not well, with all the twists and turns about his mother today. She didn''t have a good feeling. It was better to catch and protect him, before something happened under that stormy sky.


    The sudden and frightening change in the sky impressed even the citizens and the curious people gathered in the square. And something even more frightening happened as Alexa walked with the strong wind lashing her body.


    A flock of crows went round and round until they descended to the high spots of the square. They perched on posts, adjacent buildings, and even in the cathedral.


    "What the hell is going on here?!" she murmured to herself, realizing that those ominous signals only anticipated something much worse coming.

 Chapter 87 - The White Queen

    The afternoon practically turned into night in less than fifteen minutes.


    If that was intimidating Gutard or the Bishop, they were not showing it, as they continued with the arrangements. Alexa just tried to locate the little nightingale. She stopped in front of the cathedral, shading her eyes and looking up, seeing the black clouds stirring on the peaks of the building. Looking up and keeping her eyes open was not simple, however, with the strong wind and dust.


    ''Why did he leave like that?'' she wondered, imagining that perhaps Alexander was shocked by the illustrations he saw in the tower, and by revelations against his beliefs. Perhaps he had until then had a firm hope that his mother had abandoned witchcraft when she confessed and pleaded the Church for forgiveness. Today, however, his father would burn his mother''s body as a heretic.


    Or maybe it was something else. At that moment, what mattered was protecting the soul in that fragile little bird body.


    ''Alexander, please, if you can hear me, come back to me!'' she thought hard, as she heard his voice when the Second Prince was around. Maybe he could hear her too.


    The open-air mass began, but Alexa climbed the stairs of the cathedral, because the nightingale had made a straight line there. Behind her, Alexa heard the bishop''s harsh words, but there was no reason to pay attention. The Princess found Romeo lying just beyond the entrance, panting and very frightened. In her mind, Alexa heard the disconnected murmurs of the Prince, praying desperately,


    ~ Ave Maria, Gratia plena¡­ Please, she regretted it! Dominus tecum... Forgive me! I don''t deserve it, but please welcome her as your sorry daughter! Ora pro Nobis peccatoribus! Please! ~ His pleas cut the formula, with appeals for forgiveness for his mother.


    Crouching down and catching the bird with extreme care, she made a shelter with her cupped hands, and took him into the cathedral. It filled her heart with pity. Alexander, son of the Witch to a Witch Hunter.


    ''Our minds are so confused these days! Men don''t know what they do in the name of their gods,'' Alexa took the little soul up in front of the altar, imagining that this was Alexander''s initial goal.


    Smoke entered through the open cathedral door, while the exhortation went on monotonously. Alexa still held the nightingale in her hands, looking at the magnificent central altar. "If this is your answer for people like me and Alexander," she said to the statue in front of her, "I know you still can''t hear me."


    At this moment, Alexa felt the ground shake under her feet. She didn''t know if there were earthquakes there as there were in Constantinople. But she looked over her shoulder, toward the entrance porch.


    Alexa saw the terrifying specter of the White Queen, with eyes sparkling with hate. A long, dreadful shriek echoed everywhere. A cry of hatred and ferocity. The floor under her feet continued to shake, and then, coming from the door, the marble floor rose and burst into pieces as if a giant snake crossed the hall at an enormous speed.


    Coming towards her.


    "Uh-oh!" Alexa didn''t have time to think about the reasons, she just jumped away from the altar, holding the little bird firmly against her chest, while the line of destruction reached the altar and broke it exactly in half, from floor to ceiling. The crack in the middle of the cathedral sank, revealing the lower floor. The ossuary from which coffins and bones emerged to the surface, in the middle of the main nave.


    Despite the pain in the back for having fallen badly against a column, Alexa stood up, verifying that the image of the Son of God had remained intact. Balancing while the whole floor trembled, Alexa felt the air whirl around her, and her body was slowing being dragged towards the door.


    Out of the corner of her eye, the Princess realized that some brave people ran into the nave, only to be thrown away against the walls and columns, defenseless against Gisela''s powers.


    The Shade of the Mighty White Queen did not enter the cathedral. The curse and excommunication on her were too strong even for her powers, the Light Bearer reasoned. So the Shade tried to drag them with her.


    "It is too early for me to know hell, Mother-in-law. You will need to go first," in no way did Alexa think of releasing Alexander, if that was what the Witch wanted. Even if she failed, she needed to send Gisela to the other side, now that her body received expulsion rites performed by the Christian Bishop.


    Alexa jumped to the altar again, spreading her legs to stay exactly over the crack that opened the once peaceful rest of the dead underground.


    Raising her hand, she pointed toward the door. She felt the usual pain return to her palms when the flaming light shone on her body. The taste of blood came to the mouth.


    "NO! NO! NOT YOU! NO! I WANT MY REVENGE! MY REVENGEEEE! ALLOW ME MY REVENGE!" the Shade screams echoed.


    More than her hands, her nose, ears, and eyes were bleeding too. Alexa didn''t see it, she just knew that she should expel the White Queen at once from the world of the living.


    Her body vibrated and Alexa felt involved in a ball of light, which spurted towards the powerful and maddened Shade, confronting her solid power and her iron will. Many paths have opened up to her senses, but none of them Alexa could peer at. Many bearers of the Light were blinded by trying to know more than was entrusted to them.


    The White Queen cried black tears, while screaming, denying letting go.


    Behind Gisela''s Shade, many otherworldly hands tried to touch and grasp the White Queen, until she was drawn inexorably from the world of the living, while her once majestic form melted into black soot.


    Blinded by her own blood, Alexa fell to the floor, just aware of keeping the nightingale with her.


    The last thing the maiden heard before she lost consciousness was the people surrounding her.

 Chapter 88 - The Princes Man

    Despite realizing that people had gathered around her, Alexa felt herself being lifted with care, and taken quickly from the church. With a confused conscience, she only heard sounds and screams, felt the wind lashing, and the storming skies raging over Holstein.


    When she woke up again, the Princess heard the comfortable crackle of the fire in the fireplace, and she was wrapped in heavy, warm fur. It was night, as only the light from a chandelier illuminated the room. The rain continued, with a strong wind, stinging against the walls in waves.


    But the wooden beams on the ceiling where a yellow cat lazily wagged its tail, told her she wasn''t in the castle. Alexa raised her hands, and saw them bandaged expertly with clean linen.


    Looking to the side, she saw Balbo Cerd¨¢n''s back at the table. From the smell and noise he made, Balbo was having dinner.


    "Is your Highness hungry?" he asked without turning.


    "Is your cat trying to eat my bird?" she sat down, a bit alarmed. The maiden wasn''t feeling so bad, just a familiar feeling of accumulated fatigue. Quite distinct from the impression Alexa had at the cathedral, that this was her last day on earth.


    "No, Romeo is here at the table, eating bread balls. Are you sure you needn''t rest anymore? You slept little," he commented, scraping the bottom of the ceramic bowl with his spoon.


    "Why was I brought here?" she asked, realizing that she was at Cerd¨¢n''s house.


    "I wasn''t sure what they would do to you, so I brought you here. I assumed it was better that way. The people were terrified and chaotic. It has been raining for hours, and the city main streets are flooded."


    "Wait, weren''t the witches burned? Did the storm interrupted the trial?"


    "I didn''t stick around to see it, to be honest," the swordsman turned and moved to a trunk, scrabbled until he found a shirt, which he smelled before handing it to her. "I''ll wait in the hall. There''s nothing for you to bathe in here, Your Highness. I usually use public baths."


    Balbo lived rather well in a large and well-furnished room, Alexa realized. There was no sign that anyone other than him lived there.


    Alexa was taking off her filthy and bloody clothes, when she looked at the nightingale, on the table, staring at her,


    "I don''t believe it! You are peeping on me!" she hastily covered herself with the fur.


    ~ What''s the matter? I am your rightful husband! ~


    "Turn around!" she ordered, pointing her finger at him to face the exit door.


    ~ Do you think that''s fair? ~ Alexander complained, sulking.


    "Don''t you think you have more important things to do than that?"


    ~ But at the moment it would be a pleasant thing to do, ~ he ventured, but at her furious expression, he turned away, as demanded.


    ~ If I was myself right now, I would help you change, so you would spare your hands, ''~ he commented. Alexa changed, keeping an eye on him.


    "I''m already used to it. I mean, getting my hands hurt like that. This is my birth gift," there was no point in hiding it from Alexander, since he had seen it all. "I am sorry about your mother. Shades that remain in this world invariably become rancorous and go mad."


    ~ I thought she was good. Magnus told me she was joyful and good to him. That she was a lovely stepmother who used to take care of him and enjoy his company. Even better than his own mother. But then I saw those drawings and sacrifices and everything ...! ~


    The Princess sat on the bed, sighing, "Alexander, there are many religions different from Christian. That was her religion. But not! There is something more important now. Between the two of us, let''s talk frankly. Today you are on a bird, because you drank an elixir that would take your soul along the paths of the underworld. For the kingdom of Hades. If you did so at your own accord, you were also abjuring the Christian faith. And venturing into kingdoms that Christians consider demonic. Why did you do that in the first place?"


    ~ To find you, ~ said Alexander.


    A firm knock announced the return of Balbo, and Alexa stood up. The soldier was carrying another bowl of steaming soup, which he placed on the table,


    "Do you need help to eat, Your Highness?"


    "No, I''m used to it, but I accept wine. Or beer!" the Princess ran for food as if she hadn''t eaten in ages. Balbo had a good laugh, fishing for a corked jug from a cupboard,


    "I''m glad the Princess has good stamina. Hours ago it looked like you were going to die!"


    "My body is aching, but my stomach hurts more," she said. "Exorcising the White Queen was the most difficult thing I have ever done. I didn''t think I could, actually. I think the big Christian ritual has weakened her," she confessed, as she dipped bread in the soup. Romeo came close, attracted by the soup bowl, and Alexa pushed him carefully to the original place,


    "Nightingales eat insects, not soup. Get out."


    ~ I am not an ordinary nightingale! ~ Her husband protested angrily, flying to the ceiling. But when he got there, he saw the tabby cat and returned, landing on the table again! Alexa contained her laughter.


    "Your Highness knows that Romeo is not an ordinary bird, do you?" Balbo asked.


    "Do you know it too?!"


    ~ Yes, Balbo knows. He''s very perceptive! Now give me some soup, ~ Alexander pecked the linen from the bandage in her hands, trying to force her to offer him some human food.


    "I know Your Highness Alexander rather well, and Romeo came to me trying to communicate," replied the warrior. "I should never have told you the things I did, about our cult, Your Highness. Nor should I have talked about the elixir."


    "So you gave it to him? So¡­ does that mean you have the antidote with you, Balbo?!" it seemed confused that Balbo had not yet tried to dispense the antidote, if he had it, however.


    "No, Your Highness. The Elixir of Orpheus is a tool of the trade. If you know what I mean. I know the myth, but it never occurred to me that the Prince¡­"


    ~ I admit it! I came here and got it on my own. ~ Alexander rushed to say.


    "He''s admitting that he stole it, Balbo."


    "Can Your Highness speak to the Prince?" the warrior exclaimed in surprise, with a smile. Alexa nodded, but felt a deep bite in the head, at the same time that the nightingale thrashed its wings and trilled, sounding choked,


    "Alexa, they are ... trying to kill me!"

 Chapter 89 - Death Looms Over the Town

    Together, Balbo, the Princess, and the bird crossed the flooded streets while the storm punished Holstein. Inside Alexa''s hood, the nightingale shivered in the cold as they passed the square in front of the cathedral, now a dangerous and scary lake in the middle of the night. They were having little progress, and with each tentative step of Balbo''s horse, Alexa felt like the time was running over. Alexa tried to protect the flame inside the lamp, to guide them, but it was almost impossible.


    Worst of all was the constant sensation of death, like a great entity now awake looming over the city. So her hand burned under the bandages. It was a night of deaths and ghosts.


    A large, darker object floated towards them, and Alexa did not need much imagination to identify a dead human body. Only when the corpse floated close to them did Alexa discover, with disgust, that the putrid and swollen body, with mice huddled over it, couldn''t be a victim of the deluge. Most likely, the cathedral cemetery was vomiting its dead out from their tombs.


    The moment returned to Alexa''s mind when even the cathedral ossuary pushed old bones to the surface. And she recently attended a mass for the dead in the villa''s slaughter. Rotten bodies emerged from the same direction, as a reminder of hell.


    In the distance, screams, cries, and light of torches. The poorest residents from the lower parts tried to save their belongings from destruction and flee to the highest part of the city, close to the castle.


    Balbo was floundering in the flood, guiding the horse, and Alexa worried about that,


    "You need to mount, Balbo, this water is dangerous," she said. In addition, the slowness and the struggle against the current were unbearable when more than escaping from there, it was reaching the Sleeping Prince urgent.


    "Save your horse, Balbo, I''m going over that," Alexa pointed to the ancient Roman aqueduct, still in use, that cut across the city. "We met at the castle," throwing herself into the air, she grabbed the slippery column and climbed it, standing up when she reached the top.


    The bird hooted desperately,


    Panting, the Princess said,


    "For a moment I thought, yes, I had made a bad decision, hubby." She looked at Balbo riding the horse and looking up at her, making a sign of joy, and turning the animal to continue crossing to a safer place. "But if you''re dying, I can''t waste any time, can I?"


    Running over the stone arches, beside the fast-flowing water, Alexa managed to travel a good bit, until she saw a group of horsemen with torches and lamps, calling her name while wallowing in the flood.


    "Alexa! Alexa!"


    "Princess Alexa!"


    Magnus and his men faced the flood to find her!


    Whistling as hard as she could, she caught their attention from above the arches. Alexa saw when the Prince took off his hood, to look at her.


    "Go back to the castle! Alexander is in danger! Come back!" she shouted, pointing to the castle.


    Magnus motioned for them to do so immediately, and the horsemen turned around. And she continued to run over the aqueduct, not listening to the Prince''s yelling demanding her to go back. Alexa knew she could get closer to the cliff and find them on the way to the castle using that suspended and unimpeded construction.


    The homeless people were crowding to find shelter around the walls of the castle, and Alexa saw when the Prince and his men made room to reach the castle gates.


    Alexa still had time to recover some of her breath and stamina when Magnus passed her, lifting her body to the saddle while riding.


    "Why did you do that?!" the First Prince grunted in her ear as they rode through the gates. He was probably referring to her risky stunts again. And as Alexa did not answer, he turned her face for a moment, so they looked at each other in the eyes. She saw frustration and concern, and a flick of relief too.


    But the moment when they looked into each other''s eyes had to end. She took his hand off her chin saying,


    "I don''t know what''s going on, but Alexander is in danger. They may have taken advantage of the moment and their guard down."


    "Gisela''s ghost cannot protect him anymore, it would be a timely opportunity to kill Alexander," Magnus grunted, stopping the horse as soon as they reached one of the doors.


    ''Yes, that was an assumption that would make sense. Perhaps the Black Queen has new plans now, ''Alexa thought, following the Prince through the stairs and corridors.


    As they approached the Royal Family''s wing, Alexa already noticed the smell of smoke invading her lungs. Servants and soldiers flocked to the scene, but both the Princess and Magnus knew that it was literally a smokescreen to cover the attack on the Prince.


    "Stay with Romeo here. I''ll go in and look for him. Don''t let Romeo die!" said Magnus, disappearing into the smoke from the hall.


    Her heart was beating fast and hard, and she touched the bird inside her clothes. Romeo was cold and limp, with weak heartbeats.


    "Hang in there, Alexander," she murmured, taking on a fatalistic feeling.


    Somewhat stunned, Alexa tried to get out of the way of those who fled and the brave ones, like Balbo, who went in the fire to rescue people. She felt someone''s hand on her shoulder. It was Blue Eyes, trying to get her away. She took the priest''s hand away, and resolutely headed for the smoke-filled corridor, tired of waiting.


    Then, a deep pain pierced her head, and she whirled on herself, unable to fight the excruciating attack,


    "Hahaha" she heard as she felt her body falling to the ground. A melodious female voice with a beautiful Florentine accent. "I have something you want, Princess."


    Alexa looked up, and saw the ghostly face of Shade looking at her derogatorily, as a queen looks at the lowest of the servants. She felt a pressure in her chest, as if the weight of a foot was on her and Romeo.


    "Stop ..." she moaned.


    "I am making my choices, and you must make yours. I will return his body, on one condition."


    Alexa gasped, knowing that at that moment she was too weak spiritually to fight another Shade, and on her terms.


    "Come on, tell me your price. I''m all ears," she pushed Letitia''s heavy ghostly foot, releasing the bird from the weight. Listening to what the Black Queen wanted was important, and if she somehow had her husband''s body, Alexa should be cautious. And of course, she didn''t care about honor.


    "When I order you, you will kill the king," said the witch''s spirit triumphantly.

 Chapter 90 - The Quickest Rosary in the West

    "Kill the king?" It wasn''t something that took Alexa by surprise, but she hesitated. She knew that, at some point in her life, she would be forced to make this kind of decision, but she didn''t imagine that it would serve the wishes of a vengeful and cunning ghost.


    Before the maiden could answer, however, Father Agnello took two steps forward, and wielding his rosary, performed the exorcism rite, pasting the cross on Shade''s forehead. Alexa rolled from under the spectral creature, which shrieked in an angry and desperate manner, while her cousin tried to banish her.


    Something flung the priest away and Blue Eyes hit his head against a wall, losing consciousness, but Letitia soon vanished. Whether by the Shade''s own will or because the ritual had hurt her, the Princess did not know.


    Alexa saw Magnus bringing his father, who looked injured, while she was trying to bring Blue Eyes back. The bird struggled inside her clothing, seeming to regain some vigor. Getting him out quickly, Alexa encouraged her husband,


    "Go outside! Get away from the smoke, Alexander!"


    ~ Come with me, I know where my body is!~ cried the Prince. Alexa realized that Alexander''s soul had returned to his usual alertness. Handing the priest over to a soldier, Alexa followed the bird up a side staircase, just thinking the priest''s intervention was essential. Had the Black Queen shown herself to everyone at that time, or could only the priest see her, besides Alexa?


    She didn''t have time to deepen her thoughts as she ran, as she nearly tripped over a bloody body lying on the stairs. Alexa didn''t examine it, because Alexander followed without stopping. She found a barred gate that led to the outside, and it was unlocked. Going out into the drizzly night, she saw three women carrying Alexander''s body wrapped in a sheet with difficulty.


    "Halt!" the Princess yelled, furious.


    The women stopped, startled. The tallest one turned, trembling.


    It was Cordelia.


    ~ Isn''t that my brother''s fiancee, Lady Cordelia Agnes? ~ asked Alexander, astonished.


    "Alexa! Alexa! They were trying to get the prince out of the castle!" Cordelia came towards her, with a terrified gaze. The Princess noticed that Cordelia''s hands were covered in blood.


    Alexa was silent, and the two women carrying the body of the Second Prince returned to them, asking Cordelia,


    "What do we do, milady?"


    "I thought about taking the Prince to the Chapel, Alexa, I mean, Your Highness. I don''t know what to do, I''m sorry!"


    Although her heart was uneasy, Alexa said nothing and went to her husband''s body, uncovering his face. Nothing had changed, upon a quick inspection.


    ~ Can you make up your mind soon?! They''re holding me like I''m a bag of onions! ~ the Prince complained.


    "Yes! Come on, Lady Cordelia. Let''s go to the chapel," Alexa finally agreed. Something was bothering her, but it would make Cordelia tell her what had happened, and why it was stained with blood. At that time, the most important thing was to protect Alexander''s body, and ??the chapel was a good option. Considering that Letitia had fled after the confrontation with Father Agnello, she would probably avoid the holy place. This wasn''t a rule for Shades, for all she had learned, however.


    They went across the courtyard to the chapel, and the bird landed on the Princess shoulder again, at her call.


    There, finding some servants sleeping on the benches, not even imagining that another part of the immense castle had been set on fire, Alexa sent them to warn that she and Cordelia were there, safe and with Prince Alexander''s body. The novices put the Prince on a bench, and left to tend their Lady. The Princess sat next to Alexander, watching Cordelia and her ladies-in-wait. While Alexa suffered from cramps and generalized pains now that her blood and spirit were cooling, the Flemish maiden threw herself on the floor in front of the altar, murmuring disconnected prayers.


    ~ What is she doing? Is she okay? ~


    "It''s a good question. So did she save you?" the Princess murmured under her breath, as she sensed that the novices'' glances, though turned to the prostrate lady, were on her.


    ~ I don''t know. I felt myself being pulled somewhere, I felt suffocated, and blacked out. Then I woke up ... between your breasts, ~ Alexander whispered too.


    ~ They always mistook me for a boy, so you didn''t get much out of your nest, ~ she replied crossly.


    Magnus broke into the chapel, followed by Balbo and some soldiers.


    "Is my brother hurt?"


    "As before, Your Highness. Lady Cordelia can say more," Alexa should be grateful that Cordelia intervened, but after the morning of her wedding onwards, she could no longer look at the lady without resentment. Perhaps an undeserved grudge against Cordelia, and Alexa knew it.


    "Lady Cordelia, tell us," said Magnus.


    "I was coming from the chapel and up the stairs. We surprised two men carrying Prince Alexander down. One of them ran away and the other ... I killed the other. I stuck the knife he had on him. Oh my God, forgive me! Forgive me, I didn''t want to kill him!" she was in tears, speaking confusedly to the Prince.


    Her chaperones confirmed Cordelia''s version in more detail. They had tried to return Alexander''s body to his quarters, as they narrated, but when they saw the smoke-filled corridor, they were left without options and decided to go down again.


    "Hmmm," she mumbled, but had no hard evidence about her suspicions. It was better that no one realized that Alexander could talk to her, or about Romeo, at the moment. More people were arriving at the chapel, attracted by the news.


    Motioning for Balbo to take Alexander''s body, she asked Magnus,


    "Your father? What happened to him?"


    "Something in the square earlier, coupled with¡­ a forgotten candle. He says he''ll be fine, but he needs a break," his words just implied that the ghosts tried to kill his father. But of course, Prince Gutard was a formidable enemy even for witches as Gisela and Letitia, alive or dead. He won twice, it was a fact.


    "In this case, I will be in Father Agnello''s chambers, and I will take Prince Alexander with me. I don''t intend to disturb you while taking care of what is necessary. Someone, please, take Lady Cordelia to her mother. She''s terrified, and needs to rest," Alexa used to be highly pragmatic when exhausted and feisty, and she was both. Lady Eudoxia would be proud of how she behaved like royalty at that time.


    Now it was time to leave the chapel haughtily.


    Too bad, when she got up, her legs didn''t support her. And if it weren''t for Magnus to hold Alexa in his arms, she would have fallen to the floor.

 Chapter 91 - This Heart of Mine

    Maria was giving food to Alexa''s mouth, while the Princess'' wrists and feet were tied to the chair by strips of cloth. The Princess was furious, but the First Prince was at the window, watching the rainy weather, and Maria didn''t dare disobey a royalty''s order.


    Her anger didn''t stop her from chewing the meal that was good, by the way.


    "Your Highness, you cannot keep me like this! This is ridiculous!"


    "It is the tenth time that I repeat the same thing. You''ll end up killing yourself and I cannot allow it. Your hands are raw and grazed under these bandages, your feet are lacerated and you are a little deaf!" the Prince came to Alexa, pushing her nose with a finger.


    "Not deaf. Maria has already cleared my ears. I hear very well, thank you."


    He snorted in response to her back-talk.


    "Rumors that an angel came down from heaven to fight the witch inside the cathedral are spreading at the castle gates. They''re talking about you! About you, ''Princess''! The Bishop and other clergymen want to see you and speak to you. What do you think? Do you want to become the bastion of virtues they need? Not so long ago, a French woman had a huge problem going this route."


    The news startled the Princess, but she definitely didn''t want to become a pawn for the Church or a martyr for the people. She nodded to Maria to pour her more drink. As her chaperone poured wine, she rocked in her chair,


    "I''m feeling fine now! The pain is gone!" Alexa whined childishly.


    "For you to resume jumping things, hanging on poles and risking your life? No. At least recover and learn to behave like a married woman. Stay close to Alexander and watch him. Help the poor and homeless. Like¡­ sewing blankets and serving soup. No. It uses your hands. Just pray for them. Not on your knees. Sitting."


    "Release me right now and I promise I won''t do any of these things," she asked, when Maria wiped her mouth with a napkin.


    "Lady, get out," ordered the Prince next.


    Alexa watched Maria withdraw with wide eyes, not knowing what to expect from the First Prince.


    Then Magnus crouched down in front of her, and to the maiden''s absolute surprise, put his head on her lap, and wrapped his arms around her thighs. And he let out a long breath after that.


    For a long moment Magnus was silent.


    ''But what is he doing?!''


    Saying nothing, he got up and went back to the window.


    "W-aren''t you going to say anything about it? Why did you do it?!" the First Prince''s attitude drove her crazy. But he just shook his head.


    "You wouldn''t like to listen to my reasons. But listen to something else I have to say. The things you asked me yesterday."


    The Princess fell silent, and realized that Magnus''s dark gaze seemed a little distant when he spoke,


    "When I was a little boy and my father killed all the people closer to me, from the nanny to my milk brother, I wanted to know why. But they didn''t tell me. Not even my stepmother told me. My mother told me, or rather, her ghost. She said he killed her because the woman who was now my father''s wife was a witch. A witch who had put a stone in my heart''s place. Heart that she had stolen and eaten raw."


    "...!" she held her breath. Alexa couldn''t help but fear a woman who had this ability and these supernatural alliances. Now she was not sure if her little power had been enough to banish the White Queen forever from the land of the living. It was very likely that Gisela knew ways to come back.


    "I was also seduced, as a child is, by Gisela. She was kind, caring, and always seemed happy. But when I heard that she had devoured my heart ... I realized that all she wanted to do was to dominate our family and drag us into darkness. When Gisela was in the dungeon, I went to see her. I asked her why she had taken my heart out. She said, ''I just wanted to save you, little scorpion. But deep down I knew ... The shadows I put on your chest would one day devour us all, starting with me'' ..."


    Alexa listened carefully, imagining the horror of having lived those things, as Magnus lived. She wished to reach him out and console him, bus she was tied.


    "So I asked my father for an answer. Naturally, he didn''t think I needed one, but he said, just once. ''I sold the kingdom to that witch, Gisela. For my only son to live. And now I have two children. I should kill your brother, but I can''t. I won''t.'' Incredible isn''t it? I couldn''t pressure him any more. Is it a spell that makes us all like Alexander? Is this how the witch protected her son? Making him sweet like an angel?"


    The Princess was starting to understand Holstein''s past, but mostly, the Von Wuttenfals dark secrets.


    "But ... You know that your mother was also a witch, don''t you?"


    "That''s what my father told me. Apparently this is the destiny of this city and the destiny of this family, to fight witchcraft and be consumed by it."


    "Don''t be so fatalistic, Magnus. I know little about witches. All I know is that their cults and teachings change according to the regions. But your mother must at least compete in power with Gisela, as ghosts. And as I understand it, they didn''t act alone. Letitia was the foreigner, and your father may have tried to eliminate any trace that she may have brought with her. But it was not enough. Shades only stay strong if they are ''alive''. With prayers and devotion. So there are still people alive who maintain their legacy. Likewise, Gisela. I don''t know what happened to her. Eventually she can come back."


    "I understand. But ... What is Shade? You said you didn''t understand any of this, but I see that it ended up revealing yourself finally."


    "Ahem, I¡­ I just repeated what they said in my home. What ghosts can only dwell a house when the living cry for them," although she was rethinking whether her secrets are so horrible for the Von Wuttenfal, Alexa still felt insecure because, despite eventually negotiating with witches, Prince Gutard still hated heretics.


    "Hmm," Magnus approached again, in the suspicious way that Alexa was more used to associating with him." For one who know nothing, you know too much," he untied the maiden.


    "Perhaps people from the East are aware of things people from West is not," she replied, hoping it would do.


    "I don''t know if I can count on your promises. But, in three days I will leave for Languedoc, Alexa. Survive with Alexander until I get back. Stay healthy, don''t fall off the roofs. Keep your eyes open. You are his best chance now," Magnus looked her in the eye when he finished untying the Princess.


    "I should go instead, the truth is that I should go in your place."


    "Alexa, don''t you understand? This heart of mine¡­ He''s treacherous, and it''s corrupting me. Every time I lay someone''s blood¡­ My heart aches and become heavier," he told her, with a grave hoarse voice. Her eyes widened again, and her heart pumped fast with the realization of such a dark fate.


    "I don''t want my heart of stone to wish my brother dead, so I ..." he bent and sniffed her hair with lust.


    Alexa closed her eyes, realizing that the biggest challenge she had was not witches, inquisitors or assassins.

 Chapter 92 - Soul Mates

    As the carriage went to the convent of the Poor Clares, Alexa pretended not to see Nerissa, sitting between Father Agnello and Balbo Cerd¨¢n in front of her.


    Beside her Edel played with the nightingale in the cage, never imagining that she was being so intimate and playful to a prince of the kingdom.


    "Romeo, Romeo, you are so cute. Look at that puffy breast, isn''t he cute?" she tried to caress the nightingale''s breast, which ran away from the hand of the young lady-in-waiting, asking his wife,


    ~ So is this what our relationship will be like? Any woman can try to seduce me, and won''t you show any care for me? I will not forget this, Alexa, ~ Alexander complained, anguished.


    "Edel, Romeo is shy," the Princess put her hand over the young lady-in-wait, which she obeyed, realizing that she was bothering the Princess. But if it weren''t for Alexander complaining, the Princess wouldn''t have cared less. Edel was very cheerful and full of energy, it was always good to have her around. And if Alexander didn''t really like it, he could peck at her hand. ''Uhn, he doesn''t realize I saw him flirting Edel by lowering that sweet little head of him and pretending to hide under the wing ... Now he wants to play the innocent!''


    Nerissa was also full of energy, apparently. Alexa realized that the redhead ghost was following her, which was not at all common. ''Is she¡­ haunting me?!''


    Although the Princess previously believed that Father Agnello could also see ghosts, she realized that this was not the case. Although he looked a little out of place on the bench, he hadn''t tried exorcisms, but his hand was on the rosary. Both men seemed oblivious to Nerissa, and each was looking out the window.


    Nerissa gave Balbo a flick in the ear, which immediately scratched the spot. She was indeed trying to get the attention of Alexa! The Princess finally faced the Shade.


    Then the ghost began to make gestures. Alexa just understood the number ''4'', and ''walking'', of the sequence of mimics that the ghost tried to show. Sometimes she pointed to Blue Eyes, but it was really hard to understand the rest.


    Frustrated, Alexa spoke out loud,


    "Ah, I suck at enigmas. But you know, Father Agnello, I was curious now about a fact that has been forgotten amid so many situations. That girl who was to be my maid in England. Someone drowned her in my tub. Didn''t they just investigate why someone murdered her? Are murders common in the castle? Who was she? Her name was Nerissa."


    Nerissa disappeared, as expected.


    Blue Eyes relaxed a little on the bench, saying,


    "Prince Magnus selected all who''d travel with you. But I remember he picked her because her mother is English or something. She volunteered, in fact, as he mentioned."


    "Was she a spy, Your Highness?" Balbo commented on his suspicion, and Alexa remembered the whole incident. A spy for Lady Duvignes, perhaps? It was she who was around at that moment. But if she had an English mother, it was a little unlikely that she was a spy for the Frenchs. Both kingdoms were going through a long war. The idleness of body was making her mind to work on past issues, so she questioned next,


    "What about the assassination attempt against Prince Magnus? I fear that they will take advantage of him going on a trip to kill him on the road. Whoever made such a circus to fake trying to kill Cordelia but aiming the Prince instead, used big money to hire the killers. Edel, please take the black coin from my money bag," Prince Gutard, probably giving ears to the First Prince''s nonsense opinions, forbid Alexa to use her hands until they fully recovered. And that was why she was going to the convent of the Poor Clares. For a treatment with a so-called miraculous balm made only by the nuns of those convents.


    "Balbo, do you know this symbol?" the Princess asked, making mention that Edel would deliver the item to the soldier. Balbo examined it quickly and replied,


    "Yes, I know. It is not a local Guild. Can I stay with it, Your Highness? I''ll investigate, if you allow this subject."


    Alexa smiled, because that was her intention from the beginning. She could trust that Balbo would find the answer. Blue Eyes raised an eyebrow at her questioningly,


    "I admire your political mind, Your Highness. The Von Wuttenfal gained a lot from this marriage. Your wit is exceptional. But shouldn''t you leave matters involving your brother-in-law to other people?"


    Of course, Alexa understood the multitude of innuendoes in that question, but answered only,


    "Father Agnello, the Von Wuttenfal take care of each other,"


    ~ I like you! ~ thanked Alexander in a cheerful tone. And he decided to sing loudly, leaving everyone a little deaf inside the carriage with his musical demonstration.


    The arrival at the convent took place without incident, as a group of 20 soldiers escorted the party. She did a thorough treatment with the nuns, and then she could rest.


    Enjoying the silence of the cell she was staying in, lying on the bed, Alexa asked Alexander,


    "Ale, you said you went to look for me, on a soul''s journey. Our conversation was interrupted then, but I haven''t forgotten. Why did you say that?"


    The bird perched on the window turned to the Princess, and she heard Alexander''s voice,


    ~ Because it''s true. I dream about you all my life, ~ the Prince''s honest tone made Alexa have no doubt that he spoke what was in his heart. ~ I dreamed of a boy I thought was myself. Living many adventures in exotic lands. I imagine it was the Orient. I didn''t dream about it every day, of course. But I often dreamed of you. Lex grew as I grew. So that boy became a girl ... That part was strange. That''s when I realized it wasn''t me. It was another person. My soulmate. You, ~ Alexander''s soul sighed in Alexa''s mind, losing himself in thought.


    How could that be? Alexander dreamed her life? In fact, the physical resemblance they had, besides their close age, and even names ... That had to have a meaning. It was impossible to ignore.


    "I cannot doubt what you are saying, Alexander. But it is still incredible."


    ~ Yes. I know. When things started getting dangerous for you, I thought I should meet you. I just didn''t know how, ~ he completed.


    The Princess, who was looking at the ceiling, turned to the bird, and asked,


    "Did you tell Balbo that?"


    ~Yes, and he started telling me about the things he learned in the East, and¡­ When I asked him if he was a Lazarite, he freaked out! You should have seen it! ~ he chuckled, and Alexa joined him.


    "Did you tell Blue Eyes that?" she continued the interrogation. It was good to know who knew about her life through Alexander''s dreams.


    ~ Blue Ey ...? Ah, you must be talking about Father Agnello. No, even though he''s my confessor ... I didn''t think he would understand. He might think it was demons or something ~ he explained.


    "Hmmm, I suspect he worked to marry us," she revealed, remembering various attitudes and even the ''song about the princess who came to save the prince.''


    ~ Him? ~


    "Yes, he''s not what he seems," and Alexa went on to tell the veiled threat in the carriage and how Blue Eyes made her follow Prince Gutard to the lighthouse. And of course, she told of the prophecy that she and Magnus heard the Witch Sigrid reveal.


    "I think he influenced your father''s decision, in some way, Alexander. Because, according to Magnus told me, he had asked his father to marry me the day before that," Alexa revealed.


    ~ Magnus? Why would he do that?! ~ he asked and the tone of his voice sounded suspicious. But then the tone changed completely, exclaiming,


    "Alexa! Now that we have fulfilled this part of the prophecy, what else is to come? We must know!"


    The Princess was a little stunned at first, but then she agreed,


    "We must visit the Lighthouse''s Witch again!"

 Chapter 93 - Framed Memories

    However, two days passed without the Princess being able to leave the convent, where she was recovering from physical and spiritual excesses. The wounds on her hands, which the nuns called stigmata, healed faster than the wounds on her body, as they always did. The Poor Sisters'' herbal balm really helped with healing and other remedies relieved pain and gave her a heavy, dreamless, restful sleep.


    The atmosphere of perfect peace calmed even the spirits of her lady-in-waiting. After saying goodbye and making a substantial donation to the convent, the Princess''s party left for Holstein. In contrast, when the carriage was approaching the city gates, they could already smell the unpleasant odor emanating from the outskirts of the capital. The mixture of sea mud and fetid rot, after the flood that hit the central and port part of Holstein. After breathing pure mountain air, Alexa even brought a handkerchief to her face to withstand the shock in her nostrils.


    Workers cleared the city of mud and debris when the princess''s entourage crossed downtown.


    Her arrival was received with joy. But Alexa received the shocking news that, under orders from Prince Gutard, the Sleeping Prince had been taken to an unknown location. A measure to protect Alexander from attempts on his life.


    "How could he do that?! What secret location is this? He really has a way of locking things up, doesn''t he?" she shared her affliction to her transmigrated husband.


    ~ But I am not a thing! I''m not a prisoner! Or am I?! ~ Prince Alexander sounded quite shocked and fearful. The Princess also feared for the new attitudes of the Holstein sovereign, following the catastrophic events following her marriage to the Second Prince. But she tried to calm her husband down,


    "Alexander, it might be better to tell your father you communicate with me and that your soul has migrated to Romeo. Maybe it will calm him down and together we can think of something."


    ~ Alexa, maybe you are right. But please approach him cautiously, ~ he suggested, wary.


    The Princess regretted the fact that none of Gutard Von Wuttenfal''s heirs could trust her father as blindly as she had trusted her own. In some ways, like unconditional love for his children, Prince Gutard and her father Bryennios were alike. They made a mistake and paid bitterly to save a child''s life.


    However, when requesting an audience with the Sovereign Prince, Alexa found that she could only see him near dinner time. The Prince would be reunited with several dignitaries throughout the day.


    The castle was chaotic for renovations due to the fire in the family''s wing, so Alexa got out of the way for a moment. Wandering with Romeo on her shoulder, she saw two servants walking by carrying the picture of Princess Letitia from Prince Magnus''s room. Attracted by the object, she followed them discreetly. They abandoned the painting in an east wing corridor, just covering it with a cloth to save it from dust.


    When they returned to fetch more items and left the empty corridor, Alexa went to the painting and raised the cloth, watching the painting in Italian style attentively.


    In the light of day, the Princess''s beauty was admirable. Although Alexa''s eyes insisted on going back to the ring with Diana''s symbols.


    Then the maiden heard the voice of Magnus behind her,


    "What do you think you''re doing, you pernicious lady?" and felt his hands wrap around her neck ...


    She blinked, feeling suffocated, and tried to turn and get free, but she couldn''t. His hands were forceful and were pressing hard against her throat. On the slightly glossy surface of the painting, she saw the male silhouette behind her, lifting her up into the air. Much taller than Magnus was.


    It was not Magnus, but Gutard.


    Then she understood, and closed her eyes, touching the painting surface and giving herself over to the vision of the past attached to that object.


    "Not content with trying to kill me earlier, do you dare come to my room again?"


    Gutard rolled over Letitia, holding her neck with one hand. The Prince''s eyes shone with his hatred and contempt. As young as Magnus was today, Holstein''s First Prince ignored his beautiful wife''s naked body and spat on her face, saying next,


    "Do you think this circus will deceive me? Where were you? Is your father sorry to have sold you to the Prince of the North? Do you think killing me will be easy?"


    Princess Letitia tried to take the Prince''s hands off her neck, but failed, scratching his face with her long nails. But he was no match for the giant''s strength over her, and the hand constantly pressing on her throat. She coughed and tried to speak, but it was impossible. He buried his face between her breasts, inhaling the air, and tightened his grip on her neck, saying,


    "You damn whore. How dare you come here with another man''s scent? Bitch. I''ll kill all your children," saying this he opened her thighs with his knee, while touching the delta of her legs with his hand.


    "When I have evidence against your family, my wife, I''ll make you all bleed as you want me to bleed. I''ll drink wine while rejoicing at your ruin," and saying this Gutard slapped her beautiful face with his free hand, drawing blood from her lips.


    Riding her and using her body while threatening and torturing her, Gutard seemed to transcend with hatred, until the pleasure of his body made him howl and clutch her hips tightly, depositing his seed inside the woman.


    Then she laughed when he rolled over, exhausted, wiping her face from tears, blood, and spit. The blond man looked at her with confusion in his eyes, and Letitia spat her blood on his face, whispering,


    "Kill your heir, you damn bastard, and I''ll burn your house and name down! Touch the son you made tonight, and the Von Wuttenfal will be wiped out from this land! Yes! Your seed is powerful, but so is my blood!"


    The beating she witnessed next took Alexa out of the trance, and she vomited immediately. And she searched for air, stumbling until she reached the window and opened it.


    The Black Queen, at the end of the corridor, took less than three blinks to reach her, bowing to whisper,


    "You chose your side, but don''t forget, my girl. He will kill you as he did with all of us."

 Chapter 94 - Break

    Alexa looked up at the Black Queen. Her colorless face contrasted with bright, wicked eyes,


    "Girl, you must free all these souls from suffering, don''t you? It''s your last chance, "Shade extended her frighteningly long fingernails to the window. Alexa could see a garden from there. Then she disappeared, but the echo of her voice whispered,


    "Tonight."


    "Do it."


    "Regret ..."


    "Don''t let the moon come without killing the king ..."


    "Magnus shouldn''t leave ..."


    "You¡­ Locked ..."


    "Last chance."


    The Princess stayed where she was, and then put her hand on her sore neck, feeling that the experience had been very real. Approaching the parapet, Alexa looked at the small garden.


    Her eyes soon identified aconite flowers, belladonna berries, poppy, and hellebore, amid the clutter of plants.


    ''A garden of poisons ?!''


    ~ Alexa, what are you doing? asked Alexander, after a while. Then she realized that she was pondering the memories stuck in that painting. She witnessed an echo of the past. And now she could better understand the various facets of everyone involved in this bloody and profane plot.


    "Where were you?"


    "When you choked I tried to find Balbo or Magnus or anyone who could come and save you!" he explained in a dismayed tone. The nightingale circled her a few times, examining her, and then landed on her shoulder again, rubbing his head on her chin.


    "Letitia visited me again," she said, asking next, "How do you get there?"


    ~ Only the royal apothecary has access to this garden. It is full of dangerous plants. There is a deadly punishment for anyone who enters there. Or try to corrupt the royal apothecary. Be it plebeian or nobleman. It''s a law from my grandfather''s day, I think. One of my stepmothers died like this. She broke the law and went there, but her maid denounced her. That''s what counts."


    "She was from a very wealthy family, but she wasn''t from nobility," Alexa bitterly commented. She had seen all Gutard''s marriages, after all. All plebeian women.


    ~ Princess Frederika? I don''t know. I certainly don''t remember her much, just that she had a little black dog that bit my hand once. I was too small to remember the political part. BUT, forget about this garden. If you need anything, talk to the doctor. ~


    "According to your brother, I ''killed'' all the doctors because I pointed out something they hadn''t seen," Alexa left the place, returning to her people. She wanted to be sure that she wouldn''t be tempted to listen to a vindictive Shade.


    Although Alexander vowed to know what Shade had tried to say, Alexa chose not to speak. It was disturbing.


    The Second Prince then asked to see Konrad,


    ~ Konrad, besides being my cousin, is my best friend. I left him a letter saying that he should watch my body because I''d be back soon. But that Philistine did nothing I expected! ~


    Alexa remembered the Duke''s harrowed reaction when he saw the Sleeping Prince. So it was because of that letter!


    "Don''t you think you put a lot of responsibility on your cousin''s shoulders? Did you really think he could oppose the authority of your brother or your father? Did you even think about how your letter must have sounded to your cousin?" For the first time, Alexander really annoyed the Princess.


    Her head ached because only morbid thoughts about the future were in her imagination. And sometimes it seemed to Alexander that it was just a childish joke. Even the fact that he had transmigrated to a bird didn''t seem to bother him, now that he had someone to talk to.


    ~ I mean that he will be susceptible to believe your words, that''s it. And it''s a good time to explain the letter. ~


    "Shut up, Alexander. I will not be your interpreter to your friends. Your brother is about to leave the kingdom and risk his life to bring the antidote that MIGHT get you out of this situation. But you just seem to worry about banalities, ~ she snarled, furious.


    For a moment he fell silent, but then he said,


    ~ I was dead, Alexa. Being dead is awful. There is neither time nor light. For a long time, I didn''t know where I was until you arrived and with your breath and your light, waking me from torpor. The touch of your lips, the breath in my lungs ... I felt it even though it wasn''t in my body. It sent me straight to Romeo. Thank you, Alexa. Being alive, even in a bird, is infinitely better. Even though I keep silent forever, ~ and the nightingale flew out the window, faster than their hands could grab it so it wouldn''t go.


    "Ale! Romeo, don''t go! Come back, come back!" she shouted at her bedroom window thoughtlessly, but lost sight of the bird.


    ''What if he gets hit by an arrow? Does a hawk catch him? Does the strong wind knock him down? Does a cat eat him? Forgive me! I spoke without thinking!''


    "Come back, Romeo!"


    A knock on the door awaited her authorization to enter.


    "Your Highness, forgive me," said a nobleman, "We can try to find the couple''s little bird. But right now, Your Highness is awaited for the audience you requested with His Majesty."


    Without many alternatives, Alexa followed with the nobleman, although she preferred that Alexander is with her when, and if, she revealed to the Sovereign Prince the curious fact of his son''s transmigration.


    Seeing her father-in-law after having witnessed the memory stuck in the painting caused an immediate feeling of discomfort in the Princess. The giant she had once sympathized with was more frightening now. The Sovereign Prince had cut his hair short since the last time Alexa saw him. He wore a sling under his cloak; and received her regally seated.


    The biggest surprise is that Lady Cordelia was in the room, and gave her a slight smile and a greeting according to the difference in status. She was close to Prince Gutard, looking a little embarrassed, but soon Alexa understood that she was there as a nurse.


    After the formalities and reciprocal questions about each other''s health, Alexa realized that her audience had no precedence or privacy, nor would Cordelia leave the room. Then she went straight to the main subject,


    "Your Majesty, as soon as I arrived I had the news that I could not see my husband. I was told that Your Majesty removed him to a place unknown to everyone. I hope to see you soon. Can you share plans about what we will do to protect him, and how can I be close to him?"

 Chapter 95 - The Treasured Prince

    Prince Gutard seemed to be waiting for that moment,


    "Alexa, my son was lucky twice. First with your arrival. Then with Lady Cordelia''s timely intervention. But I can''t count on luck anymore. Unfortunately, as you already know, our house and our kingdom are constantly battling evil forces. So Alexander will be better off in a place unknown to most people. I''m being extremely discretionary about who I''m picking to have access to, and take care of Alexander. Father Agnello di Borghesi, your tutor, is the only name I picked already. I know you will feel at ease because of that."


    "This is great, Your Majesty," Alexa agreed, even though she sensed that his speech didn''t include her. She probed, "I want to provide several things for Alexander''s comfort while we wait for the antidote."


    "I''ll provide everything, you won''t have to worry about any of this."


    Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed some reactions from courtiers in the room, including Cordelia. They were tense, but at the same time, they seemed to expect it.


    "I don''t understand, Your Majesty. Why shouldn''t I have to worry about my husband?" Alexa knew that everything had changed from the moment she was able to open the tower door. Would he throw her into the dungeon? ''Locked up'', as the Black Queen had said?


    She looked at a window, but couldn''t tell if the moon had already risen, because of the heavy curtains.


    In that little moment of tension, Alexa figured out that, for some reason, the Black Queen was trying to save her, and for that reason, in the Shade''s scary way, tried to warn her. Looking up sweetly and with an overwhelming smile, she said,


    "Well, my father-in-law, your decision is enough for me, whatever it is. Just grant me that little request. Let me go with Duke Konrad to see Alexander before you take him to the place where he''s meant to remain. Everyone told me that the Duke is Alexander''s best friend. I think he''d like to see Alexander again and be at ease, like myself," she thought it would be a good strategy to not have her request refused. Then she''d take Romeo with her, and Alexander himself would later tell her where his body had been taken to.


    The corner of the Prince''s lips twitched and almost formed a smile,


    "You quickly became attached to my son, Alexa."


    "Having a family is important to me, Your Majesty. Countess Godiva told me that the Von Wuttenfal take care of each other. I am here to help. In the last few days, when I had so many revelations, I finally understood my vocation and my role," she used the most virginal and smooth expression in her repertoire. Despite this, she was distressed to smile at a man who hated women, witches or not.


    The Sovereign Prince stared at her enigmatically, but then he laughed out loud,


    "You are always so cute! Of course, you can accompany my nephew and see Alexander tonight. Take the time to say goodbye,"


    "Say goodbye, Your Majesty?" his words alarmed the Princess, but before she could ask any more, the herald announced that Prince Magnus was requesting entrance.


    Alexa turned, and saw Magnus cross the room in quick steps and look stern, bending a knee as usual in the presence of the Sovereign Prince.


    "What''s so urgent, Magnus?" asked his father.


    "Several matters are urgent, but I will start with the simplest. The Polish retinue refuses to leave without the body of Baron Florian. But no one can find the body. They even came to talk to me. I sent for a search, but there is no sign. There is even a rumor that he may have been burned as one of the bodies found after the flood ... Although that doesn''t make much sense. In short, your diplomats need to send these people home. I won''t have time to resolve this tonight."


    Alexa could see that this was a serious diplomatic incident, considering that Florian had died at the hands of Prince Magnus. But she saw harbingers of something more sinister than that outlining in the future.


    Gutard signaled to one of the ministers, who nodded and said he would solve the problem.


    "The other subject¡­" the First Prince looked sideways at Alexa, but for him, it was as if the other people were drawings on the wall, "It''s just that I was told that my brother will be taken to a maximum-security secret place. And I''ve been told that I won''t be able to see him before I leave, because no one is allowed to. I figure it was a misunderstanding. Not even me? Not even his wife?" the questioning and angry tone permeated the Prince''s words.


    "Hmm, maybe I''m being questioned in my decisions," replied the ruler acidly.


    "I''m not opposing it, I just wanted to make sure everyone understood," the First Prince lowered his head, although he looked somber and barely controlled his irritation.


    "The excess of freedom that existed before almost caused Alexander''s abduction. Don''t even deny that you had an influence on the relaxation of the guard, Magnus. But use the opportunity tonight, and go with Alexa and Konrad to say goodbye to your brother, before your trip."


    The Prince kept an impassive face at his father''s words,


    "I will, my father. Finally: I heard that there are orders that¡­" Magnus hesitated a little after the otherwise firm start, "Princess Alexa must leave with me for Languedoc. I object to that, Your Majesty. The Princess must stand beside her husband."


    ''Uh?!'' This was unexpected. What would have caused the change of plans? Worse, Magnus was right! If both traveled, who would give the ''elixir'' that kept Alexander''s body intact and healthy while he could not feed himself? She knew that Magnus had reasons for concern, as herself.


    "It''s a pity that you oppose to it, as you''ll have her company during this trip. I''m sure the result will be more accurate and faster if Alexa is part of this mission. It''s decided," the definitive tone didn''t intimidate the First Prince, who raised an eyebrow at Alexa,


    "Did you suggest that?"


    "No, Your Highness, I am surprised too."


    "MY FATHER, can we please talk privately?"


    "Leave us alone," said Gutard, in an aggrieved tone. Alexa left the room before everyone else, avoiding being intercepted by any courtier, especially Cordelia.


    She needed to hear this conversation, and she would find a way to do that.

 Chapter 96 - Queening

    Jumping from one buttress to another, about 10 meters high, Alexa ran towards the window of the real office, fitting on her parapet. That hadn''t even been her biggest stunt challenge, since she was already inside the castle. Of course, if the maiden fell she''d kiss the rocks on the cliff and probably bounce her way to the sea. And if they caught her spying, they might kill her. But the Princess knew that Magnus was questioning his father about his decisions, and it was very important to know what the reasons were.


    The heavy, closed curtains drowned out the conversation a little, but she was sure she could hear something. Concentrating, Alexa managed to capture,


    "... damn bastard plans to leave soon, saying that the city is not safe. No doubt he had offers from the Polish court. In fact, he hinted at that. What he wants is to escape while he can. But the women seem to have parallel plans."


    "Is he going to escape this after all he did? And do they? Isn''t that really connected? I just don''t know who''s drawing the strings here."


    "I won''t be surprised if it''s connected and they''re his puppets, but they know that we don''t have any evidence as of yet. But all in good time. I will resolve this before you return."


    "Is that really the best way?" Magnus spoke in a low voice.


    "Go, and come back quickly. That''s why the maiden is going."


    "I don''t want her to go. She must be next to¡­"


    "Magnus!" Gutard interrupted sternly, implying that he didn''t want to be opposed,


    "She knows that her life will be of no importance to us, nor will she be a princess, if Alexander dies. This will rush her to give us what we need. I promised her power at court. This is an extra motivator for her to reveal and take you to the alchemist as soon as possible. I know this man exists. Some Jewish traders have already heard this name, I was informed."


    "I don''t think she ..."


    If she tries to escape, kill her. She''ll do it if she lied all the time and doesn''t know where he is, "said Magnus''s father.


    Alexa felt her heart freeze.


    "I can find him alone, I insist. I prefer that she is taking care of him."


    "But you''re going to take her either way, and she doesn''t even have to come back. What are you afraid of?" Gutard laughed, "Are you in love, by any chance? Were you seduced? Did you stop seeing her as a boy you had kissed once, and wanted to marry to escape the ugly lady?"


    Magnus hissed angrily, and Gutard continued,


    "You know my decision was strategic."


    "I didn''t understand it that way, my father."


    "You were always canny, what''s going on? I couldn''t give it to you while it was precious to me. But your brother will definitely be widowed soon. He will marry a lady from Novgorod. Alexa just has to get the elixir with this ''Master Petrus''."


    "My father¡­ She''s not a witch."


    "You mean she''s a saint, then? Should I send her to the convent for good? Or maybe train her to hunt witches?"


    After a moment of silence, Magnus replied,


    "Perhaps the second thing is more useful, don''t you think? There is no need to kill her, my father. The Church would undoubtedly approve if Princess Alexa Von Wuttenfal finished cleaning up Holstein''s heretics. And the rest of the region as well. She''s useful. And she can become more useful in the future."


    "I''ll think about it, if she comes back. I will leave it up to you how to handle her during the trip. It will probably be a great way to find out if she really is a Christian or a heretic."


    "Yes, my father, I will do as you wish."


    "That is all?"


    "Yes, my father."


    Alexa was heartbroken and hurting so much that it looked like she would die. That horrible conversation was not what she expected to hear. She sat for a moment on the buttress, needing a little breath. In addition, tears blurred her vision. There would always be someone to treat the Dalassenos as hounds, useful pawns for their purposes.


    When would it end?


    Alexa felt the heavy weight of death looming and looked at the sky again. There was no moon, covered by clouds. This was very significant. She wondered if the Diana''s Cult, somewhere, conducted rituals that suspended the appearance of the moon, so she could decide.


    It was time to go back inside the castle, and definitely, make all her decisions.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    That evening, there was a family dinner.


    Alexa sat in her husband''s chair, while the other members took their places. But she noticed that they would have guests, as there were reserved seats. She was about to ask the butler when Magnus came in, with Romeo on his shoulder.


    Seeing the nightingale lifted her spirit. The First Prince sat beside her, with a brief deference. Alexa looked at the bird, to know if her spouse was still mad at her, but of course, she still wasn''t able to fully understand the facial expressions of a nightingale. Then, extending her hand sheepishly, she stroked the bird''s head,


    "Why don''t you forgive me for being mean?"


    Of course, the First Prince turned to her, and muttered,


    "So was that it? How can you be mad at her, Romeo? Don''t run from her anymore."


    "Can I take him with me, Magnus?" she asked Magnus, trying to attract Romeo by scratching the bird''s head. Romeo accepted her affection, while the First Prince agreed,


    "Won''t that be a problem? He will be in danger."


    ~ What is he talking about?! Hmpf! ~ Alexander snorted.


    "At least I''ll know where he is at all times."


    "Alexander would be happy to see that you take such good care of Romeo," Duke Konrad joined the conversation. The bird then puffed out his chest, looking happy to see his cousin and aunt.


    Everyone was pampering the nightingale at the table, impressed that he seemed to accept all meals. Only Magnus was more reserved.


    Then the guests of honor''s arrival, the De Wit family, was announced. That is, the Cordelia family. At first, she could imagine that Lady Cordelia would be honored tonight for having ''saved'' Alexander. Although Alexa had her suspicions about it.


    They got into their best clothes and jewelry, and Alexa soon noticed a visible change in Cordelia''s father. The same man who had dared to challenge Gutard with words in his own court. He had a satisfied smile, this time.


    Then the Princess heard her husband''s voice, alarmed,


    ~ Didn''t you want to know who might have killed the red-haired girl? That woman with the blue headdress, next to Lady Cordelia. She was in your room before you, the night the redhead maid was drowned. ~


    Was he talking about Lady Cordelia''s mother? The matron who slapped Alexa in the face?


    She was still trying to find some logic on that when Prince Gutard announced,


    "My dear ones, I asked for Lady Cordelia''s hand this morning, and Master J¨¹rg accepted. Let''s toast the alliance of our families, which finally rearranges itself satisfactorily."


    Except Magnus, the rest of Von Wuttenfal family, including Alexa, was agape.

 Chapter 97 - Moonless Night

    Excusing himself, Magnus warned that he''d be packing for the trip and was waiting for Alexa and Konrad as soon as possible, and left after greeting no one.


    As soon as he crossed the threshold, the Countess didn''t hide her expression of contempt when looking at de Wit''s family. Raising her glass at eye level Godiva smirked,


    "Very appropriate, very appropriate! Cordelia has this aspect that matches a mature man, a widower. In addition, she has the calm and patience of a nurse. Bride, haven''t you adapt to Holstein''s weather yet? I noticed you aren''t coughing anymore. And¡­ Brother. I didn''t expect you to take a sixth wife. But it will be a prosperous marriage, and a great and strategic Alliance for the Hanseatic League. Indeed! Well done! As for my older nephew¡­ I now hope that Magnus is soon matched to a bride according to his tempestuous, vigorous temperament. After his brother married a noblewoman from the East, Magnus must find a noblewoman in the West, don''t you think?"


    The brothers looked at each other, and the Sovereign Prince looked at his older sister for a long time, digesting the insults.


    Then he said,


    "You are not obliged to attend weddings you don''t want to, Godiva."


    "I know I don''t, and I won''t be able to, anyway. I decided to leave with Magnus group, at dawn, back at my house. Konrad and I are overstayed because of recent events. I''d use this dinner to bid you my farewell. But I still wish the couple a long life. Let''s toast to it!" the Countess''s strong personality reigned for a moment, and Gutard shrugged, giving a very amused smile,


    "My dear sister, I love you, despite your disapproval! Let''s toast!"


    The Countess''s words deeply hurt the guests, but they had the wisdom not to reply to her. Alexa, on the other hand, was paralyzed at the table. ''What does this all mean? Will Cordelia become Princess Consort of Holstein, even though the Von Wuttenfal suspect her family''s mischief? And Cordelia''s mother was a servant killer? Why did she kill Nerissa with her own hands?''


    Cordelia looked at her inquisitively, and Alexa knew she should give her position for or against this wedding. But she preferred to be blunt,


    "Are you happy, Cordelia?"


    The Flemish maiden stiffly smiled back, but now Alexa identified that Cordelia''s eyes had lost the innocence she had seen when they first met,


    "Yes, Your Highness. It is an honor to be chosen by the Holstein Sovereign as his bride. And happier than my future husband is someone who is understanding and mature, able to tolerate my deficiencies," said the maiden. Alexa felt a tightness in her chest. She remembered making a promise to Cordelia one day. That she would be by her side until the birth of Cordelia''s first child.


    "I''l be back soon. I believe my promise is still standing."


    Cordelia thanked her and wished her a good journey, as did everyone. Then the Countess, the Duke and Alexa left. As they left the room, they looked at each other apprehensively.


    But the exhilarating older lady said,


    "You two, come back soon so we leave at dawn. I don''t want to have to sit at the table with these people anytime soon again. Ahh, sometimes a man just has to know when to stop ..." and walking hurriedly Countess Godiva left them, dusting off her clothes and tapping her shoes on the floor. In the extravagant and elitist way Countess Godiva acted, she was very perceptive to people''s characters, Alexa mused.


    ~ My aunt is usually this honest. Creepy honest, argh! But changing the subject, Alexa. Do we still have time to go to the lighthouse? ~ Alexander asked, showing that, contrary to what she said earlier, he cared about important things.


    "Do you still want me to talk to him?" the Princess asked. Konrad, calmly walking beside her in silence, asked, confused,


    "Is the Princess talking to me or ... to the bird?"


    Alexander left Alexa''s shoulder to land on his cousin''s head, and tugged at his hair,


    Alexa smiled, "You''re right, Duke. I was talking to the bird. Or rather, Alexander."


    Konrad took the bird in his hand carefully, with his typical big smile. He examined the bird from all angles, even the tail feathers. It fazed Alexander,


    ~ Tell him to let go and stop it! What is he looking at so much?! That great idiot! ~


    When Alexa repeated the Second Prince''s word to the Duke, Konrad burst out laughing and shook the bird, jokingly kissing its beak,


    "So that''s why this damn noisy bird was singing in my window and wouldn''t let me sleep!"


    The Duke had no difficulty in accepting that his cousin was now a bird, and Alexa tried to summarize the events until they met with Magnus.


    "Prince, Duke, I know that you''ll probably say that this is dangerous or a waste of time. But Alexander wants to go somewhere before we leave. This is more urgent for him," the Princess revealed to the two nobles Alexander''s plan to question the lighthouse witch. Konrad was speechless, brooding over the news of direct communication with a prisoner witch, but he didn''t speak against it. Alexa insisted, "If we go quickly, it won''t take us more than three hours to get back and forth, maybe even less."


    "This time, however, we will enter through the front door," said the First Prince, resolute. "But don''t trust that woman blindly. She has a deep hatred for our family, and there is no guarantee that she won''t try to manipulate us through pantomimes and tricks."


    "Do you really believe that, Your Highness?" surprised Alexa asked, as for her, the Prophetess Sigrid had enough knowledge. "She knew about the keys, don''t forget that."


    "She also said something about the journey. Twins who walk together, but with different temperaments and fates," Magnus reminded the Princess.


    ~ Don''t waste time discussing it here, if you don''t want to go, I''ll go by myself, ~ Romeo was about to take flight, when Magnus grabbed him, putting him inside his vest,


    "I don''t know what you intend, but you won''t fly around on a moonless night."


    ~ Tell him I know how to take care of myself! Tell him I''m going to kill him! ~


    "You better let him go, Your Highness. I already found out that my husband doesn''t like to be treated like a child," she held out her hand to welcome Romeo back, but Magnus denied,


    "Just stop acting like one, don''t you think? And to think he was the thoughtful and kind brother. The more time he spends with you, the more alike you become," Magnus mounted his horse to set off immediately for the lighthouse.


    Alexa still didn''t see the moon in the sky, when she did the same. Konrad followed them.


    Such a dark night was conducive to rituals, secret pacts, betrayals, murders and dark communications with the other world. But it should never have been the night of a marriage contract.


    The trio left like thieves in the night, crossing the castle gates.

 Chapter 98 - Tricking Death

    The captain of the lighthouse guard interposed the First Prince''s route into the lighthouse, with his hand over the hilt of the sword, warning a second time,


    "Even the Prince is prohibited from entering on this lighthouse. We just followed His Majesty''s orders,"


    Magnus snarled, drawing his sword quickly,


    "You have a choice, Captain. Maybe die the day after tomorrow after seeing your wife and kids again, or die in two minutes from now."


    The men around them made room, since the Prince and Duke, who also drew his sword, seemed willing to make way or die.


    ~ What bullies, ~ grumbled Alexander, now free again and sheltered in Alexa''s hood, next to her neck.


    "It''s a good way to bargain without losing one''s pride, in reality," Alexa pondered, following just behind Magnus as they climbed the lighthouse''s spiral staircase.


    Everything about the interior of the lighthouse was prosaic and orderly, until they arrived in front of the sturdy door with a small barred window. Many locks and bars kept the woman in her prison, and only a small hatch allowed food and other objects to pass through. But the bunch of keys was not far off. Alexa wondered if the one-eyed prophetess knew her freedom was just a few meters away. And if Sigrid knew they were coming today.


    She got her answer as soon as Konrad deftly finished opening all the locks.


    Magnus was the first to enter, followed by Alexa and Konrad, who stayed close to the door. The prophetess was sitting at the table, drinking soup,


    "Strange visitors on a strange night," said the disfigured woman, turning to them. "You, young man by the door, have been guided by the heart and will hardly escape the fate you bought for yourself tonight."


    Everyone looked at Konrad, who could not disguise his distress at being the pythoness'' first target. Alexa then took the floor,


    "Sigrid, you know who we are, don''t you?"


    "Do I? Perhaps. Three souls united by the ambition and pride of a man and a woman, and the whims of the gods," she coughed, and wiped her mouth with the tablecloth, getting up.


    "As I said, the black dog and the white dog would eat in the same hand. But I can''t see well with the eye I have left. Are you the boy or the girl? Because with my mind''s eye I see both."


    "Woman, I am the son of the man who holds you here. I can free you if you help us," the First Prince interrupted, and she motioned for him to shut up,


    "You look like your father; you talk like your father, and act like your father. And your other side is even worse. There is nothing you can do to me. Nor is there anything you can do for them. You should just get out of the way."


    Magnus went pale with hatred, and his hand went directly to the hilt of the sword, but Alexa interrupted, before it got worse,


    "And what can I offer?"


    "Ahh¡­ The North Star, the Silver Bird, has a lot to offer. But I know something important for tonight, young ones. When the moon is in the sky, the moment of action will be over. And there''s very little time left."


    ~ Ask her about the trip ~ Alexander whispered.


    "The trip, Second Prince," without Alexa having to repeat aloud, the oracle replied Alexander. "Come to me, and I will tell you."


    Alexander flew close to the oracle, and the woman held out her hand. Alexa noticed Magnus quite restless side glancing the woman, not trusting the witch. But Alexander landed in the one-eyed woman''s hand, and she lifted the nightingale over her head, between her palms. Sigrid''s body shook as she was convulsing, as she held the distressed and ruffled bird tight. Magnus was about to grab the woman when she released the bird, which flew back to Alexa,


    "The vision, Second Prince¡­ If your brother goes on this journey, the body that belongs to you will die. If he stays, and the maiden goes alone, the maiden will perish. This trip will be more difficult than you think. But if they reach their destination, they will have what they are looking for. And maybe a lot more."


    Everyone looked at each other, and Alexa asked, at the same time as Magnus,


    "What if none of us go?"


    "So ... why would you be here?" the woman asked, turning to one and the other.


    "That was also my concern, Magnus," Alexa said. "That Alexander''s body would weaken, or be in danger, if we leave."


    ~ Is there no other way? ~asked Alexander.


    "It wouldn''t be the first time that a Von Wuttenfal would have borrowed time, said the woman quietly."


    Alexa looked at Magnus, who in turn talked harshly to the woman,


    "Sigrid, speak directly. I already realized that you can be very clear when you want to. What is the ''borrowed time'' thing? What can be done? What I have to do?"


    "You already borrowed your time. But that won''t be enough to keep the Sleeping Prince alive. She and he," and Sigrid pointed to Alexa and the bird, "are the only ones who can decide on that. They are joined together, before they are joined to you. So, First Prince, go down with the other Von Wuttenfal. What I have to say is not for your ears."


    "Haha, very funny, but I won''t leave them alone with you so you can deceive them."


    "Everyone here has their eyes wide open, there''s no illusion, no tricks," she replied. But Alexa told the Prince.


    "I want to hear what the pythoness has to say. And if you''ve been serious before, that you''re going to set her free, do it because she has lived here for many years. Not because she will give us something in return."


    "Haha, is the black dog going to hear it this time, or not?" Sigrid shriveled as he poured water from a pitcher into a basin.


    "Go Magnus!" insisted Alexa.


    The First Prince stared at her intently and then looked at the oracle. And he said, "I''m not going down, but I''ll be outside,"


    "Prepare my freedom, First Prince. I will deserve to be rewarded," Sigrid grimaced when she looked at him with her half-blind eye.


    Alexa tapped her foot nervously on the floor, waiting. When the door closed, the oracle turned to her and Alexander,


    "You are beautiful to see, together. The sun and the moon. It''s like an eclipse."


    Alexa tried to understand, but at that moment her mind was not keen for analogies and puzzles. If any, and not just the prophetess'' insanity.


    "Say, aunt. Say it soon. How can we borrow time for Alexander?"


    "Maiden, there''s still time to think, but not much. Death got a hold of him. Trick death is again what you must do."


    "I can''t understand. Trick Death? Nobody tricks Death."


    "It''s not true. Some humans trick death for some time. You should know it. And... You''re so alike... Trick Death so she doesn''t know who''s she''s embracing."


    "Uh..." the seeding idea made some sense in Alexa''s mind.


    "AHh poor child. But of course it''s not that easy. You''ll need to impersonate him for Death. At the same time, you''ll give him some time from your own life. That time will be taken from your lifetime, so think about it. This won''t bring his soul back into his body, since the magic beverage has locked him out of it. But it will give that beautiful, young body a chance to survive the months to come."


    ~ Alexa, ~ her husband''s voice was heard, this time so serious and tense that the Princess hardly recognized it,


    ~ Don''t do that! ~

 Chapter 99 - Light Bearer

    Alexa heard Alexander''s desperate voice telling her,


    ~ No! Don''t! ~


    And the prophetess said, with a smile on her toothless mouth,


    "Maiden, you chose to know. And knowing, you must choose."


    The Princess felt her muscles tighten in tension, and her voice came out in a rush,


    "I''ll do it! What is necessary?"


    ~ Alexa! It''s your life! You shouldn''t ...! ~


    "Alexander," she said out loud, "many people sacrificed themselves for me to live. Even you, who didn''t know me, inadvertently tried to help me. My life only exists because other people have also given me pieces of their lives!"


    ~ Anyway! You can''t...! ~


    "If you refuse, Alexander, there''s no purpose in anything else. This journey or anything we can do for you!" Alexa reacted to her husband''s nervousness with a threat.


    ~ But it''s going too far! ~


    "Our fates are bound by an oath."


    "It is not just an oath that binds them, but there''s no reason to delay! And no time for that, either," Sigrid interrupted. Taking the bowl of water carefully, she said to the Princess and the Bird, "To the top. The light from the lighthouse will elude Death at the right time, maiden."


    The words of the prophetess Sigrid left Alexa confused for a moment, but she rushed for the door and found Magnus.


    The First Prince didn''t even disguise that he had heard much of the conversation. Taking the maiden''s arm suddenly, he asked, looking her in the eye,


    "Are you going to give him part of your life?"


    "I''m just following your advice," she said, avoiding his gaze. He had said that she must be happy with Alexander. "For me to live happily with him, he needs to live, don''t you think?"


    Those were definitely not the words Magnus expected to hear at that moment, and Alexa even saw his Adam''s apple move when he swallowed,


    "Do you believe what she said? Do you believe is it possible? What if it''s just a trap for the son of a man she hates?"


    "Magnus¡­ Yes, I believe it can be done. I believe that Death can be deceived. You are proof that it''s possible."


    "But at what price?"


    "Nothing is too expensive if someone is willing to pay," she said, and the witch pushed them up the stairs without delay,


    Magnus and Alexa looked at each other, but followed with Sigrid, as did Konrad. Alexa helped the pythoness to climb the steps. Romeo was still on her shoulder, firmly clinging to the fabric of her cloak.


    Alexa had never been on top of a lighthouse before. It was a room with no walls, just columns blackened by soot, on seven of the eight sides. The pyre was in the center, surrounded by movable metal plates. The heat was uncomfortable, and it was difficult to see because of the burning the coal particles produced when it came into contact with the eyes. She protected the poor nightingale with the tip of her cloak.


    "Turn off the lighthouse now! When the time comes, you must be ready to quickly turn on the lighthouse again. If it doesn''t happen, the maiden will really die," said the pythoness, and the Princess didn''t quite understand what they should do.


    Konrad spoke to Magnus,


    "If we are going to do this, we can just close the pyre for a few moments,"


    He showed windlasses and pulleys that rose from the lower floor and supported the metal plates. Winches could activate the mechanism, without the keepers of the lighthouse had to come to the pyre.


    The air up there was hard to breathe, and the old blind woman started coughing,


    "Go, the moon will be back in moments!"


    Magnus and Konrad went down to handle the mechanics of the lighthouse, and Alexa looked at the darkness around the lighthouse. She couldn''t see anything, and she only knew which way the continent was because of the wall. The crackle of the fire and the noise of the sea were mixing and becoming a single disturbing loud noise in her mind.


    Taking the bird carefully in her hands, she lifted Romeo up to her eyes. The nervousness of the soul taking shelter in that little body showed through the rapid breathing and racing heartbeat,


    "The most that will happen, Alexander, is that we are going to die together. Then we will meet again."


    ~ But that''s not what we''re doing it for. It''s for us to live. Don''t let go, ~ said Alexander, placing himself on her shoulder again as soon as she allowed it.


    The old woman called the maiden to stand beside the bowl of water she put on the floor.


    The plates started to move and block the light from the pyre, one by one.


    "Look, maiden. Look, Prince. Stare at each other''s gaze in the water," said Sigrid. Alexa crouched down and looked into the water. She could see only a girl and a bird.


    The igneous reflection of the pyre in the basin was fading, and then the Princess saw. Two young faces. Twins. She and Alexander, side by side, peering at the water with curiosity.


    "When darkness envelops you, look into his eyes and look for his body, maiden. Into the water, in the darkness. Only you can find the body," whispered the witch in her ear. For a moment, Alexa was disgusted by Sigrid and her bad breath. Was she having fun at their expense? Why so much excitement?


    Darkness fell over the reflection in the water. She saw nothing else. Her hands burst into fire in an unexpected and unprecedented way. It had never happened like this before. So strong and so bright!


    The bird shrunk and stuck the small claws on his shoulder, and Alexa heard screams and neighs. What is happening? She wondered, looking at her hands and seeing the flames increase in size.


    "Now!"


    The maiden brought her hands forward, illuminating the water basin. She saw in the waters multitudes of spirits lost in the sea coming towards her, slowly.


    She was the lighthouse they were looking for. She was the Light Bearer.


    But that wasn''t what she had to do. She had to find Alexander''s body. He couldn''t see the way back, as he was in the bird''s body.


    Then, focusing once more, she saw Alexander''s soul, different from a Shade. Illuminated by her own light. And the face of the old pythoness looming behind her ...


    Then she felt a horrible, penetrating pain in her back, and urged to cough.


    The nightingale struggled and flew, while Alexa turned the body defensively. Blood rising up her throat. As a corner of her eye, the maiden noticed Sigrid holding the bloody dagger, with crazy eyes, as the bird tried futilely to attack the pythoness.


    ''When did she get that dagger?'' Alexa wondered, surprised. It would not have been difficult for a rogue to free one of the Princes from a dagger when they''re climbing the stairs, but it was quite an achievement for an almost blind woman. But that wasn''t important now.


    Death. Death was important.


    The feeling was the same as the petites morts she practiced, but this time Alexa felt it would be much more difficult to return. Her soul seemed to detach from her body as she was losing consciousness.


    "Bring the light back!"


    Death was coming for her, while Alexa kept her teeth clenched keeping her breath as long as she could. But it was dizzying, she was being pulled away, into the darkness, to the bottom and into the arms of Death. Her eyelids fluttered when she saw the glow of the lighthouse enveloping her.


    And her life''s sob got stuck in her throat. Death was no longer waiting for her. Only the emptiness and the darkness that surrounded the Princess.


    The light was warding off the darkness, but that was where she had to be.


    Alexa''s soul threw itself into the darkness, feeling itself dragging a long thread, which stretched and stretched. The light followed her like a comet''s tail, clearing her passage.


    Then she saw a thread dancing in the darkness. Her light illuminated it enough for Alexa to find it. Her breath was running out, but she needed to catch up.


    Stretching and lowering, she tried to touch it with the tip of her finger ...


    Then she couldn''t take it anymore, and her breath ran out. The Princess''s lips parted, letting out the air and a gush of blood.


    "I''m dead?" the absurd question floated through her mind in the chaos of disconnected information.


    With her eyes half-closed, the maiden saw the pythoness throw herself on the pyre. In her mind, it looked like the crazy and wise old woman danced insanely while her body burned and blackened, before she bent and disappeared into the flames.


    She saw Alexander, not the bird, but the soul, bend over her and try futilely to help her stop bleeding. However, the pain was passing and Alexa felt strangely numb.


    Magnus bent over her, lifting her in his arms as if she weighed no more than a leaf.


    ''Is he carrying my body or my soul?'' Alexa watched the world spun and go by as he quickly went down the winding stairs. ''Am I light because I died?''


    The gust of sea air entered her nostrils like a balm. No, she wasn''t dead. At least not yet. She looked into Magnus'' golden eyes, trying to fight to stay conscious, ''You look so distressed!''


    "What''s going on here?" Alexa heard the voice of Prince Gutard, inquisitive and imperious. It mattered little, in the back of her mind.


    The maiden''s eyes wandered to the horizon, with little control. The feeling of being engulfed by death, this time, took her by surprise. Alexa sucked in the air, trying to fight against it,


    "Ahh!"


    The moon was in the sky again, as were the stars.

 Chapter 100 - Under a Peculiar Spell

    The maiden opened her eyes, wide awake, searching for air.


    Then she blinked, startled.


    She saw stars, and even the moon. But it wasn''t the sky by the sea. Stars and moon embroidered on the bed canopy.


    Her nuptial bed.


    Her throat felt parched, and she had a bad taste in her mouth. The air didn''t smell like the unbearable charcoal-saturated air, but delicious-smelling wood and a little benzoin and laurel.


    "Alexander, I had a dream ...," whispering she turned, hoping to find the Sleeping Prince at her side. But she was alone in bed.


    And there was this thing around her hip, a kind of rag or¡­ a baby diaper?


    With some effort, the maiden sat down. She soon realized that the room was not Alexander''s room. The ceiling was different, and the walls lined with luxurious wood panels were unfamiliar. Only the bed was the same.


    "Romeo?" she called, but she didn''t see the ornate cage. But her voice ...


    It wasn''t her voice.


    "Ro-meo?" cautiously she spoke, feeling her throat at the same time. There was definitely a subtle lump there. Then the maiden looked at her hands. They were beautiful hands, but they were not her hands. Her husband''s ring was there, as it should be if it were him.


    Her hands immediately went to her chest, and she didn''t find the little twin mounds she called her ''female shames'', because of their small size. In place, a flat chest, wider than hers.


    ''So this thing between my legs is not just the many folds of fabric ...'' Lifting her nightgown, Alexa lowered her diaper to find ...


    ''Oh! Alexander!'' It definitely took a smile from the maiden.


    ''So I''m in your body? How did this happen? Wasn''t it a dream?! Did we really make it? '' and looking around, ''Ale, are you around? Can you hear me?''


    There was no answer.


    ''I shouldn''t be staring, should I? The owner is not around ... '' she pulled the nightgown down. The arms were longer, and a little heavier. Then she lifted the gown again, and took that cloth back from her hips.


    "Well, I''m going to need to pee in a little while, I think I must deal with it eventually, and ..."


    Hearing her own voice was scary. ''Is your voice like that? Why doesn''t it sound like the voice I hear? Is it because I''m listening ''from the inside''?'' Alexa ran her hand over her neck again, moving up to her chin. There she found some scary stubs.


    ''EEK!''


    Alexa investigated Alexander''s body thoroughly.


    ''I need to warn Magnus and find Alexander. Everything will be easier now that ... Wait. Where''s my body? What happened to my body?''


    She didn''t have an answer for that.


    When Alexa got out of bed, she stumbled after two steps towards the window. Managing that body wasn''t simple. It looked like her legs were very long, despite not having a big difference between her previous line of sight and the current one.


    ''Alexander, you are short for a man!'' But Alexa realized that she had to learn to move with his body. She was training around the bed, crouching and doing all kinds of experiments with Alexander''s muscles and bones. Pick up objects and even hung up on the bed canopy.


    ''Ouch, it really is a new body,'' the maiden concluded, not knowing whether she liked the new strength or hated the lack of intimacy with her soul''s new instrument.


    Only when the maiden felt it was enough and thought she wouldn''t be tripping around, she went to the bedroom door.


    Her hand reached for the doorknob, but Alexa hesitated for a moment.


    ''What should I do?''


    An old feeling made her stiffen.


    Bending down, she looked through the lock. She was sure someone outside was watching.


    Alexa ran to the bed, throwing herself on the bed and covering herself almost at the same time that someone opened the locks on the door. It was difficult to see from the angle she was, because of the bed''s ornaments. But she thought the person who came in was tall and determined.


    ''Balbo?'' she wondered, trying to spy with a half-open eye, while standing still.


    "Father Agnello, let me check first if it''s safe. Stay at the door," she got agitated when she realized that yes, it was Balbo. And that Blue Eyes was there.


    ''What should I do now? Do I reveal myself to them? Do I reveal myself as Alexa?''


    Balbo examined every corner of the room, then he got close to the bed. Alexa had her eyes closed, but realized that the warrior fixed his gaze on Alexander.


    "YAWN ..." she turned to one side, stretching her arms lazily.


    "Virgin Mary!" Father Agnello exclaimed, approaching. Before that, however, Alexa / Alexander turned to face Balbo, and moved her lips so he read,


    ''IT''S ME, ALEXA!''


    He nodded quickly, moving away as Blue Eyes came closer,


    "Your Highness!" the Florentine priest exclaimed.


    "YAWN YAWN! It seems that I slept so much¡­!" again the Prince stretched, burying his face in the pillow. She was still unsure about her ability to pretend to be Alexander.


    "Yes, you slept too much indeed!" the priest''s face seemed transformed, into genuine happiness.


    But they heard heavy and hurried footsteps in the hall, and the Prince sat down quickly on the bed, looking at the door.


    "Alexander!" Prince Gutard burst into the room, stopping immediately when he saw his son sitting on the bed, and with his eyes wide open.


    Its smell of smoke and death was noticeable even from a distance, and the Prince raised the sleeve of his nightgown discreetly. Balbo went to the window, pulling the curtain and opening the window to relieve the pungent smell.


    "What happened?" The young prince risked asking.


    "You woke up! YOU WOKE UP, SON!"


    ''Duh, isn''t it obvious?'' the Prince mockingly thought, getting up carefully. The priest reached out to support him, but the ''Second Prince'' refused. It was good to pretend some appreciation as a good son, wasn''t it?


    Keeping an enigmatic half-smile, the Second Prince went towards Gutard, who opened his arms with the most honest and beautiful smile that Alexa had ever seen that man give. Were Gutard''s eyes watery?


    There were only two steps left to reach Gutard''s embrace, when Alexa felt her body soften. The last thing she saw was Gutard''s scared face when he grabbed his son so Alexander wouldn''t fall.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Feeling swallowed from this body and dragged quickly to somewhere else, Alexa opened her eyes once again. And this time the first thing she saw was the violet dawn sky ... and two bird''s eyes very close to her nose.


    The nightingale flew abruptly, scared. Alexa realized that she was lying on her cape, and could hear the sea sounds around her. Her body didn''t hurt much, although she realized that the spot where she had been stabbed was stuck to the clothing on her back. The smell of the sea overwhelmed the smell of smoke and death from the clothes she wore. ''Will Death leave me alone for now? Won''t she find me?''


    She couldn''t say for sure.


    Seagulls squawked and the ocean waves came and went on the shore. The world didn''t care about the events of the night before.


    The Princess glanced aside, noticing someone. It was the First Prince, sitting by her side.


    Did he ... Did he have tears on his face? She couldn''t tell for sure, he seemed intent on staring at the horizon.


    ~ Alexa! ~ Alexander, the real Alexander, asked, incredulous and happy, returning to her.


    "Alexa!" Magnus exclaimed shortly afterward, in a choked voice, leaning over her with an anxious smile.


    "I''m fine," she leaned on Magnus and sat down.


    "What happened?"


    "I think... the ritual worked. I''ve been¡­ visiting Alexander''s body for a while. I think I left part of my life with him. Then I wake up here again!" in fact, it was great to be herself again.


    "So the damn prophetess didn''t lie at all," Magnus asked, helping her to her feet. Alexa felt a little pain between the ribs, but imagined that basic care would heal this wound. She already knew that she wouldn''t die from that injury.


    "What did your father do?"


    "He wasn''t sad because Sigrid killed himself. But he regretted that you died."


    "Because I couldn''t help finding the alchemist anymore, I guess."


    Magnus stared at her for a moment, considering what to say, but sighed, "You idiot. Yes, probably. But the search for Alexander''s cure is not over yet."


    ~ Did you die or didn''t you? ~ Alexander asked, flying between them to get attention.


    "Did I die? I don''t know," however, her eyes never left Magnus''s. If she had died¡­ And resurrected, then ...


    ~ And are you feeling well? ~


    "As if I had been spit on by a horse ... But that''s a good thing. I feel alive," she confessed. Looking at the horizon, Alexa noticed the orange tones dyeing the sky. They''re in the promontory near the lighthouse.


    "Shouldn''t we start our trip?"


    Magnus sighed again, and said,


    "Yes, let''s reach Aunt Godiva and begin our journey. Are you sure you''re fine?"


    "I do," she replied, pulling her hood off as best she could and calling Romeo over her shoulder. Romeo, leaning on a driftwood log on the beach, had decided to sing, however. Loud as hell.


    Whether it was the bird''s instinct or Alexander''s joy, humans couldn''t guess, though.


    "You have no option but ride my horse until we reach them," the First Prince said with a snicker, lowering his head as he took the horse''s reins.


    Alexa remembered the day they met, and got the reference, but said nothing.


    They both got on the horse, and Magnus muttered, in her ear,


    "You stink, Princess."


    "I know," she replied under her breath.


    "Come on, Singing Prince! Or do you want to stay behind?" Magnus called. Romeo reached them with a trill.


    And so the journey began.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    IT''S NOT THE END.

 Chapter 100 - When Birds Migrate

    Two golden eyes, even more so than Magnus''s, stared at the nightingale intently.


    The little bird was trapped.


    He had landed absently on the edge of the bucket of water, to quench his thirst, without realizing that on top of some crates, a huge black cat was resting. The cat had descended cautiously and without making a sound behind him, and from a higher point, was watching him closely. Alexa only realized when she heard the voice in her mind, whispering,


    ~ Alexa, can you come here for a little while? Please? ~


    Looking behind her, sitting on the tavern bench, the Princess noticed the trouble. The cat was short-haired and hunter-sized. His taut muscles were preparing for the leap. From her years of observation, she imagined that the chances of her husband escaping were slim. That yellow-eyed cat had every advantage. She nudged Duke Konrad sitting next to her, entertained with a roasted turkey leg,


    "Konrad, look at that!"


    Cautiously rising, Alexa tried not to trigger the attack. Romeo still had his back to the cat, but the nightingale seemed paralyzed, staring at the water in the bucket.


    She was taking her first step towards the corner where the tense scene unfolded, when Konrad also interfered.


    The turkey thigh swirled past Alexa, hitting the crate where the cat was on with a thud. It scared the puss, but also prompted the fluid movement of its lunge, jumping in the air over the rim of the bucket. Romeo, or rather, Alexander, took flight ...


    But the experienced predator won over the inexperienced bird, snapping up the poor passerine, and starting its flight from its attackers with the nightingale between its fangs.


    ~HELLLLP! ~


    "Shoo, cat!" Alexa tried to catch the cat, which had the advantage of being small and knowing its escape routes better than she did. The puss ran past her legs and disappeared into a hole in the wooden wall.


    "Damn it!" Alexa barked, while she and Konrad looked at each other and left to rescue the body that housed Alexander''s soul. By mutual agreement, each one left to one side of the inn. Although the other people in the party had seen it, no one moved as fast or as urgently as they did.


    When the maiden stepped outside, feeling the chilly wind hit her face, she saw Magnus trying to capture the cat, which made a howling and frightening meow. The First Prince took off his cloak and threw it on the black cat, on a single movement. At that moment, Romeo managed to escape and tried to take flight, awkwardly. Then Magnus caught him in the air.


    Defeated, the puss ran away and disappeared from their sight, losing its precious lunch to a Prince.


    The Princess reached Magnus, who was looking at the bird from all sides. Romeo was in bad shape, covered in drool and looking scared and furious.


    "That was close, huh? Didn''t I already say that if you want to stay out of the cage, you can''t get away from us?" the First Prince snapped.


    ~ I almost died and all what he thinks about is scolding me?! Cough cough! Did you tell him why I wasn''t with you, Alexa?! Coff! ~ the bird shook its little legs and its head from side to side, closing its small eyes with a clear rancor. If a bird could express rancor, that''s it.


    "Don''t be like that with him, Magnus! A tavern cat almost chewed him! How many Princes do you know who have had this kind of experience?" now that the fright had passed, the maiden saw the pathetic side of the incident. "He''s mad at us. Your brother had walked away from us because¡­" she bit her lip to keep from laughing even louder, as that had been the primary reason for the incident.


    "Because what?" the First Prince "polished" Romeo with the sleeve of his shirt, removing some of the moisture from the nightingale''s feathers. He had not yet entered the inn as he had been solving practical matters of the journey, while Countess Godiva rested for a while and the meal was prepared and served.


    ~ STOP! Respect me! Don''t do that! ~ Alexander shouted, while the bird was desperately hooting.


    "You better stop, Alexander says he doesn''t need any help with that," she acted as a diplomatic interpreter.


    "Maybe it is better to wash it? Or does he prefer to remain covered in cat drool?" Magnus looked confused, but a little mean at the same time. "Indeed, when all this is over, Zand will have many interesting stories to tell."


    "He was furious at us because of the turkey," Alexa revealed, placing her hand over her mouth this time. Magnus'' eyes lit up and his lips twitched in a smile,


    "Ah, does it mean that the very person who said his favorite dish was pheasant on wine gravy, and who used to hunt partridges and ducks, now does not keep up with the idea that humans eat birds? I''m startled!" the irony was clear and Romeo flew over Alexa''s shoulder, despite they having fought 20 minutes ago over the meal.


    ~ I expected a little more empathy from you, but I see that I will have none. However, I''m even more disappointed with Konrad, who says he prefers lamb but is feasting with the turkey in front of me! Do you have any idea how horrible it is to see this scene? Would you be happy to watch each other eating human flesh?! Well, it''s scary for me! ~


    "Alexander is impressed to see a huge bird being roasted with its rinded skin and then broken and ripped and eaten with voracity. That''s what he said earlier and is now repeating," Alexa explained, now keeping all seriousness.


    "I wonder whether, when he becomes a human, he will eat insects the rest of his life," said Alexander''s older brother, in a serious tone. I couldn''t tell if it was a legitimate concern or a provocation. Alexander did not respond, however.


    Then they heard a new desperate meow from the cat and Alexa decided to run there.


    She found Konrad holding the cat by the scruff,


    "Where''s that bird, you mussel?" he released the animal away, and the puss ran again, while the young Duke searched around for the bird''s whereabouts. Without looking at Alexa he said,


    "The cat isn''t with Romeo anymore! Did it devour my cousin? My God, how could we let this¡­ happen to Zand¡­" he looked frantically at the ground, looking for clues and feathers.


    ~ Is he crying? ~ The Second Prince asked, inflating the b.r.e.a.s.t vainly.


    "Konrad, don''t be like that. Don''t worry, he''s gone to a better place now ..." she couldn''t resist deceiving Alexander''s cousin just a little. But Konrad dropped his weight on the cold, muddy floor,


    "Alexander¡­ What did I do? If I hadn''t ..." he covered his face, without looking up.


    The maiden realized that she should not have lied. She thought it would be funny but Konrad believed it.


    "Ah, well, I was kidding, Duke¡­ He''s here, look. Magnus rescued him," her heart warmed when she saw that Alexander had a true friend in his cousin, Duke Konrad. Romeo flew to Konrad''s hand, and pecked it, Konrad in return pressed the bird''s head with his finger, and they were "fighting" pecks and fingers with each other, while laughing. At least Alexa heard her husband''s laughs and grumbles, since no one else did.


    Magnus stopped beside her,


    "I see that everything is back to normal, except for the fact my brother is a nightingale. Zand and Konrad went back to being the usual idiots. And will you, Princess, continue to sneak into carriages and climb towers?"


    "Whenever necessary," it was still strange to know that she was officially a Princess. All she knew was that she had died, and returned from death. According to earthly laws, her marriage would have been dissolved, right? So, she wasn''t married to Alexander or a Princess, anymore. ''I definitely needed to talk to Alexander about it.''


    But there would be a more propitious time for that, at some point in their trip.


    Returning inside the inn, she finished her meal with Magnus, who told him they would reach the Duke''s castle in the early evening, if his aunt didn''t stay so long.


    "Be patient with her, for a Lady like her even brief trips are boring and uncomfortable," she said, and he mumbled something about having no other choice.


    They left after half an hour, continuing their journey towards the kingdom where Konrad was an important Duke. It would be the first night away from Holstein, and the first night of the journey to Languedoc.


    After crossing a bridge, the border soldiers greeted them, and the entourage entered a plain of vast, newly harvested fields. In the distance, the maiden saw the castle that towered the Duke''s lands. The orange sky was turning violet, making the horizon even more beautiful. It was a significant contrast to see that castle on the plains when Holstein had a castle on high. Romeo was on Konrad''s shoulder, further ahead, while Alexa rode alongside Magnus. Looking at him, the maiden broke the silence,


    "May I ask you something ... intimate, Magnus?"


    He raised an eyebrow, sardonically,


    "What can be so interesting in my intimate life now, Alexa?"


    "I¡­ just wanted to know what you thought of¡­ well," was an embarrassing question, "about your father''s decision to change the deal with de Wits. And marry Lady Cordelia," she finally said, looking at him curiously.


    "Hm, it''s an agreement that benefits the region and will bring a lot of power to Holstein. It doesn''t really matter who she marries, does it?"


    "I think she cared," Alexa remembered how Cordelia seemed delighted with the idea of ??being Magnus'' bride when she entered his private chambers. Up to that point, the maiden didn''t imagine that Cordelia had a favorable opinion about Magnus, since she had expressed it differently. But now she was just confused. The more she knew about Cordelia, the less it made sense.


    "Whether or not she cared, I don''t care. She will be my father''s wife, and I am honestly relieved about that. It doesn''t matter what you say. I''m not obliged to like anyone just because everyone does," he snapped, but then exclaimed,


    "Alexa?! Are you alright?"


    But Alexa was no longer listening. When the atmosphere started to turn blue and the magical time came, she felt herself being swallowed up again by the darkness.


    "Magnus ... Ahhhh!" she still reached out to cling to Magnus, but nothing could stop her fate.

 Chapter 101 - The Half of X of Life

    Awakening under the same sky of embroidered stars, the maiden immediately understood that this must be part of the effect of Sigrid''s spell. Again she was awake inside Alexander''s body. Would that happen every night? So was that what it meant, ''give him half your life''?


    Of course. Probably evenly sharing her life with Alexander was impossible. As much as it was difficult to calculate the half of X of life, mentioned in a famous oriental mathematical puzzle, it was pretty impossible to predict how long someone would live. Then they would have to divide life into more or less equal portions. One would keep the day, and the other the night of each day.


    It was almost fair, under the circ.u.mstances.


    Even though Alexa would have preferred to arrive at the Duke''s castle, she had chosen and accepted this bargain over time, to save Alexander''s body. Spending the nights in his body was a strange solution, but the solution that would keep his body alive and functioning. She just didn''t know what was going on with her own body in the meantime.


    ''Now am I the one sleeping somewhere?'' the thought scared her.


    But as she sat on the bed, she met Balbo''s attentive gaze, sitting by the door and staring at the bed,


    "Oh hi, good you are there," she whispered. Again the voice that came out of her throat startled her a little. Everything resonated differently inside ''his'' body, even though Alexander had a small body for a man. Balbo approached the bed, hand on the hilt of the sword,


    "You better prove that you are who I think you are," he hissed, but the maiden took seriously,


    "Well, Balbo, you and I have a common secret. But if that''s not enough, I had wine at your place a few days ago. You keep it on top of a cupboard," she said.


    "Um, Your Highness ... What is this mess?" he asked, relaxing his posture and looking for the water jug ??to serve Alexa.


    "I don''t quite know. I agreed to accept help from a witch who was locked in a lighthouse. We feared that Alexander''s body would deteriorate in our absence. Or something as bad as. You surely remember that they even tried to steal the body. So it happened, as a consequence," the maiden spoke after accepting the water and gulping it thirsty. She realized that what happened to her actual body didn''t affect anything that happened to Alexander''s body, because here she needed to empty her bladder and she was hungry as hell.


    "Prince Gutard was very distressed by what he witnessed. The priest was here most of the day. In fact, Father Agnello left shortly, and must return later, as he told me,"said Balbo.


    "Is he going to exorcise me?" she asked aloud, remembering the battle with the Black Queen. The Florentine Father had a temporary victory against the mighty Shade, but what could he do against Alexa? It was definitely better not to try to find out. If he were able to banish her soul, they would have a problem again.


    "It won''t be easy to deceive that fox, Your Highness. He''s very perceptive. And he knows Prince Alexander very well," concluded the warrior, making a small face.


    "Where are we?"


    "A castle''s tower. The only entrance is quite ... secret. Only five people besides the Sovereign Prince have access to this location. Me and another guard, Padre di Borghesi, and two old maids who were babysitters for the Second Prince. They sent a detachment to another property, so that the Prince''s enemies would think they removed him from the castle."


    "Hm, it''s a splendid plan. Only, it''s a plan that will only deceive the living. The ghosts of the castle will find out easily, if they don''t already know,"she commented thoughtfully.


    "I always knew this place was strange, but now that a Light Bearer says, it looks even worse," the warrior sucked in a breath.


    "Well, I believe that there''s no place close to power that''s not surrounded by spiteful shades. I''ve never been to a palace without Shades," the maiden searched her memory and couldn''t remember. But there were still other complications,


    "I will need to feed myself and I will also be able to take care of all other needs, but then people will need to know that I wake up at night."


    "Prince Gutard also asked that ..."


    Both heard noises outside the door, and Alexa instinctively lay down quickly. She still didn''t know what to say to Father Agnello. What if he decided that she was a witch, like the others?


    The priest entered followed by a woman, Alexa spied quickly. She also noticed that the room was better lit.


    Balbo asked,


    "Will the priest stay here by the bed? Will Helga stay in here tonight?" Alexa just had to thank the kind of quick mind that her warrior friend had. Letting her know the Blue Eyes'' location and also that there was someone else.


    "Helga will only make sure that the Prince is well for the night. But yes, I will stay here, I will read a little and maybe write."


    ''Oh, damn.'' It would be impossible to stay without moving for long hours. She heard it when Balbo moved away, and also when the priest dragged a chair and arranged himself in his reading position, on the table near the bed.


    ''If I get distracted, maybe I''ll actually sleep, then it won''t be a problem. I think,'' the maiden reasoned, and recalled the day''s events. The fight over a turkey that almost resulted in an infamous death for Alexander. What would happen then? And how funny Duke Konrad was throwing a turkey leg as if it were an ax spinning through the air, and ...


    OINNNNNNN!


    "Oh, that was all I needed!'' ''His'' stomach protested so loudly that it would have been impossible for the priest not to hear. And really, the maiden heard the chair shuffle.


    Alexa sat up slowly, looking around. The woman who was preparing wet cloths to clean the Prince''s body was staring at him, gaping. Balbo rose from his chair by the door. And Father Agnello, at his side, watched ''him'' with a big smile,


    "Your stomach is speaking for you, Prince! How are you feeling?"


    "Not very well," Alexa spoke softly and weakly, trying to imply that Alexander could barely speak. It would be better that way, until she was sure she could trust him.


    "Your Highness ... do you want to eat now?"


    The Second Prince nodded, and then the woman said, smiling,


    "I will have a tray of food prepared immediately, Your Highness!" saying that she left, and the maiden made her new body move out of bed with slow, deliberate movements.


    "How are you feeling, Your Highness?" the priest asked anxiously. ''The Prince'' leaned on the arm that Father Agnello offered him, and steadied himself on his feet. It was all a great act because ''he'' was feeling very well, just with a full bladder and starving.


    "Like shit. What happened? This is not my room," again Lex spoke softly and weakly. Balbo followed his performance from a distance, completely unmoved.


    "Well, this is a long story. You have been poisoned. And it''s still poisoned, apparently. As a result..." the priest stopped when the Second Prince made a gesture with his hand, and went to the closed window,


    "Can we open the window?" the priest did as he was asked, and the sea breeze entered the tower. The stars were rising in the sky. Lex sucked in the cold air with pleasure, looking at the sea and wondering what the real Alexander, Magnus and the others would be doing now. Taking a closer look at the room, he also realized that this tower must be Gisela''s secret tower, renovated to become Alexander''s secret room. Gutard had a strange personality, after all.


    Helga returned with a tray full of food, and the aroma made the Second Prince''s belly growl again,


    "Hm, sorry," the ''young prince'' murmured embarrassedly, sitting down at the table carefully. The maid helped him by placing a cloth around his neck, showing the soup, roast and vegetables, and even handing the spoon over. Lex checked and there was no wine or beer, just water to go with it. ''Ah, this is really a meal for a patient, how can I live with this?!'' The delusion about overcoming times of starving were crumbling behind Lex'' eyes.


    Luckily, the soup was delicious and hot, and the maid nourished the Second Prince''s body with several spoonfuls before asking,


    "Father Agnello, please go on. Tell me everything," in fact it would be nice to hear the story through the eyes of the shrewd clergyman, but Lex'' greatest intention was to keep Agnello busy while he''s eating.


    "Well, Konrad found you dead in the morning when he went to look for you in your chambers. You were late for sword training. The doctors came to see you, but apparently nothing could be done. That was on the day that your future sister-in-law, Lady Cordelia was due to arrive in the kingdom. So, it was a great commotion. I was really only allowed to see you in the middle of the afternoon, to do the necessary rites. A wake with present body was arranged, and it would last all night so that the burial of your body would be in the morning,"


    "Oh! But I wasn''t even dead!" Lex exclaimed, hesitating a little when he saw the roast chicken, but yielding to the stomach''s appeal and thinking what was out of sight was also out of mind! NOM NOM! As he chewed ravenously, he motioned for the priest to continue.


    "While the court was in mourning, a foreign person cried out that Prince Alexander was alive," said the priest, crossing his arms, "And I would be blind if I were not seeing this person right in front of me right now! Did you think I wouldn''t recognize your sinful gluttony anywhere, ''Alexa''?"


    The Prince looked up at the priest, feeling himself choking.

 Chapter 102 - Unexpected Alliance

    "Ahem! I ... I was afraid that the priest would think badly of me when he found me inside my husband''s body! I mean, when they say we''re going to be one meat I didn''t think it was that literal!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet.


    The priest reached for the crucifix on his chest but made no attempt to exorcise Alexa. At least for now. He just narrowed his eyes and looked at her coldly,


    "No, it certainly isn''t that way. But you certainly have a suitable explanation for that," he said.


    "I don''t know if it''s a suitable explanation, but ... it''s the truth," and Alexa told how she discovered after the wedding that Alexander''s soul had escaped to Romeo, when he could no longer return to his own body. And how the lighthouse witch had promised that she could share her life with her husband if she agreed to a ritual. Finally, as she had just discovered that she left her own body at dusk and returned to it when the sun came up on the horizon.


    The priest heard everything completely absorbed while his fingers didn''t leave the crucifix on his chest.


    The maiden tried to read his expressions, but Blue Eyes let little escape. All she knew was that he was furious.


    "Prince Gutard confirmed that you had gone after a witch and died by her hands, deceived to free her in exchange for something. When I went to where I was supposed to find your body, there was nothing there," he revealed, crossing his hands. "But what actually happened was that you had an agreement with her¡­"


    "Hey, calm down. Father Agnello, did you forget that I only knew about this witch because I did what you asked me to do? I didn''t know her, she was Prince Gutard''s private prophetess!"


    He raised an angry eyebrow, and Alexa understood that he didn''t want his secrets revealed in front of the warrior. But she said,


    "Listen. Balbo is a loyal friend of my husband. And both of you are here to protect his body. It''s my purpose as well. If you think differently, call Prince Gutard here and we will clear this up. Or do I call? " she was not going to let Agnello think he could threaten her. If he was not an ally, she should treat him as an enemy.


    Blue Eyes shook his head, aghast,


    "After what you saw in the cathedral, did you still look for a witch?"


    "I went there for answers! I wanted to be sure if the best thing to do was to leave on this trip. Perhaps Alexander and I have been deluded, but now it''s too late to point out a finger at me, he or else."


    "I shouldn''t be surprised that you were duped by a witch," mumbled the priest. She for a moment even thought Blue Eyes was not angry with her, but it was better to make everything clear at this point. She continued,


    "Regardless of beliefs, this is what happened. I have no idea from where the witch invoked the power to do what she did. I didn''t have much of a choice, because the Sovereign Prince sent me away. I could just take the hint and leave, as if Holstein was just a bad memory. But Alexander would remain in danger. He would die."


    "Yes, I believe this is quite clear already. I''m still baffled by your lack of faith ... But what could I expect? Looking for a witch? Do you need to fall so low?"


    "Ah, well¡­ Please be understanding, the Church excommunicated my family. I don''t know if God hears me, and ... OUCH! DON''T!" the priest slapped the Second Prince on the head several times, until the maiden occupying Alexander''s body asked for forgiveness,


    "I won''t say anything anymore! Forgive me, I was wrong!" the Prince fell to his knees protecting his head. Balbo was about to interfere, but the priest stopped by himself,


    "You''re lucky for being in the body of this innocent. But you will have to prove your sincerity. You will help me banish these filthy spirits that dwells in this castle. You will see to it that this body remains healthy and pure. And I will be watching!" he was emphatic.


    ''As you wish,'' she thought, getting up and sitting on the edge of the bed. Although she was angry, she controlled Alexander''s voice as best she could, "What do you want me to do?"


    "I will need to make some arrangements first, including dealing with Prince Gutard," said Blue Eyes. "He''s going to have to know that, of course. It would be difficult to hide from him."


    The maiden thought of Gutard''s reaction when he discovered that Alexa now shared his younger son''s body. He rather wished her to be dead, she was sure. And although at that moment he could do anything to her, the maiden was sure that she could never return there, about the risk of ending on a skewer,


    "We all have to be pragmatic, following the example of the Sovereign Prince himself," it didn''t escape the maiden that Blue Eyes most likely didn''t question Holstein''s Sovereign as to whether he had a captive pagan prophetess.


    In fact, she knew that the Prince had always wanted to use her, like, so many others did, for his purposes. And when she was no longer useful, her carcass would be burned or left to the crows. Alexa had deluded herself for a while, and it was scary that he was the same man who loved his children to the point of making the strangest pacts to save them. But at this point, Alexa was sure that she could only trust Gutard as long as she remained useful to him.


    "Pragmatists, yes. We must not make things easy for such malicious enemies. Both hell and earth," said Blue Eyes, and the maiden tried to wonder what exactly he was referring to.


    Then the priest went to the door,


    "But that doesn''t mean that you should follow all of his examples. You can begin your penance for getting involved with witches after your dinner. Use your time for 5,000 Our Fathers," and making the sign of the cross, Blue Eyes was about to leave when she remembered to ask something,


    "Father?"


    "Yes?"


    "If I do this penance, will it count for me or for Alexander?"


    Blue Eyes narrowed his eyes, and returned to the Second Prince, giving two slugs on his head,


    "One is for you. And another for Alexander!"


    "OUCH! OUCH!" the maiden regretted her stupid questions, since she was the one who felt the pain twice.


    After making sure that the priest would not return, Alexa sighed, complaining aloud,


    "Why is he always making me pray?"


    "I suppose he has reasons. He also does this with the Princes," said Balbo, and Alexa remembered when she and Magnus were kneeling over peas,


    "He reminded me of what happened earlier. Alexander''s father was here right at dawn."


    "Prince Gutard was very upset to believe that Alexander had woken up, and then to see his son collapse in his arms. He even cried, and blamed himself," said the warrior, stopping by the window.


    "I can''t understand it. He is going to marry Lady Cordelia, even though he believes her family tried to kill Magnus!" the maiden scratched her chin, bothered by the fact that there were little hairs there whenever she passed her hand. And she started to pull them out, thoughtfully.


    Balbo was going to say something, but when he saw the scene, he was unable to remain serious,


    "Is it too weird to be in a man''s body?" his voice betrayed his humor and curiosity.


    "OH! Yes! Quite!" Alexa''s eyes widened emphatically, "See, there''s the fact that¡­ Fur! I have chin hair. And ... well, I''m not sure what to do. Those soft things in the middle of my-his legs, one must know how to sit and¡­"


    "Why, it''s your husband''s stuff! Be very careful, you will need this later! Hahahahahaha!" the loud laughter echoed in the tower.


    "Eek! Don''t talk like that! It''s not enough that I have to¡­ Well, I really need to pee and I didn''t really want to¡­"


    "Put your hand on?" Balbo had tears in his eyes from laughing, "Sorry, Your Highness, it will be necessary, or you will end up wetting your own feet!" he pointed to an adjacent room, "The urinal is there, but of course, the latrine is elsewhere."


    "Thank you!" it was all I needed to hear. Running over there, she lifted her nightgown and faced her husband''s ''jewelry'' for the second time. The feeling of peeing with a ... what''s the name of it, really? It was different. She understood why she had to hold it on and was not sure what to do next, so she shook it off.


    "Er¡­ Balbo! I have a question," ''the Prince'' went back to the room, "How can you ride with ''it''?"


    "Well, I was born with mine, so I think it was a matter of adapting," he laughed, but continued,


    "Now look, my late mother gave me useful advice, which I will share with you as a newbie," he wiped his eyes when he calmed down,


    "Take good care of the Prince''s ''things'', he''ll be furious if you don''t take good care of him. So listen, keep everything very clean or your d.i.c.k will fall. Really! Don''t place your d.i.c.k anywhere, or your d.i.c.k will rotten and fall. Take it seriously! And don''t look at me like that, I can''t stop laughing!"


    "Fall? Can it¡­ fall?" that extra responsibility was not in her plans.

 Chapter 103 - Then and Back to Her Body

    At dawn, Alexa was ready to leave and paid attention to the sensations, watching the sunrise from the window of her tower, or rather, the tower where the Sleeping Prince was kept as a precious treasure.


    When the first lights of dawn tinted the sky, she felt the connection with this body weaken. As if it was ''taken off'' from matter and swiftly, when her eyes saw the majestic glow of the sun rising over the horizon, her consciousness was swallowed up in the darkness, as if a mysterious and inevitable force pulled her back violently.


    The next step was to feel the impact of her consciousness on her own body, and emerge into the world of mortals again.


    When she opened her eyes, the maiden looked at the rich curtain around her, and knew she was in the Duke''s castle. Everything was in place. Her little hands and all her old little things. No appendix which required incredible care and caution with.


    But there was someone beside her on the bed, she realized. Turning around carefully, she saw that it was Countess Godiva, sleeping heavily with a cap in her hair,


    "Don''t wake her up, she took too long to sleep," Alexa heard Magnus''s voice nearby. She saw that he was in a comfortable chair facing the bed, not moving a muscle. He seemed to haven''t slept through the night, from the look of his red eyes. So she got up carefully so as not to wake the Countess. She was wearing a nightgown and socks, but she wasn''t happy that she had been touched in her sleep. She went to him, and signaled that she wanted to speak.


    The First Prince got up and handed her his own cloak, which was folded at his side, and opened the door for them to leave. As soon as they left the corridor, he closed the door behind him and held her wrist, surprising Alexa.


    Before she could understand what the Prince was doing, Magnus brought the inside of her wrist to his face, touching his cheek and closing his eyes for a long moment. He murmured,


    "Fight me later. Just today¡­ I''m happy to see you again."


    Alexa was speechless. Was he¡­ Was he really so emotional? She felt her pulse between the Prince''s thumb and forefinger, capable of breaking her bones with one movement. But he seemed to suck in the air and feel the warmth of her skin against his¡­ Her heart sped up involuntarily, and she bit her lip nervously.


    But the moment was brief, as he opened his eyes and, releasing her wrist, that fell limp beside her body, questioned,


    "Well. What''s happening?"


    "The spell worked! Or rather, I believe it''s working properly. I was in Alexander''s body all night, and at dawn ... I return to my body," she explained quickly. Ashamed of her emotions, but not as quick as Magnus to keep them to herself, Alexa cringed inside his cloak. The Prince took her to the end of the corridor, where he opened a small door to a defense post. The small open balcony allowed an archer or watchman to keep vigilance over the road to the northwest. They could see the sun rising from there, but the place was a little cramped for two people.


    "It''s maddening, you know?"


    She was silent, not sure what he was talking about. Just this morning, contrary to what she imagined it would be, she was feeling insecure and restless. Alexa had imagined that she would tell them the news and that they might even laugh together. But Magnus surprised her well before she could say anything.


    "It''s maddening that you collapse in front of me and there was no explanation for it. Asleep and inaccessible, just like Alexander! I couldn''t give you my blood, and I was worried!"


    "I''m so sorry. I didn''t know it either," Alexa tried to make her hands busy, pulling the hood, but the hood was too big for her so all she did was to fully cover her face, blinding her for a moment. Magnus started by lifting the hood from her face, staring at her with furrowed brows and condescending air.


    But she continued, "But now we know. In a way, it''s not as bad as it looks. I will be able to monitor not only Alexander''s health, but also what''s happening in Holstein," she grinned, hoping to cheer him up.


    The Prince reached out and ran his round fibula over the fabric attaching the cloak to her clothes, and slowly opening a sardonic smile,


    "Hm¡­ I see. But what did you see this time?"


    Eager to tell, Alexa reported her meeting with Father Agnello and the possibility of seeing Prince Gutard the following night. Then the First Prince raised her face with the side of his index finger, making her raise her eyes to him,


    "Princess, just be careful. He doesn''t trust people. He won''t trust you," no doubt the First Prince was referring to his own father. And no, she didn''t mean to trust Gutard anymore.


    "Doesn''t he trust you?" she asked candidly. Magnus looked at the horizon as he replied,


    "Why would he trust? He knows that I have a heart of stone. One day I was a boy... But now I''m a man."


    They were words full of meaning and bitterness, and Alexa pulled her breath inside. The maiden tilted her head to one side, while also watching the sun''s rapid march up into the sky,


    "You know what''s funnier? There''s a person who does not give up on the three disasters we are. Father Agnello di Borghesi. What other priest would be trying to save our souls, despite everything?"


    "Yes, it''s funny. But he''s also a political fox and may well take advantage of that, in the end. Don''t fall in love with him," said the Prince, crossing his arms. Somewhere nearby, they heard the song of a nightingale.


    To fall in love? He was not being literal, of course. Father Agnello was a handsome and aristocratic man, he wasn''t even that old, maybe he was just over 30 years old. But that was laughable!


    "Falling in love with ..."


    "Don''t be silly. Priests are men too."


    "Ah, I know that,"


    "Do you know what?" Magnus'' lips narrowed in a thin line. Alexa laughed nervously. Was this conversation really going on?


    "Well¡­ Everyone knows. A cleric like Agnello di Borghesi would be much better off in Rome. But I thought you liked him. Since you listen to him," it puzzled her. It was well known that religious and political life were mixed and it wasn''t a vocation most of the time.


    "Yes, he would be much better in Rome, but he''s in Holstein. The Di Borghesi sent him there, of course. I have nothing to complain about. He has already destroyed many enemies I had. So don''t just see him as this benevolent and loving priest. It''s a scam."


    "Well, do you mean that behind the scenes, Father Agnello is like any other priest born in a wealthy family? Just a scholar without vocation or chastity?"


    "Ahem¡­ I don''t know about that! Why would I care about his chastity?"


    "Well, I thought you would know! Since you''re so helpfully alerting me to falling in love. Besides, even if I fell in love, I would have the body of¡­"


    Magnus covered her mouth, raising an eyebrow and intimidating her with just the feline look,


    "Don''t you dare speak or do something like that!"


    She snickered at his hand, and the Prince freed her. Alexa explained,


    "Don''t worry. By the way, last night Balbo taught me something to do with ... what do you call what you have between your legs? I mean, the real name? The name that is in the Bible."


    Magnus was confused and fl.u.s.tered,


    "How is it? What did Balbo teach you? With what?!" He changed color and Alexa thought it was time to escape. Sneaking under his arm, she crossed the small door and ran down the hall, while Magnus shouted after her,


    "Get back here! Explain yourself right away! Alexa! Come back here!"


    A door opened, and the Duke showed up, wrapped in a blanket, and Romeo flew towards her across the door. Alexa threw herself into the room and shouted,


    "SANCTUARY!"


    "Snap it! Come back here! You need to explain yourself!" Magnus ignored the owner of the room and her random request for protection, entering right behind her in the room. Konrad returned with the bird on his shoulder, while Alexa threw herself on the Duke''s bed, landing on his pillows.


    Now that the door was closed, the maiden crossed her arms, facing the three men. Or rather, two men and a bird.


    "What''s happening?" the lord of the castle demanded to know. It was a little funny to see him do it only wrapped in a woolen blanket, of course.


    "Nothing of note. I was in Alexander''s body like the other night. And of course, not being my body, there are many different things... And then, I saw¡­ my husband''s stuff¡­"


    "Oh, Good Lord. It''s a ''marriage thing''. We shouldn''t be taking part, don''t you think, Cousin Magnus?" Konrad scratched his hair, nearly letting the blanket fall, and Magnus went to the Duke and tied the blanket around him, very firmly and rudely, saying,


    "There''s no ''marriage thing'' between them! She''s a maiden! She hasn''t consummated the marriage nor should she be seeing..."


    "Oh, too late. I said it already. I saw it," Alexa opened a huge smile, seeing all three deeply embarrassed, each in their own way.


    ~ Stop Alexa. This conversation ... ~ her husband''s nervous voice pleaded.


    But they didn''t have time to keep this matter going. A trumpet sounded, and the Duke waved, fl.u.s.tered,


    "Messengers! It must be something important!"

 Chapter 104 - War Room

    "What should we do now? Do you want to stay and help the Duke?" Alexa asked the First Prince when the group met in the early afternoon, after the news they received.


    The Duke of Burgundy was now marching against Flanders, just south of Konrad''s kingdom. As a precaution, while his uncle was making arrangements in one of the two capitals of the Duchy of W¨¹rtz, Konrad must take steps to defend the northern portion. W¨¹rtz was unlikely to be attacked, and even more unlikely that Konrad''s castle would be attacked soon. But the subject stirred spirits and more than that, it brought more than a dilemma.


    Their route in the original plan would necessarily pass through the lands of Burgundy towards the south of France. Now, they had to define new routes, or decide what was most important.


    Alexa was left out of the meeting that Duke Konrad called earlier, although even a certain nightingale was invited. His warriors and Magnus stood by the young Duke to devise a defense plan. But now only Magnus'' group was gathered around a table in the war room, where the map used in the morning was still spread out.


    "I have already spoken to my cousin and his men, and we have already decided that it''s not necessary at this time. The kingdom can receive reinforcement from Holstein and the Empire. I am going to send a letter to my father, and the messenger will leave tonight with a few other letters. I suppose the Emperor will call my father for consultation soon. We don''t have much to fear, I believe," while he explained to the gathered party, Alexa tried to analyze his face, looking for signs that would contradict him. The Prince spoke in a serious, assertive, and calm tone, but his frown worried her.


    One of the men suggested a route, but that included going through the mountains and reaching Venice. Alexa rather wished not to go to Venice, if she could avoid it, but she also didn''t want to say anything that could raise any suspicion. Rising restlessly from her chair, she walked across the room to where Romeo was, in his cage, quite still.


    Reaching out a finger into the cage, a strong peck surprised her, and Alexa withdrew her hand, startled,


    "Ouch! Why did you do it?"


    ~ Why do you want to upset me now? ~ Alexander replied rudely, and Romeo turned his back on Alexa on the perch. She contained her laughter, because he was so cute! He had no idea how cute his tantrum was in the shape of a bird. She wondered whether it reflected in his human form.


    "Listen, Zand," she whispered, "I know you want to be with your best friend right now, but look ... He can''t hear you or anything!"


    "You could stay, too. Magnus goes to fetch the antidote on his own as he planned to do from the beginning," it was a suggestion, or perhaps a request, but his tone was moody. She was thoughtful for a moment, and looked sideways at Magnus, leaning over the map with the other men, not even paying attention to her or Alexander.


    "Are you more concerned with the Duke here, inside a castle, one day from Holstein, with access to various resources and great advisers, than with your brother? Who is going on this journey just to help you?" she whispered in exasperation.


    ~ I trust his ability, ~ Alexander said. ~ You don''t know him, but nothing can stop him. ~


    Alexa had already seen him in action, the day Magnus jumped on a moving carriage and fought with an assassin, and also in the Bride''s Parade. She also witnessed the duel against Florian, when Magnus looked insane and cruel.


    "Even the greatest Greek warrior had a weakness. There''s no invincible person, Alexander. I''ve seen incredible warriors killed because of a sneaky lunge from a short, unqualified being," she spoke of her family, destroyed despite her extraordinary abilities.


    But of course, Alexander had no way of knowing. And her husband said,


    ~ In the situation you are in, sleeping at night, you will be a nuisance on this trip. Let''s just stay here. It''s safe for you. ~


    Really, the maiden had not thought about the practical aspect of her condition. They would have to think of a way to make this trip. During the nights, she would be asleep, or rather, practically dead and a literal burden. Alexa raised a finger to argue.


    "Well," she heard Magnus''s voice stand out in the middle of the conversation, and stopped to listen because it seemed important, "I will avoid the route through Venice, since the di Borghesi are in dispute with a Doge from there. I think the quickest alternative is to go by boat to the west of France. From there we can travel faster to the south of the country, avoiding all border disputes."


    One of the men gave a low laugh, and commented,


    "I thought you didn''t like boats, Your Highness."


    "Just because I don''t like to depend so much on knowledge that I don''t master. When I am on my horse, I know how to maneuver it and dominate my destiny. But a boat ... It is knowledge that escapes me entirely."


    "We heard that a caravel named Lagos was in Holstein yesterday, coming from Denmark," another of Magnus''s friends, named Dyderich, commented, and Magnus agreed that he was thinking about that boat.


    "A caravel? How intriguing," Alexa had heard that caravels were the fastest and most modern exploration sh.i.p.s. But as little as she knew, they were not part of the merchant sh.i.p.s that used to sail the northern seas. Still, the news could be good.


    ~ Tell him you are not going, Alexa, ~ insisted the Second Prince. ~So he doesn''t have to do this maneuver just to lessen the problem of traveling with a woman who dies every night! ~


    "What''s wrong with you, Alexander? Why are you talking like that?!" she no longer understood the real reason for Alexander''s irritation. At first she thought it was because he wanted to be close to his best friend in a time of political tension. Maybe he was even afraid to leave for unknown lands. After all, Alexander was almost killed by a tavern cat. Now he claimed to be concerned about her safety, and even his brother''s mobility. Or was it everything at once?


    ~ Let''s not talk on here, ~ he said in reply.


    Realizing that her opinion had not even been requested at the meeting, Alexa took the cage and left the room without warning. After closing the door behind him, she murmured,


    "I don''t know why you''re so angry today, Alexander. But it''s out of the question that I stay. We have gone too far, including accepting a ritual so that we could make this trip. Konrad will be fine."


    He was silent, and she wondered whether or not her speech had worked.


    "We won''t have much time later, Alexander, so tell me a few things I need to know."


    ~ Like what, for example? ~


    "Maybe I need to move to Holstein''s court. As I said, the priest wants my help. I may have to impersonate you. "


    ~ Is it not enough having you to mock me? ~


    ''Hm, so that''s the reason,'' the maiden grimaced,


    "Alexander! I didn''t tell any compromising detail, only that I saw it... Wouldn''t I see it, anyway?"


    Alexander sighed,


    ~ I wasn''t there to know the circ.u.mstances. Just take into account that ... I was weak, and long time sick. Yeah, sick, ~ he pointed out.


    Alexa scratched her eyebrow,


    "There no reason for such a fuss about it. I needed to pee, that''s all."


    ~ Well, usually when I wake up, ... Tell me if it will happen to you too. Whether it is the soul or the body. Father Agnello said it''s the body, because it happens to every man, he said. Even with the priests. But he also said that I had better pray as soon as I woke up, to avoid impure thoughts¡­ ~


    "Are you talking about getting¡­ hard, red and big? Upon waking up?" she said falsely innocent just to provoke him. Lady Eudoxia had described it and what could be done about it, from a woman''s point of view, of course. But she imagined that Alexander knew how to handle the problem better than she would. What a fake!


    ~ Alexa! ~ he was exalted. ~ Why don''t you show some modesty?! ~


    "Hm¡­ Alexander. What exactly are you talking about? Who do you think you''re kidding? Why do you think I would believe that you, a handsome prince in the prime of life, are someone who has never had the pleasures of the flesh satisfied? I am modest and a maiden, yes, but not an idiot."


    After a moment of silence, which Alexander probably used to think about whether to carry on this conversation, he asked,


    ~ In any case, take good care of my body ... wife. And tell me if it happens when you wake up in my body. ~


    "I will do that. But, this whole conversation got me thinking ... I''ll probably run into your lovers. I need to know who they are!" she stated with a condescending and casual air, keeping a slight smile on her face. The bird stirred in the cage,


    ~ Who did I marry?! Who''s this crazy woman?! ~ he exclaimed.


    "Ah, as I imagined! The Prince is desperate and afraid that I would find out who his courtesans and close lady friends are! Alexander, don''t worry! It''s just convenient for me to know everything about them¡­ Their names, their nicknames, the gifts they like to receive and anything else¡­ Come on, tell me now!"


    ~ You have no idea how threatening it sounds! ~ he protested, jumping from one perch to the other.


    "Um, if you''re not going to tell me, I''ll find out soon, anyway," she stated, laughing. But then Alexander surprised her with his question,


    ~What about you, Alexa? When do you intend to tell me about your lover? ~

 Chapter 105 - The Bird Charmer

    "L-lover?" Alexa has never felt so red in her life. Alexander''s harsh intonation made it clear that it was not an assumption, but a certainty.


    The door opened behind her and Magnus went out alone, looking around. The maiden lowered her head, even more nervous, feeling unprepared to have this conversation, especially with the very reason for the discussion in front of her. It was clear Alexander would have noticed.


    "We will have to proceed immediately, Zand. So say goodbye to Konrad and tell him we''ll be back soon. Get ready Princess, to roll your eyes as you witness the tender moments of these soul mates. These two together often have a lot of business. We''re leaving at any time, so don''t drag it on."


    Alexander however, remained silent. If his brother noticed something, he didn''t comment, Magnus just walked away down the hall, without other words. The maiden took a deep breath, wanting more than everything to escape what they were talking about earlier. She commented cheerfully, as she started walking taking the cage with her,


    "Your cousin is a wonderful friend. Someone else might have been horrified!"


    "Well, I used to tell Kontze about my dreams, and he is able to put two and two together. When you arrived, he must have concluded that you were the person I used to see in my dreams. And he must also have been able to understand that, in Holstein, strange things happen all the time," now Alexander also seemed calmer. Or maybe also like her, he was avoiding talking about the subject that bothered them. But the maiden was sure that this matter would come up somehow, at another time.


    "Konrad is a great person. For someone who so young had to take responsibility for becoming a Duke! He remains very kind and cheerful," she really sympathized with the Duke, who seemed incapable of being cruel and never looked sulky.


    ~ Sometimes I wonder what I would have been like if I had had his life ... ~ Alexander whispered almost as if speaking to himself, and it was undeniable that his voice sounded sad and depressing. The maiden thought for a moment about what it must have been like to grow up in that strange castle full of human and invisible enemies. Even though he survived, there was a dispute over the position of Holstein''s next Regent. There was the fact that he was the witch''s son. Even his androgynous beauty could be a problem. And even if Magnus and his father protected him ... How would that protection be? But Alexa decided that she would not keep the sad tone of the conversation. She didn''t want Alexander to spiral into despair. They needed him to stay strong and hopeful.


    "I can''t say. You know more about me than I know about you, Alexander. But I have no doubt that Konrad would have become a bird too! You are so similar!"


    That got a laugh out of him, after all,


    ~ We can ask him that. But I bet he will say he wouldn''t be so stupid! ~


    Alexa went to look for the Duke and he received her as soon as he finished an important matter. Being so young, he was not alone in this process, but his playful attitude had changed to a more serious and contained expression. Although still kind.


    They walked into a room side by side, calmly, and he carried Romeo''s cage this time.


    "I suppose my cousin Magnus changed the route," he commented, looking at her and then at Romeo.


    "Yes, Konrad, the first part of the journey will be by sea. So, we will leave soon, and we come to say goodbye," Alexa gave a hopeful smile. "I''m sure we will be back soon, maybe even before the summer. And these skirmishes among your neighbors will not really disturb our kingdoms, I''m hopeful about it."


    ~ Yes, tell him it won''t be this time that he will debut his new armor, ~ Alexander asked, and Alexa did that. The comment made the Duke grin,


    "I hope so! And it reminds me of something. Come on, Blue Chest, let''s see something I wanted to show you a long time ago! Come on, Princess!" opening the cage and waiting for Romeo to climb on his finger, he turned and the Princess followed him, curious.


    They entered a room next to the Duke''s room, and she soon realized it was her private armory. It wasn''t exaggerated like Magnus'', but Konrad went over to a sheet covering a mannequin, and disclosed it with pomp,


    "Voil¨¢!"


    Alexa looked with fascination at the armor with the von Wuttenfal coat of arms. Not resisting, she touched the pieces, observing the exotic manufacture. She found the chain mail very light, as well as the outer armor plates. The silver tone of the metal was slightly pink, and the ornaments had an intricate but unknown pattern to the maiden. Beside Konrad''s armor, bigger and with the coat of arms of his father''s family, it was clear that it was a gift for Alexander.


    "Did you like it, Alexander?" Konrad did not hide the pride that he had surprised and impressed his cousin.


    ~ Was it your Danish blacksmith who did this? ~ Alexander asked and Alexa tried to quickly interpret the question. Konrad nodded,


    "Yes, with the same secret league that he brought from his land. While nobody cares about the ballasts of the sh.i.p.s," explained the duke, turning to Alexa, "my smith comes from a family that discovered a type of metal extracted from the ''granite'' that the Danes normally use as a counterweight in their boats. The process is secret and time consuming, but it produces this light and resistant metal when added to ordinary steel."


    ~ Reserved for the Duke''s family only! ~ Alexander completed, but was thrilled, trilling loudly.


    "But now you have one of those too, Zand," Konrad spoke with a big smile and bright eyes. The Princess perceived the genuine joy of giving and all the effort, not to mention the value of such armor. Alexander was effusive in thanking, and she literally delivered all of his messages.


    ~ I will be back soon to use it. Keep it safe, Kontze old man. ~ After flying around his best friend, the nightingale flew out of the room''s window, in daring acrobatics. Konrad went to the window to observe, and Alexa in turn, observed the Duke.


    She had no doubt that, at least unilaterally, that was love.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    After quick goodbyes and lots of advice from the oldest of the Von Wuttenfal, the group left for the port. They were supposed to arrive about two hours before dark, and if they were lucky, they would embark on the Lake or another ship heading west.


    Alexa for the first time was so aware of how short the time was between day and night. She did not yearn to return to the tower or Holstein at dusk, but she was doomed to it. They left at full speed, and the maiden was sure that the only reason they were doing so was because Prince Magnus knew she would lose consciousness at the end of the blue hour.


    The poor nightingale suffered during the ride, hidden among her clothes. While the Prince''s men negotiated what was necessary, Alexa and Magnus were in a tavern, waiting.


    The little bird looked dizzy, and Alexander did not respond to calls. Alexa gave him water and small pieces of bread, but it was no use. The Princess exchanged concerned looks at the First Prince, not knowing what to do.


    At this moment, a woman stopped beside them, placing the beer mug and water jug ??in front of the Prince, leaning respectfully. But the Prince''s eyes followed the movement and Alexa did the same, facing the generous neckline where the girl''s b.r.e.a.s.ts, like two plump mounds, firm and provocative, stood out with a thin layer of sweat and a wooden crucifix. Looking up, the Princess saw that the plebeian was a sensual and opulent woman with black hair and green eyes, a little older than she was, perhaps.


    Alexa narrowed her eyes, that tavern maid had everything she thought was beautiful and didn''t have: she was tall and with wide h.i.p.s, and her body looked like an hourglass. It did not escape him that the Prince, that lecherous dog, sat up straighter and turned his face to look at Romeo, leaving his beautiful, arrogant profile to be admired. But the tavern-keeper stopped beside Alexa,


    "Your bird! This poor guy needs help! Milady, he will die if he doesn''t get help!"


    "D-do you know what to do?" The maiden asked in astonishment, and the innkeeper nodded. She took a sip of the water and, waiting no longer, she reclined on the table, holding the nightingale more carefully. Opening her mouth, she breathed close to Romeo''s spout, steadily. Alexa noticed that the bird seemed to be more alert. Or was it because of the sight of the lips curved towards him?


    Then, the strange tavern-keeper placed the enchanted nightingale between her b.r.e.a.s.ts, again taking a deep breath, while explaining,


    "I have many birds. This nightingale is dizzy and bewildered. But he can calm down if he has a guide, like your heart beating calmly. He''ll be fine soon. He needs moisture and peace for his little head to work. Are you okay, pretty bird? Aw, you pretty boy! Cute cute boy!" she stroked Romeo''s head as she cradled him between her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Apparently the remedy was doing the bird a lot of good, and it still gave the excuse for Magnus to stare at the scene and the prominent mounds that the girl highlighted with a tight bodice.


    When Alexa looked sideways, the First Prince was hiding his laughter with his fist close to his mouth, pretending to be distracted, but looking closely at Romeo''s "cure".


    Alexa leaned forward, angry,


    "I bet you wanted to be there too, right, Prince Magnus?!"

 Chapter 106 - An Apple is An Apple

    "Hahaha, there are many reasons why I wanted to be this bird," the First Prince turned his beer mug with evident thirst, noisily depositing it on the table and wiping his mouth with his sleeve, before getting up. "He''s where I want to be, he''s luckier than he can dream!"


    After saying it he left, leaving Alexa a little confused. It was evident that his words had a double meaning.


    Eventually, the tavern-keeper was able to calm Romeo and make the nightingale feel better with whatever she did, and with a smile returned the bird to the noblewoman. Alexa thanked her with money, and as soon as the woman left, she turned to Romeo, ready to question him about the difference between being in that unknown but soft nest, and with his dedicated wife. But not exactly a bird expert. But the nightingale fluffed his feathers and hid his beak under the wing, closing his eyes.


    "I can''t believe you''re going to sleep!" she put him in the cage this time, where she thought he would be more comfortable.


    She wondered if this was a strategy to evade something, but the maiden could do nothing about it. As soon as she finished her meal, it was time to embark, and she saw a caravel up close for the first time.


    The Lagos was smaller than she imagined, its deck was only 25 meters. A fast and manageable boat, but with little comfort. In fact, some men in the party could not board, and would go on another, slower boat, with part of their luggage and horses. It was a fact that Magnus wanted to cut down on the road, even if he had to wait for the rest of the group at the port. And Alexa reasoned that, as Alexander said, the reason was probably her new vulnerability during the night.


    The caravel weighed anchors and left the port, and Magnus stopped beside her by the rail, trying to stay out of the way of the Castilian sailors. He chuckled, which caused the maiden to look up at him,


    "What is it, Prince?"


    "I''m just looking back on earlier today. But don''t blame him. It''s a quality that Alexander has. Everyone wants to help him and do everything for him. He''s angelic, fragile, and kind. Even in the shape of a bird, he attracts people willing to go out of his way for him. Is it a spell? I don''t know."


    Alexa was thoughtful. The kind of intimacy she had with Alexander made it impossible for her to see him like this. She saw it through his eyes, and she could feel it through his body. Was it something from the soul? Perhaps. It was obvious that people treated Alexander differently. Agnello went against the interests of the Di Borghesi in defending him. Balbo seemed to adore him, as did Konrad. And even the Sovereign Prince had affection for his second son, genuine affection.


    "Well, if he and I are alike, why don''t people think that of me?" she asked, curious.


    The Prince gave her a sidelong look, "Don''t be cynical. You know that many fall for your seductive tricks. You distorted an entire interrogation just by acting all v.i.r.g.i.nal and delicate. But of course, you never deceived me."


    "Um, you keep repeating it. Of course, that''s why you treated me like a nobody when we first met."


    "Hnf," he snorted, "because I knew it was impossible for two creatures like Alexander to exist. Of course, one of them could only be a scam. And don''t tell me I was wrong."


    "Huh? As well? I am not a scam. I am a person! I never had an interest in Holstein."


    "Princess, this has not yet been completely ruled out. As much as¡­" he turned to face her now, "I need you now."


    Alexa bit her bottom lip, confused, and a little irritated, "Do you need me? I''m always surprised at how much you show to be a different person every hour of the day. You too¡­ Do you think I am a means to your ends, as your father thought of the witches he married?" she didn''t know she would end up snarling the words as they came out of her mouth.


    Magnus locked his jaw, and his eyes flashed, but he replied calmly, placing his hands behind his back,


    "Perhaps the time has come when admitting that I am more like him than we both would like is the best thing to do."


    Alexa looked at the horizon, noticing the luminosity changing from gray to bluish. It was time to leave. His words were harsh, but she didn''t know if it was a self-reflection or a warning.


    "Does that mean I shouldn''t trust you in the end?" she asked.


    "Or ... you must trust me as much as I trust you," Magnus replied.


    They were silent for a moment, until the Prince said,


    "If you don''t want to pass out in front of the crew, go to our cabin and rest."


    Without looking at him this time, Alexa did what he suggested, and once in the small and uncomfortable cabin, she lay down thinking about the meanings of the words of the First Prince.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Resuming consciousness in the Second Prince''s body, Alexa looked around, feeling observed. Again she was on the bed at the top of the tower, and this time, Prince Gutard kept his eyes fixed on the form under the covers. Alexander''s forms but with Alexa''s mind on it.


    "Hello," Lex said, stretching.


    The change in senses was beneficial. An airy and fragrant room, in contrast to the narrow pallet in the stinking cabin of a caravel. Sitting up, Lex smoothed the covers over ''his'' lap, facing Holstein''s sovereign,


    "Surprise! The spell worked! Alexander''s body is protected!"


    Gutard closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Alexa really wanted to know what he was thinking.


    "Pretty little thing, do you think I could be happy knowing that you are in the body that belongs to my son?"


    Alexa scratched her head, exaggerating as much as she could. The powerful and strange Prince of Holstein was still a secret to her in many ways, but she knew a few things: his children were important to him, and he had a weakness in his heart for seemingly innocent things. Gutard hesitated to act against what seemed beautiful and pure, the facts showed. Maybe that was why he called Alexa a ''cute little thing''.


    And maybe that was why Cordelia had ''bought'' time for her family with her v.i.r.g.i.nal and innocent appearance. And without a doubt, although he said he liked smart women, he was also very suspicious of them.


    Was that what Magnus meant by looking like him?


    "Your Majesty, I was distressed, and I didn''t make the best choice. I don''t know whether or not the witch planned it like that, but I''m not completely sad. Because I can take care of his body better than any nurse."


    He continued in silence, watching the Second Prince coldly, however,


    "Why didn''t you ask her to put Alexander back, if doing that was possible?" Gutard asked.


    "Ahh¡­ She said that the magic drink had locked Alexander out of his body. And ... she didn''t give that option. She just said that if I wanted to buy time for Alexander, I had to accept the bargain..."


    The eyes of the man in front of the young prince blurred, clearly lost in thought. Lex got up and pulled a robe over the nightgown he was wearing. Going to the table, Lex chose carefully among the available fruits. Picking up an apple, Lex polished it with the sleeve. The Sovereign Prince watched ''his'' casual movements with interest.


    "Why did you do that, Alexa?"


    The question caught the maiden inside the prince off guard. She herself didn''t know when she started caring for the Sleeping Prince.


    "It''s weird to ignore a person who looks so much like yourself, I guess. And our destinies linked so quickly, and in such a convoluted way. The Sovereign Prince chose me to be the wife of his youngest son, and I wondered whether I deserved it. After all the things that happened to me before I got to Holstein, getting married and becoming a princess to a young man I never spoke to ... I think I questioned the sanity of those involved. But then ... The secrets of this castle started being revealed to me ... And I realized that the reason I came here could only be because I needed to save Alexander. I think I understand you. He may have suffered and been misunderstood in many ways just because he''s the son of who he is. Like me. Why did he have to pay for his parents'' mistakes? Why did I have to pay for what I didn''t do? I wished he didn''t have a sad end by the treacherous hand of someone who judged him just because he is the son of a witch. And¡­ " Approaching Alexander''s father with the apple in his hand, Lex said,


    "If anyone can understand me, it''s my husband''s father. We had to make tough decisions and give up important things to defend what was precious to us. I know I''m going to have to pay a high price for giving ears to an actual witch. But I needed to buy time ... You understand me, don''t you, Majesty?"


    She offered him the apple.

 Chapter 107 - Proof of Loyalty

    The Second Prince wore a heavy hooded cape that hid ''him'' completely, covering his face while walking behind Prince Gutard. While going down an endless and suffocating path, Alexa was sure that she would regret having agreed with her father-in-law, as proof of her loyalty, in following him.


    But she had no choice, did she? Although technically Prince Gutard didn''t dare to kill her, as he would kill his own son, she didn''t doubt that he could find ways to make her suffer. He didn''t need to threaten her: a Witch Hunter of dubious morality like him, would be satisfied only with the most convincing evidence of her sincerity.


    The problem was that, of course, Alexa couldn''t be honest.


    Perhaps her mind was a big muddle of beliefs. What she learned among the Lazarites, who at the time she was born, already accepted and discussed the syncretism of cults and the Mysteries of Resurrection, Reincarnation and Transmigration. There was a Judgment, and there was a Hell. She also sincerely believed that Christ was a God, as she learned in the convent. But with whom, in addition to the initiated Lazarites, could she discuss what she felt and the doubts she had? Certainly, showing doubt would not do her any good.


    What kind of test did Prince Gutard want her to take?


    The sickening and sweet smell of rotten meat reached them and Alexa covered her nostrils, disgusted. The groans were muffled by the thick walls, but it wasn''t difficult to guess that the dungeon was just after the next turn.


    When they passed the thick door guarded by four men, who bowed in the presence of the Sovereign Prince, Alexa felt a shiver.


    Only a very spiteful Shade would stay in a place like this. Death was a relief and deliverance for a prisoner, and never a collective prison provided such strong bonds ... or at least that''s what Alexa was taught.


    She saw a priest, whose face was covered with pustule scars. He was stocky and had curious eyes, who immediately tried to deduce who was the person who followed Prince Gutard. However, he didn''t possess the audacity to question it.


    The unnamed priest said,


    "Your Majesty, the woman and her daughter continue to deny and say they were baptized, but both have a pagan symbol on the soles of their feet and as I explained to their foreman, they sell bewitched bread to women who want to buy it."


    Alexa''s eyes ignored the obnoxious man and darted in search of such women. In a cell without bars, but with shackles attached to the walls, two women huddled together, dirty and swollen by the inflicted violence. The youngest was little more than a girl, who watched them in terror. The older woman was unconscious, however.


    "What is it?!" Lex pulled the arm of the Sovereign Prince, who in a sharp movement took the young prince''s wrist and yanked the body of his son forward.


    "Witches," he said simply, staring at the women.


    Inside the Prince, she knew what they believed the women were, but for her, they were two women in extreme pain. Death awaited its tribute and Alexa pulled again the sleeve of the huge man beside her, "What mischief did these women do?"


    "You heard it, they sell bewitched bread."


    "They say those were ''love-breads''. Love spells," pointed out the priest, realizing that the hooded person was close enough to touch the Sovereign Prince.


    Anger rose from Lex chest to the princely face, and Lex was glad for using a hood. ''Can I interfere? Should I interfere? What is this test? What does he want with me?''


    "They deny it, so are they guilty?" Lex asked, unable to ignore the girl''s suffering and the a.d.u.l.t woman''s dire situation. "Where are all the people who bought these breads from? Shouldn''t these people be ''questioned,'' too?"


    "Repentance absolved them," said the priest, annoyed for facing some unexpected resistance.


    "So, do your part, Father. That unconscious woman said she is baptized as a Christian. She will die soon. Do the extreme anointing," Lex said imperiously, and liked how the masculine tone sounded with the Prince''s words.


    The priest barely hid his annoyance, this time, when he took a deep breath before answering.


    "Your intentions are good, but as a member of the Church I know when to take the necessary actions."


    "PERFORM THE EXTREME UNCTION!" Alexa insisted advancing towards the priest, indignant. Her body was squirming and she knew that Death had already taken that woman for herself. Extreme Unction was a rite that would aid in one''s passage through the Underworld toward Judgment, like any other soul liberation and recommendation rite. But mostly, it could be the political key to saving the girl''s life. If the priest agreed to do the rite, there was still room for discussion.


    "I don''t know if she really ...!" the priest raised his voice and stopped in shock, when he was aghast, the young Prince pulled back his hood, exposing himself. Right now, though,


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the girl gave a long, high-pitched squeak, starting to hyperventilate immediately, with smaller squeaks, clinging to the lifeless body and shaking it in an attempt to wake it up.


    The detached, confused and angry soul of the older woman moved towards the priest, trying to reach him. However, she barely had the strength to resist the call of the ''Way'' that opened up for her.


    Ignoring everything he couldn''t see, the priest kept his eyes hooked on Prince Alexander, as if the girl''s screams were not frightening at all. Out of the corner of his eye, the inhabitant of that body realized that Alexander''s father was not at all pleased that the Second Prince''s face was disclosed.


    "I wonder if, if it were me there, would you look for my name in the church register, or would you act with the expected compassion," spitting out the words and passing him, Alexa entered the cell, thinking of calming the girl.


    But when she entered the cell, she felt a sudden cold, climbing up to her feet and taking her body by assault. The girl stood up too, even though she was tied around her neck with a chain. She scratched her face and neck, deliberately staring at them with feverish, hateful eyes. Then she started to mumble under her breath, while Alexa looked mesmerized by the scene, just like the others. The Princess, however, no longer saw her mother''s soul. ''Was it that fast?''


    Her experience told her that the mother would not leave her daughter that easily.


    The girl''s voice increased in volume as the welts she produced on her face and lap turned red, and the blood started to ooze.


    Alexa felt the palms of the Second Prince''s hands throb and the sores start to open without her being able to avoid. The soul had possessed the girl!


    Darkness began to expand from the corners of the dungeon to surround them, and the priest fell on his knees in prayer, quivering.


    Alexa had no idea what the witch wanted to invoke or was doing, and just did what she had to do. Raising a hand, she expelled the shade from the world of the living, but it was not as easy as it was when it was in her own body. She didn''t know if this was due to the fact that it was in Alexander''s body, or if the shade was putting greater resistance. Or was she still weak from her battle with the White Queen? Or even, was she being punished for her doubts and hesitations about being a Light Bearer?


    When she finally got the witch''s soul to be swallowed up from the world of the living, her hands dripped with blood. The girl started to scream even louder than before, and the Sovereign Prince, who had hitherto been motionless as an observer, took a step forward. With a clean, sudden movement, his sword left the scabbard to cut the girl in half.


    Blood splashed on the kneeling priest, who screamed in horror and cringed.


    ooo


    Alexa woke up with her nose stuck to Magnus'' back, at the rear of the bed. The ship made a peculiar swing up and then down. Still a little dizzy, she clung even more to the broad back in front of her, out of pure instinct. She still didn''t know how the world moved, and she barely remembered she was on a ship. The First Prince groaned and placed a hand over hers, pulling it to his chest, but in the next very abnormal shift of the boat, he asked,


    "Are you awake?"


    "Uhum," she mumbled, a little confused as to why they were sharing a bed and also what was going on. The strong memories of her night still filled Alexa''s mind. And everything she witnessed, together with the suffocating smell of the cabin, made her pat him on the back so he could give her passage. Crawling rather than walking, she reached for a bucket and threw up the contents of her stomach.


    The boat''s violent swing was frightening her. Magnus came to her, holding himself as well as he could, and didn''t ask if she was okay, as it was obvious she wasn''t. He handed Alexa her own cloak, and said,


    "Stay with Alexander, I''ll talk to the captain," he handed over a beret where Romeo was nestled in the best possible way. She grabbed the beret and Romeo chirped, frightened. In a corner of her mind, she heard her husband mumbling prayers to calm his nerves.


    "Do we have to worry?" the noise was loud, coming from outside, and the cabin was dark enough that she could only see the silhouette of the Prince and the cage covered with the cloak where she left it last, swinging wildly.


    "Just stay here. Don''t leave. Don''t get in the way. You can be thrown into the sea," Magnus was emphatic as if talking to a child. At the moment, however, she felt too small and scared to discuss it.


    When the door opened, a powerful gust of wind entered the cabin. Now she figured out that the sounds were of creaking wood and waves crashing against the boat''s hull. The First Prince left, and the door slammed behind him.


    In silence, she sat in the dark, trying to ignore the fear, no, panic, that threatened to take over her mind. After the night before, when two witches died in front of her, the Princess was not feeling lucky.


    In fact, Alexa had a grim feeling about it.


    Making a decision, she stood up, leaning on the furniture attached to the floor, and reached the door. The corridor was wet, and she felt Death on board. Walking carefully down the narrow corridor, she climbed the soaked stairs. In fact, the water ran down into it. She had to hold on to the ropes that served as handrails on the walls, because the boat was rocking up and down, and sideways, randomly and violently.


    When she was arriving at the door to the upper deck, a horrible roar followed by a bang almost deafened her. The whole boat shook and the unmistakable sound of a huge thing breaking was heard before Alexa was thrown into the air. She held on tightly to the strings, thanking her for being the other body, and not this one, with injured hands. Alexander in her mind gave an involuntary cry of terror, following her own.


    The door opened and Magnus emerged, drenched wet, along with a stream of water. Behind him, everything was a white blur.


    "Alexa! Hold my hand," he cried.


    She had no doubts as to why he had returned.


    The Lagos was sinking.

 Chapter 108 - Shipwreck

    The struggle to escape from Lagos was not only to reach one of the boats, but also to fight to be in it. There were only two boats, and the escape needed to be quick. Still, surviving the wild sea was a matter of luck.


    The fight for one of the two boats was bloody and desperate. It wasn''t possible to fully control the crowded boat. Sometimes the boat almost capsized, knocking people down in the deep, raging waters.


    Not everyone could be rescued.


    In the middle of the morning, the light rain fell on the five humans remaining in the boat, the lead-colored sky didn''t allow to see the sun. For an instant, Alexa wished she could escape to the other body, far away. She wanted to forget the scary and cruel hell that had been surviving for the past few hours.


    Nestled around her neck, Romeo watched as Magnus tied the arm of one of his men with a rag. He was in worse shape. Magnus had also been injured, but more superficially. But Dieter had been stabbed several times by a sailor desperate for his life.


    ~ I don''t think Dieter will survive, ~ Alexander whispered to Alexa, and she slowly nodded.


    Magnus sat next to her, with a sound she didn''t know was a sigh or a grunt.


    "How are you two?"


    She looked at his clothes, torn and stained with water-diluted blood. She could say many things, how terrified and exhausted and even shocked. But the Princess chose to say,


    "Hopeful. The rain is not so strong now, I think the worst is over. "


    "Nobody has the strength to row now, and we don''t know which direction either," he commented, leaning his body against hers and then pulling her to him. He seemed to want to protect her, so she didn''t complain. At least they could share some body heat.


    ~ I don''t know how to explain it, but ... I feel ''sensations''. I feel like there''s a ''reference point'', like I have a ''compass'' on the top of my head, ~ the Princess heard Alexander say to her, "what if I''m right and it really points north like a regular compass , the currents are taking us further north than south. ~


    This was an unexpected but useful skill, and it even made sense. Many birds migrated, including nightingales, and they must have had a sense of direction for that. Pigeons even knew how to come home!


    Before she answered, she felt Magnus''s body begin to weigh on her shoulder. He had fallen asleep. The Princess looked at the other three men. Two of them were at the bow, awake and vigilant, but silent.


    Everyone had a lot to think about. Whispering, she replied to Alexander,


    "I don''t know if it''s a good thing, but I think the current will take us to earth, right? I just hope it happens soon."


    Alexander didn''t answer anymore either, and the Princess thought about the irony of it. Not long ago she had boarded a ship, happy to be going to England, on her way to her fianc¨¦ Sir John Blackrose''s house. But now, she had been shipwrecked and perhaps reached the coast of England, like Alexa von Wuttenfal. Was fate playing tricks on her?


    In the early afternoon, Magnus and Ulrich were coughing feverishly and Dieter was dead. Johannes was fine, however. They said a Christian prayer for Dieter''s soul, a personal friend of Magnus, but the Princess asked to keep the body on the boat for a ritual on land. Alexa didn''t want to attract lost souls from the sea with her light, but didn''t explain this part to them.


    The men were grim and silent, and Alexa saw clouds in the distance and more rain.


    Alexander suddenly exclaimed,


    "Land in sight!"


    She repeated excitedly without even seeing what he saw, alerting the others. But in the same direction as the rain clouds, they began to see the distant silhouette of land.


    "Row!" Magnus cried out imperiously, grabbing one of the oars himself while Johannes took the other. The men rowed vigorously, even when the storm reached them, furious. Alexa wanted to help, but knew she didn''t have the strength to do so.


    They reached a gravel beach in torrential rain, and it was difficult to pull the boat ashore.


    Alexa felt her limbs so cold that it hurt, and imagined that men were even worse. Hunger, fear, tiredness, and pain. She didn''t know how to put this day on the list of the worst days of her life, but she was grateful to have been spared.


    ''There is a reason for all of this, right? This is not how we are going to die, me and Alexander or Magnus.'' But at this point, she also wondered whether what had happened in the cell under Holstein''s castle had anything to do with this storm and this shipwreck.


    After the strenuous effort, they improvised a shelter with the boat between some rocks, and soon the three men slept under that protection, leaning against each other. She couldn''t blame them. Her eyes got heavy, too, and she thought about resting them just a little ...


    The little nightingale''s beak woke her up, touching her nose, and maybe she''d dozed off a little.


    ~ Alexa! The rain stopped! Let''s find help! ~


    The Princess looked around and saw that the restless sleep of the three men was shaken by coughing. Ulrich was shaking. Magnus had a pale face and red cheeks. Sneaking out of the small shelter, Alexa looked around. The sky was still gray and a fine drizzle continued to fall. The small bay was deserted and lonely, but it didn''t seem entirely untouched. She looked at the forest and the shore and saw no sign of people, but she figured she should investigate further.


    Walking around with Romeo on her shoulder, she found what appeared to be a human trail, flanking the forest and rocks on the beach.


    "Let''s go to the village, we need to ask for help!" she shared her decision to Alexander. At that moment she was the only one who still had the strength to do something, and soon the night would come. It would be more difficult for everyone to spend another night in the open. She would be passed out and she doubted that men''s health would improve with hunger and wet clothes for so long.


    Following as fast as she could, the princess followed the narrow path towards the south, not sure for how long she would be awake.


    Alexa was attracted by a desperate bleating, and it didn''t take long to find a young sheep trapped by a small landslide. The animal had fallen into a pit of sorts. For a human to get the animal out of there it wasn''t impossible, the only problem was that Alexa had been a little afraid of sheep since she and Magnus were attacked by one.


    Still, she started an operation to rescue the animal.


    ~ Alexa, isn''t it better to find the shepherd?! You can''t waste time! ~ Alexander urged, worried.


    "What if it takes us a long time to get it out of here and it''s attacked by wolves?" She mumbled, already lying in the mud and pulling the lamb by its front legs. Of course, the animal didn''t get her intentions and complained with very loud bleats, while struggling, scared.


    ~ WO-WOLVES? If there are wolves here, then ... ~ Alexander''s voice paused but the Princess paid no attention to what she thought was some comment about the danger they were in. She finally managed to grab the lamb firmly and pull it, even against its will, to get it out of the hole. With a relieved HUFF! , she rolled onto her back when the lamb jumped out of her hands, feeling free.


    BEEEEEH!


    WOOF! WOOF!


    Alexa was alert when she heard the barking of a dog, and before she could get up, the animal stopped beside her, snarling. She froze, seeing the brown dog''s snout very close to her face. It was a big, muddy dog, and she was sure it could do a lot of damage to her face.


    Then the Princess heard human footsteps approaching, and soon filthy boots stopped at her side, and the tip of a staff nudged her belly hard. Looking up, Alexa saw a middle-aged man with a cold and unfriendly look. ''Why is he like this? Didn''t he see that I just saved the lamb? ''


    "What do you want here?"


    "I was saving the lamb!" she complained. She didn''t have any problem understanding what the shepherd spoke, she had a good knowledge of this language too.


    "Hmph! Saving¡­ or stealing? " with a command he ordered the dog, nicknamed Puck, to walk away. Alexa took the moment to get up quickly, but she was aware that the pastor was hostile and seemed to be waiting for any opportunity to beat her with the staff.


    "I''m not stealing anything! The sheep was stuck in the hole! And ... I need help! We just arrived¡­ By the sea! " She gestured, since the man''s expression was one of disbelief. He seemed to understand her perfectly well, however.


    "As I imagined, thieves! Go back where you came from, don''t think you can steal our farms, foreigners!" the man raised his staff, menacing. Nervous, Alexa glanced where Romeo was, but didn''t see him. ''What the hell?! I should get help, and not be accused of attempted theft! ''She had to try one more time, at least. Raising her hands to defend herself if the pastor really decided to attack her, she tried to explain, more and more anguished when she realized that the light was rapidly disappearing.


    "Listen! Our ship was shipwrecked early in the morning! We''re on the beach. I came to seek help! "


    "Ha! I don''t care, go back where you came from! Stay away from our food or you will regret it!"


    "RUFUS!" an imperious female voice spoke behind Alexa. She turned to look at the woman on top of a rock, dressed in a flowing scarlet cloak. Against the dark gray sky, it was quite a sight. Out of the corner of her eye, she realized that the shepherd seemed to shrink from the apparition, clearly frightened. The woman continued, looking at the man and not at Alexa,


    "These people¡­ are my guests. And tonight¡­ we will eat lamb."

 Chapter 109 - Guilty Pleasures - R18

    The Princess woke up with a deep sigh in Alexander''s body. The moment she took the woman in red and the shepherd to the beach, she lost consciousness with the end of the blue hour.


    Even after the harrowing day, in which she sometimes thought she was going to lose her strength and even wished to flee to Alexander''s body, selfishly, now she wanted to be there.


    Who was that strange woman, with her scarlet cloak, and why did she speak that way? Alexa was grateful that she had interfered, but her instinct told her she should not trust the blonde woman.


    Sitting down, she realized that on the bed next to her was an envelope, written in Father Agnello''s precious handwriting. Balbo wasn''t there, but Helga was entering this very moment, with a smile, bringing a tray of food.


    She, however, couldn''t ignore Magnus and the others were starving and far from comfort, in a strange land. In fact, Magnus was feverish and exhausted from the wreck, as were his companions who survived!


    The Princess skimmed the note, which read


    A.


    HIS MAJESTY MARRIES TOMORROW AND I WILL BE BUSY TONIGHT.


    BALBO SAID HE WILL INVESTIGATE WHAT YOU ASKED HIM TO. MEANWHILE, IF YOU HAVE THE WRITING HABIT, PERHAPS CREATING A JOURNAL REGISTERING ''YOUR DREAMS'' WILL BE USEFUL. BUT AS I KNOW YOUR NIGHT IS MOSTLY SLEEPLESS, YOU CAN EXERCISE YOUR GREEK AND TRANSLATE THE NOTES I AM LEAVING ALONG WITH THIS LETTER.


    YOUR FRIEND AND CONFESSOR,


    FR. AGNELLO DI BORGHESI.


    "Hmmm," she glanced at the loose-leaf Greek texts along with the letter. They were loose notes, and the person who made them apparently wasn''t sure what he was copying. After thinking a little, Alexa concluded the priest made it himself, and he had copied the symbols from somewhere. He didn''t know Greek, she discovered, and even she couldn''t understand what was written there. Either they were old forms of letters and words, or they were simply wrongly transcribed. But she had no patience for reading or deciphering texts at that moment!


    The Prince stood up and greeted Helga. Alexa knew that she didn''t know about the exchange of bodies, just thought she was really attending to Alexander, the royal child she babysit during childhood.


    "Helga, where''s Bastien?" she asked casually, knowing that if Balbo wasn''t there, probably the other guard should be. She just wanted to make sure everything was running as expected. Helga informed,


    "Outside, Your Highness. He''s coughing a little, so I didn''t want to stay inside."


    After her meal and having all the necessary help from Helga, the Second Prince dismissed her for the rest of the night, saying he would read a little.


    When they returned the night before, after the dramatic and tragic scene in the dungeons, Prince Gutard seemed completely convinced of her innocence, and even more! Fascinated by the wounds in the Prince Alexander''s hands. Because, of course, they were actually his son''s hands.


    These wounds, which incidentally, healed a little faster than they used to have in Alexa''s actual body. They were still there, under the bandages, but the maiden felt them less painful and drier. She imagined that this had to do with the strange magic that linked her to that body.


    Gutard was visibly nervous when they returned, and he left her immediately, without a word. So she had gone to sleep / returned to her body with the feeling that they would still talk about it later. But that wasn''t what Alexa wanted to talk to him about tonight, but the wreck.


    Dressing, she imagined that she would have a pointless argument with Bastien about letting the Second Prince go to Prince Gutard, and alerting him about Alexander''s plans. So, she had to take other steps to get out of the tower.


    About half an hour later, the ''Second Prince'' was making his way down the outer wall of the tower, relying on the fact that the window was facing the cliff and the sea.


    Reaching the roof of one of the lower floors, Alexa stopped to take a breath, and saw her hands shaking. Despite the new and welcome strength to make her audacious stunts, she still didn''t quite master the balance of this body and almost fell a few times, which would have proved deadly. Trying not to let her mind doubt her ability, she ran over the roof and avoided being seen by the guards.


    An enormous pink moon shone in Holstein''s sky tonight, and she had to be extra careful to hide.


    Climbing the castle walls again to reach the Princes'' wing avoiding any guards, she managed to get in through the window of the room she used to occupy when she was still engaged to Alexander. Her things were still there, she realized, but she didn''t really have time to go through any of that. But when she was almost at the bedroom door, she remembered something.


    Returning to one chest, she opened it and quickly looked for a useful item at this moment: her purple mask. If seen at a glance, it would be much easier to hide Alexander''s identity with a mask. She also took her dagger. She had a knife, but she preferred her old companion of so many years.


    Going directly to Magnus'' room, which she knew was also empty, the Princess used the secret passage she had discovered to get to Gutard''s room.


    She didn''t know if he would be there, but she figured that eventually he would be back. It was better than trying to find him by the castle.


    It was already a problem that the priest had seen Alexander standing, and the way he did it.


    Walking down the unlit corridor, the maiden remembered that fateful night when upon entering one of the secret passages, she almost fell into a pit and died. This time, however, she knew exactly where to go, and entered the Lion''s passage, cautiously unwinding her hand from the bandages and summoning the Light so she could see the way.


    She carefully slid the false bottom of a wardrobe, and saw the luminosity of Prince Gutard''s room through the cracks in the furniture. She was hearing indistinct murmurs, and paid attention to whether they were servants or Gutard himself.


    The noises were muffled, so she cautiously pushed on the closet door, but from the angle she was in, she couldn''t see anything. Leaving as quietly as she could, hidden by the long shadows cast by the candlesticks concentrated closer to the Holstein Sovereign''s bed, she had a privileged view of the scene.


    Gutard was leaning against the cushions and pillows on the headboard, n.a.k.e.d and with his eyes closed. One of his strong arms was stretched out on some pillows, and his hand made rhythmic movements of opening and closing. The fingers of the other hand were entwined in a woman''s brown hair, bent over his lap. The woman was n.a.k.e.d, sitting on her knees while her head bowed to the man in front of her. Her beautiful body reflected on the soft light of the candles, and from the angle it was, the Princess could see what she was doing with her hands and mouth. How sensually she played at swallowing and licking the turgid and l.u.s.trous mast in her hands. She could see the gentle contraction of the Prince''s flat stomach, and how his body seemed to want to move forward, when the woman raised and lower her lips, making his d.i.c.k disappear and reappear inside her throat, giving her partner visible pleasure.


    ''Hm, so it''s really like Lady Eudoxia used to say. But it seems to be tiresome ... '' Lex concluded, her eyes locked on the couple''s activity. She had never seen this activity in person, although she had inadvertently seen several couples in their s.e.x.u.a.l activities. It was difficult to live with three brothers and also with a mercenary who couldn''t keep his belt closed, without having stumbled upon scenes like this. Just this one ... It looked better than all the others. The woman was very adept at giving pleasure, and it was clear no matter Gutard was trying to delay his climax, he was losing his control.


    She had no idea who that woman was, she didn''t remember seeing her, but of course, it would be difficult to recognize her without clothes.


    Alexa took two more discreet steps ahead, still hid by the shadows. She didn''t know exactly how long it would last, so she was split between interrupting or not.


    Only when she changed her position, did she see a strange glimmer between the sheets. Where the woman''s foot should have been, there was something metallic, which softly gleamed with the candlelight. ''What is it, a prosthesis? A bronze foot?''


    She watched a little more, until Gutard moved towards the woman, lifting her with one arm and sitting her on his lap. Moist sounds and m.o.a.ns of pleasure filled the room right now, while the two bodies fit together for intercourse.


    So Alexa was sure that from the knee down, the woman wore a metal prosthesis, made of bronze.


    Her blood chilled. Looking at the bare palm of her hand, she felt the itching and burning, and looking at the woman again, Lex jumped onto the bed.


    At the same time, he saw the Sovereign Prince reach for a short sword from under the cushions, pushing the woman aside, ready to defend himself.


    But Alexa had no interest in Gutard, but in the woman. Saying words of power, she demanded the Shade who possessed her to leave her physical body, and banished her. The woman passed out, but Alexa felt something strange this time.


    Gutard had the sword almost touching Lex'' neck, and ''the Second Prince'' looked the other way,


    "Well, Your Majesty should thank me, not putting a sword around my neck. The rumor was real. There really was a succubus in the castle."


    Gutard raised an eyebrow, and glanced at the girl lying beside the bed with suspicion and disgust. Then he pulled a sheet to cover his n.a.k.e.dness, throwing the sword on the bed. Lex relaxed her shoulders,


    "Thank you," she said it because he pulled away and covered himself, of course. But before the Princess could say anything about why she was there, she felt an icy breeze enter the room through the window.


    And the passed out woman opened her eyes, with a strange glow and a wicked smile.

 Chapter 110 - Beautiful Monster

    The beautiful woman stood up in a feline stance, crawling back on the bed, and looking around. Gutard tilted his head to the side, frowning, but clearly curious about what would happen next.


    Alexa, however, was scared. She had managed to banish the Shade, but did the Shade return? So fast? It didn''t make any sense. Was it because it was in Alexander''s body?


    "Who is the masked person, Your Majesty?" the sultry voice asked, looking directly at the sovereign, and Alexa thanked herself for being with the accessory. "I don''t understand. What should I do?" the dark-eyed, fleshy-mouthed woman was very sensual and seemed naively wonder whether she should welcome the unexpected guest or leave.


    The Light Bearer wanted to have more knowledge. Right now, Alexa was just trying to understand what she had done wrong. The woman with the bronze foot was a Gello, or as Christians called it, a succubus. Alexa bet that if she told the details to Prince Gutard, he would be very disgusted to have touched and to have been touched by that woman.


    His mind tried to work quickly and understand basic facts,


    "Who made your foot? Who was the skilled craftsman?"


    It was a trap, of course. Greek legends told that this accessory betrayed its nature, so Alexa imagined that showing suspicion could cause some kind of reaction.


    And Alexa wasn''t wrong.


    The n.a.k.e.d woman turned to the masked figure with a look troubled by hatred, and leaped with supernatural agility at the Princess, knocking her over with the impact of their bodies. Alexa hadn''t been fast enough for that monster. The creature''s hands were strong, and she managed to hold Alexa''s wrists, keeping her pinned to the floor. The Princess was having trouble fighting Gello, who leaned towards her face, peering into her eyes through the mask. Alexa wondered if whoever summoned her could see through her eyes.


    But with a powerful tug, she was ripped off Alexa, and thrown against a wall. The towering man walked towards the supernatural creature with the sword drawn again.


    Alexa was still getting to her feet when she saw the creature in the form of a woman trying to escape, reaching the window. But Gutard took her by the overlong hair and spun her around, raising his sword in a fluid motion. Before he could finish the movement, however, the dark creature wrapped her legs around his waist, and bit his shoulder, tearing off a piece of flesh, which she spat on his face.


    Gutard grunted and screamed, but the sword fell and he landed a powerful punch on the creature''s head, which felt the blow but laughed madly as it clung more firmly to his body. Alexa watched the fight without knowing exactly how to help. She had never seen a gello and just knew the basics about them, they were seductive and they could ...


    She understood the purpose of the movements when the malevolent creature somehow knocked the big, strong man to the ground, bringing their pelvises together again. Gutard pushed her away, but from the effort he made, she looked heavy and strong. Alexa could even see the glow of sweat and the genuine effort of the man without being able to get rid of the creature''s embrace and thighs. Both rolled a few times on the floor, in a clash of which only deafened grunts were heard.


    Finally, Alexa understood,


    ''The bronze foot!'' according to legend, this creature was a gello, or empusa, and its most striking feature was not having a foot, replaced by a bronze prosthesis. A hellish creature that served Hecate, which certainly gave clues very specific witches had summoned that. Reaching Gutard''s sword, she positioned herself behind the couple and, hoping not to miss, struck a blow separating the prosthesis from the body.


    A malicious sigh and a strangled laugh escaped the mouth of the gello when the bronze prosthesis rolled across the carpet. The Prince got rid of her body, which changed before their astonished and horrified eyes.


    The skin turned bluish and from the cut that Alexa made on the creature''s leg, there was no blood but a fetid and thick substance, and full of larvae.


    Gello''s spirit, however, vanished in black smoke, fleeing through the half-open window into the night.


    Gutard sat down despondently on the floor, wiping sweat off his face, and remembered to cover himself again, pulling a pillow between his legs.


    Alexa sat in a chair, away from the putrid corpse. It looked dead for days.


    "Um¡­ thanks," he said, looking up at her.


    "Haven''t you heard the rumor of a succubus in the castle, Your Majesty?" she asked.


    "Er, I thought it was a fantasy or a woman ''in heat'' visiting new lovers. I didn''t think such a creature would have the courage to come to this castle," he confessed, sulkily. It was hard to say that he looked fragile, because he didn''t. Just a little dejected and disgusted.


    "Because of the von Wuttenfal''s fame? With all due respect, I think this is the reason. It''s not difficult to imagine that they want to destroy us all, and why. And if this gello had what he wanted¡­"


    "What do you understand about succubus? Wasn''t that what she was? And how do you know all that?" he motioned for her to bring him a garment that was lying on the floor, and when he got dressed, he stood up, casting a look of horrified scorn at the dead monster.


    "Well," Alexa scratched her head, "legends from my region. A beautiful woman with a bronze foot is a gello. She seduces men and robs them of their manhood. Forever. Like¡­" she motioned with her finger, lowering it suddenly. Gutard frowned, probably looking back over the past ten minutes.


    "Get off. Call a guard to get it out of here and someone to prepare me a bath."


    "Um¡­ I will do that but¡­ Two things. The first is that I came here for a purpose, and it wasn''t exactly interrupting your last bachelor night, Your Majesty. But I will not ask for forgiveness for this," at this point she wanted to provoke him a little for his lack of attention when choosing bed partners, but she couldn''t demand explanations about it to judge better. And maybe he didn''t even give them, either. But the main issues needed to be dealt with, and the Princess quickly reported the horror of her daytime life, the shipwreck and that Magnus was ill at that moment. After hearing in distress, Magnus and Alexander''s father said,


    "I will send messengers to the rest of the group and I will make arrangements to send help. When you''re with him, help them, you''re smart and good at it. I am grateful to have followed my intuition about you¡­ Alexa," it was noticeable that he could see the person inside his son''s body, but he was still embarrassed to go to Alexander''s body by a woman''s name.


    She was grateful for wearing a mask at this point. He might be changing his mind about her, but she couldn''t forget the things Gutard had said to Magnus about her. Taking a deep breath, she managed a pleasant voice to answer him,


    "Well, father-in-law, I know that even if you send help, it will take time to arrive. And¡­ I think someone wants to ruin one more of your weddings¡­ or any other wedding in the future."


    He mumbled something unintelligible in response, and taking her by the arm, he dragged her out of the room, pushing her into the closet again. Alexa protested,


    "Ouch! I''m telling the truth! Think! Why exactly on the eve of your wedding? It can only be so that there is no consummation!"


    "Don''t worry so much about what happens in my bed. I already thanked you and I know it was God who sent you here. I must repent my sins. Now, while I deal with these matters you informed me, do two things for me!" the Prince said, holding the door and looking at it, already inside the secret passage.


    "Yes?"


    "Pray for our souls and¡­ try not to express yourself as a girl while in my son''s body. This is ... annoying," he asked sincerely.


    "Oh!" Alexa became aware that she was being careless, and covered her mouth in a reflex act.


    The door closed shut, and Alexa followed the narrow secret corridor back. Gutard had a lot to do, and he was certainly very frustrated that he had fallen into such an obvious trap. ''Ah, l.u.s.t almost overwhelms even the most feared Witch Hunter ...'' she thought, as she walked as quietly as possible. ''Everyone is against marriage, so ... Could it be that Cordelia is the problem, not the groom?'' She wondered, confused. She had many things to think about, and she regretted not being able to take anything with her when she woke up in the morning in her own body. While her thoughts turned briefly to the wreck and Magnus and Zand, she was already arriving at Magnus'' room again when LAlexa felt a presence behind her.


    A shade, to be more exact.


    More annoyed than scared, she turned, but was surprised to realize that it was Nerissa''s vibrant figure.


    ''What the hell? I forgot. Now I will be able to send it to ''The Path'' and¡­''Alexa stopped, when realizing that the red-haired ghost put a finger on her lips asking for silence. Soon after, Nerissa disappeared and appeared further away, making a sign with her hand, in invitation for Alexa to follow her.


    ''She recognizes me ...'' that was interesting, and at the same time, worrying. The shade kept trying to lure her somewhere.


    Pondering what to do, Alexa decided to follow the shade.

 Chapter 111 - Heavy Sleepers

    Following the poor maid''s Shade, Alexa went around and around the castle until she reached a slightly collapsed lookout post, on the castle''s outer wall. In the distance, on the plateau above the precipice, the same place where Magnus and Florian had dueled, she saw small flickering lights. With the huge moon in the sky, she was sure they were torches.


    ''Don''t the watchmen see this?'' she wondered. ''And, what will that be?'' But Shade disappeared after bringing her there, and the Princess was sure that was what she had to see. Then Alexa went quickly to the place, without using any kind of lighting. She didn''t want to be seen. Luckily, the night was bright enough to help her do that without any major problems. Still, it was a good 30-minute walk down the steep road, past the wall. But she couldn''t go on the road, or she would be seen.


    She had a suspicion. Nerissa had tried to show her something before. But when the Princess got there, she found no one else, just clear signs that a group had been there recently.


    Even with the sea breeze, the smell of burning flesh and hair still permeated the air. Stroking here and there, she found nothing more than a fire. The place would be better investigated during the day, she was sure, but she didn''t have the day for it.


    Returning to the castle, the Princess knew she should look for Blue Eyes to warn him, but she didn''t know exactly where he might be. More by guess than anything else, she went to the castle chapel. Normally some servants and even soldiers used the benches to sleep, since there were obviously no beds for everyone in the castle. Still sneaking around and using everything she knew about rogue art, Alexa entered the chapel.


    She didn''t expect to find the chapel empty, so it was a surprise to find the seats empty, although some candles were lit. The place was decorated with flowers and sumptuous ornaments.


    ''What? Why the hell is the chapel decorated like that? '' she wondered as she walked cautiously in the shadows near the wall. The candles were almost gone, so she figured there was no one to replace them. She saw a dark-haired boy sleeping on a bench near the altar, and remembered that this was the page who used to deliver messages to Father Agnello. ''Maybe he''s really here,'' Alexa thought, then headed for the confessional, which was the only place Blue Eyes could be, since she didn''t see him anywhere else.


    Listening to her ear to see if there was a murmur in the confessional, the princess realized she could arrive without any problems. Entering the niche of the wall separated in two by an elaborate lattice, she saw Blue Eyes'' feet, but there was definitely no one kneeling on the other side. Taking the penitent''s place, she peered through the lattice. It was difficult to see, but she could have sworn the priest was asleep.


    ''Busy isn''t it? He''s too busy, I see!''


    "Father?! Father Agnello!" She whispered, calling to him.


    Realizing that her whisper wouldn''t wake him, she went to the other side and found him with his face slumped over his arm, in deep sleep. The princess even started to worry, as he was known to be a light sleeper and even to be insomniac. It was not until after several attempts to wake him that he opened his opaque eyes and gradually showed facial reactions,


    Alexa took off the mask, whispering,


    "Father, it''s me. What are you doing sleeping here?"


    "I..." he showed embarrassment and stood up, looking around. "I shouldn''t have slept. Where is¡­ Lady Cordelia?"


    "Hm, was she the one who was confessing?"


    "Yes, she will be married tomorrow."


    "Yes, I know, I know," the princess grumbled, "and apparently her sins are so dull that the Father slept in the confessional."


    The Florentine Father shot a deadly look at Alexa, who realized that he was now fully awake. Leaving the confessional followed by her, Father Agnello looked around, looking for the lady and her court.


    "I didn''t drink, I don''t know how I got to sleep ... Lady Cordelia must be less than impressed with me."


    Alexa watched him closely and said,


    "Probably. But strange things happened here today. Don''t judge yourself too hastily, Father." Then she related the encounter with the gello in Prince Gutard''s room, followed by her experience with the ghost who was murdered in her room, when she was still a mere guest.


    "In short, Father Agnello, I need your help to investigate who summoned this succubus for the castle. They killed two witches yesterday, and it may be retaliation, but at the same time, there were already reports of a succubus in the castle. At least Prince Magnus had heard rumors. Whether or not it''s a coincidence, I don''t know. But¡­ I think we will need to talk about your cousin, Letitia di Borghesi, soon."


    As soon as Alexa said that, the chapel candles went out with a sinister draft, and the Princess felt the priest''s firm grip on her arm.


    ''Is he afraid or is he trying to protect me?!'' she wondered, blinking in confusion. But Alexa should have imagined that the shades would manifest if she said something stupid like that. She should be more careful with her words in the future.


    The priest murmured his prayers, and the oppressive feeling inside the chapel left them in a few minutes. The Princess then said,


    "That''s not all, Father Agnello. We suffered a shipwreck. Magnus and Alexander survived, but our current situation is quite complicated. I still don''t know exactly where we are, but people speak English there," she revealed. "Both Princes might die on this journey, and we were all very close to it this morning. So¡­"


    "¡­ a Prince without heirs¡­" the priest scratched his chin as they left the chapel for the courtyard.


    Alexa remembered that, a few days ago, Cordelia had rescued the body of Alexander that was being taken by the Cult of Diana. The Princess had found Cordelia in that very courtyard. The Flemish maiden had killed someone with her own hands for that. And now she would become Gutard''s wife.


    Some pieces did not fit, however.


    "I''m confused, Father. I feel like??" looking around, she dared to express her feelings even though Blue Eyes might think otherwise. "Exactly on the night that something like this happens, the priest falls asleep in the confessional. I suppose you have no idea where Lady Cordelia is, right?"


    The priest frowned, thoughtful and moody,


    "Are you implying that my sleep was a work of black magic, and that Lady Cordelia is involved in this diabolical plot? But ... You said yourself that you rescued her from evil spirits in the villa on the way to Holstein."


    "Yes. I reported what happened. Nothing I told was a lie. But ... All I can say is that I found out she is ..." the Princess was still hesitant, because in fact she never saw anything that couldn''t be justified otherwise. Cordelia wasn''t directly involved with the facts, but Alexa was also sure that her facade of innocence covered up something very dangerous. "And most importantly, there are too many ''coincidences'' to ignore in a court like Holstein. Did she find and be able to take Alexander''s body from the people who abducted him? Does she¡­ disappear before your eyes while you, from everyone, fell asleep?" Alexa questioned, imagining that a sharp person like Blue Eyes would agree with her suspicions.


    "Even so, there are a number of natural explanations for this," he mused. Alexa was surprised by the priest''s reasoning, but then she remembered that Fater Agnello wouldn''t be who he was if he were just a superstitious man who blamed the supernatural on any occasion.


    "Yeah ... I don''t know how to explain it, but if she''s not in her room, that will be a sign that I may be right, won''t it?" it was a blind attempt, to prove a point that even she was not sure of. Only her intuition told her she had been wrong about Cordelia for a long time.


    "Hm, you''re right not to trust anyone. We can check to it right away," Blue Eyes made his decision, and started back to the castle''s main building wasting no time. The Princess follows him in the shadows, at a distance.


    Hidden behind a column, she saw when the priest knocked on the door of the Lady''s room, fixing the collar of his cassock and holding his rosary for a moment. The door was opened, a conversation followed, and Alexa heard Blue Eyes'' voice a little louder, demanding in an arrogant and imperious tone,


    "Well, if she felt bad, let me see her for a moment. I''ll make it brief," and the priest forced his way into the lady''s room, despite his maids.


    The door closed behind him, and the Princess felt her heart pounding. If she was right and Cordelia was involved with witches linked to a Necromantic Cult, Blue Eyes was in danger of death by entering the room so carelessly as he did.


    Alexa was about to sneak closer to the door when she saw movement coming from across the hall. A group of women was approaching. The torch light was enough that the Princess could identify the Ludovica, the nun, and the ladies-in-wait Catalina and Elke. And of course, Cordelia.


    It was clear they tried to make as little noise as possible. They whispered briefly to each other before Elke raised her hand to knock on the door. But she halted suddenly. Alexa followed more nervous whispers among themselves, until the nun, Ludovica, seemed to interrupt with authority over all. Even Cordelia.


    ''Hm,'' the Princess thought, ''what do we have here?''


    Sister Ludovica spoke quickly, but "If necessary," was all the Princess understood, while the others nodded in obedience. Her tone was menacing, however.


    Alexa had no doubt that the priest was in danger at this point. And Alexa only saw a way to prevent Blue Eyes from ending like Nerissa.


    Taking a deep breath, the ''Second Prince'' stepped forward, revealing herself.


    His sudden approach caught the attention of the group of women. Cordelia immediately turned towards him, gaping.


    "W-who are you?"

 Chapter 112 - A Strange Conversation

    The Princess sought to follow Gutard''s own advice, and act like a Prince. It wouldn''t be difficult. She spent many years pretending to be a boy. Cordelia knew very little about Alexa, and her ladies-in-wait had only seen her once.


    It was better to use the opportunity to your advantage than to wait to be discovered by Prince Gutard''s future wife ... and Alexander''s future stepmother.


    Walking slowly, but leaving his face in view, Alexa, or rather the Second Prince, approached the women,


    "Milady,"


    watching their expressions, Lex, incorporating Gutard''s second son the best she could, leaned forward his head to one side. The nun, further back, looked back with eagle eyes and slightly tense. The other two women looked frightened. And Cordelia ... She was pale as a candle.


    Bowing slightly in front of the Lady, ''Alexander'' said,


    "How lucky I am to find you here, milady. I was divided between disturbing your rest or not. We can talk?"


    "P-Prince Alexander? But how?"


    Showing his dimples, the Second Prince smiled at Cordelia, extending his gloved hand to take hers. Cordelia took his hand, and they both walked away, followed by the ladies. Even through the gloves, Lex could feel how cold the lady''s hands were. As he imagined, Cordelia had been outdoors recently.


    The Prince led Cordelia to a study room next to his own official room. The ladies followed after them, as expected.


    "Can your ladies leave us?" without waiting for an answer, in a soft but firm voice, he said, as Magnus or Gutard would have done. "Wait outside." There was a possibility that the nun would appeal to good manners and so on, but internally Lex knew she wouldn''t do that. Sister Ludovica wouldn''t prevent this conversation from happening.


    The Prince left the door open in order to be seen, and to see, the three women waiting outside. Although his heart was pounding under her clothes, Lex tried to maintain a princely composure. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and saw Cordelia fidgeting with her ring nervously. Then the Prince led her to the window, where the moonlight would allow them to see better.


    "Lady Cordelia, you saved me. I feel in debt forever, "in fact, Lex was making it up as he spoke, because he hadn''t been able to think of a subject. But Lex figured it would be the only reason for Alexander to look for Cordelia in the middle of the night.


    Cordelia''s nervousness eased a little with her words,


    "Oh my God! Your Highness! I didn''t know you had recovered¡­ "


    " Shhh! " the Prince puts his fingers over his own lips, asking for secrecy. "Right now, I''m breaking the word I gave my father, because I wanted to see you. But of course, I will have to tell him that you already know. If anyone else discover my secret, Father will ¡­ show his displeasure... But I needed to come and thank you, my lady. Know that if you need anything ... I will do whatever I can to fulfill your request," again Alexander smiled, noticing how Cordelia''s eyes scanned his face intently, still surprised and mesmerized.


    "Is there something wrong, milady?" out of the corner of his eye he realized that the three women outside didn''t take their eyes off what they saw.


    "I just did what anyone would do, Your Highness. And ... You are so similar! You and she!"


    "You say, the maiden my father married me to?" it was better to lengthen the conversation and get as much information as possible, Lex thought.


    "Yes. Did you see her?"


    ''Think fast,'' deciding what things to say were important. Sighing, he commented,


    "I came back to consciousness for short periods of time, but I was very sleepy. It started to happen after I was taken out of my room on the day of the fire. I can''t explain how and why. My conscience gradually returned. I just woke up yesterday. And they told me a few things. All I have are vague memories ... Only the day of the fire was strong enough. I was ..."


    Cordelia''s distressed expression was palpable. She was guilty of something. So Lex decided to keep her wondering about what Alexander knew,


    "Well, answering your question, no, I didn''t see you. Maybe I remember your hands or something. But then ... I was told that she also saved me, before milady yourself. And my father became attached to her, by the way, he mentions her. But ... Who is she? It is strange to be married ... And to someone you know nothing about. Perhaps milady, who brought her to this castle, is the right person to ask."


    It would be an opportunity to really evaluate Cordelia. Cordelia played with her dress sleeve for a moment, buying time to think.


    "Yeah¡­ I''m surprised, Your Highness. But your question surprises me even more. Where''s Princess Alexa?"


    "Lady Cordelia usually answers questions with other questions? Our conversations will be interesting, then," to be honest with himself, Lex was relishing the moment when he could use the Second Prince status in this way. Cordelia had shown signs of courage before, but she used to pretend to be docile and submissive. It would be interesting to know how she would get out of this without breaking her character.


    "No, forgive me. Only emotion drives me to ask confusing questions. I am happy, because when I got here the news of your death shocked me to no end. The events that followed left me very confused and scared. But ... Yes, Lady Alexa came here because I brought her. I took responsibility for her even though I didn''t know her. She told me that she was going to England when our destinations crossed. But I can''t say that I know her ..."


    "I wonder why the woman who married me was not at my side the night after my wedding. Maybe if she was, we wouldn''t be having this conversation right now," maybe Cordelia needed any encouragement to say what she thought.


    "Yeah¡­ Well, about that, I don''t know what to say, Your Highness. Lady Alexa was engaged to another man when she arrived here. But she agreed to marry you at your father''s request. I can''t say what''s going on in her mind. You will soon find out that she ..." Cordelia looked nervously at the door,"is shrouded in more mystery and controversy than one might expect from a¡­ maiden. Some hate it, and others love it ... But the Princess has won the hearts of many here, including the von Wuttenfal family! "


    "Apparently," said the Second Prince with a sigh.


    "Haven''t you seen her after you woke up?" Cordelia raised the matter again, puzzled.


    "No, I haven''t been told where she is as to yet," Lex said quickly, not wanting the issue to go where he couldn''t control it. "But ... you will no longer be my sister-in-law, but my stepmother."


    Cordelia''s eyes gleamed for a moment, and Lex was sure it wasn''t out of happiness, "Oh! Yes! Our families will follow up with the plans! Your father found me worthy to be his wife. Let''s say¡­ "the Flemish maiden hesitated a little, but she didn''t necessarily change the subject. Alexander asked, as expected,


    "It puzzles me. In fact, the only thing I know is that, I lost several days of my life and when I wake up, nothing else is the same. I got married earlier than my older brother. And now he is not your fianc¨¦, but my father. And¡­ the castle is very quiet."


    "Your brother apparently was going on a long trip, and before that¡­ let''s say he had shown that he didn''t want to marry me. I don''t know if it was something with me or my family or if ... someone stole your heart. Our families were going to break the deal and then his father took a step forward. I appreciate the nobleness of honoring a family commitment," this time Cordelia''s voice betrayed her bitterness and even the way she breathed heavily showing contempt was different from other times.


    "Lady Cordelia, please. We have to go," the nun spoke from the door, urging Cordelia to say goodbye. Right now that Cordelia was starting to speak!


    Cordelia turned her body towards the door, but the Prince held his hand again, in a strong and determined way.


    "You have someone at your side, if you wish so. Since you were on my side when I needed to, "Lex was surprised when Cordelia stared at him intently,


    " Your Highness. Ignore what I''m going to say if you want. I have no proof. But ... Princess Alexa, she ... Maybe not what she seems. Let''s say I have seen and lived too much since I came here to change my opinion of her. Don''t trust your heart to her, I beg you. I may regret my words, but the older and more experienced people have opened my eyes ... If you trust her without first discovering what she is, I am sure you will continue to be in danger. From our meeting to how she conquered the von Wuttenfal ... Take care of your life, and our lives, Prince. "


    "Why you say that?" despite hoping to hear something like that, it hurt when it really happened. But wasn''t Cordelia doing something she was doing herself?


    "She''s your wife, find out for yourself," said Cordelia, walking away.

 Chapter 113 - The Lady in Red

    Alexa woke up spitting a ball of herbs from her mouth, not understanding why she was upside down and her body bandaged in jute. As the maiden looked around to find out why she was so dizzy and the world spun around her, she realized that it was thrown over Magnus'' shoulder like a sack of onions, while he brandished his sword at people around him. Raising her head a little, she asked,


    "What the hell is going on, Your Highness?"


    "Get away, you all. Nobody gets close," he bent down quickly to put her on the floor. The princess tried to stand, but she was well tied, and she fell to the side. The Prince defended her while Alexa heard a big fire crackling behind her.


    ''Wait ... I ... Was I going to be burned?!'' her eyes widened in realization when she also realized that the First Prince apparently saved her from becoming grilled meat. Around her, people looked horrified to realize that she was moving. A man wearing chain mail and a spear shouted at Magnus,


    "Sir. We understand now. The woman lives. Put your sword down and calm down. We don''t mean any harm," he said as if he wasn''t sure he was being understood, very slowly. Magnus shouted, not letting go of the sword as suggested.


    "I am not turning myself in until I speak to your Lady," and leaned over without failing to look at the warriors and peasants who surrounded them, "Are you all right?"


    "How could I be?! They tried to roast me!" she complained. They had prepared her body in a shroud to burn. What kind of people were they?


    A groan caught her attention, and although the dawn made everything a little indistinct and confused, Alexa saw not so far away, a man lying in a pool of blood, beside him a sword. And not far away, what did she imagine being¡­ his hand?


    ''Oh my God, what is Magnus doing?!''


    The gray and cold dawn imposed itself little by little, bringing only a little more light. Alexa would like Magnus to use his sword to loosen her hands and feet, but she knew he couldn''t be distracted. And while they were in that impasse, the Princess realized that she didn''t see or hear Alexander.


    "Where''s Zand?"


    "I don''t know," the First Prince grumbled.


    They both heard the throng of men arriving. Magnus switched his sword, taking a deep breath. She noticed the First Prince was wearing different clothes from the ones he arrived with, but still looked tired and pale.


    The woman in the red cloak arrived surrounded by soldiers with spears. With a wave of her hand, she ordered everyone to stop, and quickly analyzed the situation. Although, for a moment, her eyes shone in the firelight when she saw the man with the severed hand m.o.a.ning, the lady in red said nothing about it.


    "Milord? After offering housing, care, and showing goodwill to you and your men, is this how you repay me?"


    "You didn''t tell me you were going to burn my people, milady."


    "Ah ... I didn''t know they would do that," she said without emotion. People finally collected the dying man. Magnus took the opportunity to raise Alexa, and started to carefully cut the fabric wrapping her like a coccoon. He replied without disguising his anger or glancing at the blond woman in the slightest,


    "Is that how you treat the dead here? Aren''t you Christians?"


    That would also be the question that Alexa would ask, if she wasn''t still trying to spit out the grasses and roots in her mouth and throat. The lady in red said,


    "Don''t go out and judge what you don''t know, stranger. I know you''re angry, but control your tongue. And your sword. Now, if you wish to leave, do it. If you wish to stay, come with me," after saying it, she turned her back and started walking. Alexa was still trying to get rid of the bandages wrapping her. The First Prince bent down a little,


    "Johannes and Ulrich are with them. We have to go back," and saying that, he threw Alexa again on his shoulder. ''Wasn''t he hurt and with a fever when she left him?'' the Princess wondered.


    Alexa didn''t have much opportunity to see the surroundings, while going up the hill. They were not alone, however. Most people, guards, flanked Magnus. Although not officially a prisoner, they could guess that he was on his edge.


    When they arrived at the big building on the hill, he put her back on the ground, and before Alexa had looked, she heard the woman''s harsh voice again,


    "Somebody, help the foreign lady. Attend the couple and take Eadric, he needs help."


    They immediately obeyed her commands. Three women helped Alexa cleanse herself from the soot, and brought a woolen dress and boots, warm soup and some bread, while Magnus went on the woman in red''s track.


    The people in the kitchen looked at Alexa with discreet curiosity, but remained silent while she ate. Her thought sometimes took a while to abandon ''Alexander'' and come back to ''Alexa'', but after some nutritious food, the Princess finally acknowledged where she was and what was going on.


    "What''s the name of this place?" she took advantage of the fact that a boy had entered the large kitchen and was staring at her shamelessly and asked. The ragged boy carrying eggs seemed to tremble and didn''t respond, so a woman took the basket of eggs from him and said,


    "This is the Tanbury Castle, milady."


    "Thanks. And who are the lords of this castle?"


    "Lady Gwendolyn Fairclough," said the woman. This was unusual, and Alexa had to question it again, to be sure,


    "Lady Fairclough is the lady of the castle? Sure thing?" slowly, people nodded, confirming the fact but leaving the details out. Alexa then decided to find Prince Magnus and learn more. And after that, look for Romeo. She worried the moment Magnus said he didn''t know where the nightingale was.


    She started to explore the castle, which was quite different from the Holstein''s sharp and modern building. In fact, it looked more like a small stone fortress, quite simple compared to the splendor of the kingdom from which they came. However, there were picturesque artistic details that caught the Princess''s attention. A style of intricate knots that reproduced even in animal figures. Alexa imagined that the golden age of this place had passed some time ago, because the most beautiful things were not the newest.


    As the morning started, she tried to sharp her hearing to identify some nightingale singing, but what caught her attention was a part of the conversation. The woman''s voice in red sounded amused and mocking,


    "You stink."


    And Prince Magnus,


    "You have been sympathetic to worse things."


    Alexa widened her eyes, stepping softer from that point. What kind of conversation was that? She still couldn''t figure out where they were, though.


    "Indeed. Won''t you really reveal to me who you are? Are you measuring whether I''m worth of trust after I accepted that you hurt my rider in an accident? You are an arrogant man, milord."


    ''Yes, he is quite arrogant. You have no idea,'' Alexa thought, being careful to keep unnoticed before she knew where they were. Then the Princess realized that they were talking in the stairs. At least she saw a flash of the woman''s red cloak, Lady Gwendolyn, in the mid landing of a turret, but she didn''t see Magnus from where she was.


    "You cannot blame me for being cautious, milady. But like I said, I don''t want to sound that rude. I have already caused many problems, and I sincerely apologize for all the inconvenience. Is that your... warrior, he¡­! Wow! What are you doing, dear?" his voice had a small start and then his tone changed to the usual gallant bastard he was. The Princess took a deep breath. What were they doing?


    "Seeing if you still have a fever," the voice was naughty and at the same time, sarcastic. Magnus laughed, but he coughed a little too,


    "Well, milady isn''t mad at me, then. Just concerned with the health of the guests, I see."


    "Yes. Guests I still don''t know who they are," she sighed, sounding bored.


    Alexa silently arrived at the base of the stairs, fighting between announcing herself or not. The woman continued,


    "I must let you think about what to do next, my noble friend. My conscience is calm as to what I did when I housed your people. But I don''t want to be held responsible if I sheltered the wrong people moved by charitable feelings¡­"


    "Did you find out whether I still have a fever, or will it take longer?" he asked suddenly, sounding amused and ignoring her words.


    "You will survive, despite how hot you are... But I will ask later how your friends are doing," it sounded that she would leave him, and Alexa heard her move away from the Prince.


    "Hey. Listen. I''m sorry for your knight. I will try to compensate," he said, sounding sincere. Alexa could identify this much by his voice''s grumbly and grave intonation.


    "Hm, it''s interesting news, milord. I will definitely want compensation. You took Eadric''s hand off in the heat of your emotions. And he wasn''t just a mere warrior, but a well-famed knight in our region. Therefore¡­"


    Alexa felt a tightness in her chest. Had Magnus done that to that man? Again he was seized with fury and sadistic abandonment when he fought with those men to¡­ um, rescue her from the fire? The Princess was very glad that he did it, but he wounded at least one man permanently. She started up the stairs, making noise, and announcing her arrival. The conversation ended, and she found them standing, staring at her.


    This time she could have a better view of the woman in red. Alexa couldn''t estimate Lady Fairclough''s age, but didn''t seem to be over thirty years old. Taller than Alexa by maybe a head, Lady Gwendolyn''s golden blond mane adorned with beautiful waves fell down her back to her h.i.p.s. A simple veil attached by a small hat tied under her chin covered her lush hair. She had big gray eyes, which looked like two polished stones. In fact, she was a woman of impressive beauty. And Lady Fairclough wasn''t shy at all, it was obvious. Her red cloak fell over her shoulders over an almost black dress, as did the veil.


    "I beg, don''t hold a grudge against us, milady," said Lady Gwendolyn as soon as Alexa stopped in front of them. The Princess was two steps below them, looking up. Her eyes met Magnus''s quickly, but she only saw concern in them.


    "Lady Fairclough, I must thank you for your help in the most desperate hour of my life. And your benevolence, for sure," Alexa bowed gracefully to the hostess.


    "You know my name, but I don''t know yours, unfortunately, milady," said the woman.


    Magnus interrupted,


    "This is my wife, Alexa Z?e Saskia von Wuttenfal."

 Chapter 114 - The Funny Couple

    Alexa controlled the urge to laugh at the absurdity she had just heard. ''Married?! What is the purpose of this bullshit?!'' she knew she would have no answers now, and Lady Gwendolyn looked from one to the other, staring at Alexa for a while, and then turning her gray eyes on Magnus,


    "And milord...?"


    "As I said earlier, Magnus. Von Wuttenfal. From the royal family of the Kingdom of Holstein, on the coast of Lower Saxony," he looked away and to the Princess, motioning for Alexa to stand beside him. "Our destination was Normandy, but as you can see, we didn''t get there. We can talk about our kingdoms soon, if you allow me to see on my young wife''s needs first. She must be scared that she was almost burned alive¡­"


    Alexa, now beside him, was already a little used to the variations in Magnus'' level of sarcasm, but that was an unfamiliar experience.


    "Despite the unusual situation and the tragedy that brought you here, I am grateful to meet the von Wuttenfal. I have heard of your kingdom once or twice, milord."


    Magnus also did not make clear what his position in the royal family was, and Alexa could only assume that he was being cautious and wanted to remain as incognito as possible.


    At the same time, the Princess didn''t think the authoritarian woman was that innocent. Magnus mentioned royal family, so normally someone would be curious about how to treat them properly. But she didn''t go into that.


    "I continue to extend Tanbury''s hospitality to you as long as you need to. And ... I will look forward to continuing our conversation about our kingdoms. Now, I have a great curiosity, so let me ask," the woman in red said, looking at both of them. Her expression was only slightly kind, but Alexa saw a strange gleam in her eyes.


    "My people aren''t stupid and I never thought I was either. Lady Alexa looked dead."


    Magnus placed his heavy hand on Alexa''s shoulder, squeezing lightly,


    "As our hostess, I cannot deny this knowledge. My wife¡­ was recently stricken with a disease. She passes out for hours ... Usually at night. And she really remains¡­ immobile. I will take her to a doctor who I was informed to be able to cure my wife."


    "Ahn..." Lady Gwendolyn stared at Alexa with her curiosity slightly tinged with compassion. Alexa added with her best dainty expression,


    "We had high hopes, but ... It ended in a tragedy. We are sorry for the damage we caused. We will make up for you soon for all the sadness we might have caused."


    "Don''t be discouraged, dear. There have been a number of misunderstandings caused by ignorance, but it will all pass. Now, I will leave you. Your fellow travelers are where you left them, milord. I will ask my servants to find accommodation more worthy of your position. And we''ll talk later, I have some urgent tasks to do." After saying it, Lady Gwendolyn left them alone.


    Alexa looked at Magnus,


    "What was that?"


    "What are you talking about? If you''re feeling well, go look for Romeo. I''m going to see Ulrich and Johannes," he deflected the subject, making a move to leave. But Alexa pulled him by the sleeve of his shirt,


    "Not so fast ... husband," she took him away from the stairs, and seeing that the upstairs hallway was empty, whispered,


    "You don''t think this lie can bring us any more problems what benefits? You would be safer stating that you are a Prince. I would get help faster."


    "Yes, indeed. But in addition to having to lick many boots and make my misfortune public, it would also endanger our mission. I honestly hoped you understood that already," contrary to what he was showing to the hostess minutes ago, he looked in a bad mood.


    Well, it made perfect sense. Some nobles would show up to help, but that would come at a high price. The price Magnus called it humiliation. And maybe it would expose them. Still, "And did you really need to say we''re married?"


    "Unless you want to say that you are married to a bird. I''m protecting you, but you don''t have to thank me," he mumbled. She was still gaping when they heard light footsteps, and Magnus clutched her, pulling her against his chest and kissing her hair.


    "...!"


    "Don''t worry, my beautiful little dove. Everything will be all right. Don''t cry!" the First Prince murmured, audibly, as he rubbed her back. But, well¡­ ''Little Dove?!'' Although being crushed against Magnus''s chest made her heart flutter, she was uncomfortable. He pushed her away when servants, ready to help them, came closer.


    A little later, after knowing the room where they would stay, Alexa warned Margrit, the same maid who had talked to her earlier, that she was looking for her pet bird and would try to find it. The woman was surprised by her request, but called a child to accompany her around.


    The girl was Margrit''s niece, and also a servant in the castle, and she must have been no more than 12 years old. Her name was Joan.


    It was through Joan that Alexa learned, while walking towards the beach, that Lady Fairclough became a widow about 10 years ago and never married again. And that she had two children, Rowan and Jennifer. The girl didn''t have enough political knowledge to explain how Lady Gwendolyn managed to remain mistress of the castle, however. Alexa was still intrigued, but maybe she had many allies in the surrounding lands.


    "So your bird survived the shipwreck?" asked the girl, incredulous. The Princess nodded,


    "Yes, the last time I saw ''him'' was near the beach when I met a shepherd named Rufus. Maybe he''s over there," it was Alexa''s hope, in fact. She was intrigued and worried about it. Nothing would make sense if something had happened to Alexander. However, deep down she felt that he was alive.


    After walking for a long time looking for Romeo and calling for him, Alexa realized that the girl was getting tired and at all times pointing out that it was going to rain soon, so she decided to come back. Her heart sank, thinking of Alexander alone and in danger in the forest, but then something caught her eye. Three stone tombs, next to each other, with crosses marking their location. A little curious, she turned away, but Joan took her hand, saying,


    "We aren''t going that way. They say there are ghosts over there," and the girl struggled to really pull Alexa and stop her from going. It was quite obvious that Joan was afraid of that part of the forest, so the Princess allowed herself to be guided back to the castle.


    Then she heard a special trill, and turned, surprised and happy!


    "Romeo!" and the little nightingale flew to her, landing on her raised wrist.


    ~ Alexa! ~


    Alexander also seemed happy to see her, but said, knowing that Alexa would not dare to reply with the girl beside her,


    ~ I know you are in the castle. I''m at the watermill on the other side of the forest. A person ... Needs me there, ~ the lack of further explanation and the crazy idea that someone could ''need'' a nightingale didn''t convince Alexa. The Princess stroked the bird''s head, making a soft voice to speak to it,


    "Ah, you bad boy! Where were you? Doing what, uhn? You must stay with your mommy, that''s what you have to do! I''ll give you bread balls and everything you want! Where have you been, Romeo?!"


    ~ Stop it! You are not my ''mommy''! It may seem strange but ... I am helping someone. It''s not a pain to help someone in need. You need to find out where we are and how to leave. In the meantime, I''ll be there at the mill. See you later! ~ Saying that he flew suddenly, before Alexa tried to grab him and stop him.


    "Romeo! Romeo! Come back here! Romeo?! No! Don''t do it!" Alexa shouted at the bird, between tearful and angry. ''Ah, what an annoying Prince! How can he do that?!''


    But thick drops of rain began to fall from the sky and she had to run with Joan back to the castle, still annoyed by Alexander''s irresponsibility.


    Upon arriving, the Princess didn''t see many people around, and when she asked the servants, she knew that Lady Gwen was in her room. Apparently many would do the same for the rest of the afternoon.


    Alexa went back to the room, where she found Magnus near the window, spying the rain through a crack. This room was probably one of the best in the castle, with solid furniture, and well decorated. She briefly related her conversation with Alexander, and Magnus snorted, closing the window with a bang,


    "Typical of Alexander. We''ll pick him up after the rain. I just won''t ear-pull him because that''s not possible," he said, and Alexa couldn''t contain her laughter at the remark. Magnus gestured to a bathtub. Bathe yourself first, I''ll do it after you. I suppose that, because it''s raining the castle''s people will only show up around dinner."


    "Um, I had the same thought. ''When in Rome¡­''" She really wanted a proper bath, not just the precarious cleaning with damp cloths from before. The sea salt still itched a little on her skin.


    But then, she realized that there was no screen or anything like it in the room. And most likely, the First Prince would need to bathe in the water she used first.


    She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling her cheeks burn, and then looked sideways at the Prince. Magnus stared at her, noticing Alexa''s eyes on him, undecided.


    When he caught on her uneasiness, he snorted and threw his head back in laughter,


    "C''mon, life''s so funny! My wife is ashamed of me seeing her n.a.k.e.d!"

 Chapter 115 - Like a River Runs to the Sea

    The Princess chuckled, trying to sound sarcastic when she really wanted to cover her nervousness,


    "I was just thinking ... It is probably the first time that a Prince as rich as you will bathe in water that has already been used."


    "Ha," his response was instant, "You innocent girl. There are so many reasons I did it before that I''m not even going to list them. But go and bath already, while I''m being kind."


    Alexa blinked, uncomfortable. ''Ah, of course, he''s a ladies'' man. Why would he never have bathed after a woman?''


    Still, she wasn''t happy and demanded, sharply,


    "Turn around, and don''t you dare peek this way."


    "How unfair, you''ve seen me n.a.k.e.d before," the Prince snickered, although he went to fiddle with some clothes on the bed.


    She took the time to pull out a towel and wondered how to do it. Usually she wore a thin tunic under her clothes, but the borrowed clothes didn''t have this undergarment. As soon as she took off her dress, she would be hopelessly n.a.k.e.d.


    Alexa noticed that Magnus raised the garments at eye level to examine. They were their own clothes, washed and properly repaired. Seeing Prince Magnus fiddling with her clothes, even though she wasn''t in them, was a little unnerving. He was scrutinizing it, and it was only after a while she realized he was checking that everything was in place.


    "Are all the ornaments there?" she was referring to mother-of-pearl ornaments and silver buttons, even the mink fur on the collar of her coat. Her pearl and gold crucifix was there as well as some rings, including her wedding ring.


    "Some are missing, but may have been lost at sea. I''m wondering if we''re going to need that money, after all. I only have a certain amount with me," he replied, and turned around suddenly. Leaning his head to the side, he asked,


    "Are you going to bathe in a dress?" he was referring to the fact that Alexa was still dressed next to the tub.


    "If I were n.a.k.e.d, you would be ogling right now!" she narrowed her eyes accusingly.


    "Princess," he took a deep breath, putting the clothes aside and coming to her, "this situation will have to allow some flexibility on your part." Taking the linen towel she would use to dry herself, he stretched out in front of her and wrapped it around her neck. "If I see a little bit of your buttocks or any other part of your body, don''t you think I''m the one who will have to ask God for forgiveness for peeking at what I shouldn''t have been? Don''t you think I''m the one who will have to repent? So don''t worry too much about how I''m going to deal with my sins. Worry about seeing me n.a.k.e.d and take a liking on it¡­"


    "Argh, you''re annoying!" Alexa started taking off her dress under the fabric that covered her, and that Magnus held for her at the neck, like a tent. When the dress finally fell to the floor, she grabbed the large towel around her neck and Magnus walked away, sitting on a chair near a desk. He picked up quill, ink, and paper to write, but he seemed undecided on how to start.


    After she entered the water sprinkled with hyacinths and marigolds, and bathed vigorously with the fragrant soap available, Alexa told the events of the previous night in Holstein. Magnus interrupted her sentence when the Princess was in the middle of telling about the succubus.


    "Allow me to question," he got up and came over to the tub, crouching in front of her. "Did you come in when the two were¡­ at it?" the corners of his lips twitched, and Alexa could have sworn that he was amused that his father had such a bad experience. While empathizing with the horror it would have been to discover that the woman in his bed was a monster.


    "They were doing ... well, you know," meeting Magnus'' golden eyes as she said that wasn''t the simplest thing in the world. "Don''t focus on that. I bet your father is very sorry for giving in to l.u.s.t. But as you said, we''re not the ones to worry about the sins of others, are we? What matters is that I am sure that witches are actively working to attack the von Wuttenfal. This creature, I had heard in my land of myths about it, so I think these witches are the same group that attacked Cordelia on the road. The characteristics seem similar."


    "What are you talking about, Alexa?" he questioned immediately, and the Princess regretted having spoken without thinking. "What characteristics are these so clear to you? You increasingly show that you are very acquainted about witches affairs."


    "Ah, I told you, I heard a lot of things," she couldn''t keep her gaze this time, and turned her face away, but Magnus pulled her face back to face him again.


    "You''re always lying so it''s hard to trust you," he said, looking down from the Princess'' violet eyes to her mouth while holding her chin. Alexa trembled under the Prince''s touch.


    They both took a deep breath. Alexa managed to say,


    "Both scenarios looked like myths I heard in my region. That''s what I meant. I believe they worship the night goddess, Hecate. Meaning, a pagan goddess. But ... in a very perverse and corrupted way, perhaps. I don''t know," she harshly took his hand off using both hands, and splashed water on his face next. "Perhaps I have my reasons for not trusting you, Prince. We know that."


    "Fair enough," Magnus wiped his face with his hand, but he didn''t look annoyed, just stood up, returning to the desk. "Tell me more."


    She told about her conversation with Blue Eyes and also with Cordelia, and Magnus laughed,


    "Ah, so now your dear friend is a suspect? Do you regret invading my carriage to defend her, now?"


    Alexa immediately went silent and red, feeling her ears burn with embarrassment, and could not justify herself. She still wasn''t sure about Cordelia, however.


    As soon as the princess finished her bath, she put on her tunic underneath in a complicated maneuver under the bed''s blankets, while Magnus concentrated on writing. Then it was the Prince''s turn to bathe. He undressed shamelessly, with his back to the bed, and nodded,


    "Why do I feel my back burn with your eyeing? Don''t forget I am not responsible for your sins."


    The Princess closed her eyes, cursing herself internally for being so curious. Confused about why she felt nothing when she saw Prince Gutard totally n.a.k.e.d, but was so fl.u.s.tered about just a glimpse of Magnus'' broad back, and a bit of his firm buttocks on a narrow, manly hip. She turned on her back and stayed that way, to ensure her sanity.


    The noise of constant rain outside, and her own tiredness of having been looking for Romeo so much, won over her and the Princess felt her body relax under the warm skin, and her eyes started to get heavy. But the weight of a body lying behind her on the bed and crawling under the blankets made her fully awake.


    "I noticed that you are well recovered, Magnus. Yesterday I was concerned about it..." she commented on a fact that had caught her attention. Then he reached out and carefully turned her body around to face each other. When he did that, Alexa felt her skin crawl and her n.i.p.p.l.es swell, and she just hoped he couldn''t notice any of that. But there was a respectful distance between their bodies on the bed.


    Looking into her eyes, Magnus said,


    "Well, I think the thing in my chest does that. I don''t know if I can really die. I feel the discomfort for a while, but it goes away quickly. In the morning I was still coughing, but now I''m fine. However¡­" his eyes were distant for a moment, "Ulrich also recovered quickly. Maybe the doctors here are good."


    She was thoughtful. It was true, Ulrich miraculously recovered in a quick time, and she wondered how. "Maybe I should see a doctor, too. My body still hurts from the wreck, "she revealed. It was nothing serious, but she was sure it was full of bruises even in places she didn''t see during the bath. To reinforce it, she pulled the cover away and showed one arm, pushing the sleeve of her tunic. Her forearm had a purplish hematoma. Alexa didn''t remember all the places where it hurt. It hurt, but maybe she was used to the pain to care about it.


    Magnus slid his index finger over the purple skin, with a concerned look. Then, he gently brought Alexa''s forearm to his lips, and placed a soft kiss on the bruise,


    "You''ll be fine. I''m so sorry."


    With a look he searched for more purple places, and kissed them with the same care, causing a feeling of warmth and well-being that rose from Alexa''s chest to her head. The Princess felt her body soften completely with this show of affection and the gentle touch of the Prince.


    He pulled the collar away from her tunic a little, noticing yet another purple stain near the back of her neck, and the maiden could not refuse or protest when the delicious, tender sensation of that kiss overtook her. Magnus took her other arm, stripping it and doing the same on each spot. That was so good! She knew it was wrong, but she didn''t have the willpower to push him away. She just closed her eyes while remembering all the parts that were hurting, wondering madly if he would kiss them all.


    "Are your back hurting?" he asked softly, and although she hesitated a little, Alexa nodded making an expression of suffering that made him frown and look delighted and pious at the same time. Turning her with her back up on the mattress, he left the covers at her waist, and slowly pulled her tunic up, making Alexa''s skin crawl with both the cold air and the awareness of the act.


    Alexa knew he was n.a.k.e.d, but she didn''t have the courage to look, and she kept her face turned and eyes closed, taking a deep breath. She felt it when he wrapped his muscular legs around her covered h.i.p.s, with his knees on the mattress, and leaned over her with a shadow.


    Her heart was beating so hard that she thought the sound inside her ribcage filled the entire room. She was immobile and torn between her guilt and pleasure and desire. What would happen? Would she have the strength to stop? She didn''t know.


    She felt his lips on her bruised shoulder, and the heat emanating from his chest touching her skin without his skin actually touching her. Alexa body''s quivered involuntarily with pain and pleasure.

 Chapter 116 - In a Shell

    ''Ah, if time didn''t exist and I could keep this moment in a shell, encapsulating us away from the world ...'' that silly and strange thought crossed her mind as she was presented with a kind of affection that she had never imagined that man could be able to.


    There was touch, which stimulated her senses, but there was also this strange and unexpected tenderness and intention, which fed the maiden''s heart with a marvelous feeling.


    She felt his hair trail across her skin, causing a pleasant and exciting itch, and his warm breath touching her pores before his lips did. Each kiss deposited on her skin, on her back, made Alexa bite her lips so as not to m.o.a.n for the tender and thrilling sensation. Magnus didn''t touch any other part of his body against her, and Alexa feared at the same time that she wished he did.


    He kissed between her shoulder blades, raising Alexa''s arms to the top, and kissed by her spine. Then he kissed her ribs, running down the sides with small, quick kisses, sometimes inhaling heavily.


    When Alexa thought she couldn''t take it anymore and all the heat in her body was going to consume her, she felt that he stopped for a moment, exhaling the air and murmuring in a hoarse and trailing voice,


    "Ah! My God, Alexa,"


    She wanted to turn her face to see him but Magnus stopped her, touching the side of her face with her own face in a gentle gesture. Then she felt that Magnus came back to his side of the bed and pulled her undergarment over her back again. He then turned Alexa around and brought her to his bare chest, fitting his head to the curve of her neck, and his hands pulling her close to him. What separated them was the cover that covered Alexa from the waist down.


    This contact filled some of the voracious hunger that consumed her. But the Prince just stood still, unmoving, with his heart as fast as Alexa''s. She felt his warmth and his chest moving, pressing. It was as if he wanted to mark her body on his chest.


    "Shhh!" he murmured, like a tortured request, very close to Alexa''s ear.


    They were silent for a long time, just listening to each other''s breathing and heartbeat. Until rain on the castle roof was once again the dominant sound.


    Magnus rolled away from her, and Alexa felt a bittersweet taste in her mouth, and a terrible tightness in her chest at his absence. Moving to keep her back to him, she curled up hugging her knees, feeling her eyes wet and a lump in her throat.


    They were married only in one lie.


    After a while, when the silence was so great it filled the room, he asked,


    "Are you okay?"


    Alexa nodded and then realized that Magnus couldn''t see her face, and forced her voice to come out at a reasonable height in her throat,


    "Yes. Thanks. It was good."


    He didn''t answer, and after another silence, Alexa asked,


    "Magnus, do you have a plan?"


    He cleared his throat, and said,


    "I intend to negotiate horses and a guide, and go to a good port, so we can continue our journey to our destination as soon as possible. I suppose the rest of our party has arrived or will arrive at the port where we would disembark soon, and they will think we are off route. They will expect news from us. Soon they will receive news that our ship is shipwrecked. Or at the very least, they will try to communicate with Holstein. They may stay at the port waiting for us or awaiting orders from Holstein. It would be sensible, knowing them. So, I hope to meet them there. We were relatively lucky, I am only sorry for those who died."


    It was a simple and practical plan, and it matched the style of the First Prince. She turned to him, pulling the covers up to her neck. It was cold as the afternoon progressed. Or was it the lack of his warmth? Alexa couldn''t say.


    "What is your brother doing, as a bird trying to help someone?"


    "I used to think I understood him, but now I can''t claim it. But rest assured, by tomorrow we will pick him up at this mill and you must threaten to tie his foot to your wrist in the future," the First Prince said in a slightly harsh tone, but she knew it wasn''t addressed to her, but because all frustration and concern that Alexander was causing his older brother.


    "Magnus¡­ Did you think about what I said? The Lady of that castle showed up at that moment and decided that we would be her guests, without even knowing who we were," Alexa didn''t want to talk about Lady Gwen from this angle, but the woman in red intrigued her.


    "Hm, that lady ... Well, we can''t question what she was doing at that time, but it was opportune."


    "She also seems willing to forgive your ... slip up pretty easily," she noted.


    Magnus mutilated one of Tanbury''s warriors and apparently that wasn''t such a grave offense. Lady Gwen even said that the man was one of the best they had, but she didn''t seem concerned at all.


    "She''s a clever woman. She spotted you, and even if the ignorant pastor was half-blind or something, she''s not. Lady Fairclough saw us all almost passed out, but she could recognize the nobility. She might not know who exactly we were, but she saw our belongings or was alerted about them."


    "Hm," Alexa still thought the Prince had a lot more to say about the hostess than that, but she wouldn''t insist.


    Magnus pushed her forehead with his index finger, mocking with amused eyes and imitating the Princess, "Hm!"


    "Well, don''t make me look silly. You told her things that were not true. You tought it was necessary. So you don''t think she''s totally harmless."


    "I still know very little to define the source of her power. Until then, I don''t want to expose myself. But we''ll be quick on leaving Tanbury. I don''t want to find out how much they hate me after I hurt a man here, "he said thoughtfully. Alexa hardly believed she was listening to Magnus'' thoughts without any kind of mask or filter. He just shared his thoughts with her. A distant thunder caught their attention, and the Prince leaned his head on one arm, watching her closely, thoughtfully,


    "You neither sleep nor dream."


    "Sleep and Death are siblings. Both are suspended for me and Zand."


    "You can''t know that. Maybe if you tried to sleep now, you would have your real dreams back," he frowned, and stood up. Alexa looked at the ceiling, unsettled. Did he have to be so unconcerned about his n.a.k.e.dness?


    Dressing quickly, Magnus said,


    "We''re not going anywhere today, so stay warm, at least. I''m going to see Ulrich and Johannes again¡­" It seemed like a sudden decision, driven by boredom or the need to leave the room as soon as possible. Alexa also preferred it that way.


    In fact, the shell where they could ignore the outside world did not exist, and they both knew it. And, in fact, as much as she thought, all of that might have been nothing more than carnal desire. Magnus never hid his desire, and neither had she ever wanted a man before. And, apart from the physical aspect, what was left?


    Alexa didn''t know.


    Her eyes closed, and in minutes her mind became numb with sleep.


    Alexa woke up in a cave, listening to the drips from the ceiling. Sitting down for a moment, she realized that she was wearing the ritualistic clothes of a Lightbringer. A short tunic made of white linen, a Phrygian cap, and leather sandals. Cupping her hands together, she summoned the light, and the cave lit up, so she could see around her.


    Alexa could sense a gentle slope on the rocky floor, and understood that she was in the middle of a path. Only she didn''t know when the journey had begun and didn''t know whether to go up or to go to the bottom of the cave. She actually didn''t even know why she was in the cave and what she had to do.


    Standing up, she knew she needed to continue, but where to? The light in her hands illuminated the walls of the cave, and Alexa realized that it was not a mere natural cave, but a dark passage touched by man. The once vibrant colors of the drawings that covered the walls have now lost their vibrancy, but she could see the features of the figures. Although almost totally faded, she knew they were the stories of gods and heroes.


    Her feet went in the opposite direction of history. Of the gods that went underground to the surface. Alexa increasingly went to the bottom, and as she advanced, the figures of gods and unknown men told epics that she also saw backwards. Gods who brought miracles from water, wine and bread, gods who had fantastic births, and gods who were killed and who somehow overcame death. These stories seemed to repeat themselves, so that the further it went down, the more the stories seemed to be variations of the same story. Then Alexa stopped, stunned. The gods were confused and looked at her from the wall, their empty eyes painted on the rock, asking,


    "Do you believe us?"


    It was scary. She didn''t have an answer. Alexa no longer knew what the truth was. The Princess just knew that if she reached the bottom, she would find the First.


    But it also scared her.


    She turned around, thinking of running away, and then Alexa saw the dark silhouette a few steps away, closing the path where she had come.


    The realization that she could not return to the surface or the world of the living was shocking.


    Conjuring her light even stronger, Alexa had an even greater shock. Preventing her exit was the White Queen.

 Chapter 117 - In the Still of the Night

    "Then we meet again," said the White Queen, staring at the Lightbearer with gleaming eyes. In a corner of her mind Alexa knew that they only met there because she had banished the Shade from the world of the living. But the maiden didn''t know what to expect next. ''Do I tell her I am her daughter-in-law now? I remember she wanted it and said she would even reward me ... Well, of course it was before I managed to ban her¡­''


    "Oh, well ... You must go with me. I must take you to the right Path ... Princess Gisela. "


    "You already know you made a mistake, don''t you? Do you already know that you left the Dark Evil free to dominate those lands ...?" a soft smile appeared on Shade''s scary face. Although the features of her beauty had not left her face entirely, it was as if it were a cracked and pale mask of sheer texture over a face that constantly winced revealing her twisted emotions.


    "Who knows, maybe you can give me much needed answers," Alexa probed, waiting for Shade''s goodwill.


    "And who knows ... You can convince yourself that you should take me back," said the White Queen, with a deep look in Alexa''s eyes.


    The mere possibility hit the Lightbearer''s mind, and she opened her eyes, astonished. Again, Alexa stared at the embroidered stars of the false sky from the bed''s canopy. And again she was inhabiting Alexander''s body.


    Turning to the side with a sigh, she stretched her fingers and toes, a little disappointed that she hadn''t continued her dream and learned more. Was it just a dream? Was she still able to just dream?


    In fact, would she have been able to dream, one day?


    Alexander had told Alexa that he dreamed of her life while he slept. But she rarely remembered her dreams. What did she dream of, anyway?


    Sitting up, he saw that Blue Eyes was writing, sitting at the table.


    "If you''re awake, you might want to hear the news," Father Agnello commented without looking up from what he was writing.


    Lex sat up, suddenly worried. He knew that Blue Eyes was angry that the Second Prince showed ''himself'' awake and in the castle, to Cordelia. But she didn''t know if that was still the subject.


    "Something happened?"


    "Besides Prince Gutard''s wedding? Yes. Rumors that Princess Alexa is dead have reached court."


    Lex took a deep breath. At first it didn''t even make sense, but then some implications came to mind.


    "Wait ... How did that rumor come about?"


    "Some people say that Princess Alexa was stabbed the last night she was seen alive, leaving with the Prince and Duke. They say that she was murdered by a mad woman, and that Prince Gutard himself witnessed and confirmed it. Whoever started spreading the rumor has a lot of interest in it, since it''s involving important people."


    "Hm, I suppose this information must have been expensive. Lighthouse people may have witnessed it, Prince Gutard''s men... or anyone who witnessed when the Prince sent you word that I was dead at the lighthouse, Father Agnello," concluded Alexa, going to get dressed. From behind the screen, she heard Blue Eyes musing,


    "I''ve been thinking about it. It''s not so easy to identify the gossip''s source, but trying to identify who wins from it is important."


    "Well, it may even be well-meaning gossip. There was no dignified burial. If Prince Gutard himself said that the ''Princess'' was dead," it was a little strange to speak of herself in the third person, "then not having an ''Princess'' funeral'' ritual is quite suspicious."


    "But after last night, my suspicions have changed," Blue Eyes finally closed the small leather-bound book, buckling it and keeping it in its cloak."Prince Gutard and his wife went to Schwarzenhofhausen to spend a few days far from court."


    "Isn''t there a banquet or anything?!"


    "His Majesty requested modesty and discretion in the face of the latest scandals involving the marriages of the royal family. The wedding was in the chapel and as far as I know, the family went with them to Schwarzenhofhausen, to a private banquet," the priest clarified, with an ironic smile.


    "If your suspicions have changed, is it because you believe that Cordelia''s family is involved in something?" rubbing ''his'' hands over his face, Lex felt his stubs pricking. When Lex looked in the mirror they''re hardly seen, but they were there, and Lex was very aware of them.


    Blue Eyes covered his mouth hiding an amused smile when he noticed the female soul''s cringe in a male body, even a beautiful one.


    "Di Borghesis know that de Wits are up to something. There is just no evidence. There''s a suspicion about the attack on Prince Magnus, and although the court was shocked by what happened in the villa, being innocent of one thing doesn''t exclude being guilty of another. And, J¨¹rg de Wit despaired when he thought he was losing the game and showed his true colors, on your wedding day, remember?"


    It was interesting to see the man of faith giving way to the politician. Lex looked at the Italian,


    "There are two important things to do. Find evidence against Cordelia''s mother, because she killed a maid. Nerissa was the name of that girl, and she would embark with me to England. On our return, this girl was murdered, and Alexander said that the woman who came into my room was Cordelia''s mother. The second thing is¡­ this girl needs a mass for her soul, Father," Lex asked with a contrite expression. She couldn''t go looking for Nerissa around to send her into the Light, but maybe a ritual by a Christian priest could show her the way.


    "Hm, no wonder if we find out that the maid was a spy for de Wit."


    "But if so, why would she have lost her usefulness?"


    "I will try, and find out who this woman was, I just need to talk to a few people," said the priest. "And I will start it now. But, can you help me with those Greek texts?"


    The Princess absently agreed, while her mind wandered to another path. Perhaps it was possible to find something compromising while de Wits were outside the castle. Blue Eyes thanked Alexa with a smile and left the tower. Balbo entered the chamber shortly after.


    "Balbo, I need your help!" Lex spoke showing a toothy smile, without giving the warrior a chance to bow. The Lazarite raised an eyebrow, curious.


    ooo


    Half an hour later, Balbo had gone to search the de Wit couple''s room while the Second Prince investigated Cordelia''s room.


    Many of Cordelia''s goods were packed and ready to be taken to her new room, and Lex focused the search on what looked like the most precious chests.


    One, with a pleasant scent of lavender and roses, seemed to be worth opening, and when Lex finally managed to unlock it, he discovered a series of small treasures, starting with a rolled canvas. Lex shivered just at the smell of paint, but after a moment''s hesitation, she quickly unrolled it to see what it was all about.


    Surprisingly or not, it was a portrait of Prince Magnus. The portraitist imprinted a style that reminded Lex of the damn Flemish painter''s technique, Jan.


    Magnus stared in the distance and the painter was effective in masking some of his arrogance as self-confidence, although the sardonic and provocative look was present. It was a great portrait but understandably empty, compared to the intensity of the actual person. His features were also more subdued, and his eyes were painted a somewhat tamed shade of green, instead of the stormy golden-green shade they had.


    After watching for a while, Lex rolled up the screen again and rummaged through the other papers. He found a small little book with a leather cover embroidered with thread, and flipped through it quickly, imagining it was a missal or something. But the content surprised her. It was poetry!


    Poetry written by Cordelia.


    After reading the poetry, which had words that he didn''t fully understand, and just guessed by context, Lex scratched his head, worried.


    ''Is she in love ... with Magnus?'' they were poetry of love and definitely v.i.r.g.i.nal in content, but now it was possible to understand many things that were not so clear before.


    The Flemish maiden awaited this wedding with fervor, because of her fantasies with Prince Magnus! How shocked and angry was Cordelia when she met him in person? How frustrated was she when she was rejected by the Prince, even if their families agreed to marry Cordelia to him? And worse, how was she feeling when she had to marry Magnus'' father?


    While the Second Prince had just closed the box as it was, Lex heard a very faint noise at the door. His heart pounded in anticipation, and his only option was to hide as best she could.


    She quickly used the shadows for this, taking advantage of the mannequin with Cordelia''s wedding dress as a cover. His spot by the window gave him the advantage of seeing the room perfectly. To guarantee a chance, he pulled his purple mask over his face, trying to stay still.


    A female figure rushed into the room, and only when the door was closed again did she open a side of the lantern she carried, so that the candlelight would light up the room a little. Lex couldn''t help but be intrigued, and even a little amused by the situation.


    ''Uhn, how suspicious. Who will be the spy?''

 Chapter 118 - Hell Hound

    The figure wearing a small black hood did the same thing Lex had done a few minutes ago, gingerly rummaging through chests. It was unnerving because it took longer to do the same activities, but it was still effective.


    After watching for a while, Lex was sure of her identity when the lid of a chest closed over her finger, and the figure quietly exclaimed,


    "Merde!" bringing her finger to her lips.


    Lex was sure there was only one French woman with such boldness at court: Lady Duvignes, the wife of the French diplomat.


    However, perhaps much more knowledgeable about female secrets than Lex could be, the French lady left Cordelia''s chests and went looking elsewhere. After a while and facing some difficulty, in which Lex wished to leave his hiding place and go to help her, Charlotte Duvignes went to the bed and tried to lift the mattress, feeling under it, until she exclaimed,


    "Oui!" and victorious pulling something under the mattress. At that moment the light from Lady Duvigne''s flashlight went out suddenly, and Lex could feel the woman''s tension ... and something supernatural with them in the room.


    Forcing his eyes to the corner where he felt the demonic presence, Lex had the impression of glimpsing two bright, animal eyes, and definitely could feel the hairs on his body standing on end.


    His ears caught the bestial breath, sniffing. Lex also heard Lady Duvignes'' heavy, anxious breathing, who cautiously moved towards the door.


    Crouching cautiously, the Second Prince held his own breath, still not sure what to do. Was the act of the French woman the trigger for the invocation of the guardian monster? Lex had no doubt that the demonic animal was dangerous for both of them. They had to get out of there, but if the Light Bearer''s suspicions were right, it wouldn''t be through the door.


    When Duvignes was right in the middle of the room, trying to retreat safely, the creature in the darkness snorted and growled softly. Its growl alone could give a sense of its size. Lex realized that there was still a way for his hair to stand on end a little longer. His heart ached with anxiety.


    Charlotte Duvignes seemed to freeze, too, and Lex heard a frightened m.o.a.n escape from her lips.


    The creature was also moving slowly, and in a moment, Lex saw, and was sure that Charlotte saw it, the silhouette of a huge greyhound passing by the window, chasing its prey through smell.


    A Hecate''s Blind Hound1!


    Walking back and facing the possible source of the noise, the woman stepped back and reached the door. But giving in to panic, Charlotte turned to open the door, letting out a sob of dread. Her hands fumbled as she tried to open the door, but the lady soon realized that it was useless, since the door was locked.


    "Merde, merde, merde!" she whispered in a strangled voice, trying again, in desperation. Lex, however, knew it was impossible. Hecate was the Goddess of Darkness and the Mistress of the Thresholds, and there would be no way out the door. Just as in the villa, the doors were locked beyond human strength.


    GRRRRRRRR!


    The terrifying growl of the supernatural creature showed only one thing, the imminence of the attack, and Lex knew there was no chance for Charlotte now.


    Unless Lex interfered.


    ''Damn, that was supposed to be discreet!''


    Lex tossed the mannequin towards the black shadow that launched itself in the air to lunge at the cornered woman against the door. And then Lex jumped in Charlotte''s direction.


    A frightening yelp and the sound of dog''s nails slipping on the floor were the sign that the being was physically fit enough to cause damage. Lex doubted Lady Duvignes had much of a chance, even if she was armed. Right now they had the smallest of advantages. That they would lose again as soon as the creature disengaged and stood up. In fact, the demon greyhound would be even more furious and bloodthirsty.


    The woman was taken by surprise by Lex'' intrusion, while the creature struggled to extricate herself from the silk and lace of Cordelia''s wedding dress. Lex held out his hand,


    "Come!"


    Duvignes didn''t hesitate and Lex took her to the window, which was the only alternative for both of them at the moment.


    The dog was truly blind, but he smelled very well, and he got up sniffing the air looking for the lost prey. The Blind Hound was black and probably reached the waist of a man, very scrawny and with yellow teeth grinning with putrid breath. Guardian of secrets and doors, the notorious monster, according to the legends, was fed by animal sacrifices to continue serving the wizards who summoned them.


    Lady Duvignes climbed up on the par.a.p.et, but flinched when she saw the dizzying height they were at. Lex went up a little later, and hurriedly closed the window behind him, still feeling the creature''s impact against the wood of the window panel, and its hellish nails scratching the other side.


    Quickly looking at his options and without exchanging glances with the diplomat''s wife, Lex cursed himself for the trouble he was in tonight. But, at the same time, if the Second Prince wasn''t there, Lex wouldn''t have the proof he needed. Filling his chest with air, in fact, a broad chest that seemed to fit more air than he was used to in his other body, Lex realized that he had another challenge ahead. Get Charlotte Duvignes out of there without both of them dying.


    Then, taking her hand and placing it on his shoulder with a silent nod, Lex started down the stairs.


    Luckily for him, Duvignes was both light and a smart and attentive woman, doing her best not to be a burden on this risky descent. Still, due to the contact of her own chest on Lex''s back, the Second Prince could reasonably say that she was terrified, because her heart was pounding and trembling a lot.


    As soon as Lex opened a window, Lady Charlotte cautiously entered. Lex had only a vague idea that it was a safe place, and he supposed she could handle the rest alone, since she had the audacity to invade the new Princess''s room.


    Waving goodbye when he saw her on the other side of the window, Lex started to move downward, when she held his hand, with her cold, shaky hand,


    "Wait!" the French lady whispered.


    Lex didn''t want to linger there, but he looked up at Charlotte, who spoke hurriedly and in a very low voice,


    "We must meet. The next night on the old bridge to the Jewish Quarter. At 9 o''clock," saying this she released him, and taking a deep breath, Lex agreed. It would be nice to know why Lady Duvignes was doing it, and everything she knew. Although for some reason he couldn''t identify, he had no sympathy for this woman.


    ooo


    Moments later, Lex was in Alexander''s bathtub, relaxing this body''s muscles after the physical effort and the tense moments of the night. A glass of the herbal brandy that Balbo had forgotten there burned in Lex throat but relaxed the Prince''s body. Lex mind worked frantically, however.


    Did it make any sense that Cordelia, all the time, was connected with the witches? So what did Lex find in the villa on the way to Holstein? How could this person capable of conjuring a Hecate''s hound be the same person who wrote bad poems and kept the portrait of her beloved fianc¨¦ in a scented box?


    Lex also wondered if it would be simple to accuse Cordelia of witchcraft to Prince Gutard. Would he ignore the claims?


    Balbo Cerd¨¢n entered the room and called for the Prince,


    "I have news, Your Highness," he said, completely unaware of Lex''s jolt on the tub.


    Her feminine soul felt exposed and alert and Lex almost covered her n.i.p.p.l.es, which made no sense, but instinctively slipped a little under the water. The princess knew that Balbo Cerd¨¢n was intimate and the fighting and fencing tutor for Alexander. The warrior probably had enough intimacy to talk to Alexander while the Prince bathed, or he would not have done so. But Lex wasn''t sure what to do.


    "I hope you found something interesting in the rooms of Master J¨¹rg and his wife."


    "He''s a cautious and important man, and he wouldn''t leave important things within the reach of spies. But as I suspected, he not only belongs to the Hanseatic League, he also belongs to Freemasonry. I found an important ring which reveals that. I left it there, though."


    The Princess had briefly heard of this secret Western Order, but she didn''t know exactly what it was about. Except that they sponsored sea expeditions and ruled over some Craft Guilds, or something.


    "Is this important for our investigation?" Lex asked, because the Princess really didn''t know much to judge.


    "I believe that Master J¨¹rg de Wit may have asked one of the members of his Lodge to hire the killer, as an exchange of favors. Knowing it will help my investigation on the black coin," said the warrior, with a singing smile. "I see you found my bottle."


    "Ah, it was an emergency! I promise to pay you with a superb wine. I must say that you took the easy part today, Balbo. I deserve a drink," Lex smiled, showing a toothy smile to the warrior who pretended to be a little angry. Lex took the bottle and poured a generous and about to spill dose into the cup. But Balbo still had news,


    "Your Highness, take the time to relax while you can. Later this week, a group of clergymen will arrive in Holstein. My source says that the letters exchanged between the archbishop and them, show that it''s the Holy Inquisition."


    Lex almost choked on the burning liquid,


    "Inquisition?!" The name Hecate was used as a name for Diana in the underworld. She was the goddess of the night and of necromancy, accompanied by her baying hounds of hell. Witches called upon her in times of need, such as Medea when her husband Jason asked her to cast a spell to add years to his father''s life.

 Chapter 119 - Bad News by the Morning

    Alexa woke up hearing the birds singing aloud.


    ''Is there a nest over my head?'' In fact, now that she was looking, the Princess realized that the birds were making a racket and flying close to the roof, fro-and-to the support beams.


    "Zand," she called, hoping he was there, but it was useless. ''How could he leave us here, and go after I-don''t-know-who? What are his priorities, really?'' This angry thought made her sit on the bed, determined to go and rescue him wherever he was and hasten the group''s departure. But she ended up blinking, astonished, when she saw Magnus next to her.


    It wasn''t the fact that he was sleeping on the bed, but how he was sleeping. The Prince was crossed on his stomach, at the opposite end of the bed, dressed and splattered as a ragdoll on the mattress. His hair was loose from the braid the First Prince normally wore to keep his top on, and covered his face completely. Even more than a meter away, the Princess could smell the alcohol exhaling from his body.


    "You stupid jerk!" she stood on the bed and went to kick him. The Prince barely moved, nor did he m.o.a.n.


    ''Well, now you really decided to help us. On the first night in a strange castle, you decide to get blind drunk, ''Alexa got more and more upset every time she thought about it. ''While I slept, you were partying, how appropriate!''


    But irony wouldn''t solve anything, nor nudge him with her foot, the maiden realized.


    Dressing hurriedly, she thought she should ask Ulrich and Johannes to keep an eye on the sleeping and hungover Prince while she went to get Romeo herself.


    But, as soon as she left the room, Alexa saw a child running down the hall. She was a small child in a nightgown, and frowning, the Princess just asked to be lucky and it not to be a childish shade. She hadn''t come across many, but they were always the worst of visions. Not because they''re scary, but because it was utterly sad.


    But the child turned to face her at the end of the corridor, and those pink cheeks and a gleeful look belied her assumptions. Alexa breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was a girl with blue eyes, and a long neck, tousled brown hair at the shoulder. The girl smiled when she spotted Alexa, showing curiosity and fascination.


    "Hello," Alexa said overcoming the distance between them. Children were unpredictable and unreliable, so she wasn''t used to approaching them whenever possible. But it was common for children to look for her, they used to be intrigued by the color of her eyes, mostly.


    "Hello. Did you see my dog ??Rollo around?" the girl asked, staring at her as if she saw something otherworldly.


    "No, I haven''t seen your dog, what''s he like?" the Princess asked, having a conversation.


    "Jennifer''s dog is a furry, clumsy and unpleasant thing stinking too much after the rain to stay inside. So he was taken outside. And don''t you dare bring him back here!" replied the voice, which Alexa even before turning around knew to be Lady Fairclough.


    The girl''s mouth made an ''O'' of surprise and disappointment, aimed at the woman. Then the Princess wondered, ''if this is Jennifer, then she''s Lady Gwendolyn''s daughter. But isn''t Lady Gwendolyn a widow for over 10 years? That girl is no more than 5 or 6 years old ... ''


    Not that it was any of her business, of course.


    She grimaced at the girl, sharing her feeling of sadness that she couldn''t have her pet inside the castle today, and turned to the other Lady. Today she didn''t have her red cloak on, and she also looked like she just woke up.


    "Is this your daughter, milady?" Alexa asked after greeting her.


    "Yes, Jennifer. My eldest son is Rowan. He''s not here, but¡­" instead of completing the information that she herself prompted up, her voice disappeared, lost in some unpleasant thought. Alexa gnawed with curiosity, but she wouldn''t dare to be a terrible guest.


    Meanwhile, Jennifer approached her, not her mother, and began to examine her as if she were a doll on display. The incognito Princess tried to ignore her.


    "My¡­ my friends and my husband, I hope they were a good guest last night," she no longer had to worry about explaining her absence, since the First Prince had spoken of an illness, but she needed to maintain the concern of an married woman. ''But I don''t know what it''s like to be a married woman. That idiot drank himself to hell, where does he think it can speak well of him?''


    "Ahh, it seems to me that men liked Lord von Wuttenfal and his men a lot. Sir Ulrich is a good storyteller. We were all thrilled by the events of the shipwreck, albeit it was tragic." Lady Gwen came over to ward off Jennifer, who was fiddling with the foreigner''s dress. "Forgive my daughter, she''s very curious."


    "She is pretty. Look at her eyes!" exclaimed the girl to her mother, as if Lady Gwen were not seeing, "They look like two violets!"


    Alexa was embarrassed, but smiled and bowed in thanks to the compliment.


    "They really look like two rare jewels, I''ve never seen anything like this before," Lady Gwen agreed with her daughter, and glanced at Alexa with a smile on her face,


    "It must be because of her beauty and a noble heart that Lady Alexa won the Lord von Wuttenfal''s heart."


    "The Lord has cat eyes!" the girl spoke excitedly, and the Princess controlled herself not to laugh,


    "But his eyes don''t glow in the dark, so he''s not an actual cat!"


    The little girl laughed at her tirade, and her mother gave Alexa an enigmatic look,


    "You are a beautiful couple. Have you been married for a long time?"


    ''Hm, your question was asked in a very casual way, but I bet you are dying to know,'' Alexa thought, while quickly looking for a way to answer that. She didn''t know whether Magnus had answered the question and whether their answers would be conflicting. If he hadn''t lied, it would have been easier.


    "Well, we were recently married, actually. And then, my husband took me to this doctor ..."


    "Ah, forgive my indiscretion, but your problem is quite intriguing..." Lady Gwen''s look showed a strange gleam that Alexa wasn''t sure she liked. Jennifer ignored her mother and took Alexa''s hand, who had no option but to accept it. Lady Gwen started walking towards the stairs, and Alexa and the girl followed her.


    "Our Kingdom''s doctors don''t know what to do, so my fian ... husband heard about this doctor," Alexa feigned a lapse, walking behind the woman. She hoped he could get rid of Lady Gwen soon and go see her friends, and now she hoped that everyone wasn''t in the same poor form as Magnus.


    They reached the kitchen and were greeted by the women and men who were already working animatedly. They were welcomed with freshly baked bread and there was milk and beer, ham, and something they called pudding and porridge sweetened with honey. The aromas brought Alexa the memory of her journey with Iain and Jonah Locke. In his memory, it seemed like just yesterday they were discussing hemorrhoids and who was going to get them free food. How they would have liked to have arrived in England!


    "Milady," she asked Lady Gwendolyn as soon as the lady of the castle sat down by the table, "Have you ever heard of the Blackrose family?" it was a curiosity that Alexa needed to satisfy.


    Lady Gwen paused for a moment with the mug close to her mouth, clearly controlling the bad feeling that the sudden question brought her. With a tight, bitter smile, she commented dismissively,


    "Well, it''s not like someone with a little brain could ignore them. The Blackrose house sustains our king''s power. Why the question?"


    "I''ve met a Blackrose once. Sir John Blackrose, the kni¡­" before Alexa could finish, the expression of disgust around the woman''s eyes could not be ignored, as much Lady Gwen tried to maintain an impassive expression. "Did I say something wrong, milady?"


    "Ah, I just felt a sudden headache. I believe that my period is coming, I always feel bad in the morning," the lady dismissed, but her act wasn''t convincing to Alexa.


    "Don''t worry about me," said the Princess, seeing there the opportunity to pick up Romeo with no major problems. "Just act like we''re not here. I don''t know if His Hi¡­ my husband spoke, but we only intend to leave as soon as we have horses and a guide."


    "Ah," Lady Fairclough set her mug down on the table with exaggerated care, and looked at the guest with a slight smile on her lips, while keeping her brows furrowed.


    ''What will happen now?'' Alexa asked herself, anticipating that she would hear bad news.


    "My dear, you may not be able to leave as soon as you planned. Perhaps it would be better to talk to your husband. It was a pity that you were not with us last night to understand the whole context."


    "But please tell me, I''ll try my best to understand if you are patient enough, milady," Alexa replied word for word what Lady Eudoxia taught her when dealing with a more powerful woman who treats her with condescension. ''Never undermine her superiority as long as it suits you. And it will always be convenient for you until you are sure that you can reveal your own superiority and overcome her definitively.''


    Surely Lady Eudoxia had a lot of experience and wanted to pass on her knowledge to the girl they sent to her. Her older cousin may not have wanted to die without passing on something to posterity, and Alexa was grateful for these valuable lessons about courtship and people.


    "See, your husband caused a¡­ problem at his arrival, and yesterday we agreed on something."


    "OH!" Alexa exclaimed childishly, making Jennifer who was sitting next to her jump and cry out in happiness for some reason. The girl did not take her eyes off Alexa even to eat. "Good milady, it is ''ear that my husband will make up for the problems we cause. I just know that he wants to take me to the doctor as soon as possible. But what were the terms for that? "


    "He wants to take her to the doctor as soon as possible, it is a fact. But last night he gave his word to help me with something that I need to get done. Before leaving."


    ''Did he give his word?!'' Alexa asked herself internally, drinking her and milk and honey mug in silence.

 Chapter 120 - Finding Romeo

    Alexa blinked, and smiled candidly,


    "So what is he going to help? My husband is full of skills, but what could he do that milady might need?"


    "I need a champion for a duel, Lady Alexa. I was unconcerned, until Lord von Wuttenfal reacted badly to our good intention and cut off the hand of my best warrior," Lady Gwen spoke with a small, almost imperceptible jerk of amus.e.m.e.nt at the corner of her lips. Alexa brought both hands to her mouth, shocked,


    "H-how?!" it was a bit of an act and exaggeration, because despite the surprise, since yesterday the princess had anticipated something weird coming.


    Since the strange conversation of Lady Gwen and Magnus on the stairs.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Alexa saw Jennifer carefully mimic her movement, doubling the number of astonished maidens in the room.


    "Are you afraid that your husband will lose his life in this duel? He took my champion''s hand without the slightest difficulty. I think you shouldn''t worry so much, or rather ... Maybe you should trust your husband more," said the woman condescendingly, standing up. "Lady Alexa, may I leave you for a moment? Some domestic matters require my attention at times, I need to get ready for that."


    "Ah, of course," Alexa also stood up and bowed gracefully. And Jennifer did the same. It was a little funny, and at the same time the maiden asked herself, ''What''s the matter with this girl?''


    "Jennifer, come with me," Lady Gwen ordered and Alexa wondered if she was being too obvious to her confusion around children. Jennifer was adorable, just a little disconcerting.


    The expression of frustration on the little face was heartbreaking, and the girl shuffled off the visitor''s side.


    After saying goodbye, Alexa returned to the room, because now that she had heard that she needed to know what''s gotten into Magnus to accept a duel.


    She found him washing his face in a bowl of water, and seeming to suffer with each gesture. It was still difficult not to stare at the First Prince''s n.a.k.e.d torso, and she looked away at the ceiling. The scar that revealed that he had no human heart inside his chest was disturbing, too.


    "Um, good morning ''husband'', it''s good to see you standing. I thought I would need to get you out of bed with a shovel."


    "Why do you have to speak so loudly and stomp like that when you enter?" Magnus asked without turning to her, wiping his face.


    "Were you at least sober when you agreed to duel for Lady Gwen?" she asked, still watching the birds on the beams. Feeling watched, she looked down, and Magnus stared at her. The Prince shrugged,


    "It won''t be a problem. And no, I wasn''t drunk."


    The attitude was more like that of someone who just doesn''t want to admit that he had done a big mistake. Typical of an arrogant personality like Magnus''s, she thought. Then she shrugged as well.


    "Should I continue the mission by myself? I can do it," as soon as she said that and noticed Magnus''s grimace.


    "What are you talking about? This mission is not even yours! "


    "Well, I''m leaving to pick up Romeo," Alexa took her cloak and after tying it around her neck, went to the door. But Magnus got in front, blocking the exit with his body. They stared at each other, measuring themselves for a moment, until Alexa averted her eyes, annoyed,


    "Cordelia is involved in witchcraft and I think your father doesn''t know it yet. The Inquisition is coming to Holstein. Your brother¡­ But you agree to duel just because Lady Gwen ''your balls are hot'' asked!" although Alexa said all this in a low tone, her grudge was evident in her tone of voice.


    "My balls?" his gaze, once bored reddish from the hangover, flickered with amus.e.m.e.nt as he repeated what he had just heard, incredulous. Alexa felt her cheeks burn, but stubbornly repeated,


    "Yes. I just overheard your conversation on the stairs. What scare was that? Where was she measuring something ''hot'' on Your Highness?"


    "Ah, you were listening in on the sly and figured she had her hands on my balls?"


    "Didn''t she?! Where did her hands go, then?"


    Magnus laughed but also winced,


    "I think it will be more fun to let you die without knowing, Alexa," he put on his shirt quickly, while Alexa narrowed her eyes in anger at the Prince''s mockery.


    "Note that I am only commenting it because I realize that she is throwing herself on you."


    "And what''s the problem if she does that? Should I offend our hostess?" he sat for a moment to put his boots on, looking up at Alexa.


    "You have no problem with offending people you are not interested in. So I suppose¡­"


    Magnus snorted, annoyed and sulky, getting up and grabbing his jacket.


    "Ah, we''re just going to get Romeo and you tell me the important things along the way. I don''t need you to judge me for giving my word when I thought it was appropriate," he mumbled, opening the door. The Princess was surprised, but finally she passed him without looking at his face.


    After seeing that Ulrich and Johannes were asleep, Moments later Magnus strode through the gray landscape, discreetly moving away from the castle. Alexa scoffed,


    "Do you really think they don''t know we left?"


    "They know we are out, so our excuse will be that you had a ... a woman thing and wanted to go out after herbs."


    "Hm, woman thing, do you know what that is?" it was a foolish excuse and surely a woman wasn''t going to take her husband with her to get herbs if she could talk to another woman about it.


    The Prince was visibly embarrassed, and perhaps he would have had a witty response if it weren''t for the hangover. Even the little sunlight seemed to irritate his eyes this morning.


    "Tell me about the Inquisition and also about Cordelia."


    Alexa started to tell the details of the events of the previous night, as they walked. She thought they were going the right way again when they arrived on a wagon trail. However, due to the rain of the previous day, it was impossible to stay in it because of the mud.


    "Damn Alexander!" the Prince kicked the mud in anger, and Alexa didn''t need to ask to know that the reason was to be walking on the mud, like a commoner. In a foreign country, depending on the favor of others. And owing favors. Without money or power. And too far away to be able to influence events at Holstein.


    Also, the hangover, of course.


    In silence, Alexa got out of the way and returned to the grassy field. It was uncomfortable but at least they wouldn''t come back with mud on their knees. Unlike the First Prince, she was more than used to the ups and downs of life.


    "Meet with Charlotte and listen to what she has to say. Take cash with you. This will make your relationship commercial," said the Prince authoritatively.


    "Um, are you afraid of losing your lover to your brother?" Alexa spoke without thinking, immediately regretting it.


    "What? Would you do it? Would you try to seduce her by posing as Alexander? Is that the real you? You really spent a lot of time traveling as a man, didn''t you?" Magnus''s sarcastic and angry voice hurt in her ears. Alexa concluded that today it would be impossible to have an open dialogue like the previous day¡­ Only because the previous day never existed and should be forgotten.


    Magnus cut the field towards the forest and they skirted the road, until Alexa saw a ruined roof on the other side of a small forest.


    Pointing there, she caught Magnus''s attention, and they sidetracked, believing that going through the woods would be much faster.


    They walked in silence, Alexa following Magnus a few steps back.


    It was a small coniferous forest and they could see the stone building on the other side. At first, they thought it would be the back of the mill.


    When they reached the clearing around the building, they realized that the small complex had a chapel, whose single small tower was a little overturned and burned, as if struck by lightning. Only the rustling of the leaves of the trees, the birdsong and in the distance, the murmur of the river broke the devastating silence.


    Looking at each other, they didn''t know if they were in the right place or not. Alexa approached Magnus instinctively. A more accurate visual inspection showed that the place had been abandoned for a long time. It looked like a small convent, with a building of stones piled in ruins and some auxiliary wooden buildings in the same state.


    They walked around the place in silence, listening for any sounds that indicated human presence, but it was unnecessary. The place had embedded the silence of the ruins. The undergrowth grew in unusual places, and smelled of mud and rotten wood.


    The chapel door was open, perhaps because the door had been removed for another purpose. A good quality wooden door was priceless anywhere, and Alexa peered curiously at the interior.


    "Your Highness should see that," she murmured almost to herself, eyes fixed on the interior of the Catholic church. In fact, Alexa took a few steps towards the threshold, but did not enter. Magnus came and stopped beside her, immediately.


    Inside, a little light came through the cracks in the half-destroyed roof. Enough so Alexa and the Prince could see, tied to the cross beam, three hanging ropes.


    And in these three gallows, three skeletons dressed in rags.

 Chapter 121 - The Millers Daughter

    Magnus put an arm around Alexa''s shoulder, murmuring almost to himself,


    "What the hell is that?"


    The state of the remains left no doubt for Alexa that they had been there for years, and there was no way that people in Tanbury would ignore that for so long. Also in a gloomy voice, she commented,


    "They are here as a warning ..."


    Taking a deep breath Alexa removed the Prince''s protective hand from her shoulder, and faced him. Magnus was still showing disgust and bewilderment on his face when she said,


    "Magnus, you showed me something secret about you. And I need to show you something too."


    After saying it, Alexa made her brief silent prayer, summoning the Guiding Light, which flickered on her right palm. Alexa felt almost avenged from the moment Magnus revealed to her about the gifts of his blood, when the maiden saw the expression of dumb shock on the face of the First Prince.


    Entering the ruined chapel, her light illuminated the grim place, looking for Shades needing to find their way out. She felt the Prince''s gaze burning on her back as she explored around cautiously.


    But there was nothing there, or anywhere else around. They looked all over the property. With a sigh, she crouched, relieved, as she let the flame go.


    Alexa still felt Magnus''s gaze on her, and looked up,


    "Are you the only one allowed to have secrets?"


    "I''m waiting for explanations," muttered the Prince, who then ran a hand over his hair in exasperation. "Is that why your hands were injured when you arrived? Do you have stigmas? What are you?"


    "It''s hard to explain. This gift was born with me," now she wasn''t sure whether to tell the WHOLE truth, or to let him know what Iain and Locke knew.


    Of course, Alexa had this stupid urge to let him know so that her fear and apprehension could leave her permanently, but did that make any sense? What could assure the maiden that Magnus would simply not treat her as his father, Gutard, recommended? A useful tool that should be discarded as soon as possible? "And well, that was not enough to force open the wounds on my hands. Nothing like the night at the villa. That''s how I got past the stray and corrupted spirits that were there," this time Alexa told exactly how it all happened, from the moment she saw Cordelia until she took the Flemish maiden out of the turret.


    Rubbing her eyes, as if to wipe away the memories vivid in her mind, Alexa stood up,


    "I still don''t understand what was going on there. I really thought Cordelia was a victim, but after finding the demon in her room ..."


    Magnus was silent throughout her narrative, and said at last,


    "As for what we saw here, it''s clear that this is an accursed place in Tanbury. Let''s shut up about it. And if someone saw us wandering around here and starts questioning us, we must say that we believed it to be the local punishment for some heresy. And perhaps that assumption isn''t really wrong..."


    The Princess opened her mouth to reply that he, being a von Wuttenfal, was being oddly lenient toward Tanbury, but she fell silent. She hadn''t heard the sound of bells in the morning, nor had she seen Christian signs around the castle, now that she was paying attention to it. But Alexa supposed that Magnus was thinking the same things.


    "Well, it makes me more concerned with where we are," she said, somberly. "Let''s go? I don''t think we''re far from the mill, I can already hear the river."


    The couple quickly moved away from the ruins, and soon they saw the river. At least this part was shallow and not navigable, full of rocks. Alexa would like to enjoy seeing it for a while, but they didn''t have time for that. Just after a curve, they saw the back of the mill, and the wheel turning using the water''s power.


    As they arrived silently behind the building, they realized that a person was leaving the mill.


    Magnus strode toward the mill, ready to question her from afar, but Alexa held his wrist. The Prince stopped, questioning her with his gaze, but Alexa only made a head-forward movement. Then Magnus saw Romeo, coming out of a gap in the roof, and flying over the person''s head.


    The girl, being a young peasant, was leaning on a staff bigger than she was, and hobbled down the steps, holding a small bucket with her other hand. Just from the way she limped, hunched over and overcautious, every move caused her pain. Her movements were uncertain and slow.


    When the girl turned her face towards them, briefly, it was possible to see that she wore a smeared blindfold. It was a distressing sight, because it was possible to deduce that whatever had recently happened to her eyes, it wasn''t completed cured.


    ~ Mildred, watch out, there is a stone to your right. Yes, the side of the bucket. Watch out, five more steps and you reach the gate ... Watch out. Yes, now another 20 steps forward. There''s a puddle of water but I''ll let you know ... ~ Alexa was close enough to hear Alexander''s voice speaking to the girl, who replied with a murmur,


    "Here, Zand?"


    ~ Yes, Mildred. Watch your elbow at the gate. ~


    Alexa looked astonished and with a strange feeling of betrayal in her chest, ''Can he talk to other girls?!'' turning to the First Prince, she pointed out, as if wanting him punished,


    "He''s talking to the blind girl. She hears him and they talk to each other!"


    "I understood this much without even hearing him. Watch how she''s avoiding the obstacles while that gallant bird is flying around her," Magnus had a slight satisfied smile, unlike Alexa, who kept her eyes wide. He changed his smirk to a condescending look when he caught Alexa''s reaction,


    "Ehhh, don''t tell me you''re jealous of not being Alexander''s special girl. How is it to discover that talking to him is not that exclusive?"


    "Go to hell, ... Your Highness!" she pushed on his wrist, which she was holding now for no reason, and started stomping towards the girl. Alexander saw her, and the girl also heard her footsteps and stopped, astonished, turning towards the sound.


    "MILDRED! YOUR INGRATE BASTARD! YOU ARE REALLY A DISGRACEFUL WENCH, DIDN''T YOU TAKE THAT URINAL FROM HERE YET?! I''LL MAKE YOU EAT THAT, YOU HELLISH GOOD-FOR-NOTHING THING! COME HERE NOW! "


    The girl turned, startled, to the door she came out of, where a man''s booming voice came from.


    The girl shivered, fearing to disobey, and at the same time waiting for something.


    ~ Alexa, this is Mildred. She needs help. Her father ... ~ both girls heard Alexander speak, but before Alexander could finish what he would tell, the man appeared at the back door. He was a gray, shaggy man, big and strong, wearing a leather apron, wielding the big shovel to bag the ground wheat. The miller went down the two steps and came towards the chicken coop, and only then did he see the strangers around his daughter. His attitude changed abruptly. He straightened his back and shifted the handle of the shovel, eyeing the strangers with fear.


    "Can I serve you, milords?" he seemed undecided, clearly not understanding what these people were doing in his backyard, but intimidated by the posture and clothing of the newcomers. The Prince said, offhand,


    "Good morning, sir. My wife needs water and a meal, and I thought your home could serve us. Obviously, I will pay for the trouble."


    "Noble sir ..." the miller looked sideways at his daughter, while a static Alexa watched the situation feeling the blood heat each time she looked at each other.


    ~ This monster beats Mildred for whatever reason, but she has nowhere to go. She said that everyone in Tanbury hates her! ~ Alexander spoke with explicit hatred.


    "This useless person cannot cook, nor is she worthy to serve you water," said the man with contempt. "Your surely would be better served in the castle, milord..."


    Alexa interrupted, inflamed and with clenched fists,


    "Why does this injured girl have to work? Can''t you see she can barely walk?! Can''t you see her sore eyes are oozing?! Are you a parent or a monster?!"


    The man blinked in astonishment, but replied firmly, "Lady, you are foreigners, you won''t understand! Just stay out of our business. You are blessed with the Red Lady''s hospitality, but you must not meddle in our affairs!"


    "OH!" Alexa was so surprised and furious that words failed her. Meanwhile, the man turned to go back inside, but remembering something, he went back to his daughter. Gripping her wrist tightly, he gave her an abrupt tug to go with him. Mildred, unable to see, stumbled and fell, but the miller did not let go of her hand, and gave another shake, dragging her across the mud.


    "MILDRED! STAND UP!"


    Mildred screeched in pain.


    ~ Release her! You''re hurting her! ~ Alexander exclaimed, angry but unable to intervene with his little bird''s body.


    "RELEASE HER!" Alexa shouted, about to do something if the miller didn''t oblige to it.


    Magnus interfered before her. Overcoming the three steps of distance between him and the miller, he took the shovel from the man''s hand with a quick movement and turning it, stopped the shovel right beside the man''s neck. Alexa had flinched instinctively, certain that Magnus would kill the miller.


    But he didn''t. He just laughed devilishly, watching the man shrink and lose his aggressive pose in front of a true warrior.


    "If this girl is so useless, and I see that she is, I shouldn''t spend her energy on her. Honey, what are you thinking of doing?"


    Alexa didn''t have much idea about what they could do to help this blind girl abused by her own father. But the Princess was sure that Alexander wouldn''t leave Mildred until she was safe.


    "What to do¡­?"

 Chapter 122 - A Matter of Faith

    ~ Mildred doesn''t know that I''m a bird, and you shouldn''t tell her, ~ said Alexander, as soon as he had the opportunity to speak to Alexa away from the blind peasant. The Princess was going to agree, but then she sighed heavily, deciding not to make things so easy for the Second Prince,


    "Ah, of course. Are you sure it''s something you should ask me for?"


    ~ Ah, don''t be dramatic. The reasons are not futile. So far she has trusted me because she hears my voice. It''s obvious that she will be much more frightened than she already is if she knows that she is talking to an enchanted creature. How do you think she will react? ~


    "I have no idea," Alexa pouted, still divided by her pity for the poor girl and the awareness that Alexander had put them in an awkward position because of a local peasant.


    At that moment, they were in the ruins of the old convent, waiting for the rain to die down. They sheltered from the rain under a ruined building with a roof. Alexa didn''t have much choice but to say she wanted to take Mildred as a servant. Mildred''s father did not object, but warned that it would put them in big trouble. Mildred was thrown out of the house with a bundle of clothes and a pouch of dried meat.


    Alexa wished to leave as soon as possible. Her hands itched and burn, and it was a bad omen.


    ~ But please listen to me. She told me she was punished because of her faith. She said she''s not sorry, but she was afraid of not surviving. ~


    "Hm," Alexa was struggling to not sympathize with Mildred, but she was feeling her heart bleeding for the girl. The last time the maiden trusted and had mercy on a girl, appearances totally deceived her. "Now look, Alexander, she''ll soon find out that the voice she hears doesn''t have a body when we get to Tanbury Castle. Perhaps you had better prepare her for it. It won''t be good if she tells everyone she talks to strange voices."


    ~ Alexa, help me! ~


    "You shouldn''t involve yourself in this land''s affairs. Now, what am I going to do with a blind and injured maid?"


    ~ You are becoming much more insensitive than I expected, ~ he replied, and flew to the top of the ruined building.


    Alexa sighed, and looked sideways at Magnus, who was leaning on a windowsill watching the rain and lost in thought. She didn''t want to argue or make Magnus mad at Alexander, so she went over to the girl, who was sitting on her bundle of clothes.


    "Mildred, I need to know what happened, so we can help you. I see that your injury is recent."


    "Milady, I''m glad to you for choosing me as your maid. But I fear it will only hinder your trip. Zand said you were shipwrecked and you are a long way away," said the girl. Alexa imagined that Alexander presented himself with a nickname so that his name would not denounce his noble origin. This would only make sense because the young peasant woman really had no idea what a noble Saxon might sound like, of course.


    "Yes, Mildred. That''s what happened. We are also in trouble now. We are guests of Lady Gwendolyn at the castle. We needed to find Zand ... and Romeo. My bird," the princess still didn''t know what to say to the blind girl, so she was dubious.


    But she realized that Mildred trembled after her words, wincing.


    "Are you all right, Mildred?" Alexa already suspected what the problem was, but it would be better if the girl told them. And Mildred brought her hands up to her bandages under her eyes, her voice choked with tears.


    "Milady¡­ You and your husband are kind people. But I need to reveal something," said the peasant, shakily.


    "Was it Lady who ordered this?" the Princess asked.


    Mildred nodded.


    "What did you do to make Lady Gwendolyn have your eyes plucked out?" Magnus''s voice cut the brief silence that followed between them. Mildred was startled, and Alexa glanced and checked that, although attentive, Magnus had not even turned to look at the two.


    "I professed my faith," and the girl pulled a cord with a wooden cross from within the modest neckline. Alexa suppressed a sigh, because it meant something that she already suspected.


    ''Why do I have to be involved in disputes of faith everywhere?'' she thought, discouraged.


    "So nobody is a Christian here?"


    "They worship demons. The monk Peter said that the ''Ancient Gods'' of this land, as they call it, are nothing less than demons, and the promiscuity of that land will be punished! But before that happens, Milord, Milady, we better get out of here as soon as possible!"


    "What you are talking about is disturbing and dangerous, Mildred," Magnus said, coming closer. Alexa could not read anything in the First Prince''s expression.


    "I swear on my mother''s grave, it is true. When the Red Lady married Lord Fairclough, the secret cult gained strength. After he died, everything came out in the open. They killed those who remained faithful to the Church, others had to flee ..."


    "And you ...?" the girl was probably only a child when Lord Fairclough died, if the dates were correct. Alexa wanted to understand how much fantasy was and how much could be a reality, in Mildred''s account.


    "My mother died at that time. My father didn''t care much, and soon he converted to their service ... But when I go to the Duncaster fair, I try to go to church! I confess and obey the commandments! And at the fair¡­"


    "When and where is this fair?" Magnus questioned.


    "On Friday, in Duncaster. My dad and I are going¡­ we went, I mean, twice a month."


    Magnus scratched the back of his neck and cleared his throat, calling,


    "Zand, keep Mildred company, Milady and I need to talk."


    ~ Are you cold, Mildred? ~ Alexander asked, from where he was. The blind peasant turned her face to where she thought she was hearing the voice, with a smile on her face. Alexa sighed, imagining that this was just complicating the situation, and got up to go with Magnus to a distant corner to talk.


    "What can we do?"


    "Who knows, ask these monks for help to put her in a place where she is safe. At that moment, in smaller numbers, we must maintain our facade of ignorance. As soon as we leave here, I can even send letters about it to the Church. But it would be just stupid when we have so few swords at our side."


    "You didn''t even doubt her," she looked up at him, impressed.


    "Exactly as I never doubted your lack of faith when you stepped on Holstein," he winked at Alexa. "They left this girl alive as a sample of what happens to those who challenge this cult. She was a fool, for showing her faith, don''t you think?"


    Alexa didn''t know what to think at that moment of Magnus'' words. But he seemed just as penalized as Alexander for Mildred''s situation. She had given up on finding any logic in the First Prince''s actions.


    "But what is our plan, then?"


    "There''s not much that a blind woman with no family can do in this dire world, Alexa. Only charity can save her. So we have to find the people who can help her. The monks, probably. In the city Mildred mentioned. Perhaps she can be taken to a convent. I don''t see a better destination for this poor thing."


    "I wonder if the situation was reversed, if she were the pagan, what would you do?" Alexa wondered aloud.


    Magnus just looked at her coldly, without answering.


    "We shouldn''t go stay long in Tanbury, and now with this girl as your maid, things might become riskier. With luck, they''ll realize that we just want to leave and don''t bother us."


    "If it weren''t for that "Red" wanting you to duel for her. A woman capable of having a girl blinded just because she professes another faith must not be an understanding hostess..." her guts told her that Magnus was underestimating the problems they could face there.


    "We''ll see. I just want to get out of here and continue our search as soon as possible. If she needs a duel, maybe she can hurry things up."


    The Princess opened her eyes wide,


    "Don''t tell me you want to duel!" the realization that Magnus had not considered leaving Tanbury before dueling surprised her.


    "I don''t want people telling a von Wuttenfal ran from a duel!" he raised an eyebrow in defiance.


    "It''s so vain," she protested, incredulous.


    "It''s my family''s name," he replied, putting an end to the conversation by turning his broad back to Alexa.


    "Agh!" irritated, she closed her fists but there was nothing she could do about it. That thorny situation looked like a mire of which the more one moves, the more one sinks into the mud. Only one thing was certain.


    To save a single life, they were risking them all.


    She looked at the girl talking to the bird, probably believing she was talking to a flesh-and-blood boy. Then she glanced at Magnus, who had gone back to watching the rain with a dark, grim face.


    Alexa felt very lonely, suddenly.


    Her opinion didn''t matter. Alexander had decided something for everyone, and Magnus didn''t listen to her either. Furthermore, it seemed that the simple fact that Mildred was a Christian with some character and a martyr of the faith, placed her on a level that Alexa could not reach. That of a trusted person, for both.


    Tears trickled down her eyes without realizing it.


    Was it forbidden to wish to survive?


    Alexa could no longer understand why she was doing what she was doing. For two Princes who at times seemed to like her, and at other times seemed to despise her.


    ''Do any of them really like me?'' she wondered.


    But the approaching troop of horses interrupted Alexa''s thoughts.

 Chapter 123 - Weaving

    Ulrich and Johannes had come with some men from the castle to look for the couple, and the presence of the miller''s daughter was greeted with silence by the residents of Tanbury. They said nothing, nor did Magnus''s men question him in public. But they were happy that the Princess had found Romeo. Alexa wondered how much Johannes and Ulrich knew about Romeo, but that could only confirm when she was alone with Magnus again.


    Upon arrival at the castle, everyone expressed concern about the couple''s prolonged absence, and Lady Alexa''s health. Magnus exchanged a look with the Princess before leaving her with the women. Alexa noticed that Mildred was shaking like a leaf, but she was silent. The castle''s personnel pretended not to care or even notice that she was there, but when Alexa pretended not to be aware, she noticed the worried looks turned on the two.


    To rid Mildred of this sticky situation, after eating Alexa took her to their bedroom, and told the girl that they would think of a solution. "Just stay calm and avoid walking alone for now. Just go out with one of us."


    Alexa called Romeo and putting him on her shoulder, left with him looking for the Lady of the Castle.


    "Did you think of something to tell Mildred?" she whispered when she realized they couldn''t be heard. "I suppose she thinks you''re a page or something, since we rarely speak to you."


    ~ I believe it too. In fact, to justify why I couldn''t help her earlier, I said I had broken arms from the shipwreck, so I could only guide her," he explained.


    "Why, that was smart."


    ~ I don''t know how she can hear me, though. ~


    "Your brother asked himself the same thing. He said he thought you and I had a special bond, but it''s obviously silly."


    ~ But we have some special ties, Alexa. I dream about you for many years. Now we share much more literally the same flesh¡­ ~ Alexander spoke, after being silent for a few minutes.


    Alexa had a lot to talk to Alexander about, but it would take a lot more time and privacy. She murmured,


    "We are just going to work a way out of this situation without further losses. But I advise you not to speak in front of unknown people, as we still don''t know why it happened."


    ~ Yes, Milady! ~ Alexander agreed, mockingly.


    Finally she arrived where Lady Gwen was, among other women and girls. They were involved in some weaving work that the princess only knew about in theory.


    "Ahhh," said Lady Gwen when Alexa bowed in greeting, "I was so worried! So this is your stray singing bird, Lady Alexa?"


    "Yes, this is Romeo. He''s trained, and during the shipwreck, I kept him in my coat ... It''s surprising that he survived. A miracle, indeed. I couldn''t simply leave it after that," Alexa explained. "And the most interesting thing is that he was with a local girl. The miller''s daughter. Do you know her?"


    Someone found a place for the foreigner to sit, and little Jennifer came running up to her, to see Alexa and the bird as well. At the moment, she and Romeo were the focus of attention, but when she commented on Mildred, their eyes shifted and they all made confused expressions.


    "Ah, the miller''s daughter. I hope you didn''t have a poor impression, I was told that you and Lord von Wuttenfal were found in some horrible ruins..."


    "Ah, we just took shelter from the rain while we were back. What was that place?" she replied promptly, while looking at everything Jennifer brought her, colored threads, needles, etc. The girl seemed intent on impressing her. Meanwhile, Alexa felt the Red Lady''s gaze on her.


    "For a moment we even thought the Lord just wanted to take a stroll with his young wife ..."


    "Well, he usually fears that something will happen to me. And he understood that I was sad looking for Romeo," she stroked the nightingale''s head which, in turn, rubbed its beak gently on her shoulder. Everyone was delighted and Jennifer asked, with bright eyes.


    "Is your bird really trained? What he does?"


    "Oh, well ... lots of tricks," Alexa stated feeling pressured. The women turned to her expectantly, and the maiden swallowed. "Well, see, my beautiful bird can fly at me if I call it, and it also does some stunts. Romeo also sings with some commands and pretends to be asleep. Anyway, lots of tricks. But Romeo must be tired and¡­"


    "PLEASE! Let me see the tricks!" the girl insisted, extending her little hands to catch Romeo. For Alexa, Jennifer would insist until she succeeded, due to her childish curiosity and her fascination with the visitor.


    Alexa took Romeo in her hand?, and heard the murmur in her mind,


    ~ Now am I a circus attraction?!! ~


    "Romeo, come to this hand, yes?" she smiled and held out a hand. Romeo inspected her hand, and then went on with the farce, landing gracefully in her palm. And the nightingale did other tricks, passing through her arms in an arc, singing at her command among other games that delighted the audience.


    "I didn''t know it was easy to train nightingales," the girl''s mother commented.


    "Well, it isn''t, really. A very special person trained this bird. In fact, a young prince gave me this bird as a wedding gift. It was he who trained it so perfectly," she said, leaving Romeo on the windowsill where Lady Gwen''s daughter did not reach him. "Well, since Romeo is such a valuable and highly esteemed gift, I was happy that he was with the miller''s daughter."


    The heavy footsteps echoed near the room where they were weaving, and the princess knew immediately that it was Magnus making noise. She already recognized his way of stumping, when he wanted to make an announced entry. ''Ah, he''s so arrogant!''


    The women looked at each other in excitement, and one of them was to bring the visitor. Magnus stopped at the door, pretending to be embarrassed to be in a strictly feminine place.


    And those women all looked like chickens in a chicken coop with very straight backs and all very aware of his intrusion, Alexa concluded. And she also realized that he was very aware of that, too. Taking a deep breath, she gave him a sweet smile, like that of a shy young wife.


    "Ah, well, I was told you were here. Lady Gwendolyn, I would like your opinion..."


    "Well, why don''t we walk a little? If Lady Alexa wants to rest after the morning adventure, she can stay. You seemed so delighted with the weaving¡­"


    ''Is this woman really trying to get me off the subject? I''m quite aware that she loves to chat alone with Magnus,'' Alexa stood up, saying,


    "Ah, your opinion is very important to us. There are many things we need to know to make our stay here as inconvenient as possible," she quickly stood by her ''husband''. Romeo flew to her shoulder and Magnus put his hand on her back, slightly, while keeping an enigmatic look at the lady of the castle. ''Is he flirting with her? In front of me, his fake wife? ''


    The Prince''s stance was unprecedented until then, and she didn''t know what to think.


    Lady Gwendolyn accompanied them to a courtyard from which they could see the northern landscape, with mountains in the distance,


    "What could I be useful for?" she asked, after walking a little.


    "My wife insists on interfering in relation to a girl from the village. The girl is the miller''s daughter, and by some accident she''s blind. Whether or not temporarily, we wouldn''t be able to say. But," he paused to look at Alexa, who was surprised by the blunt way Magnus brought it up, "I''ve been thinking and I think it''s better to find out what happened, rather than causing a bigger problem, maybe. Would Milady know, by any chance, what this girl is going through?"


    "Lady Alexa is really too delicate to ask, even though I realized her intention to do that earlier," Gwendolyn looked at Alexa with a condescending smile, but explained, "or maybe I''m too used to the rigors of dealing with inhospitable land and the rudeness of men, and has lost the grace of youth a long time ago."


    Etiquette forced Alexa to disagree about lady Gwen''s comment on her beauty and youth, which was in fact true. Magnus smirked,


    "As my father would say, intelligent and assertive women are the best."


    Alexa shivered, but her fake husband continued, "but then, my lady, tell us if it''s not too inconvenient, what happened to this girl and what can we do to help. Alexa really wants to reward you. Her delicate heart cannot bear to witness suffering. From a stray little sheep to a blind girl, if she could she''d help them all."


    Gwendolyn''s eyes gleamed as she looked at Alexa again,


    "Your kindness rivals your beauty, milady. But look ... I don''t know exactly what happened. Just rumors and I don''t know if I could listen to such things. The sheriff certainly knows more. What I heard is that she did serious damage and someone took revenge. But it was all so recent! It is a pity that they are getting involved..."


    Alexa knew she could not be friends with this woman who was so condescending to her. The Red Lady treated her as if she were some fragile chinaware, or a child. But Magnus was helping to create that illusion.


    But Alexa decided that she wouldn''t deny the farce, as she thought she would need it. Lady Gwen was leaving the necessary tips to be questioned later by Magnus, when the ''innocent creature'', that is, Alexa, was not around.


    She had no doubt that Magnus intended to do this interrogation.


    After all, that was his style. She remembered it well.


    But Lady Gwendolyn surprised her, after some thoughtful time,


    "This girl may have done something wrong, but no one wants her dead. If Lady Alexa really wants to help, maybe I have an idea."

 Chapter 124 - Bound by Word

    "Please tell us," Alexa quickly urged.


    Gwendolyn kept her expression thoughtful,


    "Well, that poor creature needs a new chance, but I don''t think it will be here. Tanbury is nothing more than the last and forgotten bastion of defense in this portion of England and we are Brentford''s vassals. But nothing really changes here, and the families that live here will remain the same."


    This was true for most towns and cities around essentially agricultural places. When she, Ian and Locke strayed a little way in the Teutonic empire, she saw several places like that. They didn''t like strangers and anything that would interfere with their routine.


    But Lady Gwen continued to expound her idea,


    "In the valley to the east, beyond Brentford, Duncaster''s lands are not so remote and traditional, and there is even a famous fair for trading. I think Duncaster could be an option for the miller''s daughter. If she goes there, she''ll probably get some placement that doesn''t require much¡­ In fact, a small caravan from Tanbury goes to Duncaster''s fair often. Just¡­ no one would have the patience to accompany her on the trip and find help for the girl. It would take a lot of patience, in fact ..."


    "Um, well, in that case I believe that if someone can spare us all the necessary information, we can do that. I mean, take her to this city and find a place for Mildred," said Alexa, turning to the First Prince with a lovely smile on her face. "Can we? Yes?"


    "Depending only on my will, yes, we can," Magnus held his breath for a moment, and smiled back, charming. Alexa was confused for a moment with all this staging, since he looked ecstatic even when it was all a farce. Lady Gwen straightened her hair, and frowned briefly,


    "Oh, good. The peasants taking goods to the Duncaster fair leave the day after tomorrow morning. And many return the same day. But¡­ Well, maybe I should send another letter to Baron Brentford."


    Magnus, who had been holding his hand on Alexa''s shoulder all of a sudden, released her,


    "Ah, milady already sent the letter about the duel?"


    "Well, my lord said I could, so I sent it this morning ... The messenger should be back in the early evening, since we are neighbors."


    Alexa was not surprised that Lady Gwen reminded Magnus of the deal. And in fact, if she had managed to pull the promise out of that idiot and furthermore, announced the duel, Magnus was trapped by the word.


    How had that proud idiot been so easily caught? In the midst of such a sensitive mission, commit to dueling for a cause that Alexa didn''t even know what was?


    "Don''t send a messenger. I''ll think of something and let you know, milady," said ''Lord von Wuttenfal'', bowing in farewell and thanks, again putting his hand on Alexa''s back. The false wife also bowed, and they both left Gwendolyn.


    As soon as they were out of earshot, Magnus said,


    "Now we have this huge problem. Lady Gwendolyn is right, the longer Mildred stays here, the worse it will be. But I also can''t take my word for it and I shouldn''t be absent if I have to duel."


    Alexa resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but she knew that his reasoning had its logic. They were at an impasse. Alexander suggested,


    ~ What if Mags stays while we take Mildred to this city? She even said that she met some monks at the fair. It won''t be that difficult. Ulrich and Johannes can accompany us, and as soon as we finish we will go back to Tanbury. ~


    Alexa replied the Second Prince''s comment to let Magnus know, but the older brother snorted,


    "Impossible. Alexa goes to sleep at sunset wherever she is."


    "Will the duel happen for sure the day after tomorrow? Could we wait until then?" Alexa asked aloud. "In addition, we should ask Mildred what she wants. It''s her life, after all."


    "By tomorrow night we will have something decided," Magnus did not seem satisfied, but he kept his annoyance to himself. "After that, I hope my esteemed brother did not go out to collect orphans and widows along the way. When I was talking about the soft heart that cannot bear suffering, I meant you, Zand!"


    The statement outraged both Alexa and Alexander, each for a reason. But Magnus left them, and Alexa went to the bedroom.


    Mildred had dozed off at the foot of the bed, but woke up to her arrival, bewildered and frightened,


    "Who''s there?"


    ~ Calm down, it''s us. Lady Alexa and me, ~ said Alexander. We are on your right, ~


    Alexa wished they could leave soon. The castle had a gloomy aura and right now she felt her hands itching slightly. She didn''t see any Shades around, but a castle like that always had at least one.


    As soon as the blind girl calmed down, the princess introduced the subject as best she could: speaking directly,


    "Mildred, we were thinking of taking you to Duncaster where you could meet your friends from the Church. Monk Peter may know how to help you. We talked to Lady Gwendolyn, and she supports you to leave ... She imagines that you won''t have many chances here. And honestly, without meeting the people here, I don''t know who could help it."


    "All the people who were my friends turned on me after I decided to not hide my faith anymore. I was very innocent, maybe. But they didn''t grant me a quick death¡­"


    The bird flapped on her shoulder, and Alexa tried to comfort Mildred by rubbing her icy hands, "Trust your faith and don''t let your truth die out in your heart. But being practical, I can''t think of anything better than the suggestion of the lady from that land."


    Mildred was silent for a moment, fighting her feelings for the way she breathed heavily and swallowed. Finally she said,


    "If you can help me with just that, my lady, I will be forever grateful. More than that, I am forever grateful to Zand, milady and milord, for having pity on a low and miserable person like me. The Abbey of St Ewe might shelter me¡­ The monk Peter says that the abbess is a principled person, and even suggested it to me once¡­ If I had at least accepted it! None of this would have happened!" she exclaimed, trembling at the memory of her ordeal.


    ~ If I could I would kill the person who did this to you! ~ Said Alexander suddenly, inflamed. The maiden''s eyes widened, surprised by so much bitterness and vitriol,


    "Why are you saying that? What would that help?!" she asked irritably. "Go keep Magnus'' company if you''re going to be talking nonsense and making Mildred sad!" She got up, agitated, and opened the window. Romeo ignored the window and flew to one of the wooden beams on the roof, disappearing into the shadows, however. Alexa understood that he felt constrained by his bewitched form, and by not being able to express himself physically.


    Seeing how upset her husband was with the situation of the peasant she had recently met, Alexa intimately wondered if she was the person being insensitive to Mildred''s suffering. She tried to be practical, but it was easier when it came to her own feelings and needs than when someone else needed her.


    And then she remembered, the times when people went out of their way to help her, and how essential their outstretched hands were.


    Like Sir John Blackrose, for example.


    Embarrassed for being so reluctant, Alexa decided to replicate the kindness she had received from that man, who freed her from suffering and possible death. Sighing, she turned to Mildred, who was quiet and with her head down in the same spot as before,


    "Mildred, I will take you to the monk Peter, and arrange for you to get to the convent. You have my word on it."


    "I ... have no words to thank you, milady."


    "Well, then please stay with this stubborn guy over there, but don''t listen to his nonsense. I think I should figure out how to go to Duncaster today," looking out the window made her realize how fast time had passed that day. Soon she would be asleep and back in Holstein, where other types of problems awaited her.


    Leaving the room, the princess was going down the nearest stairs, but she saw Jennifer coming in that direction. Imagining that the girl was going to take her precious time, Alexa turned around to avoid her, entering a narrow corridor that she didn''t know where it would end. There was no alternative but to move on and find out where the corridor would lead. By the way, Alexa imagined it was for the battlements of the keep. But the princess was wrong. It ended in a window and a door. The door wasn''t locked, and she pushed lightly, but stopped when she heard what sounded like conversation.


    ''Ignore it, Alexa, it''s none of your business,'' she thought, but there was something that made her want to know what was there. So she made her steps lighter and pushed the door cautiously to peek inside.


    The soft splash of water anticipated what she would see. This was Lady Gwendolyn''s room. She knew because she saw herself, her back with her lush hair trailing on the floor, while her body was plunged into a bathtub.


    "Ohhh ... Hmmm ... Damn ... Ohhhhh!"


    Gwendolyn was restless and undoubtedly did not notice Alexa hidden in the shadows at the back of the room. The sounds coming out of the woman''s mouth left no doubt what kind of sensations she experienced in her bathtub.


    Then Alexa''s gaze stretched beyond the tub where Gwendolyn had her solitary pleasure. The half-open door, or rather, wide open in Lady Gwendolyn''s room, could not be an oversight. It was an invitation.


    And with dark eyes and fixed on the scene that Alexa saw only from the back, Magnus was outside the door.

 Chapter 125 - Your Eyes

    Alexa felt a lump in her throat, and also the blush rising to her cheeks.


    "If I didn''t know that this ... Red Lady is trying to seduce my husb ... Prince Magnus, I would think that I have been very unlucky lately, for always stumbling over these intimate scenes¡­"


    Before the Prince or the owner of the castle could see the trespasser there, Alexa came back where she had come from, pretty annoyed by what she had just witnessed.


    ''But¡­ Who knows, I might just end Lady Gwen''s plans? I have no doubt that that door was open for the sole purpose of allowing Magnus to see what he was not supposed to see.


    A beautiful woman thirsty for pleasure.


    Alexa narrowed her eyes, arriving again in front of her own room without even noticing how. ''Should I interfere? Shouldn''t I do it?''


    On the one hand, how could she condemn him if he did not resist Lady Gwen''s charms? Both had no commitments to other people. Magnus wasn''t even engaged. On the other hand, Lady Gwen did not know it.


    Turning on her heels, the Princess returned, this time on the conventional path. Night was falling fast, and the hall was already full of shadows, and she knew she didn''t have much time. She went towards Lady Gwen''s room, keeping her steps as light as ever. She found Magnus coming towards her, but noticed that when he saw her coming, the Prince held his breath and could barely hide the guilt on his face. The princess contained the urge to narrow her eyes, and came to him.


    Magnus scratched his chin, staring at her without saying anything. He was facing a window, and the light illuminated his chiseled face, highlighting his handsomeness. His eyes captured the golden light of the sunset as he watched her.


    Alexa was stunned. She didn''t know what to say, but her body did. There was no way to pretend not to understand Lady Gwen''s motivations.


    "Alexa?"


    "Ah ... Magnus," she had nothing to say when she saw the shadow of a provocative smile appear on the First Prince''s lips. "Did you know that little Jennifer says you have cat eyes?"


    ''Ouch, what nonsense was that I just said?'' she bit her bottom lip, sorry for her comment.


    "Is that what you think too?" he approached Alexa keeping his gaze locked on hers, invading her personal space while his smile increased. In one corner of her mind she imagined hearing light steps, but nodded, swallowing,


    "A big, bad cat, of course."


    "It is because the eyes reflect the soul, my love," he said, taking her waist gently and lifting the princess easily into the air. Alexa could only hold his biceps for greater stability while facing each other. Her heart was pounding as she looked into the Prince''s eyes with no good answer to Magnus''s dubious comment. The princess was still surprised how easy any physical effort seemed to him. But Magnus continued, in a quiet voice,


    "Don''t you know? I love your eyes. They look so good on you. I know people with beautiful eyes, but you have the most beautiful eyes. Because they are really a piece of your soul. Even when they are angry for some reason, like now..."


    "...?!" she felt herself blush again, and was totally confused. Her feet dangled in the air as she looked down and at Magnus, trying to understand...


    And her soul was dragged away from her body again, and she still felt herself being supported by Magnus, before waking up in the tower at Holstein castle.


    ''What the hell was that, out of nowhere?'' the maiden covered her mouth nervously.


    Unable to understand, and taking longer than she should, lingering into the feeling of staring into Magnus''s eyes, Alexa stayed in bed trying to think of how to solve the problem they were experiencing in Tanbury. Until, realizing that she couldn''t think of any other solution but to go to Duncaster, Alexa got up.


    Blue Eyes looked up from his notes,


    "Any special reason for the sighs?"


    "Aagh!" Alexa almost gave a jump of fright. As she composed himself, the Princess commented sarcastically, looking from corner of eye to the priest,


    "It is very strange to know that there is someone watching your sleep." However this time the manly voice coming from Alexander''s throat wasn''t so charming into her ears. Perhaps she was totally losing her ability to fake being a boy. Her soul now knew what was to truly be a woman.


    "It''s not your sleep. It''s Prince Alexander''s sleep," the priest replied, closing his leather-bound notebook. He looked melancholy, suddenly. "How is he, anyway?"


    Alexa took a deep breath,


    "For a bird, he can make a monumental mess. In fact, was he always like that?"


    Her comment was apparently very unexpected and shocking, because Blue Eyes stared at Alexa, or rather, the Second Prince, and laughed until dry tears in the corners of his eyes. The princess had no idea why he was laughing so much, and was embarrassed. She waited for the priest to calm down, while turning Alexander''s royal ring on his finger.


    "Eh ... What was so funny?"


    "You, the Queen of the troublemakers, are judging Alexander."


    "Uhn, I don''t get it¡­ But maybe it''s because, as Prince Magnus said, everyone loves Alexander. Apparently people cannot see who he really is."


    "Ah, so you have complaints about your husband?"


    "Father Agnello, please don''t come and tell me I am being unfair. He barely got there and had already found another girl!" the princess ended up speaking with the feeling of betrayal that she had in her chest, since the person she gave up half of her life for just disappeared, and then was involved with another girl!


    The Father blinked, perplexed, and Alexa went on to tell the facts, including that Lady Fairclough had had the peasant blinded, according to Mildred''s own account.


    After a thoughtful moment, the priest said, sternly,


    "Alexander wouldn''t be able to bear the fact of not helping this girl. She must be removed from there and when you arrive at the convent, tell them exactly what I am going to tell you¡­" after that, the priest explained in detail how to inform the abbess about the problem without creating unnecessary complications that would hinder their trip. Alexa agreed, feeling more relieved to have a plan at least regarding it.


    "Ah, Father, I need money. A good amount," said Alexa, remembering what she had to do tonight. The priest made a face,


    "Why do you need money if what you''re going to do is help me with these Greek texts?"


    "Ah! Father Agnello, I promise I will do this soon, but listen to me!" reporting her discoveries about Cordelia and her encounter with an infernal creature, and also about with Lady Charlotte Duvignes, Alexa held out her cupped hands to the Florentine priest, beaming a smile. "Come on, lend me some money! I can pay it back, right? I am no longer the poor lady with nothing but a bundle of clothes! Thanks to you!"


    "At least you recognize that. Will you pay me with your money or with Alexander''s money?" he asked, before going to get the amount.


    "Uhn¡­ With First Prince''s money! He''s funding this meeting. It was his suggestion, so the money will be his too!" she felt especially brilliant for thinking about it.


    Blue Eyes just snorted and, when he returned, in addition to the gold bag he also had a promissory note with the name of Princess Alexa written on it, which she should sign.


    "Do I need to call a witness?" asked the Italian priest.


    ''Ah, how stingy!'' she shook her head no, counting the coins carefully before signing.


    Later, around the agreed time, the second prince, the priest and Balbo left the castle in a closed carriage. Stopping the vehicle a little way from the Jewish quarter, Lex put the purple mask back on and pulled the hood up, speeding the distance to the bridge. It was just natural to suppose that Balbo would be watching the entire meeting from some strategic point. Lex might not like Charlotte Duvignes, but she was very intrigued about her.


    Lex didn''t know Holstein well enough to know more, but the night was morbid and suffocating, despite the cold weather. The stone streets shone with the night dew, but the stench of death still lingered, much to her dismay.


    Since the flood Lex had not been walking the streets of Holstein.


    The bridge was apparently on the edge of the Jewish quarter, which was between the port and the city center. On the other side, it was possible to see a gate guarded by soldiers.


    It didn''t surprise Lex that the neighborhood had a kind of curfew. She had heard that it happened elsewhere. Those people, not being of the same religion as the majority, did not have free access to the city at night.


    But Lex noticed a strange movement near the gate.


    Narrowing her eyes to follow what was happening, even with the streets poorly lit, hooded men were sneaking out of the Jewish quarter, apparently with the consent of the gate guards. They quickly went into an alley. Lex would have followed them to see what they would do, but she noticed that the person she was supposed to speak to had already arrived and was at the meeting point, looking both ways for him.


    Approaching, Lex remembered to impersonate his old character, Alexios, to help maintain the farce.


    "Milady," ''he'' greeted the hooded woman, trying to read on the French lady''s face what her intentions were.

 Chapter 126 - The French Spy

    "Bon soir, I must thank you for your invaluable help at that time, mon ami," said Charlotte, while keeping her gaze fixed on the face hidden by a mask. "There is a story about a masked person who saved the life of a prince ... A ''Purple Mask'', they said. But it was believed that it was a lady who had done this. Or was it you?" she asked, tilting her head charmingly.


    "I think what matters is that the Prince''s life was saved," Lex minimized, shrugging. "But I''m interested in what you have to say. What were you doing in Princess Cordelia''s old room?"


    "Why, maybe the same as you, Purple Mask¡­ We shouldn''t be ashamed, though. It''s clear that we have more in common than might appear at first sight. We have found a terrible secret and we must think about how to deal with what we know."


    This was what Lex thought would be the main tenor of the conversation, but this surprising fact about the French diplomat''s wife raised doubts. Were they spy, or did Charlotte act without her husband''s knowledge?


    "And do you have a plan on what to do about it?"


    "I didn''t expect to find a demon in the Princess''s room. My search had other reasons."


    "I saw that you found an object. Was it related to your search? Did it have to do with witchcraft and demonism?"


    "Look ..." she said with a slight smile, "I shouldn''t just give away what I know." Lex sighed,


    "Milady, we don''t know if she already knows we were there. And what could be so important that it needed to have such a powerful guardian. We have to come together in this regard. I will start. I was there to investigate some suspicious activity. From the attempted assassination of Prince Magnus, to how, even as a bride rejected by the First Prince, Lady Cordelia managed to marry his father."


    "Is there a personal reason for this?" the lady asked, casually.


    "Perhaps. My contractor has a lot of interest in that."


    Lex''s improvised response had the desired effect, which was to question ''his'' identity. It was not difficult to imagine that Charlotte had seen Prince Alexander a few times, but perhaps with that, the lady would have doubts about to whom she was talking to. And she saw Charlotte bite her bottom lip, thinking about it.


    "Well, your contractor and mine may have common interests. The concern for the de Wits is no longer just a suspicion," she said. "But I really don''t know if the ministers would accept something like that as evidence against Prince Gutard''s new wife."


    Charlotte took an object wrapped in a handkerchief from the sleeve of her cloak. Lex watched as the Frenchwoman unwrapped the content. In her hand, a small round box made of silver metal, possibly lead. Charlotte opened it and Lex saw a small, roughly shaped figurine inside.


    "What does that mean?"


    "I don''t know, because I can''t read what is written here," Charlotte pointed to the lid of the object, where strange symbols were inscribed. Lex also could not identify the symbols with just a quick glance. He only had the vague knowledge that some witches used to make amulets, both for protection and to curse their enemies. But it must be vitally important since it was being guarded by a beast from the underworld.


    "Yes, I imagine that without proper knowledge this is just useless," commented Lex with a sigh.


    "But I will have the answer soon, mon ami," she said with a hint of superiority, and chuckled softly. Lex wondered if she was trying to be charming toward the mysterious masked person.


    "Hm, what do you suggest we should do together, milady?"


    "We are going to exchange information about what it relates to Lady Cordelia. She''s a threat. And for all I know about Holstein, stranger than usual things are happening. Before the wedding of Lady Cordelia''s arrival, it seemed that everything was just a way to make Holstein even richer. I mean, it''s strategic for Holstein to be the city that controls the traffic of goods across the Baltic routes. But if it wasn''t for that Greek, Lady Alexa, we might not have known what happened in that villa, when the bride was supposedly ambushed. But now, after what we saw in Cordelia''s room, what could have been just an act to make the bride even more suitable for Prince Magnus ... Maybe it wasn''t a farce, after all. My intention in investigating the room was not to find evidence of witchcraft, although my patr¡­" she bit her lip, realizing that she was talking too much, but Lex didn''t give her a chance to disguise,


    "Did your patron tell you that¡­?"


    "It was possible to find something related to witchcraft in her objects. He told me what things I could find."


    ''Hm, she has someone who has a lot of knowledge,'' Lex concluded. "Is your patron the person who is supposed to tell you what these inscriptions are about?"


    "No. I must see a specialist," she nodded toward the Jewish quarter gate. "Although they are segregated, they can be used if we need such knowledge."


    "May I join you?" Lex shamelessly asked knowing it was bold and crude, but he was prepared to be laughed at and hearing a plain no.


    Charlotte assessed the masked figure in front of her, tough,


    "I will do you this favor in return for what you did last night. I will introduce you to my master''s contact. I only have his name myself. But if he''s an expert as they say, we will have the answers on this object tonight. We can know who we are saving from damnation."


    "So let''s do this without delay. The guards are already watching our lengthy chatting next to their posts," Lex urged.


    Moments later, after bribing the guards at the Jewish ghetto''s gate, the couple walked cautiously through the dimly lit alleys. Charlotte said,


    "Master Chakkim Cohen is the man I must look for. According to the information, he lives on the top floor of the barbershop¡­"


    But when they turned the corner that would take them to the barbershop, they came across a group of men, actually young men, who were carrying lamps and clubs with them.


    The couple had enough experience to know they were in trouble.


    "Look," someone said, with a threatening shrug, then followed the conversation with his friends in Yiddish. Lex didn''t understand that language. But he cleared his throat and explained,


    "We''re going to see someone, we don''t want to cause any problems."


    "Go back where you came from, we don''t want your diseases!" another voice spoke, threatening. Lex didn''t understand what they were talking about, but Charlotte took a step back. Looking beyond them, Lex saw the barbershop at the end of the corner.


    "Throw out the p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e and her friend!" another prompted, in an angry voice. Another provocation followed, even more frightening, "Better than that, let''s show that we obey the law of not meet Christians at night. We take care of our territory and any trespassers!"


    "Hehehe, yes! Come here, Catholic bitch!"


    It was easy to understand the grudge of this community and its oppressed youth. But they were there on a mission and Lex didn''t know if, missing this opportunity, he could hear that sage man first-hand again.


    Assessing the conditions, Lex exchanged a look with his partner on occasion. Charlotte was not just a lady of the court, it was already disclosed. But would she be able to run to the barbershop?


    Seeing the agreement in Charlotte''s eyes, Lex turned to the group and shouted,


    "Dieter, Lars, we''re in trouble here!" as expected, most of them immediately turned their attention to the shadows behind the couple, and Lex pulled Charlotte to get past the Jewish neighborhood militia. Lex almost missed a blow to the head, but he had the presence of mind to lower his head, and he heard the stick buzz close to his ear.


    The couple ran as fast as they could, with their chasers in pursuit. The hope was that Master Cohen would give them shelter and endors.e.m.e.nt to be there. Upon arriving at the Barbershop, they saw a door next door. Charlotte knocked at it violently, calling,


    "Master Cohen, open! Open up, please!"


    Lex looked behind him, and saw the group quickly approaching them. They would be surrounded and cornered against the door, and if Master Cohen decided not to open, they would be lynched, and their bodies thrown into the sea. Blinking and thinking this could not happen to the body he inhabited, Lex saw in the building opposite a faint light in a half-open window in the overhanging. The ad in the small marquee advertised a paint merchant.


    "Charlotte!" Lex pulled her out again, and ignoring the lady''s puzzled expression, he pushed her across the street. Lex helped her up the eaves of the building, while being surrounded by militiamen.


    ''Uh-oh!'' Charlotte held out her hand and Lex wasted no time, he was quick enough to get up but one of the guys jumped up and pulled on his cloak, trying to catch him and make him fall. The fabric around Lex''s neck gave a powerful tug, which tipped him off balance and nearly knocked him over, but Charlotte grabbed him with both hands to pull him up. Lex heard the cloak tear, but with Charlotte''s help he managed to climb up, while the group threw stones and sticks at them.


    They entered the window quickly.


    Lex still had a lot of pain in his neck, and took his hand to rub the sore spot, coughing slightly. But he realized that besides Charlotte, there was someone else there, near the window.


    To his shock, the man by the window was an older version of Magnus.

 Chapter 127 - Charlottes Master

    Lex looked again at the man by the window, who was watching the commotion outside. He must have been about Prince Gutard''s age, but he wasn''t that big. Apart from the color of his eyes, and his light brown hair cut very short, he was much more like Magnus than Gutard himself.


    Lex tried to control ''his'' cough and hide his surprise, massaging his throat, not knowing what to do. Charlotte also looked surprised, but for other reasons, as it became clear as soon as she said,


    "Master!"


    The man finally turned to them, after closing the window. The lighting in the room came from a single candlestick, but Lex could see that he was wearing discreet but good quality clothes. The man''s hand, however, slid into his coat, where he possibly had a dagger. The man looked at Charlotte with an expression of distaste,


    "I think I asked you to do this discreetly, Lotte."


    "I''m sorry," she said, lowering her head, and still catching her breath.


    "Meeting an independent guard group looking to punish invaders was unexpected. And it was by chance that we entered your window, ''Master''," explained Lex. The Second Prince should recognize the clever strategy of watching the entrance from a point across the street, tough.


    "Who are you?" the man asked sharply.


    ''Monkeys bite me if this is not a von Wuttenfal. It would be difficult to hide that face and that arrogance in a hay-filled barn, ''Lex pouted, before answering,


    "You can call me whatever you want. I must keep my identity secret at this point."


    "Master, this is the person who interfered with the attack on the Prince on the day of the Bride''s Parade. ''The Masked Lady''," explained Charlotte. Apparently, this should lighten the mood of her master, who did not expect her to be accompanied.


    The man examined Lex from top to bottom, and said,


    "I am in doubt about being a Lady, however. Still, why did you bring it? "


    "I stumbled upon it while surveying the new Princess''s room. But besides meeting him there, we also met a monster."


    As Charlotte explained the events of the night before, Lex wondered why he had never seen this von Wuttenfal.


    After the report, the man stared at Lex,


    "What are your goals?"


    "I can''t reveal it right now, without talking to whoever hired me first. But we must not stumble over each other, if we have similar goals. Charlotte told me that, in exchange for saving her yesterday, she might allow me to know what Master Cohen has to say about the found object. Is that still true?"


    The man who didn''t introduce himself thought about it, then nodded, "Yes. Let''s do this. The city is restless, and this neighborhood even more so. We must not move where we are not wanted."


    He opened the door for them to go down. They passed through the house of a family, who was dining at the table, and the man threw a gold bag at the feet of the supposed owner of the house, as a payment for the rent on the upper floor. They went out into the street, and although the group wasn''t there, Lex saw that they were being watched from a distance.


    Moments later, they were greeted by Master Cohen, a short, stooped man with an incredibly hooked nose and a collection of manuscripts and strange objects on shelves. This brought to Lex''s mind his passage through Jerusalem, when he was still a child. His father accompanied and was an interpreter of a man who sought the grave of a person who little Alexios did not bother to memorize the name. It was in a room like this that the men discovered an important clue about what they were looking for.


    Returning from his brief memory, Lex realized that he had missed an unimportant part of the conversation. Charlotte handed the metal box to the man, brought the object close to myopic eyes. After grimacing and bringing a source of light closer, the man exclaimed,


    "There''is no doubt that this object is an element of magic. It is a curse amulet, designed to control someone, as written on the box. The symbols are not so clear to me, but I believe that it''s a question of limiting the movements of that man. Because the victim is a man, and the perpetrator is a woman."


    "How do you know that, Master Cohen?" asked von Wuttenfal.


    "It is about witchcraft as old as time. There was once a group in these lands that practiced these spells. They worshipped the Dark Moon, Lilith, Hecate, and Diana. All are the same at the end of the day. The avenging lady of the night, the first woman."


    "Has there ever been such a group? So maybe they''re back, considering the recent events," Lex commented.


    "Yes, it looks like the same cult. But they banned those over two decades from now ..." said the Jew thoughtfully. "It will be a tough year. Even more so with the plague¡­"


    Lex stirred, and realized that von Wuttenfal crossed his arms defensively when the man said that. Charlotte asked,


    "Plague? What you mean?"


    This time it was the sage who looked at the beautiful woman with curiosity,


    "Lady, Holstein is under a powerful curse. What happened in the square that day, and whose rumors even reached this neighborhood, brought the plague. All that rot and flood ... We still have mud from the dead under our soles. And new dead appeared. Not long ago, the Prince of Holstein had all the doctors attending the court killed¡­ Not many are left in the city. Those who can afford it are even secretly calling doctors from our people because they are desperate. And that is why we know."


    Lex remembered the dreadful day when the Prince burned Gisela''s remains together with two women accused of having taken part in the attack on Cordelia''s entourage. The flood that followed the storm, and putrefying bodies floating through the streets of Holstein. Her skin prickled, and her heart filled with fear. Even today, about a hundred years after the Great Black Death, his ghost was a painful and frightening wound.


    Charlotte''s Master placed another object on the table in front of the Jewish sage. Lex saw with amazement that it was one of the half-broken pieces. The man looked carefully, then went to his bookshelf and after searching for a while, opened a codex with notes and drawings. He leafed carefully and licked the tip of his thumb to turn the next leaf, making Lex distressed. Impatient, Lex ended up saying,


    "Necromancy. Obols1 to pay the ticket. Only in half."


    All three looked at the masked figure strangely, but Master Chakkim said,


    "Yes! Exactly! The connection with hellish cults is obvious. These witches aim to have control of the spirits."


    "More than that. Recently there was a rumor that there was a succubus in the castle. The confrontation revealed that it was true. The demon had a physical body," Lex added to the information that no one else knew about.


    "Which means it was summoned," concluded the Jewish sage. Charlotte was gaping,


    "So it was really true? There was an actual succubus around?"


    Lex nodded in agreement.


    "The body of a Polish nobleman has recently disappeared," Lady Duvignes commented to everyone, expressing her concern. "He was a formidable warrior, but he was defeated in a duel, by Prince Magnus ..."


    Lex remembered that. The matter had become a serious political incident, which resulted in the expulsion of the Polish entourage. But, to think Florian''s body had been stolen to perform a ritual like the one that revived that beautiful woman who was possessed by the gello? That was chilling.


    "Lets go to what matters. How can we identify these witches, Master Cohen? We already know that they are dangerous and of the most vile type, if they are capable of desecrating bodies for their nefarious interests. What about this doll? Can we identify who could be the victim just by the object?" Lex asked.


    "At least I couldn''t identify it, but maybe someone who knows the man can. The object is very rustic and without details. Now, as for the witches, I don''t think they were around all this time, hidden and waiting for something. It is possible that they came from afar, or from the countryside. The von Wuttenfal are reputed to be witch killers. It would not be difficult for the witches to have prepared for a glorious time for the family, the marriage of the firstborn¡­"


    Nothing the stooped man said was really new, except for the enlightened point of view: the witches came from somewhere. Lex suspected three women, actually, but thorough evidence was needed.


    After that, they said goodbye to Master Cohen, and left the Jewish quarter escorted by his son to the gate. On the bridge, Lex had to say goodbye to the man whom he didn''t know the name, and Lady Duvignes. I was sure they would discuss what they had discovered today.


    Upon arriving at the carriage, where Father Agnello and Balbo were waiting, Lex collapsed on the bench,


    "Did you know the plague came to town?"


    Without even looking at each other, the two men nodded carefully. Balbo said,


    "It is impossible to ignore, since I live downtown. Many hearses pass by day, the bells ring almost non-stop. "


    "A new cemetery has been built, people who may be being advised to leave the city. Going to the country churches and the monasteries that house them. Until the city is clean, when it is advisable to return. The Archbishop has been quite busy these days," said Father Agnello, knocking on the roof of the wagon for the coachman to take them away. As they walked away from the city center towards the castle, Lex told them about the chance encounter with Lady Charlotte''s mysterious sponsor, a von Wuttenfal.


    Blue Eyes didn''t hide his displeasure,


    "This must be Duke Kurt, the youngest son of Otten von Wuttenfal. He was banned from Holstein a long time ago."


    "Banned?! Why?" Lex immediately asked.


    It didn''t bore well. Obol : 1- a payment or bribe for Charon, the ferryman who conveyed souls across the river that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead.


    2- coinage as grave goods presumed to further the deceased''s passage into the afterlife. ''Charon''s obol'' sometimes is called a viatic.u.m, or "sustenance for the journey"; the placement of the coin on the mouth has been explained also as a seal to protect the deceased''s soul or to prevent it from returning.

 Chapter 128 - Divide

    The Princess woke up with a pleasant feeling of being nestled in a soft and warm place. But then the sensation passed to a slight panic, when she felt constricted, as the other time when the damsel was wrapped in a shroud about to be thrown in a pyre.


    Then Alexa realized that they tucked her in a blanket in the Tanbury castle room. Rolling to one side, her body came up against a barrier.


    Disengaging herself from the blanket and recovering her movements, Alexa sat on the bed. She noticed that she was wearing the same clothes as the previous day, which was a good sign.


    Looking around, she found out the ''barrier'' was in fact a wall of pillows and blankets dividing the bed into an eastern and western portion. On the other side of the wall, The First Prince slept with his back to her. She also saw, at the foot of the bed, Mildred sleeping peacefully. It took her a long time to spot Alexander, who was also sleeping in a kind of nest made out of a twisted pillowcase.


    ''Oh, Magnus dotes on him, look at that. Alexander even has a princely nest, considering the conditions!''


    But she wasn''t going to spoil him like everyone else. Alexa got up silently and took the little nightingale''s nest. She, noticed the lazy bird taking its little head out from under the feathers, while its luxury nest was being taken out of the room.


    Bringing her face close to the bird struggling to wake up, Alexa said, energetically.


    "Sing, nightingale! Sing!"


    Romeo shook the feathers, then stood up blinking and hurried,


    ~ But what is that, you¡­?! How dare you!! ~


    "Nightingales sing at night and at dawn. Keep the cover up," she teased, raising an eyebrow. "I can''t have the only nightingale that wakes up late," placing the nest on a windowsill, she stretched.


    "Hm, you may be right," Alexander said thoughtfully, and tried to sing, but it was clear he wasn''t very excited. ~Ah, Alexa, how are things going there?~


    The Princess considered for a moment, as the news was not good. The plague had reached Holstein. Alexander and Magnus'' stepmother was possibly a necromancer witch, which was the most terrifying thing Alexa could think of.


    But they were interrupted.


    "I don''t know what you guys are talking about looking at each other so seriously, but you definitely shouldn''t be doing it where you can be seen," Prince Magnus made himself heard, behind them. He was lounging at the bedroom door. "But I hope he is telling you about what happened to Mildred in his absence," he approached, still speaking in a low voice, "I arrived just in time to find a maid threatening Mildred, and saying that she would die if she told something to you, Alexa. I pretended I didn''t understand the context, but it won''t be easy to keep her with us any longer. So it''s decided, we must take her to that convent. But I won''t go with you."


    "Won''t you?"


    "No, I won''t. The duel will take place tomorrow in the middle of the day, as reported by the messenger that Lady Gwen sent. But I will come to you as soon as the duel is over and I can leave. So wait for me in Duncaster. By my calculations, I''ll be able to arrive a few hours after dark. Johannes and Ulrich are going with you."


    "No! You cannot be alone!" Alexa exclaimed, refusing to accept this strategy. "Don''t be consumed by your arrogance, Magnus! It''s a duel! You might get hurt! We must be by your side! It''s better to postpone our departure!"


    "Why, thank you very much for the trust you have placed in my skills!" his mouth became a thin line, while he was sarcastic. "I thought you already had enough evidence about my skills."


    "You don''t understand!" the Princess''s eyes filled with tears as she remembered her brother Michalis killed treacherously by supporters of the general. Perhaps the First Prince''s eyes shone when he noticed how Alexa''s lips trembled when he spoke, but he armored himself, crossing his arms,


    "They already have my orders, and it will be done. You will take Mildred away tomorrow. But, if that''s just an excuse to see me dueling, I appreciate the curiosity. It will be merely technical, no passions involved, this time. And it won''t be until death, of course."


    Alexa couldn''t be sure of that after the scene she saw in the cliff, in Magnus'' last duel.


    ~ He''s right, Alexa. And it will be the perfect excuse for him to leave soon after. If we stay, I imagine we''ll be a few more days late, ~ said Alexander. The Princess wasn''t convinced, however, and left them.


    It wasn''t the first time that she had to make decisions like this and her experiences had never been good. But of course, no one Alexa had met before had a heart of stone in his chest. Maybe she really had nothing to worry about. Magnus was doing everything he could to leave as quickly as possible.


    Later, while she was cleaning Mildred''s wounds, Alexa gave her the good news. The blind peasant commented,


    "I don''t know you well, my lady, but I feel that you are concerned about this brief trip. But I believe it''ll be for the good of all, including your friends. Zand, for example, ... probably needs an actual doctor. He always says he''s fine, but I know he''s in pain. Just last night, I heard him m.o.a.n and cry."


    Alexa widened her eyes, astonished,


    "Was he crying?"


    "Yes. I didn''t know where in the room he was. Milord slept heavily, as did milady."


    Alexa looked at her hands, not knowing what to say. Mildred spoke again, unsure whether her approach to the subject was being welcomed or not. "Well, some monk can help you, my lady. I heard that monks know many herbs and treatments. But please, don''t trust anything that the people of Tanbury offer as a remedy. I promised the milord not to talk about it anymore, but please, don''t let Zand take any medicine they offer!"


    Alexa nodded, but then remembered that Mildred couldn''t see her and said out loud,


    "You''ll also get help at the convent, I am sure. But Mildred, didn''t Zand say anything else?"


    "I haven''t talked to him about it, my lady. I don''t think he knew I was awake."


    All Alexa wanted to do was to leave that place as quickly as she could. She didn''t doubt that soon everyone would be at risk here. She had to agree with Alexander that at least their departure for Duncaster would help them get out of the region without unnecessary friction, while Magnus kept his foolish promise to the Red Lady. Turning to Mildred, Alexa whispered,


    "Why does Lady Gwen wear that red cloak and why do they call her Red Lady?"


    Mildred shivered, but also replied in a whisper,


    "They say she''s the bride of a demon, The Horned One. They chose her when she was still a maiden, by the devil himself, to be possessed by the demon queen. And the devil takes possession of a man every year to breed with her ... It''s how the people here live, my lady. She''s powerful because she''s like a goddess to them."


    Alexa had a broader knowledge to suppose that Mildred''s version was tinged by her beliefs, but that they interpreted the facts that she knew.


    "So there are priests and prophets, I suppose."


    "Yes, they live in Brentford. The Baron of Brentford listens to them. He''s the man your husband will duel tomorrow, milady. The man who lends his body to the Horned One every year ... Red Lady''s children are his, not Lord of Tanbury''s, poor thing. He was an innocent who ... God forgive me, died who knows how, not long after she married him."


    That information got tangled in the Princess''s head. Alexa looked for the First Prince in the castle, and as soon as she managed to talk to him alone, she blurted out Mildred''s version at once.


    Magnus gave a condescending smirk when Alexa finished speaking, and looked at him, distressed,


    "Lady Gwen told me the reason for the duel last night. Or at least, her version. Do you want to listen to it?"


    "Ah ..." a little confused by his reaction, the Princess nodded.


    "Lady Gwen married Lord Tanbury, who soon became Brentford''s vassal. Lord Brentford has always harassed her, and her husband''s death in battle has always been suspect to her. Shortly after his death, Brentford came to collect the taxes and forced her to lie with him. Gradually, without her having a choice. So, she had two children out of wedlock. Despite her embarrassing situation, Lady Gwen at least hoped that her son could rule Tanbury and regain Tanbury''s pride one day... But one day, Brentford came and the boy was hostile to him. The Baron, annoyed, decided to take his son with him, so that the boy could learn and get used to him. The situation continued for a few months, until Lady Gwen defied his honor, and after several minor situations, they established the duel to resolve this dispute. That''s how the duel came about."


    Alexa narrowed her eyes,


    "Don''t you think this story is too weird?" If true, it was sad and sordid, the accurate portrait of a beautiful woman''s unhappy fate. Lady Gwen was a strong woman, there was no doubt, but Tanbury was a small, isolated place with no influence. Her version was plausible, yet...


    "Yes, I do," replied Magnus, shrugging. "But why would there be a duel if they are actually demon''s pawns?"


    "But if he''s a demon''s pawn, he could be a much more dangerous opponent than you expected, Magnus."


    "In this case, perhaps he will be surprised to meet an equal," said the Prince, turning his back on her as he walked away.


    What could she do about it? Alexa wondered.

 Chapter 129 - On the Road to Duncaster

    After a day full of expectations, the Princess retired to sleep, and found the wall of blankets ready again in her bed.


    Intrigued, Alexa looked at Mildred, who was rolling her third beads absently, and looked away at Romeo, pecking the bread balls on the table. Realizing that the only explanation was that the blind girl had struggled to make that mountain range separating the sides of the bed, Alexa asked,


    "Mildred, were you the one who made this separation in bed?"


    "Oh! Yes! I did, milady. Zand said he can''t do it himself, poor thing. He said that you took a vow of chastity during this trip."


    The Princess wanted to laugh, and glanced at Romeo, who had stopped pecking at the bread balls, wary.


    "And I did. My husband will have to wait."


    "Waiting increases love, they say," the peasant girl smiled.


    Lying down, the Princess thought about how this unusual situation was getting more and more complicated. But her sleep came before she knew it, and waking up in the tower, her thoughts remained on the trip to Duncaster and Magnus''s duel.


    She was in no mood, even though she knew that several things were happening there. This melancholy was atypical to Alexa, but she felt pressured by several opposing forces at once, and unable to fight back.


    Alexa sat down in front of the Greek writings that Father Agnello had asked her to translate, forcing herself to decipher them, just so she wouldn''t have to leave the tower tonight.


    She tried to be very careful in the transcription, but it was difficult to understand, and nothing made much sense. Perhaps if the originals could be seen...


    But Father Agnello was not there that night, and Balbo could not help with that either.


    The warrior only confirmed that the disease was spreading through the city very quickly, shaking his head to hide his fear, and saying,


    "You must not leave, Your Highness. You cannot risk getting sick. Stay in the castle, at least," he asked.


    Alexa didn''t know if Balbo said that out of concern for her or for Alexander''s body.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The dawn was slow to arrive this time, and the Princess closed her eyes ready to meet Magnus and Alexander again.


    The Princess was only surprised to find that someone was glued to her chest and drooling on her tunic. But it was Jennifer, not who should be in bed.


    But when she looked up and saw the Prince sorting some items on the table, using only a crack of dawn light coming through the window, she asked,


    "What happened?"


    "The little girl broke into the room in the middle of the night saying that she had a ''bad dream'' and wanted to be close to you."


    Alexa felt a little guilty for running away from the cute girl the other day, and stroked her hair, before getting up.


    Romeo came in through the window crack, and Alexander said,


    ~The caravan going to Duncaster is already assembled in the village. I think we better hurry.~


    It startled Mildred, looking for the source of the supposed page''s voice. The peasant woman was sitting by the door, beside her meager possessions. Alexa imagined that the girl had barely slept in anxiety. She understood Mildred''s feeling well. Although she had previously had selfish thoughts about how much the girl hindered them, now she was able to identify with Mildred''s sad situation.


    Lady Gwen and some people from the castle were also standing, and the Lady in Red made a point of accompanying Alexa to the village, to say goodbye and give her advice for the trip. The English woman treated it as a brief visit to Duncaster, to take the miller''s daughter to a more suitable place. So Lady Gwen was telling Alexa what to eat and maybe, what to buy in Duncaster.


    "Understand, Milady, there''s nothing very interesting in that market, not for someone who lived next to a court. But if you can, visit Pete Cooker''s pie house, you won''t be sorry! And take these honey cakes to eat on the way, in case you feel hungry, my dear!" said the woman, with her usual slightly condescending tone.


    ''Wow, it''s so kind of you, it doesn''t even seem like I was trying to throw yourself to a supposedly married man! Your sad story to convince Magnus may be true, but I can''t like you!'' But Alexa smiled and exchanged pleasantries with Lady Gwen, acting as innocent as she could.


    The lady lent one of her personal horses to Alexa. It was a great horse, and the Greek damsel knew a lot about horses to say so. She glanced at Magnus, who was giving the last instructions to his brave friends, Ulrich and Johannes. As soon as Magnus has finished, he came to the two ladies.


    "As for me, I get a broken heart for having to accept that you go without me," he said so gallantly that Alexa felt melting, against her will, ''As if it were my idea! You''re falling behind because you want to! '' Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Lady in Red barely hide a bored sigh. Apparently she wasn''t used to having to hide her feelings, since she was the boss of everything around there.


    "Ah, my dear husband. I can''t wait to return to your side! I didn''t even leave and I miss you already!" she said in response, cringing inwardly for saying such sweet stupid things in front of everyone. And for whoever was saying it. But the farce had to continue. Alexa knew that they had to pretend to be very much in love so that he could leave without delay. Now that he thought about it, even those compliments on his eyes ... maybe they had an audience that day?


    Magnus moved towards her and hugged her in public, placing her head on his chest.


    ''Ah! Stop! What are you doing?! I''m nearly dying of embarrassment! '' all the blood in her body had gone to her face and ears, and she was grateful to have her face pressed against his shirt, even if she was almost suffocating inside his hug. She had the impression of hearing Lady Gwen''s voice, walking away,


    ''Ah, what an overwhelming passion!''


    "Can you stop trying to kill me with your hug, Your Highness?" she murmured, while standing still in his arms.


    "Get this girl over with, and I''ll be with you guys tonight. If necessary, tie this Samaritan bird around your wrist. And buy him a cage," Magnus instructed in a low voice, slowly letting her go. At least the last comment was funny, although the princess knew it was quite serious, from Magnus'' part, at least.


    Then they left with the caravan. Her heart was filled with a bad feeling as she left Tanbury.


    At first, Ulrich and Johannes were by her side, but then they went to stay with the two warriors who escorted the small group of peasants who would sell their surplus at the fair, one at the rear and the other at the forefront of the small caravan. Mildred came on a mule that Magnus rented from a peasant, behind Alexa, and was walking softly attached to the horse that the princess was leading.


    Alexa had noticed that the group was smaller than she imagined, and Mildred confirmed that normally many more people traveled to the fair. Alexa could only conclude that many peasants preferred to stay to watch the long-awaited duel.


    Alexa would also like to have stayed.


    She tried to talk to the peasants about the fair, their products, and their daily lives, but all without exception were elusive. The princess was slightly offended. This sometimes happened, when her charisma didn''t work like a charm to the hearts of the peasants, but it was very rare. She could only believe it was because she was helping Mildred, and as the miller himself said, she shouldn''t be meddling into local affairs.


    But Alexa couldn''t help but be resentful.


    The caravan took a secondary path to avoid crossing Baron Brentford''s entourage en route to Tanbury, which Alexa lamented. She was curious to see him in person and find out what Magnus''s opponent and Lady Gwen''s supposed oppressor was like.


    After an hour or so, the Princess was told it wasn''t more than two hours left to reach Duncaster, and it already bore Alexa. Mildred and ''Zand'' happily chatted in whispers about something that Alexa couldn''t really understand, without the peasant even imagining that she was not talking to a human being, but a bird.


    "Zand, can you come here for a moment?" Alexa called, and had to repeat it three times, as she didn''t want to attract the attention of the peasants or appear to be talking to herself. Luckily, they were well away from her.


    ~ What is it, milady? ~ He sounded a little mocking when he called her a milady, but Alexa ignored it. When the nightingale landed on her shoulder, she said,


    "Alexander, I met your uncle, Duke Kurt," she commented in a secretive tone. "I think he is living incognito in Holstein. I could listen to rumors, but I think you could tell me the truth, instead of leaving me in the dark."


    Alexander gasped,


    ~ My father''s brother? In Holstein? It''s impossible! ~


    "No, it''s not. I saw him with my own eyes. He was not a Shade, either, but a very lively person, "the Princess commented, whispering. "C''mon! There must be some reason for Father Agnello to be so cautious, and at the same time, he seems to have some resentment against him. Last night the Priest shied away from telling me details.


    ~Alexa, I don''t know my uncle. He left Holstein before I was born. I stopped thinking about it a long time ago, since nobody talks about him. Only the eldest nobles, and still not much. I just imagine that he''s on bad terms with my dad. Not even Aunt Godiva talks about him. Which means¡­~


    "He did something bad, didn''t he?" Alexa completed, deducing with the information she had. That was quite a reason he had a spy inside the castle, of course.


    ~ It''s difficult to point out what it is, however. See, he''s the only man alive besides my father in his generation. My grandfather had two wives and five children who reached a.d.u.l.thood. Six women from their first marriage. My grandfather''s second wife had three children: Gutard, Kurt, and Odila, Konrad''s mother. As far as I knew, he was a canny Prince. He helped my father to govern in the early years, and to raise money for the cathedral that was my grandfather''s life goal¡­ ~ Alexander was explaining, when his little bird claws stuck on Alexa''s shoulder.


    She turned to scold him, but stopped when he said,


    ~ Alexa, we''re about to be attacked! ~

 Chapter 130 - Ambushed!

    Immediately after Alexander''s warning due to his new bird''s abilities, Alexa discreetly looked around, but failed to see the enemies hidden in the vegetation on both sides of the road.


    Internally cursing her bad luck, she glanced at Mildred, who had innocently been riding the little mule, and at Johannes and Ulrich, each at one end of the caravan. She would be able to reach one of them, but not the other, without forewarning the ambushers. Or she could call out the impending attack and hoped that the caravan warriors would react faster than the attackers.


    She would require help to protect Mildred, however.


    A discreet scanning look revealed something her intuition already told her, but Alexa insisted on ignoring it: the peasants seemed alert and uneasy.


    ''It assuredly is an ambush planned in Tanbury!''


    However, she had no time for further conjecture.


    The Princess spoke to Alexander, while checking that her dagger was ready,


    "Tell Mildred to buckle down and keep it!"


    ~ Yes! ~ He replied promptly, in an excited voice.


    Leaning herself on Lady Gwen''s vigorous horse, the princess maneuvered the animal to return to Ulrich, who was in the rear. She was sure that her movement would be the trigger for the attack, but hoped that at least she had come out of the crosshairs with her sudden change of direction.


    And she was right.


    An arrow whizzed by her horse''s ear, and she cried the alert with the full force of her lungs.


    "BANDITS!"


    With her gaze locked on the line ahead, between the two ears of the animal she was riding, Alexa saw the peasants readily seek shelter in their carts and get out of the way, while the soldier beside Ulrich drew his sword hoping to take the Saxon warrior by surprise. But Ulrich wasn''t entirely unprepared, apparently, and used the warrior''s own shield to push him back, unbalancing the treacherous English soldier, who missed the blow.


    Alexa quickly reached them, and pulled the enemy''s horse''s reins from between his thighs, immediately turning the horse away from Ulrich,


    "Ulrich! Get Mildred!" she screamed, while Ulrich struck the soldier, who fell off his horse with the combined attack.


    Alexa was an excellent horsewoman, able to win races with a good horse, and maneuvered away from the soldier immediately. Another arrow flew past the princess, hitting a cart wheel beside her.


    "Ouch, just barely!" she hissed under her breath, returning to Mildred while watching the attackers reveal themselves coming from within the forest.


    Ulrich had already passed her and rode to the blind girl, although clearly busy with defending Alexa''s return. He was only armed with the short sword that survived the shipwreck along with him, but that was enough for him to sweep the attackers who came upon them.


    With a swift movement the warrior practically threw Mildred on Alexa''s horse, and the animal protested while the blind girl struggled to stabilize. Alexa heard the hissing of arrows and realized that there was no way to help much, except to run.


    "Alexander, where are you?" she cried, realizing that she had lost sight of the nightingale in the melee. She could only see Johannes fighting two men, and Ulrich took the staff of a peasant who tried to hit him, spinning the stick and blowing the random attacker hard on the ear. The man fell immediately.


    The Princess fought the urge to close her eyes in the face of violence, as she needed to be aware. The Saxon warrior was accomplished and sharp, and managed to prevent the attack of the English soldier who reached them again on horseback, and tried to pull Alexa by the arm.


    Blood sprinkled on the maiden''s face when the enemy warrior''s arm was cut; no, crushed, right in front of her wide eyes, the moment his glove landed on her forearm. The scream of pain echoed in her ears.


    However, one arrow struck Ulrich, and another. Back and arm. She saw his hand involuntarily let go of the sword, but his willpower won out and he grabbed the sword handle hard again, turning and shouting at Alexa,


    "Princess, forward! Go now!"


    She obeyed, realizing that fleeing was the only alternative left. She hoped that her warriors could also escape.


    "Alexander!" she shouted, calling again. Sweat beads covered her head and her heart was racing. Just as she sensed Mildred''s heart beating hard against her back. The blind girl was clinging to her as if she were a board in the rough sea.


    Upon noticing raiders trying to reach her as soon as she emerged from the skirmish Alexa maneuvered the horse several times, avoiding fighting and flying arrows. She didn''t want to go too far without Alexander or the First Prince''s men.


    That the princess saw three men mercilessly surround Johannes after the warrior finished off his two opponents. A mace violently blew against his skull, and Johannes fell forward immediately. Alexa refrained a cry, the scene was too brutal and horrifying.


    "ULRICH!" she called. Her remaining ally should retreat from the skirmish. Even though Ulrich was a skilled warrior, the number would beat him now. But before her attackers caught up with her again, Alexa turned the horse and sprinted, hoping to lure someone away from the knight, so that Ulrich too could retreat.


    Alexa''s great advantage was that she had a vigorous and trained horse, and that she and Mildred were small and light for the animal. The purebred wouldn''t respond so well in the hands of an inexperienced rider, but Alexa controlled it perfectly. No doubt the stallion''s actual owner didn''t count on that. Spotting a trail entering the forest, Alexa followed that way, looking back to see that she was gaining distance from her pursuers.


    The Princess found a shallow stream with a pebbly bottom, crossed by a small wooden bridge, cutting the dirt road. She guided the horse by the creek bed to lose them. A pinching, uncomfortable burning pain in the upper part of her arm was bothering her, and the Princess looked at her shoulder, for the first time in minutes of wild escape.


    An arrow lodged between the layers of fabric in her cloak, and pierced across the mink collar and the thick velvet hood.


    Angrily, she drew the arrow out, which was only superficially into her flesh. It hurt, but Alexa pressed the spot with a deep sigh, knowing the fabric would absorb the blood. It was nothing to kill her after all. If it had poisoned her, she''d know by now.


    ''Damn, now that I see this, I''m going to be in more pain¡­'' she thought, remembering what Narses always said when teaching him, ''If the wound isn''t making you dizzy, it should be ignored while you''re not in a place safe.''


    But where was it a safe place? She knew nothing there and was getting farther into the forest, following the course of the stream.


    After some time Mildred, who had no experience in riding, was almost falling off the horse, having jolted a lot during the ride. Alexa had to stop. Moving away from the creek, she chose a flatter spot and got off the horse, carefully pulling Mildred out. The animal immediately started drinking water.


    "Are you okay, Mildred?" she asked, trying to see if the girl had any visible injuries. But she found nothing, but the old purple bruises and her smelly bandages. Mildred nodded,


    "Am I okay? Where is Zand? What happened to Zand?"


    This was also a question that the maiden asked, but she felt, inside herself, that he was alive.


    "I don''t know, Mildred," still paying attention to her surroundings, Alexa took the water flask from the saddlebag and refilled it, offering it to Mildred first. The peasant quivered and sobbed, out of fear, but Alexa just had a somber and worried heart. She also drank water, and then weighed her options.


    She hoped that Ulrich had escaped. So at least there was a possibility of meeting him later. Had they survived a bloody wreck, just to die in a stupid ambush? This was too unfair!


    Alexa apparently still had not got used to the injustice of life.


    The princess reproached herself for being so concerned with other things that she was unable to think of that Lady Gwen had shady plans for this trip to Duncaster.


    ''Of course! She suggested it herself! How stupid we were! I just thought she wanted to get rid of the Christian girl and considered her too stupid to be a threat¡­ ''


    Now, the Princess was sure they were still looking for them. Instead of moving randomly and ending up even more lost, Alexa found a clearing near the stream to wait.


    She didn''t want to be too close to the water because I was afraid of wild animals, like bears and even wolves. Later, if they were not found, she would risk going back on the road. At least she needed to find shelter for the night.


    The afternoon came and Alexa shared the journey''s snacks with Mildred. She had asked the girl not to talk so she could be heedful to any sound.


    The Princess heard the trill that she could recognize anywhere, and her heart filled with joy and relief. She spotted him in the sky, coming towards her, and raised the uninjured arm for Romeo to land.


    ~ He''s coming! ~ Alexander spoke a little breathlessly. Alexa perked up, that was good news. But when Ulrich approached, she didn''t like what she saw. Her horse jerked and stomped on the ground, and even Mildred looked in the rider''s direction.


    He came on foot, with a sword and shield, and had a set purpose in the dead gaze.


    Ulrich''s Shade knew he was dead.

 Chapter 131 - Guardian

    The princess woke up with tears in her eyes, when she noticed the sky of embroidered stars over her again. She found herself shivering and grabbed the covers, until her heart calmed.


    Unfortunately, this was not a nightmare. It was real.


    She, Alexa, was willingly in the body of her husband, Alexander, Prince of Holstein. While her own body was abandoned in a forest, in a distant place on the other side of the sea ...!


    In the forest on the way to Duncaster, the Princess had deferred to the Shade from a Holstein Knight who had given his life to defend her. She knew that sort of stare that shone with an unmistakable gleam. Iain''s soul and many others had this same passion for a mission, and they could only leave after they fulfilled it.


    "Your Highness, I''m here to guard you," Ulrich, who had had a nuanced voice like a talented storyteller in life, in his death sounded monotonous and empty.


    Mildred had grabbed Alexa''s injured arm, scared, which made the princess wince with pain,


    "W-who''s there? Who is he?"


    "Calm down, Mildred," the princess had released the other girl''s fingers from her arm, "Just calm down, it''s okay¡­ more or less, actually."


    "I am afraid¡­!"


    The power of that Shade wasn''t something to be ignored, although Alexa shouldn''t allow Ulrich, that noble soul, to be trapped by an oath or mission, becoming a lost soul after a while.


    "I release you from that obligation, Lord Ulrich!" she had said, positioning her hands to create the light that would guide him. He acted as if he were intrigued and stared at her as if he wanted to pierce the Princess with his intense eyes.


    The Light Bearer had wondered what he saw, or what a Shade thought when he saw her, but Ulrich had said,


    "My duty is not to Your Highness the Princess, but to Prince Magnus to whom I have given my word. I will watch your sleep tonight, until dawn."


    She had gasped on the rawness and intent in his words. The Shade was bound by his honor to protect her, as he had promised. He must watch all night if the Prince did not reach them, as planned.


    "I know I won''t be able to go against the bonds of your honor, so I will not insist. But then will you leave ... please?" she had asked.


    The nightingale perched on her shoulder also had not taken his eyes from the Shade, whose mouth twitched slightly to form the shadow of a smile,


    "I did not know, Your Highness ... that you were a Heaven''s messenger ..."


    "It''s because I''m not," revealed Alexa, touched by the mistaken assumption, but feeling it was her duty to deny it.


    "Who are you talking to? Who is Alexander? What language is that?" the blind girl had asked, increasingly distressed. And the princess realized that she had slipped into Holstein''s tongue while talking to Ulrich. Alexa also realized that, in the peasant''s panic, she was being rude.


    "Mildred ..." she started, and had looked at the sky that she could see through the treetops and considered that they had little time.


    "What is this that you are holding?!" the peasant''s voice came out strangled as she took steps back.


    Alexa lowered her hands, letting the ''Torch'' go out, but wondering how a blind person could see that. Perhaps just as she was able to speak to Alexander, it was the only conclusion.


    "Hey, listen to me. Do not panic. We need to stay calm to survive," she just didn''t know how to lie to Mildred now.


    She couldn''t tell Mildred that and later if Mildred could not touch him or ask for help, the girl could panic when Alexa wasn''t awake. And the girl could try to escape, which would be dangerous and bad for both. By now the miller''s daughter probably suspected Zand, the mysterious page.


    "Who are you?! Who are you?!" the blind girl had raised her voice, but Alexa interrupted her,


    "Ssssh! Don''t yell out loud! Don''t report our location!"


    ~ Mildred, there''s no reason to be nervous. We are all together and we must remain together ... ~ Alexander had tried to intervene, in a calm and patient voice, but it was not enough. The princess could understand Mildred''s position, just acknowledging she was surrounded by supernatural beings.


    "I¡­ I don''t know who you are! You scare me!" the girl had backed away, and tripped over a root, falling to the ground. The maiden''s first impulse had been to help her, but Alexander had said, in a calm tone,


    ~ Leave her alone for a moment. She needs to think. Mildred, I am the Prince of Holstein, and this is the Princess of Holstein. I''m sorry to deceive you, but it was necessary. Our intention is to take you to the convent of St Ewe. But we will need to spend the night here in the forest ... ~


    "You are demons!!!" she m.o.a.ned, cowering against the trunk of the tree where she leaned instinctively. It was impossible not to have pity on that helpless and frightened woman.


    "You talk to her," Alexa had whispered to Alexander, "and I will try to find a way to protect myself in the mortal world. As much as I appreciate having a guardian like Ulrich, I think I should be on my guard." She had taken a good look around, but she had found no kind of natural protection, like a cave or at least rocks. And with each passing minute, the light in the gloomy forest faded quickly.


    With no options, the princess started gathering dry leaves and sticks to try to cover herself during the night.


    "Alexander, if you need to take Mildred away, if you''re still looking for us, I better stay hidden." Anyway, Alexa had not been happy with the heavy silence and the clear fear that the girl who accompanied them showed with each slight noise. They had lost Mildred''s trust, and the princess wasn''t sure if she could trust Mildred either.


    Ulrich''s Shade was nowhere to be seen, but Alexa still felt her presence, and apparently, Mildred could also feel it. It was common for a Shade with a lot of energy like Ulrich to be able to communicate and appear to the living, but Mildred seemed more attentive than most people.


    "How is she?" he had asked as he gathered the leaves in a pile, and the nightingale landed on a piece of fallen log.


    ~ She doesn''t want to hear. She says that we are demons wanting to lead her to perdition, ~ Alexander had sounded dejected and ashamed.


    "Don''t blame yourself, she is traumatized. All she wants is to live, and she has had horrible experiences. She is not as calloused as we are, due to excessive contact with the supernatural," Alexa had barely believed that those words came out of her mouth. She had a feeling of resentment for Mildred''s ingratitude. However, she had managed to understand that not everyone could handle what was the easiest part for her.


    ~ I feel like she''s trying to make a plan. Maybe she''ll try to escape, ~ Alexander had said.


    Alexa said nothing. At that moment, she was worried that Mildred would remember how she, Alexa, used to be a heavy sleeper, and wanted to kill her.


    That was how, after making sure to make Mildred comfortable with her coat, she had asked the peasant to be quiet and wait for dawn.


    "Where are you going?" asked Mildred.


    "I will be here, but sleeping. My condition doesn''t allow me to stay up at night," Alexa had unwillingly revealed. She seemed to notice the mind behind the girl''s forehead working furiously with the information.


    She had exchanged a look with Alexander and said,


    "You should go on the road. Magnus can stop by on his way to Duncaster, if he still remains innocent about what happened to us. He needs to be warned, and you can guide him to us."


    It was her greatest hope tonight.


    Alexander however had looked at Mildred, and said,


    ~ I don''t know, she looks very anxious ... ~


    "You are our biggest chance, Alexander. Go to the road and wait for Magnus. He should be passing by around that time. If there is an ambush for him, you can alert him."


    Although reluctant, the Second Prince had nodded and left, leaving Alexa with the blind girl, and a ghost guardian.


    "Calm down, Mildred, we will have help and everything will be fine. Just be quiet and out of trouble."


    But Mildred had not answered her.


    Alexa sighed, and then went to the pile of leaves and branches and began to cover herself.


    She didn''t know if she was going to wake up in that body again.


    If it weren''t enough to live the terror of imagining that the desperate peasant could kill her in her sleep, Alexa didn''t know what had happened to Magnus.


    But, back in Holstein, nothing could be done about what was going on in the distant kingdom of England. Alexa got up at the same time as Helga entered the tower room, accompanied by Balbo C¨¦rdan. Alexander''s ex-nanny had a forced smile and carried the ''Prince Alexander'' dinner tray unnaturally.


    "Is there a problem, Helga? Are you in pain or something?"


    "Helga is a little sore, Your Highness. Apparently another maid pushed her from the stairs near the kitchen, for no reason," Balbo revealed.


    "Oh! I told you not to upset Your Highness, you gossipy Soldier!" the gray-haired lady reproached Balbo, unimpressed by the warrior''s towering presence.


    "Are you alright?" Lex asked, finding it silly that she wanted to hide.


    "Well, since you ask me, Your Highness, yes, I''m fine. I''m more than used to being your nanny and having people trying all kinds of maneuvers!"


    Alexa felt satisfied. Prince Gutard had chosen them not only because they were trusted ex-nannies, but because of their experience as the guardians of a cursed and politically persecuted child.


    Lex figured it might have to do with the fact that some people already knew that the Second Prince was awake. They might want to have access to the hideout, through Helga.


    "Take care, please," said the Prince. The way both, the warrior and the nanny, looked at the Prince was clearly suspicious.


    "What''s it?"


    "Your Majesty went to Duke Konrad''s as soon as he arrived, in the morning. But about an hour ago, Her Highness Princess Cordelia reported that Princess Alexa''s body was found," explained the warrior, before the nanny could.


    "The new Princess is organizing your wife''s funeral, Your Highness!" said Helga, not containing her outrage.

 Chapter 132 - Alexas Funeral

    The news that Cordelia was organizing the funeral of Princess Alexa, that is, Lex, was like a poisonous sting right in the chest.


    "Is she doing this?"


    "Yes, listen to the cathedral chimes," Balbo signaled to the air, and Lex could hear, now that he was paying attention, the cathedral chime playing funeral announcements.


    "His Majesty will not be returning tonight, and yet is she doing that?" Lex knew that the trip to Konrad''s lands took almost all day.


    The warrior just said, "I couldn''t say, Your Highness, but I think it is unlikely. Border attack issues are often too important to be overlooked by a military leader like His Majesty."


    "And where is Father Agnello?"


    "I think he left a message for you. I haven''t seen him since the morning," replied Balbo promptly.


    "Your Highness, please eat. Your recovery has only been possible because of your effort to eat well," Helga asked nicely, offering a cup of milk, and Lex almost squeezed Alexander''s maid''s cheeks for it. Her caring and concerned look was the most maternal thing he had received since the death of his own mother, when he was four years old. And the nanny thought Alexander''s sudden appetite was an effect of his sudden and weird disease!


    "Helga, how can I eat when my ... Stepmother, organized a funeral for Alexa?"


    "Rumors have been running for a few days, Your Highness. Some say your wife was a spy who tried to send a signal across the lighthouse to her allies in a flotilla. That Prince Magnus wiped out the entire operation to invade our capital and killed your wife. Another rumor is that she went to meet her real fiance, a Knight of the Crusades, to flee to England. But then Prince Magnus intercepted them before they entered the ship, dueled with the knight and killed them both for their audacity," informed Helga.


    "Crusades? Do people here still believe there are Crusades? I am sorry to report, but Christians have lost much more than Jerusalem in recent years. I don''t doubt that they will ever lose Constantinople¡­" Lex exclaimed, surprised at the creativity of Holstein''s rumors. It wasn''t hard to conclude that the clinking of gold in the right hands had created all of this. "And what a ridiculous thing! The person who created these rumors certainly wants to make my brother a hero, and¡­ my wife, a vile woman!"


    "Your Highness, since your wife arrived at this court, as a destitute but very fascinating Lady, she has extinguished the shine of any other woman who lived here or had arrived, like a comet crossing the skies! No wonder it caused so many rumors and so much envy," said the woman, from the height of her wisdom. "If only the Princess could return ..."


    "Yes, I will have dinner! And then I''ll take a closer look at what my stepmother is doing!" Lex interrupted her, so as not to have to explain his ''wife''. His resolute expression caused concern in both his maid and his faithful warrior.


    "Your Highness, don''t expose yourself, it can be a decoy ..." warned Balbo.


    Lex took a deep breath. Yes, maybe she hasn''t been as smart lately as she thought she was.


    "What would you do in my place, Balbo?"


    The Castilian looked at the horizon, thoughtful for a brief moment, before saying,


    "Just take the necessary precautions to be in control tonight. In addition, I recommend positioning yourself in agreement with Your Majesty. As he cannot be found in Holstein tonight ... Let me prepare everything for us to meet Prince Gutard secretly."


    Lex smiled. The idea was excellent, indeed.


    ooo


    Following the main hall where the court met, Lex was led by Balbo and Bastien to the upper balcony. Even at a distance from the center of the hall, where the flower-adorned coffin was exposed, it was possible to feel the suffocating mixture of daffodils, lilies and incense, masking the odor of decay.


    They had found, or worse, produced, a corpse to represent Alexa.


    Lex closed his eyes for a moment, trying to control his anger.


    Her mother and her little court made company to Princess Cordelia, near the bier, with rosaries in hand. The courtiers were around, in groups chatting softly, and only the sound of whispers and rosaries beads hitting each other was heard. Lex didn''t see Father Agnello anywhere, and that worried her.


    With a signal from Lex, the two bodyguards went downstairs, and they sent a messenger to Princess Cordelia. Lex watched as the page reached the princess with deference, and handed over the note.


    Cordelia discreetly turned her head towards the gallery, and although the ''Prince'' could not see her eyes under the veil of mourning, he knew that she sought to identify the figure that summoned her, in the darkness. After whispering to his mother and nun Ludovica, Cordelia walked away discreetly, as the note asked, and came to the balcony.


    "My congratulations on your marriage to my father," said Lex, trying to be as ''von Wuttenfal'' as possible when Cordelia approached him.


    The only lighting in the gallery was on the stairs and only the light coming from the large candle chandeliers in the hall illuminated the place. Cordelia had trouble walking there, but Lex was used to it.


    "Thank you, Alexander. It is a pity to meet again in such a situation," Cordelia''s voice was not steady. She was scared, Lex thought.


    "Indeed. I wonder why you made such a decision as your first act as the sovereign''s wife," Lex asked, impressing cynicism on his speech as soon as she reached his side on the gallery''s bal.u.s.trade.


    "W-what? Are you talking about the funeral of Lady¡­ Princess Alexa?"


    "What else would you be talking about, dear stepmother?"


    "Is that ... They found the princess''s body near the lighthouse and ..."


    "Who says you can do the public ritual and announce the death of a princess, in the absence of my father?" Lex was being harsh and threatening, as he could barely contain his anger at the situation. But more than that, he needed to prevent Cordelia from starting to take irreversible action later.


    "But¡­! Please be understanding, Prince Alexander. Although I don''t understand the reasons you can''t go public, I couldn''t leave the person who saved my life, unburied!" Cordelia defended herself, whimpering. "I am surprised, in fact. That person also saved your life! Please be grateful, regardless of your reasons for so much indifference, allow others to express the pain of losing such a generous person!"


    Lex was always surprised how, when pressed, Cordelia managed to be so eloquent. And if she didn''t know, how Cordelia''s mother treated her on her own wedding day, she would almost believe the de Wits really had some gratitude in their hearts. Lex had given up hope on that,


    "I don''t believe in this pathetic act, so spare your voice and my ears."


    "...!"


    Lex ignored the startled look and turned to look again at the people around the coffin that contained a poor girl with no identity. He felt his face against the candlelight being scrutinized for answers.


    "Alexander, your coldness surprises me. Everyone told me you were the sweetest, kindest and most lovable of the von Wuttenfal. I am disappointed with the reality and that you turn your back on a person who only tried to do good," insisted Cordelia, like an older sister talking to an annoying little brother.


    "Dear Cordelia, you should already know that the von Wuttenfal differ greatly from what portraits paint, and sing the bards."


    "In fact, it''s something I am learning," said the princess, with a bitter tone in her voice.


    "If you want to do any good for my wife, listen to me carefully: go back and say that you have doubts about the identity of the body. And more than that, work actively to silence all the bullshit about her death. Stop the slandering. It''s what I expect."


    "I have no power ..."


    "Get it. You must help this house, and you can start by undoing this farce. Accept this as a wedding gift. I''m helping you not to be a laughingstock for the next few days¡­ If that wasn''t your idea, be wary of those who put you in such an embarrassing situation."


    "Do you mean that Alexa is alive?"


    "Even if she were dead, she wouldn''t be forgotten in the wilderness to feed the wild beasts..." Lex said that and his mind wandered against his will to the current situation of a certain body in a distant place, and he shivered. "My stepmother, your role is to help my father and this kingdom. If you can do that, I will be your ally and protector¡­ You just have to decide which side you are on now that you are a von Wuttenfal," those were just empty words, of course. And they reminded Lex of all the falsehood of Prince Gutard who only thought of using a Greek girl as a pawn for his purposes. Nothing could sound more like von Wuttenfal than that promise.


    Lex left Cordelia and the balcony, and in a few minutes, he was riding out of Holstein towards W¨¹rtz. He needed to meet Prince Gutard.

 Chapter 133 - Nobody Knew

    There was cold in her bones when she opened her eyes, smelling the damp earth and the moss on her. Alexa took the weight off the layers of dead leaves on her, in time to see the dawn entering the clearing, and the ghost knight who made the guard of her resting place turn to her with a serious expression. Romeo chirped happily when the maiden sat on her bed of leaves,


    ~ Alexa! ~


    She felt satisfied too, that nothing bad had happened to her precious body during the night. Looking around, she realized that Magnus was not there. Her hope of the night before was extinguished with sadness. Alexa also did not see Mildred, and was concerned,


    "Where is ...?"


    The ghostly knight walked slowly away from her, towards the beams of sunlight that were penetrating the treetops.


    Before anything else, Alexa needed to free him from his promise and guide him. The princess reached Ulrich''s Shade, and stood beside him,


    "My friend, you kept your promise. I thank you for the night you spent with me."


    Turning his head slightly, Shade nodded acknowledging that he had heard Alexa''s words. Then the princess cupped her hands together, concentrating on praying fervently, to create a strong and clear light to guide Ulrich,


    "The way is only yours, Ulrich. Walk it well, and wait for your Judgment ..."


    Again Shade nodded, his expression firm and contrite conscious of his imperfection, but also humbly accepting the end of his stay as Ulrich on this earth.


    Despite the doubts that sometimes permeated her mind, these words cherished the Light Bearer. It was a simple and well-known belief, as old as the act of recording the facts in pieces of stone or clay. A human being had to do his best, so that in his Judgment his actions and intentions were weighed for his corresponding reward. The glow erupted from her hands and the Shade became one with the light, embracing his new destiny without fear.


    When Shade left for his journey, Alexa took a deep breath, wishing Ulrich''s soul a smooth path ahead, and hugged herself, chilling. The night before the princess had left her coat with Mildred.


    "Where''s Mildred?" she turned to ask Alexander.


    ~ Ah, well ... You need to see this, ~ clearly embarrassed and confused, Alexander guided her. Alexa just hoped that her hunch wasn''t right.


    The princess came to a ravine, just a few meters from where she had spent the night, and looking down, she saw Mildred''s body fallen in a strange pose. The interesting part was that Mildred''s Shade was trying to get back into the body, as if she wanted to dive into it or put it on.


    Her heart skipped a beat, and she whispered,


    "What happened tonight, Alexander?" Landing on her shoulder, her husband told her,


    ~I went, as you asked, on the road, and there I found some men still searching. Some of them entered the forest with torches heading to this direction, and believe me, they reached this clearing.~


    "And what happened?" she urged him to continue.


    ~Ulrich kept them away, in a scary way. I followed them again, and saw when they left, taking the bodies of our friends, back to Tanbury. Magnus did not show up, however. I felt something in my chest... And I felt that I should come back to you. I arrived in time to witness, how Mildred had found a heavy branch and was sweeping and hitting the ground and the trees with it, clearly trying to hit your body! She probably deduced it must be somewhere around here! As much as I tried to convince her, she was upset and said that she didn''t want to die in the forest like a pagan! Much less be a slave to demons!~


    Alexa swallowed, looking around and seeing many marks on the floor, which matched Alexander''s narrative. The Second Prince continued,


    ~When she got too close to Lord Ulrich, I saw something I hadn''t seen before! He threatened her and Mildred''s soul left her body! It was like she stepped out of a door, she took a step back and her soul fell to the floor!~


    Alexa blinked, astonished, and turned to the little bird on her shoulder,


    "A living person shouldn''t be dropping her soul around! You know how complicated it was for you to be in the situation you are in. And for me to split between two bodies! How could she just¡­ fall off her body?"


    ~Alexa, you are the expert here. If you don''t know, how am I supposed to know? ~Alexander spoke, without a hint of humor. He sounded worried. ~What I do know is that, at times, she managed to enter her body again, but every time she tried to walk and command him, it was like trying to command a Judas dummy¡­~


    Alexa narrowed her eyes at the mention of the dummy that Christians used to flog and burn on specific dates, in several kingdoms west to Constantinople. But for Alexander, that was just a mention.


    "Not bad for a hunter''s son ..." she mumbled, as she carefully descended the bank to get to where Mildred''s body was.


    ~What are you mumbling about?~ the Prince asked, not understanding her grumbling, and flying ahead of her, but Alexa did not answer. Mildred, or rather, Mildred''s Shade, cringed and froze with the Princess'' arrival, lying next to her body.


    The peasant''s body looked hard and purplish, much more than it should have considering the timing of the events.


    That was all a mystery to Alexa, but she couldn''t say it was impossible faced with everything that was going on and everything she had already witnessed. Unless¡­


    "...!"


    The princess crouched down beside Shade, "Mildred, it''s no use anymore. This body can no longer receive you."


    "No!" the Shade whined weakly, "it was just a tumble. I''ve been through worse things. God is with me ..." the girl continued to murmur confused formulas of her belief. Alexa shook her head, as it shouldn''t work like that,


    "Sorry, Mildred. I don''t know how it happened, but you are dead and you should know that ... right?"


    "No, I told you to get off! Get away! You both want to steal my soul!"


    "Your soul isn''t blind, Mildred. Look at me! You''ve seen us and keep pretending to yourself you didn''t! Stop fooling yourself!" losing her cool, Alexa got up, touching the body and removing the blindfold from the dead girl.


    Shade screamed in desperation.


    ~ Mildred, it''s true. But we are at your side. Alexa will show you the way. Trust- you can rest¡­ ~


    " No !!! No!!! NO!!!" enraged, the Shade stood up, advancing towards Alexa, but the maiden just extended her palm. Her hand always bled when she was close to unruly and restless shades, and she felt her palms sting.


    "Listen carefully, Mildred. Every soul that refuses to leave the world of the living and is in your current situation, has horrible destinies. You will wander lost, and feel tormented and lonely, until it fills you with grudge ... You have plenty of reasons to hold a grudge, but believe me, it''s not up to the dead to avenge the living, but the opposite. You have little time for a choice ... I may not have realized that you had possessed your already dead body, because you were very persistent and your ... injuries ... deceived me. But I will not allow you to be wandering around. Not in that body, not as a soul. Do you understand well?"


    ~ So, when I found her passed out in the forest, she was already dead! ~ Alexander exclaimed. The princess didn''t want to evaluate all the possibilities at that moment, and turned to Mildred, speaking in a firm voice,


    "I forgive you for trying to kill me. I don''t hold a grudge, you suffered and were persecuted, and not even your father protected you. You needed to be heard, your story needed to be told. Now, Mildred, leave this land that is no longer for you, and go beyond and to your fresh life."


    The Shade sat on the floor and cried. Alexa sensed that this would take a long time. She didn''t want to resort on violence toward the girl. The princess wished she could convince her to go peacefully. Perhaps being called a demon was the reason. Perhaps knowing that she and Alexander were cheating death and could not really judge Mildred, was another reason.


    So she went to Mildred''s body and, with some work, started preparing it for the trip.


    ~ What are you doing, Alexa?~ asked the Prince.


    "Magnus may be in town, looking for us. We must go there. And we will take this girl and deliver her to the convent, where I will tell her story. Magnus said that I should trust him, and so did you. So I suppose we should be where he is looking for us. Besides, we will be much safer in Duncaster than in the middle of the forest or near Tanbury ..." she stopped to fumble with her pouch and grab the last piece of bread, and made a little ball for Alexander, Now come and have some food. Helga is worried about you eating well."


    ~ It''s probably our best strategy, Alexa, ~ Alexander said, before pecking the food. He looked sad however, Alexa knew he felt guilty for not realizing Mildred''s ''peculiarity''.


    "So let''s not waste any time," she whistled, calling to the horse that grazed near them. As about Mildred, the stubborn Shade could decide at any time between the way to Duncaster until they arrived at the convent of St Ewe. But Alexa could not stay there any longer.


    As the horse did not come after a few minutes, and Alexander, as usual, took too long to eat, the princess looked up and looked around to see why.


    She saw the animal being held by the reins by a short, dark-haired man in loose, dark clothing.


    And out of the corner of her eye, the princess saw other figures coming closer.


    She was surrounded.

 Chapter 134 - People of the Forest

    The group that surrounded the princess must have had between ten and fifteen people, including men, women and children. The dirty, miserable and hardened appearance of everyone left no doubt that they were a group of inhabitants of the forest. Perhaps robbers.


    ''Think fast, Lex!'' she seldom had contact with this type of person, who despite the particularities of each region and culture, had something in common: they had nothing to lose but their lives. They could be violent, cruel and petty, but they could also demonstrate the generosity and piety that only shortage taught. She just knew that her chances of converting that highly unfavorable situation to something good were very slim, and she wouldn''t have a second chance if she missed.


    ~ Damn Alexa, we''re surrounded, ~ Alexander this time was the last to notice. She ran her finger over the bird''s head, unable to answer, and turned to the man holding the reins of Lady Gwen''s horse, pretending to have seen it just now,


    "Oh my God, it was Divine Providence that sent you my way! Sir, please help me!" she spoke as clearly as she could. This made the man a little embarrassed, although he gave a mocking laugh shortly afterwards,


    "Why, what does a Lady do with a corpse in the middle of the forest?"


    The small man''s embarrassed reaction was instrumental in her choosing the path to follow,


    "Sir, I need to get to the convent at St Ewe, near Duncaster. This girl ... is practically a saint. She was persecuted for her love for Christ, she was blinded for defying a group of pagans ... and tonight she died trying to get to the convent. I was a witness, and I think I am only alive so that Mildred''s story does not die in this forest, as does her body. "


    She knew he wasn''t the leader of the pack, but the damsel had to start with someone. Alexa had not yet seen this person among them, but she was being watched by a good number and needed to make a good impression, much better than she did at Holstein when she was questioned.


    The question he asked took her by surprise, however,


    "Who were you talking to?"


    She took a deep breath,


    "With my nightingale, Romeo. I was scared. Terrified indeed. I was putting my thoughts in order," at that moment she ''realized'' the people around her, turning around and pretending to be surprised. She wondered if anyone really heard the conversation. But if they had heard, they would hardly have understood what they were talking about, as it wasn''t in English.


    "Am I¡­ in your territory?"


    No one really answered, so she looked at the people she could see. They were suffering, hungry, and united by difficulty. Perhaps they were fugitives with several stories, broken and desperate families.


    "Our ship was shipwrecked far from the coast, but we managed to reach dry land. Tanbury," she said. Romeo stirred on her shoulder, his little claws tucked into Alexa''s shoulder. "Lady Flairclough received us, and ..."


    "That demonic bitch!" someone spoke, and the princess''s eyes darted to the source of the voice. An elderly, toothless woman with her hand on the shoulder of a boy of about nine had hatred in his eyes.


    "I said it was the people of Tanbury in the woods last night," someone else commented.


    "This girl told me horrible things. She was tortured and blinded, and died here, fleeing Tanbury,"Alexa quickly added the information, realizing that, as Mildred had said, many people had fled Tanbury when things changed. These people lost their land and their dignity. Alexa managed to understand them completely.


    "Mildred and I were accompanied by two men who came with me, but the group going to Duncaster was attacked. I wouldn''t have realized if the caravan''s scouts hadn''t turned on my friends and joined the attack!"


    "Apparently, someone is getting to know the true hospitality of the Lady in Red!" a voice stood out, interrupting her.


    Some people laughed, and someone inspected Mildred''s body, while a bony-faced woman with red hair came closer to the foreigner,


    "Is she really a lady ... Is she a foreigner?"


    "Who cares? She has a purse, a horse and good clothes¡­ She certainly doesn''t need all of that," another male voice, cruel and mocking, was heard.


    "Oh, well, I can''t judge you for thinking that, but it''s not quite true ..." she disagreed, turning to the group. The woman casually touched her hair and looked at her,


    "What strange eyes you have!"


    Alexa fell silent and cringed. The woman seemed to be rather unempathetic, and put her hand in the Princess'' pouch to take the gold from her.


    "Ivy, don''t be rude, the lady didn''t allow you to touch her!" the man holding the horse interfered, although he also appeared to be only mocking.


    "Please, just allow me to take this maiden''s body to the convent. She must have her final rest as a martyr for her faith. I will give all my possessions to you as proof of my good will, since my destination is the convent of St Ewe. Where Mildred wanted to go. But died before fulfilling her destiny and her will ..." She felt Romeo pecking at her cheek, so she would stop talking, but she ignored him,"Everything I have from mine is in this bag. This dress is borrowed, as is the horse. The cloak I had¡­ was what warmed Mildred''s last night¡­ "


    People listened to her words. The curiosity of her situation at that moment was more important than the goods she carried. She had their attention.Alexa pondered she couldn''t say she was a princess from a faraway kingdom, as that would cause even more problems. After all, in that dog eats dog world, maybe they would ask Magnus for a ransom to return it, if he was lucky. And what good could come of it?


    But how to say something different? If only she were dressed as Alexios ...


    "But who are you, anyway?" a woman with short hair and a pregnant belly asked, from afar. She had a sharp, penetrating look, and people were silent to hear her. But Alexa knew that she wasn''t their leader either.


    "I am grateful that you thought I was an English noblewoman just because you saw me dressed as one¡­ But as I said, this outfit is borrowed from Lady Gwen. I didn''t lie about the attack, nor did I about my oath to take Mildred''s body to the convent. Right now, I''m helpless and lost in a land I don''t know. Last night I saw my friends killed¡­ So I could escape,"as she spoke, Alexa spotted the leader, just behind the short-haired woman, watching her closely.


    "Where are you from? Where were you going? " the woman asked, recalling the fact that Alexa did not say her name or who she was.


    "My name is Alexa, from Holstein. I was going to France by ship when the storm sank the caravel."


    Most people didn''t even concealed the fact they had no idea where Holstein was. The short-haired woman looked at the leader, the dark-bearded man in his thirties. They were a couple, that was clear.


    "I need help getting to Duncaster," she insisted.


    "Perhaps we should take her to the Old Man," said the woman, after long non-verbal communication with her companion. Alexa didn''t like the fact that they postponed the decision, and asked, suspiciously,


    "Oh, I appreciate it, but ... Who is this person and why do I have to be taken to him?"


    "Ah, little one, you are a threat to the Lady in Red, and that must mean you are an even more powerful witch than she is!" said the man holding the reins.


    "But ..."


    "You were talking to your magical companion, so of course you are a witch. And we saw a flash coming from here moments ago! How do you think we got to you ?!"


    Alexander froze on the princess'' shoulder.


    "A rich and beautiful witch... The woman from Tanbury couldn''t stand a rival, could she?" the red-haired woman beside him spoke with a chuckle that sounded like a growl. The woman again reached out to touch Alexa''s purse, but the group leader whistled, and the woman''s hand stopped in the air,


    "Don''t touch it! The Old Man will see her, and we will know whether she is a witch or not. "


    Next, he chose some people to follow him to the hut where the ''Old Man'' lived. The rest were to stay at the camp with Anne and wait for the group to return. Alexa didn''t argue, knowing that it was useless at that moment.


    Her destiny was in the hands of an unknown man who could either point her out as a witch or exonerate her.


    Alexander remained silent all the way, wisely. Alexa was escorted by the leader, whose name was still unknown, a woman and three more men with bows. At another time she would be interested in their story, but while walking up the hill, taking Mildred tied to her horse, the princess just thought about how she could get out of this situation.


    And whether, after all, Magnus was fine or not.


    She spotted the heaped stone house and the thatched roof at the top of the hill. Some sheep grazed peacefully in the gray landscape, without care.


    Apparently, inside there was the person who could seal her fate today, and Alexa shivered.


    "Old man! Cymric Gladwine! " yelled the man who led the pack when they approached the house.


    After a few moments, an old man with gray hair in a single long braid, a thin white beard, and a face marked with strange symbols erased by time, came out leaning on a staff. Stopping by the door, he looked at the group in front of him as if they were a great annoyance. This left Alexa confused,


    ''After all, are they Christians or not? This man looks more like a priest in a pagan cult than a Christian zealot, ''the maiden clasped her hands tightly as she watched. Then the old man stared at her for a long time, realizing that the subject that brought them there, without even speaking, could only be the strange woman with the bird on her shoulder.


    Alexa cringed. He had a special look, and took a step forward, looking her straight in the eye.


    She was sure, at that moment, that the Old Man knew.

 Chapter 135 - The Old Man of the Hill

    "Hello!"


    The princess addressed the Old Man, opening an angelic smile. "I''m Alexa from Holstein. These people found me in the forest and helped me to come here. They say that I will be able to leave as soon as you say yes," that was not exactly what they said, and the pack leader looked at her strangely, but the Old Man laughed,


    "So are they giving me this power? What a great news!"


    The group waited for their leader to speak, and after clearing his throat, the man shrugged,


    "Old man, there was a mess in the forest near the road tonight. And as we suspected, there was skirmish and death. We found this girl and her dead friend at dawn today. She claims to have come from Tanbury and ... That the Red Lady ordered the attack. She also brings the body of a young woman, and says she wants to take it to St Ewe''s convent ..."


    "Hm, you still have a big problem, then. And the girl has an even bigger problem. But where is my help supposed to be needed?" the elderly man coughed, shifting his body weight.


    "One of us saw a flash in the woods, and decided to check it out. And he found this strange girl talking to a bird."


    The old man laughed, which led to a coughing fit, "What the hell?! What are you accusing her of? Of being an angel, or a demon?"


    "We are intrigued as to why the Red Lady wants to kill this woman," annoyed by the old man''s irreverent behavior, the man grunted. It seemed that he was thinking that an awful idea and a waste of time coming to Cymric Gladwine''s hut.


    But the old man waved,


    "Come in Giles. And all of you, too. This chilly wind is not doing me any good! And free the poor animal from the body it carries, let it rest!"


    The princess was intrigued and wondering if she had misjudged him. The gleam in his eyes seemed to indicate that he could really know that she was unusual. But would he leave her alone, or did he just want to know more before deciding what to do?


    The interior of the building was dark and smelled of soot and resin, but Alexa did not identify more details. Some food was boiling in the cauldron by the fireplace, and the princess''s stomach ached with hunger. The old man sat on a stool and motioned for them to sit on a bench.


    Alexa stood up, however.


    "These people don''t like anything that comes from Tanbury, girl," said the old man. "But can you tell them what you are?"


    "After what happened, I side with them on it," she said. "As for witchcraft, I don''t know this land to say whether or not the woman is a witch. What I do know is that she is treacherous and cruel. I can tell everything I saw and heard there, and how I was brought into this situation. I didn''t see any flashes, just the torches of my pursuers. I hid among the leaves during the night, to escape them. And then I was found by this group, Mr. Giles'' group," she had paid attention when the old man mentioned the name of the group''s leader.


    "Tell us everything, girl," asked the old man. Alexa looked at his face tattooed with the strange symbols, and told them part of her misadventures, from the shipwreck until her departure from Tanbury, the previous morning.


    The old man had no visible reactions, unlike other people, who shook their heads as if the outcome was very obvious. The princess really felt very stupid, and admitted,


    "I should have guessed that she wouldn''t let Mildred go that easily."


    But Alexa knew it wasn''t just that, she just didn''t comment.


    The old man got up and served a bowl of his stew, which he offered to Alexa. She thanked him and struggled to eat with some elegance, sharing with Romeo the small pieces of vegetables floating in the broth. The mysterious hermit offered it to no one else, and everyone was watching her closely. Unfortunately, it was not even tasty, but the princess ate everything faster than she wanted.


    After Alexa ate, while everyone was silent, Old Cymric, as they called him, said,


    "This girl needs to rest. What was she doing of so evil? Perhaps you can tell me if this isn''t the most pious act you have seen in recent times," the old man grumbled, and Alexa realized that it directly affected Giles'' pride.


    ~ Wow, he''s on our side! ~ Alexander didn''t contain his relief, realizing that the old man''s opinion was really taken into account. Alexa thanked aloud,


    "But I have to go, rest needs to be postponed."


    "Don''t be rushed, milady," Giles for the first time addressed Alexa directly. "No doubt how you escaped, some scouts must be looking for you in Duncaster right now. If you get there alone, you will be easy prey."


    "And how could I get there any other way, being alone as I am?" she asked.


    "I will lead you to the convent tomorrow."


    "Tomorrow? I need to go today!" There was not only the problem with Mildred''s body, but Alexa also hoped to find Magnus in Duncaster. He must have been looking for them right now. He certainly knew about the attack, and he could go back to Tanbury ... "


    "If your husband won the duel ..." Giles said as if he didn''t really believe in that possibility, "Well, if that happens and he''s a smart guy, he''ll be looking for you and won''t give up anytime soon. So we will meet with him, tomorrow or the day after. But milady must not leave for Duncaster alone. It would be your death."


    Naturally, Alexa understood that Baron Brentford''s fame was notorious in the region, while no one knew who Magnus von Wuttenfal was. And he couldn''t help saying,


    "I''m sure Baron Brentford lost the duel."


    No one said anything about it, so as not to upset her, and Giles stood up. "I suppose Cymric is asking you to rest here this afternoon. I have things to do, but someone will come and pick you up later¡­"


    Alexa remembered that it meant spending another night away from Magnus and in an unknown place, and she was immediately concerned.


    "It''s better for the lady to stay here where there''s a roof, at least.It''s clear that she will upset the women in the camp," said Cymric, standing up. "Stay here," he pointed to Alexa, "and rest."


    The old man accompanied the group out of the house, without giving chance or permission for Alexa to join them. Alexa took the nightingale in her hands and spoke softly,


    "You better spy on them, Alexander. I''m still not entirely sure about these people. "


    He didn''t answer anything and flew through an opening near the ceiling, while Alexa waited.


    She sat up and looked around. There was nothing but a wooden rosary hanging behind the door that indicated the old hermit''s religion. But it didn''t seem to match the symbols engraved on his face at all.


    A little while later, when she heard them saying goodbye and leaving, Alexander came back and landed in front of her,


    ~ They clearly hear the old man because he is a converted pagan or something! He told Giles and his men to stop fearing the Lady in Red in a superstitious way, as she is neither a sorceress nor does she commune with demons. That the ancient gods died a long time ago and cannot help anyone!~


    The old man came through the door whistling and looking particularly happy, and Alexa could not answer Alexander.


    "Did your little messenger come to tell you what we were talking about, my dear visitor?"


    "How would that be possible, he is a nightingale, although very intelligent," she said, immediately denying.


    ~ ''Just¡­'' ~ muttered Alexander, outraged by the comment.


    "I had a strange dream a few nights ago, Alexa of Holstein," said the old man sitting comfortably on his stool. "I dreamed of the gods of my childhood. It had been a long time since these figures had haunted my dreams. I wondered if it was the onions that were too acidic and caused me nightmares, but no. An old man always dreams about the past, and rarely about the future. Because the future is short, and the past, a long road¡­"


    "I guess so," she replied with an empathetic smile.


    Cymric was making no effort to be friendly, despite having offered her food, shelter, and protection. "This old man, my lady, saw when it all happened. When the ancient gods stopped listening. When the ancient priests and wise men lost contact with the sacred. They could not accept this, and looked for another ways to maintain power. Some sought out new gods ... Others pretended that the gods were still listening to them¡­"


    "But how can you know all of this?" The princess asked, curious.


    "A Christian believer wouldn''t have asked me that," he laughed, and soon started coughing while Alexa''s eyes widened, for have swallowed it, hook, line and sinker.


    "But you have become a Christian, and I hope you are happy with that."


    "I am, my little one. I even wonder if your little visit isn''t the last temptation for this old man to believe again that the ancient gods of this land are alive. Or at least, they live elsewhere."


    "It would honor me to have this kind of mission, and to serve as a reminder of a god to an ex-believer. But Cymric, it''s not the case. My mission is selfish and I also doubt the gods. I''m not a messenger or anything," she said, her eyes firmly staring at him.


    His face showed tiredness,


    "I would have been happy to have been remembered, had a god been alive. Even if I refused them, in the end."


    Alexa ended up laughing. It was like finding an inverted, rustic version of Blue Eyes. "Still, thanks for the generosity of not letting them kill me because I''m supposed to be an even worse witch than the Lady in Red."


    The old man looked at her strangely for a moment and said,


    "But I suppose you will find my dream very pertinent, Alexa of Holstein."

 Chapter 136 - Little Big Secrets

    "Sleep well, Alexa of Holstein," said old Cymric, pulling the curtain that separated the only bed in the house from the rest of the room. Although Alexa insisted that she didn''t need to sleep in his bed, the old man was insistent, saying that she was a guest of honor.


    She lay down, thinking about the lengthy conversation she had had with the strange old man.


    ~ So he believes that the Tanbury cult is nothing more than an empty cult, fed by priests who know that their beliefs no longer make any sense, because the gods of the past no longer hear them¡­ Is it so? ~ Alexander asked.


    But Alexa just felt her mind more confused the more she thought about it, and remembered her own dreams.


    "I know that our meeting was no accident. Cymric''s words go beyond the obvious utility they have for us now. But to recap the information we have, thanks to him, the Lady in Red has no access to magic. And all the priests in the local cult do is deceive people with narcotizing drinks, complex rituals, and empty prophecies. Lady Gwen believes herself to be a special person, as is the Baron of Brentford. Only because the priests decided a long time ago that they needed them to maintain belief and power over the people of the region. The people here cannot understand this, as they are very superstitious and the priests are smart."


    ~ I wonder why this should be our business, ~ Alexander commented.


    "And I wonder why I am being treated as a guest of honor by this ex-druid, ex-monk, even though he told us that crazy dream," the long talk of the afternoon had revealed some of Cymric''s past. Druids were what the priests of the ancient cults of that region were called.


    ~ The people of the forest trusts him, and trusts his judgment. What is he after all? A blessed person? A prophet? And whose side is he on? ~ the Prince seemed to try to put the pieces together in his mind, with little success however. Alexa was just happy that the old man didn''t question when she gently introduced that she would need to sleep all night without interruption.


    "He''s on the side of his truth, Zand. A man who has known so much can be a sage, a madman, or both. And I don''t even feel myself on ''one side'' to begin with."


    ~ You are on my side, and I on yours, Alexa, ~ said Alexander. ~ I''m sorry for trying to help and just causing your biggest nightmare. And as for what Cymric said about... ~


    Alexa interrupted him. She didn''t want to talk about it now,


    "We must save Cymric''s words for the foreseeable future, Alexander," at that moment, the princess was suspecting that Magnus would not be in Duncaster looking for them.


    But sleep took her before she could say that to Alexander.


    ooo


    Stretching her toes in clean and dry socks, the princess woke up in a soft and perfumed bed, different from the sweaty and chicken-smelling hut in which her actual body was lying in distant lands. She rolled from side to side on the soft mattress and between the furs and the satin sheets. Lex let out a sigh of pleasure. Up to the moment the princess rolled to the edge of the bed and see two muscular knees standing in front of her eyes. The rest of the leg was equally muscular and Alexa didn''t have to look up to know who they belonged to,


    "Hello, father-in-law!"


    Prince Gutard crouched down by the side of the bed, so they could look each other in the eye,


    "Any explanations of why you think you can walk around with my son''s body around will never be valid, Alexa."


    His dry tone left no doubt about his mood, and Alexa sat up quickly,


    "I''m sure Alexander''s fencing teacher explained the situation well. They are suspicious that Helga knows of the whereabouts of the Second Prince and have even tried to kill her. And then, your wife ordered a funeral for me, I mean, Princess Alexa, while spreading nasty rumors. But that''s all what he could say. I can say what I saw in Cordelia''s room, during the absence of the royal couple."


    Gutard raised an eyebrow,


    "You are suddenly very insolent, Alexa. Are you feeling comfortable in a prince''s body? Should I question where I was thinking about believing in you from the start?"


    Alexa reproached herself for using a certainly defiant tone when speaking with the proud Sovereign Prince, just for thinking he would prefer her to be assertive.


    "Forgive me, Your Majesty," she lowered her eyes, "nothing is right. Certainly not in Holstein, let alone where we are."


    "And how are my children?" he asked, tilting his head to the side with an enigmatic expression.


    "Something horrible has happened," she saw Prince Gutard''s green eyes narrow, before she even narrated the latest adventures she and Alexander had been involved in. When it was over, the Holstein Sovereign stood up,


    "Now that you have revealed Alexander to Cordelia, there''s not so much reason not to announce that my son has woken up¡­"


    "Well, wait. I can only stand on this body at night, so it will be strange. A good explanation would be needed. And rumors about the reasons could harm Alexander in the future ..." Alexa raised the points that worried her. "Perhaps it''s better to leave it as it is, until it''s important to reveal it to everyone¡­ But of course, your wife will ask you. I''m amazed that she hasn''t asked, actually."


    "You make sure to keep Alexander out of danger. Here, and wherever they are. And keep an eye out for witches ¡­"


    The Princess had questions to ask, but the door opened after a light knock and Duke Konrad came in with a huge smile on his face. Alexa smiled back.


    "Your Highness, how good it''s seeing you again!"


    "Ah, uhn, well, I don''t know how to do this! You are Zand and, at the same time, Alexa! How can I get used to it?!" Konrad sat on the edge of the bed, examining his cousin''s body closely.


    "Don''t get used to it, Kontzie," said Gutard crossly. "The princess will soon leave Alexander''s body and he will be the same person again."


    "I hope so, Your Majesty," said Alexa. "But what are we going to do about the Princess''s funeral. I mean, my funeral?"


    "I will say goodbye to my sister and we will return to Holstein. There you will know," the arrogant prince left his nephew with Alexa saying nothing else, and the Duke shrugged,


    "My uncle spent the day in a foul mood, but he''ll do his best for the family, don''t worry. "


    Alexa raised her doubtful eyes to Konrad,


    "I don''t know if he considers the bonds of marriage, or that I am a real von Wuttenfal, after all ..."


    "Don''t think so, he is a difficult person, but ..." Konrad turned his face and looked away, suddenly.


    "But ..."


    "Well, just get used to it. He''s here to advise me and help prepare a defense, so I know he demonstrates his loyalty in distinct ways. Don''t think I don''t hear a lot of harsh things from him. He says my aunt spoiled me too much!" the Duke smiled, turning to ''Prince Alexander'' again.


    He looked tired, Alexa could see black circles under his eyes and it was clear that Konrad needed more sleep than he had been having.


    "Well, I see I have no option but to get used to it," she said.


    "Before you go, I prepared the armor you saw before, so that you can take it. I proposed to my uncle to let ''Zand'' stay here, but because W¨¹rtz''s position is closer to conflict than Holstein, he thinks it''s not a good idea. As for me, I think Holstein isn''t a good place for you right now ... "


    "I appreciate it, Konrad, and I promise that if things get bad over there, I will bring Alexander here. But for now, I think the best I can do for him and the von Wuttenfal, is to stay there and help with the mysteries that occur in that castle,"Alexa thanked, feeling the same great affinity with Alexander''s cousin, a generous person and noble as few.


    "Well, since you are such a good wife for my cousin, I think I can call you a friend. And we can even talk alone without the danger of being misunderstood, right?" a fresh smile opened on the Duke''s face, and Alexa joined him.


    "Indeed! And if I''m your friend, you would undoubtedly help me with some mysteries of the von Wuttenfal family, wouldn''t you?"


    "Um, why not? If it''s helping¡­"


    "Konrad, I need to know why Duke Kurt was banned from the kingdom. Tell me, if you knw! "


    The Duke was speechless, listening to what Alexa asked him. And she insisted, with pleading eyes,


    "Please, please! You know it''s important!"


    Konrad swallowed, but shook his head in agreement. "I think I know what you''re talking about. He did something horrible in the past. I read everything in my mother''s diaries. I''ll tell you why he was banned and what his relationship is with all the tragedies in our family."

 Chapter 137 - The Two Sons of Otten von Wuttenfal

    On the way to Holstein, along with Balbo, Bastien, Prince Gutard, and his men, Alexa''s mind wandered to the terrible secret she had discovered through the diaries of Princess Odila, mother of Duke Konrad.


    Otten von Wuttenfal, Holstein''s sovereign before Gutard, had fought the paganism that existed in those lands with fervor. He greatly hoped to transform the kingdom into a place free from beliefs other than Christianity.


    To this end, he persecuted everyone who showed to think differently from him, or believed in anything other than what the Holy See said was right.


    More than that, he had the dream of erecting a beautiful cathedral on the ruins of the ancient Roman city that gave rise to Holstein. Prince Otten wanted to completely bury the ancient temple to the pagan gods.


    But Holstein, despite having a strategic port in his capital, didn''t have enough resources for such extravagance.


    Through several alliance by wedding with his beautiful daughters, the ambitious Prince Otten managed to make his kingdom flourish.


    As for his sons, according to his aptitudes, Gutard pursued a military career. And continued, according to his father''s desire, to hunt witches and heretics for the kingdom and even for the neighboring kingdoms. Kurt was educated as a politician and diplomat, learning from the emperor''s court the art of politics.


    When the old Prince became ill, he called his children who still lived in the castle, and made them swear to obey his wish: Gutard would be the new ruler and make Holstein a great kingdom, under the law of the Church. And Kurt would help him govern, pledging to help him build the most beautiful cathedral in the west. Odila, as a princess of only thirteen, was only asked to be obedient to her brothers and to God.


    The early years of Gutard''s reign were troubled. The cathedral had begun to be built, but ungodly superstitions and false Christians still dominated the kingdom. In addition, all kinds of problems occurred during the construction of the cathedral, removing workers and consuming resources.


    Kurt then went to Rome to speak to the Pope. And while on Italian soil, he went to Florence, looking for sponsors and business partners in that prosperous region.


    Thus began the connection of the von Wuttenfal with the di Borghesi.


    A year later, the di Borghesi offered the money to build the cathedral, and also the hand of Letitia, the eldest daughter of the patriarch, as a worthy wife for the Prince of Holstein.


    After seeing Letitia''s portrait, Gutard readily agreed to the wedding, and Kurt traveled with the Italian emissaries to fetch the bride.


    According to Konrad''s mother''s diary, however, things only got complicated with the arrival of the Italian bride and her court.


    Lex, traveling as Prince Gutard''s second son, felt an oppression in his chest as he looked at the broad back of the man in front of him. He had a haughty, martial stance, but he had carried an enormous weight so far.


    Alexa could never sort out her feelings toward Prince Gutard. Whether she understood him, or if she sympathized with him. Not even if she really trusted Gutard.


    In that strange mind of a Prince who still considered himself a Witch Hunter, there were many answers that the maiden felt she needed to know.


    Stepping forward with her horse to stand side by side with Prince Gutard, she cleared her throat,


    "Aunt Odila liked you very much," Lex started at the edges, testing the terrain as she impersonated Alexander. The men beside Gutard moved away when they realized it would be a private affair between father and son.


    "Uh¡­ Odila? How do you know that?" he didn''t look at Lex, but slowed his horse''s trot.


    "I read one of her diaries. She was a literate and very fond of writing, and it recorded that," simply revealed Alexa.


    "Meddling, nosy, cunning, seductive, is what you are. Did that fool give you his mother''s diaries so easily?" he grunted, and Lex suppressed a laugh at Prince Gutard''s words.


    "I''m trying to understand Holstein''s past. I know that a thick and twisted vine sprouts out of it and wraps us in the present, Your Majesty. As the reason why His Majesty married Gisela, for example. I know it was because she saved Magnus'' life. But Magnus''s mother¡­ I know she was a witch, who settled in the castle and was living under von Wuttenfal''s noses with all those diabolical practices."


    Prince Gutard sighed, deciding whether or not to listen to Lex. Then at last he said,


    "Yes, those terrible years created everything bad about Holstein. I learned to be less impulsive and to wait for the right moment. And talking less. And you should do the same. Also, in the past I took actions that today would have been different¡­ For example, you are still alive."


    "...!"


    "Just so you can shut up."


    "It means you are not going to let that happen again. Right, Your Majesty?" she asked hopefully.


    "Mind your own business, and straighten your back."


    Closing the matter, he fell silent, and Alexa thought if he had the same doubt that she now had.


    If Magnus was actually Gutard''s son. Or Kurt''s.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Despite the dark and cold night of riding, they arrived in Holstein in the middle of the night, without fanfare. Alexa felt the stench of the city and death''s presence, and the princess had no doubt that it all had to do with her confrontation with the White Queen, on the day that room was opened, after her wedding.


    The prophecy had not only opened a door, but had also released a great evil over the city. She felt the cold in her bones. Restless Shades prowled the city, even though she couldn''t see them.


    Shrinking from the cold, she would rather be somewhere else now, like in the soft sheets in W¨¹rtz. ''But I apparently don''t deserve that much luxury,'' concluded the maiden.


    The castle gates were opened for Prince Gutard and his entourage. When the Sovereign dismounted from his horse, he said, addressing ''his son'',


    "Follow me. We will settle this matter yet this evening."


    Balbo helped Lex to get off his horse. Looking at the sky, he wondered if they would have at least half an hour before dawn.


    Exchanging a look with the warrior, who understood his time constraints, he obeyed Gutard''s order and followed him through the palace''s courtyards and corridors, until they entered the family''s private wing, when Gutard''s escort dispersed.


    Stopping in front of the door of Princess Cordelia''s room, the huge man even cast a stern look at the Second Prince beside him, before opening the door without knocking.


    Only a few candles were kept lit far from the Princess Consort''s bed, and Lex saw the movement of her maids, who woke up frightened and stood up, asking who was there. The room was scented and heated, very different from the cold Lex was feeling after an hour''s ride on a cold, dark road.


    "The Prince," replied Gutard dryly, and while the maids came to light the room and wake the princess. Lex remained beside Gutard, silent.


    He saw Cordelia get up and get dressed in a rich peignoir over her nightgown, and come to the Prince, still a little confused.


    And she was even more confused when she saw that her husband had company.


    "Oh, I¡­ Good night, Your Majesty. Your Highness Alexander?" she bowed modestly, and Gutard did not stop her. Cordelia hugged herself, showing discomfort. "What happened?"


    "Did you kill my son''s wife?" asked Gutard somberly. Even Lex shivered under his cloak. It was possible to see that, no matter the fact that Gutard had hidden his thoughts from her, seeing Cordelia stoked the anger he had controlled.


    "ME? Uh, Your Majesty, such a weird question ...?!" Cordelia laughed, nervously.


    "Is it difficult to answer?" he asked again, menacingly. He didn''t move, but it was as if he had taken the entire room with his intimidating presence.


    "I certainly didn''t kill Princess Alexa!" the consort exclaimed, her voice high and pitchy because of her nervousness.


    "So how can you say she is dead? How can you set up this circus behind my back, Cordelia?!" he roared, and even Lex cringed, watching Cordelia literally tremble at her husband.


    "I¡­ I was led to believe that, my husband! Forgive me! Prince Alexander has already warned me of my mistake! But¡­ "


    "Listen to my words, Cordelia. Don''t even bother to deny you have it in for my son''s wife. Fueled or not by wild fantasies. Don''t even try!"


    "But I have no grudge! Why would I ...?" Cordelia tried to deny it.


    "Don''t forget, Cordelia, how ridiculously exposed you were at their wedding. And how the folly of your family caused the death of Baron Florian. I will not go into the merits of the female quibbles, which don''t concern me. Just remember, you are my wife now. If your family urges you to challenge me, it is better to choose soon, either to send them away and preserve them, or take sides and incur my wrath."


    "I heard about the rumors and tried to have a decent funeral, because ..." she stammered, trying to explain, but Gutard cut her off, turning his back.


    "Dare to give such impacting orders behind my back again, and you will see the strength of my hand. This is certainly not your role. Don''t leave your room until Sunday, it''s an order. "


    It was clearly an effort for the Prince to stop only in punishment. He slammed the door, which, despite being reinforced, shuddered.


    Lex looked at Cordelia with a stricken look, and saw her eyes filled with tears of fear and contained fury. Turning his back as well, he left the Princess''s room.


    Finding Balbo outside, he urged, striding.


    "I need to see Father Agnello before dawn. We have few time."


    When Lex arrived at the Florentine priest''s quarters, there was no answer when he knocked on the door.


    Suspiciously, the door was easily opened, and Balbo used the torch he carried to investigate the dark room.


    Lex felt the stench of death, and before he saw it, his foot tripped over something soft on the floor.

 Chapter 138 - Mildreds Rest

    The last thing Lex saw before dawn brought the princess back to her body was the torch illuminating the body lying on the floor.


    The page that used to accompany the priest was purple and his eyes were open, horribly, while a black spot of blood covered his chest. His shade was not there.


    Waking up in the stone house of Old Cymric, she suppressed her horror by covering her mouth with her hands, and looking around. Blinking, the princess saw Romeo quickly pecking at something dark and disgustingly looking, and swallowing before she could see for sure what it was.


    "W¡­ what are you doing?"


    ~ Me? Nothing. Just eating a¡­ fruit, ~ Alexander replied. Alexa stood up, still a little suspicious that he was lying, but found nothing suspicious. Maybe it was just her horror, making her see things.


    ~ You are scared. What happened? ~he asked, coming closer with small advances on the back of the bed. It was funny to see him move his little birdy body, no doubt it was very cute. On the other side of the grimy curtain, Old Cymric snored.


    Alexa told Alexander the latest events, ending with the disappearance of Father Agnello.


    The Prince sighed,


    ~ I am definitely concerned. He was always interested in the castle''s history. He was always a very cautious and canny man, though. But this time I don''t think it''s just ghosts playing tricks on him ... ~


    Alexa was thoughtful, thinking what could have happened to the priest.


    The princess heard the unmistakable sound of a horse approaching, and she pulled the curtain away abruptly, her heart suddenly racing. It could be Magnus!


    The old man took a fright in his sleep and woke up babbling confusedly, while Alexa was already at the door lifting the lock to leave.


    To her disappointment, it was Giles who came ahead of his companions, and greeted her,


    "Milady, as promised, we will take you to the convent. Are you ready?"


    She nodded. One of the issues would be resolved, at least. Mildred would have an appropriate funeral rite and within her faith, and that would make her afflicted soul more peaceful to follow the natural path, instead of clinging blindly to suffering and pain. She wanted to ignore what her instinct told her, and hoped to find Magnus waiting for them in the convent.


    After saying goodbye to the old man, who recommended Giles to return even in the middle of the afternoon, Alexa followed with the group. They had arranged a small cart where Mildred''s body was placed respectfully.


    The man Alexa had seen before everyone else, the day before, discussed with the foreigner,


    "Milady, you were right! My brother said that the Saxon knight defeated the Baron of Brentford!"


    She hated herself for laughing in joy, since she didn''t even approve of that damned duel. Romeo was also restless on his shoulder, making little cheering noises.


    "I said it would be like this! But then the news spread quickly! Tell me what happened!" she asked, and the man shrugged,


    "Well, the news spread as fast as possible on that road, my lady. Baron Brentford is a mighty and feared warrior ... But I don''t know how good it is for your husband. There can be no doubt that there''s a grudge about it after all."


    "It would be very good if your husband could leave the region as soon as possible," Giles advised, riding beside him. Alexa knew that Magnus was able to think about it alone, but still worried.


    However, the matter was not over, since the men were excited by the feat and regretting that it wasn''t possible for them to watch the duel. Alexa asked,


    "Did you all live in Tanbury?"


    "No, not all," Giles explained, "but somehow we got together because out of necessity. We are safer that way. There is strength in numbers, so they say,"Alexa nodded, and Giles continued,


    "But Tanbury and Brentford produced a large part of our group. Some of us still have relatives living on these lands."


    "Sorry, lady, but does your husband take part in jousting?" someone asked.


    Alexa was confused about what to answer, but Alexander came to her rescue,


    ~ Yes, Magnus used to take part in the summer festivals! But he stopped because he thought the jousting armor was getting too heavy and clumsy! I agree with him, but¡­ ~


    Alexander followed with his long, technical, and very excited explanation, that Alexa tried to reproduce the best she could for men. She had a vague idea of ??what jousting was, since she had never actually seen one. The Greek girl just knew it was a popular sport in Western courts.


    Her description got to the point where she was narrating the details of a summer festival in Mainz, the contestants and all the glory of the nobility of the Holy Roman Empire. It filled their time as they made their way to Duncaster. But they did not enter the city, contrary to what she imagined,


    "Being with us and a corpse will make it difficult for you to enter the city, milady, and either way, we can reach the convent by the other side. Also, as I said yesterday, people in Tanbury are more than likely looking for you," Giles explained.


    Half an hour later, continuing towards the northwest, Alexa saw the construction on the hill, and Giles pointed out,


    "That is the convent of St Ewe, milady!"


    The old building surrounded by trees looked pleasant and peaceful.


    Alexa remembered, with some homesickness, from the time when she lived behind similar walls, with her eccentric cousin and tutor Eudoxia. Not all women ended up in a convent in search of spirituality, but even Mildred sought shelter there for peace, even after her death.


    Convents were strange places, she concluded.


    Giles and the men didn''t follow the princess to the gate. Alexander commented,


    ~ I can hardly believe this is the second time I have entered the cloister of a nun''s convent. ~


    "You better not start boasting about it, ''Your Highness''!" she countered, remembering that the women thought they had some privacy there.


    Upon arriving at the gates of the convent, some guardians left their activities in the garden and came to her.


    After quickly explaining that she would like to speak with the Abbess, as directed by Father Agnello, she sat on a stone bench, enjoying some of the weak sun and resting from the ride.


    She felt Mildred''s Shade''s presence nearby, and without looking for her, the Lightbearer said,


    "Mildred, you have the opportunity to see the place you chose to live. I hope you are satisfied that you got here, anyway. As for us, we did our best, even if you don''t believe it. But I don''t blame you for being suspicious. I was also persecuted and wronged, and I tend to trust the wrong people. If what you need to feel free to leave this land was to find someone who could truly pray for your soul, with the words that really comfort you, I think you can have it here. "


    Mildred had weakened a lot like Shade after she accepted that she was dead.


    Her ethereal and sad presence passed like a breeze through Alexa and Alexander, leaving a trail of melancholy and her soft voice,


    "... I am grateful ..."


    Alexander sniffed, and the maiden asked,


    "Are you crying?"


    ~ Hun, no ... I hope Mildred finds peace. But it reminded me of my mother ... ~


    Alexa hadn''t told the Prince about her dream about Gisela, which she sensed was not just a dream. ''Should I tell him?''


    But the princess got up without taking the matter further, when she saw a novice come towards her and take her to the abbess.


    Mother Ursula, a woman with a serene and attentive eye, heard Alexa''s narrative. On the advice of Father Agnello, she didn''t hide her identity as Princess of Holstein, as this would guarantee, according to him, to be heard without a doubt. All the princess asked was that Mildred could have her grave in the cloister.


    Alexa also said, as the clever clergyman had suggested, that as soon as she returned to the continent the princess would have the necessary contacts for letters to reach Rome. A brief list of names should follow this statement, he had said. This sparked a spark in the Abbess''s expression, and subtly, the nun asked if the Princess could then take a letter with her, when she left England, bound for Rome.


    As the Princess followed Blue Eyes'' instructions step by step on how to get the Abbess''s favor, her thoughts wandered to the well-being of the ever surly and crafty Father Agnello. Where was he, and what would have happened to her tutor?


    ooo


    A simple rite gathered seventy-two women, seventy-three with Alexa, and a bird, around the tomb in the grave near the Abbey chapel. The princess now knew that Mildred''s soul was soothed and gone, and it brought relief to her heart.


    By mid-afternoon, despite the invitation to stay, Alexa said she was staying elsewhere and, although regretting not staying for a big meal and a more pleasant dorm than the last, she said goodbye.


    Although the moment had the solemnity and mourning expected, she realized that the nuns and novices were curious about the visitor from another kingdom who came up by their door with no pomp, and left in the same way.


    The abbess accompanied the Princess to her horse, handing her a basket of delicacies for her return and also the letter.


    "Your Highness, I will alert the archbishop of what you have reported to me, so he can verify what is happening in the south. But make no mistake, these things may take time to work. In the meantime, don''t delay in this region. It''s dangerous. Many noble families are obedient to God and keep their people in Christian customs with the help of the Church''s shepherds. However, I know that some nearby lands still hide wizards and apostates. This is not so unusual, unfortunately. It''s not long before the spring equinox, when pagans disguise their old and shameless rituals with festivities and distort holy teachings to cover up their evil! Please listen to my advice!"


    "Spring Equinox? Rites?" the Princess had not realized that it was only a few days before the Spring Equinox, and also for Easter.


    And now Alexa was suspecting what was behind the Lady in Red''s attitudes.

 Chapter 139 - Light in the Shadows

    "A task force assigned by His Majesty is searching for Father Agnello''s whereabouts," said Balbo, answering Lex''s question. "I was here during the day in Bastien''s place. He hasn''t been feeling well, Your Highness must remember how he coughed the entire trip ... In fact, I am worried that he is sick."


    "It''s true," Lex pondered, remembering the elite warrior''s dry, persistent cough. "Do you think ... could it be the plague?" it was easy to associate the symptoms with what she had seen in the last few nights. People were dying in Holstein, and those who could be leaving the city.


    Balbo shrugged, "It''s possible. I''ve seen it happen before, and it''s not pretty."


    It was hard not to be impressed by Balbo Cerd¨¢n''s absolute control at all times. He never looked shaken by anything. Naturally, as a Tanaion, murderous agent in the ranks of the Lazarites, he was more than accustomed to seeing deaths: he also inflicted them.


    "Where was he last seen?" Lex asked as he pulled on his boots.


    "He had spent part of the afternoon in the castle library, and after receiving a message, he commented to Master Valerius that he would speak with the Bishop. Then he supposedly returned to his quarters before going to the cathedral, where he apparently never attended. The stable master said that the priest''s carriage was ready at the request of his valet. It was all I knew, "reported the warrior.


    The fact that it had been two days since Blue Eyes was last seen was not encouraging. But he could have simply been killed along with his page, if they just wanted to get rid of him. A man like the Florentine priest certainly had many enemies, which made him a wary and watchful person. He, too, had made enemies among the dead and was probably targeted by the Cult of Diana.


    "The priest certainly exposed himself a lot when, on the night of the fire in the Princes'' wing, he fought and expelled a powerful Shade," Lex commented aloud, although he was just thinking with no conclusion in sight.


    "It may be that for outsiders, Father Agnello is the person behind Lady Saskia''s arrival, as well as her ascension. And that have disrupted the Cult''s plans, whatever they may be, "suggested Balbo.


    "You''re right. You may think that, without knowing that everything was just my bad luck ... "


    Balbo shook his head, "Don''t say that. Prince Alexander awaited his arrival. He tried to meet you. And perhaps Death accepted his sacrifice, and acted to bring her here. "


    Lex hugged himself, considering his friend''s words. "Surely he and I have a connection that has not yet been explained."


    "May I ask you a question, Your Highness?" Balbo asked, saying next, "Why didn''t His Highness tell Prince Gutard about the demon in Princess Cordelia''s room?"


    "For two reasons, my dear Balbo. If I told him right now, I would have to tell him about Lady Duvignes and that would lead to Duke Kurt. And I still don''t know what to do with the information that the Duke lives hidden in Holstein and seems very committed to unmasking Cordelia. And because, my dear, ..."


    " You don''t entirely trust him."


    "No, Balbo. I''m just starting to understand who he really is and how he thinks, and I don''t want to be taken by surprise anymore and discarded when the interests about me are over."


    "I don''t blame you for thinking that, Your Highness. But I will be by your side, like a brother, until the end. "


    "Even being persecuted, and considered heretics?"


    "What we believe is what defines us, Your Highness."


    Alexa thought about her recent doubts and the certainties of Mildred and Balbo.


    "So, what makes us different from all people who believe differently from Christians? Like the Cult of Diana, Gisela and her northern rites, and even the secret cult in England, which tortured a Christian girl and expelled people from their lands?"


    "Why, sister ..." for the first time Balbo did not treat her with deference to her social position, but with the intimacy of their now extinct brotherhood, "If these people are killing, injuring and causing pain, just to prove a point, don''t you think we are different?"


    "But Balbo, you are a Tanaion ... You are supposed to kill, to purge the enemies of humanity. But whoever decided that ... "


    " Yes, you are correct. I heard that there was corruption. Still," said the warrior," I have not lost faith that my service is necessary. Only, maybe I should learn to listen to the signs instead of waiting for someone to send me a name..."


    The bearer of the Light examined the honest and rugged face of the warrior, which until then, had been so constant and friendly. "You told me wise words tonight, Balbo. I hope you learn to hear the signals, as I said."


    He nodded, answering nothing more, and Lex sat down to eat his meal. Her thoughts persisted in returning to Magnus and Alexander from across the sea, but the Princess struggled to focus on Holstein''s pressing matters,


    "I am thinking of asking Lady Duvignes for help, to find clues from Father Agnello. But I also think I should check on Cordelia ..."


    "It''s good not to lose sight of Princess Consort''s actions. Even in her room, she must have as many tentacles as an octopus," muttered Balbo, and Lex agreed.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "I didn''t expect your visit," said Cordelia looking up from the book she was reading by a candelabra. Lex had come to her chambers through the secret passages. Cordelia''s room was Hare''s room. Lex had been peeking until he was sure the ladies had gone out to attend to the noblewoman''s needs. But he certainly wouldn''t have much time. Still, it was better to talk to her alone.


    "We didn''t have much time the night before."


    "Alexander, I was wronged! You know that my intentions were good, and that I was working to undo the misunderstanding. I immediately backed down and went to look for the bishop to speak of my doubt. If I had looked more readily at the..."


    "Body of the girl they brought you," Lex doubted that Cordelia would have such a hard time looking at corpses, but pretended to believe the farce of her sensibilities. The Princess nodded,


    "Yes, I might have noticed, but I didn''t look. I trusted that the people who brought her knew how to identify a figure as striking and beautiful as Lady Saskia. And I tried to dispel the rumors ... I gathered the ladies of the court to explain that I wasnot sure about the death of your wife, and I wouldn''t condone to slandering. But ... "


    Lex closed his eyes. She spoke vehemently, and sounded sincere. Cordelia continued,


    "Prince, be my friend! Since I got here my life is hell! I don''t hate Alexa, although I can''t know what she thinks of me! I was mistreated and humiliated so many times, compared to her beauty, and even despised by your family! But I didn''t do anything to deserve this! Your brother despised me and your father married me to keep the agreement with my father, but overlooked! Don''t you see?"


    The ''Second Prince just kept silent, and Cordelia continued,


    "I just want to be accepted! I didn''t mean it! Still, my efforts were not enough. The Bishop sent a message that another person recognized the body as belonging to Alexa. A person from the Church. And that being so, the Sovereign Prince would have to deliberate on what to do. From your reaction, I see that you didn''t know it yet, Your Highness ... Just make sure I tried to be sincere in my actions. And know that someone else is causing this unnecessary friction between us ¡­"


    "When did the Bishop send this message?"


    "Yesterday afternoon," said the Princess. "But I knew that I should stay out of this matter, that it has only caused me problems so far. Everything about your wife ends up hurting me in some way, even if it''s not her intention. If only she could show up and undo the misunderstanding ..."


    "Thank you. I will consider all your effort as proof of friendship," Lex said without any special intonation, and retired to the shadows again. Cordelia could not be surprised that the Prince knew all the paths of the castle.


    When he met Balbo again, he asked,


    "Will you accompany me to the cathedral? I suspect that I have to meet the person from the Church who recognized the body as being from Princess Alexa. That is, mine."


    "It looks like a very interesting story, Your Highness," Balbo agreed, and soon they left the castle for Holstein''s cathedral.


    Arriving at the episcopal house close to the cathedral, Lex and Balbo observed the building with its illuminated windows, from a strategic position. You could tell by the carriages standing around the house and the laughter, that there was some kind of banquet going on.


    "Isn''t it ironic, Balbo? That while the city is being consumed by the plague, there''s a party inside? "


    "Death is frightening to many, and that''s how they try to ignore the fear, Your Highness," the warrior replied, and Lex had to agree that Balbo was far more experienced than she could be in these matters.


    However, they watched two people leave the house through a side door, covered in black cloaks. They watched as the pair headed towards the cathedral, carrying torches for lighting.


    Something about one of the figures was strangely familiar to Lex, and it gave him a funny feeling in the belly, and a feeling of alarm, as his blood seemed to flow faster.


    "Balbo, let''s follow those people."


    After they separated for this, Lex took every precaution, but soon realized that they already knew they were being followed.


    Still, the hooded figures continued and entered the cathedral through the front door, without fearing the guards. The men separated briefly for a moment. The tallest of them went towards the main ship, which had been closed since the incident, and instinctively Balbo followed him, signaling to Lex.


    Lex, in turn, decided to enter through a side door and surprise the person who provoked his memory.


    Lex reached the east ship where the mystery man was going. Before he reached the ossuary''s door, Lex entered front of him, even though he knew it was expected.


    They were next to a window and the dim moonlight didn''t illuminate much, but the torch was enough to see his face.


    Lex''s heart missed a few beats as he looked back at the face that looked back at him,


    ''N-Narses?!''

 Chapter 140 - The Sinner

    It was him. Narses.


    Her beloved and closest brother, which she believed dead. In her heart she had recognized his gestures and the way he walked, and now, she could see his face again.


    His eyes were no longer the same, however, and Lex saw in them more than shock and suspicion,


    "Who are you?" Narses asked.


    They heard footsteps approaching, and their attention was turned to the people coming in that direction, with torches. Lex took a breath, incredulous that her own brother wasn''t recognizing her. Then the younger Dallassenos remembered that she was in the body of the Second Prince. As similar as they were, there were differences, and Narses seemed to be aware of them.


    "Don''t you know who I am?"


    His gaze dropped to Narses'' hand, which rested on a dagger half hidden by the cloak. Lex also saw something else that shocked her: Narses wore a white robe, characteristic of an ecclesiastical order. Lex''s eyes widened,


    "SAY IT! Who are you?!" Narses quickly grabbed Lex by the collar, with a look that could only be classified as disturbed. But at that very moment Balbo leaped out of the shadows, placing the tip of his sword between them. Lex remained motionless, facing both the sword and his brother. Narses had not yet loosened his collar, so the three heard,


    "I received an intriguing call, but do I find a violent scene in this sacred precinct? What do you think you are doing?!"


    "Narses, what are you doing?"


    Prince Gutard''s voice, followed by the voice of an unknown man calling his brother, was undoubtedly the last thing Lex expected to hear now.


    It seemed to have the expected effect.


    Narses released the Second Prince and turned to Gutard, bowing according to etiquette. Balbo put his sword away quickly and did the same thing.


    The Holstein Sovereign arrived with two warriors, and the figure who had accompanied his brother to the cathedral.


    That unusual encounter still made little sense, but seeing that the brother whose death she had cried so much was alive, seemed to obliterate all the other details.


    "Alexander, what are you doing here?" asked Gutard, not at all happy to find Lex in the cathedral in the middle of his secret meeting. Narses watched the Second Prince out of the corner of his eye, attentive to the information.


    "I ..."


    "Forgive me, Your Majesty. My little brother Narses sent this letter, ignorant of the protocols. As I said, he has reason to believe that Princess Alexa is a relative of his. Please listen to him, I know him and I know he won''t waste Your Majesty''s time," said the other man in religious clothes.


    It was not the rich and ostentatious clothes that Blue Eyes used to wear, but they carried the colors of an Order that Lex knew was the main one involved in the Inquisition trials. He was pale and with jet black hair that contrasted with the tone of his pale skin. His square face and thin, red lips gave him an aspect of strictness. The ''Second Prince'' looked at Narses, who kept his head down waiting for Prince Gutard''s decision.


    Lex at his side noticed Narses'' mental agitation, reflected in micro movements and how much he was aware of what was happening around him. And mainly, Lex.


    Gutard stared at Lex for a long time, and motioned for her to come to his side, which she obeyed, thus facing Narses again.


    Lex now feared that Narses would have his past and identity exposed. Was he in disguise? Was it a plan to escape and stay alive? ''He was looking for me! All this time he was looking for me! '' she concluded, feeling tears of gratitude come to her eyes. ''What should I do now?''


    "Relative of Princess Alexa?" Asked Gutard, motioning for Narses and Balbo to finally get up. Narses''s gaze went sharply to Lex, and he took a moment to speak.


    "Alexia Z?e Saskia. The last news I had of her is that her fiance, the English knight John Blackrose, had sent her to England. So ... I have heard news that a girl with the same name got married in Holstein since Cologne, Your Majesty. And there is other news about her too ... But when I arrived they said the bells were ringing because of her death," he broke off, leaving several things unsaid.


    "But she said all of her relatives had died," said Gutard. Turning slightly towards the ''son'', the Sovereign Prince sounded curious and scathing "Alexia said that her family was accused of several crimes, for having been involved with heretics¡­"


    Lex swallowed.


    "She could have been wrong ..."


    "Excuse me, but are you Prince Alexander? The one that people say is¡­ sleeping, or sick?" his brother asked.


    "Yes, this is Prince Alexander. And who are you?" Asked Gutard. Alexa held her momentum in simply throwing herself into her brother''s arms and revealing everything, mainly because she wasn''t sure if it could cost Narses'' life.


    "I am Narses. A sinner who would not may even tarnish the name of a Princess," replied his brother. Lex wasn''t used to his bitter and contrite tone, and trembled with anxiety. The man who accompanied Narses said,


    "As I said, Brother Narses belongs to our Lay order. He is a member of Militia Jesus Christi. His admission to our tertiary order was a request from Cardinal Albizzi," said the religious that Alexa still didn''t know who he was, but clearly acted as a superior. If Narses was a lay military order, it meant that he wasn''t ordained or a friar, but a warrior of the faith, she recollected.


    Another shocking fact was the name of Albizzi, who Alexa imagined to be the kind man she met in Venice, and who promised to help her by asking for the absolution of the Dallassenos'' accusation as heretics, directly to the pope. Formerly an archbishop, he was now referred to as a cardinal. Lex was happy that Rinaldo could not destroy his reputation after all.


    "Narses Dallassenos? This is you?" Gutard wanted to make sure. Lex''s brother nodded,


    "Yes, Dallassenos is the name of my family. Your Holiness, the Pope, has granted me and my family papal forgiveness. "


    Lex remembered that the despicable Ghirardino Figa worked very hard to prevent the rise of a Pope who was against the interests of him and his associates, trying to use Narses to do so.


    Alexa didn''t know if the new Pope was the same person who Narses refused to kill, but the fact that they received papal forgiveness meant that they were no longer wanted as heretics.


    "Alexa Saskia was actually Alexios Dallassenos?" Gutard went straight to the core, placing a firm hand on Lex''s shoulder.


    "The Saskias adopted my little sister and went to a convent for a long time. When the Saskias were also chased, Alexa had to be removed from there. We went to Venice, where¡­ we parted. Alexa became engaged to Sir John Blackrose, and was supposed to be going to England."


    Narses didn''t look at anyone, he just looked at the floor. His answer seemed to follow a predetermined path. Memories of the facts came as a flood to Lex''s mind. All she wanted to know now was how Narses had survived and what had happened to him when she was a prisoner at the Pallazzo Ottieri. And all this time? But one thing was certain: it was not an easy time for his brother.


    "There were rumors that Narses and Alexios were murderers, as well as heretics," the Prince seemed to relish the fact that he could interrogate Narses without difficulty.


    Lex was still confused about the big change in her brother''s personality, always so proud and lively. He almost looked like someone else, in replying,


    "I have committed sins, Your Majesty, but believe me that they created many rumors about the Dallassenes that were not true. My sister and I were maligned in many ways, as were the rest of my family. Our history is not well known in the West, but believe me. My sister was just a child when all of this happened. Her suffering was immense."


    The man with Narses interrupted,


    "In fact, Your Majesty, the rumors about the ''Dallassenos brothers'' were absurd and unreasonable. ''Invisible killers'', they said. ''With diabolical pacts to fly at night ...''" he chuckled. "I know Brother Narses and his history of suffering and penance. The Pope personally heard his confession. And he asked us to trust this man as a person reborn and mortified by his past actions. Shouldn''t we all open our hearts to receive him?"


    Gutard nodded slowly,


    "I think so."


    There was something strange in the words of the hard-eyed religious, and Lex wondered what Father Agnello would think of this man, if he met him. In fact, ...


    "Sorry, but I don''t think I heard your name yet," Lex asked candidly.


    "Reuben. Reuben Van de Velde, Your Highness, and serve as Prior of the Dominican Order of Rhineland and above. "


    Although the religious tried to minimize with a soft tone of voice, Alexa knew that he wanted to impress the Holstein''s Sovereign.


    "I heard that the Church insists that Alexa is indeed dead. Did you declare that your sister is dead, Narses Dallassenos?" asked Gutard.


    "It wasn''t me, although the Bishop insists that yes, she''s dead. In addition, he sent letters to the Priory ... about intriguing facts in Holstein. Many of them involve Princess Alexa. But that is why we want to hear from His Majesty," said Prior Reuben, looking at Prince Gutard.


    "Where''s Princess Alexa?"

 Chapter 141 - So Close, so far

    Instead of answering, Gutard, who kept his hand on Lex''s shoulder like firm claws digging into his flesh, snorted,


    "I''m more interested in the reasons the Church is suddenly so interested in the Princess. As for the arrival of a sibling, I feel that she would be happy. But at the same time, the disclosure of this connection would ruin our LOVED Princess''s reputation. Let''s take it easy with each step."


    Narses swallowed, and Lex rebelled under the hand of the Sovereign Prince, trying to free himself,


    "Well, but since Narses is here ..."


    Gutard, however, easily controlled the princess in the Prince''s body, putting his arm around Alexander''s shoulders.


    "As I understand it, he will be here while the Prior is, and we will have a new meeting soon. In fact, I am sure that I will have many meetings with the Bishop and the Prior, too. But there''s no evidence that the body they found is Alexa''s. Is that what we''re doing here, next to the ossuary? They buried a person as if it were Alexa, without my consent?!"


    "In that case, it would be appropriate for the princess to go public and dismiss the rumors," said Reuben, softly.


    Then Lex understood the colossal problem they were in.


    "Just in time," Gutard used his position to end the conversation when it became inconvenient for him.


    Narses took a step forward, but didn''t advance as all the Sovereign''s men, including Balbo, moved towards him.


    But Alexa''s sibling pleaded,


    "Your Majesty, please let me know the truth. Allow me to see my sister! "


    But Gutard, forcing Lex to follow him, didn''t respond and continued to lead the ''Second Prince'' with a firm grip.


    Lex looked over his shoulder as ''he'' was being removed to see his brother looking at them with an expression of unspeakable suffering.


    She felt a lump in her throat, but the Sovereign Prince, sensing that she would try to let go, spoke in a low voice, and that for Alexa, it sounded threatening.


    "Don''t make a fuss, it will be worse for you."


    When they reached the Tower, Lex turned to the Prince, containing his fury as much as he was prevented from speaking further with his brother.


    "My brother needs to know the truth."


    "After I''m sure he shall know the truth, Alexa. You may not have noticed, but the Prior monitors what he does. It can mean a lot of things, one of which is that they don''t exactly trust your brother."


    Lex swallowed,


    "But¡­ I trust Narses! He''s not going to put our secret at risk."


    "Beautiful little thing, listen to me just this once. The Princess''s absence is an annoyance. Everyone wonders where she is! Now the Church certainly wants to question her about everything that happened, from the incident in the villa to the spiritual battle in the Cathedral. For many, you are a saint, and for others ... You know very well. But if your brother speaks in confession what he knows, do you believe he will be safe? That Alexander will be safe?" Gutard seemed to search the bottom of his chest for a drop of patience to explain her.


    "He won''t say anything. You don''t know him!" she countered, knowing she couldn''t blame him for doubting.


    "You are right, Alexa. I don''t know him. But I know the look of a man. And your brother ... Maybe we can''t trust him. I won''t take any chances until I''m sure. So you are not going to reveal anything to him! " exclaimed the Prince.


    "You can''t stop me!" Lex yelled, against her own nature rebelling against him. Gutard narrowed his eyes, and snarled,


    "Really? I already said, you won''t reveal this until I''m sure! For anyone, not even your brother! And if I have to use force to keep you silent, I will! It''s for the good of everyone!"


    "You always say that, but what are you really doing ?!"


    Gutard took the Prince and sat him forcibly in a chair, shaking his shoulders as despair fell over Alexa''s heart.


    She couldn''t bear it anymore, starting a convulsive cry.


    The prince ran his hands through his hair, aggravated. Turning to Balbo, he ordered,


    "Cerd¨¢n, you witnessed all this nonsense and are responsible for the Prince''s security. If she tells someone who no longer knows about the condition she and Alexander are in, you will both be punished. But you will be responsible. You will be killed for not stopping it. Are you understanding me?"


    Balbo nodded, his face impassive.


    "No!" Lex yelled, but the Prince had already turned his back on him.


    "That''s not fair!" Lex still whimpered, not understanding what the Prince meant by ''knowing that kind of look'' ...


    oo


    Feeling overwhelmed by not being able to do anything at that moment in Holstein, Alexa swore that at least there, in her real body, she would not fail to act. That was why, early in the morning, without waiting for Cymric to wake up, she and Alexander, in the shape of a bird, set off for Tanbury.


    Although she was being cautious, and using the Red Lady''s fast horse, her heart was pounding with fear. She knew it was a risky operation. But on the way, she told Alexander about what was going on in Holstein, and also shared her concerns about Magnus with him.


    "Alexander, there''s only one plausible explanation for why Magnus hasn''t found us until now. He just didn''t come to us."


    ~ I have suspected this recently. He''s usually shrewd, and would be looking for us in normal circ.u.mstances, ~ Alexander agreed.


    "Spring celebrations are important everywhere, and more isolated people tend to celebrate in a particular way in each part. It''s also the time of many fertility rituals ... Of many special births, too," Alexa said. Dallassenos who had the gift used to be born only in the spring. This was a strong indication of a newborn''s special nature.


    "We have to find out why Magnus didn''t go after us. it''s our priority. And I think it''s, as Cymric said, exactly because the Red Lady wants a replacement," she said emphatically, as she rode across the prairie with Alexander in her saddlebag.


    ~ I don''t understand! What exactly does she need a replacement for? Does she think about sacrificing him to the gods? ~ Alexander asked.


    "Perhaps. But I don''t think he''s there willingly, of course. However ... I think the main reason for the duel, etc, wasn''t about honor or whatever. She''s just replacing her unwanted partner in a fertility ritual. Surely the Baron of Brentford was chosen, and she hates that."


    ~ WOW! Alexa! ~ Alexander was shocked. ~ Well, it makes a lot of sense! I heard that even in our region, in the past, there were many connected traditions and this kind of... ritual. And I also read that, in the past, there were gods and goddesses of fertility, for whom they did all kinds of strange things trying to improve harvests and ask for good births, and things like that. But... You are saying she wants Magnus to take part as... ~ he left the question hanging in the air, and he was really getting a little dizzy and breathless from the speed with which Alexa rode.


    slowed down, remembering the incident before the trip, when the bird got so dizzy, that only the breath and embrace of a tavern maid recovered it.


    "Yes, it''s exactly what you are thinking. I''m sure it wouldn''t be a problem for a non-Christian to be chosen for that kind of thing. I even suspect that you, for example, would like it very much, as you demonstrated that time with the tavern maid¡­"


    ~ Hey, don''t blame me! I couldn''t help her from squeezing me between her b.r.e.a.s.ts! I didn''t want to, I swear! ~ Alexander appealed to her common sense.


    "Humpt, it didn''t seem to be a pain."


    ~ In any case, besides being an act for pagan gods, it is something planned by the woman who tried to kill you, and who killed our friends! ~ Lex changed the course of the conversation.


    They could already see the castle towers in the distance, and Alexa decided to enter the forest to avoid being seen when approaching.


    "Yes, that''s why I think your brother is not a volunteer. Because Johannes and Ulrich died. "


    ~ So it''s obvious that they took him, prisoner. How are we going to get him out of there? ~


    "I still don''t know, but I must find a way. Unfortunately, I can''t just reach the castle gate asking for him. We will have to invade, and you must help me. You need to find out where he is. Although Cymric doesn''t believe that the Red Lady has any kind of power, we can''t take any chances."


    ~ I will do that and you will be waiting for me here in the forest, ~ Alexander said, also looking determined to help. He flexed his wings, which had been shrinking inside the saddlebag all this time.


    "Please find him as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I can''t wait for the darkness to act!" the princess reminded him. That would be very dangerous.


    Romeo flew and Alexa looked for a good spot to climb a tree and view the castle''s surroundings, and make her own plans. She saw that there was unusual activity in a meadow near the castle. They were setting up tents and pavilions, and the peasants were opening ditches where they would surely roast for some kind of festival.


    And it certainly wasn''t Easter.


    Her stomach had already roared with hunger a few times, and the sun had walked a good bit across the sky, when the little nightingale returned to Alexa.


    ~ Alexa! Magnus is somewhere inside the castle, I overheard the castle servants talking to each other. I came back when Jennifer saw me and shouted, ''ROMEO!'' ~


    Alexa was uneasy, and asked,


    "What else do you know?"


    ~ A woman named Dierdre is in charge of making him a drink. The people of Tanbury are afraid of him, and no one is very happy or safe about the ritual which will take place in two days. You were right, Alexa! Some say that because he''s a foreigner, Magnus shouldn''t be the Horned God! They say it will offend the god, and it will be a great tragedy. They are a little resentful of the Red Lady and hope that the priests who are about to arrive will give their final opinion, ~ Alexander spoke of a single breath.


    "Of course, this is a bad idea. Mainly because he''s not a volunteer! " the princess grunted.


    ~ Alexa, they hope the priests decide to kill him, since he ''doesn''t deserve'' hosting the Horned god they are expecting. ~ Despite the explanatory tone, the princess noticed the anxiety and concern in Alexander''s voice.


    Alexa looked at the sky. There were maybe four hours before sunset.


    Would it be enough to get Magnus out of the castle and into Cymric''s?

 Chapter 142 - Jailed!

    The task of sneaking up to the castle in broad daylight was more difficult and time consuming than Alexa expected. But she succeeded, with the help of Alexander, who had an excellent aerial view and could keep her aware of the castle''s surveillance without being noticed.


    At this moment, her heart was beating wildly, as she hid behind a thick column and tried to reach the stairs that went down to the bas.e.m.e.nt of the castle.


    From time to time, a muffled drum sound interrupted the noises common to a small castle. Alexa was sure that the drum sounded in the castle''s bas.e.m.e.nt, where she already knew that Magnus was imprisoned.


    She waited for a couple of servants to come out carrying a tub full of water. They chatted quietly among themselves, occupied with the weight of the object and focused on their conversation,


    "Don''t you think this will cause problems in the future?"


    "The priest is impressed by this man''s resistance and indomitable spirit. He must satisfy the goddess Eostre. Our harvests were not good last year, but it''s not surprising ... The Baron was no longer the same."


    "Well," laughed the man, "now he will never be the same! The Saxon is a heartless monster!"


    "But can they can control all his fury until the festival?"


    "It doesn''t matter. When the Great Horned One uses his body, he will only do what he has to do. He just needs to be worthy for the great Horned god to possess him!"


    They moved away from the door, leaving it ajar, and Alexa, followed by the nightingale, slipped immediately onto the torch-lit path.


    "It''s not because they hate Baron Brentford they have the right of kidnapping a new candidate for his role at the festival!" she mumbled to Alexander, feeling inflamed by the absurdity, allowed and supported by the local population.


    Before Alexander answered, a terrifying scream echoed down the staircase, paralyzing the princess in place.


    "NOOO! AHAHHGH!"


    It was Magnus.


    Alexa took her hand to her heart, as if that could make it stop hurting and beat so fast.


    The drum sounded again, and exalted voices speaking something she couldn''t understand, could be heard from down the hall. Even more cautiously, Alexa went to the door. Strange vapors emanated from within, with a strong, sickening smell. A male voice sang a sort of repetitive song, but there were other muffled voices talking inside.


    The princess pulled the fabric of the cape around her face to protect her nose. She was sure that the smoke was toxic in some way, because she smelled the unmistakable aroma of henbane1 and mandrake2.


    "Alexander, you mustn''t go down there. These vapors can be fatal to a system as delicate as Romeo''s," she whispered.


    ~ I''ll be watching the door. Take care, ~ he agreed, since he couldn''t afford to lose this body too.


    As soon as the nightingale flew back to the top of the stairs, Alexa ventured to peek into the room from which the hot vapors and the confused, muffled sound oozed.


    It was hard to see, and she dared to enter the room, hiding behind large oil jars.


    The place was wide, although the ceiling was low, and with small openings in the wall that brought in some natural light and allowed air to enter.


    It wasn''t a dungeon, but a circular room carved out of the rock. Unknown symbols for Alexa were painted on the walls, and the wide columns that supported the ceiling were also arranged in a circular manner, for some reason.


    In the center of the room, an iron cage went up to the ceiling.


    Magnus was inside the cage, half n.a.k.e.d and with bloodstains on his body.


    His wild, disheveled appearance was frightening.


    From where the princess was, Alexa couldn''t see his face very well, but Magnus'' altered and aggressive state was clear even from there.


    Magnus from time to time slammed his body against the cage door, which rattled on impact, even though it clearly hurt him. At the same time, he put his hands on his head, pulling his hair in despair, and looking haunted by things that only he could see. His golden eyes even seemed to glow in the dim room.


    Outside the cage, an old man dressed in white rapped nonstop, rhythmically. Another man with no shirt and with weird drawings on his body, beat the drum at smaller and smaller intervals.


    Both seemed absent minded, immersed in what they were doing, in some kind of religious or narcotic ecstasy.


    But she heard a groan coming from the opposite corner, which also caught Magnus'' attention, even in his altered state.


    Changing her angle in order to see better, Alexa could only see the female silhouette against the light of the torches attached to the opposite wall.


    ''It sure is Lady Gwen!'' she didn''t need to see more to know her identity. Nor did he need more light to know that the woman exhibited her body libidinously for the imprisoned man, inciting him with m.o.a.ns and poses that would probably make even a sober man very excited.


    The woman mixed words in an unknown language with words that Alexa understood, while teasing Magnus as if he were an animal destined to cover a female.


    Magnus turned to the female figure, moving sensuously, his back to the princess. Even so, Alexa realized that he seemed quite affected by the surrounding sounds, because after each touch of the drum, he m.o.a.ned as if in pain. Lady Gwen m.o.a.ned broken words,


    "Oh, get ready! Take your female! Pour it on me! Oh yeah! Will you come for me? Yes, get ready to ravage my insides, yes!"


    ''Honestly, what does that crazy bitch think she''s doing?!'' Although Alexa''s will was simply to jump on her and slap that woman senseless, she doubted that it would help her get Magnus out of there.


    Her eyes were on fire from the toxic smoke, and the drum was speeding up as the man screamed. The princess didn''t know what was going on in the First Prince''s head,, but he held the bars of the railing trying to approach the woman on the other side, while she squirmed and showed herself shamelessly to him.


    Then he suddenly crouched down, putting his hand on his head, and bellowed,


    "NOOOOOOO! IT''S NOT LIKE THIS! NO!"


    The drum stopped, and so did the annoying litany. Alexa heard Lady Gwen''s voice exclaim in deep irritation and rage,


    "Arghh! Damn Saxon! Why don''t you accept the Great God Cernunnos?! You have to be ready by tomorrow night!"


    Magnus was panting and started coughing as he m.o.a.ned. Alexa''s heart felt like it was going to tear in half, and almost unconsciously she tried to spot some object with which she could attack them. Only her common sense told her she needed the Prince to at least recognize her to get him out of there. Clearly he was intoxicated and having horrible hallucinations.


    "The Horned One hasn''t found his way to his body of yet. But his mind is listening to the call of the Goddess, and his heart will respond at the right time," said the old man, coughing next. "Leave him in the mist, the gods will speak to him ..."


    After saying this, the old man took a cloak, which he used to cover the white clothes he wore, and went to the door.


    Alexa had to hide, holding back the urge to cough, and saw when the damn blonde woman went to the bars of the cage where Magnus was, calling him sweetly in a strange language.


    Magnus was lying near the railing, and Lady Gwen reached out to caress his chest.


    Alexa narrowed her eyes in hate.


    But the delusional Prince grabbed the arm that came towards him violently, causing Lady Gwen to come up against the bars. She cried out, hitting her face against the railing, and tried to free herself, but Magnus pulled her arm, muttering in Holstein''s language,


    "You crazy bitch, you''re not her! I see your true face!"


    The old man and the drummer came to help the lady, but Magnus had already released the woman''s arm and turned on his stomach, looking exhausted.


    The men snickered at their lady, but the woman didn''t seem to care either. They were all to a greater or lesser degree intoxicated from staying there, but Magnus was in a worse state.


    The Princess wondered if, had it not been for the heart of stone in the Prince''s chest, whether he would have endured the prolonged exposition to such a narcotic substance.


    Alexa supposed that he was being drugged since the end of the duel, when Lady Gwen needed to keep him under control so he wouldn''t go after them, as promised.


    When the princess realized that they had left, and closed the door behind them, she ran to the cage door, looking for a way to release Magnus.


    But why were her movements so slow and why did the walls seem to come towards him?


    In addition to the scent of the mandrake, she smelled the daffodils1, and the moist smell of earth and fresh tombs reached her nostrils. She shook her head, focusing on the vision.


    Alexa couldn''t see how that damn cage was opened. And in the distance, she heard Alexander''s voice calling to her, and her hand on her shoulder, frozen,


    "Alexa! Danger!"


    She saw Magnus''s yellow eyes looking down at her, but she looked back, startled that Alexander had touched her shoulder.


    The door just opened. In Medieval times, mandrake was considered a key ingredient in a multitude of witches'' flying ointment recipes as well as a primary component of magical potions and brews. These were entheogenic preparations used in European witchcraft for their mind-altering and hallucinogenic effects.


    All species of Mandragora contain highly biologically active alkaloids, tropane alkaloids in particular. The alkaloids make the plant, in particular the root and leaves, poisonous, via anticholinergic, hallucinogenic, and hypnotic effects.Daffodil or Narcissus


    Like other members of their family, narcissi produce a number of different alkaloids. There is also a long history of the use of Narcissus as a stimulant and to induce trance like states and hallucinations.


    White narcissi, are especially associated with death, and have been called grave flowers.In Ancient Greece narcissi were planted near tombs, and are often described as portents of death, an association which also appears in the myth of Persephone and the underworld.


    Alexa mentioned to have recognized the white daffodils embroidered in the dress she found in her first room in Holstein as a ''dark omen''.


    Henbane was historically used in combination with other plants, such as mandrake, deadly nightshade, and datura, as an anaesthetic potion, as well as for its psychoactive properties in "magic brews". These psychoactive properties include visual hallucinations and a sensation of flight

 Chapter 143 - Sacred Mission

    ''Alexander has such beautiful eyes ... It''s like looking at a field of lavender,'' she had that fleeting thought as she looked into his apprehensive eyes and felt his fingers on her shoulder. But that wasn''t possible, was it?


    The princess shook her head, and blinked, hearing her name being called vehemently,


    ~ Alexa! Alexa! Watch out! ~ she turned to the door, and saw it opening.


    Lex threw herself on the floor, next to the drum, and the bench covered with a hide, hoping it would be enough to cover her presence, at least for a little while.


    The sudden movement made her vision spin and everything went dark, but she inhaled the air near the floor and realized that it was easier to breathe.


    No, there was no longer a flesh and blood Alexander in front of her.


    Her eyes burned and the shadows flickered around the princess, though. Huddling, she heard the person''s footsteps coming towards her. A metallic noise confused her. The person was carrying something that ringed when he walked.


    The princess soon understood that the man who came in had come to put more narcotic herbs in the brazier, because the smell suddenly got stronger and her eyes burned harder. She needed to get out of there.


    Alexa''s dilemma was to whether to leave Magnus behind. She rolled in the other direction, and saw her yellow eyes on the same level, staring at her. Alexa didn''t know if he could really see her, or recognize her. Although his eyes were fixed on her, Magnus didn''t even blink, his pupils were dilated as two saucers.


    The footsteps approached, and again she felt Alexander''s fingers trying to pull her away. It was difficult to focus, her muscles didn''t seem to want to respond as quickly as ever! Alexa knew that she was seeing and feeling unreal things, at the same time that she saw the real things, but she still managed to differentiate them¡­ For how long?


    The steps stopped right beside the princess. Huge feet very close to her eyes.


    She looked up. The man looked at her in surprise, holding a copper bowl.


    ''OH! Damn it!'' Alexa rolled as fast as she could, away from him. At the same time, the caged prince kicked the cage with a crash, and grabbed the man''s leg tightly, pulling him in the same way he did the woman minutes ago.


    The princess used that moment to run towards the door. Romeo flew fumblingly close to the door, looking dizzy, but managed to follow Alexa''s clumsy run up the stairs.


    Alexa could not be as silent as she would like. She felt her body lighter, but she didn''t control it so well. She just ran away from people, through the empty corridors, trying to take a deep breath and exchange the stale air inside her lungs for fresh, invigorating air.


    ''Dammit dammit dammit! They will catch us! '' it was the only thought that repeated itself with some connection in her mind. She entered the first door she managed to open, realizing that it was a room full of trinkets like looms and spindles piled up.


    Panting, Alexa stifled a cough, and asked,


    "Alexander, find a way out¡­ I need to wait here. I feel like I''m going to pass out," she leaned against the wall, but the feeling didn''t get any better. She could see Alexander, instead of seeing Romeo. And her husband put his hands on her shoulders with a stricken look.


    ~ Calm down. I''ll do it. Stay here. Hide. ~


    She nodded.


    Looking around, she saw a dusty closet, and in an instant she was inside, feeling sick and her conscience failing to stay in this world. The sounds were excruciatingly loud.


    She was sure she heard the door to the room open slowly with a creak.


    "Milady?"


    ooo


    In Alexander''s body, the princess opened her eyes in panic, grabbing the covers while her heart was pounding against this body''s ribs.


    "We are going to die!" ''his'' hands were shaking as he remembered Magnus''s horrible situation. However fearless and fierce a warrior he was, the Red Lady ensnared him in something Magnus could not fight.


    Alexander could do nothing for them in his bird''s body, and she had been discovered in her terrible hiding place ...


    It was the end.


    Balbo came over to the bed,


    "I see that things are not good there, Your Highness. Calm down, uh? Take some water. "


    Alexa drank heavily from the glass that the warrior offered him. After a few minutes, when her heart had calmed down a little, she told the warrior everything in a torrent of nervous words.


    "Why, it''s not so bad. You should be more confident in the sacred mission you have, Your Highness," he said with a smile on his face, clumsily patting the Prince''s shoulder.


    "Sacred mission?" Alexa knew that Balbo was a man faithful to his belief, but did not know how he faced Alexa''s situation there.


    "There''s no way that all this is just chance. Prince Alexander and you are connected, and it''s started even before you got here. He dreams of you practically every night of his life. And you came to Holstein. Of all places, where he was. And yiu became his wife in the strangest way ... Now you shares his body with him. Alexander is possibly the key to destroying evil in this place, Alexa, and you are the guide he needs. That''s how I see it. This is Alexander''s fate, and you are part of it."


    Balbo''s words surprised her. Alexa had never thought anything like that.


    "But, Your Highness, Father Agnello has not yet been found. I received a note," the swordsman took out a piece of paper from inside the doublet, and Alexa opened it gutlessly. The note just said,


    "I NEED REINFORCEMENTS TO RESCUE FATHER DI BORGHESI. FIND ME ON THE BRIDGE WITH PEOPLE WITH CONFIDENCE AND STRONG HEART.


    KVW"


    "I believe that Padre di Borghesi, despite everything, is a valuable ally and should not be wasted. As for who sent this note, I do not doubt that it is the same person he met in the Jewish quarter," Balbo concluded.


    It was the first time that Balbo expressed his real opinion about Blue Eyes. And Alexa had to agree with his pragmatism ... even though she secretly liked the grumpy and cunning priest.


    "Are we talking about Duke Kurt?" the princess scratched ''her chin'', thinking she definitely needed to shave, and at the same time condemning herself for having such a ridiculous and small thought in the face of so many serious situations that she lived on both ''fronts''. "If he''s getting involved, we can already conclude that the disappearance of Father Agnello is not just a political plot, but must be directly related to the witches."


    Balbo nodded. "What do you intend to do?"


    "Call my brother."


    The warrior tapped himself on the forehead, "I don''t know why I didn''t think you were going to say that."


    It was a little funny to see Balbo trying to be comical, because it definitely didn''t match his intimidating figure. Alexa got up.


    "Because of Prince Gutard''s unfair clause, I will not reveal the truth to my brother."


    "Hn, thanks. But, are you really going to help the Inquisitors?"


    "It''s not about ''helping'' the Inquisitors. This is not stupid persecution of people who are innocent or just think differently from Christians, as I thought at first, Balbo. This place really has real witches, capable of bringing creatures from hell and imprisoning souls. Exactly what we Lazarites should fight. The interruption of the natural flow of life and death, the path of judgment and rebirth, which they corrupt. With the sole intention of taking revenge and causing harm."


    After Balbo stared at the Light Carrier for a long time, seeming to decide to express his thoughts or not, he shrugged.


    "If the famous Narses Dallassenos is half what they say, it will be good to have his help. I feel like this is a fateful night."


    Alexa nodded.


    She didn''t have time to waste there either.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    As I heard, the group of Dominicans had been housed in a parish near the city''s western gates, and Lex met Narses near the source that served that region.


    The Second Prince, covered with a cloak and masked just in case, brought only Balbo with him. The city was empty and smelly, and it was necessary to use a cloth over the face to avoid breathing the putrid smell that came from closed houses and dark alleys.


    "You have a problem, Your Highness," said Narses on arrival, sounding suspicious.


    "Yes, the plague. This all contributes to the opposing forces having the rise they desire, Brother Narses. You must be wondering why I called you," Lex tried to keep the character only in favor of Balbo, who would lose his life if Gutard was challenged. But she felt very guilty about trying to deceive her brother.


    "I hope it''s going to lead me to where my sister is," replied Narses, just to make her heart sink.


    "I dare not defy my father''s orders, Narses. Please understand. The truth will be revealed at the right time. But I need your help. It''s something important. Someone''s life is in danger. "


    Narses moved restlessly,


    "You are a strange person, Your Highness. There are many questions I want to ask."


    "I hope you can wait until tomorrow. I will answer everything I am not, bound by oath, forbidden to reveal. However, I am not being light-hearted in saying I need your skills ... If they are not just legend, it is."


    "I am not the same person anymore, so I cannot act as before, Your Highness. Forgive me if I decline your offer," his brother turned his back on the prince and his bodyguard unceremoniously, ready to go.


    "The life of the man who gave Alexa asylum and protection in Holstein, and made her a princess, is in danger. Maybe he''ll die later tonight if we don''t interfere. Please, Narses."


    According to tradition and habit, a Tanaion like Narses and Balbo would respond to this call with ''what if it''s his destiny?'' Lex was even preparing to argue over those classic lines.


    But that''s not how Narses responded.

 Chapter 144 - Teaming Up!

    "You took too long," said Duke Kurt, as he came face to face with ''Purple Mask'' at the meeting point.


    With the Duke, there was a huge Moor with a scimitar around his waist and a strange turban, and a masked female figure that Alexa supposed to be Lady Duvignes.


    "The message has only just arrived," said the Second Prince. "But were not a at social meeting. Where is Father Agnello and what will we possibly face?"


    Ironically, while trying to sound like a noble and assertive prince, the frightened princess was imitating the men in her family, and was aware of it.


    "It''s possible that we face the same dangers that your wife has recently narrated, and others that you have seen yourself. In fact, I hoped she had come, given her fame," said the Duke, looking again at the men with the Prince, and showing his disappointment.


    Alexander snorted,


    "Hey, Mr. K! Don''t offend me like that! I know everyone is crying out for my wife to return, but don''t disdain what you don''t know yet! I had excellent teachers!"


    Even though he knew who the man was and his title, they had never been officially introduced. Still, the Duke didn''t show nor make any mention of taking offense by the treatment.


    In fact, after the Prince complained, the Duke just looked at him as if he was seeing a fluffy white kitten squeaking, in amus.e.m.e.nt. Even Narses barely concealed a chuckle, pretending to cough.


    Only Lady Duvignes remained silent.


    Some things never changed. Even Alexander was not taken seriously because he was small and angelic.


    Clearing his throat, Lex said,


    "But it''s irrelevant at the moment. We are here to act. What''s the plan?"


    Alexander''s uncle quickly explained to everyone that due to Father Agnello''s suspicious activities, the people who caught him could have believed that he was the one who invaded ''X''''s room and removed a dangerous object from there. It was clear that the Duke didn''t want to talk too much in front of the warriors.


    Then he explained,


    "In the past, a group of women gathered in the ruins of the people who lived here in the past. Some of these places were important to them. There are still ''Roman catacombs'' underneath the city, which have been mistakenly maintained by a series of disastrous decisions ... But what matters is that, most likely, the priest is being kept in the same place of worship as before. A few days ago I noticed signs of use in some passages, and due to recent events, I am sure there they reactivated their place of worship."


    Lex looked around the corner at Narses, who just pursed his lips when he heard all of this.


    "Maybe we have no problem getting him out of there, or maybe we are dealing with the worst kind of witchcraft," added the banished Duke Kurt von Wuttenfal, or rather, Mr. K.


    "Since Mr. K knows so much about witches, how can we deal with the demons they summon?" the Prince questioned.


    The Duke answered bluntly,


    "Some may be defeated by the sword. Others, by faith. So I hope that everyone has in his heart the firmest purpose of resisting evil, knowing that the Lord is with us," he took the box that Lady Duvignes was holding and opening it, took out several vials with a transparent liquid, which he handed to each one,


    "Keep that in mind, and see the despair of the witches as they know to be splashed with blessed water."


    Narses made the sign of the cross when putting the bottles on his belt, Lex realized. "Milady will guide the carriage," said the Duke, motioning to Charlotte, who nodded silently. "And she''ll be waiting for us outside."


    Lex wondered if the Duke would do this operation to save anyone, or if Father Agnello was special in any way. But he knew he would soon have that answer.


    If only, back in England, she had companions this brave and ready to help her!


    Alexa had already seen parts of the Roman ruins as soon as she reached Holstein, and even ran over the aqueduct that crossed the city to the castle, when the city was flooded.


    But this time she was going to know some secrets of the city.


    They proceeded discreetly to the area where blackened walls and columns clashed with current buildings. Lex recollected the time when she crossed the underground galleries, blindfolded and being guided by Magnus.


    The Princess wondered if they would have another meeting with the old and long forgotten inhabitants of the Holstein underground, and what was the current relationship between this Cult and the Black Queen.


    But Alexa suspected the answer.


    However, in Alexander''s body, she had to be even more careful.


    They reached a semi-hidden part, which showed signs of recent use. There were remnants of candles and even an unlit torch near a stone slab.


    On a first inspection, Lex saw nothing of note, but Duke Kurt made a sign and the Moor went to a wall and pushed aside a smaller slab, showing a circular mechanism, apparently connected with the trap door.


    The Moor had no trouble handling the mechanism, and Lex heard crackling and clicking noises, until the trapdoor started to move aside. Of course, Lex could not believe that the mechanism had been operating without any maintenance since the times that the Romans dominated that region. It was clear that modern people made use of that place.


    As soon as the slab was removed, Lex saw a rough-made staircase disappear into the darkness below. Lex was not in the least afraid of this type of place, but asked,


    "Mr. K, do you know what it''s like down there? Or do we have to explore blindly?"


    "Fortunately, yes, I know what the place is like, although I can only count on my memory. I will go ahead,"


    But Narses interrupted him,


    "Let me go ahead. I have some experience as a scout," Lex was not surprised by his brother''s proposal, he certainly didn''t want to risk an ambush in a dark and unknown place. The Duke shrugged,


    "As you wish, I''ll go on, then."


    Lex followed behind the Moor, looking back and waving to Lady Duvignes, who would be outside. The line ended with Balbo coming in the rear.


    "Brother Narses, just keep in mind that we suppose these cultists are practitioners of necromancy..." Lex felt he needed to warn.


    Narses just spoke over his shoulder,


    "God is with me, I will fear no harm. We will hope that Father Agnello will also have his company here."


    Lex wished these to be true, even though the words from his brother''s mouth, once an ardent Tanaion, seemed so strange.


    After walking a few meters, the dark tunnel curved and they could see a dim and distant light.


    Lex''s heart pumped faster.


    The group started to walk more cautiously, trying to make as little noise as possible, although it was impossible to walk without the torches. They had no way of knowing when they would be noticed.


    Lex also felt a strange itch, and was sure that invisible Shades were watching them. His hand went from scratching to hurting, and the Light Bearer just hoped it wasn''t strong enough to be impossible to control the Torch with only his Willpower. She sought to monitor Narses'' reactions to the environment. As someone who was also born with the gift, he was probably feeling the same things. But between Narses and the Prince, there were The Duke and his warrior. Alexa couldn''t see almost anything ahead, to be honest.


    Then, in that strange, suffocating gloom, Lex heard Shades'' whisper very close to him.


    Looking both ways, he realized that the place had a dense atmosphere and the limits of the earthly world with the lower worlds were very weak there.


    He heard a cry of warning, in a high-pitched female voice. The people in front of them ran towards the end of the corridor, drawing their weapons. Lex did the same, and went through other passages that crossed that path without looking at the dark holes where the shades watched the living disturbing their nebulous existence.


    As he chased after the Moor, seeing beyond his broad back only a halo of light coming from the room ahead, Lex was not quite sure what was going on. He just imagined that a witch had given an alert about the presence of intruders, and the men in front of him wanted to prevent them from preparing for a counter attack or even fleeing.


    When Lex reached the entrance to the great hall lit with a few torches, the Moor turned to him, closing the gate that served as a door before the Prince could pass, pulling the lever of a device from inside the room. The railing fell like a guillotine from the top of the door, fast enough to make Lex take two steps back, startled.


    Alexa was totally taken aback by this maneuver, and tried to push the fence, but the Moor approached only to look the Prince in the eye as if he laments,


    "Sorry Your Highness, it''s dangerous!"


    "GRRRR! Open it!" Lex demanded angrily, while his short arm tried to touch the lever, but the Moor disappeared into the room on the other side of the bars.


    It was possible to hear screams and noises of violence coming from there.


    Balbo reached him without speaking. Muttering a curse directed at the Duke and his minion, the Castilian reached the railing and pulled Lex out of the way to open it.


    Lex held the torch so that Balbo could reach the lever on the other side of the grid and open it.


    "What''s the point of bringing me if I couldn''t help?"


    "It''s hard to believe that you are capable of what you are, just by looking at your appearance," Balbo explained gruntingly, reaching out to reach for the device. Busy as they were, they realized too late the figure who approached them coming down the dark corridor.


    It wasn''t a Shade. But Lex''s hands stabbed and moistened with blood immediately.


    "I was at your wedding, weren''t I?" a strange male voice with a strong accent spoke.


    Lex turned the torch in the direction of the voice.

 Chapter 145 - Relived

    "Baron Florian?" Alexa didn''t believe what she was seeing. That was Baron Florian, wasn''t he?


    But she saw his death with her own eyes!


    Standing before then, the noble foreigner who dueled Prince Magnus for offending Alexander''s bride. In this case, Alexa herself.


    And that he had died. Absolutely and undoubtedly dead.


    "It''s a pleasure to finally meet you out of a bier!" the legendary warrior had his face sewn together and Lex imagined that it was work of the same people who stole his body.


    And then, it was easy to deduce, they decided to use some macabre ritual to trap his soul in his body and relive him.


    Florian emanated a sickening chill from his body, and Lex saw his hand go down to the sword he carried around his waist.


    There was a very fine line between healing and necromancy in Holstein, apparently.


    But the Light Bearer realized that, unlike other places, people were able to invoke great power in that region. Was it something to do with Holstein?


    Although his shock was great, his survival instinct was greater and Lex pushed Balbo in the direction of Florian, poking his ribs,


    "Can you lend a hand here?"


    Balbo still had time to give the Second Prince an astonished look, and mumble, "So brave minutes ago!" while turning his own sword, moving towards Florian.


    The swords clashed when they met in the darkness. The Second Prince huddled against the fence, behind Balbo.


    Looking over his shoulder to try to catch a glimpse of what was happening on the other side of the grid, Lex, just understood that the group of necromancers that was caught there was trying to escape. A few centimeters away, Balbo and the revived warrior were balanced in a fierce fight.


    Under the light of the torch, Lex could see the skill and speed of the Castilian, against the resilience of the Pole.


    "Get out of here, Your Highness!" Balbo grunted, keeping the ground and moving Florian away from the door where the Prince was.


    Lex then left the trance to see the epic duel in the catacombs to turn back to the grid and try to reach the lever.


    The Prince stood on tiptoe and stretched as far as he could. He grunted in his effort to reach the piece, squeezing his face against the railing as he wished Alexander was a little bigger.


    His fingers reached for the lever, but they were unable to grasp hard enough. In addition, his hands were burning and it hurt with all that effort.


    SLAP!


    Another hand jerked his hand away, and pulled the lever. Lex gave a cry of fright and pain!


    "Watch out!" his brother''s voice alerted when the railing started to rise with the change in the counterweights that moved it. Narses had come back and opened the door from the other side. Lex took two steps back, instinctively, so as not to be hurt by the movement of the ascending door.


    And that was his mistake.


    Florian launched himself at him, deflecting Balbo''s attack in a fluid motion and grabbing Lex by the hair, turning his body around, and placing his sword quickly around his neck.


    The Prince failed to escape in time, and he backed away when Florian tilted his face close to Alexander''s, examining him with curiosity.


    "Isn''t funny? May we meet in a place like this, Little Prince? " his fetid breath denounced that something wasn''t going very well with his body, unlike the beautiful gello that Lex found last night keeping Gutard company.


    Lex could bet that using an already decomposing body was quite different than returning a soul immediately to its still warm body. Or wasn''t it? The technicalities of the matter would have to wait, however.


    "You''re dead," Lex reminded him, trying to hold the blade and push it from the sensitive flesh of the Prince''s neck. But it met with strong resistance.


    "Do you think so? I must thank these gracious ladies for correcting an injustice."


    Once again Lex closed his eyes in disgust for a moment, suffering from Florian''s breath. The Baron would no longer get dances at balls.


    Then Lex spied out of the corner of his eye where, and what, his friends were doing.


    Balbo cautiously approached trying to find a good position to interfere. Narses was behind the Prince, but in a blind spot. He had no idea where Duke Kurt and his ally were, however.


    "Oh well. I agree. It was pitiful. From what I heard," the young prince forced a half-hearted smile, withdrawing his hand when Florian showed he wasn''t kidding about cutting his neck. "Oops, oops, calm down, Baron. See, we both know that no matter how strong your soul is, your body is not in the best condition, huh? How long do you think this will last now that these demon summoners have tied your soul to this decaying body? I mean ... I''m supportive. I really am. But ... You know and I know that they aren''t your friends. That you are, at most, a skilled pawn for them. Don''t lower yourself like that. "


    The little confusion his words caused was long enough for Narses to grab Florian''s arm from behind, and the Baron''s revived body trembled at his touch.


    Lex pushed Florian''s arm with the sword, taking advantage of this moment, and ducked to escape. The Baron, however, still had reflexes fast enough to brandish the sword once again against Lex.


    The blade would have caught the middle of his back if Balbo had not interposed his own blade with a precise movement. Lex had even shrunk the body in anticipation of the impact, which was trimmed by his friend.


    Moving to the other side and inhaling the air into his lungs, Lex saw Narses''s hand light up quickly as he grabbed Florian. The Baron was trying to free himself, but Balbo was on the other side to hold him and take his sword.


    Narses reached for the bottle of holy water and spilled its contents on Florian,


    "Here, defiled creature! In the name of the Lord, I command you to leave this body!"


    Then the light in his hand started to fail, at the same time that a horrible smell started to emanate from Florian.


    This was a new experience for Lex. Lex knew internally that Narses was fighting the temptation to display his gifts as a Light Bearer. Although it wasn''t his specialty, Narses had the birth gifts that Alexa had, and could do the same things as her.


    But of course, doing this in front of strangers could be his death.


    Florian grunted, still struggling to get rid of the two men, but mostly, he seemed desperate to get rid of Narses'' touch. It was obvious that the dead Baron seemed strong enough to resist for a long time, anchored in that body.


    Then Lex stepped forward, and touching him on the chest, began the words of exorcism of souls according to the Lazarites. There was no alternative there and the holy water didn''t seem to be able to do the job alone.


    "No! I don''t want to die! I don''t deserve to die! AEHHHHRG! NO!"


    "Dying is not a merit, nor a punishment," said Narses, resuming the prayer where Lex last spoke.


    Together, they performed the sacred rite to expel a resistant shade from the world of mortals.


    Florian''s struggle to resist was long and tiring, perhaps reinforced by the macabre rituals that invoked his lost soul and tied it grotesquely to a decomposing body.


    Lex saw the haughty figure begin to lose its firmness and fall forward, and also its flesh began to rot before their eyes. But the soul was still there, like a shadow clad in a carcass, its eyes bright and vivid with fury and attachment.


    Then, at last, the weak voice of ex-Baron Florian pleaded,


    "Kill me! Please free me from that decaying flesh! Please!"


    Balbo, with an expression of disgust, with one stroke he thrust the sword into Florian''s fragile and putrid chest. The last breath of that body released the shade from its spiritual bonds. Florian vanished in a fog, leaving the mortal world behind.


    Lex was exhausted, disgusted, and sad.


    Balbo proceeded to poke poor Baron''s remains with his sword, trying to understand if he could revive again.


    After resting for a while, Narses spoke, showing a calm that Lex could not feel at the time,


    "This subject is intriguing, and I''m certainly interested in the details of this story. I will wait, as you promised me, for the right time to hear them. But that pair managed to arrest only one of them. The other two or three managed to escape somewhere ... "


    Lex nodded,


    "And what about Father Agnello?"


    "We found him in a cell. He''s ... not well. Mr. K, as you call him, is with him right now. "


    Lex gave a weak smile, "Then we should get him out of here as soon as possible." Going in the direction of the hall that had been denied access moments ago, Lex saw the large statue of Hecate, with three faces and holding a key. The statue had the bottom totally stained with what the Light Bearer supposed to be blood.


    Following Narses, they came to a room that looked more like an ominous butcher shop. The Duke held a woman by the fists with him. He was just gagging her. Her face was unrecognizable because the disheveled woman dressed in black wore white paint all over her face.


    Blue Eyes was on the floor, being helped by Duke Kurt''s man. The Moor was carefully freeing Father Agnello from the shackles. Looking around, the maiden understood that he was tied and hanging from the ceiling, n.a.k.e.d and injured. He wasn''t even conscious at this point.


    Lex ran to help the Moor,


    "Let''s get him out of here. He needs medical care!"


    Touching it, she immediately withdrew her hand. Blue Eyes burned with fever, and m.o.a.ned incoherent things almost inaudible.


    Balbo and Narses came to help as well, when he was lifted from the ground, the priest murmured, in some delirium, apparently to himself,


    "... can''t know ...! They can''t know ...! "

 Chapter 146 - Lord Cat

    Alexa woke up scared, feeling a gooey and sticky thing gluing her lips together and an enormous discomfort. Her body ached, and she soon realized that it was because of the strange, shrunken position she was in, inside the closet. In addition, again he had a feeling of heaviness on her legs.


    Groping in the darkness, she found fine hair and a child-sized head, in addition to the rest of a child''s body.


    ''Jennifer?''


    She heard Romeo''s loud call outside, and heard his wings flap against the closet door. When she moved to open the door and the first ray of dawn light came through the crack, the girl who had wrapped her arms around the Princess'' waist woke up.


    In addition, every time Alexa moved a little, things seemed to move over her body. Luckily, it wasn''t c.o.c.kroaches or other insects, but little flowers falling out of her hair¡­


    ''Oh, she followed me here and was playing with me like I was a¡­ doll? Is that in my mouth ... porridge? '' the princess rubbed her lips with a frown. She really hoped it was porridge.


    ''Milady, you woke up!'' the girl smiled, hugging her tighter. And even though she was not very child-friendly, she felt her heart warm from the innocent tenderness emanating from that little creature.


    "Shhhh ..." she put a finger to her lips. Jennifer nodded and jumped out of the closet swiftly. Alexa followed suit, looking around.


    Everything remained the same except that she now had a scarf, a new ring, chamomile flowers falling from her hair, and almost tripped over a bowl of cold porridge.


    She started by taking off the ring, while listening to Alexander''s account.


    ~ Alexa, they searched for you, but this little girl and her brother kept this place safe. ~ Alexander told. ~ Now we have to get out of here while the day dawns, it will be easier now.


    "Yes, I will," she agreed quickly, knowing she had no time to waste.


    The girl was still sleepy and hugged her again, holding her legs.


    "Thank you for taking such good care of me, Jennifer. You really are an independent thinker, aren''t you?" the princess bent down to speak to the girl, who looked at her confused.


    "Okay, you and I are friends, aren''t we? Do you know what''s going on here?"


    Jennifer nodded thoughtfully,


    "Lord Cat hurt the Baron, but Rowan came back home. Only Rowan said that Brentford is better. Lord Cat drank a lot, and he got furious and fought with everyone and they locked him down there. Rowan said that I shouldn''t go down there. Rowan said that Mom shouldn''t have asked Lord Cat to hurt the Baron. Rowan is mad at mom. And mom is mad at Rowan. Rowan said that Lord Cat had to go. But Lord Cat is married to Milady, isn''t he? I don''t understand..."


    Jennifer ended up shrugging, with a sigh.


    ~ This means that her brother can help us, Alexa. He is older and have a better understanding of what is going on. He was watching the corridor the whole night. He even told them he was looking for Jennifer and it distracted and divided the searches. But we have little time, soon someone will remember that they didn''t look in this room. ~


    Alexa nodded, turning to Jennifer,


    "Jennifer, me and Lord Cat need to go home. He''s ferocious, but he''s not bad. We just want to go home, you know? Will you help us?"


    "Yes, I''m going to ask my mom and ..."


    "Oh, well, there''s no need to talk to her about it. I think she''s angry at something and will end up mad at you too. I just need to get out of the castle. Don''t you want to call everyone in the kitchen and tell them you was playing hide and seek? Just don''t tell them about me! Everyone will be relieved that you are well, and I am going to go and get medicine for my husband. So when he gets better and less angry, I can take him away with me and everything goes back to normal! Rowan will be happy and so will your mother!" Alexa found it difficult to get a complex cooperation from the girl, but the princess thought she would at least buy some time to leave the castle.


    Alexa supposed that Cymric knew what to do about that powerful narcotic. Now she understood why Mildred had warned her not to take any medicine or drink in Tanbury. She couldn''t claim that there were no wizards there. But without a doubt, there were exceptional herbalists, capable of healing and also of poisoning.


    The girl nodded vehemently, running for the door.


    "Rowan! Rowan!" Jennifer called her brother with a whisper through the crack in the door, and the boy appeared after a few moments, with a stern and suspicious look.


    Rowan was blond like the mother but didn''t have many other traits in common with Lady Flairclough. He stared at Alexa for a moment, looking relieved, and put a finger over his mouth asking for silence. He waved for her to follow him.


    Alexa didn''t hesitate the slightest. Following the boy, she slipped down dark, narrow paths until they came out into a small, empty courtyard.


    Rowan pointed out a path,


    "Milady must go toward the crosses. Don''t come back. They will kill you."


    Lex nodded seeing that the boy was quite pragmatic for someone his age. For a moment her mind wandered to remember her own reactions at a similar age, when she still lived as Alexios.


    ~ We can''t stay long, Alexa! recalled Romeo, resting on her shoulder.


    "Thank you, Rowan," she turned to leave as soon as possible.


    "Milady ..." The boy touched her hand briefly, and the princess looked at him in surprise.


    "Would you give me ... The trained bird?"


    Of course, Jennifer would have told him about Romeo and his adventures. Alexander cleared his throat, seeming surprised and flattered.


    "Of course! He''s yours! You helped me a lot, I owe you my life. There is no greater gift to thank you!" said Alexa, taking Romeo with both hands cupped and offering the boy.


    ~ Gahhhhh! What?! Alexa!!! ~ Alexander squeaked in surprise. The boy eagerly picked up the bird in the same way.


    ~ What are you doing?! Alexa?! Alexa?! I demand explanations! You''re a traitor! How can you...!?! Hmp! ~


    "You will take good care of him. And please make sure to get him to sing for the milord in the bas.e.m.e.nt. Listening Romeo''s singing may calm him down."


    The boy smiled, nodding. Meanwhile, Alexander complained with every inch of his being,


    ~ But you have no right to decide that for me! Don''t think I will forget this, I won''t! You''re having fun at my expenses, aren''t you? It''s some kind of petty revenge, I know! ~


    And Alexa, avoiding Alexander''s judgment, turned and left. She was taking a risk, but maybe if Magnus heard Romeo''s song, he could endure the hallucinations until she came back to free him.


    Which couldn''t take long.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Leaving the place had been more difficult than entering the castle, as people were arriving for the festival, coming from the roads and the countryside. The horse was no longer in the place where Alexa had left him. Meaning, most likely, they had found him.


    Although Alexa was avoiding people, at times it was inevitable to hear the groups walking along the road, who spoke louder and more openly, to pass the time. She kept herself hidden behind bushes or behind trees, so as not to be easily seen.


    Alexa heard a small group of young men and women talking about the coming of the priests at the end of the day, in a very loud and lively way.


    "The Baron is not going to accept what happened so easily. Listen to me, he will come back and grab the Red Lady by the hair!" said a woman, laughing out loud.


    "If he has the strength to do that, I suppose he will," another woman snapped.


    "But he never believed that she could find anyone who could defeat him! " a young man commented sarcastically.


    "Well, she did, and I think the next few years are going to be awful. Why did the priests side with her?"


    "I don''t know and I don''t care. The festival only matters because...beer!"


    "Not just for that! And all the Fuk Fuk?!" someone said, and many laughed knowingly, agreeing.


    She would have had to hear more, as they walked away in the opposite direction where she was going, but she could imagine what Fuk Fuk meant.


    Alexa perceived the decay of a religion by the corruption of customs and rites, making everything meaningless and hollow, in that region. Even the Cult of the Lazarites had lost its meaning and had become corrupted over the years. And that would certainly happen with every religion and every cult that lost its essence and allowed petty interests and futile rituals to contaminate it.


    As she walked cautiously through the forest, skirting the road to guide herself, she overheard the conversation of a group and it relieved her heart as she recognized Giles'' voice among them.


    She approached cautiously, but they were watchful. It was a group of three men, and four horses, one of them Lady Gwen''s horse!


    "Milady Alexa!" one of the men exclaimed when she was spotted, and smiled,


    "Thank God, we were so worried!"


    "Oh, God Bless, she is fine!" said the other man.


    Giles came to her with a stern look,


    "Milady! Why did you do it? We''ve been looking for you since yesterday!"


    "I managed to get into the castle, but I only managed to get out of there now," she gave no details but noted in their expressions the astonishment at her audacity and ability. "My husband is a prisoner and they are subjecting him to a ritual so he can receive the Horned One god in Baron''s place. It seems that, as he defeated the Baron, he has this ''privilege'', even if forced."


    And turning around with her best and biggest puppy look, she asked,


    "Please help me save my husband!"

 Chapter 147 - Identity

    Alexa scr.a.p.ed the bottom of the bowl, not really feeling her hunger satisfied but thanking her hosts for sharing with her the little food they had.


    Any of them would be killed for hunting in the Baron''s lands, according to feudal law, and they didn''t even have land to produce their food. But what little they got was being divided.


    Her account of what she had seen and heard, and how Lady Gwen''s children hid her in a sewing room, appalled her listeners.


    Before giving the word that they would help Lady Alexa, Giles decided that they would listen to Cymric.


    The leader of the group was concerned, and the princess understood him.


    Giles appeared to have some military training, but most of the men in the group were ex-peasants.


    Even so, Alexa was determined that, whatever they decided, she had to go back and get Magnus out of there.


    Their camp was a group of rustic tents, carts and decrepit vans, surrounded on one side by a palisade and on the other by a stream. Some children ran through the buildings and vehicles, while the men were gathered in a circle talking to each other.


    Meanwhile, Giles'' partner Anne and her friends wanted to know about Alexa.


    Almost all women in the group, old and young, had surrounded Alexa with curiosity.


    Alexa tried to be vague and brief, but the questions followed in a way that it would be very rude avoid explaining.


    She could simply lie and tell them a made-up story about her origins. But, since she had seen her brother Narses alive, her own identity, which had lost its l.u.s.ter with the weight of the surname von Wuttenfal, seemed to require her to tell who she was. If her day of death came, people would know her story, or at least, a part of it.


    Alexa smiled to them,


    "I was born in a very distant land, Constantinople, in a family that served the emperor faithfully. I was the youngest in my family, the Dallassenos, and the only girl. But, due to a custom of my family, I couldn''t live as a woman in the first years of my life ..."


    The fact attracted the attention of all, who seemed to realize that they would hear a very interesting story.


    "My mother died when I was very young, so my father gave me the name of a man, Alexios, and raised me as a boy. I was at his side or at the side of my brothers, and I thought I had nothing to fear in the world. I had a pleasant life, and I had fun, studied, and even messed something once in a while. I kept the secret when I could understand it, for the sake of my family. And in fact, I didn''t think much about the future. However, I didn''t expect that, when I reached a certain age, to refuse the advances of a general, one of the emperor''s brothers, would cause the death of the firstborn in our house. As well as the destruction of our family."


    Her audience held their breath, and Alexa continued,


    "When my father realized that that event had caused the emperor''s brother to wrath and could make our protector turn his back, he tried to save us all."


    oo


    "OUCH! No! No! Stop!" Alexios, or rather, Alexia Z?e, tried to escape torture while Iacintho held her tightly, wrapping his arms around her.


    The maid was trying to pierce her earlobe with a hot needle so that Alexa would start wearing earrings like all the other girls of her age and social class in Constantinople.


    "Don''t be stubborn, Alexa!" Iacintho grunted, struggling to hold the girl who was struggling like a lamb going to the slaughterhouse. "What can this pain be in the face of everything you''ve punctured, grated, bled and broken?"


    "But now it hurts more!!! I''m a girl now!" shouted Alexa, with tears flooding her eyes. Her logic made his brother laugh heartily, and he ended up releasing his sister, who slapped the maid''s hand and ran to the other corner of the room. Silena, the maid, pursed her lips at the maiden''s behavior and said,


    "Very well, maiden, I will no longer pierce your ears as ordered. But then the earrings ''Kyria'' Tarsila gave you before she left will stay in the vanity, not in your ears."


    It was Alexa''s turn to squeeze her lips, trying to decide what to do. She didn''t like the pain, but it was the only way to wear the earrings that her sister-in-law, Michalis''s widow, left for her before leaving for her parents'' country home.


    Her father-in-law Bryennios advised Tarsila to return close to her parents, as he feared that some reprisal would reach the family, shortly after Michalis''s death.


    Tarsila had left with her servants and a small fortune, not without shedding many tears. The earrings were her personal gift to celebrate the fact that now, due to her husband''s sacrifice, Alexa could finally live as a woman. In addition, the earrings were beautiful and Alexa secretly wanted them.


    "Okay," she mumbled, returning to Silena, "Just don''t be rough." The maid went to disinfect the needle in vinegar and then heated the tip of the needle in the flame of a candle. Meanwhile, Lex sat down, waiting passively.


    "For those who took off men''s clothes just a month ago, your pain threshold dropped a lot in a short time," Iacintho crossed his arms, mocking.


    "It''s just that I''m a sensitive person. I am a woman after all. I am much weaker. I can''t endure offenses by you anymore, just because I can''t do things. You need to treat me well."


    Iacintho rolled his eyes,


    "I want to see how long this whining of yours will last."


    Narses came into the room like a curious cat. The maiden wasn''t fond of being the center of attention that way. At least Iacintho was there to help with a pain medicine.


    "Why are you hiding your hands behind you?" she asked suspiciously. Narses had a huge smile and seemed to barely contain himself.


    Silena took the opportunity to grab her ear again, and Alexa contained a shiver, shrugging her shoulders in anticipation.


    "Look!" he showed what he was hiding behind his back.


    "OH! OH!" Alexa got up at the exact moment that Silena was going to pierce her ear, and the maid gave a frustrated sigh. Narses waved two luxurious shoes, gracefully embroidered in gold and with red and blue floral motifs, before her nose. "Narses, they''re amazing! They''re amazing!"


    Her blond brother lifted the gift out of the reach of Alexa, who kept trying to get it but without success. Narses was the tallest of the Dallassenos, and Alexa didn''t even come close to touching the shoes above her head.


    "Not very good for climbing smooth walls, though," Narses lamented, finally handing the flats to his sister. Iacintho approached, touching the pouch on his waist,


    "Well, I didn''t want to have to compete with Narses, since it would be unfortunate for him, but here is my gift." The dark-haired brother caught a small embroidered silk sachet, which he handed to Alexa.


    Her always sarcastic brother''s act was a surprise.


    Hurriedly opening it, she found a pair of modern earrings, with dark blue stones dangling majestically from cabochons.


    "You! Iacintho, that''s why you want me to pierce my ears! " Alexa concluded, and he shrugged, with a shy smile.


    Narses wasn''t happy,


    "Iacintho, you said that these were too expensive!"


    "For you, yes," Alexa''s older brother teased the immediately younger brother, and turned to the maiden, "And I wanted to make sure that, with all these heavy props, our little sister doesn''t hang around upside down. Or get into holes. She can certainly lose an ear now."


    Clearly Iacintho was referring to all the times when she tried to snoop on his affairs by invading his tent or workshop, usually by the means that Narses taught her.


    She shrugged, showing her tongue to Iacintho. Alexa ignored their usual rants, and grabbed her gifts with greed and joy. She didn''t know which one was more beautiful and she admired them for a while, with a huge silly smile hanging on her lips.


    But a thought came to her mind,


    "Hey, brothers, wait. You two are giving me valuable gifts on the same day, and so suddenly ... "


    The two Dallassenos looked at each other, and Alexa realized, even if only briefly, that the exchange of looks between them was tinged with concern. But both disguised it quickly.


    "She keeps her smarts. Now I just wanted to convince myself to pamper her and that she''s a fragile and helpless being."


    "But I am!" Alexa protested. "Still, I know there''s something weird going on. And you even planned that! You never make plans together!"


    Iacintho was silent, but Narses sighed,


    "Well, in my rush, I think I spoiled the news our father was going to give you tonight. Or rather, he will. So promise to pretend you know nothing and we''ll tell you."


    "YES! I promise."


    "Tomorrow you will meet the Empress in person. And perhaps, even the Emperor," the maiden could see that Narses had picked his words carefully.


    It was a great honor, but Alexa felt that there was something more than simple courtesy in the empress''s interest in her.


    And she was not wrong.

 Chapter 148 - Downfall

    "Alexa Z?e, is that your name?" the Empress of Constantinople''s voice made her tremble.


    Alexa looked at the floor, confused and scared, although she tried to hide her feelings. In addition, she struggled to balance about ten kilos of clothing and accessories over her shoulders and head. It made the maiden feel very small inside her clothes, and at the same time, it was difficult to maneuver that excessive size around her. It was hot, even though it was almost winter.


    On top of the dress. Alexa wore a stole embroidered with silver threads and gems. Her brocade silk cape had so much cloth that it could serve as a tent for four people. And then there were her earrings, several rings, a hat that was the latest fashion at court ... And the wig, of course, falling in beautiful blond braids behind her back. Alexa didn''t have long or lush hair of her own. It itched.


    At this moment she was looking at the feet of the empress, in shoes as beautiful as her own.


    "Yes, Your Majesty, this is my name."


    Her father was at her side, after being introduced into the chamber where the empress was waiting for them. The intricate mechanics of moving around the court, dealing with eunuchs, ladies and guards, until they could actually see the empress, was less terrifying than realizing that she didn''t quite know what to say. And there was a huge list of what to do and what not to do.


    She was panicking.


    "You are small and delicate, I see from here," said the woman''s firm voice that Alexa had not yet seen her face. "Your father told me that you have beautiful eyes and a beautiful smile too, but my short sight don''t allow me to see it myself. You can look at my face now."


    Fighting the urge to hold the heavy hat that seemed to hang to one side, the maiden raised her face. Alexa felt the wig, hat and veil shift on her head, and she wondered if it was visible. She hoped not.


    The empress, a woman with thin eyebrows and light-colored eyes, a thin mouth and an impassive expression, fixed her gaze on Alexa''s face, and then with a sign, ordered the servants to bring them food.


    "Bryennios, your daughter is graceful. So I''ve heard she speaks languages ??other than Greek and had the finest education. It''s so precious!" The comment showed that the Empress wanted to continue to chat with them. Alexa''s father hoped for that sign of goodwill. The silence would have meant that the meeting would go wrong. Bryennios replied with a proud smile,


    "She was born with this gift, Your Majesty. She has a good ear, and is quick to assimilate languages. Alexa has an excellent memory for numbers as well. She also trained the bow, and ride quite well. I allowed her to question me about trade and politics so that Alexa could be a good asset manager for the family."


    "It''s good that you think of everything and was so zealous of a girl''s education. Although women should not interfere in politics, it''s good that they know how to support their husbands with the right attitudes."


    Alexa listened to what they said about her without being able to interfere. This was also about politics, and the empress was certainly interfering, if she did what her father would like her to do.


    Her father was increasingly tense with the dissatisfaction of several members of the Order against the Dallassenos. They weren''t happy to discover Alexios was in fact Alexa. Political backlash was expected from the events. The rumor that Michalis had defied and disobeyed direct orders from General Doukas was a scandal that divided opinions from the Armies. Michalis has always been admired by his honor and sense of duty, and the word of Doukas and his men about it started to be questioned.


    It was no wonder that Doukas was angry.


    There was also a rumor that Doukas would be named the megadux, that is, the greatest general in Constantinople, which would give him incredible powers.


    It would only be possible if his dirty secrets remained secrets, of course. The patriarchs of the Church would pressure the emperor if the truth came out.


    But Bryennios had served the emperor directly for years, and his proximity to the empress was one of his best cards to prevent a political hunt against the Dallassenos. A hunt that could end in their demise.


    The night before, Alexa spent hours listening to her father explain it all. He told her other things that scared her even more.


    Z?e, her mother, was a cousin of the emperor and the daughter of a governor, and Bryennios still had a good name in politics. Years of wars and pressure by the Ottomans, after the Restoration had taken away all the glory of Constantinople, but Bryennios'' loyalty to these people made him believe that approaching the emperor, instead of moving away, was the solution to the hard times the Dallassenos went through.


    They were served at separate tables, but they could talk.


    Alexa looked with gluttony at a pastry covered with honey, but the maiden knew she could only drink, as her father recommended. "Don''t undo all the good impression your clothes will make by acting like a hungry peasant in front of the empress!" his orders had been clear.


    "Do you like poetry, Alexa?" the Empress asked in a kind tone.


    The maiden swallowed. She liked poetry, and knew several of them, but not all were¡­ adequate. The empress undoubtedly expected to hear something a well-educated girl could say in public. And Alexa liked the poetry of pagan peoples from the East, some Greek classics, and knew little of the rest.


    The maiden knew she should impress her possible future mother-in-law with her resourcefulness and grace, but she felt herself sitting there, like a broomstick, under the gaze of the Empress''s inner court.


    In addition, her father nudged her to get up when she addressed the Empress again. When he did, the maiden almost tripped over the cover itself, clinging to the chair to prevent it. Feeling her cheeks on fire, if she cursed internally for thinking being a woman would be easy.


    Alexa had always considered himself a smart boy, but he was a stupid girl, no doubt.


    "Your Majesty, what would you like to hear?" she asked.


    The empress had pretended not to see the incident, and just raised a quizzical yet good-humored eyebrow in her direction, when the heralds warned in the corridor before the room they were in,


    "Your Majesty is in the Empress quarters! Long live the emperor!"


    Alexa and her father threw themselves to the floor immediately, and the empress got up from her chair, accepting the help of two ladies to bow.


    The doors opened and Alexa had a glimpse of elegant shoes and a beautiful cover with embroidered lush patterns in the brims, as traditional in Byzantium. But the damsel also noticed another person close behind the emperor.


    She had seen those fancy shoes before.


    He was the younger brother of the emperor, Doukas. Her brother''s killer.


    "Eirene!" the emperor exclaimed, "Why did you need me to come?"


    Alexa''s heart missed a beat. What if it was an ambush? What if the empress just wanted to hand over the Dallassenos to Doukas?


    "Forgive me, Your Majesty, for upsetting you. I asked them to deliver my message only if there was no risk of interrupting you. But I really am a fool, because you told me you would be busy! I just remembered that Bryennios Dallassenos was in the capital, and that I would like to see him without the weight of an official meeting. General Doukas, my dear brother-in-law. What a pleasant...surprise."


    The last word was a little exaggerated. The emperor, who had a soft and pleasant voice, said,


    "It''s better to see Bryennios when it''s not about official business."


    Doukas was quiet, Alexa had not yet looked up from their shoes.


    Servants rushed to find seats of honor for the Emperor and the general.


    "Why, isn''t this Alexios ... dressed as a woman?" asked the general at last.


    "Forgive me, General Doukas. This is my daughter Alexa. It''s the first time that she has come to court, and I thank Her Majesty Empress Eirene for her generosity," said her father, without lifting his eyes.


    The emperor had not yet given permission.


    "It''s definitely Alexios, the boy who wins horse racing."


    Alexa saw the shoes come towards her, and also her hands in front of her on the floor, quiver with fear and anger. Doukas crouched down in front of her, the metals in his clothing tinkling as he leaned toward her.


    Doukas took her chin in a brusque and offensive gesture, which made the maiden look up at him.


    "Well, if it isn''t Alexios!"


    She couldn''t look him in the eye impassively, and her own eyes welled up with tears.


    "But what is this farce?" he asked, laughing. "If this is a comedy, tell us right away, Bryennios. I heard that my sister-in-law is looking for a bride for her third child."


    "You should spend your time taking care of our borders and less of what you think my agenda is, General Doukas," the Empress replied dryly, without hiding her dissatisfaction. "In my view, the Bryennios family is very loyal to the Emperor."


    "Loyal? Hahaha, Your Majesty, this cannot end well! Bryennios is a dangerous madman, trying to marry the emperor''s son with a farce," while speaking like that, Doukas squeezed Alexa''s chin between his fingers, looking delighted by the situation.


    "I cannot accept this, General. I would never act against the imperial family or betray Their Majesties'' trust. I would never make fun of them, after years of loyal service according to the wishes of His Majesty, the Emperor. This is Alexa, my daughter. I don''t even dare to think my daughter would be worthy of the attention of the imperial family. However, I cannot admit that she is offended without merit. I would be a terrible father if¡­"


    "Ah Bryennios, you talk too much!" Doukas made a mocking gesture with his free hand, and made Alexa get up.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the imperial couple was watching as the scene unfold. The empress fidgeted in her luxurious chair, but the emperor was as still as a statue.


    "If you say so, noble Bryennios, I should believe it. But ... Forgive me if I can''t. Let us do it this way: I will take her tonight ... if she is a woman, and a v.i.r.g.i.n, I will marry her!"


    Were those words of mockery, or was he really serious?


    When looking at the despicable Doukas'' face, the maiden saw the gleam of a challenge, and that he would definitely see it through the end.

 Chapter 149 - Can this woman be mine?

    The emperor''s laughter interrupted any reaction Bryennios might have. Alexa bit her lower lip until it bled, restraining her desire to curse Doukas and if possible, pull the sword from the guard''s waist and behead Doukas right in front of the Emperor of Constantinople.


    But that was just a delusion because she knew it would be impossible.


    "Now this is a challenge, Doukas! I hope you''re not making a fool of us. If you are giving your word that it will be so, I am sure Bryennios will agree. His daughter will be the wife of the great general Doukas and as a family, putting an end to the rumors of insubordination that are undermining Constantinople''s military forces."


    Alexa looked at her father, in despair. Bryennios Dallassenos was frowning, and even his years of diplomacy and his proverbial presence of mind were insufficient to deal with the person he hated most in the world.


    Doukas however, had the political power to, with a snap of his fingers, destroy with the Dallassenos. Alexa had seen Michalis die to defend her blindly. If her father did the same, everyone would die.


    "I have no doubt about both facts, General Doukas. It is abrupt and strange that you want to go to such an extreme just to prove a point. My daughter''s situation could be proved by a medical examination, or even by ladies of the court."


    A devilish smile appeared on Doukas''s face. Face that for Alexa, it was the most unpleasant in the world.


    "Are you saying that because you doubt I will keep my word and marry ... your daughter?"


    At that moment, the maiden had a strange feeling. If that bastard was willing to do that, he had a lot to gain. And the emperor, with his interference, might have known about his brother''s secret. Alexa hardly cared who Doukas slept with, but Orthodox society didn''t accept his tendencies.


    "If the General wanted to have married earlier, I believe he would have done so already, with a greater benefit than just satisfying his curiosity about my daughter''s hidden treasures."


    It was annoying not being able to say anything and being silent while they''re talking about her life. But the Emperor spoke,


    "Doukas, that girl could be my third son''s bride. So think carefully about giving your word about it."


    "And it doesn''t have to be that way, General. There is no need to be in such a hurry to find out what''s under Alexa''s veil. If there is anything to be fixed between us, I agree with this marriage. But within tradition, and at the right time," said Bryennios, again taking his diplomatic stance with mastery.


    Alexa''s eyes filled with tears again, when thinking about the ungrateful fate this whole political trade meant. Doukas continued to squeeze her arm roughly, and snorted,


    "Maybe I''m in a hurry not to let this person escape and be exchanged for another bride!"


    "Enough! This conversation will not lead to consensus and peace, but to more resentment!" said the emperor.


    They were in the court recess, in the empress''s quarters. And that alone might have allowed the subject not to become a deadly shame for everyone involved. Alexa realized that the emperor was angry and didn''t want to take sides between Bryennios and Doukas.


    "Then please decide, Your Majesty. Can this woman be mine?" Doukas put his hand on Alexa''s shoulder, who flinched at his touch. "Tomorrow I will leave for Achaia, but when I return I will get married ... If what I find in bed is adequate."


    "It will be appropriate, even if it''s not sweet to your tastes," Alexa''s father said, in a stern and somber tone.


    "Bryennios, we have Doukas'' word. Is that enough for us, yes?" asked the Emperor, looking tired of the matter.


    "I cannot want to compare my word or my arguments against the word of a great General like your younger brother, Your Majesty. The emperor seals our destinies with his consent," lamented her father, maintaining his composure until the end.


    It was the last thing Alexa saw in that room. Doukas pulled her with him after bowing respectfully to the Emperor and his wife.


    Her legs were shaking as the general pulled the maiden by the arm, and across the halls of the palace. Alexa wasn''t able to pay attention to anything else until they reached a door, and the despicable Doukas to deliver to a huge man in the imperial guard''s uniform.


    "Put him in my room and don''t let him out until I get back."


    In a few moments, Alexa was locked up in the general''s luxurious room in the palace, in the company of a guard.


    There was no escape that she could see.


    ooo


    "This is a very interesting story, my lady. I feel like I would spend the night listening to it. But I think they didn''t bring me here for that," Cymric''s voice was heard at the exact moment that Alexa paused while her eyes fogged up, due to the memories that had been buried in the last few months.


    Shaking her head, the princess returned to the real world and looked at the people around her. All the women and girls were gaping and expectant, and they regretted not being able to continue listening to the poor foreigner''s misfortunes.


    "We will leave it for later, but we need to know what happened!" they agreed to let Alexa go with the men to plan what to do to save her husband.


    After knowing what was going on in the bas.e.m.e.nts of Tanbury Castle, Cymric gave his verdict,


    "Milady, this ritual is intended to bring down the mists between the world of the gods and ours, or so they believe. They want to make your husband believe that he is part of something bigger. And, of course, that he should collaborate with the rest of the ritual. But what happens in practice is that, those herbs cause delusions, which together with the words of the druid, can induce the person to think he sees what they want him to see."


    "Um, so can he really come to believe that some god will possess him?" Alexa asked, just to make sure she understood.


    "Yes. In the first rays of the sun, tomorrow, the celebration will begin. And the ''Hunt'' will begin. The Great Stag, symbolized by this manly warrior, will hunt his Doe, the Queen of Spring, which is Lady Gwen."


    Alexa took a deep breath. The beliefs of others were always difficult to digest for a person who didn''t live that reality. Even more so when that belief was forcing someone to do what they didn''t want to do.


    "Well, it will be difficult to get Magnus out of there if he believes that we are enemies, because of the hallucinations. There must be a way to cure him of the effects of that smoke. Right?"


    Cymric scratched his beard,


    "There is. I can make the antidote. It should take a few hours of cooking, however. Possibly it will be ready only at dawn..."


    "We can rescue him and bring him here, so you can administer the medicine," said Giles. But Alexa was against,


    "This is my biggest fear. I know we can get to him, but ... He''s an invincible warrior. If he believes you are a threat ... He will kill you. We cannot reach him without the antidote."


    She really believed her own words, after seeing him killing Florian, and mutilating people in Tanbury like butter. In fact, even she had been frightened by Magnus''s transformation from the drug, back in the cage. The Princess was sure that once he was loose under the fog, he would become very dangerous.


    "Is the antidote dangerous?" Alexa asked.


    "No, it won''t hurt him or anyone else, but in a few moments after running in his blood, it will take the effect off the smoke. As a former cult priest, we had to know these things," said Cymric.


    "Well, then I have another idea. We can ''hunt the Stag'' ourselves!" Giles smiled.


    "How would we do that?" The princess asked, although she already supposed how.


    "We are going to let them start all that staging, and take him to the countryside and the forest. Then it will be much easier to get him out of there. We might need to force the antidote down his throat, or lure him to drink it by himself¡­ any idea how we can do that?"


    "We can detour the Hunt''s route, if any. Since it''s a ceremony, I suppose that the whole staging of the chase will lead somewhere," Alexa said, looking at Cymric for approval. The old man nodded.


    She continued,


    "Therefore, we have to thwart the route so that, assuming that he''s really confused by the hallucination, he gets where we want. In this place, we can throw a net over him and give the antidote. Furthermore, doing so we will avoid as much confrontation as possible with the people of Tanbury."


    "Milady is so smart!" some men applauded, impressed by the simplicity of the plan. "We have to act right now."


    Giles sorted them into groups for the different parts of their plan. Everyone knew that if they were caught, they could die. But the majority there wanted to destroy Lady Gwen''s plans, for several reasons.


    "As for milady Alexa, she will help me find the herbs I need, and will also help me with the healing elixir," the old man said, standing up and leaning on his staff. "We will spend the night preparing the elixir, so hurry up!"


    Alexa couldn''t be sure if Cymric knew about her situation or not, but he just waved for her to follow him through the forest.


    In a few hours, at dawn, she would interrupt the Spring Ritual.

 Chapter 150 - The Stag

    When dawn again, Alexa woke up in Cymric''s house, without hearing Romeo''s familiar trill. She missed that. With a sigh, the princess gathered her strength to get up. Her spirit was less confident in the task ahead, today.


    Her night had been consumed in the tower, with little news except two important news that Balbo communicated to her. The first was that the Di Borghesi took Blue Eyes to an unknown place, probably a monastery or church in the countryside, to receive medical care.


    And the second thing was that Prince Gutard had forbidden ''The Prince'' to leave the chambers until they captured all the witches.


    "At least tonight, Your Highness, stay here. Bastien didn''t return to his shift, and I learned that he''s ill at his home. Finding people of absolute trust for the Prince''s guard will be very difficult now. We shouldn''t challenge the Sovereign Prince, there are many things overwhelming him right now."


    Balbo looked tired for a double shift, and Alexa agreed and swore that she would stay there if Balbo slept a little.


    There were many unanswered questions, but the princess already knew that not everything could be resolved quickly.


    When Alexa stood up, she immediately went to look for the old man, who had been outside brewing a surprisingly wonderful smelling concoction in a grimy pot. The smell of herbs was still strong, and following the source, Alexa went to the boiling pot, hoping to find Cymric around it, since he was not inside the house.


    The contents of the pot had been reduced to a dark liquid bubbling at the bottom of the pot. A thin muddy coat that looked very unpleasant to look at, but that had a sweet and strong smell, reminiscent of honey.


    The old man was dozing sitting on a pile of firewood. His head was leaning against the wall of the house and the ex-druid wrapped in an old thin blanket.


    ''Poor thing¡­!'' Alexa felt sorry for the elderly man.


    "Cymric! Cymric! The potion!" she shook him gently. The old man woke up stunned, choking on the air.


    "Oh, the potion! I slept over!" He ran to the pot, coughing for having spent the night under the chilly dew beside a bubbling cauldron. Alexa followed him, and saw how mad at himself he was for falling asleep.


    "The potion evaporated almost all while that stupid old man was sleeping! I''m too old for these things!"


    "But is it still usable?"


    He nodded, still annoyed,


    "Just more concentrated and in small quantities. Maybe we can dilute it with water after all."


    Alexa prevented him from taking the pot out of the fire and she did it herself, following his instructions to sift the liquid from the cooked herbs. She was in a hurry as she was to leave without delay for the Tanbury Forest, where the Spring Ritual should start at any moment.


    The princess felt very guilty for not being able to help keep an eye on the fire. But she didn''t even have time to have something as breakfast before Reed, one of the men in Giles''s group, came to pick her up.


    "Come on, lady, it''s time! I hope everything is ready!"


    She nodded, and as she stepped on the horse, the ex-Druid handed her the potion, in a small bottle,


    "Milady, he must drink at least a third of the bottle for the medicine to take effect. Ensure that and everything will be fine. The effect is fast, so you will soon know if it worked. And pay attention: if the ''Stag'' refuses the Queen of Spring, she will lose her post. It will be a colossal mess. In the same way that the ''Stag'' cannot be someone who has a physical disability or is less than a formidable and young warrior, the Queen of Spring must be the most beautiful and seductive of women. So much the better if a child is conceived of the ritual."


    "Hm, that explains a lot. Thank you, Cymric. I owe you so much!"


    "Don''t waste time thanking me. Just go!" said the old man, slapping Alexa''s horse''s hip so she could leave soon.


    Avoiding the main road where pilgrims going to the festival moved, the pair went to a hill near the Tanbury forest, where the ''Hunt'' would take part. From there, they could not see the meadow where the festival took place, but they could see the smoke from the fires, against the gray sky of that foggy morning.


    Alexa felt a tightness in her stomach, and it was not just hunger, but tension about what would happen next.


    Giles greeted her, and bluntly warned,


    "Our scout has signaled that Lady Gwen is in the forest, with the Druids. When they return, they must bring your husband so that the ''Hunt'' begins."


    Alexa nodded,


    "I''m going to the forest. I want to make sure that Magnus proceeds to the diversion as planned."


    Giles looked her up and down before giving his verdict,


    "Well, I think it''s a wonderful idea. He will feel more secure if you come with us. Maybe through the veil of his visions he can recognize his real wife, instead of falling into the bestial traps of instinct¡­"


    ''I highly doubt it,'' Alexa thought, ''since we are not even an actual couple and Magnus is actually one hopeless incorrigible pervy. Even so, I can''t let him run to between that evil minx''s tights!''


    The princess also expected Alexander to be next to Magnus. And if he had followed his advice, he would have sung to Magnus so that his brother would remember who he was and what he was doing there. It would have been great if it had worked.


    Going down the hill with the group to the place where they would ''ambush'' Magnus, Alexa was instructed of the tracks in the forest that indicated the way to go. Some agents in the group were still taking care of the last preparations, diverting the course with obstacles and bait Magnus out of the way for Lady Gwen. The Queen of Spring awaited him near a special tent for the ritual.


    Alexa divided the contents of her bottle into two others, totaling three bottles with the antidote, and handed one to Giles,


    "You are stronger, Giles, so please help me if I fail to make my husband drink it."


    Giles nodded, and motioned for her to follow Reed down a path.


    "Wait for your husband at that point, we''ll make sure he comes here," and Giles went with the other men to another location.


    The expectation was torturing his nerves, and Alexa leaned against the trunk of a tree for a moment, to breathe. She was sure Magnus would hate to have gone through this, and because he was so dependent on other people. He, a prince of such a rich kingdom, an accomplished warrior, a man with a clear and shrewd mind, had been made a fool of by an artful woman who wanted to change her ritualistic lover.


    ''Ah, for sure he will be very ashamed ...'' she thought. "He considers himself better than everyone else and having the help of a girl, a group of peasants, and an admittedly old charlatan is going to be a big blow to his vanity."


    She couldn''t find it funny, however.


    Then Alexa heard loud noises in the distance, and her instincts tinkled with anxiety. Screams and noises that seemed to struggle.


    Reed, the short man who was the first to see her in the forest, exchanged a worried look with her,


    "Milady, I think our friends are having a confrontation!"


    "Should we go and help them?" she questioned, trying to decide what to do.


    "No! We must stick to the plan, "the man suggested, although he had grabbed his spear. They heard someone running towards them, and they became even more alert. Archie, a boy from the pack looking no more than 14 years old, came up to them, breathless,


    "Reed! He''s coming here. He wasn''t detoured from the expected path and took down our archer, so the men had to interfere. He¡­ knocked everyone down!"


    Alexa looked away from Archie to see the shadow coming towards them, in the middle of the mist that rose from the forest floor.


    The shadow of a man with a stag''s antlers.


    "He''s already here," she felt the corner of her mouth twitch in a satisfied smile. The plan had worked, albeit with flaws.


    Archie and Reed turned to look at the imposing figure coming at them, and held their spears tight.


    Alexa pulled the air into the lungs, and grabbed one of the vials with the antidote. Maybe Magnus was conscious, and they could just get away without any other problem.


    It wasn''t entirely impossible, after all he was not even an ordinary man.


    "Everyone calm down now. Let me try to talk to him and see if he recognizes me..." she asked. Reed whispered,


    "Be careful, milady."


    Magnus slowly came to the clearing where they were. He certainly knew they were there, and he had most likely followed Archie. But his steps on the noisy forest floor were hard to miss.


    Taking a few steps forward, Alexa positioned herself more visibly in the clearing, lowering her hood. Uncapping the bottle, she held it out in her hands,


    "Magnus. It''s me, Alexa. Come on, I have something for you. It''ll cure you."


    Then his steps stopped for a moment.


    The men behind Alexa were also silent and expectant. The princess whistled, hoping Alexander would show up too, but nothing happened for a long moment.


    "Come to me ... Alexa."


    Something in Magnus'' voice caused a shiver to run down her spine, but Alexa took a deep breath again. It reminded her of the voice she heard the day Magnus dueled Florian, before slaughtering him.


    What if that narcotizing smoke had taken away all Magnus''s reason and control, bringing up only what he referred to as ''the thing inside me'', which he seemed to fear and hate?


    But she had no choice, did she?


    "Magnus, come with me. I will ease your tiredness and get the confusion out of your mind. I''m going to¡­"


    "Alexa, come with me," he repeated without let them see more than a glance of him, or entering the clearing. His tone of voice was an order, not a request.


    And it was scary. She hardly recognized him now.


    ''Oh crap,'' she held her breath, deciding it was the only way to do that. Going towards him, she said loud and clear,


    "I''m going. But promise me you will drink what ..."


    "Milady, don''t do this! NO!" Reed came towards her, trying to stop her, while Archie just stood there, panicked.


    "It''s not your husband! It''s the devil!"


    Too late.


    In a blur, events happened so quickly that Alexa could not retell them. Magnus entered the clearing and threw her on his back, and as the world turned upside down, Alexa felt the bottle slip from her hand.


    Now Magnus was running with her through the forest, but Alexa wasn''t sure if he was really him.

 Chapter 151 - The Doe

    Everything around her was a green, rattling blur as Magnus ran with the princess on his back. Alexa couldn''t resist him, because she was afraid of getting hurt.


    Branches and bushes scratched them in their passage, but that didn''t stop Magnus in his path.


    The strangest thing was that he didn''t seem to get tired, and the only thing she could see after several minutes of running through the forest was that they were going up a hill.


    Even so, it was only after several minutes that the First Prince stopped to look around. Alexa took the opportunity to pat her back lightly.


    Her dizziness was strong, and when the First Prince put her down in front of him, everything spun for a long moment. She didn''t want to, but she had to rest her hands on his bare chest to keep from falling.


    Magnus''s hands came immediately to her waist and the princess''s heart leapt yet more. Looking up at his face immediately, she faced him.


    On his head, a horned headpiece from an imposing stag strangely seemed to match his powerful figure.


    The very dilated pupils made his golden-green eyes darker. He had a scratched face and some recent marks of fight. His lips were parched, and his body vibrated. No; it trembled. But it differed from trembling out of cold, although he was shirtless, as before. It was either the heady smoke effect, or he really wasn''t himself, as Reed had shouted.


    Alexa''s heart was pumping fast and hard, it was almost as if it silenced the forest with its sound.


    The maiden''s fingers ran over the long scar on the Prince''s chest, and she felt him flinch a little at her touch. She just couldn''t help it. That scar both fascinated and scared her.


    "Calm down now, Prince. I am your friend. Am I not?"


    Magnus tilted his head to one side, and assessed her, and his hands went up to Alexa''s ribs, causing an involuntary shiver.


    "Hm. Uhum," he mumbled.


    "We have to get out of here, Magnus. Remember?" Alexa dropped her hands, and started to search the bag for the remaining bottle with the antidote. But the Prince''s big, strong hand grabbed hers, and brought it back to his chest, placing it right on top of his heart.


    ''What he is doing?'' she wondered. Magnus had spent several hours exposing that singing and litany in a strange language, his senses corrupted by the narcotic, and he was still suffering from the effects of the drug. Alexa didn''t believe he wasn''t Magnus ... He was there somewhere, away from the surface.


    "Do you know who I am?" she asked, looking down at the intense scrutiny of his gaze.


    "The light of spring¡­ in my dark world. You shine in the darkness, coming through a long tunnel ... And I know ... That reaching you was like reaching a star ..." his eyes shone with his own words.


    "...!"


    He then stroked Alexa''s hair gently. It felt good and cozy.


    "You are only saying this because you are hallucinating," she forced her thoughts in the right direction before her fertile imagination wanted to take her on dangerous paths and feelings. She looked away again from his, feeling with her free hand for the bag in search of the bottle. "I have to do everything myself, in the end. I''m Alexa, remember?"


    Magnus was indifferent this time, and Alexa showed him the bottle,


    "Magnus, take this elixir, the effect of that smoke will end as soon as you take it. You can be yourself again, and¡­ "


    With a slap, he snatched the small bottle from her hand and the elixir flew, falling somewhere in the layer of leaves that covered the ground.


    "STOP IT! I won''t take anything else!" he growled, menacing.


    "NO!" Alexa broke away from him without thinking, and crouched down in search of the bottle with the precious liquid. The only one left, since one had fallen somewhere and the other was with Giles.


    While groping the ground in search of the small object that was almost the same color as the dead leaves, Alexa felt a horrible oppression in her chest. She knew that the drug would eventually wear off, but how long would it take before Lady Gwen and her men started looking for them? If they didn''t leave the forest quickly, she couldn''t be sure they wouldn''t be recaptured. And where was Alexander, anyway?


    Magnus crouched down beside her, and touched her head with his forehead, saying nothing.


    "Snap off. Let me search," she pushed him back, ignoring that a few seconds ago he had reacted violently to the mention of the elixir.


    Alexa concluded that making Magnus willingly drinking the antidote would be difficult. Probably in his memory he remembered being poisoned and put in a troublesome situation.


    The Prince pushed her back in a playful move. Alexa lost balance and fell sitting on the bed of leaves.


    A little surprised and annoyed, she leaned on her elbows and hands behind her body to get up, but the man in front of her, now kneeling, rested two heavy, possessive hands on her knees, forcing them down.


    "Er ..." it was now indisputable what dominated the Prince''s mind.


    If the First Prince rarely missed the opportunity to make his virility clear, it would be no different when he was prepared to meet his female for a ritualistic mating.


    Magnus was already crawling to the middle of her legs, like a big cat, when Alexa felt the side of her hand brush against something cold. The bottle of elixir.


    Grabbing and hiding it in her closed fist, she smiled at Magnus.


    A forced, nervous smile, but that apparently made no difference to a man with an altered conscience.


    "Ahem, well¡­ The forest soil is cold and humid, don''t you think? Come with me. I''m going to take you somewhere," she said when Magnus reclined on her and between her legs.


    He paused for a moment, stroking her hair again, until in an abrupt movement he passed his hand behind her back, bringing Alexa''s small body against his chest.


    Particularly today, it was impossible for Alexa not to notice several things about Magnus: his physical strength and vitality, and his unbridled masculinity. And as in contrast, the maiden felt so physically small and fragile.


    When he stood up, keeping her pressed against his chest and pulling her legs around his waist, the princess had no choice but to allow him to wrap her legs around his body. And then Alexa wrapped her arms around his neck.


    "Yes, come. That deserves the sun!"


    He started walking up the hill.


    In a few minutes they came out under the treetops, and reached a bare landscape, covered with grass and stones, where the morning sun had already touched and heated away the fog. From there, Tanbury Castle could be seen in the distance, as the sea to the east.


    For a moment she felt the heat of the sun hitting her back, and looked at the man who was carrying her in his arms so improperly.


    "Magnus ... Put me down ... You shouldn''t be carrying me like this and I''m feeling something that shouldn''t be there ..." Alexa murmured, poking his shoulder playfully.


    The Prince arranged her in place once more, his hand remained on her buttocks. He pressed her even harder against his own belly and chest, making Alexa literally sob because of the pressure.


    "Ah, my wife¡­ Finally. Don''t make me wait any longer, huh?" he murmured, sniffing the curve of her neck and even taking some teasing bites, which were really starting to soften the maiden''s body and determination.


    "Ah, don''t do that! We are just lying about being married!" Alexa expressed her thoughts out loud. She had a chance to get him back on track.


    "Do not be cruel. I still see you, beautiful as the moon entering the cathedral and coming to me¡­ You hungry ogress!" he shriveled, while his thumbs drew circles on Alexa''s buttocks causing a pleasant and sensual itch. "And our first dance, and your white nightgown and¡­"


    He alternated the shuddering kisses and light bites on her neck, savoring the moment and heating Alexa''s body like molten lava.


    The princess decided her last and desperate attempt to avoid a tragedy of unimaginable consequences after they both recovered from what was happening.


    Magnus'' words reminded her of all the moments he quoted. Even though the events in his mind were distorted, they had been real.


    She walked to him on the cathedral nave, and it was he who put the ring on her finger, and it was looking at him that she swore.


    It was with him she danced her first married woman dance, and she was with him on her wedding night ...


    Opening the bottle with the antidote, Alexa put the honey-like liquid in her mouth in a single sip, dropping the bottle without caring.


    And holding Magnus''s face in both hands, she made him look into her eyes for an instant, before kissing his lips.

 Chapter 152 - Eostre

    The kiss.


    When taking this attitude, Alexa knew that Magnus would not back down. She knew he would sensually take her mouth and taste the antidote.


    And she also knew that if she didn''t have a lot of willpower, she wouldn''t be able to resist the taste of his lips. Because there was a spell that had an immediate effect on her, even though Alexa didn''t want to give in to it.


    Magnus'' fingers dug into her flesh, and Alexa''s dug into his hair, letting him delight in her mouth.


    Magnus groaned with pleasure, and bent down to lay her on the grass, when they heard sounds that denounced people''s arrival.


    With a frustrated grunt, the First Prince stopped what he was doing, straightening up and narrowing his eyes. Turning to the forest, Magnus finally untied the headdress.


    ''I think I have to thank whoever is coming, friend or foe,'' Alexa thought, relieved.


    "I will kill whoever is coming, friend or foe," muttered Magnus, to her alarm. The princess grabbed his wrist, afraid that the elixir was not working, after all.


    "No, Magnus! What good would that do?"


    His gaze, however, shifted to the entrance to the forest, when human silhouettes emerged from the mist. It was a sizeable group, and it seemed like more people were arriving. Men in white, and women and men with ritualistic ornaments, carrying flowery offerings in their hands. Only at this moment, Alexa realized that they were next to a tall and imposing stone, and with a slightly rectangular shape. There were ancient symbols engraved on that stone, and Alexa didn''t even dare to try deciphering them.


    People were shocked to find them there.


    Both sides said nothing for a moment, trying to understand what was happening.


    Magnus held Alexa''s hand tightly, and raised her from the ground, almost taking the princess'' feet off the ground with an abrupt movement,


    "Hey!"


    As if fate wanted to play with them, a cloud moved away at that moment, allowing the morning sun''s rays to fall directly on that hill, and on the couple and the ceremonial stone.


    After just a moment''s hesitation, someone cried out in joy, which was enough for others to rejoice in the Spring Couple''s celebration.


    "Magnus, are you there?" muttered the maiden to her partner, wanting to make sure the antidote had done its job.


    "Almost there, almost there," he whispered back, his body muscles tense and his hand cold.


    Some people came, smiling, with their offerings of flowers and¡­ eggs?


    One of the men in white shouted,


    "EOSTRE! EOSTRE!"


    "Yes! She brought the bird back! The enchanted bird!" a woman added, to the couple''s total confusion, that she understood nothing but the fact that everyone was happy for some reason not connected to the reality of facts.


    "Eostre is among us! SHE LIVES!" the crowd cheered and shouted in joy. Alexa held her breath at the demonstration of the people of Tanbury and Brentford.


    "I have no idea what''s going on here, dear Prince, but don''t you dare to act violently until we understand it, right? We shall not make things harder. We are just going to take Romeo and get out of here."


    "Do you think it''s fair?" although a little shaky, the sarcastic tone was back in the First Prince''s voice. "After everything that woman did?"


    "It''s a complicated story, right? But let''s make sure we get out of here alive, Prince Magnus. People who helped us can get hurt too. Please."


    "Hmmm. You''re right, for now¡­" he murmured through his teeth. A woman approached Alexa with a reverent smile and a rapt expression, to put a wreath on her hair. Someone brought the objects that belonged to Magnus, and he quickly put his cloak over his bare chest. Alexa imagined that Magnus'' items must be close to the location for some unknown reason for her.


    As they continued to be surrounded by the people who deposited their symbolic gifts next to the stone and looked at them in awe, more people arrived.


    Alexa recognized, even without ever having seen him before, the Baron of Brentford.


    He was an older, dark-haired version of Rowan, and wore a sling on his right arm, under the cloak.


    The Baron looked at them suspiciously, but the same Druid who had shouted for Eostre before went to him,


    "Look, Eowick, you mustn''t hold a grudge! The gods came to us this spring!"


    The Baron returned to look at the couple with surprise, but Alexa couldn''t bear to hear those words from the cult priest.


    Whether he believed that or just saw an opportunity to make politics and save Lady Gwen from ruin, as well as the whole celebration of spring, Alexa had no way of knowing. But she knew what had been brewing in her mind and heart for the past few days,


    "Spring will come every year, regardless of whether or not you deserve it. The rebirth will be for everyone, good or bad. Now ... Don''t think any god will come to bless you because of your vain prayers, and the cruelty and persecution of those who think differently. What happened here in the last few days was a shame! If the gods really heard you, they would be furious! No one can force spring to come ahead of time, nor can anyone force winter to stay."


    "What are you talking about?" Magnus muttered in his native tongue, squeezing the Princess''s hand slightly. Even though he didn''t understand what Alexa was doing, he was tricky enough to have frowned to match Alexa''s angry words.


    Words that everyone listened to with absolute attention.


    "You don''t understand, but they are."


    "Oh Goddess, how do we make you angry?" someone asked.


    "Yes! Please tell us!" another voice cried, and others asked for the same.


    "Why did you keep quiet when a maiden''s eyes were gouged out? Why did you look the other way when the former Queen of Spring, the Red Lady, manipulated, lied, killed, and many other things? What are rites for, if they can be manipulated and used for the benefit of some, and the harm of others?"


    "I can''t believe you''re impersonating a goddess ..." Magnus squeezed her hand again, as if begging for Alexa to stop. "I thought you didn''t want revenge."


    "I am fighting my heart not to want revenge. But it doesn''t mean that I can''t speak, if they''re listening to me," she replied.


    The Baron of Brentford looked confused, until his face lit up,


    "I think I understand what you mean, Goddess. Apparently a vain woman went too far this time."


    Alexa lowered her head, confused. If she continued to speak, she could change Tanbury''s fate forever. But¡­ wouldn''t that also be a big scam? ''Well, at least I have to find a way to get us out of here ...'' she turned to the Baron and the priests again,


    "These people were mistreated. Hospitality wasn''t seen in these lands. Did you forget how to be hospitable?"


    "Forgive us. Forgive us!" people screamed. Alexa was feeling ashamed, but remained haughty.


    "That witch is not going to escape like that, don''t even think about taking the pleasure of my revenge from me ..." Magnus murmured again. Apparently some people there were unaware of Lady Gwen''s pleas, and sent for her.


    "You''re freezing ..." she commented, since she was still holding hands with Magnus, all this time.


    "That damn medicine you gave me ..." he sighed. Alexa looked up at the Prince, and saw that unlike before, he was pale and little dots of sweat glistened on his forehead.


    "While you were in prison, I discovered a few things. Lady Fairclough arranged to exchange the Baron for another partner, and decided that this would be you ... He cannot be the receptacle of the Horned god if he has a physical disability."


    "I ended up understanding this part. Too late, however."


    "From what I''m seeing, this will cause a crack in the community," Alexa deduced. She had seen this happen before.


    Lady Gwen was brought in by some people. Although they were surrounding her in an unfriendly way, no one touched her. Even Alexa should admit that the woman was a vision of beauty with flowers in her hair and her red dress with a provocative cleavage. Lady Gwen was pale and with an angry expression, but she maintained her stately pose.


    "Eostre and the Horned One came to us in their splendor to give us a message! They found errors in the attitudes of some! Repair must be done!" shouted the Druid, as soon as Lady Gwen stopped in front of the couple.


    The small crowd watched expectantly.


    Alexa held her breath, wanting to shake her head! ''No way! I just want to leave this damn place!''


    And to make matters worse, maid Margrit came running to throw herself at the couple''s feet, bringing Jennifer with her!


    "Please don''t! Don''t kill Lady Gwen!" begged the woman.


    "Please don''t kill my mommy!" the girl whined, raising gleaming puppy eyes to the couple!


    Rowan made space among the crowd, carrying Romeo with him on a red pillow.


    Alexa didn''t know if she was angry or laughed at the Prince-transformed-into-a-bird''s triumphal entrance, carried by his newest minion.


    Romeo looked inflated like a spoiled feather ball, which suited him perfectly.


    "Great Goddess, you forgave the hare and turned it into a bird again!" the boy pleaded. The princess concluded this was one more reason they believed she was the goddess Eostre incarnate. She had a special bird that must fit some legend''s description. But the boy continued,


    "Make my mother the mother she once was! And make Baron Eowick''s fingers grow again!"


    All eyes turned to Alexa, and she felt blood rush to her face.


    ''OH! My God, do they believe that I can work miracles?''


    (A.N. Sorry, for some reason I cant delete the duplicated paragraphs below)


    "Great Goddess, you forgave the hare and turned it into a bird again!" the boy pleaded. The princess concluded this was one more reason they believed she was the goddess Eostre incarnate. She had a special bird that must fit some legend''s description. But the boy continued,


    "Make my mother the mother she once was! And make Baron Eowick''s fingers grow again!"


    All eyes turned to Alexa, and she felt the heat rise to her face.


    ''OH! My God, do they believe that I can work miracles?''

 Chapter 153 - Plump Little Rascal

    "Ahem ..."


    "Your garrulous little thing, look what you got us..." the Prince once again commented close to Alexa''s ear.


    "A duel was settled, and the rules were followed. If the result was fair, the consequences will be too, right? Or does Eowick Brentford disagree?" she asked aloud.


    The Baron bowed his head for a moment, but then he nodded, also speaking aloud for everyone to hear,


    "It was a fair duel, and I submit to the results of its outcome."


    That at least appeased Magnus, who was restless at Alexa''s side, despite trying to look as impassive as a statue. But Rowan came to her, and retrieved Romeo to Alexa,


    "So if I give you back the bird you gave me, can you help my mother?"


    Alexa choked on the flow of emotions that took her heart. How can she not be moved when she saw the true love of a boy who, although mad at his mother, begged for her life?


    What to do? She wished to slap that hubristic bitch for everything she did. But that wouldn''t be enough to quench her thirst for REVENGE! For plotting to get Alexa and her friends killed, for having Mildred blinded, and for expelling Christian peasants... and for making Magnus rip the Baron''s fingers off, and for trying to ... uh, well, she didn''t even want to think about the Red Lady''s l.u.s.tful plans.


    Alexa however, remembered the rumors that the boy had been taken from Lady Gwen by the Baron. And that now Rowan had returned home. Did Lady Gwen have a heart on that cleavage?


    Taking two steps forward, Alexa spoke, staring sternly at Lady Gwen,


    "Your children need to know that you don''t need a god or goddess to make you the mother they need, Gwendolyn. Do you want to be remembered for being the beautiful Queen of Spring for so many years? Or do you want to ''be reborn'' as a selfless mother and raise your children with good examples?"


    "Wow, beautiful words, Alexa. But I still want to kill this woman," Magnus murmured, not satisfied with the diplomatic course the princess was taking.


    Lady Gwendolyn seized the moment, and motioned for her children to come to her. They immediately clung to her skirt, with huge looks that begged for her mother.


    ''Oh! she really is capable of everything to get away with her crimes! ''


    Alexa narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath, but said,


    "Lady Gwen shall be judged by her children in the future. They were merciful and had hope. There must be a reason for things to be this way."


    As soon as she spoke her last sentence, she pinched Magnus''s hand, feeling a strange ache in her insides that gave her a shiver and a chill.


    Magnus then spoke solemnly,


    "So be it."


    After the great anticipation, the crowd began to murmur, as forgiveness seemed less amusing than a dramatic and bloody ending.


    The Prince hauled Alexa away, and they were followed by the plump Romeo back into the forest.


    "Excellent speech. Time for a dramatic exit," he said, quickening his pace.


    His belly made a strange, loud noise, and Magnus stopped.


    "Well, I''m going over there. See you later," said the prince.


    "Great, I''m going this way. Don''t follow me, Alexander," Alexa said, feeling the call of nature urging her veemently.


    ~ Where are you going? ~ Alexander really looked innocent, and Alexa shouted,


    "Don''t follow me, I''m warning you!"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The sudden stomachache that had affected them could only be the result of the concentrated elixir that Cymric prepared. But, intestines and destinies in order again, Alexa felt a height off her shoulders on the way to Giles'' camp.


    "Where were you after all, Alexander? And why are you so round?" she kneaded the sides of the nightingale with open hands, measuring it. "I needed you!"


    ~ Uhn, do you think that only you were in danger? It''s an honest mistake! I had a hard time too! ~


    "What happened?" Alexa asked.


    ~ Well, I went to the bas.e.m.e.nt vents to get in, but the smoke made me dizzy and I saw everything red, and ... and ... I passed out! ~


    Alexa repeated the explanation to Magnus, who was walking a little ahead, watching for signs of unwanted encounters. And the First Prince grunted,


    "Ah, of course. I even believe in that part. But when you woke up, were you in that bubble shape?"


    ~ No! I woke up while Rowan and other children were taking care of me. They were trying to revive me with food! ~


    "And couldn''t you just refuse it?"


    ~ Maybe I was really hungry, ~ explained Alexander. ~And after eating, I¡­ slept. And when I woke up, they had taken me to a children''s party in another part of the forest. Children had to hunt for eggs. At that moment, I discovered that they were treating me with some pomp, due to my fame. They put me on a pillow and they went around hunting for eggs that were hidden ... Apparently it was part of the spring celebrations. And there were songs and those kids really adored me! ~


    "In short, while we were in trouble, you were playing with the kids!" Magnus snorted, but Alexander insisted,


    ~ It''s not easy to fly when your stomach is so full! I have no practice in being a bird! Don''t make fun out of me! ~


    Alexa asked,


    "Yes, many of us aren''t comfortable with anything that''s happening. Don''t disturb Alexander please, Prince Magnus. We should be grateful to be alive ..."


    Deep down, maybe if Alexander were with her, Alexa wouldn''t have had the courage to put the antidote in her mouth and do what needed to be done. She was sure that Alexander was not being sincere in his explanations, however.


    For some reason he was hiding things from them.


    ~ Yes, I am grateful that you are well. ~


    Magnus said nothing, just continued walking.


    Emotions subsided as they walked. There were many practical things to think about now, and Alexa wasn''t even sure that they had finished this stage.


    The First Prince blurted out, out of nowhere,


    "What gave you... back there? To say those things? To play a goddess and forgive that woman? They killed our friends! It''s a crime to let her get away with it! I cannot leave without giving due revenge to my companions!"


    ~ NO! WE CANNOT LET HER GET AWAY WITH THAT! ~ Alexander spoke in agreement with a surprisingly rancorous tone.


    "AAGHHHH! Stop it! I can''t take it anymore! Do you want revenge ?! So go after your revenge, Princes! You will never really see things like I do! Because you are men! And men think of honor and how offensive it is to be deceived by a woman! I''m also mad at her. She sucks! But I don''t want to leave those children orphaned! I don''t want to destroy anything I don''t understand! I am not a von Wuttenfal, who has to decide which witches live and which die according to their interests! I know it won''t be long before I will be on the other end of a von Wuttenfal''s sword. As your mothers have been! When I stop being useful, will I be locked in a room to die, or will I go straight to the fire? So, if you are so dissatisfied, just leave me here and go work things out with your pride and all the convenient beliefs you cling on!" Alexa had stopped in the middle of the woods, and was screaming without realizing she was doing it. Then she threw herself on the floor, dramatically, "You both annoy the hell out of me!"


    ~ ...! ~


    "...!"


    "What?! What are you looking at?! GRRRR! Are you still there?! Were you not raiding an English castle?! Spawning other orphans, who will wander the world with no destination nor identity?! You no longer have a stomachache as an excuse, dear Prince Magnus! Nor is you too round to fly, Alexander!"


    Magnus was frowning, but with the torrent of nonsense and Alexa''s hurt look, he held out his hands to help her up,


    "Come on, stop bullshit. I bet the little ogress is starving. Should I hunt?"


    Alexa just glared at him. The three of them felt frustrated and on edge, and were silent for a while.


    Magnus pulled away, rubbing his face in an exasperated gesture, and Alexander flew into a bush; a low, awkward flight.


    It almost made her laugh, but she had to deal with the frustration in her own chest. Her instincts also wanted Lady Gwen to pay immediately, as did everyone who took part in it.


    But she couldn''t sleep thinking about Jennifer and Rowan.


    ~ You are right, Alexa. I don''t think I could stop thinking about those children who helped us. And that they had no idea of ??the harm their mother did to us. And about that ... We don''t always have the best parents, but it makes us who we are. ~ Alexander spoke thoughtfully, hidden in the bush.


    The princess stood up, "And we have to do the best with what we have. Come on, we better get there soon. I hope your brother didn''t really hurt our friends."


    "Stop talking like I''m not here," Magnus said, still sulking.


    Alexa wondered what was on First Prince''s mind at this moment, and if he even remembered everything that happened in the forest.


    She wished she could forget everything that had happened, but she knew she couldn''t.


    "Milady!" She recognized Reed''s voice calling out to her from across the road, at the edge of the forest. Alexa waved back, with renewed spirits.


    Anyway, a little rest!

 Chapter 154 - Rest

    ~ Give them more, give them more! ~ Alexander whispered impatiently, while Alexa counted the coins she wanted to give as a reward to the men who took part in Magnus''s rescue operation.


    Alexa''s finger slid avidly onto the small pile of coins on the small table, and Magnus''s two firm fingers appeared on top of the pile, holding it firmly in place.


    "We don''t have much, princess. Leave it there!"


    "Don''t be ungrateful, Your Highness! These people risked their lives for you!"


    "I''m not being ungrateful. I''m being practical. That''s all the money we have to get to France," Magnus stared at the princess harshly, and she stared back.


    "I will eat less during the trip! So. Give. More. Money. To them!" she mumbled under her breath.


    "Haha ha! You?! Eat less?! I have never heard such bullshit!" Magnus sprang up from the table, shaking the floor of the wagon, which was at the same time a wheeled house for a family. Reed and his wife had given up space so the couple could get some rest.


    ~ Magnus has always been stingy. Don''t listen to him, give the money! ~ Alexander conspired. Alexa hesitated for a moment, but finally said,


    "What if I give them the buttons on my shirt? They are worth something! "


    "In the current status of bandits they are in, it''s quite possible that if they are seen with valuable buttons, they will be accused of murdering some nobleman, and it brings more problems than benefits," the Prince grumbled, looking out the small window. Then he added,


    "Well, do what you want. I''m sure my brother must be talking badly about me, that I''m stingy, and other horrible things. I don''t care at all, but I know what he''s talking about. The look of a bird disapproving me could not shake me less."


    Alexa added more coins to the amount they would use to thank the help of Giles and his friends. They had a lot of mouths to feed there.


    "By the way ... Shouldn''t we go back to Holstein instead of continuing our trip?" Alexa suggested. Magnus turned to the maiden, with a stern look,


    "After all we went through, the death of comrades and even accepting a witch''s spell, would we really return as losers, achieving nothing?"


    ~ Alexa, your sacrifice would be in vain, and we would be stuck forever in this situation ... ~ Alexander exposed his opinion in a sad voice.


    "Calm down, you two. It was just a suggestion. So we''ll be leaving tomorrow for Duncaster and then for the port, right?"


    The First Prince nodded, and I went to the table, taking what was left of the coins and putting it back in the pouch at his waist,


    "I see that, depending on you two, we will soon go from Princes to beggars." Magnus left the place, which was much bigger without him there.


    "Uhn, he''s quite a materialist, isn''t he?" she commented, still looking at the door and shrugging.


    ~ I can''t judge him, he still needs to wear clothes, unlike me. ~


    Alexander''s unexpected comment made Alexa laugh!


    "Ah, it reminded me of something. Yes, that question you asked me, about what happens when I wake up in your body! Sometimes it happens. So I think it''s involuntary, and it''s not about impure thoughts! And¡­ I think I need to learn how to shave for you, since I don''t have a barber!"


    ~ OH! ~ Alexander ended up laughing too, ~ Yes, please take good care of me! I promise I will reward you as soon as I can! ~


    "You can start by telling what you are hiding!" she turned to him with narrow, piercing eyes, knowing she had caught him unprepared. "Come on! Spill your beans! What were you doing this time when you were in Tanbury? I didn''t believe your story at all! "


    "But what are you talking about?!" Alexander''s fearful tone denounced his inability to continue lying.


    "I know you came back round and fluffy and such, but you hid part of your story. Come one! Tell me now!" she demanded, leaning her face and coming closer to the bird on the table. The little nightingale took two steps back, fearful,


    ~ Alexa¡­! ~


    TOC TOC TOC


    "Milady! The food is ready!" a female voice called.


    Alexa had already been sniffing some delicious game meat roasting for some time, and that had been torturing her, but the call was impossible to ignore now.


    "Come on, hubby! Let''s eat at last!"


    "Go ahead, thanks. I''m a little sick¡­"


    Alexa didn''t ask twice, and practically ran out of the wagon.


    Within minutes, she was devouring a bowl of boiled vegetables and game meat in the midst of the noisy band of Giles. Magnus was at her side, and nudged her, speaking softly in the Germanic language,


    "Can you please eat like a lady, for a change?"


    "Stop whispering in another language, because ''that'' is inelegant and suspicious," she replied, speaking out loud next,


    "My husband is asking me if I''m feeling well, because he never saw me so hungry! This meal is excellent and very nutritious! Thank you so much for sharing with us!"


    Her comment said with a genuine smile caused some shock and also brought smiles to them.


    "I doubt it''s a meal that suits you, but we are grateful that you like it!" replied Giles.


    An elderly woman commented,


    "Women expecting babies change their appetites. Most start eating for two, really!"


    "...!"


    The duo almost spat the food out of their mouths at the same time, and Alexa even choked, begging for air!


    People laughed at the couple''s reaction, while Magnus rubbed his ''wife''s'' back and offered her water. After that, many comments about the first child embarrassed the couple.


    "It will be a beautiful child, as both are beautiful!"


    "God bless that you have many children!"


    "It looks like they''ll have it!"


    Each comment was more unnerving than the other, and Alexa wanted to scream in shame and run away. Her face was on fire. But seeing that Romeo was close, hearing everything, was even more embarrassing.


    "Milady, please, you leave tomorrow, but finish telling us your story, please?" a young maiden with a thin face that contrasted with her bright eyes asked. "What happened at the palace in Constantinople?"


    "What? Are you now some kind of Sherazade?" Magnus asked, intrigued.


    Alexa knew what he was referring to, the tales from the Book of the Thousand and One Nights, which she had partially heard on her travels around the East.


    She was surprised that Magnus knew the work, or had heard of it. The princess had already judged him in the past as yet another ignorant Westerner on the East. But then he remembered the rumors that some stories were spicy and e.r.o.t.i.c. ''Of course, he does, hmp!''


    "Not a Sherazade, my husband. I was telling women about my life. Just the memories of things that happened while I was still living at my family''s house in the east¡­"


    The expression on Magnus''s face was priceless. She knew he was extremely curious, but she could never tell, because she could never trust the First Prince. And even the men in the group were uneasy,


    "Well, can only women listen?" Reed asked, practically speaking on behalf of the other men.


    "They are just stories, but today for me it is a day of celebration and not of memories that make me miss the family that I lost. What can I say? The story had a happy ending. I left Constantinople and came to the West. I was engaged to a man and on the trip to get married, I met my husband. I would never have imagined that I would marry him, no matter how much I admired him. We were a little distant at first, but he started talking to me ... It was a surprise and a scare. But fate wanted it that way. We are undoubtedly a different couple from all the others¡­ "


    "But it''s clear that they were born for each other!" said the same girl, and many agreed.


    ''OH BY THE GODS!'' she was not even talking about Magnus, but Alexander, but people had no way of knowing, of course.


    Alexa felt Magnus'' gaze on her, and when she looked up, the Prince gave her cheek a tender pinch,


    "Without a doubt, we both could have worse fates with our destined spouses¡­ I cannot say that I am unhappy that Alexa has accepted marrying to a von Wutenfal," Alexa also realized that he was being dubious on purpose.


    So the subject changed to other things, and before it was too late, they said goodbye, as they would go to Cymric''s cottage to spend the night and thank him before leaving.


    The wise old man greeted them with a satisfied smile, and wanted to know all the morning''s adventures. When Alexa started telling about the druids'' claims, the old man chuckled, "Eostre, uhn? This is the goddess of dawn and spring. It suits you so much, milady! Are you sure you''re not her?"


    Alexa just smiled, shaking her head.


    "Eostre likes children and children like her! It''s said that she had a bird and that to impress the children, she turned him into a hare. She could not undo the spell because her magic was weak in the winter. But with the sunlight arrival, and spring, she could have the bird back ... Isn''t it interesting? I''m not surprised that they were so impressed!"


    "The fact they believed it what amazes me the most!" Alexa confessed.


    "As I said, these people no longer remember what the gods are like. Who does, anyway? They may be out there, and no one will recognize them."


    Cymric''s words made a lot of sense, in a disturbing way.


    When Alexa lay down to wait for nightfall, Romeo landed on the headboard,


    ~ Alexa, ~


    "Yes, Alexander?"


    ~We must nullify our marriage.~

 Chapter 155 - The Secrets of a Confessor

    Alexander''s words echoed in her mind when Alexa woke up in his body, in his bed, in Holstein. She was in shock.


    She didn''t know what was on the Second Prince''s mind.


    She couldn''t even say that she really knew him.


    Before, he didn''t seem sad or angry about knowing they married him without his consent. In fact, Alexander had even confessed that he had taken the elixir in hopes of finding her wherever she was.


    But then, today, Alexander stated that he wanted the marriage to end.


    Helga was organizing things in the room and greeted him as the Prince sat on the bed,


    "Good night, Your Highness! Today I prepared a light meal because the Sword master said that you are going out later."


    ''What is it? Does everyone want me to diet? '' but the Prince thanked her for the meal and sat down to eat. He was intrigued by Helga''s statement, and asked,


    "Helga, how is the castle today?"


    "The new princess is angry. One of her chaperones is missing. Two neighborhoods in the city are locked because of the plague."


    "And my dad?"


    "Oh, I''m too low to know anything about Your Majesty."


    The Prince looked at her with suspicious eyes and then tilted his head to one side with a beautiful angelic smile. Helga smiled shyly, scolding him,


    "Your Highness! I only know that he received a messenger from the capital, and also that he met with the Bishop and some religious who came from outside."


    "It is already more than I could know here while sleeping, Helga. What about my wife''s funeral, which Lady Cordelia, I mean, Princess Cordelia, staged?"


    "The nobles are confused. Many think Princess Alexa has run away, other people simply say that she''s with Your Highness in the house that your father gave you in Ashgraufelsen," explained the nanny.


    "Hmmm," the Prince mumbled, while all his ideas of what to do ran up against the fact that Alexander had asked Alexa, moments ago, to cancel the wedding.


    Would it make any sense to argue that she, Alexa, was living happily at the Manor in Ashgraufelsen, if when Alexander returned, they would no longer be husband and wife?


    "There are also rumors that the Princess''s mother offered a reward to any servant who knows of the whereabouts of Her Highness, the Princess. Although, of course, it''s only a rumor ..." Helga shrugged as she made the prince''s bed.


    "And what else?" he wasn''t surprised that even Cordelia''s unbearable mother was a dangerous piece on this chessboard.


    "And finally, ghosts are restless today. A mirror was broken, a horse was startled and almost hurt one of the pages of the sovereign Prince, and as I heard, there was even a small fire in the Italian wing."


    Helga spoke that matter-of-factly, as if reading a laundry list, but deep in her voice, there was some concern.


    "Do you think things are worse or better than they were before, Helga? I mean¡­ In previous years?"


    The question took her by surprise and caused the middle-aged lady to stop what she was doing to look at the young prince.


    "Well, Your Highness, I had left the castle in the past few years, as you know, and I just returned now because Your Majesty specifically asked for me. So all I can say is from the years I was here. When you were a baby and during the years I was one of your babysitters."


    "The favorite one!" Alexa had no doubt of that.


    "Your Highness is being nice to me. In the years I was here, their presence was much worse, and they were at the same time fighting and competing in evil, right? In the beginning, you were never safe, so we often had to go to the house on the cliff. I suppose you remember little now, as you were just a child and so much has happened in those years. But Your Highness knows that things have changed after your brother ..." Helga''s voice trailed off, as if she just implied something unpleasant to talk about, and that they both knew. Well, she and Alexander did, but Alexa knew nothing. Even if itching with curiosity, the princess could not ask what happened,


    "Yes. It''s true. Everything has changed. But my question is, compared to the latest events. The things that have been going on since Princess Cordelia''s party came."


    "In fact¡­ I don''t know. There''s something different now. It''s as if¡­" Helga grabbed the air as if trying to catch something elusive, as she struggled to express her feelings, "It''s as if there''s no balance anymore. Before it was as if the house had two mistresses always fighting ... And now ... it''s as if suddenly, there was only one. There''s a certain order ... But it''s neither more pleasant nor better at all."


    Helga''s comment coincided with Balbo''s arrival.


    By the stains of water and mud on his boots, he had just arrived at the palace.


    After greeting them, he said seriously,


    "Bastien died today, and his wife died yesterday. I went to take their child to an aunt, in the countryside."


    Alexa was shocked, because she knew that all the people who were directly involved with the Second Prince were of the utmost confidence. Although she didn''t have as much contact with Bastien as she did with Balbo, she imagined that he was special to Alexander for some reason. In addition, the plague was looming over the city.


    Thinking about that, Alexa recalled the day of the bonfire in the main square of Holstein, and everything that happened that day.


    Everyone used to blame human sins for that kind of plague, and that it was impossible for it to be true in all cases.


    But it wasn''t unlikely that the plague over Holstein wasn''t entirely natural.


    She now had a notion that Holstein''s witches were a very special and powerful type of witches.


    At that moment, the Prince turned to his maid,


    "Helga, please rest and eat well. And stay away from the Flemish court, even the maids. Nobody is trustworthy and I don''t want you to fall off the stairs again, or anything bad happening to you."


    "I have experience with evil ghosts. I''ll know how to take care of humans too," stubbornly rebuffed the gray-haired maid.


    As soon as Helga left, Balbo said,


    "A di Borghesi told me where Father Agnello is. It''s a little far, but I think we can go and come back tonight, if Your Highness wishes to pay him a visit, of course."


    Alexa needed to know how her poor tutor was, and nodded.


    Within minutes, they were on the road, in the dark, cold night, heading south towards a monastery near a small town on the border.


    During the ride, Lex discovered that the group of Dominicans was in fact part of the Holy Office, and that the captured witch was brought to them by Narses. As for Mr. K. and his friends, Balbo had no news, but he imagined that Lady Duvignes was in the castle as usual.


    "Don''t you think we''re being followed?" Alexa asked, after a few minutes of restlessness feeling observed from a distance, almost as if a Shade hid in the shadows. But they were out in the open.


    "Yes, I have this feeling too, Your Highness," Balbo admitted, without turning around. "If not a pack of wolves, it''s a highly skilled person¡­"


    "You''re kidding, aren''t you? We are not going to meet wolves!" Alexa wished the warrior was just kidding her, and she was right. Balbo laughed,


    "We don''t want to meet wolves anytime soon in the spring, even though it was early. But I think it isn''t the case here. Our hunter may be a unique kind of wolf ... who was waiting for his prey to come out of the den."


    "Do you mean ... me?"


    "To be honest, Your Highness, I was a little disappointed in your brother. Or maybe I just don''t understand what his plans are."


    "I am also confused, Balbo. I don''t know what he''s doing with the Inquisition, but I''m happy that he''s alive and well! "


    "So it won''t be a problem for him to follow us ... I suppose."


    Alexa fell silent, thinking all this would be easily clarified if she could talk to Narses in the open. But she dared not challenge Prince Gutard and play with Balbo''s life.


    ''Forgive me, my dear brother! Soon we can be together and laugh at it all together!'' she thought with fondness and an enormous sense of guilt.


    Soon they saw the stone facade of the huge monastery, perched in the hill. They were received and taken immediately to see Father Agnello.


    Alexa felt her heart squeeze and the tears come to her eyes when entering the small monastic cell and smell the infection barely disguised by the herbs. His eyes were swollen and she cringed at the purple and yellow spots on his face. And as for the body, almost all bandaged, little could be seen.


    Lex impetuously kneeled beside the bed, holding his hand,


    "Please be well soon, Blue Eyes!"


    Frowning before opening his eyes, the priest said with a resigned sigh,


    "Ah, the voice of Prince Alexander ... but the idiocy of the Greek little pest."


    "It''s good to see you too, Father."


    "Hm. Balbo¡­?"


    "Yes, father?"


    "Pull His Highness''s ear for me."


    "Of course, it will be an honor," The warrior approached the second Prince to fulfill the request quickly and accurately.


    "Hm? Ouch! Balbo?!" Lex rubbed his ear, incredulous that it had happened.


    "Who said you can expose yourself to this type of danger with your husband''s body?" Blue Eyes spoke weakly, justifying the punishment.


    "You''ll be fine soon, and you can do it yourself¡­ Besides, for a warrior,¡­ it didn''t even hurt that much. Balbo has no practice," Alexa teased, trying to cheer up the priest.


    It took a faint smile from Blue Eyes'' swollen lips,


    "Hm, though, in case I die ... You need to know something."

 Chapter 156 - Agnello di Borghesi

    "Father Agnello, don''t tell me your secrets. You will regret it, because you won''t die," Lex said with a grimace. Death wasn''t there, with its overwhelming power waiting for its prey to falter.


    "I would rather not tell, believe me. But I don''t know what I revealed to them in my moment of weakness," the priest spoke weakly.


    "What moment of weakness? I''m sure it never happened," Lex countered again. Considering the sorry state he was in, if he had said something important, they would have killed him. If they were insisting, it was because they took nothing from him. At least that was the common logic.


    "You really know how to cheer someone up, little imp. I already feel less worthless for the confidence you place in me," Agnello conceded. The princess smiled,


    "You are my tutor, after all. I think I learned to trust you, Father Agnello."


    "Don''t go around trusting people, because that''s stupid," the priest scolded.


    "Ahhh, speak like a priest, please. Sometimes you don''t speak with a heart full of love," she complained, shaking her head.


    "I''m not that kind of priest."


    "I see that your energy is returning, just because you want to have the last word, Father Agnello!" the princess provoked.


    "Balbo, please shut up His Highness, it''s too much chaos."


    "I understand, Father," Balbo said, putting his fingers to his lips in a silent request for Alexa to comply with the convalescent priest''s request.


    Alexa took a deep breath. In fact, she would rather not have to listen to the secrets of a man like Blue Eyes, because Lex was sure she wouldn''t like what she would know. And when the priest recovered, he would most likely regret that he had given up his secrets so easily.


    Balbo then said he would be outside, waiting to be called.


    After the Castilian swordsman left the cell, Lex moved closer to the Italian priest.


    "It took me a long time to discover all these things, but there''s still a lot that I need to know. However, I found that those women, or at least some of them, met Princess Letitia personally. They wore masks painted on their faces, so I couldn''t recognize them, but I know that at least two of them are with Cordelia."


    "One of them was captured. It seems that at least two escaped the catacombs."


    "Alexa¡­ I know that one of the goals is to bring Letitia back with a new body. Maybe they are trying to summon her damned soul... And they seem to believe that blood is important in this ritual."


    "How come?"


    "Those texts I gave you to translate can help to discover the reason," speaking was difficult and Father Agnello was restless, wanting to continue to speak but barred by his weakened physical condition. "Just keep in mind that¡­ Maybe the plan was to get Cordelia and Magnus to consummate their union. And from that union Letitia would return as a child¡­"


    "OH! OH! Yes! It makes sense! Maybe that explains the creepy ritual thing before they got to Holstein! It should serve something! But, my question is¡­ is Cordelia aware of their plans?"


    The priest shook his head, showing that he wasn''t sure.


    "Alexa, if they need a v.i.r.g.i.n Cordelia for this, she cannot consummate her marriage to Prince Gutard."


    "Oh, that also makes perfect sense! So the gello was about to take the virility from the sovereign Prince, if I hadn''t interfered. Oh, dear, Father Agnello, you are so cunning! But at this point it should no longer be a problem ..." Alexa interrupted her own reasoning.


    She had no actual proof that Cordelia''s marriage had been consummated, although it was expected. Gutard was a smart politician and knew that it was important to ensure the legitimacy of the marriage, if he wanted those sh.i.p.s and the alliance with de Wits.


    However, anything was possible.


    "Ah, the figurine! What if that cursed figurine under the princess''s bed was just another spell? Perhaps destined to prevent the powerful and obviously manly Prince Gutard from consummate the wedding!" Alexa exclaimed.


    "I''ve been thinking about that too," said the priest quietly.


    The princess wet his dry lips carefully with a soaked cloth, and sighed, cringing,


    "I can''t believe we''re dealing with my father-in-law''s intimate life."


    "They want to bring Letitia back. She was the Great Priestess of their Cult."


    "If it''s the key objective, they have been planning this for a long time¡­ I suppose they will try to kill Gutard now. They must be desperate that Magnus left on a long journey," the princess concluded thoughtfully.


    "That''s why they can''t know my secret," Father Agnello struggled for air to his lungs.


    "Your secret?" Alexa couldn''t understand Father''s statement or his great concern. How any possible secret of his could interpolate with the fact that the witches tried to invoke a soul for the specific body of a child. Cordelia''s child to Letitia''s son. Or do any di Borghesi would do in this case, since Letitia was a di Borghesi?


    Unless¡­


    Alexa looked more closely at the man in the narrow bed. And she remembered the first impression she had seen on the night of the interrogation.


    "Wait a moment. You couldn''t be ... An older brother to Prince Magnus, could you?"


    Agnello neither nodded nor denied, just kept looking at the Prince''s face with his fascinating blue eyes.


    "Oh!" Lex would like to say that this wasn''t possible, but why would it not be? Alexa remembered Magnus saying, however, that Father Agnello was his cousin, the son of one of Princess Letitia''s brothers.


    Father Agnello wasn''t even that old, and Alexa struggled to remember Princess Letitia''s year of birth, which she had seen in Holstein''s annals.


    The same day she discovered that Prince Magnus was born with beautiful blue eyes.


    Discovering that Blue Eyes was Prince Magnus'' older brother, and on his mother''s side, was quite a twist. He lived at Holstein''s court as a cousin, and the confessor to the princes von Wuttenfal.


    What was the reason that made him live like this, among all the other options Agnello di Borghesi had, like the brilliant man, born in a famous house, he was? Alexa had a lot of questions, but she started by exposing one of the main ones,


    "Well, Princess Letitia would have to be very young when she gave birth to a son¡­"


    "Yes, she was not even fifteen," asking for help with a gesture to recline, Father Agnello said with difficulty,


    "Naturally she was single at that time. I have little information on how it happened. Just guesses. These things I only came to know very late. Too late," he repeated as if to himself. "When I was born they took me inland and away from her. And years later, my father, that is, my Uncle Cosimo, adopted me as if I were his. Because of my condition, the only possible destination was to become a priest."


    "So it doesn''t hinder Cosimo''s succession line?" was Alexa''s first logical reasoning. An ''illegitimate'' son, and the firstborn, would be a hindrance to the bride''s family interests, in most succession lines. Making the bastard a priest was very common.


    "That''s also why, I think," even though he was sick, Blue Eyes smirked at the thought. "But also because, according to my father, the circ.u.mstances of my birth required me to be dedicated to God. And on learning this, I learned a little of the history of Letitia and the Cult of Diana," he coughed a little, then resumed, "According to my father Cosimo told me before he died, when our family brought some scholars from Greece1, my mother had contact with one of them, Zenon. This man would have been responsible for corrupting Letitia and introducing her to witchcraft. When our family discovered this, Zenon was killed. Although my grandfather believed that everything was resolved, Letitia was pregnant. According to my father, she said that the child wasn''t Zenon''s, but ''a god''s''. And that I had been conceived in a ritual. She also believed that herself was given a ''divine mission''. "


    Alexa shivered.


    "You must ask yourself how the di Borghesi deceived the von Wuttenfal into marrying her. But it wasn''t like that," the priest looked at her closely.


    "So how was it?"


    "Letitia gave birth to me, and due to my grandmother''s compassion, I wasn''t immediately thrown to the dogs or placed in the foundling wheel1. And they immediately sent Letitia to a convent. She probably convinced everyone that she was completely sorry, and maybe even that she had forgotten many things before she could go home. It was at that time that the then Prince Kurt arrived in Florence ..."


    The effort of speaking so much had exhausted the priest, and he asked Lex to call one monk.


    Lex watched Blue Eyes receive the care, feeling restless and physically ill at hearing that scary story.


    The boy had grown up to be someone who had completely overcome his unfortunate birth. Alexa hasn''t known since when Agnello used that story as an oil that fueled the flame of his personal war against Letitia, and all the harm she had caused.


    But Father Agnello was right. If they found out he was Letitia''s son, instead of an enemy he would become the target.


    It was a secret that should be kept from common ears.


    Knowing that behind Cordelia''s and Magnus'' engagement there could be a plan by the followers of the Cult of Diana to summon their priestess back was unexpected. And it shed light on many things.


    Now, Lex was pondering what to tell Gutard. And whether to tell him, of course.


    And again, doubt came back to her mind. How innocent was Cordelia in all of this? Baby hatch or baby box is a place where people (typically mothers) can bring babies, usually newborn, and abandon them anonymously in a safe place to be found and cared for. The device was also known as a foundling wheel.The migration waves of Byzantine scholars and ¨¦migr¨¦s in the period following the Crusader sacking of Constantinople in 1204 and the end of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, is considered by many scholars key to the revival of Greek and Roman studies that led to the development of the Renaissance humanism and science. These ¨¦migr¨¦s brought to Western Europe the relatively well-preserved remnants and acc.u.mulated knowledge of their own (Greek) civilization, which had mostly not survived the Early Middle Ages in the West.

 Chapter 157 - We Need to Talk

    "We need to talk," Alexa took the little nightingale with her under a tree, while Magnus prepared the horses for their departure.


    A little earlier, as soon as day dawned, Magnus called for her to perform an appropriate farewell to Ulrich and Johannes. He had made mounds of earth and placed crosses on them. They said a respectful prayer, and Magnus promised to help their families throughout his life.


    Coming from a person like him, Alexa knew he meant it.


    Alexa discreetly buried a coin in each grave, just in case.


    As they prepared to leave, Alexa took the time to continue her conversation with Alexander.


    They had never been serious about their marriage, and the only time they did, Alexander said he wanted to annul the marriage.


    "Why do you want to annul our wedding?"


    ~ Does it make any sense that we are husband and wife? ~ Alexander''s response didn''t take long, much to the Princess''s surprise.


    "What else makes sense in our lives, Alexander?" she asked.


    ~ If being a princess is important to you, then we can stay married. I know it must be your only reason for accepting all this nonsense. But there''s no other reason for this. The only thing I have to offer is a title ... I''m supposed to be a Duke soon, when Magnus becomes the regent. It''s the tradition in Holstein. Then you will be a Duchess. Is that what you want? ~


    "OH!" Alexa was confused. She didn''t even know how to answer that. "Alexander, I am no dowry hunter. Your father very much wanted me to marry you, perhaps because of the prophecy. Perhaps because he thought I would feel safer to continue cooperating and help fetch Master Petrus de Languedoc''s elixir."


    ~ In short, I am a nuisance in your life. And I don''t want to be a hindrance to your life anymore. ~


    "It would be ridiculous to say that we are in a comfortable situation. But it''s temporary," she said.


    Perhaps Alexander was feeling dejected because he couldn''t help much. Alexa didn''t want him to feel bad about it. "Please, husband, don''t think so. Our marriage shouldn''t differ greatly from most nobility weddings. "


    ~ What do you mean by that? ~


    "We don''t know each other well. But it''s quite common. At least, I know a little about you. And all the things I know just make me think you are someone I would like to meet. Whom I would like to be friends with."


    ~ Hm, ~ he didn''t sound very convinced, and Alexa tried to explain,


    "Well, I was told that you are very kind, that you eat little and have beautiful handwriting. Your father admires you. He seems to think you are literate and smart. Balbo also appreciates you as a student. He seems to be proud to deserve your trust. Most intriguing, Father Agnello always talks about you with a smile. He always asks how you are¡­"


    ~ I''m glad that other people I know have such high regard for me. But Alexa, about our marriage ... I will ask the Pope for annulment. ~


    Yes, marriages were indissoluble except on special occasions and with papal authorization: in case of non-consummation, by close kinship, or if one of the spouses was a murderer. And it was usually the husband who filed for divorce or annulment.


    "You mean you don''t want to stay married to me?"


    ~ Haven''t you had enough of the experience of being stuck with someone else without being able to get rid of that fate? When did you want to be somewhere else, with someone else? I can''t imagine what it''s like to live this for the rest of your days. I can''t wish that, for you or for me. ~


    Alexa was speechless. But she knew one thing: she wasn''t prepared to argue with him and turn their relationship into something ugly and full of bitterness. Feeling guilty and nervous, she tried to justify herself,


    "I know I made the decision myself, Alexander. Even when you asked me not to do it, I thought I was doing it right. And so I invaded your body and your life. Forgive me."


    ~ I can never be grateful enough, Alexa, for the sacrifice you are making. You gave part of your life to me. We can''t even know the consequences of that. However¡­ And for that very reason, I don''t want to see you unhappy. And so I know that, despite what my father planned, you are not my wife. That''s what I want you to know. ~


    The feeling wasn''t good. Alexa felt bad about Alexander''s words, and she couldn''t explain the reason to herself.


    "It''s not a good thing to hear, Alexander. Wow. I have to accept what you say, but I don''t know how to respond to it."


    ~ Please say that you think it''s the wisest way. How unfair it is for me to be your husband when I don''t even have a human body! ~ He in turn explained, and his voice showed his restlessness this time.


    A bitter pang of shame crushed her heart. She had probably humiliated him in many ways lately, and that was the actual reason behind Alexander''s decision.


    Magnus, however, was coming towards them and they fell silent, without reaching the end of the conversation.


    Alexa would like to apologize to Alexander for bullying him for being a bird. But that was something she preferred not to do in front of the First Prince. However, Alexander said something she really couldn''t wait for,


    ~ Alexa, I told my brother about it when you were sleeping. I told him I want our wedding annulment. ~


    "What? Did you? How did you say that to him?!" she exclaimed in shock.


    "Yes, he said things to me last night. I realized that he wanted to talk to me and scribbled the alphabet on the ground. So Alexander spelled out a message for me," Magnus explained, understanding the context quickly. His brows were frurrowed and he looked embarrassed, clearing his throat,


    "Ahem, I wouldn''t want to be involved in this conversation, but Alexander asked me to write a letter to our father about his desire to cancel the marriage. I believe Alexander is doing it because he''s thinking of you, um... milady. "


    ''The bastard doesn''t even know how to treat me anymore!'' she blinked looking at one and the other, just wishing it was just a nightmare.


    "I''m so glad that you decide it by yourselves," she said without even thinking, full of spite and resentment, and went to one horse.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Magnus talking to Alexander, but Alexa was too far away to overhear them. She didn''t know what to do with that bitter feeling sprouting in her chest and was choked in her throat, flushing her face and bringing tears to her eyes.


    ''Does that make any sense?! Why should I be sad? It''s freedom! I might as well just spur this horse and go riding right now, leaving these two von Wuttenfal and all this mess behind! I could tell my brother to come to England, and together we can rebuild our lives! Magnus and Alexander, these two ungrateful princes, could go to hell along with the curse upon their house! I don''t care!''


    But it wasn''t that simple. At least every night she was, linked to Alexander and he to her, as prisoners.


    ''Ah, I don''t want to regret making it all! I expected to have a nice wedding and build a family with him¡­ ''


    Alexa knew the utter motivations behind her actions. And even though she tried not to think about it, the maiden knew what was the biggest impediment of all. But what did she want, anyway?


    Unable to contain her pain, feeling her spiritual fatigue reach an unbearable limit, Alexa let the tears run down her face.


    Magnus came toward her, but stopped when he realized that Alexa was crying. Ashamed, the maiden wiped her face with the back of her hand, and called out sharply,


    "Are you going to be long? We have already said our goodbyes to Cymric. What else are we waiting for?"


    Magnus tied his hair bun again and came towards Alexa. Romeo was keeping a safe distance, brooding, or ashamed. She didn''t care.


    "Alexa," called the Prince, causing her to look down at him next to her horse. The maiden felt terrible because she knew that her red and swollen face showed that she had cried.


    "I don''t know how he said that to you. He was unable to explain the reasons to me, since we have limited communication. But I understand Alexander''s woes. So... Please don''t cry. He''s doing it for your sake."


    Alexa swallowed, feeling angry this time. And very sorry for herself.


    "Isn''t that just what you think, the von Wuttenfal family? Isn''t everything you do ''For everyone''s sake''?"


    "Stop this. It doesn''t matter. We are talking about your wedding."


    "This is ridiculous. You were there to marry me in his place, and now you are here, to undo the wedding in his place. "


    "Yes! That is exactly why the three of us know it cannot work. Alexander is just being brave to say that for all of us! Unless¡­ "


    "Unless what? " Alexa didn''t like the pause that Magnus made, nor his raised eyebrow as if he had reached an unpleasant conclusion. In addition, her nose was congested and the last thing Alexa wanted now was to blow her nose in front of the First Prince. No matter he was as slovenly as she was.


    "Unless you want to stay married to Alexander. Do you?" Magnus''s question was uttered with defiance and sarcasm.

 Chapter 158 - Shes Hurt

    "I ... I ..." Alexa faltered as she looked at Magnus'' eyes raised to her. The princess didn''t understand everything she believed she saw in them.


    "Is it so difficult to answer? You had no problem in answering when I asked you if you really wanted to marry Sir Blackrose..."


    "Aaahhgh! Why would I have?! It was what I wanted! He and I had a nice deal. He was a kind person who treated me with respect. He was considerate and demanded nothing of me. On the contrary! I''ve never met such a generous person! And when he asked me to marry him, he fulfilled everything a woman could want from her future husband!"


    "Why, how perfect! I''d marry him myself..." muttered the Prince, averting his eyes.


    "And now? Father Agnello warned me about this even before I got married. In case of annulation, a big bag full of air was all I''d get from this wedding! An engaged maiden suddenly changes her mind, and marries another. Less than a month later, she''ll become the rejected pauper! With nothing! No-thing!" she pondered for a moment a picture of such a future and shrugged in horror. "Call me a mercenary if you want! Princess one day, rejected wife and disgraced the next. How could I yearn such a fate?"


    "Not to be accepted back by Lord Blackrose is your only fear?"


    "Why would he accept me? I turned my back on him when accepting another marriage, didn''t I? I''m the wrong part, "Alexa crossed her arms, stubbornly, trying to remember how the conversation got to that point, and quite sorry for half of the things she had said. But she wouldn''t retreat.


    She had little pride, but she still had some.


    Magnus took a deep breath looking at the ground for a moment, seeming to fight his urge to say something else,


    "Right. Even a mercenary needs to be paid and you were offered a title and everything that came with it. Alexander is being forced to pay for something he did not choose himself, but that''s the life of princes."


    The maiden didn''t like what she heard at all, and looked the other way,


    "Well. Make up your mind. Consider me a mercenary doing a service, if you want. It would have been so simple if they had done it this way from the beginning ..."


    "You are always confusing us. Is that what you want? Do you give up trying to have a real wedding with Alexander in the future? Or is being a princess all that matters?"


    ''Stop asking me what I want! As if I knew!'' she thought, aghast.


    "If this is what you want, Alexa, you can have it. If it''s a title you want, and wealth, and security, I will give you all that, if you accept the annulment of the marriage. What will be a small shame in view of the power you will have afterward? People forget that kind of thing. People accept children of witches and children of commoners, when it suits them."


    "Ah, I had forgotten how flexible the von Wuttenfal honor is. For a duel in a foreign province, it''s all or nothing. For the kingdom itself, there is always room for negotiation ..." she looked at the sky ostensibly, while speaking, so she did not see the reaction of the First Prince.


    "You are in no position to criticize me, dear, when you assume you have a price," Magnus''s response was quick and cut like a sword. Alexa swallowed,


    "You seem to support this idea of ??annulment..." she continued to follow the evolution of birds in the sky, speaking casually.


    "I hadn''t even approved of the wedding. You should have married me. I asked first."


    The maiden felt a tightness in her chest. But he remembered that it was all Magnus''s convoluted plan, after all.


    "Your plans not to marry Lady Cordelia worked out in the end ... And you didn''t even have to marry me for that."


    Magnus was silent for a moment, seeming not to wait for that answer. Taking a deep breath, he smiled sardonically before saying,


    "Well, in the end, I managed to get rid of her. It really was a burden and an annoyance. All of this is the past and now, our future depends on your answer: what do you say? Will you accept marriage annulment? You will have a title, land, and wealth, and the only difference is that you will no longer be married to Alexander. "


    "I can''t answer that ...!"


    "Yes you can!" he interrupted her imperiously. But they stopped the conversation because Cymric was coming towards them, coming from behind the cabin,


    "Ahh, you are still there¡­ This is good. I have something for you, my lady, that I forgot to give you earlier¡­"


    Bewildered, Alexa smiled, grateful. He handed over a small enameled ceramic vial, small enough to fit in her closed fist. Magnus moved away to pick up Romeo, and Alexa felt that the old man''s intervention could have been on purpose. Perhaps he didn''t understand what they were saying, but he could notice they were arguing.


    "What is it, Master Cymric?" she asked.


    "A remedy for pain. It is quite potent, so dilute it with plenty of water. It can induce heavy sleep and even kill in high doses, so be careful. You never know when our "Eostre" and her knight may need medicine like that ... "


    "I am grateful, Cymric, my friend. And if I see any gods out there, I will ask them why they haven''t visited you, even if only to have the door closed in their faces! "


    Cymric laughed hard.


    "I do appreciate the resurrection offer, however! I try to be a good man who hopes to have a good new life, so I follow Christ! " he smiled, "Thanks for visiting!"


    They said goodbye again, and Alexa carefully stored the bottle.


    It was time to go.


    Magnus''s offer still resonated in her mind, without definition.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Their journey away from Tanbury and Brentford started with the small group in silence, and their bad moods kept them silent for a while until they stopped to eat some of the food they brought, when Alexa felt better. Romeo didn''t want bread balls this time. He was traveling on his brother''s shoulder.


    The trio passed Duncaster without stopping, heading for the port of Dartmouth, at the mouth of the River Dart. Alexa knew that Holstein''s sea business contacts were efficient enough that they could get a boat easily, and the trip to France shouldn''t be a problem.


    After passing by Duncaster and taking the road to the east, Alexa brought the Princes up to date on events in Holstein. She began by gradually telling the events, leaving the facts about the Blue Eyes kidnapping and his rescue last. The Princess wanted to hide the secret of Blue Eyes from them, and the arrival of her brother Narses. The first because the priest had asked for secrecy, and the second, because she would have to tell many things that she definitely didn''t feel comfortable telling any of them.


    Alexa still did n''t know what to do about it, let alone about Magnus'' proposal, and preferred to let the matter die quietly, as if it had never happened. She hoped they would end up doing the same.


    Perhaps it would be better to think about the future when it was about to become a reality. When Alexander was in his body again, and they were both free from the spell.


    "I am concerned about all this interest in the figure of Princess Alexa. It has become clear by now that it can be a political articulation to denigrate the princess''s image, but it can be something more," pondered Magnus. Alexa thought it was strange to be treated as if the princess was not her. But she said nothing about it, just commented,


    " ''The princess'' has disappeared since her wedding, and this is quite strange. At some point, people would start guessing."


    "Maybe. But, this funeral staging was an excellent move. If my father just agreed to the Princess''s death, everyone would be sure of what happened. But as he denied, there must be some justification for the Princess'' prolonged absence. In short, someone wants to know exactly where Princess Alexa is and doing what."


    "Don''t you think the de Wits could easily know that I boarded Lagos?"


    "And if they know that, they want to use it to destroy your image forever, my dear."


    "Uhn, I imagined something like that," Alexa agreed. "They are undoubtedly trying to find out the reason for their trip and also my whereabouts. I don''t doubt they start a vicious slandering campaign, ruining the Second Prince and Princess''s reputation. And worse, if they find out you''re after an alchemist, that won''t be good either... A third sucessor cold gather more sympathy in the Emperor''s eyes..."


    "Um, politically it can get complicated, but I think they''re afraid of Princess Alexa. Cordelia at least witnessed your power, as you told me. There are reports of what happened at the cathedral."


    Alexander had listened in silence, without saying anything until then, he asked,


    ~ Even if they don''t know who you are, Alexa, they already had a sample of your power. Please take care! ~


    "Actually, I think that instead of acting reactively and waiting for their next steps, it''s time to get them out of their shells," Alexa said.


    "Let my dad take care of this, and don''t get involved anymore," Magnus said, sullen.


    "I know he was an accomplished witch hunter, but now he is a ruler and has a lot to worry about. Neighboring kingdoms are at war and the emperor has sent a messenger to Holstein, there is a plague in Holstein and he is also concerned about us and the arrival of the Inquisition. The Poles are hostile because of Baron Florian and ... well, I have news about that, and I''ll come back to that later. Listen to my plan first. We need to know Cordelia is being manipulated by the witches, or if she really is one of them! "


    Magnus and Romeo turned their heads to Alexa.

 Chapter 159 - Dear Cordelia

    ''Dear Cordelia,''


    I send this letter to you through my esteemed new relatives, hoping it will find you in good health and enjoying the best of your recent marriage to my father-in-law. May the Good Father bless us all!


    My dear Princess, Fate, this capricious thing, juggled wildly with our lives! It wanted our fateful meeting to bring about dramatic changes in our lives!


    Only time will tell what these changes have in store for us.


    I was let downhearted in the days before my own wedding, because you, dear Cordelia, were sick and shaken by all the events we went through. And our friendship, which was so promising, was shaken too, certainly by false rumors or odd misunderstandings.


    At that time, I understood that you wanted to get away from me, and also hurt myself, I let that happen. I regret it greatly.


    Doing so, I missed the opportunity to personally congratulate you on your wedding, and to represent my spouse and myself by being present. I hope I can make up for it soon, if you allow me.


    Right after the dinner which was the last time we met in person, I felt embarrassed because your family had changed their attitude towards me. I blame myself for not being able to dismiss any suspicions about my intentions.


    Fortunately my father-in-law, who is a very experienced person and has always treated me like a daughter, knew how to appreciate all your qualities. If he dotes on you like he dotes on me, I know you''re happy, if not more.


    Accepting the countess Godiva''s invitation, I spent a few days in W¨¹rtz, and that beautiful place made me want to live with them forever!


    These were peaceful days when I could enjoy the plains and the healthy air of their fields, and saw many interesting things on my walks by the countryside. It would be wonderful to share all that with you. I missed having a friend my age with me. My ladies-in-wait stayed in Holstein due to the Countess Godiva''s hurried invitation.


    I discovered she''s a woman with a reservoir of vitality, and her sense of humor is sometimes odd, but I became attached to her and her warm and frank way.


    The news of war has unfortunately taken the best moods out of everyone, and even the Duke has been very busy nowadays.


    I was called back recently, and with excellent news, after all!


    I am saying all this because I feel that we can resume our ties, which if they are now loosened, are also due to my sluggish and inactive attitude in mending anything that I have done to offend you.


    Cordelia, in the face of everything we are experiencing, we must come together and think about the best for our new family and the kingdom in which we live.


    But I would like to tell you in person! We can share our recent experiences and I also offer to help you with your charity work in this hard time.


    Come and visit me if you wish. Spend the weekend with me, I beg you! It''s a little lonely here, after all. My married life is hard to adapt, but I struggle every day. Due to the plague, I must not go to the castle, but I have been working to change that. Not because I miss the castle, but because I feel I can help. Even though they won''t allow me, after everything that happened.


    If you want, I''ll send a butler to get you and whoever else you want to bring, so they can spend a few days with me.


    With God''s Grace upon us, I hope this letter finds a place in your heart,


    The friend who wishes you well,


    Alexa.


    -


    "What do you want with that?" The Sovereign Prince turned over his shoulder to ask the letter''s author, and looking directly into the eyes of Holstein''s Second Prince. Alexander''s father''s eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment and suspicion, and Lex gave a confident smile in return for his frown.


    As before, Gutard demanded that Alexa read the letter. The Princess was suspecting that the Sovereign Prince hated to read himself. Alexa had spent a long time and several drafts until she came up with this masterpiece. Lady Eudoxia, Father Agnello and even her father would be proud of her, if they could read this letter.


    "Well, as I explained, we can be sure that a group of witches have surrounded Princess Cordelia. For what purpose, we haven''t figured it out yet. But Father Agnello has theories ... And it was probably because he got too close to the truth that they caught him. If these women surrounding your wife just try to manipulate Cordelia without really revealing themselves to her, your wife will need help. But if she knows and takes part in it¡­"


    "Hm, continue," demanded Gutard.


    "The Inquisition has one of the witches. Their methods may not give us the answers we need, and ... I suppose, the prince would prefer to deal with the entire matter without the direct involvement of the Church."


    "Yes. And disobeying me, you took your brother to the place where the witches were..."


    Hiding from Gutard who were the other people with them in this mission wasn''t a problem, and Alexa imagined that he associated they were more Inquisitors.


    "But I showed the Prince of Holstein''s willingness to cooperate with the Holy Office," she spoke candidly.


    Gutard pretended that he would take off his shoes to hit his son, and the Second Prince moved away from the Sovereign Prince''s chair, impishly.


    "The Inquisition shouldn''t be here, let alone looking at the issues that should be buried."


    Alexa worried and had the impression that there were many more things that she didn''t know, and that the prince wasn''t in a hurry for her to know too. She remembered Sigrid, the lighthouse''s witch, and her strange prophecies. Gutard chose a son to marry her, and chose an enemy to deal with. But now that Alexa discovered who the Black Queen had been, and with the kind of thing she and the Diana cult were dealing with, the young princess feared what other secrets lay still under Holstein.


    "Well, as I said, Father Agnello recognized the voice of some of them, he just can''t be here to point the finger at them. But¡­ can I ask what Your Majesty intends to do?"


    This conversation took place in the room adjacent to the sovereign''s room, and they were alone at that moment.


    "If I have Cordelia''s ladies arrested, I will give an opportunity for not only the witches, but my political enemies, to accuse me of trying to forge a reason to get rid of my young wife¡­ And I hope I don''t need to explain to you about these political nuances."


    ''I probably wouldn''t understand, Your Majesty,'' she played modest. Due to the suspected history of how the von Wuttenfal family enriched themselves and Holstein, and with the strong support that Cordelia''s father had with the Polish court, it would be a misstep. As Lex imagined, things would not be so simple. And having his own wife or her close ladies arrested on suspicion of witchcraft was not the same thing as having an unknown young foreign woman interrogated. It could quickly become an extraterritorial affair.


    "Well¡­ I will help you with that plan. I want to be sure that Cordelia is as innocent as I thought at first. I will deliver the letter and do as you ask, but I still don''t understand how you intend to do this if there is no ''Alexa'' to receive Cordelia at Alexander''s home."


    "It will be more difficult, but just take my requests this time, please. I''m sure we''ll find out for sure which side Cordelia is on. And I''m almost sure the witches and her allies will reveal themselves," Alexa was fully confident of her plan and could barely contain herself physically. She was shifting restlessly in anticipation.


    The Holstein Sovereign went to the door and sent for Cordelia. Lex heard a guard step out of the corridor before Gutard closed the door again.


    "Do you think this lengthy letter will do the trick?" asked Gutard.


    "If the written words don''t, your request for her to go for sure will," said Alexa.


    "And what did you say about me¡­ What nonsense was that? Don''t be exaggerated," he scolded, standing up.


    Alexa beamed, saying simply, "It could have been like this. Isn''t totally impossible, right? And Your Majesty can start at any time. I''m ready to endure all your doting on me!"


    She remembered how Cordelia sometimes complained about being passed over and that Alexa had won the von Wuttenfal''s heart. Little did she know that none of it was true. Prince Gutard, however, stared at her in surprise, and furrowing his brows, tried not to laugh at her shameless call. The corner of his lips, however, twitched in amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "Princess Consort Cordelia awaits to be called, Your Majesty," announced the guard outside. Alexander stood in the shadows once more, waiting for Cordelia''s entrance.


    Cordelia did not hide her surprise at seeing Alexander beside her husband, again. But this time she just kept quiet.


    "Cordelia, Alexander brought you a message. Alexa misses you," said Gutard, handing his wife the letter. Alexa noticed Cordelia''s reaction when she saw that the letter didn''t even have a seal, and was just folded. A clearly violated letter. She thanked him with a nod, and Gutard completed.


    "I''m sure she is doing it to show you that she is alive, despite rumors against it. But Alexander assures me she really regrets that she didn''t contact you before, and it made you ridicule yourself the way you did."


    The room could not have gotten colder with the couple''s relationship, Alexa realized. Cordelia couldn''t help showing how intimidated she was around Gutard. And Alexa remembered the experience that the now Princess suffered when touching the painting of the Black Queen in Alexander''s room.


    It must be an ordeal for her to even look at Gutard!


    Each angle of the situation showed a distinct point of view, and Alexa just hoped to be on the right side.


    "Please accept Alexa''s invitation. I spend little time at our house and she needs to remain isolated¡­ just in case."


    As expected, Cordelia showed apprehension with the information, with a minimum raise of the eyebrow, but controlled herself at time. The Princess took a deep breath,


    "Yes, I will definitely pay a visit to Alexa ... If I have permission to do so," she undoubtedly referred to the punishment of having to stay in her room until Sunday.


    "You always end up being saved by Alexa ..." Gutard commented, and Cordelia''s eyes showed her anger at the provocation.


    Lex smiled discreetly. Everything went according to plan.

 Chapter 160 - Tickles

    As she sneaked back to the tower, Alexa thought about what she knew about the witches who were close to Cordelia. Apparently, the missing chaperone was Catalina, but Alexa reproached herself for not remembering her face. She was one of the novices who had come from the convent where Cordelia studied for years, and arrived with Sister Ludovica, and another novice named Elke. They came to replace the chaperones Cordelia had lost in the villa incident.


    It meant that Cordelia knew them, or at least, had followed the wishes of her mother, that impeccably Christian looking matron. Alexa knew it was very difficult to know if the old chaperones had died in the villa as victims, or had fled. Or even, if they had died like the witches her friend Locke had sent to hell, as they so wanted.


    If Father Agnello''s theories were right, and Cordelia was an important piece in a ritual, the connection with Princess Letitia, should be in older women. The true leaders of the Cult.


    It was scary to think a Christian convent housed a cell for a necromancer cult.


    Sister Ludovica, with her leadership attitudes even when dealing with a Princess, seemed to be the key piece of that puzzle.


    Alexa turned around, halfway to the tower.


    There was something important, too. The poor ghost Nerissa twice tried to alert her. Nerissa knew who they were. They had killed her for knowing who they were.


    And if Alexander saw Cordelia''s mother entering Alexa''s room last, before she and Charlotte found the unfortunate maid, surely Cordelia''s mother was one of them.


    Finally, there was the strange feeling that Prince Gutard knew part of it, or at least suspected the connection of de Wits with the witches.


    ''But why did he let all this happen?'' It was his question.


    At that moment, Lex wanted to find Nerissa, and rubbing her hands lightly, the Light Bearer called her, with a small flame.


    It was not right to use light to invoke a Shade for selfish purposes, such as obtaining information. This in fact set precedents for necromancy, and Alexa didn''t want to make this mistake.


    It was little more than the light of a small candle. Maybe Nerissa wouldn''t come, if she didn''t want to. Alexa however did not want to wake up all the other ghosts in the castle, who were mostly malicious and demented. But, truth to be told, despite what Helga said, about the ghostly activities, Lex noticed things calmed down a lot.


    The Light Bearer had to do this a few times, until young Shade came. Nerissa had already turned a little gray. Her face gradually lost its expression.


    "Nerissa," whispered the Light Bearer, "I already know who killed you. I want her to pay for her murder, but I still don''t know how. You don''t have to wander around with your secret anymore. It''s time for you to leave this rotten castle. Because she will soon pay for her horrendous crime."


    For a moment, nothing happened. The torches on the walls flickered hard, and Alexa heard a small, almost imperceptible noise of something falling on the floor.


    Nerissa disappeared before her eyes before Lex could do anything.


    "No!" Alexa exclaimed, irritated, unable to prevent the disappearance of Shade. Bending down immediately to look for the object that fell, and using her own flame as a light source, Alexa groped the floor until she felt a little ball that rolled when the princess inadvertently touched it.


    ''A pearl ... Uhn, no. A rosary bead, shaped out of black mother-of-pearl,'' Alexa examined the small object between her fingers when she stood up. Black mother-of-pearls were unusual. No doubt the rosary would have belonged to a nobleman.


    Sister Ludovica wore a wooden rosary around her waist, and Alexa had sometimes seen Cordelia''s mother''s favorite rosary. And it wasn''t black mother-of-pearl.


    How to find out what was Nerissa''s new clue? Alexa was sure she was close to unveiling the reason for the death of the maid.


    Perhaps a person could help find out who had a mother-of-pearl rosary.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Why, mon ch¨¦r, I really didn''t expect visitors tonight ..." Charlotte Duvignes purred, opening the window for the ''Purple Mask'' to enter.


    Lex had been knocking on her second-floor''s bedroom window for some time.


    The masked prince was freezing because, of all nights for trying to enter a married woman''s room, it had to be when heavy rain fell on Holstein.


    Unfortunately, the ambassador''s room was a long way from any secret passages Lex knew until then. The princess found it risky to cross some public areas that were usually full of servants, this time of night.


    "Do you have a cloth so I can dry myself?" Lex asked looking around as soon as he was inside the room. The room was different than the Prince had imagined. It was less luxurious and even looked a little deflated. Charlotte wore a peignoir that let her know that she, like many noble people, slept without clothes. And he stared at the mysterious masked man with a smile on his lips,


    "Should I be happy that you know where my room is? Or should I be concerned?"


    "We are allies, so don''t worry too much. I don''t even intend to delay, but¡­ Your husband?" only then did Lex remember that for Charlotte to be Ambassador Duvignes'' wife, there must be an Ambassador Duvignes.


    And he was not there. The princess did not remember seeing the man and had forgotten that she could have come across him when looking for his wife in her own room.


    "Bertrand is where he usually is on Fridays ..." she sighed, and then smiled, reaching for a towel in a trunk and coming towards him. "But don''t worry about it, mon cher¡­ We can talk calmly. Fridays are Bertrand''s lucky day."


    "Um, so does your husband like to play?"


    "I can''t blame him. Being an ambassador in Holstein is strenuous work," replied the woman.


    Although Lex reached out to take the towel from Charlotte, the Frenchwoman ignored it and used the soft fabric to dry her neck,


    "Let me do this. We spoke briefly last time. Do you have a message for my master? Or is your subject specifically with me?"


    "Actually yes. My business is specifically with you, Lady Duvignes," Lex wished very much to remove the damp mask from his face, but he preferred not to. Although he perceived the woman''s obvious intention when trying to touch her face.


    Charlotte was a bold woman, different from most nobles, and also very intelligent. The Frenchwoman might not be sure of the masked man''s identity, but she had good leads. But seeing the face would give him certainty and an advantage that Lex couldn''t afford yet. Not without first fully trusting her.


    "It''s all right, I can dry myself ..." Lex tried to pick up the towel but Charlotte was quick to brush the cloth away.


    "Well, tell me what I can do for you ... Besides preventing our noble hero without identity from ending up sick and revealing his presence with the cough of a dying man..." She rubbed the cloth gently over his hair, and she began to untie the strings keeping Lex''s jacket in place with her other hand. "You must take off that wet shirt, let the clothes dry in the fireplace for a moment ..."


    "Oh, well, Lady Charlotte, that''s not necessary and ... stop! It¡­ tickles!" when the lady''s hand slipped under the Prince''s clothes and groped his belly, or rather Alexander''s belly, the lady''s fingers on the taut belly skin caused a hilarious itch. Lex shrunk and curled his torso instinctively, but the French lady just giggled,


    "Oh! The Masked Man has a smooth and sensitive belly after all! Is it tickling? So cute! Don''t worry, it won''t kill you!"


    "Lady Duvignes!" Lex had never seen a woman with fingers this fast. Even Helga, who was so skilled in helping with the Prince''s clothes, wouldn''t have been able to rip off Lex''s jacket in a matter of seconds, while threatening with tickling!


    "Ready! Your beautiful mask is in place! Isn''t what matters?" Charlotte pouted, and her honey eyes flashed when she pulled away. The lady put the clothes as promised by the fireplace guard. Lex resisted the temptation to cover his n.i.p.p.l.es and started to stretch his fingers, a little tired from the climb. Charlotte had a purpose with all of that, and it certainly wasn''t just bedding the Purple Mask. Or was it?


    As a spy, perhaps that service was among the eventualities of the job.


    Lex didn''t know how Alexander''s body would react to the female stimuli of a beautiful woman like Charlotte. All he knew at the time was that his mind just felt very uncomfortable and his feelings for Charlotte didn''t change a bit.


    "Sit in the chair by the fireplace. Let''s have some wine and talk," the French lady waved her hand, pointing to the furniture, as she went to a sideboard to get the wine and two glasses.


    "Actually, I think I''m going to get straight to the point, so as not to disturb your sleep," the warmth of the fireplace was cozy, and undoubtedly Lex would like some wine to appease his thirst, but he knew he shouldn''t.


    Even with his refusal, Charlotte poured a glass of wine and handed it to the masked man. Lex sat down and the Frenchwoman sat across from him,


    "You are a determined and straightforward man. I appreciate that and many other things in your personality. Let''s go to business, now that you''re comfortable and warm ..." she sipped from her cup, staring at the masked man.


    Lex imagined that ordinary men would feel attracted to her beauty and her seductive ways, but right now all the Second Prince wanted was his shirt back. "Look at this bead. I want to know what noble this object belonged to. You might know," Lex showed her the black mother-of-pearl bead. Lady Duvignes took the small object delicately and rolled it between her fingers, against the candlelight,


    "OH! Yes, I know who it belonged to!"


    Lex smiled,


    "Great! And who is it?"


    "I could exchange this information, my masked friend. For a small favor ..." The suddenly sly voice and the way Charlotte leaned towards the mysterious figure in front of her, subtly revealing her cleavage, made Lex gasp.


    "...! Well! And what do you want?"

 Chapter 161 - Plague Doctor Assassin

    Biting her lips nervously, Lex was concerned about the outcome of this unusual situation. What would Alexander do if he were in his place?


    She had no way of knowing.


    "And then?" she tried to steady her voice so as not to appear so intimidated by the French woman''s seductive posture.


    "You could tell me where Prince Magnus went, couldn''t you? I know you know¡­"


    "Ah, is that what you want?"


    It was rather relieving and, at the same time, annoying, because it reminded her that everyone at court was sure that Charlotte was Magnus''s mistress. And Magnus never denied this, treating the matter as something expected.


    "Do you have a better proposal?" Charlotte''s voice was a pleasant, feminine purr, implying a thousand things. ''She really is an excellent spy... She wants to know my interests and moral commitments...''


    "Yes, I have a better proposal for you. You tell me who the person is and I will investigate immediately, as I have no time to waste. In the future, you will ask me again about this, and I will tell you."


    "Mon ami, you are more pragmatic than I imagined¡­ Well, I believe you don''t want to waste time. And I trust your word. I only saw this material in Holstein once. Marquise Dagmar. She died about a year ago... And maybe you would know that, if you lived in the castle in the last years."


    ''Damn it!'' Lex reproached herself for not predicting the possibility of Charlotte deducting this. But now that the damage was done, Lex shouldn''t back down.


    "I am a Masked Punisher, acting in the shadows. And you are a Beguiling Spy for a Mysterious Master. Doesn''t that say that we shouldn''t believe appearances? But tell me about Marquise Dagmar."


    "Ah¡­" she chuckled, "I don''t want to threaten our identities or our impending friendship. Marquise Dagmar is said to have been very ''friendly'' to the former Prince of Holstein, Prince Gutard''s father. And being that kind of friend she had many privileges that were not taken away when Prince Gutard took the throne. When I got here, she was always around the court, with the help of her maids. She had difficulties walking, they say she suffered some accidents that almost killed her ... She was an eccentric and tough woman. She disliked everyone by default, and had a strong antagonism with Duchess Godiva ... But she died shortly after Prince Magnus and Lady Cordelia''s engagement was announced. In fact, some people even said that she died out of rancor because she advocated marriage to a southern noble Marquis''s daughter."


    "Uhn, very interesting. Did she live in the castle?"


    "Yes, due to her fragile condition she didn''t like travel and was always at the castle. Her room is still closed, as her daughter married abroad and never returned to Holstein to claim her belongings¡­" at the same time that she was saying these things, Alexa realized how Charlotte herself reacted to her internal conclusions. The ambassadress lift her eyebrow and her upturned nose twitched a bit, as if sniffing. Like the Frenchwoman, Lex thought a room locked in a castle like that could be full of interesting secrets.


    Both stood up at the same time, excited by the possibility of ??exploring the place.


    At that moment, they heard a knock on the door and the call,


    "Lotte! It''s me!"


    The slurred voice made it clear that the person on the other side was drunk. And the intimacy with which she referred to Lady Duvignes made her identity clear.


    It was Charlotte''s husband, Ambassador Bertrand Duvignes.


    Charlotte''s eyes widened, "This early?" she murmured almost to herself, and went back to the window. After opening it, she ordered Lex, "Quick, go away!"


    Lex immediately obeyed, while the ambassadress tightened her peignoir around her waist and went to the bedroom door, still stunned by her husband''s premature return.


    The Prince nimbly jumped onto the par.a.p.et, but when the drops of chilly rain touched his n.a.k.e.d chest, Lex remembered the sad fact that he had left his jacket and shirt drying in the fireguard. Quickly returning to Duvigne''s room, Lex hoped he could retrieve the clothes and leave, but that wasn''t what happened.


    Charlotte was coming to bed with her husband, and Lex crouched down behind the chair. Looking at the wide-open window, the Prince thought that if Charlotte''s husband wasn''t drunk, he might find it strange to find the window shut open on a rainy night. And that was how he saw the shadow of a third person projecting on the wall. A person with a huge bird beak!


    ''Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!''


    Lex cursed himself, and crawled quickly behind a large chest, exactly where the lady had taken the towel from. He didn''t want to be seen by the Plague Doctor, whoever the man was with the leather mask that resembled a raven''s head.


    It pushed the Prince away from the window, but it provided a better hiding place from the man who was standing in the middle of the chamber.


    "Lotte! No! Get me a bowl¡­ Damn spiked wine!"


    "Oh mon dieu!"


    BLAAAARGH!


    Lex heard the disgusting and coughing sound of vomiting, and Charlotte''s distressed voice,


    "Bertrand! What happened?"


    "This man saved me! I was about to¡­ Ruffians! Nevermind. Meanwhile¡­ I need to sleep!"


    "You need some medicine!" in fact Charlotte was very convincing in looking concerned for her husband''s health. Or was she really? Lex used his elbows to sneak under the bed and stay at a good angle to try to see something. And yet, stay hidden.


    The bed moved and creaked and Lex was sure the ambassador had clumsily thrown himself on the bed,


    "A steamy soup would be nice..." he murmured, remaining silent after a few moments stirring in the bed.


    Lex finally found a position where he could see part of the room, especially the door, and was close to Lady Charlotte''s ankles. The prince would like the place to be cleaned more often, as there were spiders'' webs tangling in his hair and face.


    "Thank you for bringing my husband back to our lodgings... It''s unusual for him to be in this state."


    "There''s no need to thank. He''ll be fine after some hangover ailment by the morning."


    Lex froze. He would recognize that melodious voice anywhere.


    Narses.


    Charlotte was silent for a moment. Lex had no way of knowing what their reactions were without seeing their faces. Finally, she said,


    "He slept. But despite the drunkenness, he said someone had spiked his drink. But I am intrigued it was you who brought him to me..."


    "I found him on the street, ''madame''. He asked for help."


    A new silence. Learning that Narses was there baffled Lex, and he''s gotten even more restless to hear what he said next,


    "But I already had plans to meet you again, madame."


    "Did you drug his drink?"


    ''What kind of question is that?'' Lex wondered. Narses chuckled before replying,


    "Your distrust should offend me. But I see that you, Madame, is a very ... independent woman. These two glasses of wine, that open window on a rainy night, and those men''s clothes ... The Ambassador certainly doesn''t wear clothes that small. But I remember seeing someone with this slim build before¡­"


    Charlotte took a deep breath, and going to the window, shut it hard, pulling the bolts to close it properly.


    "Did you come here to judge me? I don''t know what to think when a person who looks so much like Princess Alexa, and Prince Alexander, for what matters, comes dressed as a Plague Doctor. Suddenly everyone is hiding their identities in this damn city."


    "Most likely. A city full of sins only brings together sinners like us."


    "I don''t believe in religious who are devilishly handsome, and I''m sorry if I offend you. We already have a handsome priest in this city, and he''s not worth much. Yes, we are all sinners, but your looks tell me you don''t regret certain sins," Charlotte said in a rather raucous voice.


    "You make rash judgments. I repent of my sins. And apparently, your husband thinks differently. He''s able to trust a face like mine''s. The ambassador should be more discreet, but his heart is corroded by jealousy and filled to the brim with doubts about his spouse''s liaisons¡­ And it wasn''t difficult to discover some of your sins, and connect the dots, dear Lady Duvignes," Narses spoke in a dry and distant voice.


    Lex didn''t need to see Lady Duvignes'' face to interpret her silence as a sudden gasp of surprise and hatred.


    "Are you blackmailing me?"


    "No. I''m not a priest who has to keep the secret of the confessions he hears. And perhaps I should question the kind of harm a woman who maintains... a.d.u.l.terous relations with members of the von Wuttenfal house can be. I think I need to understand the big picture before¡­ Doing what I need to do. Being exposed is your bigger fear, madame?"


    "You¡­! Don''t you dare!" Charlotte snarled.


    "But I would like to be less strict," Narses continued, ignoring the woman''s anger. "I don''t know half of your pains, nor the reasons for your actions. We don''t always have the best choices, do we?"


    "Why don''t you just get off? Take your ominous bird''s head and get out of here!" Charlotte went to Narses, and pushed him. But Narses didn''t even flinch.


    "Why are you going to tell me everything you say about Alexa, the maiden who married the Second Prince. Mainly, what happened to her."


    "I don''t know what happened to her!"


    "Then tell me what you know. From the beginning.This sinner wants to remain repentant and never sin again as before ... And perhaps your account becomes the difference between you no longer seeing my ''bird''s head'', from my ''bird''s head'' being the last thing you see."


    Lex couldn''t let Narses kill Charlotte ... But he found he needed to know the same things as Narses.


    The Ambassador began to snore.

 Chapter 162 - Rats

    "Why do you want me to say that?" Lady Duvignes replied with a shrill voice.


    "Your refusal to answer just tells me what you think."


    It was impossible not to remember how, on their wedding night, Charlotte had sent a message to Magnus. If Alexa suspected it all had been a misunderstanding, Charlotte''s reaction to having to express her opinion left little to guess.


    "In favor of Lady Alexa, she didn''t act like she was interested in any of that. In fact, on her wedding night, she looked scared and lonely. That day I felt sorry for that girl. Her eyes showed anguish, more than anything," revealed Charlotte. Alexa felt a tightness in her chest. The unexpected statement stirred her nerves, and she felt like crying.


    "Hmp, of course. If she was forced to marry ..." Narses issued his opinion with obvious irony and bitterness.


    "So you know. Prince Alexander, until that moment, was being monitored and showed no signs he would wake from his sleep. On the day after their wedding, there was a duel where the First Prince defeated Florian. Bureaucrats working in the castle library saw Lady Alexa. Later, I received news that the witches responsible for the massacre in the villa were about to be executed in the main square ... And they really were. But the Evil was unleashed that very day, before the eyes of everyone in Holstein."


    "What happened?"


    "I''m not quite sure. A great black cloud ominously gathered over the town, and crows flocked over the square. Something scary happened inside the cathedral, but few witnesses said that Lady Alexa faced a demon who came to fetch the witches ... Something like that. After that, a horrible storm fell over the city, and the newly buried bodies surfaced with the flood ... There was a fire in the castle, in the Princes'' wing, but no one knew the cause ... the population had to leave downtown and gathered in the upper town, at the castle''s gates. After that, they started making novenas and telling stories as if Princess Alexa was a Blessed V.i.r.g.i.n or else. Even the entire court was intrigued and couldn''t understand ... Who was Princess Alexa anyway?"


    "And about her? Nobody saw her after that day?"


    "They say that she spent a few days in a convent. One of her chaperones said she was injured and beaten after fighting evil in the cathedral. And she was also seen at an official meeting with Prince Gutard. And then at dinner, on returning from the convent. After that, when Countess Godiva left with Duke Konrad for W¨¹rtz, Princess Alexa was never seen again. At that time, due to the fire in the royal wing, Prince Alexander was also no longer seen, although there was no news of his recovery. Just rumors telling he had been moved elsewhere. That''s all I know. The Princess''s chaperones are still here, but she has disappeared, and everyone imagined she was back in the convent¡­ I remember having heard that rumor at the last Mass."


    "Is that all?" Narses asked dryly. Even Lex didn''t believe that was all, and she was sure Charlotte was hiding some information. But the long narrative, interrupted only by the few comments from the visitor and Lady Duvignes'' husband snoring, had covered the entire time that Alexa was officially in Holstein.


    "I said I didn''t know much. All I know is that she''s a special person and she will end up hurt, in the end. The von Wuttenfals think only of Holstein''s glory. Even the Witches Hunt is nothing more than cleaning up their own shit."


    "You are close enough to them to know, so I think I must believe you."


    "Go now. I told you what I knew."


    "And what I learned from you filled my head with more doubts¡­ Good night, by now, madame. Repent of your sins while there is still time," with this phrase, which did not seem to be something Lex would have imagined hearing from his beloved brother, Narses left the Duvignes'' quarters.


    Charlotte sat down heavily on the end of the bed, and the movement made more dust fall on Lex under it. The Prince covered his mouth and nose to try not to sneeze.


    "An assassin! An assassin! I would have died right beside you, while you snore!" the lady vented, upset, slapping the sleeping drunken man. This only made the Ambassador move on the bed, without waking up. Uneasy, Charlotte got up, rummaging on her things while Lex just wanted her to sleep ... But then Lex saw her putting on shoes and getting ready to leave, even though it was an improper time and with all that rain outside.


    It was likely that, after being threatened by Narses, Charlotte was going to meet her master, Duke Kurt.


    After making sure she left the room, Lex came out of hiding and grabbed the Prince''s clothes quickly. It still upset her seeing his brother acting so strangely. In fact, the person he proved to be, made her shiver.


    The younger Dallassenos didn''t like many things she learned there, but she didn''t have time to regret or lose with assumptions.


    Sneaking through the castle''s unlit corridors, Lex now needed to find out where Marquise Dagmar''s room was. He was sure it would be a long way from the di Borghesi, in the oldest ward of the castle.


    Her mind, however, wandered to her sense of strangeness as the Princess reflected on what she had heard.


    The Alexa that everyone saw, except the von Wuttenfal, was not her.


    And there was also the fact that ... Charlotte Duvignes believed that Prince Magnus loved this Alexa that didn''t exist.


    The Alexa that everyone saw, except the von Wuttenfal, was not her. And there was also the fact that ... Charlotte Duvignes believed that Prince Magnus loved this Alexa that didn''t exist.


    But he didn''t love Alexa, did he?


    How could Prince Magnus love her, if he didn''t even care to know all the hardsh.i.p.s she went through to rescue him?


    Yes, Alexa was tired and alone inside that body, which belonged to her husband who also didn''t want her. But to get her own body back all hours of the day, she supposedly needed to go all the way and find the solution for Alexander.


    It wasn''t difficult to find the Marquise''s room, even in the darkened halls of the castle. Alexa felt Nerissa''s presence, without seeing it, and suddenly, she stopped feeling it. I knew I had arrived at the right place. It wasn''t even difficult to open the door ...


    Although the practice said never to enter a room whose door had been opened by a ghost, Lex clenched her fists and entered the dark room.


    Everything smelled of rose powder and mold, and once again, Lex used her ''Torch'' to light the pitch that surrounded her.


    The room held remnants from glorious days in the past, but it was abandoned and she could hear the sounds of rodents hiding in their nests. ''All the acc.u.mulated luxury ends up being eroded and serving as a nest for rats ...'' the thought came to mind.


    Her search took longer than Alexa imagined. The overwhelming feeling she felt was because of Shades who gathered to observe activities of a living human within a forgotten place ... The favorite hiding place for lost and forgotten souls like the ones in that room.


    "I''m leaving right away, I just need to ..." she mumbled, noticing as she groped, a recess in one panel next to the fireplace. Using a little force, she pushed the panel, and found a hole in the wall. With the help of her Light, she checked what was inside.


    The hole wasn''t deep or big, but spacious enough to hold some objects. And there were some very, very interesting things there. Small jewels and ornaments, not all specifically valuable, among other things.


    It looked like there was more than one sneaky little mouse in there. Someone used the abandoned place as a hiding place for her minor thefts in such a large castle, and had a peculiar taste for beautiful feminine objects.


    A fat bag of yellow fabric caught his eye. Something fell to the floor when she pulled out the purse.


    The contents of the bag were obvious even before opening. Its weight hinted a good amount of gold or silver. Much more than a servant like Nerissa could dream of. Opening the strings, Lex took one of the gold coins and saw the Duke of Burgundy''s effigy ... There was a piece of moldy stained paper inside. ''Burgundian money? Does this have to do with de Wits? '' Lex still didn''t understand how Nerissa got hold of such amount of money...


    Opening the sheet of paper, she realized that it was a letter, and by the first lines, addressed to Prince Gutard. However, the writing was stained so Alexa couldn''t read in as bad a condition as now.


    She bent down to pick up the object that fell on the floor, and the object''s sparkling gleam under her Light caught her attention. She had seen that object before.


    It was the diamond-shaped topaz that had been the centerpiece of her wedding dress. And had been stolen at some point between boarding the ship that was going to England, and her marriage to Alexander. They had used one heart-shaped amethyst to replace it; she recollected.


    With a sigh, wondering if Nerissa had stolen the jewel, and what all that meant, Lex stood up.


    A ruffling sound of clothes, a subtle shadow, and Lex noticed someone behind her, obscured by darkness, too late.


    The shadow moved quickly toward the Second Prince, and Lex felt a twinge in the side.


    Moisture seeped into the fabric of his clothing, and the Prince dropped the things on his hands on the floor.


    Lex felt death in that room, waiting voraciously, as always.


    ''I''ve got¡­ stabbed?''

 Chapter 163 - A Sneak Peak

    Lex felt her legs go limp, overcome with weakness, as his hands went to the wound, illuminating the place. The Lightbearer looked up at his attacker, when he saw the knife descend against him once more. Their eyes met very briefly.


    Lex didn''t recognize the face, but the frill on the cuff of his shirt.


    Bertrand Duvignes.


    "Damn sorcerer, you fooled us for a long time," the man murmured, before the blade of his dagger descended against Lex''s face.


    ''So is it, everything ends in such a pathetic way?'' Lex wondered in the infinitesimal fraction of time between one stab and the next.


    Then, an unknown hand grabbed his attacker''s arm, preventing the blow. Lex held his breath and took a few steps back, out of his panic and overwhelmed by the euphoria of keeping alive for a few moments more.


    It hurt a lot, and he was seeing white dots blink in front of him, while the fight between the two men took place in the room''s darkness. Stumbling over some furniture, Lex fell to the floor, and the pain made his teeth grind. As the two men clashed, knocking over furniture, Lex tried to steady himself and stand, feeling the blood drain from his fingers.


    One of them flopped on the floor, gurgling in his last moments. Lex recognized the slight gasp of the man who had stood.


    It was Narses, without the Doctor of Plague mask now.


    The light from his Spiritual Torch illuminated the face of his older brother, who leaned over the Second Prince, and put Lex on his feet by the collar of his shirt. Narses'' face and hands were stained with blood, and he was panting,


    "Well, Alexander ... You owe me an explanation."


    ''Narses, don''t you see? It''s me!'' Lex could think, but he was afraid. Afraid of Narses. At a glance, the stab produced a minor wound, but it hurt a lot, and his soul, which had no fixed home there, seemed to want to detach itself and abandon that body.


    "Ugh! Please ..." Lex tried to touch his beloved face, but Narses pushed his hand away with contempt.


    "Where''s my sister?!"


    Lex''s eyes filled with tears, his lips trembled,


    "You know ..."


    "Do I know?! Don''t mock me!" The Tanaion lifted the Prince easily, pushing him against the wall.


    Lex felt the impact of his back on the wood panel.


    His ribs protested, and once again his hands went to the wound site, pressing on the bleeding.


    Behind him, there was a window that Narses brutally opened, grabbing the Prince again as soon as he did this,


    "Your gifts are familiar to me¡­ And I''m yet to discover who you really are. Son of a witch or not, you messed with the wrong family. You have a few seconds before the fall to tell me what you guys did with Alexa¡­ Or let''s find out if you''re really immortal," the Dallassenos brought Alexander up the collar of his shirt, easily thrusting half his body out the window. Lex felt the cold drops of rain touch his face. He tried to grab the edges of the window to prevent his imminent fall, and used all his strength to do so, but he had no doubt Narses would be able to kill him if he wanted to.


    "I¡­ I can''t! I can''t! Let me live, please spare me! ... Spare me!" His voice wasn''t a desperate and terrified cry, it was a little more than a whisper. His conscience didn''t want to stay there. He saw Narses'' eyes flash in fury as he heard faint screams and the sounds of guards approaching.


    But everything became a blur, and his soul was swallowed up as usual, only in advance, to Lex''s real body.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    ''Gahhh!'' Alexa felt a terrible pain that ran through her being, without being able to know if it was physical or ethereal. She felt herself in her body, and she could see everything around her. Alexa just couldn''t make the slightest voluntary movement.


    Alexa was trapped in her own body.


    It was night.


    There was unpleasant and cold dampness in her nose and Alexa looked up and around with the eyes of the soul. Through a small gap, she could see a little bit of the sky. The heat around her emanated from Magnus''s body. The Prince wrapped his arms around her tightly and kept Alexa in his cloak and under a blanket. Nestled in the curve of her shoulder and neck, also inside the heavy cloak, Romeo was curled up and seemed to have an uneasy sleep, which made him shiver.


    She could see far beyond the reach of her physical eyes that were, in fact, closed. Only once had she had a similar experience, after much training, to go through one of the rites of the initiate Lazarites. For a brief moment, she forced her soul out of her body ... At that moment it had been an exciting experience, and it had none of the horrible feelings of now.


    The uncertainty of not knowing whether Alexander''s body would survive that injury.


    The Princess tried to call him,


    ~ Alexander? ~ But he was far from reach.


    They were docking at a port. The few passengers who underwent that night journey were restless while Magnus remained motionless.


    But he wasn''t sleeping.


    His heart, stone or not, was pounding with a quickening sound, showing his attention to his surroundings. The First Prince just could not guess that she was there, awake in his arms, but without being able to move or speak.


    Only when all the other passengers got out and the sailors were working did Magnus get up and get off the boat cautiously. As soon as he stepped on the pier, he arranged Alexa''s body to carry it on his back, while talking to the sailors and asking them for recommendations for a place to stay.


    They responded politely, almost as if they feared him.


    Once again putting Alexa on his back and adjusting the cover as best he could over her, he started walking through the gloomy streets of the port.


    A ragged boy emerged from a pile of crates, carrying a lantern on a pole,


    "Milord, Milord! This way! What kind of inn are you looking for? I can take you to the best, and also to those for a humble person. But the Lord must stay in a good inn... It befits your station!"


    "HM, show the way," Magnus mumbled in response.


    Alexa saw the looks that followed the imposing man crossing the port, and assessing whether he was a good prey for a pickpocket. He was a healthy, tall man, but alone and carrying someone who was sick or injured.


    For now, apparently, he wasn''t a good prey, and his passage through the cold and fetid streets of the port had no major incidents.


    The Prince followed the boy to a less depressing street, where a big house on a corner advertised through drawings everything they offered.


    The boy helped negotiate the price of the inn, and Magnus watched everything as if he didn''t speak the language. Fortunately, the boy was neither dishonest nor the innkeeper.


    Alexa didn''t want to know what Magnus would do if they were. She could feel the impatience building in his chest, and it wasn''t there until Magnus had to open his mouth to speak to people again.


    The Prince fumbled for his bag to pay for the accommodation and took the boy a silver coin. The boy''s eyes lit up.


    "Kid. I want something more."


    "Yes, sir! A soup? They include it in the inn''s price! For a little more you can have mutton, cheese, and wine!"


    "No, thanks. But I want you to do something for me."


    "Yes! I will do it, sir!" with great enthusiasm the young guide stated.


    "Earthworms. Get live worms."


    "...!"


    Alexa was confused, as was the boy. Magnus put the coin away and started up the stairs, making it clear that the payment would happen with the delivery of the order.


    The room had a good solid bed, a chest, and a table with chairs, and Magnus deposited Alexa as carefully as possible on the bed, unwrapping her next. Romeo rolled off the princess'' neck and woke up, startled, chirping softly,


    "Yes. We arrived. While you were sleeping in a warm, cozy and heavenly place," the First Prince mumbled as if guessing what Alexander''s questions would be.


    After getting rid of some clothes and boots, and stretching to relax his muscles, the Prince came to Alexa and pulled on her damp boots and socks. With the blanket, Magnus proceeded to dry her feet,


    "She has tiny feet, doesn''t she? So it makes climbing a lot easier. She''s so light!" he commented aloud.


    The bird stared at him puzzled, and then scratched the sheets on the bed, disinterested. To her alarm, Alexa realized this bird wasn''t Alexander, but the real Romeo.


    ''What happened to Alexander?!''


    There was a knock at the door, and Magnus went to answer it, returning with a bowl of soup and a small jute bag.


    "Well, bro, I know you''ve been hungry all day. I don''t know how long your charade will last, huh? Do you really think she''ll never find out?" placing the open bag on the closed window ledge, and placing Romeo in front of it as you would a child.


    The First Prince frowned, returning to the table and his soup,


    "Well, eat as much of it as you want, yuck! Bon app¨¦tit, Alexander!"


    The Princess could hardly believe it. Poor Alexander pretended to indulge himself with vegetables and bread balls, while secretly lounging with earthworms and other things that were certainly unappetizing! He should be ashamed of his appetites!


    Was this the reason he came back as a chubby ball of feathers from his partying with the children? Worms given as treats by the Tanbury''s children?


    ''Poor thing, he should be disgusted with himself¡­'' Alexa reflected. She was now beginning to worry that Alexander had been in the body of a bird for so long. It certainly wouldn''t do his mind any good.


    But at that moment, Alexander was not around, and Alexa had no idea where he could be.


    Magnus didn''t seem to enjoy the food either, but he ate all the soup, looking thoughtful. After that, when verifying that Romeo had finished the meal, the Prince wiped himself using a cloth dipped in water as best he could, and lay down beside Alexa. His sword was within reach.


    "What could she be up to tonight, Earthworm Boy?" Magnus contemplated the ceiling.


    ~ I''m here! ~ she tried calling him with her mind.


    He couldn''t hear or respond, however. Magnus looked exhausted, and turned towards Alexa''s body, watching the impassive person with attention as his eyes blinked in sleep,


    "She is beautiful, isn''t she? Even more beautiful when awake¡­"

 Chapter 164 - Family

    "ARGHHHHH!" Alexa screamed, feeling the flesh being pierced but once. It was a searing pain, capable of waking the dead. With sore and flooded eyes, she looked at the injured area in her flank, where someone was sewing the wound with a needle.


    "AHHHHH! ... Why are you doing this?!" she whimpered, feeling all the nerves in the body she was inhabiting, hypersensitive. Tears were streaming involuntarily down the Prince''s face now. Strong, tenacious hands held Alexander''s wrists, and on his forehead another hand was trying to keep the Prince from squirming. The young Prince''s ankles were also being held tightly.


    Looking up, Lex saw Gutard''s face, the Sovereign Prince''s dismayed eyes watching his son''s reactions. He was the one touching his forehead. Balbo was the one holding his wrists, and greeted Lex,


    "Just one more moment, Your Highness. You got your first real scar."


    "It''s not ... my first scar!" the words came out of his mouth, and Lex flinched.


    "What is happening?!" she asked, looking out of the corner of her eyes for the person who had said that.


    "Shhhh! My son is delusional, doctor," said the Sovereign Prince, stroking Alexander''s sweaty hair with concern.


    "His feverish state escalated quickly," commented the doctor. "Please hold him tight again. I need to give a few stitches more."


    "Dad, protect Alexa. Please. Don''t let anything happen to her. Who made this?! OHHHHHH!"


    The stab site pulsed as if it had a life of its own, and each touch spread pain throughout Alexander''s body.


    The hand on his forehead and hair stopped for an instant, and the green eyes of the Sovereign Prince scanned his face, with a mixture of surprise and suspicion.


    ''Wait ... Alexander? Is that you?'' she asked in her mind.


    ''Alexa?! Are you here? Please, I don''t know how long this will last! Let me talk to my dad! '' She heard the voice in her mind. No, not exactly in her mind, but ''next to her''.


    Without waiting for his response, the Second Prince said,


    "Father. Forgive me for what I did. I just wanted to help ... But ... I don''t know how much time I have, so ... I don''t want this wedding. Alexa has to be free! The marriage has to be annulled!"


    ''Is that the first thing you have to say when you see your father again?'' Alexa did not know how they got to that unusual situation, or what to think about it. However, ''hearing'' other words coming from ''her'' mouth, and that bullshit out of everything, was more than scary, it was surreal.


    ''Yes. It''s a priority. It needs to be said in case you pass out.''


    ''And why am I the one who''s going to pass out?''


    ''Because you actually ''passed out '', Alexa. I don''t know what''s going on, and .... MMMMHFF! ''


    "OHHH!" Alexa m.o.a.ned involuntarily out loud. One thing was certain, arguing with Alexander distracted her from the pain.


    "Alexander ..." said Gutard, "Where is she? She is fine?"


    "She''s with me ..." Alexander gasped as he replied, and locked his jaw to keep from groaning, while the doctor finished sewing his flesh.


    "Who made this?" the Prince Regent''s voice made it very clear that he was addressing Alexa. It was a command.


    Didn''t they know? She had lost consciousness before the guards came in attracted by the noise, but she imagined that at least they had found the unfortunate Ambassador Duvignes ... Why the hell had that man followed and attacked Prince Alexander?


    In fact Alexa knew the answer and was just irritated for underestimating the whole situation. Her recent successes have made her very sluggish, in fact.


    However ... Should she reveal that Narses was the murderer of the French Ambassador, and that he had tried to kill Alexander? This would cause a hunt against her brother!


    "I think ... that Ambassador Duvignes got it all wrong ... I''m sorry," she struggled to say.


    ''What happened?'' Alexander asked internally.


    ''I¡­ I killed a man.''


    "Ready. Your Highness will be able to get some rest now," said the doctor, with one last tug on the line that almost made Alexander wet his pants.


    ''Oh V.i.r.g.i.n Mary!''


    ''Believe me ... The stab hurt less ...'' Alexa let out a long breath. Helga brought a cup of tea, and started making him drink. The warm drink was a strong poppy tea and other herbs that were used to make you sleepy and take away the pain. That was very welcome, at the moment.


    "Dad¡­ Promise me. Let her go at the end. I want to ask for annulment ..." the real Second Prince said, after dipping his lips in the drink.


    "Shhh, don''t say anything else. You are confused ..." Alexander''s father replied, rubbing his thumb gently in the middle of his younger son''s forehead in a circular motion. "Save your energy¡­ I promise. Now be well and recover ..."


    Alexa watched the tired expression of Alexander''s father with amazement. She had seen him looking so dejected only a few times. He was still the proud Prince of Holstein, but he was also a long-suffering man. However, her eyes were blurry due to tiredness and she couldn''t even smile in sympathy.


    "Balbo! Dear Helga!" Alexander spoke, greeting his fencing master and his nanny, but his voice also dragged a little from physical exhaustion.


    Helga now wiped the sweat off the Prince''s body with a cloth, and the soul-joined couple was grateful, falling asleep soon after.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "You won''t be able to do this all by yourself, this time. You should accept my offering ..." the White Queen''s composed, yet chilling voice sounded in the darkness, before they could see her.


    Alexa was back in the cave, listening to the incessant and methodical drip, which acted as a marker of time. She and Alexander were holding hands halfway. The figures once carved into the stone walls seemed even more faded than Alexa remembered, if that were possible.


    She knew it was a dream, and she looked at her mate, feeling his hands tighten on hers and intertwine his fingers.


    He looked back at her, but before she said anything, they noticed Gisela''s presence with them.


    The White Queen was sitting on the stone floor, watching them.


    "You did it?" Alexa asked, referring to the fact that she and Alexander are sharing the same body and the same dream.


    "You know I don''t," the White Queen shrugged. "But my son was on the verge of death because of you!" she finished the sentence aggressively, and her cracked face surface let slip some of her impending disturbance.


    Alexa already felt guilty and mortified enough to not want to hear a scolding from her mother-in-law. Especially since she was a powerful Shade.


    "Mom ..."


    "Alexander."


    Son and mother stared at each other for a while in silence, and Alexa could only imagine what was going on between them. Alexander seemed to struggle to say things that didn''t come out of his mouth. The Princess then interfered,


    "You should go on your way, Princess Gisela. Staying didn''t do you or anybody any good."


    "You know little¡­ You still open your mouth to pass judgment. With each passing day, my words are scarce here. So listen carefully."


    Alexa swallowed hard at the severe reprimand,


    "The lighthouse''s witch''s spell has been weakened, which risks the bond between you two."


    "Alexander can stay in his body and can I go back to mine?"


    The White Queen shook her head, and spoke in a scary way.


    "You made a promise to the gods of death to share your life with Alexander. So your life is needed to recover his body..."


    Alexa gulped.


    "Alexander''s soul was attracted back by the death of his body. Yet his body won''t die because of you. While the body is recovering, both can share the body, but I guess that, as soon as the body recovers, both will be trapped together¡­ It''s better that one of you leaves."


    Alexander turned to Alexa, with concern in his beautiful eyes,


    "You can''t live like this!"


    The prognosis was not encouraging; it was true.


    "So only one of us can stay, is that what you mean?" Alexa was pragmatic when asking.


    "You stay, Alexa," the Second Prince spoke hastily.


    "What will happen? The one leaving will wander as a shade?" Alexa turned to Gisela.


    The Shade shook her head.


    "Can''t I really return to my body?"


    "Yes, you can. But then the spell is totally broken and Alexander''s body will wither."


    "Isn''t there a way for at least Zand to go back to Romeo?"


    Shade turned her face to Alexa, with a slight smile on the corner of her lips, "Yes, there is."


    Alexa hated her ghost mother-in-law for being so enigmatic, but even Gisela seemed to be forced to follow some rules of the dead ... even if only a few.


    "Alexander will stay with me, where can I protect him ... Now ... Son, do you trust her to come back for you?"


    "He wants to get a divorce!" Alexa spoke without thinking, and bit her lips reprimanding herself for being so spiteful. Besides, what was she even doing, complaining to her husband''s ancestor?


    "Alexa!" the Prince looked at her in alarm. "This is another matter. And yes, I trust you! You could not leave Mildred behind¡­ I hope you will continue to help me."


    "I should charge you for this, since I won''t be your wife anymore!"


    Again, her feeling of not being valued and being dismissed after being useful spoke louder, and Alexa pursed her tight lips, feeling so dumb and foolish.


    "I will pay! Do your price!" Alexander bluntly replied, a little astonished.


    The White Queen heard it all silently, and turned to Alexa,


    "I admire your tenacity. You have the blood of heroes."


    "Ah. Thanks," she replied without thinking. She didn''t know what to say to it, anyway.


    "I''ll look over Alexander ..."


    Alexa swallowed.


    "Don''t forget, the deadline is the total recovery of the body. After that, nothing comes in, nothing comes out."


    The princess nodded, feeling an anxiety never before felt stun her senses.


    "As for the evil lingering over Holstein¡­ You need to bring me back. I will tell you how. And you will¡­ because it is your best alternative."


    The White Queen''s last words were the worst of all. They kept ringing in her ears when Alexa woke up in Alexander''s body, sweating profusely from fever and infection.


    "Wait ... you didn''t say how ... I remake Sigrid''s magic ..." she murmured, realizing even in her fevered mind, a flaw in the plan.

 Chapter 165 - Flowers

    Alexa was inside the water tub, trying to think of what to do next, when the First Prince woke up growling and stretching. She watched him grope the mattress for the body that was supposed to be beside him, and then quickly grab the sword in reflex reaction.


    "I''m here," she said. "I just thought you needed to get some more sleep."


    Water properly covered her body to her shoulders, so she wasn''t concerned about it.


    She had never thought about how painful it was for Magnus to carry her body along until she saw him the previous morning. She had to tell him what had happened at Holstein, and with Alexander, and she was sure the Prince would be furious.


    Maybe he wanted to return to Holstein, and Alexa even fought about this option.


    Due to the Lotus potion, Alexander had severed his soul''s ties to his body.


    And, for some reason still unknown to her, her husband had ended up trapped in the body of a bird. So, his body was slowly dying without his soul to command him.


    Alexa interjected and agreed to take part in a spell to save her husband''s body ... And by sharing her life with him, she had to unfold between his and her bodies, during the day and during the night.


    But now, with the stab that was supposed to kill that body, the life they both had shortened even more¡­ Perhaps because of Sigrid''s spell, the bond between them has drawn them to the same body. And according to the analysis of a powerful Shade Witch, the chances that they would both remain in the same body were minimal, but still possible.


    If it was possible for Alexander to stay in his body and Alexa to return to hers, it would be great. After all, here she was, again in the body that belonged to herself, during the day, just as it had been since they had been under the spell. Had they not done as the White Queen suggested, would Alexander be inside her body, too? Or wouldn''t she be able to leave Alexander''s body by the morning? She didn''t know.


    ''Ugh!'' she had no doubt that it would be maddening for both to be running the same body at the same time. Conflicting ideas and desires, conflicting movements... It would be a terrible mess. Undoubtedly one of them would have to give in¡­


    Was Master Petrus'' Elixir still necessary, as the Shade implied? she wondered.


    ''Yes. When Alexander''s body recovers, it will ''close'' again. Even I shouldn''t be there! Or I will may never be able to leave! Only the elixir will be able to tie Alexander''s soul to his body again ... that''s the only certainty I have in all of this.''


    If they were quick enough, and reached Master Petrus soon, it might not be necessary to reinforce Sigrid''s magic. However, Alexa was not comfortable with the idea of ??leaving Alexander, a soul of a living person, wandering in the dead''s world. Even more beside the White Queen. Alexa couldn''t predict what could happen to him¡­ She had already heard legends about heroes who went to the depths of the dead and returned after a long time¡­ But even for the Lazarites, this was considered a difficult and risky task, a stage reserved only to the most prepared.


    It was the primary use of the Lotus Elixir, at first. And that was why it was so dangerous.


    "Hey, I''m talking to you," The First Prince snapped his fingers, near the door. Alexa looked up at him.


    ''I will tell you everything after breakfast. You better eat well ... And me too,'' seeing him unshaven and needing clean clothes didn''t make him worse in his eyes, but it clearly didn''t improve the Prince''s mood.


    "I''ll be downstairs in a moment," she said, not knowing what Magnus had said, but deducing that it must be something about the plans for this morning.


    The Prince slammed the door as he left, realizing that he had not been heard.


    The princess saw Romeo looking confused on one of the ceiling beams. Alexa felt sad when she realized the absence of Alexander made the songbird a mere pet bird, without the charismatic glow of the soul that had inhabited it. Just its ''birdy'' charm, it is.


    Fortunately, Romeo was really a trained and docile bird ... But Alexa imagined that just in case, they would need a cage for the poor pet.


    "I bet that''s not how you would want to migrate south, is it?"


    Downstairs to the inn''s hall, the Princess found Magnus waiting for her. She remembered how, the night before, the First Prince carefully laid her on the bed and also how he dried her damp feet. And also how he seemed ecstatic to say aloud she was beautiful ...


    Alexa felt herself blush, and looked down. Unfortunately, she knew he had seen her stupid reaction.


    "We will have a long way to the port where my men have been ordered to wait. But it will be better if we do some shopping before¡­ Horses included. We can leave after noon¡­"


    Alexa nodded,


    "Can we eat now? I have something to tell after our breakfast ..."


    "Oh, and where is that ogress who once said she wouldn''t eat a lot?!" he smirked vengefully. "I could have given all of our money that you would restrict yourself to..."


    "Oh, for goodness'' sake! I said I was going to eat less, not that I was going to fast!"


    This however seemed to improvemagusn''s mood at least for a moment, and he motioned for her to go out the door first.


    ''When is the best time to tell?'' she wondered, as they walked the streets following the flow of people towards the fair. People looked at them with curiosity as they passed, and Alexa felt exposed.


    "Aren''t you going to tell me?" he asked suddenly at her side, making Alexa''s heart start. She put her hand on her chest, wary,


    "Tell you?"


    "Yes. How was the trip from Byzantium to Holstein. You came without a man of your own to the borders of my kingdom. And it''s quite unusual... Unless you were really Alexios Dallassenos, and a hunted heretic."


    "AH!" incredibly, the question that would have panicked the princess earlier was far better than assuming that she had let his brother be stabbed and nearly died.


    "You''re right. I traveled like a man most of the way. And I obviously didn''t flaunt my identity away. But there is something else I want to tell you¡­"


    The town square was packed with people and stalls selling all sorts of items. Sellers flaunted their products, mountebanks tried to earn some coins with their acrobatics and songs. And naturally, pickpockets looked for distracted or inexperienced victims, things that both of them weren''t.


    "Haha ha! Of course. You tell your life to people you barely know, but you can''t tell us, your travel companions, to say the least. What do you think, Alexander?" he touched a fabric hanging from a tent, to feel the texture. But he wasn''t very impressed, and started to stroll around the fair. Finally, he stopped beside a florist, evaluating her offers. The woman and her son offered their various products, including flowers for bath, talc and perfumed soaps.


    Alexa stopped beside Magnus.


    "About this. We need to talk about Alexander¡­ "


    But Magnus ignored her completely,


    "Look, Alexa! Rolls stuffed with sausage!"


    Alexa immediately turned to the direction he indicated with his chin, just to hear the Prince''s resounding laugh behind her. When she turned around again, Magnus placed a flower in her braid,


    "...!" she didn''t know what to say, but she felt her face blush heavily.


    "It''s not a bread, but I hope it will please you!" he gave her a condescending look with half-closed eyes.


    "Well then, let''s go eat now because I think it is the dear prince in front of me who is obsessed with food, after all," she narrowed her eyes at Magnus, trying to hide her embarrass. "We need a cage, horses, and I would not object to extra clothes, since we only have the ones we are wearing."


    She would like to ask him why he was doing all that, since they didn''t have to pretend to be a couple anymore¡­ or did they? Perhaps it was better this way, since again they were a couple traveling alone.


    He agreed with a nod. And Alexa decided to tell him only when they were on their way to the port where they were expected.


    After buying the cage, and accommodating Romeo with all possible comfort in his new home, the couple went to a tavern to have breakfast.


    That morning, Alexa realized that, since they left Holstein, that was the first time she had the feeling that they were close to the objective on the mission.


    They were in France after all.


    But mostly, she thought the First Prince was thinking about something. He was usually thoughtful and avoiding boring subjects, since she cried. In fact, he even looked like he was actively trying to cheer her up.


    "After all, what''s the news from Holstein? Did my father agree with your plan?" he said after thirsty gulping his mug of beer.


    She had her mug in her mouth, and just nodded, wanting to keep the subject away for another moment.


    "Um, well," he nodded, approvingly. "Don''t curse me just because I want them all to be exposed at once," he gave a huge, devastating smile, which turned devilish in the end. "Don''t even curse me for wanting to come back soon and watch the trial of all of them ... I bet you have a lot to say."


    "Eh¡­ That little girl who called you Lord Cat was absolutely right. Look at you smiling wickedly at the thought of seeing a witch trial ..."


    "I think you realized the world isn''t full of innocent people asking for more rain or good harvests with archaic superstitions. And..." he left the sentence in the air when he stopped to look at the tavern door. A group of men entered loudly. The princess followed the First Prince''s gaze, and her entire body froze when she realized who had arrived.


    In a dive, she ducked under the table.


    "Alexa? What are you doing?" Magnus tried to pull her back but his hand missed the target the first time.


    "Blackrose!" she exclaimed.

 Chapter 166 - Tiny Scorpion

    "Blackrose!"


    He was the last person Alexa expected to find there.


    The English knight to whom she had been engaged once, and some of his men, entered the tavern with cheerful expressions and talking among themselves. Their armor clinked as they walked, which made them very noisy. The people in the tavern turned their attention to the group of foreigners, while Alexa watched under the table.


    Alexa looked at the long and grimy nails, the dress with muddy and tattered edges. Despite bathing in the morning, the comparison with Alexander''s smooth hands and his normally clean clothes made her feel horrible. The princess plucked the flower from her braid.


    "Are you sure you will be down there sharing this filthy floor with the dogs?" Magnus grunted. Alexa glanced at under the next table and met the stare of a street dog, waiting for the crumbs from the table.


    She shook her head in disgust.


    John Blackrose looked around with a smile. Her brown eyes stopped directly at Magnus'' table, and Alexa shuddered thinking he saw her. The knight then turned, to hear the innkeeper''s suggestion, who showed the stairs to the upper floor.


    "So it''s how John Blackrose looks like, huh?" Magnus grumbled. "I am not surprised that you are hiding. How could you fool us by saying you were really engaged to him? It was all a sham, wasn''t it?"


    "Don''t say such things! I didn''t lie!" Alexa pinched the Prince''s thigh, piqued, and he twitched in surprise, leaning down to look her in the eye, under the table,


    "If so, what are you so afraid of, anyway?"


    Alexa didn''t know to say exactly what afflicted her, besides being where she should not be and without a suitable explanation for that. John Blackrose held her in high regard, unlike the von Wuttenfal.


    She didn''t want him to be disappointed.


    "I think I should say hello, after all," Magnus teased, pretending to want to get up to follow the group up the stairs.


    On the other hand ... She owed him a lot. If he had not taken her out of Palazzo Ottieri, and if he had not introduced her to the then Bishop Albizzi, the Dallassenos would still be persecuted by the Western Church. She was sure that many of the interests in hunting them down were political, but both Churches were being used as a weapon against her family.


    Narses had survived.


    And that was due to John Blackrose''s indirect action.


    Even feeling embarrassed, Alexa realized that she owed him explanations. And fate had put them in the same place for that to happen. She shouldn''t run away from him, but should take the opportunity to thank him.


    So she cleared her throat and stood up slowly, smoothing her dress. Prince Magnus watched her movements with suspicious in his golden eyes, swirling the flower that had been in Alexa''s hair between his fingers.


    "You''re right. I must greet Lord John and let him know that I am alive, after all. He invested a lot of resources to help me. I must show gratitude. And, in the future, I must repay my life debt to him."


    "...!" Magnus stood up immediately, and took her arm abruptly,


    "You mustn''t speak to him!"


    "What are you saying?! Let me go!" she spoke through, looking at him defiantly. Magnus''s eyes flashed, but he released her, annoyed.


    That little moment made the princess ponder something important.


    The pride. How would the English knight react when he saw her? Would he give her time to explain why she married another?


    He was with a group, and Magnus was alone. Although she didn''t doubt Magnus'' ability, she also didn''t doubt John Blackrose''s ability.


    "I need to explain myself to him, and I will do that, Your Highness! But it won''t be here. The ears in this place are unreliable and the environment doesn''t provide for this conversation. So, if you want to go shopping for what we need to continue our journey, please proceed. I will be at the city church, where I intend to meet my ex-fiance!"


    "Only over my bloody corpse will you be there alone with this man."


    "Unlike you, he''s a man who didn''t try to bed me the first time he was alone with me. Don''t judge him by yourself!"


    "You fool. This is not my only concern. And I know how different we are, me and him.


    "Self-knowledge is the first step in admitting your mistakes."


    Magnus just took a deep breath, without responding to this aphorism that Alexa had just invented.


    "Don''t be stingy. Despite everything¡­" he looked at the flower in his hand, "It''s for your protection. You don''t have to give him any explanation..."


    "Ah, we think alike about it! The von Wuttenfal are the ones owing him official explanation. Anyway, I..."


    Magnus took her by the arm again and pulled her out of the tavern with Romeo''s cage.


    "Why are you doing this?! Let me go!" she hissed.


    Without listening to her, the Prince practically dragged her back to the inn. Alexa avoided the scandal that would put them in more evidence than they already were, but she was furious.


    As they closed the door behind her, she asked,


    "Why do things have to be your way?"


    "Why, why?! Do you think you always make great decisions?"


    Alexa knew she not always did, and took a deep breath. Magnus didn''t always make great decisions, either, but she wasn''t going to accuse him of that now. She didn''t want to continue arguing, and threw herself on the bed, crossing her arms.


    Magnus ran a hand through his hair, exasperated,


    "Do you really want to resume your relationship with this man?"


    "Mehmehmeh, you keep talking nonsense! Your possessive and arrogant attitude will never change. You always resented being wrong about me, treating me like a nobody. Of course, you''re used to seducers like your friend, the risque French Ambassadress! But know that she doesn''t even love you, she can play this game with anyone! Even with Alexander! And I''m sure you didn''t know that she was a spy for your uncle, Duke Kurt von Wuttenfal! And I don''t even want to talk about all the other things that I''ve discovered. If Charlotte hadn''t tried to seduce Prince Alexander yesterday, that tragedy would have been avoided! But she certainly was sure that, like all von Wuttenfal, Alexander could not resist a new conquest! Now Alexander is lost in the world of the dead in the company of the White Queen and¡­" Alexa covered her mouth with both hands, realizing that, as always, Magnus had the gift of making her speak more than necessary.


    The First Prince stared at her, livid,


    "What. Did. You. Just said?"


    The princess exhaled heavily, rising from the bed,


    "Well¡­ I was planning to tell you everything chronologically during our journey to our companions, but¡­ I¡­ Don''t look at me like that¡­! You need to listen to judge! Don''t look like that¡­" she started to walk backwards and stumbled again on the bed, falling down while the Prince came towards her,


    "What did you do?!"


    "I-I ... Do you want the long or the short version?"


    The Prince stopped with his legs hitting Alexa''s knees, and like a tower rising in her field of vision. His eyes were so light and his pupils so contracted that they looked like two glittering gold coins.


    "The short one."


    "I was stabbed by Charlotte''s husband. The magic has weakened, our lives were cut in half, and Alexander has been swallowed up next to me in the process¡­ But now Alexander is again without a body! Gisela''s spirit spoke to us. She says she can help Alexander not get lost as long as we find the necessary help ... in exchange for something."


    "I should kill you for not telling me that right away!" he grunted, which was worse than he had screamed. She was sure he would do exactly what he was saying.


    "Don''t kill me, please ..." Alexa whined, squinting her eyes.


    Magnus'' face contracted with anger at her words, and the prince went to the water jar. When he realized it was empty, he threw the object on the floor, pushing his frustration against something inanimate. The ceramic jar shattered into pieces.


    Soon after, the Prince went to the door, opened, and shouted,


    "WATER!"


    Alexa wouldn''t have cowered or bewildered, as the nobles did this all the time, but she was anxious about his reactions.


    She began to tell the events of the previous night. In her eagerness to find the reason for Nerissa''s death, which he thought was just a minor piece in something much bigger, Lex had found herself involved in Charlotte''s plots ... And it almost cost Alexander''s life.


    At this moment, Magnus walked like a lion caged around the room, thinking furiously, and Alexa had no desire to get close to him.


    She took a piece of paper carefully stored in her saddlebag, and scribbled lines for John Blackrose. If they could meet at the church, she could undoubtedly explain everything and perhaps even get his support once again.


    When the innkeeper knocked on the door to deliver the water jar requested by the noble guest, Alexa looked sideways at Magnus. He was now leaning by the window watching the street, with furrowed brows and one hand playing with the sword guard.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Alexa answered the door and took the water jug. With a smile and a coin, she handed over the note and whispered,


    "Blackrose at the Arome de Sauge tavern!"


    The young servant smiled and nodded, and Alexa closed the door behind her, taking the jar to the table.


    Then a thought crossed her mind.


    "What will we do now? Aren''t we going back to the fair to buy everything we need?" she already knew the answer. Magnus didn''t want Alexa to be seen by chance, and recognized by any Lord Blackrose''s men.


    "Hm," he mumbled. "I can do this myself."


    ''But there you are brooding over how to do this and make sure I don''t run away the moment you turn your back ...'' she narrowed her eyes at him.


    Her hand slipped to the sachet at his waist, and Alexa grabbed the bottle of medicine Cymric had given her. According to the ex-Druid, the pain medicine could be a potent sleeping drug.


    If Magnus slept a little, she would have time to meet John Blackrose.


    Her fingers trembled as she discreetly opened the small bottle and used her body to cover up the act of putting four drops in the water jug. But, remembering that Magnus was strong and had a stone heart, she added four more drops. Knowing Cymric, she predicted that the medicine was too concentrated.


    Nothing in the water changed, the liquid was transparent and so it continued.


    Alexa poured the ceramic cup with water from the jar, alarmed to be doing it, but also knowing that it was the only way to pass Magnus who acted like a real Cerberus in hell''s gates.


    The Princess hesitated, but went over to him and handed him the cup,


    "We shouldn''t waste our time arguing. You don''t want me to be seen by John Blackrose, I understand. I will stay here, waiting for your return."


    Magnus turned to Alexa, and looked at her seriously, taking the cup from her hand.

 Chapter 167 - Locked with the Enemy

    Alexa would like to look up at Magnus and face him with serenity.


    But before she could repent, the First Prince gulped down the entire contents of the cup, looking thirsty.


    "More," he asked, handing over the cup.


    Alexa held her breath, shocked, and at the same time, irritated by him treating her like a maid or a page.


    ''How can he be so annoying¡­!''


    "You want more?" she asked doubtfully. She stared at him, searching for some hint of suspicious, but only found the familiar expression of sarcasm lodged in his eyes.


    He went to the jar himself and drank directly from it, much to the Princess''s amazement.


    "YOUR HIGHNESS! What are you doing?!"


    "I asked for water because I was thirsty. And I found out that I shouldn''t spend my kindness on you. You are just as dangerous as I suspected the first time I saw you."


    "...!" Alexa would have no words to describe her surprise at his words. She had heard similar things from Prince Magnus von Wuttenfal before, but there was a new meaning to them. The Princess swallowed,


    "I didn''t want to¡­"


    "Alexa. Tell me, why should I trust you? How could I?"


    ''What is he talking about? Does he know?! Does he get it?! Oh gods, I shouldn''t have done that. I''m going to tell him now and make him throw up! He''s going to hate me forever, but I can''t¡­''


    Magnus threw himself noisily on the chair, and Alexa''s heart skipped.


    Was the sleeping drug working already?


    "Are you alright?"


    "Hm," he mumbled, giving a sigh that seemed to only disguise a yawn.


    "Magnus, forgive me! Please! I was reckless and selfish. I have spent a lot of time feeling the entire world against me and I¡­" she ran a hand through her hair, nervously.


    "You have already made your opinion about the von Wuttenfal clear recently. In a way, you''re right," he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "But all I can see is that my father was very wrong in marrying you to Alexander. He may need you, it''s true. But you are too dangerous for my brother."


    Alexa lowered her head, still a little confused as to what to do next,


    "I''ll fix this. I promise!"


    Magnus nodded, narrowing his eyes,


    "Just stop putting yourself above von Wuttenfal like you''ve been doing, Alexa. You also have your secrets and your goals, and they differ little from ours."


    "There are so many ''von Wuttenfal secrets''!" she whimpered, sitting on the bed. When she was about to reveal Magnus about the sleeping drug, that rancorous conversation put her on high alert again.


    "Just like yourself, uhn? What do we know about you that was spontaneously told us? Magnus answered him. "You are a lovely annoying liar. But still, a cheating liar."


    They looked at each other and Alexa looked down.


    "Now tell me, was your plan to poison me all along so I couldn''t stop you from meeting your beloved John Blackrose?"


    "...! But¡­ you drank it! You drank it all!"


    "Let''s say I no longer trust women who serve me drinks!" he dismissed her shock as a minor thing.


    The princess cringed in shame and guilt.


    "What will happen to me?" the prince demanded to know.


    "Y-you must sleep for a few hours ..." she admitted, wishing to draw some tears from the bottom of her well of tears to try to at least show her sincere regret, but failing miserably.


    "Well¡­ you beat me on that one," the Prince went to the door and locked it with the key, tossing it inside his collar, and then dragged his chair over to the window, sitting right under it, "I have no doubt about that you must be desperate to say something very important to this Blackrose. In order to leave, you will have to pass by me¡­ I think it will be easy when I am sleepy," he again crossed his arms and spread his legs to make himself more comfortable.


    "Magnus, I ... Forgive me!" Alexa bit her thumb, distressed, and shuffled feet not knowing how to act. ''He locked us in and shove the key inside his shirt! He''s so mean¡­!''


    "Your little cautionary tale about how you were stabbed by the person you least expected, and underestimated, was a balm for me ... Except that, I expected to be stabbed by you, eventually."


    Alexa had no answers for that, and she knew that anything she said wasn''t enough to justify the act of betrayal that she, inconsequentially, had committed.


    Her eyes strayed to the shards of the vase on the floor, and the writhed flower that had been in her hair earlier.


    The hours passed, slowly, while both remained in their places, almost immobile, and completely silent. In the moments when Alexa dared to glance at the Prince''s face, he faced her, defiant and sarcastic.


    And looking the least bit affected by Cymric''s medicine.


    As time went by and the silence became unbearable, Alexa assimilated that not all destinations justified the actions to reach them. With the faint sunlight changing places on the floor and the wall, the maiden knew that her meeting with John Blackrose at church would not happen that day, and most likely, no other day. She didn''t doubt the only reason for the English knight''s presence in that small port was embarking for England. He would leave at any time, and due to her inability to deal with the situation, Alexa would miss the opportunity to speak to him.


    "Magnus ... I''m honestly sorry ... Let''s just leave this matter behind ..."


    "If you think you''re going to convince me to open the door using whining words or crying, don''t waste your time."


    "...!" she swallowed the next words. The words of the First Prince brought to mind every time she was imprisoned. This time her ''jailer'' was not someone who deserved her hatred, but she couldn''t keep the memories from surfacing.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The maiden was locked in General Doukas'' room, and a guard gazed impassively at the decorated ceiling of the room, ignoring her agitated state and how she paced in despair across the luxurious chamber.


    Her father had reluctantly handed her over to that man, Alexa knew, but there was no other choice! The emperor had linked the Dallassenos'' fate to that ''wedding night''.


    The marriage would appease the exalted spirits on both sides, and undoubtedly benefited the emperor''s own plans.


    Even if Alexa had considered killing herself with one of the various weapons exposed in the rich chamber, the guard would stop her. Taking off part of her ostentatious robes that were suffocating her, Alexa tried to calm down and convince her heart that she could take it, for the sake of her family.


    The emperor would force the marriage, and she as Douka''s wife would undoubtedly soon be banished to a countryside home, so that Doukas could continue living his wanton life as usual. Her family would be safe from the whims of that madman at least long enough to correct all the injustice done to them.


    Alexa never imagined that she would have a common life, but in the last months, when she stopped being Alexios, the maiden started to desire the calm life that she imagined that women had. She knew little about how to be a woman, and sometimes had anxious nightmares about her wedding day.


    In her dreams, her groom was disappointed to lift her veil and find nothing more than an idiot boy who didn''t want to be n.a.k.e.d and not willing to consummate their marriage. Most of her dreams ended with Lex breaking a vase on the poor fiance''s head and running away in shame.


    Unlike her dreams, however, sleeping with Doukas had another kind of disgust. And the maiden wondered if she could avoid breaking a vase on the head of her brother''s killer, laughing like a madwoman when he came to take her.


    The thought the disgusting general rather wished Lex was a boy, rather than a girl, and that perhaps he would keep him as a ''wife'' while secretly enjoying a boy, scared her. If that were true, Lex imagined all kinds of suffering as Doukas'' ''husband''. At least, as a woman, he would leave her alone.


    If the rumors were true, of course.


    Unfortunately, the night came faster than Alexa wished. The slaves came to light lamps and prepare the room, and Alexa knew that it was no use talking to them, as there would be no help. They also didn''t speak to her, perhaps fearing the same thing. A tray of food and wine was served, but Alexa ignored it.


    She knew before the door opened that Doukas was coming. She felt herself trembling from head to toe, and sat well away from the bed, and next to a good-sized vase.


    When the bastard entered, he went straight to the water basin to wash his face, hands, and arms, and only after the slave helped him to dry off, did the general look back at Alexa.


    He gave her a sadistic smile.


    "No, I hadn''t forgotten about you, Alexios ..."


    Alexa''s blood roared inside her body at the same time that the thoughts seemed to run over each other in her mind. The general was coming towards him loosening his belt carelessly, and Alexa''s hand instinctively went to the vase.


    "It will be an even greater pleasure to fight you ... If you fight like you ride a horse ... I will be happy to tame you ..." The general folded the belt in half, and Alexa''s fingers gripped the vase tightly.


    The belt snapped, and Alexa felt the sting and heard the Persian glass shattering before she could reason, withdrawing her hand and protecting it inside the dress sleeve. The vase was in pieces, and the back of her hand now had a white mark with bloody red edges. When the pain came, Lex bit her trembling lips and held back her tears.


    Doukas laughed at her expression,


    "Oh, I''m going to enjoy this night, Alexios ..."

 Chapter 168 - Doomed and Disgraced

    General Doukas stared at the maiden in front of him and wasn''t able to see beyond what his eyes wanted to see.


    The tingling and burning of the slash she had just taken in her hand had shaken her already confused spirit, split between giving in for the good of all, and fighting to protect herself.


    "M-my general¡­ We shouldn''t start our wedding this way¡­"


    "HA! It''s impossible not to like you! A slippery little priest of death, isn''t he? I know your family''s secret, after all I am the emperor''s brother. It wasn''t a problem for me that the Dallassenos worshiped barbarian gods of death as long as they were faithful to the living men they should be ... You shouldn''t look at me with such hatred. Your brother should have remembered that your family serves mine. Michalis had it coming¡­ And you¡­" the hand holding the belt lowered and he touched his own groin in a mixture of pleasure and discomfort, to Alexa''s horror, before continuing, "it''s getting more beautiful¡­"


    The maiden felt like she was going to throw up the only thing she ate all day.


    "The Empress Dowager and Empress Eirene announce their desire to see General Doukas!" a monotonous voice announced from the other side of the door, paralyzing them both.


    For a moment Alexa had hope. The Empress was interfering!


    With just a wave Doukas sent the guard to open the door, and the Empresses entered with their personal guard, and a Priest.


    "What do I owe the visit to?" the general asked after bowing the least deference to his own mother, and making an even smaller gesture to his sister-in-law. He was as astonished as Alexa with the presence of the Priest, who represented the Church.


    "The Emperor has ordered us to attend the intercourse," said the old lady, with a hard look. There was no affection in her expression, impossible to read.


    "What?!" Doukas raised his tone, and Alexa cowered even more in the corner where she was.


    The empress spoke, in a monotone voice, without looking at the maiden,


    "Doukas, my brother-in-law, the Emperor does not want any doubts hanging over what will happen here tonight. If you are going to take this woman, what state did you find her in, and especially, if there is a boy under those clothes!"


    "In this case, the punishment will be the death of the Dallassenos, starting with the impostor," said the Empress Dowager, this time with absolute abhorrence in her voice.


    For a moment the general stood, looking at the two women, and then nodded.


    "Yes! This is the moment! My accusation must be proven, or I will marry Bryennios''s daughter!" his heavy hand fell over Alexa''s shoulder like a tong, and pulled her forward.


    "What do we have here, oh v.i.r.g.i.n of the Dallassenos?!" Doukas pushed her robes harshly. Impatient, he tore the fabric in the way, while Alexa tried to protect herself with her hands, without success.


    The Empress took a step forward, but the Empress Dowager held her wrist,


    "Don''t interfere, she will become his wife tonight. We are witnesses here."


    In a few moments she had the last piece of clothing ripped off, and it was impossible to deny the nature of her feminine attributes. Doukas held a piece of fabric with an incredulous expression, while the maiden covered her n.a.k.e.dness as she could.


    Alexa expected a miracle or divine justice falling at that moment on that monster and the inert witnesses, but nothing happened. The cold Alexa felt was not because of her exposed skin, like never before. It was the cold in her heart.


    A deafening silence fell over the room, until the old woman''s voice was heard,


    "Doukas, now take this woman. If she meets all the requirements, then she will be your wife, as you promised your brother and emperor."


    Alexa dared to look at the face of her future husband, despite the fear and disgust she felt.


    ''Oh powers above and below, punish this man with everything he fears most; let his name be cursed and then forgotten, and let his crawling existence not repeat itself on earth, ''she wished with all her heart, but she knew that the validity of a curse began when the breath of life was used. Her voice still could not utter all the curses she wished to that man. He glared at her with hatred and something else, something that Alexa could only call insanity and fear.


    But that was brief, and the general pulled her roughly by the arm, with such truculence that the young maiden lost her balance and stumbled. Still, almost falling and n.a.k.e.d, Alexa was dragged to the general''s bed.


    "No ..." she barely whispered. He grabbed her by the wrist of her injured hand, and pulling the curtains aside, tossed her in the middle of the cushions like an object.


    Falling with her face in the middle of the soft pillows, Alexa felt his weight on her, and instinctively tried to escape, even though she knew she should stay. She didn''t have the strength to take him off her, and felt the general''s strong fingers grab the back of her neck and force her head onto the bed''s covers, to the point that Alexa was suffocating.


    "Don''t come any closer!" he ordered, and even the columns in the room would have obeyed his imperative tone. Alexa couldn''t hear anything more than her own heartbeat, and her labored breathing, in addition to Doukas'' clumsy grunts. Alexa was just concerned with breathing, and keep alive.


    She felt her legs being rudely spread, and the general positioned himself between them.


    But nothing happened.


    No matter how much he was nearly suffocatingly killing her, squeezing, twisting and pulling her body so that her bones and flesh ached, only something unpleasant and soft touched her thighs and the middle of her legs.


    "Doukas?" the old Empress Dowager asked, and her tone showed concern and distrust.


    Doukas turned Alexa on the mattress, making her entire body ache when he placed her facing him. His face and red eyes emanated a hatred that Alexa never imagined that someone could direct her, and that certainly did not believe to be deserving. Again a huge hand wrapped around her neck and squeezed, squeezed¡­ Fighting for breath, she barely noticed that his body was humping onto hers rhythmically, animalistically, in a grotesque parody of a mating. But he wasn''t inside her. She struggled for some air, while her tears-filled eyes saw nothing in front of her.


    Suddenly everything stopped, and he turned to the side, with a loud growl of satisfaction, releasing her neck at least¡­


    Alexa turned to the other side and crawled to the edge of the bed, or where she thought the edge of the huge bed was, coughing. She certainly couldn''t see anything in front of her. She coughed and vomited, unable to contain herself.


    Gradually, the air returned to her lungs and her mind. Her vision was still blurred and aching. She cried without knowing, but her mind struggle to understand. What was that? He assuredly wasn''t inside her. He didn''t even touch her properly down there.


    He was not able, perhaps his hatred and frustration was so much that he had not been able... And he had to stage the consummation in front of his mother, the elder and the empress.


    The witnesses seemed satisfied.


    "General Doukas, I will be pleased to inform the emperor that the marriage has been consummated and we are only awaiting the official rites and celebration. The Emperor will be very happy," said the Empress, followed by Doukas''s mother.


    "It''s done. I didn''t see any lack in the girl. She acted like a maiden all the time, and I''m sure the sheets will prove what we saw tomorrow. Come on, we must not disturb the night they will have together."


    Alexa wanted to maniacally laugh in denial to what was happening there, all that macabre staging where she almost died. She felt the breath of the great death beast on her back, sniffing, all the time.


    And it wasn''t gone yet, it just retired to the shadows. Doukas was still lying on his back, looking at the canopy of the luxurious and huge bed, totally ignoring what Alexa was doing huddled at the other end of the bed.


    People withdrew, and Alexa felt the empress look for her for a moment. The woman''s look seemed to ask for strength and patience ... But Alexa shattered emotions at that moment wouldn''t allow her to do anything other than seeing them leave the room without any kind of protest or request. Nor did she have the strength, in a last suicidal moment of courage and vindication, to raise her voice and tell them that everything they watched was nothing more than an act ...


    Maybe everyone there knew, after all.


    "You ... What kind of demon are you?" she listened his voice directed at her, and Doukas hissed next,


    "You are not a person¡­ You did this to make fun of me! Damn you! What profane depths did you come out of? Did your father practice the evil magic of the Persians and the Jews? Ottoman''s and Egyptian''s? The Chaldean''s? And did him invoke this chimera as his child? And brought something like you into the world? How can you metamorphose yourself like this? Were you born just to make fun of my l.u.s.t for you, and drive me crazy?"


    Alexa was not sure if she was understanding what the man growled so vehemently. None of that made sense. Doukas was insane and was upset by hate and shame.


    The maiden rubbed her aching neck and continued to cough sporadically, breathing hard. Knowing that she would die next, on a Douka''s whim or rage fit, she hissed,


    "You will never know. From now on, driving you crazy ... and denying you a good death ... will be my last pleasure."


    Doukas sat on the bed, stunned by her words and came towards him, hands outstretched to strangle her again. This time, to her death, Alexa was sure.


    With a thunderous crash, the entire room shook. Alexa smelled the saltpeper and gunpowder in the air before understanding the origin of the smoke.

 Chapter 169 - No Regrets

    "Alexa!"


    She recognized Narses'' voice into the smoke and cries of the slaves. Beside her, General Doukas reached for his blade quickly.


    Her only thought was to get out of Doukas'' reach as quickly as possible, and Alexa threw herself to the floor, crawling to a corner and away from the bed. She heard the clash of swords, and when she looked up, she saw the oil from the lamps igniting with the flames as they fell on the sumptuous rugs and dr.a.p.es of the room.


    "Alexa!" another familiar voice called her.


    Was Iacintho there too?! Her heart could not humanly beat faster than it already was, but the realization of what was happening renewed her spirits.


    Her brothers had come for her!


    The consequences of this insurgence was a complete disgrace for the Dallassenos family, yet they had come to rescue her!


    One of the guards came towards her, but Alexa kicked the brazier, which poured onto the carpet and raised a flame high enough to keep the man at bay for a moment.


    Regardless of the fact that she was n.a.k.e.d, the Dallassenos girl jumped on the bed again, where Narses and Doukas were entangled in a fight.


    Iacintho grabbed her by the arm as soon as he saw her, and the siblings exchanged a glance for a tiny moment. Alexa tried to show that she was fine, though. Her intellectual brother put her behind him, and assessed the scene in the room, looking for an escape route.


    All of Narses'' abilities as Tanaion were not geared towards face-to-face combat. And apparently his advantage as a light and lethal assassin was lost in prolonged situations and whose opponent had superior physical strength. Although Doukas was covered in blood, he still moved vigorously, and had avoided the first assault and following fulminating attacks typical of a Tanaion of such repute as Narses.


    Handing the sword in hand to Alexa, Iacintho ordered,


    "Go to the window and go down! Narses and I will follow suit!" he barely had time to say that and pull a short sword from his waist, parrying a soldier''s blow with difficulty.


    More soldiers entered through the main door, and Alexa knew it was essential that they leave quickly.


    "CAPTURE THEM, DON''T LET THEM ESCAPE!" the general roared, letting his pain escape through the strained tone of his command.


    Narses had disentangled himself almost as if by magic from Doukas''s powerful attacks, and making use of his constant training as a spy, jumped into the chandelier suspended by a thick chain from the vaulted ceiling of the room. Even for Alexa, used to her older brother''s exploits, that was fascinating and froze her in place for a moment, until Narses shouted,


    "Lex! Watch out!"


    A guard lunged at the maiden and Iacintho, and she had very little time to dodge, using the sword in an instinctive movement against the soldier. She felt the blade slice human flesh in horror, and she flinched in disgust.


    Iacintho wasted no time and used his blade against the enemy, impaling him to the hilt of his sword. Even in the chaos of fire, smoke, clash of swords and screams, the sound of that man''s final gurgle seemed frighteningly loud to Alexa.


    Narses jumped to the window, making an almost perfect landing, and the other two Dallassenos joined him. Iacintho pushed Alexa into the arms of the older brother, turning to defend the withdrawal. Alexa looked over her shoulder seeing the bravest soldiers crossing the fire boldly.


    Amidst fire she also saw Doukas'' face, cut horribly. She could see the exposed bone and half of its face as a curd of flesh and blood. The general held the flesh with one hand, while with the other he wielded the sword toward the Dallassenos.


    It was the last thing Alexa saw in the room before her brother tossed her on the shoulder and started down the rope. Leaning on her shoulder, she felt the moisture on Narses'' clothes, and prayed that all that blood was from Doukas and not from Narses.


    Even down there in the palace courtyard where they descended, there was a skirmish against the palace guard. Later she would come to know that some loyal friends of the Dallassenos took part in the action. They were all traitors now.


    "YOU''RE GOING TO DIE, DOUKAS!" Iacintho''s howl even made Narses freeze on his descent, and look out the window above them, where the older brother was.


    Alexa heard a loud hiss getting closer and closer, and cringed, clinging to her brother''s back.


    At this moment, the arrows began to fly towards them, against the palace wall.


    "Hold on, sis ... we''re going to ... fly!" growled her brother, using his feet against the wall to propel himself ...


    And he jumped into the air.


    Something went wrong in the middle of the descent, however. Alexa felt a powerful impact on the ribs, and felt that her strength was gone since the air in her lungs was expelled painstakingly. She struggled not to let go of her brother, but that just didn''t happen because Narses grabbed her tightly, altering the fluid free fall that would have had a perfect landing. Or almost.


    They fell awkwardly onto a wagon full of fodder, which Alexa supposed was strategically placed there for an unforeseen event like this. Still, the impact was painful. Narses fell on top of her, and jumped away, looking pained. His dark clothes didn''t allow Alexa to see the blood, but the ends of his blond hair were dark and sticky.


    From the midst of the hay a person stood up, and before Alexa could recover from the fright, the stranger wrapped her with a cloak and picked her up in a single movement. Alexa even glanced for a second at Narses before being removed of the midst of the skirmish. Her brother was panting and had his hand on one knee, seemingly caught out of breath and in pain. But she had no other option but to abandon her siblings.


    Only from the moment she and the unknown ally left behind the palace gates in a fast gallop, Alexa felt that she no longer had command over the pain or her body. Something blunt, had struck her in the back and every minor bump in the road hurt like hell.


    However, no more than the fear of losing her brothers who remained in the battle, or the hatred she had for Doukas.


    She stayed awake and suffering for the entire flight, praying for her family and praying for revenge.


    They came to the side entrance of a villa. The smell of the place was sufficiently recognizable to Alexa, even in the middle of the chaos of her mind.


    It was a familiar place, but it was not her home.


    Of course it wouldn''t be.


    Now they were fugitives.


    The mosaic-covered patio and the fragrant jasmine and orange trees said she was in a safe place. At least, it would be safe until they found out that the Saskia were covering for the Dallassenos.


    ''Uncle Saskia'' in person came to see her.


    When she saw him, Alexa burst into tears, not being able to refrain any more pent-up emotions throughout the day. Uncle Saskia had known her since Alexa was a stumbling toddler¡­


    "Don''t cry, don''t cry! Shhhh! Everything will be fine¡­"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Don''t cry! Why are you crying, Alexa?!"


    Magnus leaned forward from the chair he was in, staring at her. She couldn''t blame him for not trusting her. But it didn''t matter at the moment.


    "I ... I''m a big problem ..."


    "Ehhh ... Hey. You are a problem. But not the big type," the Prince got up, and came to her, on the edge of the bed. "Don''t start crying. I''m not even a sympathetic audience..." He stroked Alexa''s hair lightly, uncertain whether to be sarcastic and suspicious, or to give the princess comfort over her strange and sudden crying.


    Alexa gripped the Prince''s belt tightly, while tears streamed down her chin.


    "I always cause problems for people around me ... You were right all the time about me ..."


    "Shhh ..."


    he whispered, bringing Alexa''s head to his belly, and continuing to stroke her hair gently. "There is no use regretting. Do you think the rain mourns when it wreaks havoc? No. Because several times, it also brings life. Like you, Alexa."


    The princess buried her face in the fabric of Magnus''s shirt, babbling miserably,


    "No, I know it''s not like that ..." her fists now clutched the shirt, as if that was the only safe place in the world. Magnus pressed her head against him,


    "Shhh ... It''s alright ... It''s alright ..."


    The door key fell to the floor with a squeaky metallic noise.


    Alexa looked at the object, and Magnus too, static. His fingers stopped stroking her hair.


    "Ah, you scheming little pest¡­"


    Alexa quickly grabbed the key, closing her fist victoriously, and stuck her tongue out to him,


    "Admit it was a good trick. Something you deserve for trying to lock me up here."


    "How can you?!" Magnus was angry but there was also a gleam of humor in his eyes. He struggled not to laugh at the unusual of having been deceived so pathetically.


    "My tears? I have a lot of suffering stored in my chest, Prince. Enough to cry at any time," she raised her chin in defiance.


    "You know you''re a lot worse than the Red Lady to me, don''t you? She tricked me and poisoned me to sleep with me. You did it to meet another man! But what could I expect from someone who posed as a pagan goddess?"


    "I have something important to do, and you are on my way," she wiped her damp face with the sleeve of her dress, resolute. She had already stooped to dope him, and there was no going back. Why should she back down?


    Alexa turned towards the door, but Magnus grabbed her fist that held the key from behind, wrapping it tightly with his hand,


    "Not so fast¡­ If you can use the brute force of your tears, I can also use my strength¡­"


    "GRRRR! Drop it!" she snarled, when he started using his strong fingers to open her fist clutched around the key. "It''s not fair!"


    "Try to keep your hand closed with the strength of your tears, if you can!" Magnus shrugged viciously, taking his petty revenge. He acted slowly but inexorably uncurling Alexa''s hand, which she tried to resist, without success. The princess even tried to run away twice, but just a tug from Magnus made her come back.


    "You shouldn''t even try. It''s late," Magnus said when the key finally fell to the floor. The light had left the room some time ago, but it was only now that Magnus drew attention to the fact that Alexa realized that a long time had passed.


    The fact the First Prince seemed less and less angry and more and more amused, confused her. Instead of grabbing the key, Magnus pulled her out and Alexa hit his chest again. His arms wrapped around her, so she couldn''t leave,


    "You know ... The more I know you, the more I think I should hate you ... But my own words condemned me."


    "Uh?" It was impossible to be more confused, and yet, she felt the same way. Alexa knew she should hate him, but it was impossible,


    "What words?"

 Chapter 170 - Coffin

    Heavy footsteps in the hallway and the familiar clink made the couple straighten up, and Magnus released her for a moment, looking at the door.


    Alexa however, felt the darkness approach, as she always did in the twilight.


    She didn''t hear the answer she asked for, as her body was again engulfed by darkness and her consciousness was thrown into the blurry existence of Alexander''s body at this point.


    Alexa had had brief moments of lucidity while in Holstein. She had the impression the Second Prince was constantly watched by concerned looks from the people around him, and that he wasn''t in the tower. There was diffuse pain that throbbed with the beating of his heart ... and also the bitter taste of medicines that kept the Prince numb.


    She also felt herself floating, in the darkness, feeling like a light creature that emitted some kind of pulsing radiant light ... Alexander was with her.


    But when Alexa felt the irresistible thrust of the spell taking her back at dawn, all the numb sensation was gone in a flash.


    The first thing she noticed, even before opening her eyes, was the claustrophobic sensation and the rhythmic movement below her. And the loud noise ... Was it rain?


    But after all, what was going on?


    Staring at a plank a few inches away from her face, realizing that her arms and legs could barely move, and that she was covered with withering and soaked flowers couldn''t be a pleasant way to wake up in France.


    ''Is that a coffin?! Am I in a coffin?! ''


    After testing her theory and realizing the coffin lid was firmly held in place, she struggled and shout,


    "MAGNUS! MAGNUS! Help!"


    The only good news about it was that there was rain on the coffin and the crackling and bumping was familiar. The coffin was in a wagon.


    Which was much better than if she were six feet under the ground.


    "SAVE ME!!! Please!!!"


    After a long time screaming and banging the wood without success, Alexa got tired, and wondered whether Magnus was around her.


    After all ... She had heard people''s arrival in front of the room door at the inn ... Her thoughts wandered and the feeling of apprehension left her even more suffocated inside the coffin. She needed to get out of there!


    Then the vehicle stopped, and after a few moments, she felt the weight of someone climbing on the vehicle. Her heart looked like it was going to explode, since she didn''t know what else to expect when the lid finally opened¡­ if that would really happen.


    What if they were just going to bury it?


    "I''M ALIVE!!!" she screamed, whacking the lid again.


    Hasps turned, and the lid was removed.


    The Princess immediately sat down, seeking air.


    "ARGHHHH! You?!" She looked at the Prince, staring at her with curiosity and a raised eyebrow. He was soaked.


    "Who else were you expecting?"


    "GAH!" she jumped quickly out of the coffin, and then onto the floor, while the Prince did the same, and left her there for a moment.


    "A coffin?" she brushed off the flowers stuck to her, and realized that she was wearing a completely different dress, accompanied by a veil. It was not a simple yet resourceful way to transport her, it was a prank of terrible taste!


    But Alexa unhitched the horse from the cart, and would have provided something for the animals to eat, if she could see something in the barn still engulfed in shadows at the beginning of a rainy morning. The only source of light came from the semi-open door.


    There were no animals sheltered there, and the barn had a leaky roof but was kind of clean. It was not uncommon for farmers to rent ruined barns to travelers, and this seemed to be the case. The strange thing is that it was empty of travelers but them.


    She freed Romeo from the cage, and the bird flew towards the hay to feed and stretched its wings, trilling.


    It didn''t take long for Magnus to return with a small brazier producing a lot of smoke. The torrential rain almost put it out, and the prince struggled to keep the fire going, ignoring Alexa completely while doing so. When the ember was hot enough again, he stood up and faced her.


    ''How can he look so haughty when anyone would be miserable? Not Magnus von Wuttenfal. There''s nothing magical about his blood. It''s undiluted arrogance able to even prevent death, because it''s something smaller and below a von Wuttenfal, '' she thought, impressed. At least, he seemed tired, and the spirit of discussion in Alexa waned when the heat of the brazier warmed her body.


    "Ehhh, hm? Can you at least explain what it was all about? Is it a prank of yours or what?"


    He snorted, turning his back on her and starting to undress.


    "Hey, stop! Why are you always undressing in front of me?"


    "Because it''s just natural. Do you want me to be sick? And I don''t want to remind you that it''s not at all unpleasant for you. Just yesterday you were shamelessly feeling my abdomen while pretending to cry."


    "...!" Alexa fell silent, stunned.


    "Sorry about that. I wasn''t thinking straight."


    "Um, I can''t understand your behavior. I''m probably still wearing those donkey ears," he mumbled. Alexa turned on her back while he took off his soaked clothes, and went to warm up near the brazier.


    "Your clothes are in my bag, in case you got wet ..." she heard his voice, and searched the saddlebag. The clothes were not clean, but at least they were dry.


    "Did you dress me?" she looked for a dark corner to change, while she could see exactly where he was.


    "Again, no. And¡­ What would I have seen that I haven''t seen before?"


    "No? So what happened?"


    Magnus started taking care of the animals.


    "The owner of this place charges a lot for the privilege of sheltering in the hay and among rodents, and we don''t even have a decent brazier," he mumbled, before Alexa returned to him, "Do you know how to cook?"


    "Don''t get away from it," the question made her nervous. She just knew how to stick things on a skewer and roast them, and nothing more. But they didn''t need to talk about it, did you?


    "It wasn''t my idea, but until the rain started, I was enjoying myself thinking you deserved to be held a wake by your beloved, Lord John Blackrose. You were so close, and yet so far," he turned to face her with a mockingly dreamy, and very sarcastic, expression.


    "What?!"


    It didn''t make any sense, unless¡­ John Blackrose had come to her, since she hadn''t gone to John Blackrose. Alexa literally had to hold her chin, and hid her mouth with her hand,


    "Was he there? And found me passed out?"


    " ''She seems to sleep peacefully, ahhh ...''" Magnus purposely imitated the English accent, and a penalized sigh from the knight. "''But in fact, she''s dead. She died just a few moments ago. The princess received the news that my brother was stabbed inside the castle ... While she was away and looking for YOU! ''" Magnus''s dramatic rise in tone and accusing eyes were of a deplorable farcical quality. But, of course, that was the intention.


    "No...! You didn''t have the courage to do that."


    "Why not?! My theatrical gifts may be poor compared to yours, my dear, but they were enough for your beloved English knight," he wiped his hands together, with a satisfied smile, before reaching for the saddlebag in search of something.


    It was ridiculous! Prince Magnus had taken advantage of the fact that she was inert and looking like a dead woman during the night hours, to let Lord John Blackrose believe that she was really dead. And on top of that, he insinuated that she died of remorse when she ran away to meet her ex-fiance! He really had a diabolical mind!


    "And then ... What happened?"


    "The idio¡­ your ex-fiance was shocked. Then upset ... Finally, he proposed that we held a wake over your body in the church, out of respect for your soul ... Then we took your body to the priest and everything proceeded in the most pious custom ... Women washed you, dressed you, perfumed you... We prayed for you, " he bit the side of his thumb to keep from laughing openly at his memories ... "So we held a wake over you for the night. He gave you this shroud, and this coffin so that you could be transported to Holstein..."


    Alexa was out of breath when she heard the report. Taking off her shoe, she went over to him, unable to resist the urge to whack Magnus'' shameless face. He wasn''t at all intimidated. In fact, as soon as she arrived and tried to hit him, the Prince dodged the first two blows easily. On the third try, he came forward in a quick movement and grabbed her, bringing Alexa to his lap,


    "Why, why, you can''t be serious! Do you really want to hit me? Just because I let him pray for your soul?"


    "You are so resentful! But you shouldn''t have made Lord John a fool!" she released her shoe and tried to pull on his bangs, but the Prince bit her wrist slightly during her attempt, seeming to have a great time, in fact.


    "Well ..." he said, "He''s a goofball, right?"


    Alexa huffed.


    "Your lover would leave France at dawn, and you will have to wait a long time to find him again... But he can try to exorcise you, since he''ll think you''re a ghost now..." he laughed and his whole body vibrated under her. Alexa was now sitting on Magnus'' lap, trying to remember how it had happened, and fascinated by the Prince''s obsession with John Blackrose. He also seemed to try to read her thoughts and reactions, gazing at her. His mouth twitched in a half-smile when he said,


    "But that was of some use. He told me your story, or part of it. I mean¡­ Your true story."

 Chapter 171 - Its Raining When We Are in Love

    Alexa tensed,


    "Did he talk about me ...?"


    "You know how sentimental people are at a funeral ..." he smiled carelessly, but then his eyes changed, stained by some worrying or sad thought. Then Magnus put her standing beside him. "You guys met in a sad situation, it''s a fact."


    "...!" Alexa still didn''t know what to think.


    Changing the subject entirely, Magnus cleared his throat,


    "Ahem, the farmer said we could use the onions and beans we''ll find somewhere around here ... And there''s a tripod with a cauldron there. Ah, there''s some cured meat in the bag¡­ We''ll resume our travel after the rain, so we''ll rest here for a while," he gave the tip, looking at her with an expectant smile.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" the princess tried to play dumb.


    "I''m hungry."


    "I''m hungry too," she nodded, sensing where the conversation would lead to. It was true. Alexa had eaten her last meal several hours ago, and her stomach would growl at any moment.


    They stared at each other for a while, until Alexa bit her lip, distressed,


    "Do you want me to cook?"


    Magnus looked around,


    "I''m not seeing any servants or an inn."


    "Yes, I am seeing what you are seeing. Can''t we buy a proper meal from the farmer?"


    "Can''t you cook us a soup?"


    "Ehhh¡­ Are you really going to trust a person who puts a sleeping potion in your water? I thought you said you didn''t trust me."


    Magnus sighed, shrugging,


    "I had already been cautious. I couldn''t leave someone like you walking around with drugs, after you lured me with a kiss to give me a potion ... I changed the contents of the bottle for another one, while you were sleeping."


    "But it was for your good!" Alexa protested, outraged that he was comparing the two occasions. And that he had been such a rascal to change the potion!


    "But it was you being a cheater in first place!"


    "You are also the cheater type. You kissed me while giving me wine!"


    He seemed to remember the fact, since a bright smile appeared on his face.


    "Well ... Do you think you have already had your rematch, or are you still going to pay me back?"


    Alexa shook her head in denial, throwing herself into the hay,


    "Nothing good happens when I''m on an empty stomach. But the fact is ... I never learned to cook. And I didn''t even expect that, just after I became a princess, someone would ask me to cook something...Is it something a princess should do?"


    "Hm," he looked disappointed, and for some odd reason, Alexa didn''t like what she felt in her chest.


    "What''s it?"


    "I like women who cook well ..."


    ''Oh! What?!'' "I don''t think Lady Duvignes cooks ..." she mumbled at the Prince''s obvious lie. Not even in the convent, Alexa learned to cook, and only helped with other tasks.


    The Prince looked at her strangely, and getting up, he went looking for the items to prepare something to eat. Alexa looked at the constant rain outside, realizing that, as Magnus had predicted, they could not resume their journey for now.


    Magnus handed her the bag of peas, and he took some onions to peel.


    They started work in silence, and continued for a few minutes like this. Alexa peeled the pods and cut the tips of the stems with the tip of her dagger, and eyed the prince discreetly. He was frowning in concentration, peeling some shallots.


    "What would your future subjects say when they learned that the mighty Prince Magnus von Wuttenfal peels onions like a commoner?" she teased.


    "They wouldn''t say anything because they won''t know, never," he replied without looking at her. Alexa couldn''t help being amazed that, even with her unusual life full of ups and downs, she never imagined that a princess and a prince would be found peeling onions and peas in an old barn.


    Magnus sighed as if out of a nostalgic memory, and confided,


    "I have few good memories of my boyhood. Alexander''s mom used to take me to the castle''s kitchen, and I watched her cook for me and my dad."


    Alexa looked up at him, curious,


    "You never talk about her in anger. And you didn''t even bother when I told you she''s with Alexander ..."


    "Do you think her ghost would let Alexander get hurt? I met her in life, and the best years of my life were while she was alive... I think I hope she will do her best for as long as she can ... I know we should be running to Languedoc to find the alchemist, and I would rather be doing this instead of sitting here chopping onions¡­"


    "If one of us gets sick because of the rain it''ll cause more delays¡­ And we had enough of them," mused Alexa. She thought the same, but did not have the same trust in the White Queen as Magnus.


    Perhaps in the Prince''s mind, who had in his memories the image of a stepmother who saved him from death, Gisela differed greatly from the powerful and dubious Shade the Lightbearer met.


    "Well, as soon as the rain is over, let''s rush back to our mission!" Alexa exclaimed, trying to seek enthusiasm within herself. She tried to push fear and uncertainty to the bottom. The gentle pattering of the rain and listening to Romeo, the original nightingale, happy singing from somewhere out of sight, helped a bit.


    Also, to her surprise, despite the troubled events of the previous day and even the morbid way in which she got there, she felt the same sensation as that other morning. A morning that seemed so far away, when she and Magnus also spent a rainy night and morning together.


    "Yes, we are going. I can''t wait to go back home," he said in a gloomy tone, and Alexa felt the determination and the dark intentions in his words.


    Magnus started cooking, while the princess peeked here and there, her hunger stimulated by the boiling content in the cauldron. The Prince-turned-cooker kept her away from the cauldron all the time, with his elbow or the ladle,


    "You know¡­ I''m sure it will taste awful¡­ My stepmother Gisela said if you don''t cook with your heart, you don''t feed the body¡­ What will come from a person like me?"


    "Do you mean it will taste awful because you suck?"


    Magnus just ignored her impertinent question,


    "I was a little boy, and that was my new mom. I still had dreadful dreams¡­ All the people who died the day my mother died and the day I¡­ when I died. There were in my dreams. In the beginning, she kept me with her everywhere... While I was recovering from it," he gestured vaguely towards his chest, "I learned later that I didn''t speak for an entire year. I just remember her talking to me ... Always smiling. She cooked a lot... and used to feed me herself. I saw her belly grow bigger and bigger..." he stopped stirring the stew, and Alexa saw a sad shadow pass over his face,


    "Well, she''s gone ... Apparently she is not gone, is she?" he finally took the pot out of the fire. The matter might have gone further, and the princess didn''t know whether he wanted to end sharing his memories at this point or the stew was really ready.


    "How does it taste?" Alexa asked, coming close.


    "Your hunger will be the best spice. That''s what they say in a military camp..."


    She identified with the saying, and the feeling, of course. He sat down with the pot carefully, and she sat down next to him again, barely hiding her impatience.


    The First Prince looked at her confusedly for a moment,


    "I don''t think we have a spoon, do we?"


    "Oh! No. Just this ladle!"


    He made a face, but taking some food with the ladle, did his best to cool the stew, before offering her,


    "Eat."


    ''Did he have to be so imperative?'' Alexa didn''t think so, but she leaned her head forward to eat from the ladle he served her. The food was a little spiceless, but as Magnus said, the hunger that hurt deep in the stomach made her not very demanding. It was palatable enough, for a first time. And Alexa had already eaten worse things.


    The Prince and Princess of Holstein shared the simple meal, alternating the ladle between them and laughing a little at the situation. Then they lay side by side in the hay, over Alexa''s dry cloak.


    "I''m relieved by your testimonial on Princess Gisela''s earlier personality," Alexa confessed to Prince Magnus. "I''m just worried about what she wants in return ..."


    Magnus, like her, stared at the barn ceiling thoughtfully, and the princess felt his hand slip into her hair absently. Before answering he played with Alexa''s hair,


    "She must have an important reason. Each of them tried to get close to you ... But Letitia wanted you to kill my father. Gisela wants you to save her son¡­ I think you have an obvious distinction there."


    "I still don''t understand what''s going on ... But I think you can be right," she heard Magnus''s sleepy voice, and remembered that he was awake for many hours. The Princess wished it had been instinctively that her fingers also searched for Magnus''s hair to play with, but at least in her case, her heart pounded faster until he accepted it without even seeming to realize what she was doing.


    "Just don''t try to outsmart her, Alexa. Don''t cheat. Can you do it?" he asked with a lazy yawn. She couldn''t blame him. Despite being rested, unlike him, the constant and serene pitter-patter of rain was also making her sleepy. Romeo flew to her to snuggle close, also fully sated and ready to sleep.


    Alexa remembered how she and Magnus met and how her opinion about him changed day by day. Magnus still had a lot of flaws, but she couldn''t deny that he was especially careful that she was fed... even in the strangest ways.


    Glancing at the prince lying beside her, Alexa realized that Magnus was sleeping. Or pretending to sleep, maybe?


    She couldn''t trust him, of course.


    But she turned to look at him better.


    Her gaze went to the little spot on the right cheekbone, next to his nose. Alexa liked that.


    Observing him sleeping with a serene face and closed eyes, relaxed facial muscles, the princess felt a strange and warm sensation in her chest. A huge affection with a bitter root, which went down to her belly, where the fear never to see him again lived.


    The awareness of this sensation was like an avalanche in her mind, and Alexa put her hand on her chest, feeling her heart ache at the realization,


    ''Am I in love?!''

 Chapter 172 - The Coven

    "Don''t worry, it doesn''t take long to reach our friends at the port. And to be honest, it might be better if you stayed in there tonight," said Magnus, shoving Alexa into the coffin.


    They were on the side of the road; it was getting dark, and he insisted that she would have a much more comfortable night and he had fewer problems than carrying an unconscious woman on his back in an unknown city.


    "Stop! It''s scary!"


    "It''s just a bed... for a long sleep. And you''re a heavy sleeper, anyway," he forced two fingers on her forehead so that she finally lay down, and Alexa didn''t resist this time.


    She didn''t want that day to end, and it was with a tightness in her chest she woke Magnus out of his sleep after the meal in the barn.


    The rain had died off and they should resume their journey. Because of the wagon and the muddy road, their progress was slower than expected, and the night came too quickly.


    During the trip, Alexa told more details about Lady Duvignes and her involvement with Duke Kurt, at Magnus'' request. The Princess told what she knew, without being able to guess by the Prince''s what he thought of all that. His face only let slip that, whatever his thoughts about everything he heard, they were dark.


    As for Alexa, after her latest discovery about herself, her mind was more confused than ever.


    "Good night," she said expectantly, and Magnus, who was closing the coffin lid, stopped for a moment to stare at her strangely.


    "Good night, maiden. Try not to destroy my kingdom or my family during my absence."


    She nodded, which made the Prince stop again,


    "Are you agreeing with me?"


    Magnus could not hear an answer from Alexa, as she was swallowed up in Alexander''s body once again.


    This time, she felt her body free from the effects of sleeping drugs and was fully awake. The wound site still hurt with movements, but at least Alexa was sure that the worst part was over.


    While this was good news, it was also worrying, since, according to the White Queen''s Shade, once Alexander''s body was fully healed, possibly the soul inhabiting the body could not leave it.


    What this meant, in its entirety, was difficult to answer, but Alexa didn''t want to take any chances again.


    ''Alexander?'' she called into her mind, as she felt like he was close by. Looking around, the Princess definitely didn''t recognize the location. The room Alexander''s body was in was spacious and beautiful, and it didn''t look at all like the tower in the castle. But she had no idea what that place was, exactly.


    But there was no answer.


    The door opened and Helga entered, accompanied by the doctor and some servants carrying a tub.


    The newcomers smiled when they saw the Second Prince sitting on the bed, and bowed as appropriate.


    "It''s a pleasure to see Your Highness in better condition," said the doctor, approaching the bed. "Your Majesty has appointed me as your doctor. I''m Herman Ceridom, a servant of yours."


    The doctor was a thin, dark man with gray hair, a hooked nose and a peaceful smile, who probably looked younger than he was. His eyes looked tired, although they had an optimistic glow.


    The Prince nodded, still in confusion. Balbo was nowhere to be seen, and Lex was left to ask Helga, while the doctor lifted his tunic to observe the bandages around his waist.


    "And my dad? Balbo? Where are?"


    "Your Highness, your father was here until the middle of the day, when urgent matters brought him back to the castle. Mestre Balbo has been absent since morning, as I heard," she explained while waiting for the medical examination. After Ceridom squeezed the Prince''s belly, which hurt, and examined the external appearance of the wound, he explained to his royal patient,


    "Now that the fever has ceased and your youth is trying to heal your wounds, know that if you don''t make any exaggerated physical efforts, Your Highness will be fine in a few weeks. The more rest and peace, the better. The new southern doctors say that the sick, most of all, should avoid bathing, but I request that you continue to take them with the help of your servants, Your Highness. Some herbs will help to clear your body of any fever. We just have to keep the wound area dry."


    In fact, Lex realized that, despite feeling weakened, with proper care it wasn''t difficult to bathe with the help of a servant. She just felt distressed with her body, or rather Alexander''s body, exposed. Ceridom later recommended the Prince should eat light meals and take brief walks until he fully recovered. According to him, the location was infinitely more favorable for his quick recovery, compared to Holstein. Finally, the doctor said that he would remain in the house until the patient''s full recovery, leaving him after make sure the Prince was well.


    These two pieces of information made Lex think they should be at Alexander''s property, Ashgraufelsen. It would have felt better if Lex had Balbo to talk to, or at least knew where Alexander was. There seemed to be nothing she could do to find out how to revert Sigrid''s spell to its original state, and that was worrying.


    Helga brought him soup, and whispered to the Prince''s ear, when there was no other servant or guard in the room.


    "Your Highness, Lady Duvignes is missing and His Majesty has ordered Master Cerd¨¢n to find her at any expense."


    Lex scratched his head. She didn''t expect that they would take long to search for Charlotte since her husband had attempted against a prince''s life. The affectionate way in which Gutard acted with his youngest son come to Lex''s mind, and it brought a smile to the Prince''s lips.


    The von Wuttenfal weren''t easy to understand.


    The Prince was in the last spoonfuls of a delicious soup when an elderly servant entered the room. He also had kind eyes and his face showed happiness to see the Prince awake and recovering.


    Lex would like to know the names of these people! It seemed that they liked Prince Alexander, and she felt a little guilty for not being him. And it reminded her that she should be even more cautious as these people really knew the prince!


    "Your Highness, I am sorry to interrupt your meal. We received a messenger, notifying that Princess Cordelia and an entourage of six people will arrive at the castle in about half an hour. They¡­ expect to be received by Her Highness Princess Alexa, Your Highness!"


    "But¡­!" Lex made a sudden movement to get up from the chair and immediately regretted it, the whole central area of ??his body reacted painfully. She had totally forgotten about that! Her plan to unmask Cordelia and the witches that surrounded her was underway, but not everything was ready!


    "We haven''t met Princess Alexa yet, Your Highness," recalled the seneschal, as if Alexander was static from not remembering that fact. "The day before yesterday some chests with the Princess''s belongings arrived to Ashgraufelsen, and I put them in the next room. But no one has warned us when your wife will come, Your Highness," the way the butler spoke seemed to hint the lack of respect for his position as the administrator of Prince Alexander''s house somewhat offended him.


    "To be honest, I don''t know her either," Lex regained his presence of mind as he looked at Alexander''s loyal servants and winked, "She''s in a convent now, that''s all I know. This is necessary, as you can see, since even I am not sure. But I will need your help, as the mistress of this house are not around to receive my new stepmother."


    If Prince Alexander didn''t receive his stepmother properly, after the formal invitation, it would be a terrible affront and, of course, would put a stone in their relationship. Making it more difficult to set up a situation to unmask them.


    "First of all, however¡­ Everyone should tell Princess Consort and all her entourage that Princess Alexa is living here as the mistress of the manor¡­ but that she received a messenger and is preparing to leave. Have a simple coach with a coachman and a page prepared, and wait for my new instructions," Lex saw that the butler looked confused, and said nothing but agree and state that he would make sure they followed this order in its smallest details.


    Lex barely had time to write the necessary messages and dispatch them urgently to Prince Gutard, and to dress with Helga''s help to receive his guests. This was already part of the plan.


    What wasn''t part of the plan was that there was no team of people, including Gutard himself, waiting to act.


    The Second Prince went down the stairs with Helga''s help, grimacing to contain the pain with each step.


    Ashgraufelsen was a mansion older than Magnus''s brand new residence. Although Lex had not seen the house from the outside, she could only swear from the inside it was a beautiful, solid place and that she would rather live there than in the stunning and corrupted Holstein castle.


    Although not as luxurious as the older brother''s estate, the manor was so different from the capital''s castle that it could belong to another kingdom.


    Especially when it comes to Shades.


    The walls had German style tapestries and elegant decorative paintings and Alexa tried to imagine what it would be like to live there next to Alexander ... yes, next to him and not on his body. It was difficult when Lex now knew that, no matter what happened in the end, and regardless of the feelings in her heart, Alexander had asked for the marriage to be annulled.


    Lex just felt Alexander''s presence. The Princess just didn''t know why he didn''t answer her calling. She didn''t understand the behavior of the soul of a living human, and had recently discovered with the Mildred''s strange case, and even Florian''s, that she knew little about the dead souls as well.


    Hearing the carriages arrive in the front courtyard, Lex prepared herself for yet another act of this charade. However, contrary to what she had planned, she was not in complete control of the situation, this time.


    In the main hall, the servants were finishing lighting up candelabras, illuminating the pictures of ancestors, paintings, and armor of warriors. The highest ranking servants lined up so that the Prince could receive his guests.


    After a few moments, the main door opened, and Cordelia, her mother and Sister Ludovica, accompanied by a relative and two chaperones, came in, looking at everyone and everything with unveiled curiosity.

 Chapter 173 - House on the Rock

    After their eyes roamed across the room, the trio deliberately turned their eyes to the Prince, waiting calmly at the back of the room.


    For the first time, Lex had the impression that they were holding their breath and waiting for something.


    Cordelia, in particular, could not hide the tension on her face, although the older women maintained falsely serene expressions. Lex was sure they weren''t. As Lady Eudoxia said, ''every woman feels tense when entering another woman''s domain ... And those who manage to pretend they are not, are really dangerous.''


    This gave him a little confidence to deal with,


    "Your Highness Cordelia, welcome!" Lex gave a half-smile in greeting.


    "Oh, I didn''t expect to find you here, Prince Alexander, but I''m happy to see you," said Cordelia, looking at him curiously. "As you has had a lot of business with your father lately, I thought you would be in the capital. But¡­ do you look ill¡­?" she raised an eyebrow looking genuinely concerned.


    "I had an accident ... But I''m recovering well, as you can see," Lex had no way of knowing exactly what Cordelia knew about recent events. But I couldn''t rule out anything. They had practical knowledge of necromancy and maybe they could even get information out of the dead and ghosts¡­


    "Oh, my God¡­ Do you need help? I can stay here to help, I have experience as a nurse, and¡­ "Cordelia proposed. Nun Ludovica nodded, but her mother remained silent.


    "It''s not necessary, a doctor is here just for that," Lex gracefully dismissed the offer, and approached them slowly.


    "Is this your mother?"


    "Yes, Greta de Wits, Baroness of Volknau. And my uncle Egbert, my father''s brother. This is Sister Ludovica."


    ''Uhn, have Cordelia''s parents even won some l.u.s.ter of nobility?'' Lex looked over them, flashing a smile of recognition, but maintained the proud posture of a von Wuttenfal.


    "How was the trip to Ashgraufelsen?" the Second Prince asked, again with a gesture ordering the servants to put the guests at ease. It was impossible not to notice the newcomers'' itching curiosity and the question about Alexa''s whereabouts hanging in the air, but no one wanted to break the barrier of manners.


    "Ashgraufelsen is a beautiful place, I hope I can see every corner!" Cordelia exclaimed, accepting the chair offered to her. "The castle in the capital, and its mansion, are perched high on rocks, but Swarzenhofhausen is different. Will this have to do with the owners'' personality?"


    Wine was served, and Lex said, with a calculatedly indulgent smile,


    "It would be interesting,huh? My older brother has a house near the rocky shores, on a level ground, with a magnificent garden with black gates. He has a spectacular facade, doesn''t it? And yet, he is usually very sincere in his words and also, like the sea, has no mercy on anyone..."


    "And how would the Prince describe himself?" asked Cordelia''s mother.


    "Uhn ... Like my home."


    "Beautiful and inaccessible, and on the edge of a cliff?"


    "Yes, the dangers are evident, and only those I want come to me," Lex took the water from his goblet, with a little resistance and making a face because he preferred wine. The butler, however, was following the doctor''s orders.


    Contrary to Duke K''s impression of Prince Alexander before entering the Roman ruins, these people seemed to be seriously considering his words. This was fascinating.


    Perhaps all this respect was because Alexander was, in fact, the son of Gisela, the witch queen who supposedly dethroned Letitia?


    Lex could only assume that was the reason. ''Perhaps they fear that Alexander himself is a powerful wizard ...'' This assessment made perfect sense, and it wasn''t even a fresh thing. Gutard''s second son always suffered from the fact that he was publicly the son of a woman accused of witchcraft, unlike Magnus. Letitia''s secret never really came to light, and she and her ladies were killed because of betrayal, when Prince Gutard discovered that she and his younger brother, Kurt, had an affair.


    At least, that was what Odila had recorded in her diaries.


    "My stepson is far more mysterious than I supposed from the reports¡­" Cordelia commented, trying to lighten the mood that the prince''s impressive statement had left in the air.


    "But as I said, I approach and let those I want to approach. And you are here."


    "I thank you again. All I want is to make friends with my new family on the best terms! Princess Alexa''s invitation was timely. When will we see her?" Alexander''s stepmother asked, finally, using the words expertly. Lex tried not to show discomfort with the question, as he was waiting for it, anyway.


    "I apologize for that. She should be ready to host you ... But Alexa received a messenger just before my stepmother''s messenger arrived ... And is dealing urgent matters. I hope she will soon join us ... But please, take the time to freshen up and we will meet for dinner. Allow me to be a host at least reasonable."


    With the cue of the host, the guests had no option but to go with the servants to the rooms they would occupy, before dinner, without further embarrassing questions.


    As soon as Cordelia and her entourage left to dust off their clothes and rest a little before dinner, Lex took a deep breath, feeling small and fragile again inside her husband''s body. Staging security and self-control was only possible because it was in front of Cordelia''s mother, whom she had detested deeply since the day the matron had slapped her gratuitously.


    Calling Helga and the butler, who he had discovered was named Wilbert, the Prince ordered the prepared carriage to go to the capital.


    "Empty, Your Highness?" Wilbert confirmed, a little stunned. He looked nervous. Lex nodded,


    "Just trust me, my dear. These women are very interested in knowing where my wife is, and have been mean to her before. And I don''t want to reveal she isn''t here as yet ..."


    "Ah, of course! I will see that they never imagine! " still, you could see that the butler looked restless and Lex hoped it wasn''t because he thought his master was not who he claimed to be. The help of these innocent people was essential at this point, but Lex would still like Balbo, Blue Eyes and even Gutard to be around.


    Looking out one window as he watched the servants prepare the dining room, Lex saw the steep cliff and the entrance bridge to the mansion, looking suspended in the air in the night fog, now understanding the name of the place, ''The White Rock''.


    The bell announcing dinner rang, and the guests joined the prince at the table. Doctor Ceridom was also with them, as the Prince''s guest, sitting on his left. Cordelia was on her right. Alexa''s place, on the other side of the table, was set, as if waiting for her.


    "Ahh, I''m sorry to inform you," the Prince said, keeping his voice as low as possible. "Alexa received a message. Father Agnello, my confessor and my wife''s tutor, was found and Alexa was called. I would like to go to him too, but ... " leaving the reason why he had not gone, since he had guests in the house, ''Alexander'' continued. "He was kidnapped by demons, but he was rescued. Some people involved were captured alive ... But tha''s not my concern, but my confessor''s life. Alexa, who is his prot¨¦g¨¦, was very distressed and asked you to forgive her. She will be back in the morning."


    ''Uhum, they didn''t expect us to have captured one alive,'' Lex realized when he saw the silence fall over them. The man who accompanied them made a sign of the cross, and wished the priest well.


    Cordelia did the same right afterwards, and gave an embarrassed smile,


    "I hope that Father Agnello will recover soon, and that he will come back to us soon. If Alexa is taking care of those who helped her so much, I don''t mind just seeing her in the morning."


    "Since we have a nun here at our table, can I ask you to do the honors and say a prayer upon our meal?" asked the Prince, after nodding thanks for his stepmother''s understanding. Lex had doubts about Cordelia, but he was absolutely sure Ludovica was the leader of the Cult. She was the right age and posture. As Hecate''s priestess, would she ask for the blessing over dinner in the name of the Christian God? No, if she feared Hecate''s vengeful wrath.


    Ludovica looked at the fingers on the table and smiled.


    At that moment, Lex and everyone at the table felt a chilly breeze go through the room and move the curtains, even with the windows closed. Ashgraufelsen, as beautiful as it was, was a cold place.


    When Lex turned his eyes again, the nun was staring at him, as if daring him to ask again. Lex raised an eyebrow, as if asking there was something wrong.


    "Do you believe demons can be summoned and walk among mortals?" she oddly asked.


    Lex felt a deep disgust at that woman sitting at his table, suddenly. He felt the chilly air which had settled in the room, and although he didn''t know exactly how, he guessed one of them had disturbed the house''s peaceful air with something profane. The doctor on his left side choked, and cleared his throat, apologizing to everyone.


    ''She wants to test Alexander, and know how much he bluffs? Well, Alexander may not be a player, but I am! '' Standing up and resting his hands on the table, the Prince said, taking inspiration from Gutard''s imposing personality,


    "Yes, my dear Sister Ludovica.My wife and my father''s wife witnessed hell on earth, but they''re not the only ones. I also saw it recently. I saw the astonishingly beautiful lady who came to the castle in search of men''s seed, and the rot of death in her guts. And that''s not all what I saw and know. These minor things are only at work because they are just pitiful displays of skill, nothing close to genuine power, and they shouldn''t bother me. However ... I don''t like all that dirt. It makes me sick, even if they are simple to solve."


    Another unexpected gust blew out the candles in the room, and Cordelia grabbed Alexander''s wrist with a squeak.


    The servants ran to light the candles, and the Prince calmly took his stepmother''s bony, cold hand from his wrist. However, in this brief moment of silence and darkness, they heard the trot of horses coming.


    Lex wondered who it could be. There was no chance that his message had already reached Holstein.


    Lex turned and asked the doctor to say the prayer before the meal, as if he had never asked Ludovica in the first place. The doctor was getting up when Wilbert excused himself, clearing his throat and looking paler than the candles in the candlesticks,


    "Excuse me Your Highness, but ... Duke Kurt von Wuttenfal announces himself at the gate!"


    Everyone looked at each other, static.

 Chapter 174 - The Wrong Guests at the Dinner Table

    "Duke Kurt von Wuttenfal?" asked Cordelia, looking at the Prince. "I thought I had met all von Wuttenfal alive."


    Lex had no idea why Alexander''s banished uncle came to Ashgraufelsen in the middle of the night announcing himself that way, but it didn''t look auspicious.


    Ordering the butler to allow the Duke in, Lex turned to Cordelia,


    "I can tell you it''s fortunate that you haven''t met any dead von Wuttenfal. So many things have come out of dark and forgotten places lately, that I wouldn''t be surprised a von Wuttenfal has found its way to the surface too ..." Lex didn''t want to reveal anything about meeting Kurt beforehand. And she had no idea if the witches knew about his presence at Holstein, or that the Duke had organized the raid on the cult meeting place.


    The crackle of candles and the wind outside were the only things breaking the silence that fell over the room. The footsteps of the heavy boots approaching the room echoed up to them. And Lex wondered if it was a characteristic of the von Wuttenfal to walk so loudly, and even if the real Alexander did too. But she doubted it.


    "Thanks for having me, nephew. We don''t know each other personally, since I have been absent from Holstein for years, but I am happy to see him in better health than the news has proclaimed," said the man after entering the main hall, followed by the Moorish giant. He looked at everyone, without hiding his surprise,


    "I didn''t think you would have any other visitors."


    "I appreciate the consideration for my health. I think I can say that killing a von Wuttenfal is a grueling task ... Join us at the table, and share a meal with us," Lex offered, still not sure how to act, but noticing a new dynamic at the table. The new Baroness, Cordelia''s mother, whispered to her daughter, but in such a way it was audible,


    "Wouldn''t it be better to retire and let the Prince and Duke take care of their important business, my daughter?"


    Cordelia was getting up, and Lex grabbed her wrist,


    "No. Let''s all have dinner together. Arriving in Ashgraufelsen is tiring and I think my uncle will enjoy a hot meal and a refreshing wine before more serious matters."


    Lex hated having to do this, especially since Cordelia looked distressed and scared. The mysterious ''Second Prince'' who always interacted with Cordelia was cruel with words. It was scary to recognize that facet within herself.


    "Surely I will accept and enjoy your offer, dear nephew," Kurt sat down, still seeming to appreciate the beauty of the room as he did this, "This house has changed a lot ... It looks more colorful than I remembered."


    The prince ordered the food to be served, and Sister Ludovica apologized for being fasting, remaining with an empty plate.


    After Alexander introduced everyone to the table at the Duke, ''his'' mysterious uncle said,


    "I have been traveling the world in search of knowledge and penance for my past sins, and I return to Holstein with my friend Kamal Al-Wahid", nodding to the impressive dark-skinned man, "and I realize I''m coming back at a great time."


    "But there''s a plague right now, how can it be a great time?" asked Cordelia, shocked.


    Instead of answering her directly, Kurt turned to the Second Prince,


    "I think I can prevent the past from repeating itself, nephew. This man in front of you, when young, arrogant and very influential, found a terrible bride for his brother. And completely deluded by what he believed to be love, he committed a vile act of betrayal. Even when he discovered that he was dealing with a mad, cruel and wicked woman, he remained silent and supported her wickedness until she asked for the death of his brother. Yes, Letitia di Borghesi asked the Sovereign Prince''s lover and brother to kill him."


    Lex kept his eyes fixed on the Duke, hypnotized by his confessions, which at first seemed to have nothing to do with the previous subject.


    Perhaps not everyone there got shocked by the way this fact lost in the past was being revealed. But Lex felt her heart pounding, remembering the scene that took her mind when she touched Letitia''s portrait.


    A strange rustling noise beside the Prince caught ''his'' eye, and Lex took his eyes off the Duke, and checked at Cordelia.


    Princess Consort lost consciousness, sliding from the chair to the floor with a sigh.


    ''What the hell?!'' Lex thought, and everyone rushed to help the Princess. Ceridom confirmed that Cordelia had indeed passed out, and recommended taking her to her bedroom, where he would make her inhale salts to wake her up.


    The Second Prince watched the women withdraw the Princess with the help of the servants, and looked at Duke Kurt,


    "My uncle was never the soul of the party, was he?"


    "On the contrary, I have always been the most gallant and court savvy of the von Wuttenfals. After all, the other was Gutard," the Duke smirked. "About my sudden arrival, I came to Ashgraufelsen to find out what happened and who Narses Dallassenos is, your friend from the Inquisition. Why he looks for your wife, and of course, where is ''Saint Alexa of Holstein''. And like everyone else, it puzzles me why Magnus left the city with a group of men. Lots of questions, you see. But I found something else very peculiar when I arrived, and I couldn''t help but test the waters¡­ I just didn''t predict the Princess would pass out."


    "Do you mind telling me?"


    Cordelia''s uncle Egbert was coming down the stairs, and both the Prince and Duke looked up at the embarrassed guest,


    "Sorry, Your Highnesses, I feel a little useless with the women''s activities up there, with what little I can do to help. The doctor said that she needs a little rest¡­ Just ignore me, I''ll take some air outside," he excused himself, quite stiffly.


    It was impossible not to notice that the man was terrified, and wished he had never stepped on Ashgraufelsen in first place.


    They nodded, and Cordelia''s uncle left them with a bow.


    Lex whispered,


    "What I do know is that there is a bigger goal behind it all, and I suspect you know it too. So, if you want to tell me, this is the time!"

 Chapter 175 - It Has Already Begun

    Kurt frowned,


    "It would be foolish to reveal my knowledge tonight. I learned that those who worship the Night Gods have many powers during the dark hours, and I don''t doubt that the night spirits whisper in their ears everything we speak."


    ''Damn, as if I could listen to anything during the day,'' thought Lex, concerned that Gutard might not return in time to be there when Alexander was asleep in the morning. Lex held his frustration, taking a deep breath, and asked,


    "I''m waiting for my father to arrive tonight. Will you stay for the night?"


    "I think there''s no reason to keep my presence in Holstein hidden from my brother anymore. If he doesn''t want me here, he can remind me of that¡­"


    ''It''s scary how his voice and intonation are like Magnus''s¡­ Does Magnus suspect that? What can they really be a father and son of? Lex wondered, but replied,


    "Therefore, my father can answer your questions and you can answer his, and if possible, I would like to be present. Please make yourself at home, Wilbert is going to host you and I need to know if the princess is feeling well."


    Kurt just smiled as if he liked the suggestion, and commented,


    "If I may, I would like to make a tour into the house. And since I don''t know if I''ll have another chance tomorrow, your butler can guide me through, if walking is not very advisable for you. This was once my home, and I would like to reminisce about the past, if possible."


    The Second Prince held his breath, feeling he shouldn''t allow it, but without having a good reason to deny it, too.


    After the Duke and his friend Kamal followed Wilbert, Lex exhaled and thought that the situation was getting out of hand. In addition, diffuse pain was returning to the area of ??his injury.


    Climbing the stairs carefully, he looked around, feeling overwhelmed and crushed by his mistake of inviting Cordelia in first place. Of course, Lex couldn''t possibly know about being stabbed by Charlotte''s husband. And knowing he wouldn''t have the strength to deal with Ludovica if she carried on her veiled threats. It was only possible to call the guards and knights in the house and have her arrested¡­ But what exactly was she capable of?


    ''Gutard, Balbo, return soon, please!''


    The Prince stopped in front of the door where he listened to conversations, knowing it was Cordelia''s room.


    However, Lex failed to force herself to knock on the door. She definitely lacked the desire to see those women again, and to pretend to be Alexander, and to pretend to be an Alexander who was arrogant, self-assured and powerful.


    Returning to the Prince''s room, Lex sat on the bed, still holding the chandelier in his hand. It was impossible to avoid thinking what to do with the trio of witches, now cornered by the capture of one of their companions by the Inquisition. And also with Duke Kurt, whose objectives were not yet clear.


    A little later, Helga came to bring Alexander something to eat, and Ceridom came to check his condition, before retiring for the night.


    "How''s the princess?" Lex asked him.


    "She had this sudden illness, but she recovered quickly. Her Highness was in a poor mood and ashamed, and said she wanted to sleep. Some ladies are very susceptible to scandalous or cruel reports ... We can never know what will scare a lady,"said the doctor. "Some ladies tend to pretend to faint to interrupt unpleasant conversations, but with the Princess, it was legitimate. She was cold and her pulse was weak."


    The Prince nodded, and took the pain medicine the doctor gave him.


    Lex had to admit that the medicine was effective and that Alexander''s warm blankets and comfortable bed were very inviting. Even though her mind was in an uproar, the Prince''s body relaxed and Lex didn''t really want to leave. She could hear the wind howling over the precipice, and the repetitive sound along with the warmth of the blankets was enveloping her senses ...


    Lex didn''t know whether or not she dozed. She just knew she was fully awake now, and realized that what had awakened her was the uncomfortable itch in her hands.


    ''NO! Please don''t be true!'' Standing foot to foot, and avoiding messing with anything, Lex went to the side door, instead of going to the bedroom door. As she guessed, this door would give access to the room that would be Alexander''s wife''s. In this case, herself, Alexa.


    In the gloom she saw only her dresses and chests at a glance, in the dim light of the moon streaming through the curtains.


    Suddenly, Lex heard a slight scratching on the main door of the Princess''s room.


    Listening to her ear, she stayed in place, paying attention, until she heard another scratch,


    "Alexa! Alexa!" The Princess'' name was called softly, urgently.


    The voice was Cordelia''s.


    " What¡­?" Lex could hardly believe it. Was Cordelia knocking on the door she supposed to be Alexa''s, in the middle of the night, even though Cordelia knew the other Princess should be somewhere else?


    The door was pushed a bit, and Cordelia peeked by the gap,


    "Alexa?" calling in little more than a whisper, Cordelia entered. She had no light with her. After a moment of silence, the Princess asked, in a shaky voice, approaching the bed,


    "My friend, let''s get out of here¡­ Are you awake? We need to get away from here!"


    Cordelia''s words totally confused Lex, who took two steps forward and grabbed Cordelia''s shoulder from behind. Anticipating her natural reaction, the Second Prince covered her mouth with his other hand,


    "Don''t yell! Why do you have to run away from here?"


    Cordelia was static, and Lex felt his hand over her mouth moisten from the tears streaming from Cordelia''s eyes,


    "Alexander¡­"


    "Shhh¡­ Answer what I asked. What are you afraid of? What are you doing here?"


    "I ... I thought Alexa was imprisoned..."


    "...!" That was unexpected. "She is not imprisoned, nor is she here. She''s fine, and somewhere else. You..." Lex whispered, trying to calm her down. "But why the hell are you shaking so much?"


    "She wants to kill you! Only Alexa can help us! Where is she, for God''s sake?"


    Lex released Cordelia, and turned her around,


    "I was not mistaken! You knew everything! All the time!"


    "Alexander, please forgive me, I couldn''t help but ...!" a distant and horrified scream was heard, cutting through the night, and this time it was Cordelia who grabbed the Prince in fright.


    "It has already begun. Please! Please! Let''s run away!"

 Chapter 176 - Hecates Gate

    A miasma reached her nostrils, and Lex looked towards the bedroom door. Her hand throbbed unbearably, and she knew it was more than stubborn and spiteful Shades.


    Had Ludovica summoned more hell hounds? The Demonic Nun really wasn''t kidding, and considering the method, the witch had also decided to completely ignore caution. Did Ludovica think of promoting another massacre like that of the villa, impromptu? With no preparation? Or had they come to Ashgraufelsen planning to kill Alexander, Alexa, or both?


    An alarm bell rang insistently, and they heard screams warning of danger at the gates.


    "Please! Please! I don''t want to be part of this anymore, help me! Help me¡­!" Cordelia pleaded, kneeling as abundant tears streamed down her face.


    "Whoever is doing it, she''s very good at what she does," Lex murmured to himself, pulling Cordelia by the hand and walking toward Alexander''s room at a quick pace. The wound on his side protested, but Lex held on, "What exactly is going on?"


    "Many things, but mostly¡­ You and Alexa are disrupting her plans! And therefore you must stay out of her way! ''... The Second must fall before the rise of the Queen!'' That was the message of the oracle! OH¡­! I don''t want to be part of this anymore! I''ve never wanted!"


    Lex barely stepped into the Prince''s room when he felt the air shift and took a step back. The creature that narrowly missed the target was dark and misshapen, with bright red orbs for eyes. The Lightbearer had never seen that before, and could only think this was one Wraith, Shades that in eras lost in the darkness of death, turned to evil and chaos, becoming devouring demons of life.


    "Back!" This was not the time to hide the Lightbearer''s gifts for the sake of her true identity. Lex murmured the prayers and her hand emitted light gradually. That alone was enough for the creature to retreat. Lex could see its disembodied, blackish form waver, moving away from the light that emanated from the Prince''s hand.


    At that moment a guarding knight abruptly opened the door of the room, shouting for the Prince, spear in hand. The creature spun and advanced directly towards the knight.


    Lex shouted,


    "WATCH OUT! Get away from the door!" She didn''t know if the soldier was able to see the wraith as she was. But the knight could, and instead of listening to the Prince, with a bold attack, he pierced the creature in what would be the belly ...


    But his spear passed through the wraith as if it had pierced a puddle, with no effect.


    Confused, the knight glanced at the Prince near the other door, and at that moment the wraith grabbed him. Slender, black fingers that looked more like tentacles clung to the face of the man. The knight tried to free himself, but the creature had much more strength than he did.


    The knight''s hair lost its color, making it like the hair of an old man in seconds! The touch of the summoned demon consumed life!


    Lex couldn''t passively watch it, and coming back into the room, the Lightbearer summoned the Torch as fast as she could.


    The wraith moved away from the man, fleeing into the shadows, and the knight fell to his knees, bending over himself breathlessly and weakened. The Prince instinctively bent to help him to his feet, and his wound seemed to rip open again, leaving Lex literally blinded by pain for a few seconds. The Prince bit his lip to keep from shrieking in pain.


    "Come on! Fast!"


    The knight, with some effort, stood up resolutely, putting himself in front of his Prince again. Lex shouted,


    "No use, weapons won''t hit this creature! Protect the princess! Take her away!"


    "NO! NO! I want to be with you! Please! I don''t want to be alone with these things again!!!" Cordelia shouted, in turn, behind the Prince. The creature seemed to wait for an opportunity to attack, but it did not dare to reach into the Lightbearer''s light.


    The Lightbearer''s mind sought a solution to the impasse, while thinking about what else was going on inside the mansion. He heard screams of horror and cries of warriors, and all kinds of sounds imaginable into the chaos ensuing.


    "Get away, I''ll try to kick it out! Prepare withdrawal!" Lex knew the wraith would not follow the light as a Shade would. At least the Lightbearer would try to ban the demon from this place, but he wasn''t sure if it would work.


    The knight guarded Cordelia to begin the retreat, realizing that all his bravery was not enough to deal with the supernatural creature. Lex stayed in place, extending his arms and palm extended towards the wraith.


    Useless.


    Even though the wraith screeched frighteningly and shrank in fear of the Light, Lex didn''t know how to drive it out of the world of men.


    Locked doors or walls wouldn''t restrict the ethereal creature, and Lex could not keep cornering the demon forever. The Lightbearer''s hands were already dripping with blood, and sweat was streaming from his forehead with this brief effort.


    ''Ehhh damn! I didn''t get to those lessons¡­! '' although Lex could not know if there were really lessons on how to get rid of a wraith, it would have been enlightening to know some more mysteries of death and rebirth, as an initiate Lazarite. At least it would give the Lightbearer some ideas to what to do next.


    Trying to remember all the formulas, Lex''s mind went white when his feet were taken off the ground quickly, and again a searing pain hit his body from the pressure on the wound.


    It was Kamal the Moor, throwing Lex over his shoulder like a bag of onions, and throwing him out of the room at full speed.


    "By. God''s. Sake. You. Will. Kill me. Before. Them. Get to do it!" Each step downstairs the African descended quickly was a new type of pain in the Prince''s bouncing body.


    The man didn''t answer, just dodging people trying to escape as they could.


    Lex caught a glimpse of Cordelia''s mother desperately asking people about her daughter, and going against the flow. But he couldn''t answer for passing by so quickly. Kamal went through a door and stopped, placing the prince on the floor. Lex quickly realized that it was a watchtower, where two crossbowmen were carrying their arrows on their weapons. Lex approached the central window, unoccupied, and looked outside.


    The entrance bridge to Ashgraufelsen, suspended over the precipice, was taken over by the guard of the house. They seemed to defend the entrance to the mansion against something hidden from Lex''s view by the fog that surrounded only the gate in front of the bridge.


    It was difficult to see in the darkness, and Lex could only see a few red dots, which the Prince thought were the eyes of creatures like the ones he found in the room. The men, who, despite being brave, couldn''t fight the vicious and relentless attack of beings who stole the strength of their victims, were falling too fast.


    "Prince, they have cursed your home''s gate, and the bridge has become a gateway to these infernal creatures! We have to bring down the bridge!" Kamal explained.


    Lex remembered the harmless Egbert, going out for air, he said, on a cold night. ''What an idiot I was!'' No doubt Egbert had prepared everything for Ludovica to take action.


    Destroying the bridge would mean isolating Ashgraufelsen and it was a drastic and risky decision. But Lex had to do something.


    "Where''s my uncle?"


    "He told me to stay with you," said Kamal, looking at the scene outside with a worried expression. Turning, Lex saw Cordelia again at his side. With her, the white-haired knight who, despite being visibly drained of his vitality, remained willing to do his duty. Although something in his heart told Lex that Cordelia was still hiding something, it was not the time for confrontation. That could wait, but not the problem ahead,


    "You talked about an oracle ..."


    "There''s a reason, to revive Prince Gutard''s first wife, the High Priestess! But yesterday the oracle received these words in her dream ... ''The second must fall for the queen to rise again.'' They suspected the letter was possibly a trap. And then¡­"


    "You came here to kill me."


    "I didn''t want any of it! They are forcing me to live it all! I wanted to talk to Alexa, tell her everything! I was afraid that you would have arrested her as a witch too! She''s not a witch, she''s not bad! You know that, don''t you?! You are capable of the same things as her, you¡­" Cordelia fell silent, seeming to come to shocking conclusions.


    Lex just turned around, trying to ignore his feelings and find the strength to do what needed to be done.


    "We shall bring down the bridge ... if killing the caster doesn''t solve the problem."


    The Lightbearer must close the Hecate''s Gate that Ludovica had conjured. Lex always thought things like that only existed in the bizarre writings his brother Iacintho collected. And with which he liked to frighten his younger sibling. But if those women had the knowledge and the power to open such a hell''s gate, what could they do with Holstein?


    Another thought came up, as Lex walked on his own legs towards the entrance gate.


    ''What if Alexander is not the ''second'' of the oracle''s dream?''


    So it would be ... Duke Kurt, Gutard''s younger brother?


    Arriving at the main door, Lex looked at the scene outside, feeling a shiver take over his body, and wondering if they would survive it.

 Chapter 177 - Light of Two Suns

    The sight in front of him was impressive, out of an insane nightmare.


    Right after the front courtyard, the gate that gave access to the bridge and Ashgraufelsen''s only access had tall stone columns, and the huge wooden doors were wide open. Lex couldn''t see the bridge beyond the gate, as an unnatural mist emanated from the threshold, and where the wraiths came from. The strong wind blowing could not dispel the fog from the Hecate''s Gate, summoned by Ludovica, the Imposter Nun.


    The mansion would be easily defensible and perhaps virtually impregnable, due to the height and the impossibility of surrounding the small chateau. Of course, if it wasn''t an attack like that, hellish hosts virtually indestructible by ordinary humans.


    What could the Lightbearer do?


    The wraiths were few. But she imagined that as long as Hecate''s Gate remained open, they would continue to arrive, attracted by the plentiful and cornered pasture.


    The soldiers defending Alexander already realized that it was useless to try to defeat the creatures with blades and maces. Lex couldn''t blame them for being terrified to see those who fell down being consumed to their bones, and turned to dust.


    The Lightbearer was sure that a personality like Magnus or Gutard could command a good defense easily, but he was nothing like them.


    There was only one thing to do.


    Enter the fog, whatever it was, with his Torch.


    Taking a deep breath, Lex put his hands together, concentrating to create the largest flame he could.


    "Whatever you''re doing, I think I can help," Lex heard the voice behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Duke Kurt with a hand cannon in tow.


    Then the Prince replied,


    "All I can do is try to push them back to the gate¡­ At least those who are here. But the gate needs to be closed, and it won''t be easy," Lex looked at the scene unfolding before them, "Finding the source of the ritual is important ... It might be something on the bridge..."


    "I studied everything there was to know about the Cult of Diana. That Imposter Nun is around singing the nitany ... but not for long."


    "You must be aware... ''Their oracle'' predicts that after the death of the ''second'', the queen will ascend ... or whatever."


    Alexander''s uncle stared the Prince in the eye for a moment, and then huffed, shrugging


    "Prophecies ... They are ambiguous on purpose. Besides, I don''t intend to let you die..."


    As soon as he said that, the Duke moved resolutely towards the fog, to Lex''s amazement, shouting in a commanding voice,


    "RETREAT TO THE CHAPEL! RETREAT!"


    "You are crazy!" the Prince shouted at the Duke, who just shouted back without turning,


    "It runs in the family!"


    Shaking his head in disbelief, remembering that he was talking to an insane von Wuttenfal after all, Lex concentrated again, and also started to walk in the opposite direction of the people, heading towards the fog.


    He felt that his light was too small to ward off mist and terrible wraiths. Lex redoubled his efforts, realizing that at least around him the mist was shrinking and the wraiths coming towards him shrunk in horror, and fled. But the darkness contained in them was impossible to deal with. Could Lex manage to get them back to the gate by himself?


    The Lightbearer couldn''t doubt it, or nothing would make sense.


    The flame became blue and strong for a moment, and Lex could see two realities.


    The depths from where the wraiths came from, which resembled the actual bridge, only leading to the obscure places from which these creatures were leaving ...


    And the actual bridge. Where Ludovica was, reciting maniacally, in profane catharsis, and invoking damnation to mortals through her summoning of demons.


    Kurt von Wuttenfal was making headway a few meters ahead of the Lightbearer, wandering blindly in the mist ... About to be caught in an errant wraith, or to enter one of the two destinations beyond the bridge''s gate.


    Lex needed to make him go not to go astray.


    Wasn''t that Lex''s purpose as a Lightbearer?


    But if Lex used her last strength to light Kurt''s way to the witch, would she be able to avoid the wraiths that would surely come through this body?


    She had that huge responsibility.


    Incendiary arrows went over the Prince''s head and hit the gate, only to go out immediately, harmless.


    Then Alexa felt a heat take her body, as if she were embraced from behind by invisible and familiar, cozy arms. Hands that covered her hands, and a whisper in a familiar voice,


    ~ I am with you ... ~


    ''Alexander!'' Before she could ask any questions or understand the feeling in her chest from hearing his voice again, the light in her hands blinded her for a moment, in an explosion of size and intensity.


    They were engulfed by the light they emitted together. She instinctively closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the painful screams of dread from the wraiths their Light hit. Even with eyes closed, for Alexa, everything went white and it was as if the midday light had come abruptly. Alexander was with her, and together they shone like a sun.


    That little joy lasted for a few seconds, however. The ground started to shake under the prince''s feet, and a deafening noise from above made Alexa look up towards the sound.


    When she opened her eyes again, it looked like everything had stopped in the air.


    She did not know if she was deaf, as she heard no sound and nothing moved. The arrows, the wraiths receding, not even the flags on the posts flapped in the wind.


    There was no wind.


    The bridge was shaking heavily in front of her, and the great pillars of the gate began to bend, while the mist was ''swallowed inwards'' like smoke from a chimney.


    The Lightbearer knew that Ashgraufelsen''s door was going to collapse, and she needed to send back as many wraiths as she could.


    Then Alexa saw through the mist dissipated.


    Kurt von Wuttenfal walked towards the witch, in the middle of the bridge, and raised the hand cannon.


    The woman had her face transformed into a frightening and macabre rictus, and laughed ...


    "Kurt von Wuttenfal, the coward ..."


    "I''m rewriting my epithet, Sister!"


    BOOOOOM!


    The firing of the gun rang in her ears, proving that she was not deaf. The gunpowder smoke after the shot totally covered what happened immediately afterwards, but Ludovica''s horrible, final maddened scream echoed loudly over the cliff around Ashgraufelsen.


    The stones and wood columns around Ashgraufelsen''s bridge''s gate crumbled and collapsed, and the bridge''s timbers and cables creaked, crack and splinter like sparks in the fire.


    Lex saw parts of the bridge fall, from a height of 40 meters, and saw the Duke running across the bridge back towards the portal.


    The Lightbearer felt a great dizziness when she noticed the prince''s feet not touching the ground, and she knew that her conscience wanted to black out, but she forced herself to remain conscious,


    ~ We have to hold on until the Gate closes, hold on, Alexa¡­ ~


    But it was too much for her strained body and soul, and the last thing she saw was the Duke throwing himself forward as everything collapsed around them.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    When she opened her eyes again, Alexa realized that she was in Alexander''s room, in Alexander''s body as expected, and that Cordelia was applying damp cloths to the Prince''s forehead.


    His hands were bandaged and hurt as much as the wound under his shirt. His eyes darted around, trying to understand what was going on.


    The place still had the putrid smell of the wraiths'' outbreak, and also of gunpowder. And at a glance, Lex saw that Ceridom at that moment was giving medical care to Kurt, who was lying on a bench. The Moor stood beside his friend, like a tower watching everything, and winked at the Prince when he saw him awake.


    Lex tried to reciprocate, but Cordelia whispered,


    "Don''t look up, Alexander, don''t force yourself. It''s over, thanks to the Good Lord."


    The Prince took a deep breath,


    ''Where are you, Alexander?'' she asked in her mind, hoping he hadn''t left her alone, and that nothing had happened to him after they closed the Hecate''s Gate together.


    Could Alexander do the same as she? What had really happened? Her memories were a muddy puddle right now.


    ~ I am here. ~ his voice sounded close, and it comforted her. ~ I just think we put in a lot of effort¡­ I am exhausted. How are you? ~


    ''Feeling like I fell off the bridge into the rocks¡­''


    ~ Nothing can really stop you, right? ~


    Lex smiled weakly, blushing a little at the unexpected compliment.


    ''You didn''t tell me you could do that,'' she commented, about what happened at the bridge''s gates. But before Alexander answered, she heard Cordelia whisper, also smiling at Alexander,


    "You''ll be fine, and your secret is safe with me."


    "Secret?" Lex was alarmed, worried about what Cordelia might mean by that, and feeling that she was in great danger now. His attention turned to Helga, who was opening the curtains. The day was dawning.


    "Yes, Alexa. Your secret. You are safe with me," Cordelia whispered in his ear as she stroked the Prince''s hair lovingly.


    "...!"


    ~ ...! ~

 Chapter 178 - Breaking Dawn

    "CORDELIA," Prince Gutard marched into the room, and the Princess leaped away from the Second Prince, straightening up in the chair beside the bed.


    Alexa lifted her neck, feeling dizzy and weak, but Cordelia''s words had made her heart race, and Alexander was clearly also on alert.


    "My¡­ Your Majesty! How did you get here so fast ?! The bridge¡­!" Cordelia again seemed close to tears when talking to her husband.


    Gutard shrugged, his face as hard as stone, and Alexa supposed there must be some secret path up the rock, and the Sovereign Prince had no desire to reveal it to anyone in the room.


    First coming to Alexander, the sovereign''s green eyes measured every inch of his son''s face, and he seemed pleased to find his eyes bright and open wide looking back at him. Then his gaze scanned the room, including the brother lying on the couch breathing heavily.


    Then his eyebrows furrowed, and he looked at the window, and then at Alexander again, astonished.


    "Alexander ... It dawned!"


    It was true. Sunbeams poured through the window in all the splendor of dawn at Ashgraufelsen.


    "...!"


    It had dawned a few minutes ago and Alexa was still in Alexander''s body.


    ''What happened?'' she asked him.


    ~ I know as much as you do. Perhaps the magic of the lighthouse''s witch has totally succ.u.mbed after what we did tonight? ~ Alexander conjectured, also intrigued.


    ''But I didn''t go back to my body!'' Alexa whimpered in her own mind, scared. By the words of Gisela, the maiden had understood that Alexander could only enter her own body because Alexa was there. That the connection between them had drawn Alexander''s soul back to the body, taking it away from Romeo. And she could see that Alexander''s bond with his own body was non-existent. If not for her, he would be wandering outside, unable to return, let alone have some control over his own body. She didn''t want to be fighting over Alexander''s body with the real owner, but what would happen now? If at dawn she was there, did that mean she would never return to her own body?


    ~ Calm down, Alexa. Let''s find out what happened and what to do. Just calm down. Everyone is looking at us now ... ~


    In fact, Gutard and Cordelia were looking at the Second Prince with curiosity, and Alexander replied to his father promptly,


    "It''s good to know it''s dawn. I thought the day would never come again. I''m fine, I think ... Just in pain and tiredness ... Will Uncle Kurt be okay? The people in my house, the soldiers¡­ how are they?" Alexander was genuinely concerned for the people in his home, whom he had known since childhood.


    Gutard looked around again,


    "I command someone else to take care of this, so don''t worry. Your uncle must survive ... I didn''t see any limbs missing."


    "Thanks for the concern, Gutard old man," muttered Kurt from where he was, "But don''t worry, Alexander. Your uncle will survive ... And he''s happy to have come to visit you, after all. I said I was here¡­ uh, in good time."


    Ceridom was splinting the Duke''s arm. Alexa kept her attention on everyone, but mainly on Cordelia, who nervously wrung the cloth in her hands.


    "Cordelia has something to say, dad."


    It was time to hear everything she had to reveal.


    Gutard turned to his wife, who flinched.


    At first, it seemed that the Sovereign Prince was not going to do anything. And then suddenly his huge hands went to Princess Consort''s thin neck, and Cordelia didn''t have a chance to escape!


    "DAD!" the Second Prince exclaimed, trying to get out of bed quickly, but being hit by a wave of pain because of his injury. While the Prince was rolling out of pain on the mattress, Gutard was dragging his wife out of the room.


    "NO! NO! PLEASE DON''T! HELP! I AM INNOCENT! I DIDN''T WANT TO TAKE PART IN THIS, PLEASE DON''T KILL ME!" Cordelia begged as Gutard dragged her down the stairs.


    "Helga, help me!" Lex took the initiative to follow Gutard. Witnessing the violence, even against a person who, at the very least, was conniving with murders and heinous acts, disturbed her. And she knew that Gutard was not merciful!


    ~ She''s lying, Alexa! ~ Alexander tried to remind her.


    "Can she at least try to defend herself with dignity? We need to listen to what she has to say!" Alexa wanted to know the truth. And more than that, she needed to understand Cordelia''s motivations.


    ~ Alexa¡­! It''s useless! She was on their side. And she even killed a guard while stealing my body! ~ Alexander got angry.


    But it didn''t stop Lex from getting up and accepting Helga''s help down the stairs. As they descended, the Prince saw that the ladies who accompanied Princess Consort were also forcibly brought into the main hall of Ashgraufelsen.


    Cordelia''s mother was prevented from trying to save her daughter from the hands of the Holstein Sovereign, by the strong hands of Gutard''s personal guards, and she begged for mercy. Not for herself, but for her daughter.


    Gutard threw Cordelia to the floor with contempt, in the middle of the room, and close to the captured women.


    The sight of her torn clothes, bleeding lips, bruised skin directly hit Alexa''s heart.


    Cordelia crawled at her husband''s feet,


    "Majesty! Listen to me! I didn''t know anything until Sister Ludovica arrived! I lived in that convent for years, unaware of the real nature and plans of that woman! Please believe me!"


    "Don''t kill your wife! She is innocent, Your Majesty!" Cordelia''s mother pleaded, "If anyone is to blame it is me for trusting my daughter to that woman, and listening to her poisonous tongue! Please! My daughter is innocent! If anyone is to blame, it is me for keeping my daughter close to that viper! For letting my family be ensnared by her! My poor daughter almost died in the villa attack! And that woman said she would try to prove that everything was the work of the foreigner witch Alexa, who wanted to meddle in court and close to the princes! As she really did! Ludovica said she had the means and that we just had to watch her act!"


    Alexa could hardly believe what she was hearing, and she couldn''t help herself, speaking for the Sovereign Prince,


    "How dare you?! The place was infested with demons when Alexa and her friends got there! And a large number of people had prepared everything beforehand!"


    The matron replied, in a high-pitched and tearful voice,


    (CONTINUES)

 Chapter 179 - Slaying Blind Pigs

    Filling her lungs with air, the matron lady cried,


    "How can I know what happened there, if not for the reports of others? And throughout the girl''s narrative, she was always calm about those horrible things! And she seemed to know so much! I was convinced that she had bewitched everyone!"


    "I believed myself to be bewitched by her, so kind and so beautiful!" confessed Cordelia. "I was scared and after the attack of ghosts that tried to choke me, ... right after I was in Alexa''s company, ... I started to be afraid of her too. I started to think she wanted to kill me! I was wrong, but I was afraid! Judge me for that, but not for being a witch! I can''t stand the horrible dreams and whispers of the dead anymore!" Her sobs interrupted her confessions.


    "But you stole Alexander''s body!" Gutard accused.


    "YES! But it was not as it seems. I was taking him to the chapel! Ludovica said that he was under a demonic spell and that he was the source of all evil in the castle. But because I grew up in the convent and thought she was a good person, I thought Sister Ludovica was right, at first. She was always involved in my life! But ... She set the prince''s room on fire. She was angry and adamant! That was the day after Prince Alexander''s wedding! How could I know at that moment that she was indeed a witch, and that she was with the witches who attacked me in the villa? How could I imagine that the person I trusted had plans for me? How could I know Ludovica was an aide to your Dead First Wife, a Cultist, and a Sorceress? And I didn''t know it yet, but people who took part in the whole Ludovica''s plot to use me as a pawn in the villa would be burned in the public square! I decided to save the prince from death¡­ I didn''t believe he was demonic as she said!"


    "SHUT UP, BITCH! You don''t stop spewing lies!" Gutard snapped, his eyes bloodshot with hate.


    "Allow her to speak, father! Please!" Lex wanted to go through with Cordelia''s justifications. Turning to her, The Second Prince accused her,


    "And you killed that person on the stairs, and even assumed that!"


    "YES!" Cordelia screamed her confession so loudly that the Prince''s ears even hurt. Soon after, she burst into crying, and babbled, "It was an accident! He saw us arguing with Ludovica! She was trying to take Alexander''s body from us!"


    Gutard lifted her off the floor, shaking her by her clothes, and slapped her so violently that she knocked her down again.


    She swallowed the crying this time, but begged, speaking in an almost inaudible voice, "I was so scared! I was so scared! When I realized who Ludovica was! When Catalina disappeared, after Father Agnello! So she threatened us, and revealed her plans! She said that she had made me the Holstein''s Princess, and that she would take everything my family and I had! She threatened to curse us to eternal damnation! And promised to give our souls to the hounds of hell if we betray her! She proclaimed us her slaves! She then decided to kill the couple, who she said was plotting against ''us''! That''s when I really realized it was her biggest fear! And I realized they could help me out of this, they could help me redeem myself! Ahhh! I was wrong, there is no salvation for me!"


    Cordelia''s mother shrieked desperately and struggled to see her precious daughter with a bleeding face and sobbing softly, at the feet of her attacker,


    "My daughter! He doesn''t want to listen to you! He knows you aren''t guilty, but he doesn''t want to listen to it! Why would we have joined such a wicked person as her if we knew she was a witch beforehand?! She deceived us, and used us for her satanic purposes! I helped her! I listened to her and made my daughter obey her plans." Greta de Wits came out of a submissive state for fierce defense, continuing,


    "But I had no idea that she was the real demon! I had no idea that she was behind the attack on the village, until it was too late!!!" her cries came in a crescent, and Cordelia''s mother''s voice failed for a moment. Then she pleaded, looking at the witnesses around,


    "The Holy House of God must hear us! The Bishop must listen to us! God is a witness that we were tools! We have been deceived and used, but the merciful God knows our hearts. I do penance, I assume my crimes. But my daughter was just an unconscious pawn to her plans! I will confess my sins, my life and my fortune are from now on in the Church..."


    " Lying viper¡­ "Alexa snarled, knowing that that woman was no innocent. And treacherously, Greta tried to remind Gutard that her family''s fortune should not be foolishly lost. "What do you want? Buy your forgiveness with gold?!"


    "What could we want from you, von Wuttenfals? We have the gold you need! And you never refused it! Greedy lying wolves with pretty faces! The von Wuttenfals are no better than de Wits. They wanted to suck our fortune, they sold their pride as p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.es! I refuse to be judged by you, false Christians, murderers, prevaricators! May the Church and its earthly proxies judge my crimes! My mistake was to have believed that Prince Magnus would have some honor! And we were used for the witch''s evil purposes, which she justified as vindication for what you have done in the past!"


    Greta''s harsh words reached the pride of von Wuttenfal in full, Alexa realized. Even Alexander at her side seemed to be fueled by anger, and he spoke,


    "The Church can judge your crimes against God. But you are a common killer too! You ordered Alexa''s murder when she left for England! You did! You killed the maid Nerissa yourself, with your hands! What is your justification? Were you forced by ''sister'' Ludovica to do this with your hands, too?!"


    This information, which was perhaps minor in view of the crimes in which she took part, seemed to stun her. Or perhaps the notion that their common crimes could be the justification for their condemnation, without Church''s interference. If before she had hoped to get to the Church and royally pay her way to redemption, Greta de Wits realized she had underestimated the murder of an anonymous servant.


    "What?! The maid?!"


    "Yes, Nerissa, the maid," Gutard passed Cordelia and went towards her mother, taking her jaw with one hand and squeezing it in a display of hatred,


    (CONTINUES)

 Chapter 180 - A Long Forgotten Name

    "Yes," grunted Gutard, "The maid who was a thief inside my castle. Who stole the topaz from Alexa''s wedding gown when she thought Lady Saskia would be killed during the trip. Why? Did it bleed your heart out of greed, because your daughter wasn''t having it? Nerissa... The very maid who had the letter from Marquise Dagmar telling me who J¨¹rgen de Wits'' wife really was ... Marquise Dagmar was someone who really remembered the past and all sides very well. Thing I honestly wouldn''t remember. All that gold should pay for the girl''s silence and send her to England¡­ But she kept the evidence, and you sent henchmen on the ship to kill them both, Alexa and her¡­ "


    ''Wait! What? Weren''t the killers on the boat for me?! Were they for Nerissa, in first place?!'' Alexa was amazed at the revelation, and even more impressed that Gutard was listening to all of Greta de Wits'' false confessions and whimpers, while he had already unveiled the maid''s murder.


    The princess had not been thinking in the last few days about the evidence she found in Marquise Dagmar''s room, in the hiding place that Nerissa had on the wall. The letter, gold, and topaz should have greatly intrigued Captain Gunnar, head of the royal guard. And¡­ Greta was someone else, too?


    ~ Alexa! Are you offended that you''re not the only one hated by Holstein?! ~ Alexander looked more shocked than amused, but still, it was a reprimand. Lex was a little embarrassed, because maybe it was true.


    They heard slow, dramatic clapping from the top of the stairs, and when Lex turned around, the Prince saw Duke Kurt leaning against the wall, watching everything with a smirk on his face.


    "I was really surprised by the person I met at the dinner table last night. It all suddenly made sense. Because, say, Sister Ludovica was an excellent acolyte of the Cult of Diana, and quite talented. Perverted crazy wench, even. But it was just another rabid bitch stoked by the cunning mind behind it all. A woman with grandiose motives and plans, isn''t she?"


    "Who is she, anyway?" the Second Prince interrupted, moved by the curiosity of both Alexander and Alexa.


    "Letitia di Borghesi''s most faithful chaperone. Lady Zilda Bartolini," clarified the Duke.


    For many, the name might not make much sense.


    Alexa remembered seeing this name somewhere1 ...


    ''Of course, at the Cathedral ossuary! The day I tried to escape Holstein with the help of Father Agnello, I saw that name! So...she faked her own death to get away with it! And¡­ She and Ludovica were survivors from the purge when Letitia and her maids were killed? No wonder they tried to revive their leader, after so many years¡­ Wow¡­ Just¡­ Wow!''


    It was frightening that she had spent so many years planning her return, but that alone explained everything that Father Agnelo knew about the Cultists. A fanatical and vindictive acolyte wanting to resurrect the high priestess, and wanting to marry her daughter to the priestess'' son, for that!


    Wilbert, the butler, exclaimed, "Without a doubt! I recognized her immediately, I just couldn''t say it to Your Highness!" Lex looked at the elderly butler, only now understanding the signals the servant wanted to transmit. Perhaps the real Alexander could understand, but she cannot.


    The woman tried to spit at Holstein''s Sovereign, but failed, he continued to clamp her jaw with his huge hand, until she m.o.a.ned and bent in pain.


    Gutard snarled,


    "A loyal bitch, like the bitches of the Bitch Goddess? Is that what all of you are?! Did you regroup far from here to maintain the legacy of that madwoman? Years and years planning what? Resurrect her as the queen of bitches? Not a thousand demons are going to achieve this. You will die like the worms you are. You¡­ You are as crazy as she is, but even worse¡­ For using your daughter and wanting to defile her¡­ Cordelia¡­ That woman made you sin so much¡­"


    His gaze fell on Cordelia, and his expressions revealed pity, disgust, anger.


    Cordelia looked at the woman who thought she had another name and another origin, with horror at hearing all the revelations,


    "You¡­ were Zilda all along?!"


    Cordelia''s mother screamed,


    "CURSE UPON ALL OF YOU! CURSED VON WUTTENFALS! ALL YOUR EFFORT WILL BE IN VAIN, IN THE END! MY MISTRESS WILL RAISE FROM ASHES, WILL BECOME THE QUEEN, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO! YOUR ROTTEN LEGACY IS FADED TO RUIN AND FAILURE, BECAUSE EVEN IN DEATH, MY QUEEN WILL GET THE REVENGE FOR WHAT YOU DID! DIE, GUTARD, YOUR MISERABLE MONSTER THAT HATES WOMEN! DIE YOU AND YOUR LITTLE BASTARD! HAHAHAH! DO YOU REALLY THINK HE CAN BE YOURS? LOOK AGAIN TO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE MARRYING SIBLINGS! HELL IS WAITING FOR YOU!!!


    Gutard turned to Zilda, the actual name of Cordelia''s mother, and grabbing her by the hair, he started pulling her towards the main door, towards the collapsed bridge.


    Gutard''s men dragged the two chaperones out, ignoring their clemency claims.


    Alexa didn''t want to continue watching that spectacle of horror and violence, feeling a painful sensation in the chest. The witch''s last words made her flinch inside her current body, as if it was possible. Siblings, she and Alexander? It was pure craziness¡­ Doesn''t it? Yet, a bitter taste came to the Prince''s mouth.


    ~ What is he going to do with Cordelia?! ~ Alexander was incredulous, and they both turned their puffy eyes to Princess Consort, still lying on the floor in the same spot where she was before.


    ''I have no idea ... I think I''m going to be sick ...'' Lex responded, feeling nauseous from what she had witnessed and listened to so far.


    ~ Will he forgive her?! Is he really going to forgive her?! ~ the true Second Prince questioned in deep shock and indignation. ~ He didn''t spare my mother, but will he forgive her?! ~


    ''Alexander¡­ Maybe he is learning from the mistakes he made. He cannot correct what he has already done, but he may not do it again¡­ ''Alexa could understand the reasons for Alexander''s anger, but she thought she could understand Gutard''s reasons too. He had recently told her he was trying to be a better person, when they''re returning from Duke Konrad''s lands.


    ~ You are mistaken! I don''t know if you''re just too godly, or a fool! First, Lady Gwen, that monster. Then Cordelia, that viper! Are you puffed up by her words? Are you starting to believe you are a saint, after all?!~ He grunted venomously, and Alexa fell silent.


    It was the first time that Alexander showed profound anger, and because he was so closely connected to her, his feelings of frustration, pain, and revolt were even uglier and raw. It was a shock to know that side of him. But this imperfection told Alexa that he was not the fantastic, vague, and unseen creature somewhere far away, but someone real. With feelings like hers.


    "Your Highness, you better go back to the room, you look pale and sick ..." Helga suggested, placing a hand on his shoulder.


    Lex took the advice.


    She could feel waves of frustration and resentment coming from Alexander, and when he realized that Alexa disagreed with him, he no longer spoke to her.


    Despite the restless mind, the Prince''s body needed even more rest, and Lex agreed to be put to bed without discussion. The Second Prince tried to refuse the sleeping pill, which did not make him sleep, but numbed his body enough to ease the pain. But they spent the next few hours listening to the groans of the wounded and the cry of those who mourned their dead.


    When Gutard returned to Alexander''s room, he sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, looking awful and in a foul mood,


    "Son ... Is it over?"


    "I am still here, Your Majesty. But Alexander is with me. I have no idea what''s going on right now¡­ I just need to tell you what your second wife told me¡­" Lex whispered.


    Gutard listened to her report in silence, and when she finished, Alexander''s father patted his son''s knee,


    "Hang on. Magnus will bring the damn alchemist, or the potion. Alexa, you have done a lot for us. It won''t be forgotten."


    "...!" she did not know how to respond, surprised and not knowing what to think of her father-in-law''s ''kind'' words.


    Gutard stood up, saying,


    "Let''s go back to Holstein. This place is defiled."


    Alexa felt the pain in her chest again, knowing that Alexander was hurt and frustrated because Ashgraufelsen, the place where he spent his childhood, had been defiled by demons.


    She felt too weak to even try to use the light again, to send the lost souls to the Path. When she felt better, she promised herself that she would come back to do that.


    Later, almost in the evening, Lex left with a large group back to Holstein. They descended to the base of the rock by a long ladder stone ladder carved inside the rock, and Gutard carried him all the time. Cordelia was part of the group, and was silent at the end of the line.


    Looking over his shoulder, as dusk fell over the impressive landscape of Ashgraufelsen and its broken bridge, Lex saw three female silhouettes hanging from what remained of the eastern portion of the bridge.


    The bodies of Zilda Bartolini and two acolytes from the Cult of Diana swayed at a dizzying height. Check Chapter 52, the first mention of this name!

 Chapter 181 - Returning to His Side

    The Second Prince was leaning on Prince Gutard''s back as they rode, when the last rays of sunlight left the sky and the bluish light fell on the group. Alexa just felt the familiar pull, and scaredly called,


    "Alexander!" before she felt herself falling too far, into her actual body again.


    It took the maiden a while to remember why there was a wood plank so close to her face. Of course, she was in ''her'' coffin. However, Alexa felt the floor swinging rhythmically beneath her, and the watery sounds were also familiar to her,


    ''Isn''t there a moment when I wake up in my body, that isn''t strange?'' she sighed, remembering that her problems never seemed to end. ''Why the hell am I on a boat again? Or am I wandering in the sea like Danae,1 locked in a coffin?''


    But she wouldn''t have all the patience of the hero''s mother, and she started to knock on the coffin lid!


    "Eh, it seems the dead Princess is not quite dead, Your Highness," a thunderous voice was heard over the calm and rhythmic ocean sounds. Alexa was quite relieved to hear that.


    "Ah?!" Magnus opened the coffin lid. He stared at her with bloodshot eyes, and a mixed confused yet relieved expression. The Prince helped her sit up and his hand rested comfortably on her back,


    "Alexa! What happened?"


    Before answering, the princess looked around. Night had already fallen, and she was in a boat, along with the First Prince, the cage with Romeo, and a huge man with reddish hair and goatee. The stranger held a pair of oars. He curiously looked back at the princess, and had a slight amused but kind smile on his face.


    "I ... think I overslept, don''t I?" she glanced at Magnus, realizing how tired and anxious he looked. Alexa wanted to throw herself into his arms and seek comfort from everything she had experienced in the past few hours, but it would be selfish¡­ and weird. It was clear that he, too, had had a bad time.


    "Too much? You slept like... forever! I really thought you were dead, and that there was nothing I could do!" he rubbed Alexa''s back in circles, and although that was very pleasant, she wondered if this was his attempt to calm himself down.


    So, instead of saying anything, she just smiled in thanks that he had taken care of her body for so many hours.


    Alexa could understand how maddening it should be to wait her to wake up, and she not doing it. Because it could mean everything was lost to Alexander, and one of them, or both, were beyond reach... or truly dead.


    "Hello, I''m Alexa," she turned to the stranger, trying to fix any poor impression he could have of her, for their first meeting consisting of her in a coffin. Now watching better, even in the dark, he dressed in good quality, although practical, and wore a stylish hat with feathers, which he took off when greeting her,


    "Captain Octave Dubois, at your service, Your Highness," he spoke in his deep voice, and turned to the Prince. "Any changes in our plans, Your Highness?"


    Alexa saw that they were far from the port, which could still be seen on the horizon. Looking in the opposite direction, the princess saw that they were a hundred meters from a black mountain in the middle of the water. She deduced that it was a ship with all lights out.


    "Eh ... Why are we at sea, Prince Magnus?" she quickly grabbed the cloak he handed her, as well as the covered cage with little Romeo.


    Responding to both, Magnus sighed, as he picked up the extra paddles again,


    "The story is a little long, but that is the ship where our friends came from. Barfleur 1 is closed due to an outbreak of plague ... Brought by that same ship. That is now drifting. But we have to go there ... I need to check for survivors and ... If my gold is still there, too. "


    "Oh!" it was shocking news.


    But they made perfect sense, unfortunately. The ship that the second group boarded had left Holstein. And during the voyage many sailors and warriors could have been contaminated.


    Captain Dubois cleared his throat,


    "The ship was moored for a few days, waiting for the Prince. The captaincy expelled the ship as soon as it realized that they were the focus, after demonstrating the symptoms. People died quickly in the port region, and the disease began to spread like drunken urine out there. Let''s say that people from Holstein are not welcome in the city right now. Uh, sorry for ''drunk urine'' ... oops, I shouldn''t have been repeating it ... I hadn''t even spoken to a princess before ... Uh, I''m sorry."


    Alexa found it funny, "Okay, I''m a princess with little sensitivity."


    The Prince interrupted her, talking to the Captain,


    "She''s getting used to western etiquette, so let''s keep a proper vocabulary around her, please?"


    The captain nodded, amused,


    "Yes, Your Highness. I''ll make my best."


    ''Uh, so he''s trying to hide the fact I''m an ogress, as he uses to rub it in¡­ How amusing,'' she mused. But something else was priority than her ''assumed lack of finesse'', and the Princess asked Magnus,


    "So does it mean our friends are all possibly dead or sick on the ship? And do you want to go there, all the same?"


    "Should I stop checking?" he bluntly returned the question.


    "I heard that some people who came on this ship died on land. But if the ship is here, it''s very unlikely that anyone is still alive, Your Highness ..." the captain explained to the princess, however.


    "Aren''t you afraid of getting the disease?" she looked to Magnus and to the Captain, next.


    "Ahem, well, I already had something like that when I was a cabin boy on a ship docking in Venice in a bad year ... They say that if you caught it once, and survived, you won''t catch it again!" the captain spoke cheerfully.


    Alexa looked at the Prince, questioning.


    Von Wuttenfal just shrugged, and started to row,


    "I already have a yet worse disease. And you ... I had no way of leaving you behind, for what matters. But you can stay in the boat, while we check if there''s anything or anyone to be saved..."


    ''Worse disease? What is he talking about?! '' She was not feeling very bright after the exhausting period she lived in Ashgraufelsen. But she felt a pang on her chest, listening to his dismissive words, as if he had already come to terms with whatever it was.


    She need to know what was going on! One day when Acrisius went to an oracle to see whether he would have a grandson or not, the oracle replied that he would, but his grandson would kill him. Fearful for his life, Acrisius locked poor Danae up in a bronze tower to prevent the prophecy from coming true. Zeus spotted Danae all miserable in her cell, came down to her in a shower of gold. He then transformed back and laid with her. When Acrisius went to check on Danae, he saw that she had a son and had named him Perseus. Once again he tried to eliminate both mother and son by locking them in a wooden chest and pushed them out to sea, so that he wouldn''t be guilty of murderer.A port in Manche, Normandy.


    During the Middle Ages, Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation from France for England.

 Chapter 182 - Aboard a Ghost Ship

    However, she could not have this conversation in front of a stranger, and turned to the Captain, asking instead,


    "But how did the Prince convince a Captain to take part in this? And, getting into a boat carrying a coffin and a birdcage all the way around?"


    The red-haired giant shrugged, and for the first time Alexa realized that he had a Flanders accent, although subtle, when he spoke,


    "I was worried about taking the princess''s coffin and a bird with us. But there was no other way. His Highness wasn''t willing to let the coffin behind, and we couldn''t trust it to anyone else¡­ But believe me, Your Highness... I have seen things as strange as. Bards have a hard time impressing me with their fantastic songs and stories!"


    "Captain Dubois has his reasons. In any case, I had few choices. As has been said, they are not exactly welcoming anyone from Holstein. It doesn''t matter who it is, as long it''s coming from Holstein," Magnus didn''t need to emphasize the grudge about it.


    Although Alexa was curious about what the First Prince''s last 40 hours would have been like, it wasn''t the best time to ask.


    The maiden felt so good about being in her own healthy body! Even the hunger in the pit of her stomach was welcome.


    There was no pain.


    In fact, when he was in Alexander''s body, her mind seemed to wobble into the past, when she thought of herself as a boy. It was confusing, and Alexa liked it less and less. She felt much more comfortable and happy in her own body. She felt complete, and even her thoughts seemed clearer.


    But while the two men paddled the small boat vigorously towards the ship, Alexa had a sudden thought that needed to be shared with Magnus. Leaning over him, she whispered in his ear,


    "Wouldn''t it be better for me to go up first? So, if there are souls who need rest, and I think there will be, I can finish this before our friend the captain goes up."


    Magnus turned his face to hers, and Alexa felt something strange and hot in the middle of her chest and also on the top of her belly. That was love, just because he looked at her like that, did she think she was going to melt?


    He whispered back,


    "I would appreciate it if you did something for them. You can go up, but I''ll be right behind you. If necessary, you will give me a signal and I will remove the captain long enough."


    Magnus always had simple and sensible plans, and Alexa nodded, stretching a little.


    "Did you feed Romeo?"


    "Believe me, he doesn''t need to be fed in his mouth. Don''t worry. He''s a survivor," he replied, sarcastically. But her eyes didn''t want to leave each other, and in the end, he winked at her, looking away next.


    Alexa made some ties and knots to the skirt of the dress to make it more practical to climb and whatever else was needed. She also took Romeo with her, tucking him inside her clothes, for safety.


    The boat then got close enough to the ship, and the captain got up, skillfully using the long rope with a tripartite hook to attach the boat to the ship''s side. He was strong and very experienced, and on the first attempt he made an excellent shot, and the hook stuck firmly to the railing on the upper deck.


    "I go first? Climbing a ship on a rope isn''t easy task for those who are not used to it. Once there, I will launch the boarding ladder."


    It wasn''t surprising that a captain thought a prince and a princess, as peculiar as they were, were not capable of such a feat. Alexa knew her skills, and remembered that the First Prince might not be as agile and light as she was when comes to climbing, but he had gone up and down the outer side of a lighthouse in the past.


    "The Princess will go first," Magnus confirmed, and the Captain still showed no surprise.


    Alexa didn''t take long to climb the side of the ship, ready to find the rope ladder and launch so they could join her.


    The deck, as expected, was empty and dark. But as she looked toward the quarter deck, she saw the former captain''s unmistakable Shade, with his back to her, serenely facing the horizon next to the wheel, as if he was still busy with the activities of his previous life.


    She considered whether she should go to the Captain''s Shade first, but looking at the companions in the boat, waiting for their action, she thought it best to bring them to the deck at once. Perhaps all the ghosts they were going to meet in the ship could leave just after they saw the Prince and knew that they had fulfilled their mission of waiting for his return. It was a sad conclusion, but a very common one.


    As happened to Ulrich, recently.


    It was not difficult to find the boarding ladder, conveniently prepared on the deck. Without a second thought Alexa pinned the ladder to its proper hooks, with some difficulty, and launched it to Magnus and Captain Dubois.


    A noise on the deck caught her ear. Alexa hoped they weren''t mice, although that was more likely.


    She smelled the faint stench of death, but to her surprise, the smell was less unbearable than she feared. Did it have anything to do with the sea?


    In a few moments, the two men joined her on the ship''s deck. The captain went over to a lamp attached to the lower deck access door, and lit it with the help of a special flint.


    Now they had some light. The captain casually commented, while looking at the deck,


    "They did their best to keep everything clean as long as they could ... If this ship is able to sail, it is a sin to leave it adrift like that."


    "Should we go in?" Alexa asked them.

 Chapter 183 - Sea Rats

    Captain Dubois suggested,


    "Let''s look at the cargo hold first. The princess will probably not like what she is going to see in the officer and berth quarters, so she can stay out here while we look around, right, Your Highness? So we guarantee to discover if your goods are intact, before dealing with¡­ ugly things to see, "the Captain was taking care of what he said, being in front of a lady of the nobility, as the Prince demanded.


    Alexa however had no way to share her suspicions with the Prince right now.


    "Hm, yes," Magnus agreed, and headed for the middle of the main deck, near the hatch to the bas.e.m.e.nt. The Captain brought the light and illuminated the trapdoor, locked with several chains.


    "Your Highness was not kidding when you said they would have taken very good care of what was yours," exclaimed the Dutchman.


    Alexa was used to pragmatic decisions, but this time, perhaps due to the peculiar situation, she worried that the Prince had misjudged her new friend. It was clear that the Dutch captain knew that the Prince had valuables on the ship, and that was probably why he had agreed to help.


    She didn''t know what conditions they had found themselves in, but it didn''t look like a man like Dubois was so desperate for money. Or he was the kind of swindler ready to try something against someone like Prince Magnus.


    But Alexa had never been very lucky when judging people by appearance.


    Captain Dubois, instead, looked like that kind of person with a patience and composure that could rival Balbo Cerd¨¢n''s. And maybe that was why she had sympathized with him.


    But that alone didn''t mean that he couldn''t betray them because of the gold of a Prince in strange land and with no friends around.


    "They knew me," the Prince tested the chains, confirming that they were all very well attached. Alexa felt a shiver. The captain also crouched down to check.


    Why were Shades and Princes of Holstein so attached to gold? She could feel the supernatural presence eagerly guarding some of the money Magnus had brought with him to make the trip with his men. One part had sunk with Lagos, and the other part was there.


    "If you didn''t keep threatening your men and making them swear stupid things, they wouldn''t be stuck in a pile of metal," she mumbled for him to hear.


    "You are forgiven for talking nonsense tonight, but don''t abuse it," he winked in return, leaving Alexa dumbfounded.


    "Well, if the keys didn''t stay with the captain, then they should be with the First Mate or the Quartermaster. But in the end, it can be with anyone who has survived any longer, "said the red-haired man, finally getting up.


    "So there is no point in wasting time here. Let''s go in. The princess stays up here," he exchanged a look with Alexa, about what they had planned beforehand, and she nodded.


    The two men entered through the door of the lower deck, and Alexa was alone for a moment. After looking at the full moon and distant stars for a moment, she decided to approach Captain''s Shade at the quarter deck, to send it on to the Path.


    Putting her hands together and rubbing them lightly, while feeling the typical tingling in her palms, she moved forward. This was nothing compared to the pain and wounds that Alexander''s hands suffered from the attack of the Wraiths at Ashgraufelsen.


    When getting close to the steps of the forecastle, Alexa felt another shiver, but this time quite different from the instinct towards the supernatural. She spun on her heels, trying to return, but it was useless.


    A disgustingly dirty and stinky hand, with brown nails and salt-ridden skin, clutched her face awkwardly, while a similar dirty-looking arm wrapped around her body, forcing her close to him.


    Although her captor managed to arrest her, he was not quick enough to prevent Alexa from screaming. Only on the second attempt, already crushing the Princess''s body against his, did the man manage to cover her mouth,


    "SHHHHHH! What a beautiful and delicate young lady! You don''t want your neck broken, do you?"


    Alexa shook her head vehemently.


    "Well well ..."


    He turned the maiden''s body to the other side, and she saw, hidden behind the quarterdeck, at least four more men looking as disgusting as he, armed with machetes. They smiled frighteningly, making clear all the cruel intentions they had for this chance encounter.


    Pirates!


    She heard the sound of Magnus'' footsteps and Captain Dubois rushing back, just as the ship''s invaders did too. Their horrible, rotten-toothed smiles showed the anticipation of what was to come.


    The man dragged Alexa forward, revealing himself to the two men who returned to the deck, just as his companions also came out of the shadows.


    Alexa felt about to vomit because of the rotten smell coming from the man''s hands covering her nostrils and mouth, as running away was not possible. The man was not tall, but he was muscular and she had no chance against his strength.


    Magnus stopped, hand on the sword, as did the captain. The Prince assessed the situation with an annoyed grimace, but he didn''t seem at all intimidated by the ragged pirates who surrounded them like wolves around the prey.


    "Let go of the girl," Magnus smirked dangerously, completely ignoring the fact that Alexa was hostage to them. He had a bunch of keys in his other hand, which he spun provocatively, "And you won''t be hurt ... too much."


    She opened her eyes wide,


    ''But¡­ Is he challenging them? Does he think I deserve to be stabbed since I let Alexander''s body be stabbed ?!''


    The men laughed at the Saxon''s mocking challenge, while she heard a whisper near her, asking,


    "How did he get the damn key?"


    "It doesn''t matter! We couldn''t even break the chains, no matter what we tried! It''s cursed, I told you!" the whispered answer gave Alexa the certainty that the ship was still protected by the Shades who remained there.


    "Oh, of course. You stay with the girl, and we keep the key ..." growled a man behind Alexa, but she couldn''t turn her head to see him.


    "No. We keep everything," Magnus replied, menacing, taking a step forward with the same expression Alexa saw on the cliff that time. She shivered.


    "Hey, bastard! Your threats don''t scare us! We got here first!"


    This time, who answered was Dubois, with his deep voice and an eyebrow raised in mockery,


    "AND¡­?"


    The pirates were confused, but that was all it took for the Prince and his new friend to launch themselves fiercely at the men. Magnus was so quick to jump over a barrel, and his boot got dangerously close to Alexa''s face, hitting the sailor''s face that kept her stuck, however. Alexa saw saliva and blood shower before her eyes, and the pirate''s grabbing around her limbs loosened as the man and she spun together, due to the impact.


    Magnus grabbed her arm, and pulled her back.


    It was fast and she was dizzy with the pull, just hearing the familiar whoosh of metal passing over her head and the horrible wet crushing sound of flesh and bones being broken with the sword stroke.


    Magnus''body was cold as ice, wrapping his arms around her with only one arm. She had her face against the Prince''s chest, and he took a step back, taking her with him.


    The lifeless body of the pirate who had captured it fell behind him with a thud, like a bag of rotten beets.


    She flinched, wanting not to see what was going on around her, but the Prince put her behind him, while he and the red-haired giant dealt with the opportunists who saw the ship as an opportunity for wealth, even ignoring the plague.


    Moving away to the other side of the deck, Alexa saw Captain Dubois and Magnus fight against the group without the slightest hesitation, and a clear superiority. The giant Dutchman had tremendous strength, and Magnus just seemed¡­ unstoppable.


    She saw some of them throw themselves over the rail, cowardly, as soon as they saw that even their numerical superiority would not be enough against those two men. Her heart was pounding, and at the same time that the princess wanted Magnus to remain the moving war machine she was seeing, crushing their enemies, a part of herself was wondering why she was so excited that his ''beast within'' was unrestrained again. Just because he had defended her?


    After all, did he defend her... or his gold and his brother, through her?


    Romeo hooted under her clothes, and Alexa rescued it, seeing if the poor bird was injured. The nightingale was just scared, however.


    Finally, the two men looked at each other, realizing that there were no more opponents left on the deck. They smiled contentedly, and Alexa felt a jealousy of that instant camaraderie that arose for fighting side by side.


    ''Hmp! How cute, they beat malnourished pirates and think they won the Trojan war! Ulysses and Achilles, side by side!''


    Magnus came to Alexa, ignorant of the princess''s tantrous rancor. He was slightly breathless, and bleeding a little, but he seemed to ignore the fact entirely.


    "Are you alright? What''s up with Romeo? "


    "How do you ask me if I''m okay when you almost hit my face with your boot? I''d be mushed right now! You could have killed Romeo! They could have stabbed me!" she whined.


    "You only get stabbed when I''m not around, don''t forget that," he turned away, looking annoyed, in turn,


    "There were no survivors, Alexa. I''m going to go down to the bas.e.m.e.nt, will you go down too?"


    A little confused by his cold reaction, she replied, "No. I will stay here ... Calming Romeo. " In fact Alexa would use her light to send the spirits on their way to rebirth, instead of haunting a ship.


    But when Magnus took the first step away from her, Alexa grabbed his hand. Cold as a dead man. The Prince turned, over his shoulder, looking at her,


    "Illness. What is this disease you talked about? " she asked, although she tried to hide her distress. "What disease could kill you before the plague itself?"


    Magnus looked at both their hands, and their eyes became thoughtful, and sad,


    "Ask me later, Alexa."


    "Are you going to answer me? Really?"


    "Hm," he took a deep breath, not looking her in the eye, and withdrew his hand, leaving the anguished princess without a direct answer.


    "Magnus?!" she insisted.


    "I will answer, with one condition," he walked away without looking back, and Alexa''s eyes widened, not knowing what to do next, ''What condition?''

 Chapter 184 - With One Condition

    The Prince and the Dutch Captain opened the chains that closed the cargo compartment of the ship, and Alexa saw them disappear down the stairs.


    The Princess felt the energy change around her, a great expectation and anxiety becoming melancholy and desolation as the Prince arrived at what was his.


    He could continue his journey now. But his companions, men he had chosen to place his full trust in, would not follow him.


    As soon as the two men disappeared from view, Alexa lit her Light.


    The Shades were not long in coming, heeding the call of light, and free of their oaths to the Prince of Holstein at last.


    The Shade of the ship''s captain was the last to leave.


    A loud, plaintive noise seemed to come from the bowels of the vessel when the supernatural forces abandoned the ship.


    Alexa sighed, and sat on a step to the forecastle, stroking the head of Romeo, who looked at her intelligently.


    Only one thing reverberated in his head.


    The fact that Magnus had said he was terminally ill.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Hours later, the trio and the bird were sitting on a beach, exhausted after loading the chests and everything that was valuable, and paddling back to the mainland. The Captain took a small metal bottle out of his jacket, which he looked on with pride and affection,


    "OH! This gets even better after slapping sea rats like those sailors who are sons of a b... "looking at Alexa out of the corner of his eyes, he corrected himself "itchingcentipede¡­ AHHHH!" and gulped down the spirit, before wiping the mouth of the bottle with his shirt sleeve and passing it to the Prince.


    Alexa had no doubt that the brandy should provide some warmth, due to the captain''s satisfied expression.


    "Ah! Blessed are you captain! A well-equipped man!" Magnus laughed, and Alexa was lost for a moment to look at how, when he laughed so spontaneously, charming ''little lines'' formed around his eyes. How his beauty mark moved and his chiseled face looked yet more handsome, the slight hint of a dimple showing. OH! Her heart fluttered!


    Magnus also took a long sip, and looked at her from the corner of his eye as well, beside him, while doing this. Upon realizing that he had noticed her, Alexa straightened up to wait her turn, and held out her hands eagerly, waiting for him to pass on the brandy.


    Magnus closed his eyes, and took another little sip, wiping his mouth with satisfaction after that. He gave Alexa the small bottle.


    At getting it, Alexa felt that the bottle was empty. Narrowing her eyes, she didn''t give up. The princess still shook the container, and peeked inside with one eye. There must have been a few drops left, which she eagerly let drip onto her tongue.


    "I''ll buy us a round of drinks as soon as we get to Honfleur..." seeing the confusion and disappointment in the princess''s eyes, the captain explained, "It''s the port where our ship is docked."


    "Our ship?"


    "My father sent captain Dubois, after the shipwreck, to find us ..."


    Alexa remembered, of course, going to ask Prince Gutard for help when they were shipwrecked on the English coast.


    "Well, the fact that it was a secret mission was decisive for me to come with a small ship and be able to sail fast. The Sovereign Prince said that if I didn''t find you in the Darthmouth''s port, I would find you in Barfleur, where the rest of the group were supposed to be waiting for the Prince''s return. They were, in fact¡­" The Captain removed the hat from his head respectfully, when mentioned the ones who died from plague in the ship. Then he resumed,


    "But I was unable to dock here, because of the sanction to Holstein sh.i.p.s. We docked at Honfleur. So I came alone to Barfleur to find the prince, by land."


    She nodded, and broke into a big smile, "Well, in this case, I will accept your offer of a drink. And when we return to Holstein, I will receive you at my home too for drinks in retribution!"


    Magnus looked sideways, narrowing his eyes slightly. The captain laughed, getting up and removing the sand from his clothes and straightening his hat,


    "Well then! I''ll feel lucky in both situations! But ... I better move. I''ll get the cart to take these chests to our ship. I hope I won''t be long."


    Alexa and Magnus saw him walk away, whistling an unknown song.


    "Are you cold?" Magnus asked.


    "Uhum," Alexa nodded, "But I can go back to my coffin ... You don''t want to be seen hugging the corpse you carried around ... A little bit of brandy would have warmed my feet ...!" She pouted, and not expecting his invitation, she came closer to him. The Prince opened his cloak and covered her.


    They were silent for a moment, watching the dark sea lick the beach rocks, and Magnus asked,


    "What happened anyway? It was horrible to wait all day, not knowing where you were ... Wondering where you both were, and what had happened. Whether you would go back. Actually ..." he broke off, seeming to regret what he was talking about. Alexa looked up at him.


    "Actually ..." she insisted.


    "Today had made me go back. I think I should get back to Holstein before something worse happens to you..."


    Alexa looked down, nervous, and Magnus took her chin, making her raise his face to him,


    "What happened?"


    "Alexander is furious ... And he doesn''t want to talk to me because I defended his father..."


    She told him how things went in Ashgraufelsen, in every possible detail.


    The Prince listened in silence, and took Alexa''s hands carefully when the princess was describing the horrors she and Alexander faced.


    And as the cult''s new leader, Cordelia''s unsuspecting mother and former follower of Letitia, was exposed. The princess was uncomfortable to remind the First Prince, with this fact, that the entire plot orbited around an attempt to invoke Letitia''s soul.


    Magnus''s mother''s soul.


    It was so confusing!


    "So that was really the reason behind it all? The woman worked for years to turn her daughter into my wife, to invoke the Dark Cult''s priestess back to life ... Does that make any sense?"


    "According to Gisela, the great evil has yet to be defeated. There is still something the two of them are running for, Magnus. At first, when I arrived in Holstein, I thought each of them just wanted to ensure that their son was the next sovereign. But now I see it''s something bigger than that. Holstein is a strange place... It''s a place where the dead have a lot more strength than normal."


    He nodded, "I can say that I already noticed that."


    "So there''s something else we must discover, and do, so they can finally leave. I don''t think this will ever end while Letitia is at the castle..."


    Magnus sighed,


    "We have earned some time, at least. Captain Dubois was the first to reveal to us the de Wits were involved in black magic. He was a captain working on one ship sponsored by J¨¹rgen de Wits. And he saw things strange enough to step in and alert us, risking his career and even his life." The prince shrugged, "The day before you arrived at Holstein, actually."


    "OH! This means that you already suspected¡­" Alexa gaped, and he smiled,


    "Yes. We suspected. But at that point, we had no way of knowing the actual dimension of this whole mess."


    "Is that why you always treated Cordelia so badly?"


    The Prince''s golden eyes seemed to spark with the question, and he waved his hand in the air dismissively, with a roguish smile,


    "Me?! I already told you I am a gentleman."


    "Hmmm ..." she shook her head childishly, refusing to acknowledge it as true, and realizing what she was doing, her cheeks got a rosy tone.


    Alexa identified her own spontaneous behavior as one of the primary lessons of female seduction from Lady Eudoxia, when Magnus tensed, while maintaining a smile and a watchful eye on her.


    Was she spontaneously acting all coquettishly around him? Was she happy that he had a good reason to act as he did from the beginning?


    Oh! It was so pathetic that Alexa wanted to die out of shame right there!


    Magnus looked around, and the princess followed his gaze. The light was changing. Dawn was coming, and she didn''t have to be very smart to deduce that everything had been reversed. Now she would spend the nights with Magnus, making the trip even more difficult.


    "I''m leaving soon ..." she controlled her voice as much as she could to sound like a whining little girl begging for attention. "Take care. Rest if you can, and eat well."


    "Um ... I''ll do that," the Prince replied, placing his hands behind his back. And then he turned around without warning, starting to walk on the beach. Alexa watched him for a moment, trying to understand why he was moving away. But I couldn''t read the First Prince''s thoughts, of course.


    Then she ran after him, and caught up with Magnus, starting to walk beside him.


    "Magnus¡­ You said you were going to tell me later. About that. Your disease."


    He stopped to look at her, incredulously. Then, seeming to reflect for just a second, a discreet sardonic smile appeared on his face. But his gaze was distant now,


    "You don''t know, do you?"


    "No. I don''t. You said you had a condition to tell me. What is the condition? I accept. Tell me. Tell me what your illness is, and why you believe you are going to die," Alexa had her hands at her sides, her fists wanting to close in a sign of struggle. Just as her throat seemed to want to close because of the frustrating feeling of knowing the hateful object of her love was sick. Terminally ill.


    "Sure. I will tell you. The condition is: after I tell you about my illness, we will never talk about it again until we get back to Holstein. It should never be mentioned, you won''t be able to ask me questions or talk about it. And of course, you won''t talk about it with anyone."


    "Right. I accept, I said so," Alexa was increasingly frustrated, and answered sharply. Magnus wanted to be in control. But she would keep her word, if he trusted her with his secret.


    Magnus even moved away from Alexa a little, before turning back to her,


    "My heart."


    "What''s with your heart?"

 Chapter 185 - Dying

    "My heart ... hurts for you," he said grudgingly, looking away.


    Alexa was not sure what she was hearing. Was that a disease? What was he talking about?


    Before she opened her mouth to ask, however, Magnus had already read the question on her face, and said, rather abruptly,


    "Yes. It hurts. From the first day I saw you. My heart, this stone inside me, started to beat. It stirred and shivered in my chest. Like a caged animal fighting for freedom. It was so strong that I was sure... I was bewitched. You were the cause. I was waiting for witches, and you had arrived."


    Magnus approached her, so close that Alexa''s entire body shook. She remembered how he reacted to seeing her, and how it had never made sense. His words mesmerized her, and the intensity of his gaze kept her paralyzed.


    "Do you think I joke when I say that, inside my chest, there was always a heart of stone? But now it lives ... and it''s dying."


    She gasped, crushed by his words.


    "Day after day. There was a time when I was not afraid," he continued. "I knew I wouldn''t die. But now I do. Because, if I die like everyone else... What would happen next? I don''t want to leave you alone. I don''t ever want to go before you, not knowing whether you''ll be safe. I feel the night is too long without hearing your voice, being next to you, looking at you. Your absence exasperates me! But if I die ... Everything that never was, will be over," he raised his hand to touch her hair, but removed it before he even did so. Alexa missed his touch.


    "Magnus, ..." Alexa started, but he made a sign with his finger over his own lips, asking her to just listen to him,


    "Every beat this damn cursed heart makes ... And nowadays it pumps harder. Because of you ... Before you, time and death seemed just a far thought, and now, every beat seems to push me to death! I don''t expect you to understand, since you can''t feel what''s inside me. And..." Magnus pulled the hood of Alexa''s cloak over the princess''s head, to protect her from the early morning dew, "my punishment took time to come, but it came through you. And the fact I am finally going to die after I met you, and for falling in love with you, is just justice being done; the balance being re-established. I''m digressing, aren''t I? Just by looking at your face, I know you doubt my sanity."


    The princess looked down, exhausted from looking at him and feeling the intensity of his words. He had hinted that she wouldn''t like to hear what he had to say, and, in fact, she was afraid of all those words. He was confessing, and at the same time, he hides something. He said he was in love, but ... there was something else, hinted in his speech, which seemed out of place. There was something else he didn''t want to reveal.


    She twisted the ring on her finger.


    The wedding ring.


    Magnus looked at the symbol in Alexa''s hand, and his voice came out little more than a whisper,


    "Every time I desire, l.u.s.t, and crave you, it serves to remind me who I truly am, inside."


    "I know I can''t possibly understand what''s inside you, or even half of your words. Your words don''t sound sane, to begin with. But I know a little about death, and I don''t feel like death is with you ... But I won''t let you die, not because of me."


    Magnus laughed bitterly,


    "I understand what you mean Alexa. But as for that, as the prophecy says, you can only save one of us ..." Magnus fell silent, thoughtful, while Alexa tried to decipher most of his words.


    As always, nothing between them was easy. And she decided, as always, to be as clear as possible,


    "Are you saying you love me? Are you saying you''re going to die?"


    Then Magnus''s hands caught her face, and his fingers wrapped around her skull, as he brought Alexa to his chest. He was still cold as a dead man, but she heard his heart pumping steadily.


    Alexa clung to his clothes, and wished to speak. There was a lump in her throat, which prevented her from asking the thousand other questions swirling in her mind. She didn''t expect him to talk about love and fear, and she didn''t even expect to find that love and fear went so close together. Right in the Magnus'' heart of stone.


    And in hers, too.


    A strained silence fell over them. The waves of the sea were getting stronger while they held each other.


    Stroking Alexa''s hair, the Prince said,


    "I love you Alexa. But don''t take advantage of that. Don''t do such thing, never. Because I never knew what I can do."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    She wiped her damp eyes and hugged herself, as if she could still feel the coastal wind blowing around her. She looked at her hands, to be sure where she was, and saw the clean bandages on both hands of the second prince, her husband, instead of the wedding ring.


    Alexa felt ashamed of the last memories in her mind, and sat on the bed with a feeling of guilt.


    Daylight was coming in through the bedroom curtains. The Prince was in the castle again, in Holstein. But not in the tower.


    The luxurious room with objects she remembered must have been Alexander''s new official room. His presence could no longer be a secret, after Ashgraufelsen.


    She sensed Alexander''s presence, and he called out to her before she did,


    ''Why are you crying?''


    How to hide her feelings from someone who, despite not being able to read her thoughts, was close enough to recognize her body''s reactions?


    ''It was a sad night, Alexander. We went to meet the rest of the group ... Just to know that they no longer exist in the living''s world. ''


    She realized that they had changed the wound bandages during the night, and stood up carefully.


    Stefania, Alexander''s other nanny, was there and soon came to help him, with a huge smile and eyes shining with happy tears. Alexa only knew that Stefania existed, but had not yet seen her. The mid-aged maid had a blind eye that was a little disturbing. And when she approached the prince bringing him clothes, Alexa realized that the maid had only three fingers in one hand. In the East, this was not well regarded, and certainly a nobleman''s maid would never be maintained with such signs. But she asked Alexander,


    ''So this is Stefania, who looked after you as a child. I haven''t seen her yet because she attends the Prince during the day¡­ ''


    ''Fani! Don''t be fooled by the gentle smile, she''s fierce. She saved my life at least a dozen times, and that''s how she got these scars ... Besides, she hates Magnus, so don''t speak well of my brother, and actually avoid mentioning him, close to her.''


    ''Uh?'' That was unexpected, but Alexa smiled back at the maid, who was moved to finally see the Prince awake.


    "Fani! Good to see you!"


    "Your Highness! Helga told me what happened at Ashgraufelsen! the woman spoke with a shocked expression, but seemed to control herself and tried to be helpful, stating, "The Princess''s court was taken by surprise! Both with the news, and with the fact that everyone is forbidden to leave their rooms! And¡­ the new Baron, the father of the Princess, had tried to escape during the night, but was arrested when he arrived at the port!"


    "Uh, so it''s not over yet," Lex wished she didn''t have to keep up with what would follow, but she knew it would be impossible.


    "No. And that means that, more than ever, a proud and dignified von Wuttenfal appearance is necessary. God is on the side of the neat ones. It''s not possible to be on God''s side if you cannot even respect His temple, your body, keeping it neat and well dressed as a Prince has to be. It''s in the Bible!"


    Alexa felt Alexander ''shrink'' in cringe at the personality of the woman who saw him as a child, trying to dress him.


    "Who said that? Father Agnello?" Alexa suspected it wasn''t in the Bible, while the maid helped the Prince to put the shirt.


    Fani didn''t reply, drawing attention to another fact,


    "Your Highness, I had already suggested shaving you. Can we do that now?"


    Alexa was going to say yes, but Alexander said strongly,


    ''No! It''s not necessary!''


    ''How is that not necessary? This is odd as hell! I have to agree with Fani, it''s time to shave. You don''t want me to be pulling the chin hairs while I think to myself ...''


    Fani passed him a hand mirror, and the Prince looked at himself. Alexa felt the approval of Alexander with what he saw.


    ''Come on, I want to know what it''s like to shave!'' she proposed cheerfuly, trying to overcome what she perceived to be resistance. She could almost say that Alexander was enamored of his own facial hair.


    ''No! You have no idea how long it took to grow! And it must be just an impression, but there seems to be more of them now! How come?''


    ''Hmmm¡­'' she tried to remain serious, ''Was it less than that?'' She wasn''t very impressed. But the princess understood the problem, lack of facial hair was Narses'' concern too.


    ''Um, yes, a little bit less. Gosh! There is a lot more, to be honest ... But I think you''re right, they ... at least they could be closer and a little darker ... '' he mused, stroking his precious rarified chin hairs.


    ''Oh yes! Let''s shave! Finally!''


    Fani waited for the Prince to leave his narcissistic state looking in the mirror while making many expressions for himself, when a guard called to her. She went on again, looking serious, seeming to choose the words carefully,


    "Your Highness... ''Your favorite artist'', according to the woman''s own words, is at the door, bringing ''her favorite fruits'', and asking to see you! Shall I prepare your toiletry, or make her enter? Or both?"


    "Favorite artist?!" Lex''s mouth fell open, and at the same time, he felt his cheeks go red. Not caused by herself, but because of Alexander.


    ''Do you have a favorite artist, Alexander?''

 Chapter 186 - Troubadour

    ''Well, I ... I have a friend. She''s an artist. A talented one. The best of Holstein!'' Alexander justified, embarrassed.


    ''Really?'' Alexander''s suspicious attitude made Alexa narrow her eyes to him, or rather, to the Prince''s face she was seeing in the mirror, actually. Turning to Fani, the Prince asked, with an angelic smile,


    "Both, please!"


    ''No Alexa! I don''t want you to shave!¡­ My God, that sounded so weird! I don''t want to shave!''


    ''Mehmeh¡­ You already agreed to it.''


    ''No. I was still contemplating it! Agh!'' Alexander exclaimed when he saw Fani coming with the toiletries.


    "The barber is on the way, Your Highness!" she helped him put a velvety robe on top of the clothes he wore, and right after that, the door was opened for the visitor''s entrance.


    Alexa was curious, especially when a tall woman, with pink cheeks and wearing men''s clothes entered. Her extravagant outfit was complete with a split-brim hat1 adorned with feathers and a striking cape with white and red diamonds patterns. The red-haired woman still had a decorated vielle2 tied by a strip, and carried a covered basket.


    "Your Highness!" she spoke in a sonorous voice, bending her knee and making elaborate gestures that Alexa found terribly theatrical.


    She usually had a sympathy for artists, but while Alexander called her a ''friend'', the princess wasn''t sure if the woman in front of her considered herself his friend.


    A moment of embarrassment followed, while the woman remained on her knees, waiting for the Prince''s reaction.


    Meanwhile, Alexa asked,


    ''What''s her name, anyway?''


    ''Jette. This is Jette Allegoria. ''


    ''Should I be impressed?'' Alexa couldn''t resist teasing him. She didn''t understand why he was so nervous. At first Alexa had thought Alexander''s girlfriend would finally reveal herself, but she could have sworn that the troubadour wasn''t a lover of the Second Prince.


    "Jette! Jette, Jette!" buying time, as she didn''t know how to act, the princess motioned for the minstrel to rise, with a smile. The woman jumped as if propelled by a spring. She was tall as a man, and used to wide moves.


    "Your Highness, as soon as news of Holstein reached me, I did my best to return! I''m so delighted to see you! Rumor about your health reached even Manz!"


    "Were you in Manz?"


    A slight, confused hint showed in the red-haired artist''s hazel eyes, but she grinned. Her voice was melodious and naturally loud, for Alexa it seemed to reverberate,


    "OH! Don''t worry about forgetting! I just stopped by on the way back! I was in old Italy," as she spoke, she took a pear out of the basket. Alexa realized that the fruit was apart from the others. A pear of better quality and appearance. Jette handed the basket to a servant, and extended the pear with another exaggerated gesture to the Prince!


    "I haven''t forgotten my promise, Your Highness! Northern Italy pears!"


    ''Hmmm¡­ So this is how you live your life, Alexander?'' Alexa whispered, a bit worried by Alexander getting random food from strangers.


    ''What are you talking about? What''s wrong with friends who travel a lot? ''


    ''I''m talking about accepting risky gifts,'' Alexa took the pear from Jette''s hands with a grin, studying at it from all sides. It was a very well-preserved pear to have come from so far in almost perfect conditions. But Alexa would give Jette the benefit of the doubt.


    "Jette, Jette Jette!" the Prince repeated the name as if pondering, and grinning at the troubadour.


    ''Can you please stop it?'' Alexander groaned.


    ''Stop what?''


    ''Stop repeating her name condescendingly! She''ll think I''m crazy! ''


    "Jette! You know I love pears! And my wife likes it too! " the Prince took a greedy bite of the fruit.


    The troubadour blinked, a little confused,


    "Ah! I heard the rumor when I arrived! So many twists and turns! Wasn''t your brother getting married? And who is the Princess? They say she is beautiful as an angel ..." Jette gave the Prince a knowing look, and with a mischievous smile said," They say you even staged part of my song about the Prince and Princess! "


    Alexa remembered when Blue Eyes commented on a song made by the bards.


    ''Uh, do you mind if ... uh, you can excuse me and ...'' Alexander seemed to want to push her away, but the princess knew she could easily push him away instead, and not give him the control. Still, amused, curious, and knowing that, after all, the body was his, she yielded the command of the Prince''s body.


    "Ahem! My wife is witty person, and has a peculiar sense of humor, too. Thanks for caring about my health¡­ I was a little sick, but it''s over now!" he ran a hand through his hair, straightening his shoulders and filling his chest.


    ''Oh, my God! In my face?! And ... Is it over?! I still feel pain! '' Alexa was shocked.


    ''You were trying to ridicule me, just let me be myself! And pains¡­ I feel them too. But I am a Prince, and a von Wuttenfal. I can''t be m.o.a.ning and complaining like a little girl! ''


    ''...!''


    "Are you all right, Your Highness?" Jette asked.


    "I''m fine. Tell me about your travels!" he went to the window, and when the barber was introduced by Fani, he motioned for the barber to leave. Jette joined him with the confidence and pose of a very self-confident person ... and also of a person who knows she has the strict trust of the Prince.


    "Ah, my travels! This is nothing compared to the events in Holstein, in my absence! I can hardly believe that! So much happened in Holstein just after I went across the gates!"


    "Yes ... Weird¡­ Things."


    "Well, if I were here, at least I hoped I could sing at your wedding!"


    Alexander was visibly frustrated with the conversation''s route,


    "But you weren''t, were you? After the walk, we took in the valley, after my father''s birthday ... You decided to leave abruptly. You said that my confessor and you discussed..."


    This time Jette narrowed her lips for a brief moment, but shrugged,


    "Agnello di Borghesi is a difficult and... Tricky man, isn''t he? But it wasn''t the reason for my trip. There is an important festival, and I went to sing for a Duke''s guests, no less!"


    "Ah, it just fits your brilliance!"


    "Oh, I''m so glad to have your support, Your Highness! Well, unfortunately, I have a problem with that¡­"


    "You can tell, me, please have no reservations."


    "Well, it''s not like I have something bad to tell about my benefactor. It''s just¡­ The Duke graciously presented me in front of his guests with a beautiful brooch ... And later on, his treasurer didn''t pay me saying that the brooch was a princely gift, and... And it is! However, loan sharks and jewelry merchants here in Holstein either fail to see the value of this beautiful jewel, or are greedy rats ..."


    "Do you have the jewel with you, Jette? I''m curious," Alexander gave a smile which the princess found to be artificially calculated to highlight his charming dimples.


    Jette fell for it, blinking a bit before coming out from a state of grace,


    "Ah. Yes! I have it with me always, since it''s so valuable and beautiful. But of course, only people with eyes for beauty could see ..." the troubadour took a small bag from her belt, and showed the jewel to the Prince.


    Alexa wasn''t very impressed. It was really a second or third quality jewel. Alexander, though, gasped,


    "Oh! It''s a fine piece! Can I¡­?" he asked, reaching for the jewel.


    Jette gave Alexander a big smile. Alexa had to admit that, despite not being an especially beautiful woman, let alone delicate, she had a fascinating smile and an attractive personality.


    Her husband seemed totally attracted to the troubadour lady, and was behaving in a way Alexa had never noticed him before. He wasn''t in his usual talkative and spontaneous behavior.


    This caused a kind of jealousy in Alexa.


    So was Jette the woman Alexander really wanted?


    "I normally wouldn''t be commenting, but as Your Highness once said I should be honest¡­ The outcome of my trip wasn''t what I expect. I am having difficulties since Holstein has the plague, and even entering the city was difficult ... The usual places are closed, and my creditors are not even in the city ... No one wants songs at this time."


    "So accept my invitation this time, Jette. Stay in the castle, at least this season. Besides, I want songs. I will order other songs and you will be safe here..."


    "I normally would not accept it, but if my favorite Prince needs a minstrel to distract him, I am at your service!" Jette bowed, with a charming smile.


    ''Hmmm, don''t pay another gold coin for that brooch!'' Alexa warned, realizing that Alexander was examining the object again.


    ''Don''t be stingy. You are learning from my brother to be greedy! ''


    Interpreting Alexander''s sudden silence as a bad thing, the troubadour said worriedly,


    "I didn''t mean to upset you with that question, Your Highness. But as much as I asked, everywhere, I had no answer. Where is Father Agnello di Borghesi? I heard that his page was murdered, and that they are looking for him..."


    There was a note of distress in her voice. Alexander frowned, but soon disguised it. The princess felt her soulmate''s anguish and embarrassment.


    "He''s fine¡­ I mean, he''s recovering. Someone tried to murder him."


    The woman seemed to have prepared herself in advance for bad news, but instinctively reached for her heart. Alexa noticed Alexander''s jealousy. It was intriguing because it was not like she was feeling it herself, but just observing. She could only perceive his feelings more clearly. And Alexa supposed the opposite must be true, too!


    ''You like Jette, but Jette¡­ likes Blue Eyes?! Oh, Alexander! Stop liking those who don''t like you!''


    ''Keep your thoughts on this to yourself, Alexa. Just as I keep mine,'' he scolded her harshly.


    ''Excuse me? There is no way to keep secrets between us now!''


    ''But there is a way to keep some respect. Pretend you don''t know, and we''ll remain friends! After all ... What I feel doesn''t correspond to what will happen! Don''t you know that?!''


    ''...!'' Alexa fell silent, resentful because Alexander spoke bitter truths.


    ''Let''s get divorced, Alexander,'' she knew it was for the best, yet she felt a horrible weight on her chest as she agreed with Alexander''s wish.


    "I''ll take you to him, Jette," said Alexander without answering his wife.


    The princess noticed how excited and grateful the troubadour was, breaking Alexander''s heart even more. One of the iconic German hats seen in paintings and woodcuts is an oversized, brimmed hat with cuts/overlaps in the fold of the brim. They appear frequently in Cranach paintings, for example.The vielle /vi??l/ is a European bowed stringed instrument used in the Medieval period, similar to a modern violin but with a somewhat longer and deeper body. The vielle possibly derived from the lira, a Byzantine bowed instrument closely related to the rebab, an Arab bowed instrument.

 Chapter 187 - Alexa, the Brief

    "Annulment of marriage?" Bishop Hildebrand was astonished, but not entirely concerned.


    The afternoon meeting with Prince Gutard and the Bishop had started with other matters. The Second Prince had agreed to report events in Ashgraufelsen to the Church in an official manner, and that included, of course, the Holy Office. In the end, Alexander''s father explained,


    "Bishop, I am devastated to have to say what I am going to say, but I believe I made a sorry mistake. Now that my son has recovered from his illness, he has found himself married to Lady Saskia. But it''s a doomed marriage. I should have listened to my oldest son at the time, but I was blind and obsessed with my son''s illness and ... Well, the Bishop knows that Princess Alexa is a special person."


    "More than special, more than special," agreed the Church leader in Holstein with a smile. "People murmur her name in awe. Some even believe that she''s capable of miracles against the forces of darkness ..."


    "Without a doubt if she wasn''t interceding for me, I wouldn''t be standing now," said the young Prince. Alexa has remained collected, only as an observer, since the morning episode, letting the true owner of the body make the decisions.


    He was right, and she was wrong.


    ''What am I doing? I complain about them but I''m no better. I just can''t be between two men. And between two brothers, moreover! None of them is my destiny, after all. If our marriage is canceled, could I really¡­ marry Magnus? Of course not. The only chance to be with the First Prince would be if I¡­ agreed to be his lover, the same thing he offered me as soon as I got here. Basically, everything is ruined. ''


    She missed part of the conversation, only overhearing that they confirmed the marriage had never been consummated and that annulling it was the best way.


    The Bishop then asked a secretary to join them, to record the facts which would later be mentioned in the annulment process. While the notary transcribed the interview with the princes, Alexa noticed Gutard tapping his fingers rhythmically as he always did when he was worried.


    "The Princess also must undergo an interview, and witnesses must confirm that there was no consummation. But I don''t think that will be a problem, since you say she only spent a single night in her husband''s room¡­ and he was still unconscious," the bishop was optimistic about the outcome of the process. Alexa just didn''t understand why he wasn''t trying to dissuade them.


    Even if the bishop feared Gutard von Wuttenfal, that should be his role, right?


    He was probably aware of the Prince''s plans to marry Alexander to a woman from the eastern lands. But a rich heiress, this time.


    When the interview was over, Gutard demanded to be taken to the ossuary.


    As they descended to the site, Alexa remembered when she was there for the first time, planning to escape Holstein, and how she ended up falling asleep.


    The ossuary had undergone renovations after the cathedral incident, but part of it was untouched. Exactly the part that Alexa remembered seeing.


    A new, empty tomb drew attention. There was not much more space available in the valuable sanctuary under the altar, and the tomb was on the floor of the ossuary, right in the middle. There was still dirt around it, and its lid was standing, against a wall full of mortuary niches.


    The beautiful headstone carved with angels and flowers had Latin sayings and the person''s name.


    PRINCESS ALEXA, THE BRIEF


    WIFE OF ALEXANDER VON WUTTENFAL


    In a way, it didn''t even irritate her.


    Alexa''s presence in Holstein had disrupted all witches'' plans. She was quickly targeted as an enemy, and maybe she was already dead if her body was still in Holstein.


    The Prince approached the tombstone, which was in a place of honor, among the von Wuttenfal of the past.


    ''Are you okay with that, Alexa?'' Alexander asked him softly. It was the first time he had addressed her since the discussion in the morning, and she didn''t even expect it.


    ''Yes. Empty tombs shouldn''t scare anyone. I''m not there yet, so it''s not a problem¡­ When I die I will run straight into the light, and I hope to bathe directly in the Memory''s River, so I don''t remember anything about this life! I don''t want to have any regrets after leaving!'' she really hoped so, at that moment.


    ''Is there really nothing good in your current life, Alexa?'' he asked, sounding shocked.


    Alexander''s and Alexa''s attention diverted to their side, though.


    Prince Gutard extended his hand to one of his men, next to them,


    "Give it to me."


    The man handed the Sovereign Prince a pick, and Gutard felt the weight of the tool in his hand, wielding it willingly.


    He struck a powerful blow against the stone on the wall, exactly where the drawer with the name of Zilda Bartolini was.


    The ossuary trembled at the blow, and the second blow caused the stone to crumble into small pieces at Gutard''s feet.


    Alexa immediately felt something wrong, and Alexander, along with her, felt it too.


    The son ran to his father, just reaching for his back, and trying to pull the Sovereign Prince back, while a putrid, black wave blasted from the violated headstone like a ferocious monster ready to tear the violator apart!


    The whole earth shook again, and quickly, Gutard spun, embracing his son and dove with him into the empty tomb, while everything collapsed over their heads!


    Alexa felt the impact on her back, the weight of Gutard''s body that protected the young prince, and a tremendous pressure on her chest ... it was getting difficult to breathe, while they were buried alive ...


    Her conscience blinked, and Alexa saw, between the mists of La Petite Mort, the future.


    ... The candles flickered, and the low light revealed the muscular and rough reliefs of a male body, next to hers. Alexa just saw the details, the prickly and warm skin, contracting slightly to her touch, to her kisses ... Her own hands stroking him gently, feeling the texture of skin, hard flesh and bones beneath it, and her lips deposited soft and loving kisses on the skin, rising from the iliac bone to the chest ...


    Pulling her breath out with agony, Alexa regained control, feeling her contact with life return in a jolt.


    Everything was dark, and the Second Prince tried to open his eyes, but the dust deposited on them only made his eyes hurt as if there was fire in them.


    "Alexander?! Alexander''s father?!" she called.


    "Shhhh! Coff coff!" Gutard coughed and everything around them shook once again.


    The weight on Alexander''s body was unbearable, and his confused mind had returned from a paradisiacal moment in the future to the hell of the present. Was there a trap to destroy the unwary who tried to violate Zilda Bartolini''s secrets?


    ''Alexander? Are you there?'' she asked again.


    ''Don''t move ... A beam is unstable ... Some are still alive, but ...''


    Was Alexander totally out of his body at this point? Alexa could only assume that yes, that was not impossible due to the state they were in.


    At this point, however, it could be very useful.


    ''Save us, Alexander. Look for my brother Narses! He may be staying at the episcopal house! Or maybe he''s with the other Inquisitors, interrogating witchcraft suspects! He''s the only one who can hear you! ''


    ''Hold on, please ... Alexa ... If my dad dies when I''m not here, tell him I ...'' Alexander''s words choked up with emotion. Alexa knew what Alexander meant. She didn''t feel like she would die now, and she didn''t know if that was because of her peculiar situation. Despite the shortness of breath and the terrible pressure, she had hope.


    ''I''ll tell him. Please, go!''


    She felt him move away, and wished he could find Narses soon. And not to get lost on the way. Stray souls could easily get lost if they went too far from places steeped in their history, such as the places where they died or the places where they lived. The fog was thick and deceptive.


    "Father-in-law¡­ Hold on, Alexander will save us¡­" The second Prince had his face crushed by the chest of the sovereign Prince, and could move just a few centimeters if he tried too hard.


    He groaned in response, and wheezed.


    Alexa realized that he struggled all the time with the weight above him, trying to support with his back as much as he could to not crush Alexander. Luckily, they had fallen into Alexa''s grave, however, it was just deep enough for the coffin to be deposited.


    Time dragged on as she saw the Prince Sovereign''s strength fail. And the giant man pulling from the bottom of his willpower a few more minutes of survival for both of them, forcing his body to stand firm and support the excessive weight on them.


    Everything shook, more earth fell on them, and the Prince closed his eyes.


    Was there a strange future before you, a night of love with ...? Magnus? So it was not his end. However, he wished there was time for them to save Prince Gutard.


    ''Alexa!'' Alexander had returned. ''I found him!''


    Her chest was filled with happiness and renewed hope! They were saved!


    Their rescue wasn''t immediate, however. Every second that passed while cautiously removing debris from them was tense, as the ossuary could collapse with all of them inside.


    When the weight finally began to be lifted off them, she was sure to have seen Alexander beside her, unlike any other Shades she had ever seen, emitting his own special light.


    Then Alexa felt her body being carefully pulled from the grave, and being lifted smoothly. They wiped her face, and she saw her brother, smiling at her with tears in his eyes,


    "Lex!"

 Chapter 188 - Crimson

    "Hey, calm down, calm down! What happened this time?" Alexa heard Magnus'' voice calling her, and she couldn''t help but smile with the joy of knowing that, after all, she had once again survived. And elsewhere, far away, her brother knew that she was alive.


    Even if in a very intriguing situation.


    Looking around, she noticed that her coffin was on the carpet of a luxurious and fragrant room, and that Magnus was clean, shaved and in clothes more in keeping with his social status. The candles were already lit, and in the distance she heard the muffled sound of laughter and conversation.


    The Prince crouched in front of her, confused.


    "I don''t understand. You have tears in your eyes, but you''re also smiling ..."


    "Bad things have happened, and good things have happened ..." She accepted the Prince''s outstretched hands to help her up.


    Alexa took a deep breath, drawing a lot of air into her lungs.


    How good it was to breathe!


    Out of the corner of her eye she peered at the prince''s torso, imagining it perfectly matched the vision she had in her involuntary Petite Mort. Her l.u.s.tful vision... and that, just remembering, made her face burn.


    "What was it this time? Why aren''t you speaking?"


    Rubbing her face, Alexa turned to him, and told the facts, beginning with Jette''s visit, the marriage annulment request, and the tragedy at the ossuary. She pursed her lips,


    "Who could guess the witch would prepare a trap for those investigating her past?"


    The Prince listened in silence, and when Alexa finished the report, with the arrival of her brother Narses, he took her chin with one hand, raising her face to him.


    Magnus frowned,


    "My old man will be fine. He''s as strong as an ox¡­ and has a lot of stamina, too. As for you ... Your secrets never end, do you? Was your brother in town? Your brother who should be dead? "


    Alexa swallowed hard. She had completely forgotten she had hidden that fact from Magnus.


    "Ahem, I forgot to tell you..." she gave him a half-hearted smile.


    "Did you forget? Of course you did."


    "Are you more concerned with the fact that my brother is alive than with the accident that almost killed us?" Alexa countered his sardonic reply.


    "No, Alexa. Because you are alive. My family is alive. I''m this kind of indifferent bastard who doesn''t care."


    "No, you are not like that. You cared about Ulrich, Johannes, Dieter, and the others."


    "Believe me, they were very close. Enough to know what kind of treatment they would have if they died before me."


    ''So mean!'' Alexa shrugged, looking around again. "What happened during the day? This place looks like a¡­"


    "Brothel? It looks like one because it''s one, cherie," he reached for a garment on the bed, and lifted it by the shoulders, which made the dark blue dress look very small. "Where else would I find a comfortable room, a good bathtub ... in short, everything that a nobleman can enjoy, in a city like this?" he nonchalantly explained, but there was a sarcastic tone in his words.


    "Your vast knowledge of such things doesn''t amaze me at all," she raised an eyebrow, a little annoyed but remembering the promise of the night before.


    It seemed a distant moment, a dream indeed, because the man in front of him was not the same as yesterday''s.


    "You must have had a very relaxing day, as I suggested ..."


    Magnus held his breath, the shadow of a smile showed on his face, and he dropped the dress with contempt,


    "It wasn''t the best option ... It was the only option. I felt like a von Wuttenfal again when washing the dirt off my body, Princess." he went to the door. "Do you want me to call for someone to help you?"


    Alexa refused, checking first at Romeo, and after, going to the screen where she had seen the steaming fumes from a porcelain bathtub with warm water,


    "I will join you when I am ready. As a piece of advice, don''t ''relax'' too much to the point of making your body languid¡­ We have a journey ahead!" Despite trying to sound nonchalant, she reproached herself not only for her voice sounding harsh, but also for remembering her vision of the future, and getting even redder than an apple.


    "Nothing will make my body languid and sated but the woman I want," he slammed the door behind him.


    ''Oh my God, how are we going to be able to travel along this way?!'' Alexa could no longer deny that being alone with Magnus for so long would result in an obvious outcome. The outcome she foresaw in her Petite Mort.


    She took a long time taking care of her toilet, and to her surprise, she found that her body was taking on more feminine proportions.


    In front of the mirror, she poked her ''mounds of shame'' with a finger, and found them softer and fuller.


    Was it her impression, or did her waist and h.i.p.s become more shapely?


    Maybe it was because she now really knew what a man''s body looked like, in details, from living in Alexander half the time? Or was she really developing as a woman, albeit belatedly?


    Whatever it was, Alexa felt beautiful again. Although she shouldn''t have, the Princess tightened her corset tighter under her clothes.


    Alexa liked what she saw in the mirror. Lady Eudoxia showed her how beautiful she was, but she didn''t always feel that way. Flashing a smile, she poked her dimples playfully, more and more pleased. No beard!


    Should she be ashamed of being happy to be alive? No! She was thrilled, because, on the other side, her brother would look after her and Alexander! And right here... She would have a quiet night, for a change.


    Even the brocade shoes fit perfectly, and her heart fluttered as she remembered Prince Magnus had sized her feet the other day.


    Seeing a small pot on the vanity, she opened it, and saw that it was the vermillion paste the women in the house should use to put on makeup. Naturally, she knew that makeup was reserved for artists and people of ill-repute in the West, but her curiosity about texture and effect won out. With the tip of her finger, she applied some of the crimson dye on her lips, and looking at herself in the mirror, she had the impression of seeing another Alexa: an Alexa that she didn''t know, but was truly enticing!


    Stepping out into the hall, she expected to see red lanterns, and obscene noises coming from the rooms, but she only came across an elegant hall, and a couple of liveried servants immediately came to take her where she was expected.


    Alexa didn''t see anyone else on the way to the room where Magnus was waiting for her.


    Being in a brothel was not a problem, she had been at many brothels in the east. As for Palazzo Ottieri, she had never seen anything but her own room.


    They opened the doors and Alexa entered a large and well-decorated room, with damask curtains and fine woods, and nice paintings on the walls. Magnus was sitting at the table, sipping his wine thoughtfully, while a musician played introspective music in his vielle1, in a corner.


    The Prince got up at her arrival, and came to the door. His gaze fell on her face, especially her lips, and she saw the confusion and a slight frown, which Magnus masked with a kind and unusual sort of smile,


    "I was thinking about how you can handle all of this."


    "I don''t know how, actually. I just like to live and I will do my best to do that," she replied, feeling her heart pounding because of the closeness between them.


    The Prince allowed her to pass, coming after her with his hands behind his back. Alexa sat down at the table and he sat across from her.


    "Is it what we will do today?"


    "Yes, we will relax, eat, and drink ... And tomorrow we will continue on our way."


    "I wish I could enjoy the scenery, at least."


    "But you will be in your coffin, and you can only go out at night," Magnus winked at the princess.


    She laughed, "And you must carry me around. Luckily, I don''t smell."


    "There were times when you didn''t smell good, princess, if you remember!" he poured himself more wine, with a playful smile.


    "I am also thirsty! Give it to me, don''t play your games!" she demanded, feeling a strange euphoria that compelled her to be as charming as possible.


    Magnus shook his head. "Not now, you shouldn''t start drinking early."


    "I thought you would like to feed me ..."


    "Hmmm ..." he was pondering her words and, leaning over the table, ran his thumb over her crimson-stained mouth, removing the paint.


    ''Why is he doing this? Didn''t he like it? '' she mused.


    Alexa bit his thumb lightly, startling him. She giggled as he waved his finger in the air, wiping it off with a cloth. The musician got out of tune for a moment, and apologized.


    "Don''t bite me!" he chastised her.


    "I''m hungry and thirsty!" she justified.


    The musician was having problems with his vielle, and excused himself. As soon as he left, servants from the house came in with dinner, and while they were serving the table, Captain Dubois arrived.


    Alexa was a little disappointed, although she didn''t want to admit it even to herself. There was only the feeling that a wonderful moment would be lost with the friendly captain''s arrival.


    He also seemed in a good mood, and greeted both the Prince and Princess. Magnus motioned for the captain to join them at the table.


    "Your promise to the Princess will have to wait, Captain Dubois. Today dinner and drinking is on me!"


    Alexa didn''t really understand why Magnus seemed so content, even with the news from Holstein. But she lifted the glass waiting to be filled with wine by the servant.


    The three had their glasses up, ready to make a toast, when the door to the room was opened abruptly. A burly and extravagantly dressed woman, accompanied by four huge men carrying swords and wooden stakes, invaded the room.


    The guests looked at each other, sensing the imminent danger.


    The woman pointed her finger at Alexa, and shouted in a squeaky voice,


    "Destroy the lich!"


    "Uh?!" medieval fiddle

 Chapter 189 - Little Differences

    ''Why are you calling me a lich?'' she remembered that Master Petrus de Languedoc told her what a lich was. There were all over the world, but she didn''t think she would ever be called a lich! But her thoughts were quick, as Alexa had to throw her chair back and stand up in an instant, even though she was still holding the wine glass.


    The Captain grunted in annoyance, as he also stood up and his tower-like figure made the men shrink for a moment. Magnus clicked his tongue in annoyance as he also stood up, grabbing the dagger at his waist with one hand, and the bottle of wine with the other,


    "Got a problem?"


    Alexa took advantage of the confusion and the parties glaring at each other intimidatingly, to drink her wine in one gulp. It was a great tasty wine!


    "I am not a lich!" she stated.


    The men looked at her in a mixture of fascination and terror.


    Their leader, who also seemed to own the house, ordered her henchmen,


    "What are you waiting for?! You should know how to handle this!"


    Of course, the thugs were measuring their opponents'' ability and realizing it would be quite a task to get past Magnus and the red-haired giant to get to what was supposed to be a little monster in dress behind them.


    At least they seemed smarter than the pirates on the ship.


    "Back!" one of them ordered the woman, hinting they would attack next. But even Alexa could see that they were apprehensive.


    The woman complied, while Magnus and Dubois glanced at each other, with knowing and devilish smiles, turning back to their opponents.


    "Oh, don''t start again! I''m starving! If you guys fight here, where am I going to dine tonight?" she complained, and the man who appeared to be the leader blinked, first startled and afraid, then growled with renewed resolve,


    "Don''t let the monster bite you, or you will become like it!"


    With a cry he advanced with his weapons towards the point that seemed the most vulnerable in the barrier between Alexa and them, that is, Magnus.


    As soon as he got close to the Prince, he retreated in terror, while a parable of blood gushed upward. Alexa did not see exactly what Magnus did with his dagger, but the man staggered, dropping the stake in his hand, and pathetically holding his sword pointed at the stranger. Magnus sighed,


    "It was supposed to be a calm night. A calm night!"


    Alexa saw the reverberating sound of skulls hitting each other and didn''t want to look at what Captain Dubois did to his opponents. His voice was heard above all,


    "Madame! These idiots will end up setting your beautiful room on fire. Nobody wants it. What if we just leave peacefully?"


    "I don''t want to leave peacefully. They made me lose my appetite," the Prince snarled, pushing Alexa further back, while pointing his dagger at the man with his hand over his mouth, spurting blood.


    The last man standing was holding a chandelier in one hand and a stake in the other, and very close to the damask curtains. But clearly, he was panicking.


    The madam, outside the room, shouted,


    "Don''t destroy my room! You, please leave this city for good! We already have too many problems here! I should have known!"


    "You have to admit that she is bold, if she thinks I''m a lich..." Alexa murmured to Magnus. At the same time, she wondered what kind of thing might be going on there, so that ordinary people even knew liches existed.


    "If you didn''t bite people and talk about hunger with your wine-stained mouth..." he replied promptly, in a foul mood. And he kicked the knee of the man who was spilling blood, so that he fell,


    "Get out of the way, useless trash! Don''t set out to do something you can''t do!"


    The man groaned, and Magnus gave Alexa his hand to let her through. Dubois followed them out of the room. There was no one in their path, and Magnus went to the bedroom, where he quickly took what belonged to them, with the Captain''s help.


    Alexa, took the cage with Romeo, and looked with concern for the coffin that would be left behind. It was a very useful method of keeping her safe during the day, but it was obviously causing many dangerous misunderstandings.


    As soon as possible, they left the opulent house of pleasures, in a good-quality carriage with four excellent horses. Alexa was placed inside the carriage, but after a while, she squeezed out the window and went to the driver''s seat, next to Magnus. Dubois came on his own horse, next to them.


    The captain laughed,


    "I never imagined that we would have so many adventures in a short span of time."


    "I would rather be relaxing now ... And honestly, I didn''t quite understand, I just sensed that it had to do with Princess Alexa sleeping in a coffin and being ''exotic'' and hungry!" Magnus snapped.


    "Don''t blame my hunger! They were after liches, which are actually periculous beings."


    "Why do I think I don''t want to know what a lich is? In fact ... The Captain seemed to know what they were talking about, too..." Magnus looked at the Dutchman riding beside them.


    "Well¡­ yes, and no. I just recognized that they had sharp stakes, as in some cities where people believed that the upir existed. In Novgorod and eastern cities, it is common for stakes to be driven into the dead''s chest, who people believe will rise to drink blood from the living. A sailor has to learn a lot," he justified, but Alexa really thought this time that the always aloof Captain Dubois knew a lot more than he showed.


    Alexa strained her mind and remembered hearing about the upir species in Constantinople. The class of ressurrected beings was a great mystery to Alexa, and she knew only a few terms, and few legends.


    She would never have wondered that, in the West, and away from the Lazarites, she would see resuscitated bodies in different states. The mystery of how Mildred had managed to revive her own body, or how Florian was made, was beyond her knowledge.


    And at the same time, Alexa was taking part in a spell to donate her life to a body, which would have died if she hadn''t done that!


    "All I know about liches and upirs," said the princess, "It''s just that it''s relatively easy to kill an upir by cutting off his head, piercing his heart, or burning him ... Compared to a lich, it is... Piercing a lich''s heart is useless ... Since it''s removed and stored elsewhere. Obviously they mistake upirs and liches around here."


    In saying that, Alexa shivered.


    Her gaze went to Magnus, who was looking ahead, worried about the path ahead.


    Alexa''s gaze then went down to the Second Prince''s chest, where he had a huge scar...


    And a bewitched stone heart, kept inside.


    "Hey, where are we going right now?" she wasn''t dumb, and she was seeing they were going towards the city gates, which could already be seen ahead.


    "You know we can''t stay here for the night with a rumor like that. I could demand apologies from the burgomaster, and the nobleman responsible for this trash town, but until that happens, we are in danger," the Prince explained.


    "Well, if I may, I have a suggestion. Nobles of your kind will always be very welcome in the homes of other nobles¡­ Unfortunately, I don''t know other nobles as important as Your Highnesses on our route. But¡­ I know a French ''Chevalier''¡­ who lives near around," proposed Captain Dubois.


    Magnus smiled slightly,


    "It looks like our best option."


    "We must be a few kilometers from his cottage¡­ He is an eccentric person and we met in ...bizarre circ.u.mstances. But he said I was welcome at his home."


    "That''s nice!" Alexa exclaimed.


    "And what is the name of this knight, Captain?"


    The Captain thought for a moment


    "Allaman Sagnac, Your Highness. Sagnac¡­ And if we hurry, we will arrive in time for supper!" he laughed, and Alexa followed him


    Magnus shook his shoulder uncomfortably, looking thoughtful for a moment, and then looked at Alexa,


    "So you know they think you''re a blood-drinking monster or something, and you decide to have wine running down the chin to say, ''I''m not a lich!''" he made a ridiculous falsetto and Alexa restrained herself from laughing. Was him lecturing her?


    Alexa was going to wipe her chin with her sleeve, but she remembered this wasn''t a behavior approved by Lady Eudoxia. However, there were no handkerchiefs at hand, and her clothes were in a chest inside the carriage.


    "I didn''t have a handkerchief to clean my mouth ..." she alleged, hoping he would tell her it wasn''t a problem for a Princess von Wuttenfal, although temporary, to wipe her mouth on the sleeve of her dress. Alexa was tired of him insisting she was a mannerless ogress.


    Magnus barely looked at her, and took a handkerchief from the doublet, holding it out to the princess.


    "Captain Dubois," he brought up the subject with the Dutchman, while Alexa cleaned herself up, seeing the smear of crimson makeup on the scarf and wondering if Magnus really didn''t like seeing her with red lips. "I''m under the impression that I know this knight, or have already heard his name. What else can you tell me about him?"


    "Ah, well¡­ He''s skilled with the sword, and I think he has a certain reputation in some circles. As I said, I met him in very special circ.u.mstances, where his infamy proved to be totally harmless. He was valiant when necessary, and furthermore ... His house is open to friends, in his own words. However..." he seemed reluctant to say anything important, but finally decided. "I will tell because I think it''s correct to warn. He is an unmarried, good-looking man, and as far as I know, gallant and seductive in manners. There''s a rumor that he once seduced the wife of another nobleman on their wedding night ... How did he do that? I don''t know. But... I think this is an exaggeration he feeds to annoy his rivals."


    "How come?! Is he this handsome and gallant? I''m so curious!" Alexa commented, impressed by the story that, certainly, should be exaggerated. "How would he reveal such a feat and remain alive?"


    "I certainly don''t intend to be forced to kill my host for that kind of offense. Therefore, the Princess will sleep in my room after supper!" Magnus stated, as if he didn''t admit refusals.


    ''Does he think I can''t defend myself?'' she would have been mad if her heart hadn''t been beating so hard.


    Alexa might not have been so uneasy, if every time she thought of being close and alone with Magnus, the images of her vision didn''t come back to her mind!


    She felt the captain''s sidelong gaze on them, however.

 Chapter 190 - Fonfutsfatz

    Only the full moon and the lantern of the carriage illuminated the road ahead of the trio after they left the port.


    After about two hours, they arrived at a property next to a wide stone road. On the way, they ignored a noisy tavern, despite Alexa looking at it with a long eye, repressing her desire to demand food.


    Magnus seemed to ignore that her body had been without food for many hours.


    The maiden studied the stone house facade closely. It was a large, beautiful two-story house with a wide turret and mansard roof. Its walls were half-covered with ivy, and a well maintained and trimmed front garden welcomed them.


    The Captain went ahead to inform them of Prince von Wuttenfal''s request for a stay at the house that night, while Alexa and Magnus stayed in the carriage.


    "How are you going to explain my situation during the day? I know Captain Dubois thinks I have the same problem Alexander had, I suppose it''s hard to explain to people if they ask," she had her doubts whether the captain believed this was really a disease, or supposed it might be a spell.


    "People really ask a lot of questions!" he confessed, showing his frustration. "In addition to saying you have a disease which needs to see a doctor in Languedoc, I have no other plausible justification. I just hope we can get to Master Petrus fast. The fact we need a carriage is already enough delay."


    If only they could travel only when she was awake!


    She was experienced enough to know how difficult and dangerous it was to travel only at night, especially in a small group. In unknown lands, to top it off. They should travel as faster as they could, but her condition was a hindrance. Magnus should keep traveling during the day if they wish to get soon in Languedoc.


    "It''s unnecessary to sleep in the same room tonight ... I know how to defend myself from seducers. And besides, that would offend our host," she commented.


    "Are you ashamed of sleeping in the same room as me? It''s not like it hasn''t happened often..."


    "Uh, it''s not that. I am grateful you have been taking care of me, actually ..." she knew that the problem would not be that she slept in the same room as him, of course. Being awake was far riskier!


    "But ... we''ll see." He closed the matter, promising to at least rethink it. At the same time, the Captain was returning, followed by a man carrying a lantern, clearly a servant.


    "The house''s master is not at home, but his housekeepers will arrange our stay," said Dubois, with a smile, opening the carriage door and getting the luggage.


    Alexa was grateful to be able to stretch her legs a little. By following them into the front garden, she just noticed, withered flowers around the first portion of the entryway.


    Closer to the house, however, the lilac arbor and the camellias were blooming beautifully, like everything else, in the spring. She had little knowledge about plants, but even under the moonlight, it was possible to notice that the whitered plants seemed to have been exposed to some pest or frost.


    In a few moments, they were already inside the comfortable residence. And the princess''s curiosity about the plants was forgotten as soon as the housekeeper received them in the lovely cottage.


    Alexa''s eyes ran across the organized, tidy, and cozy main hall.


    There were some signs of mourning displayed over the fireplace and near the entrance, but the princess knew that eventually, families would lose someone in the winter.


    Mirna, the housekeeper, was a woman with a round face and small eyes, dressed in a clean and impeccably starched uniform, quite an achievement for that time of night.


    Magnus stopped in front of the coat of arms of the house, scratching his chin, while the housekeeper tried to make them absolutely at ease, offering them supper and having the fireplace lit so that the guests could rest and warm up,


    "Your Highnesses, the lord of this house had to pay a brief visit to a neighbor, and probably agreed to have dinner with them! But I already sent a messenger to notify him of your arrival!"


    "In this case, we can expect the return of your master, missy. Furthermore, I prefer to meet my host before taking advantage of his hospitality," Magnus said, as would be expected, but Alexa internally thought this type of etiquette was big nonsense and a waste of time.


    She held her hands out to the warmth of the fireplace, internally wanting to kill the Prince for not sitting down at the table as they were invited. But Alexa would no longer allow him to make fun of her bad manners.


    The captain started a merry conversation with the housekeeper, about the region, the wineries, and the French delicacies. Of course, Alexa imagined this was a safe and pleasant subject to spend time while waiting, but ... ''Could you please shut up talking about food?!''


    Her only solution was ...


    "O-ooh!" She bent her knees and collapsed on the carpet, pretending to faint.


    The expected reaction ensued, Magnus picked her up and everyone came to her rescue.


    The princess could then open her eyes and murmur sweetly,


    "Oh, sorry ... I got dizzy¡­ Many hours¡­ A bit weak¡­"


    ''Didn''t I have to look sick and fragile? So I''m collaborating with the whole hoax, aren''t I?!'' it was her mental justification for her false fainting.


    The Prince frowned, torn between believing or suspecting her acting, but the housekeeper took the case in her hands assertively.


    In moments Alexa was sitting in a rocking chair, with a blanket over her legs, and the younger maid feeding her a tasty and warm soup with a spoon, under the shocked gaze of the First Prince.


    It was the scene the House''s master, Chevalier Sagnac, witnessed when he returned home.


    Alexa turned around as soon as the door opened, and a tall, slim man with long dark hair entered. And, as Captain Dubois had anticipated, Allaman Sagnac was a handsome man. Beautiful, indeed.


    His slender, aristocratic appearance, with pale skin, delicate features and fascinating clear eyes, rivaled that of the Prince of Holstein in every respect. She immediately compared the Frenchman''s appearance to that of her brother Iacintho ... If only Iacintho had long hair, wasn''t always frowning or wearing a smelly leather apron, of course.


    The gaze of the newcomer immediately turned to Alexa, like a moth drawn to the light.


    Magnus'' shadow obstructed Alexa''s view of the French noble, however.


    "You?!" asked the young nobleman, when he found Magnus standing in the middle of his main room.


    Magnus laughed out loud and delighted. If Alexa didn''t already know him at least a little bit, she would have missed the note of sarcasm in his voice,


    "Allamand Sagnac! Son of the Baron de Saint-Jacques! Of course!"


    "Alla¡­?! Magnus von Wuttenfal," the knight''s voice seemed to bring the same nuances as those of Magnus, his eyes flashing some sort of mischievousness.


    ''Oh ?! What is happening? Do they know each other at all? ''


    "Pardon for my delay! My servant didn''t know how to pronounce the name of the noble visit at my house. FONFUTSFATZ-ZEIN¡­ "


    Well, that seemed like a veiled provocation, and Alexa bit her lip to keep from laughing.


    Magnus rose an eyebrow, and nodded condescendingly.


    "But, what are you doing in this region, my dear Prince ?! And this dazzling beautiful lady! I must have the candles of the whole house extinguished, because her light is enough to light up even the darkest path..." He circled the Prince, coming up to Alexa, who was sitting in the chair. He held out his hand to her, and Alexa just supposed she should extend her hand too...


    However, as soon as she did that, Magnus held her hand firmly.


    "Yes, she has an intense light ... But you will only see it once ... I can show you how."


    This time Alexa had a hard time keeping a straight face. Magnus was being ridiculous!


    Sagnac gave a subtle smile and withdrew his hand,


    Why, Your Highness ... I just want to greet the lady who took the heart off my chest at this very moment ... Please, lady, take good care of what is now yours!"


    His gaze sought Alexa''s, who a little astonished didn''t exactly know how to respond, even more with Magnus between them again.


    Looking closer, his pallor looked a little sick, actually. And in fact, the smell of cheap wine and perfume betrayed his housekeeper''s excuse.


    Turning to his guest, the elegant man straightened up and laughed,


    "Your Highness! It''s been so many years¡­ Your Highness has changed a lot¡­ It''s a shame that you have withdrawn from the jousting circuit! It wasn''t because I¡­"


    "Yeah. Maybe it was. It would have been tragic if I had defeated you again," Magnus said. "Your little sister should not cry again."


    The knight shook his head with a condescending smile,


    "My memory is different. We had a tie."


    "That doubt would have been resolved in our duel, but you tried to throw me from the rail of the emperor''s castle ..." Magnus snarled.


    "That was an accident. We both slipped."


    "Well¡­ forgive me for saying I would kill you the next time I see you. Looking back, it was silly ... Your sister was so scared, for no reason. I was really young and brash¡­ " Magnus did not change his tone at any time, which made Alexa doubt he was really sorry.


    Of all the places they could have gone, would they have to stay exactly in the home of a nobleman who clearly detested Prince Magnus? Of course, nobles would hardly refuse hospitality to each other without good reason, and would the fact that they had badly resolved swoops enough reason?


    "Yes, I think the same, Your Highness. Youth and a little competitiveness, ha! Good times, however. And the lady?"


    "This is Princess Alexa von Wuttenfal, my younger brother''s wife."


    Again the knight gave her a warm look,


    "This knight and the Sagnac house are at your service, Your Highness. You can call me ..."


    The candles in the room suddenly faltered, and Alexa heard an indefinable, plaintive, and strange call.


    "Alexa! ...Alexa!"

 Chapter 191 - Out the Cage

    Had she really heard a mournful and chilling cry?


    The room was suddenly silent, everyone apparently paying close attention, trying to listen to something else.


    It hadn''t just been Alexa to hear the lament.


    The housekeeper dropped the porcelain tureen to the floor, and it shattered with a loud sound. At a glance, the Princess could have sworn she saw a nervous and suspicious reaction in the French knight''s eyes, but it was very brief. Magnus exchanged a look with Alexa, but she didn''t have much to say.


    She just felt like she heard a voice calling, and apparently everyone had the same impression.


    The owner of the house, however, avoided commenting on his housekeeper overturning the soup tureen in front of such important guests, and invited,


    "Why don''t we sit at the table for supper? I am ashamed of offering a so poor and unworthy reception... I''m not worth receiving such important princes in my humble abode..."


    Alexa did not expect a knight to have the same wealth as a prince of such a prosperous kingdom as Holstein. Even more so when they did not announce their arrival in advance, but appeared unexpectedly in the middle of the night.


    It was pure protocol, of course.


    If Knight Sagnac was really ashamed of their presence there, he didn''t show it. Even with the weird exchange of memories he had with Magnus as soon as he arrived.


    "Captain Dubois said that his friend, the knight Sagnac, was very hospitable and I could not imagine this nobleman was my old jousting rival! I hadn''t associated the name with the person," Magnus laughed, not bringing up the strange sound that everyone had heard.


    "You have a beautiful and cozy home here. We are lucky the captain Dubois is your friend¡­ and Prince Magnus had a faulty memory¡­ We appreciate the hospitality," Alexa showed her dimples in thanking the knight.


    "My precious princess, I would like to build a castle with the stars in the sky even if it were to be a shelter for you for just one night¡­ My roof is not worthy enough, but I will remember for the rest of my days that the most beautiful princess I''ve ever seen has been here," he said, ignoring Magnus rolling his eyes spitefully.


    Sagnac then turned to the Captain and tapped him on the back, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.


    "DUBOISSS ... My friend Dubois ..."


    The Captain narrowed his eyes with the expression of a cat, while the young maid brought more food to the table.


    ''Wait ... isn''t Dubois a friend of his, too? I''m confused!'' The captain had a strange way of doing things, and an intriguing sense of humor too!


    Alexa spent the rest of the supper making sure to eat just enough to not pass out, and refusing the Prince''s insistent requests to eat more.


    Magnus quickly explained to the host the reason for the secret trip and a ''problem'' with their companions.


    The housekeeper returned, asking for permission, and suggested to her master,


    "The rooms are ready, Mr. Sagnac, and I would suggest allowing the Princess to retire soon. She must be exhausted."


    The Princess was actually perfectly fine, but after faking a faint, and the report of her peculiar illness, Alexa could not even insist on staying. However, this meant that she and Magnus would sleep in separate rooms, then Alexa obliged.


    In fact, the feeling of actual sleep was a rare thing since the spell. Maybe she really enjoyed a good night''s sleep.


    Saying goodbye to the men, she followed with the housekeeper, who took her to a room next to the Master bedroom. Alexa found a very comfortable female alcove, with changed sheets smelling of lavender and mauve.


    Just seeing that soft bed made Alexa imagine her future sleep of the just there. Romeo''s cage was already in the room, and the housekeeper helped her change into a richly embroidered nightgown.


    "It is a pity that your belongings have been lost, Your Highness. But to sleep comfortably, if you don''t take offense, there is all the trousseau from Emmeline, my Master''s sister. This nightgown was not even worn, it was for her wedding day... "


    "Oh, poor thing! What happened?"


    "Your Highness, a housekeeper could not say that¡­ The girl just died during the absence of the master, who had gone as usual to travel to some joust¡­ Emmeline was to marry a baron, but she did not want to, because she liked another man¡­ Who was obviously a diabolical garbage and didn''t do her any good. And now, my master suffers from thinking he could have done something to stop it, if only he were here. He can barely stay in the house, because he can''t stand it so empty and silent without his sweet sister..."


    ''Uhn, does that mean he spends his nights at the tavern, instead of at his house?''


    Before Alexa asked, or rather, without Alexa asking, Mirna continued, "Nobody knows who was the man who disgraced the poor and foolish Emmeline. Even more because the master was against her marriage to the baron, and brought her here to avoid friction with the family."


    It was a little funny that Mirna was doing exactly what she shouldn''t be doing, it is, gossiping about her master, but at the same time it was a sad story.


    Alexa wondered if it had been the girl''s Shade to call, but ... it didn''t make much sense!


    "What we heard earlier¡­ Was it an owl? That dreadful lament we all heard?"


    The French housekeeper cleared her throat, carefully folding the princess''s dress,


    "A while ago an owl came to live nearby. Tonight, in particular, she looked like a woman calling! I don''t usually let the other servants in the house think nonsense, or they''ll be scared and mumbling around. Some say they saw the ghost of the master''s sister around, but it''s only rubbish to get some thrilling conversation and escape from monotony! But¡­"


    "But¡­?"


    "There''s a problem in this house with unlocked doors at night. Please, Your Highness, as soon as I leave, close the door tightly ... Ghost or wind, open doors are always a problem for rest!"


    The comment could imply several things, but the solemn tone of the last sentence, and the housekeeper''s pursed lips, made Alexa realize that even Mirna had a limit on what she would say. Maybe she was talking about her womanizer master... or maybe something else.


    "Yes, I will do that," Alexa agreed, and only after ensuring that everything was perfect, Mirna wished her good night and closed the door behind her.


    The maiden lay for a moment, thinking about the evening''s events, and whether Holstein would be all right. She closed her eyes, but there was no sleep at all, despite the comfortable, warm bed. Gradually, the sounds of the house were silenced, and she heard steps in the hallway going to the master room, and closing the door after it.


    After a while, though, Romeo stirred in his cage, for no reason.


    And after overcoming the dilemma of going out under the scented covers, Alexa went to check what disturbed the bug.


    "Poor thing ..." she really hoped it wasn''t a ghost. Looking again, she realized Alexander''s pet had eaten all food.


    "Uhn, didn''t your ''uncle'' feed you enough, Romeo?" the bird looked at her as if he understood what she was talking about, but of course, Alexa knew that there was the mind of an intelligent animal, not a human soul.


    "Right. Do you want me to take you outside for just a little while to look for larvae or something tasty ... Is it a too beautiful full moon night for a nightingale to be in a cage? Is it a girlfriend in sight? Or something that upsets you?"


    She would not be intimidated by a plaintive shade if Romeo was hungry or otherwise. In fact, she would even prefer it to be a shade than an evil owl that could threaten Romeo. The bird chirped louder, as if agreeing with the Princess'' assumptions.


    "How far have we come? Romeo, you can''t start singing out loud and wake everyone up in the middle of the night!"


    Alexa took the bird out of the cage, and was going to open the door, when she pictured in her mind the controlling housekeeper Mirna looking sternly at her, on the other side of the door.


    The princess drew back her hand.


    "What if I open the window a little bit? You go outside and come back by yourself,"


    Alexa opened the window, and after a moment, Romeo flew from her wrist into the night.


    Sighing, the princess watched the beautiful moon in the sky, and leaned on the windowsill, with a strange feeling in her chest. An inexplicable emptiness that at another time she would have mistaken for boredom. But in recent years, there was no boredom in her life. A noise caught Alexa''s attention, coming from the door.


    She immediately turned toward the door, surprised,


    "Really? is someone really trying to open the door?" She was never tired of being surprised by some people''s shamelessness! Could the knight really think his good looks and gallant manners would enchant the wife of an absent prince, a sick and fragile princess?


    He certainly didn''t know this princess!


    He was probably very successful with women. Alexa didn''t even doubt this was the original cause of friction between him and Magnus! On the other hand, it could only be a kind of provocation against the Prince of Holstein. Captain Dubois had said that Allamand Sagnac was that type of braggart.


    ''Anyway, I''m not going to open it," she thought. A sudden shiver ran down her spine, before she could think of anything else.


    An icy hand grabbed her wrist through the open window.

 Chapter 192 - Im the Food!

    Alexa felt a hand as cold as snow, gripping her wrist tightly, and even before she managed to turn her body completely, someone threw herself on her, knocking the princess to the ground.


    Counting only with herself, Alexa tried to roll and squeeze her way out, feeling that the body on top of hers, although strong, was not heavy. She tried to turn to escape, but was hit in the face with a powerful punch, which left her blind with pain and completely confused for a moment.


    At least trying to fix her vision, she saw double images of the Sagnac knight ... No. It was a girl, definitely a girl, not much bigger than she, apparently. But someone who had an inhuman strength, and whose face resembled that of the owner of that cottage.


    ''Emmeline ?!''


    Alexa brought her knees to her chest and used them as a lever to push the girl, who was definitely not a shade! But her face hurt so much that her body seemed to have lost its strength. The Princess stood up again, leaning on a piece of furniture to get up. Looking up, Alexa could look directly at Emmeline for the first time ... or rather, what Emmeline had become.


    Emmeline was a beautiful girl with long dark hair and the face of an angel, even younger than she, and she seemed the most innocent creature in the world ... Something Alexa understood, she was not. The Princess already knew, and could see with a closer look, that Emmeline was dead.


    There was a bit of life in what, she knew, wasn''t a living body. And it was what confused Alexa the most. Her latest experiences were useful in that regard.


    She didn''t have time to look at Emmeline further, because the angry creature''s face contorted in a frightening and predatory frown, and again advanced towards Alexa.


    The princess tried to defend herself with her arms, but Emmeline''s strength was too much for the Lightbearer. Emmeline acted like a rabid animal, and barely seemed to reason. This was even more frightening for Alexa, who had no idea how to deal with Emmeline!


    The dead sister of Sagnac, the Knight, grabbed her skull with one hand, while squeezing Alexa''s arm so painfully that it looked like Emmeline was going to burst the veins under her skin. Alexa understood what she intended to do: hit Alexa''s head against the wall as if it were a chestnut!


    Her gaze slid to a strange necklace that Emmeline wore, which was shaped like a small scythe, and looked just as sharp! She tried to grab that scythe and use it against Emmeline, but the creature easily twisted her wrist and Alexa felt tears of pain involuntarily come out of her eyes, and she didn''t even suppress the cry that came from her lips.


    Alexa could no longer resist and was being cornered, pressed against the wall ... Until she heard a crash against the door, at the same time the creature howled and pushed the princess against the wall so that Alexa heard a crack and a second wave of pain starting at the back of the skull and coming quickly to the face.


    Emmeline grabbed her, while Alexa saw everything blur around her again. Her nose started to drip blood, and she tried to take her arms to the area where it hurt the most, but her limbs did not obey. The world has turned upside down. She heard the screams of Magnus and the other men, but everything was blasting loud and confused, and her vision oscillated between light and dark.


    She just realized that Emmeline had grabbed her awkwardly, and was dragging her around by the neck ... Then she felt herself floating in the air and falling awkwardly into the bushes. Semi-conscious, the Lightbearer thought she should invoke the light, but she was grabbed again in an abrupt and c.u.mbersome way.


    Why did she feel like a mouse being dragged around by a cat?


    "EMMELINE!!!" she heard Allamand Sagnac scream for his sister.


    "RELEASE HER!!!" she also heard Magnus scream, in pure fury.


    "CAUTION! OR ELSE THE PRINCESS MIGHT DIE! WE MUST NOT CORNER THE CREATURE! "


    ''Was that Captain Dubois?!'' Alexa regained some strength, but as soon as she tried to react, she took another punch in the face, and was thrown on top of something ... A horse?!


    "SHE''S NOT A CREATURE! SHE''S MY SISTER! MY SISTER IS ALIVE!"


    "NO, SAGNAC! SHE''S NOT ALIVE! YOUR SISTER IS DEAD AND ''THAT'' WANTS TO EAT THE PRINCESS!"


    "ALEXA!" Magnus cried, his voice coming closer!


    Alexa tried to throw herself off the horse, before the animal rode away, when it would be even more risky to do so.


    Her hands slipped through the animal''s fur, and the princess realized, horrified, that the animal was also not a living being!


    None of that made sense, but her leg was grabbed by the calf and she was thrown across the legs of her captive, who started running away from Sagnac''s home!


    The Princess admitted to herself that she was scared, terrified in fact.


    Bleeding, dizzy and weakened from finding an undead with a strong, very strong corporeal body!


    She barely heard Magnus'' voice, screaming as he ran after them, she just knew that the monster and its undead horse were quickly moving away from the house, and no matter how fast Magnus ran, they would gain distance from the house, and he would stay behind.


    All she could do now was try not to fall, build up some stamina and, if possible, a good plan for when that undead horse stopped.


    But, how could she fight with clean hands?


    ''Think, idiot, think!''


    After a few minutes, bouncing like a sack and always on the verge of falling, were it not for her own interest in holding on to the saddle, Emmeline went up a hill, and walked away from the road. She rode hard, and Alexa could sense all the nervous and bestial excitement of the creature with a disturbed mind.


    What was she, anyway? An upir? Without a doubt, she differed greatly from Mildred, and more like Florian.


    When Emmeline finally stopped the demonic horse, she dragged her prey carelessly to the ground, crouching in front of her, wide-eyed and curious. Her entire posture resembled that of an animal. Alexa was sure Emmeline would kill her at any moment. Like¡­ right now.


    The Princess crouched quickly, putting her hands together to summon her light, and possibly get rid of the undead girl! Emmeline didn''t give her time for that, however, throwing herself over Alexa, and licking her face, her nose, her bloody chin!


    "AGHHH! GET OFF!" she pushed, struggled and did her best to escape, even though her pulse was weak and throbbing in pain, as was the back of her head. Everything was useless. Then the beautiful and frightening creature reached for the scythe necklace and pulled it out, with a maddened and victorious look, her lips stained with the blood of Alexa''s face.


    WOOPHSHH!


    A whip cracked, close to Alexa''s ear. The scythe flew, and Emmeline let out a cry of pain and surprise, leaping away from Alexa, all in one movement.


    "AHHHH! MASTER ..." Emmeline sobbed, terrified.


    "SHUT UP! HOW DARE YOU! ESCAPE AND HUNT ALONE, WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! ARE YOU GOING TO FEAST ON A PREY¡­ WITHOUT US?!"


    Alexa leaned on her sore hands to get up, but felt the heavy boot press on her neck, forcing her to lie down. The male figure towered imperatively over her, but it was impossible to see even have a glimpse of his face. Not only did the angle prevent from it, but Alexa''s face and eyes were swelling quickly, making vision difficult.


    There was someone else there too, possibly another undead, out of her sight.


    Wisely, she froze, knowing it was her only chance to stay alive. Alexa would have his neck crushed before she could even raise her hands.


    "WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS?!" the grave and harsh voice boomed.


    "M-MASTER ... HOME ... MY HOME ..." the undead girl stuttered.


    Alexa''s heart was pounding in her chest, and she just hoped that whoever the ''master'' was, would be questioning Emmeline as long as it took for Magnus to find them.


    She couldn''t possibly know how far they had gone. Her mind was trying to understand what was going on, trying to formulate a strategy, but Alexa knew her chances were slim. Was her only value to them serving dinner?


    Were they ghouls, upirs, lamias¡­ What?


    Alexa only knew they were undead that fed on humans. Unlike wraiths, they could only draw energy from humans by consuming their flesh or blood.


    The whip cracked a few more times,


    "YOU SHOULD NOT GO BACK THERE! ARGH! STUBBLE AND STUPID CURSE! THERE''S NOTHING THERE FOR YOU!"


    "MASTER¡­ A-ACCEPT¡­!"


    The princess noticed a substantial difference between the speech patterns of the two undead. Master and ''slave'', perhaps?


    The man spoke like an ordinary human.


    But Emmeline expressed herself with difficulty, pronouncing the words as if it were difficult to articulate or think. Almost like a child.


    "You!! See, she''s even trying to deceive me! Bribe me to avoid punishment! It''s not because of stupidity, but because she is being cunning! Why don''t you educate as I taught you? Shall I really destroy her?"


    "Emmeline has not adapted, master. I appreciate the gift, but she''s impossible to deal with ... Besides, I don''t like her! She''s very stupid," the other voice spoke softly, coming closer.


    "Arghhh! I hate you too! Monster!" the girl snarled.


    "AH! CAN''T YOU MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL, EMMELINE?!" the man with the boot on Alexa''s neck made the whip crack a few more times, and Emmeline sobbed and screamed.


    Alexa trembled, knowing that eventually their attention would turn to her and her fate.


    And that moment came earlier than she wished. The other voice proposed:


    "Master¡­ Give me this one. She has a petite body as I like it. As for her face ... I''ll know later. If I like it, give me a new partner, instead of Emmeline."


    "Hmmm ..." the undead suffocating Alexa with his boot seemed to ponder for a moment.

 Chapter 193 - Twist of Fates

    "Don''t you want Emmeline?"


    A disturbing silence followed, and Emmeline sobbed.


    Alexa even felt a hint of pity and sympathy for the poor undead girl, even if she pretended to ignore the fact that one of them planned to do the same to her!


    The gallop of horses echoed in the silent night, and Alexa''s heart pounded even harder, in the expectation that it would be Magnus and the others!


    "Well then! Keep her. Emmeline is no longer yours," the foot on her neck was removed.


    It was painful to draw air into the lungs, and at the same time, it was a relief to breathe properly.


    A cloak was thrown over her, and knowing that she was surrounded by three predators with much more strength than she, Alexa again had no chance to escape. She was rolled up and lifted in the arms by one of them. Probably the same one seeking a new mate!


    She could at least try to delay them, until Magnus could catch up! He was close, she knew! All Alexa could do was struggle, but the undead guy had been too smart to wrap his prey inside the cloak!


    She felt herself being carried as the undead ran, probably back to hiding.


    Alexa even tried to pay attention to identify the place, even if she didn''t see it, but her head hurt so much! Her face, neck, and pulse throbbed like hell.


    Her last perception was to go down a long stairway ... Then everything went dark.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "AHHHHH!" the Prince woke from his sleep with a cry, frightening people in his room.


    ''Alexander, help me!'' she sought support from the one who could certainly hear her.


    ''Calm down, Alexa. What happened?'' the Second Prince''s voice in her mind had the power to situate and calm her down a little.


    Yes, she was in Holstein again. Away from the place where Alexa was about to become ghoul food! Or worst!


    ''I¡­ I''m about to be eaten by ghouls!''


    ''Ghouls?''


    ''Dead who remain in their bodies, and feed on human flesh!''


    ''Magnus is dead?'' he asked after a while, forcing his voice to appear calm. And not to fuel her panic, perhaps. Alexa knew that Alexander had been impressed and scared by what she said.


    ''No, he ... He was coming, and ...!'' somehow, thinking and remembering that Magnus was close to finding and rescuing her calmed the trembling body. He would destroy the ghouls, she was sure!


    ''You know he won''t leave a stone unturned until he rescues you! Just remember this time not to stop him from doing what he should do," said Alexander.


    "Your Highness, how are you feeling?" the familiar voice interrupted her secret dialogue with Alexander. When Lex looked up, the Prince couldn''t help smiling. It was Blue Eyes, beside the bed, smiling at the Prince!


    "My dreams were horrible, Father," the prince sat on the bed, happy to see his tutor, and confessor, standing.


    Lex realized that he was using an arm sling and also a staff to help him stand. He was still recovering from the severe torture to which Zilda and her acolytes subjected him.


    A little further back, her older brother Narses stood upright in a strategic place where he could see and be seen from the bed.


    Lex saw that there were more people than usual faces, like Balbo, Fani, Ceridom, and even Jette. Lex smiled at her brother, knowing that he knew it was she who had woken up in the Prince''s body.


    But who were all those people, with sad, hopeful, anxious expressions?


    "God will comfort you, Your Highness, just trust Him," said the Princes'' confessor, placing his hand on the Second Prince''s forehead and blessing him.


    "How''s my dad doing? Were there other survivors?"


    "Your father will be fine, and he has been worried about you for as long as he has been conscious, last night. All, without exception, are concerned with the health of both the Sovereign Prince and the Second Prince. But¡­ How do you feel?"


    "Yes, I''m doing fine ..." There was still the wound, but that was perfectly tolerable now, especially compared to the ''fresh'' and piercing pain Lex had felt moments before while Emmeline beat her like a dirty carpet. All this body had were scratches and body aches.


    Gutard had used his own body to protect his son''s body, and thanks to that, and the fact that Lex had first fallen into the grave, he had been spared from the worst.


    "I''m fine. But my father ... Is he unconscious?!"


    The Prince''s reaction was expected, but not even Alexa expected her reaction to the news.


    She had really believed in Magnus''s opinion that Gutard would be fine.


    "Well¡­ First of all, calm down. While your father, the Sovereign Prince, is recovering, the whole kingdom needs to know that Holstein is safe and well looked after. And that you, the youngest von Wuttenfal, are prepared to take responsibility while your father is bedridden," Agnello di Borghesi spoke slowly and clearly, staring directly into the Second Prince''s eyes.


    ''Damn it. Alexander ... We are screwed.''


    ''Don''t focus on that now. Let''s see my dad. Then we''ll think about it. State affairs are important, but my father''s life is more, ''Alexander took a while to answer Alexa''s desperate outburst. But he was firm. ''I already went to see him. He is worried, in a bad mood, scared, and in pain ... But far from dying ... If I learned anything from you '', he added.


    "If I may," said Narses, calling attention to breaking the protocol and addressing to the Royal Highness publicly, without being asked. "I am Narses Dallassenos, a relative of your wife ... And she sent you a letter," pompously her older brother bowed as he approached and delivered a sealed letter.


    A small murmur ensued, leaving Alexa to be sure that even the highest court dignitaries followed the Second Prince''s wedding with interest.


    ''Tell the nobles and ministers present here to refrain from worrying too much. After I see my father, there will be an official statement, I promise, '' Alexander advised her.


    ''You can say that yourself!''


    ''The last time we did that, I felt it was much harder than I expected. It was too tiring and energy consuming ... different from before. ''


    Alexa didn''t quite understand what Alexander meant by that, but she didn''t have time to keep asking. The Princess was sure that while they were talking internally, the Prince should look silly, which would only make ministers more concerned.


    "Dear ones. I am grateful beyond words you came to wish me a good recovery after the incident. I know you are concerned about the fate of the kingdom, while my father is recovering. I assure you we will keep you informed shortly about what we will do. First of all, I will see my father."


    "Your Highness! Tell us where your brother is! He must come back!" one minister asked, pushy but respectfully.


    "As soon as I talk to my father, I will inform you of everything you need to know," the Prince rephrased.


    The Prince understood there, that at that moment, the factions would begin to articulate their plots to power, without even waiting for Gutard to be inside a coffin,


    "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I''ll summon you later."


    Her choice of words caused a few noblemen to raise their eyebrows, which made Alexa wonder if she wasn''t acting too aggressive and conceited. "Right now my mind is on my father''s health, so please forgive me beforehand."


    Agnello de Borghesi took the cue to add,


    "Your Highness undoubtedly thanks you for your prayers, pious ministers and nobles. At this point, each one should FAITHFULLY watch over their tasks. The Sovereign Prince will recover, so there is no reason to worry or to falter. Surely all the true supporters of Holstein shall be engaged in helping the von Wuttenfal to lead this land to prosperity and wellbeing. The von Wuttenfal always did the best for Holstein, and this land only prospered and keeps safe from external enemies and even spiritual attacks, under their guidance. It shall not change."


    They politely dispersed, but even Alexa was not so innocent as to imagine that, at that moment, there was a feverish battle behind the scenes, to promote the change of powers in Holstein!


    Even with the White Queen almost out of the game, and the Black Queen very absent, the princess suspected they still had important roles to play. None of them had been totally excluded. And the interests of the living were also an unbalancing element.


    The Prime Minister and the Grand General said they would wait outside, to go with Alexander to Gutard. Alexa wondered if this was some kind of suspicion, or just precautions between opposing parties.


    Lex opened the letter while they left, but on the paper, there was only a bold and obscene drawing. So just like her brother''s shenanigans! She looked up at him, gaping.


    Narses winked at her.


    Alexa could hardly wait to talk to him alone ... Well, not necessarily alone, since Alexander would possibly be together.


    In moments, the small retinue crossed the corridors to the Sovereign Prince''s room.


    Although Alexa and Alexander preferred a personal encounter with Gutard, it had been impossible, even for Blue Eyes and his excellent rhetoric, to move the two most politically important people after Gutard himself, not to enter the Second Prince in the Sovereign''s alcove.


    Lex found Gutard different from what she imagined. He was in bed, lying quite stiffly, accompanied by doctors, and Duke Kurt. And it didn''t look right, she could tell right away. His body and face were swollen, and he had many horrible bruises.


    "DAD!"


    Gutard moved his lips slightly, in what might have been a smile, and then winced in pain.


    Lex went over to her father-in-law, whom she would now call a father, for convenience''s sake.


    But, even if indirectly, that man had risked his own life to save her ... Shouldn''t she be grateful?


    "How are you feeling? Oh my God, I didn''t think it was that horrible! You took it all by yourself, did you¡­"


    "Shut up. Alexander. Alexander?"


    ''Tell him I''m here. And that I''m fine. Please, '' Alexander asked her. His voice was so and void of emotions, but Lex guessed it was because Alexander was trying to control his feelings.


    "I''m here, father. You can talk.''"


    "You must endure a lot of responsibility now."


    ''Is he thinking he''s going to die? We have to tell him he''s not!''


    ''Worse than that, Alexa. He''s afraid to live like an invalid. Let him speak, please,'' the real Second Prince asked.


    "The scribe has already registered ... my decree. But I want you to listen. It''s my will."


    The men around the bed nodded solemnly. Only Alexa felt like she was going to freak out. What was going on? Why was she not liking to where it was leading to, at all?


    "Alexander will be the Holstein''s Regent ... under the tutelage of both... Duke Kurt and Father Agnello. Until my recovery ... and the return... of his older brother."

 Chapter 194 - Becoming the Prince Regent

    ''Uh-oh!''


    ''Don''t try to pass out and push responsibility to another as you did when you found Nerissa''s body. Don''t even think about it!'' Alexander''s voice sounded almost as if he spoke between his teeth. Alexa realized that he was just as tense


    as she was.


    ''This is crazy! What he is doing?!''


    ''Tell him to reconsider, it''s polite to do. He will not listen to you, if he has already written his will,'' he replied.


    ''Oh my God! Isn''t that too much for both of us?''


    ''What can he do now? Magnus is not here, and I am the second child. Either he appoints one of his sons the Regent now, or there may be controversies later ... if the worst happens. Nothing worse is going to happen, though. He''ll be fine. This will only be temporary, rest assured.''


    It wasn''t as if Alexa used to doubt Alexander, but she had already gotten used to expecting the worst. After all, how could opening a simple window in an idyllic country house on a moonlit night mean inviting death to enter?


    "Dad¡­ This is not necessary. It will only be a few days of rest and medical care ..."


    "I''m being cautious. The people will be calmer."


    Gutard responded so assertively it left no room for argument, as Alexander had predicted.


    The Prince knelt beside the bed,


    "Thank you for saving my life, and putting your own life at risk."


    "You would do the same."


    The Duke watched in silence, but interrupted,


    "Alexander has shown that he is never intimidated, and is quite intelligent. He''ll have the help of his spiritual advisor and my help in the practical aspects. Just worry about recovering and resting, Your Majesty."


    "Besides of course, all the support from the ministers and the Army. With this, the next few days will be smooth. The prince will have the support of many loyal citizens while the Sovereign Prince recovers," Agnello recalled that Alexander would not only need their support, but should get the trust of ministers, army, and the court.


    The Prince asked Ceridom to detail his father''s condition, and the doctor reported that the Sovereign Prince''s legs and feet suffered more damage than the rest of the body, but that all possible precautions were being taken.


    "Your Majesty is quite a vigorous man, and he''s more than likely to resist the worst part of the recovery."


    But even Ceridom could not hide his concern. Everyone feared the execrable gangrene, which could only be remedied with amputation. And even that wasn''t really a guarantee of survival. Many times the blood became contaminated, and the person died of rotting blood.


    Lex tried to push those thoughts away, and looked at Gutard,


    "Hold on," repeating the Prince''s own words to her.


    "I know I carried that weight, ... and now you will carry mine."


    Lex nodded.


    "Get him filled in on all the matters." Gutard ordered, and then touched Alexander''s hand in a brief display of trust and support. His hands and arms were bandaged.


    Gutard seemed exhausted of just talking a little.


    "We will do this immediately, brother. Just rest. I will keep you informed of everything, so you can pull your youngest child''s ear when you are on your feet again." The Duke motioned for everyone to leave, leaving the doctors to look after the Sovereign Prince.


    Outside the alcove of the Sovereign Prince, the most important figures of the kingdom at that moment looked at each other expectantly.


    "Prepare everything for the Prince Regent to make an announcement in the early evening," Duke Kurt turned to the chamberlain, but the Prince quickly corrected, with a breath held,


    "Oops, no. I will make an announcement in the early afternoon."


    His uncle didn''t yet know the details about Alexander''s peculiar condition, and Kurt looked at him in surprise. But Father Agnelo saved him,


    "This is good, as it will not let people create crazy theories about what is going on."


    "Will Princess Cordelia be present in the speech?" asked General Egon, clearly intrigued by not having seen the princess at least involved in the care of her husband.


    "I think it would be my brother''s wish. So that after the recent events, we don''t leave the equivocate impression that we have any hostility towards our neighbors, the Flemishs," said Kurt.


    Alexa had to force her mind a little to recap the latest events and understand what Duke Kurt was talking about. Yes, the Flemish entourage around Cordelia was held hostage because of their possible links to witchcraft. And Cordelia''s father, an important world merchant leader and one of the wealthiest men in northern Europe, was a prisoner in Holstein''s dungeons. It was a potential risk for Holstein, politically.


    Soon after, the Prince met with the ministers in a large and impressive hall.


    Alexa didn''t want to be there!


    She had woken up and been dragged to Holstein''s throne before breakfast!


    ''Stay calm, Alexa! This is important! If the court is nervous, or the people are apprehensive, during a plague, witches, and political disputes, everything will become worse. Please help me here! ''


    ''How could I? I understand very little, and besides, we should be trying to figure out how to restore Sigrid''s spell! Our body is healing fast and¡­''


    ''Our body?''


    ''Sorry, but it reminds me that if I turn into food for the living dead, I won''t even have a place to go back!''


    ''Ohh! If that happens, Alexa, I will willingly give my body to you! But it won''t happen! Calm down, please! I know I must sound like a selfish bastard right now, but it''s just because I have seen you go through incredible situations¡­ And you have always overcome them. You will do it again. It''s no use suffering in anticipation, for things that you cannot solve now. Please¡­ Focus on what you can do.''


    ''I don''t want your body! I want my body! Your body is great, but I feel better in my body! BWAH!'' she was sure he could know what that lump in his throat was. Alexander''s words had some wisdom, but that wisdom was not getting into her mind!


    ''Stop Alexa, you''re crying!'' Alexander sounded shocked, and Lex felt a tear run down the second Prince''s face.


    Everyone was looking at Alexander, puzzled ... Some gaping and apparently paralyzed.


    The Prince raised his hand to dry his eye, and quickly, the ministers and the military lowered their heads to pretend they were not seeing.


    ''This is going to be a fiasco! I don''t know how to act like a boy anymore. I don''t know how to act like you,'' she justified herself while accepting the handkerchief that Blue Eyes offered him discreetly.


    ''They don''t know what to expect from me. Most of them never talked to me as an a.d.u.l.t.''


    "You better not seduce everyone with your fragile appearance, Your Highness," Father Agnello leaned over to speak to Lex in his ear. The priest thought he was talking to Alexa, of course, and he was.


    Lex nodded, and took a deep breath.


    She hadn''t paid attention to half of what the ministers said, she just knew that they were bringing up the issues they considered most urgent to surface.


    Then she paid attention, and with the help of Duke Kurt and the questions Alexander asked her, she began to get an overview of Holstein''s problems.


    Nothing would be resolved now, as they knew the new regent would need a little time.


    When the meeting was over, Prince Alexander returned to his quarters to prepare for his announcement. At the door to his room, the Duke said goodbye.


    "We will talk about the events in Ashgraufelsen later," said Alexander''s uncle, making it clear that it would be a private conversation, and quite important.


    "I will help the Prince write a speech that will calm both the court and the people," Father Agnello announced. Lex was grateful to have someone who could do this. The father continued, "We all have a lot to talk about with Prince Alexander, but there are even rumors among the people that father and son died in the collapse. Just as many are confused about Duke Kurt''s return ..."


    The subtle intonation made Alexa think Agnello didn''t have much sympathy for Alexander''s uncle.


    Well, considering what she now knew about Agnello being Letitia''s firstborn, perhaps he knew about the past affair and suspected the Duke''s motivations. But it was too much to think about now.


    He found a big bustle in his chambers, with servants and nurses, and even the royal dressmaker and his assistants.


    Alexander suggested,


    "Ask everyone to leave the Prince for a moment."


    Alexa did this, even under the puzzled look of Balbo and Padre Agnello, who withdrew without questioning the Prince, like everyone else.


    She imagined that Alexander wanted time really alone so they could talk without fearing the stares of others. The princess always had the impression that her face revealed she was having an interesting internal conversation with herself, which could be scary, and put the new Prince Regent''s sanity in check.


    The closed doors and isolation, however, were a welcome relief in the current situation.


    The Second Prince threw himself on the bed, with a sigh.


    "The silence ... I longed for it."


    ''I''m sorry, Alexa.''


    ''You sorry? Why?'' she knew he was not to blame for what was going on there, so at that moment her mind didn''t understand what he meant by that.


    Only when the hair on the Prince''s body stood on end and she felt the temperature in the room suddenly drop, did the Prince sit on the bed.


    ''Alexander? What is happening?! Alexander?!''

 Chapter 195 - Greetings from the Black Queen

    The atmosphere became so cold in a few seconds that a fine, whitish mist formed inside the Prince''s room.


    Alexa, inside the Prince''s body, looked this way and that, flabbergasted, still finding it hard to believe Alexander had betrayed her and something scary was about to happen.


    "Alexa ..." the familiar voice whispered very close to the Prince''s ears, and Lex turned in the voice''s direction. On the other side of the bed, standing, wrapped in her black undulating robes, the Black Queen watched her with interest.


    "Letitia!"


    Shade remained silent, and all Alexa could see is that the Black Queen seemed even more powerful, if that was possible. Her appearance was more solid and her voice was not a mere whisper. She might not have an actual body, but she was possibly capable of many things that ordinary Shades would never achieve.


    How had she achieved this power in so little time?


    Perhaps with the help of her cultists, worshipping her like a goddess.


    But, where did Alexander get into all this?! She couldn''t understand, she really couldn''t!


    ~ Where''s Magnus? ~


    "Uh, well¡­ You know. He''s traveling," Alexa replied, discreetly positioning herself so she could at least try to defend herself if the Black Queen tried to attack her. Unfortunately the Prince was wearing gloves. If Letitia wanted to attack her, Alexa knew she would be in a lot of trouble. Maybe, just maybe, all she wanted was information ...


    ~ Even your limited understanding must be able to realize that what you are doing is impossible. I am not your enemy, even if I am an enemy of the von Wuttenfals. ~


    "Your son is a von Wuttenfal, and he is very proud of it," Lex said, scratching his eyebrow. He could already see the steam coming out of his mouth when he spoke, and his chin trembling.


    ~ The knowledge to solve what you want is well beyond the reach of a common sorceress, Alexa. But you can do it. If you want to enter my domain, you will need to open the door ... ~


    "What are you talking about?" Alexa saw no reason to pretend disinterest. If a Shade like the Black Queen was looking for her a second time, it should be important.


    ~ You can find out if you want. But this is my warning. You have until the Solstice to do it or... Our deal is over. I''ll do whatever is necessary, then ... ~


    "Deal?" Alexa brought her knees to her chest and hugged herself, cold.


    ~ Blind fool¡­ You carry the light¡­ But you are blind yourself¡­ hahaha! ~ Letitia disappeared, but her laughter reverberated.


    All the cold dissipated instantly.


    Within seconds the day''s natural light had returned to the room. It was possible to hear the noises of the castle outside, and even the birds chirping, unaware of what just happened.


    Lex hit her fists hard against the mattress, just to regret it. The Prince''s hands still had wounds that hurt when forced.


    "Aghhh!!!! Alexander! What was this?! Why are you involved in this?! Are you there? Or ran away? If I catch you! If I catch you, you will go straight to the throne room of the Lord of Hell!"


    ''I probably deserve it¡­'' he lamented. I''m not worth anything. I cannot help... Nothing I do can help us ... Nothing I do can save Magnus ... ''The diaphanous figure of the Prince emerged at her side, exactly as she knew him. Beautiful and ethereal. And he was crying.


    ''You¡­ what are you talking about?! Cut off the enigmatic words right now!''


    ''You''re going to hate me a lot ...''


    ''Don''t make guesses on me. Alexander¡­! You¡­! What did you deal with the Black Queen?! Stop ... Stop crying ... ''


    Oh!


    He looked so heartbroken that Lex put his gloved hand to his mouth, nervous to see him in distinct pain. She, who had just heard words of comfort from him, while she was afraid, in front of those ministers, was now split into wanting to punish him for doing something behind his back, and to comfort him.


    "You¡­ You shouldn''t cry when you''re the traitor here! And ... Oh my God! Zand, don''t cry! Don''t Cry!"


    Finally, her heart could not bear to see him suffer, and she sat down beside him.


    "I can see you now ... Should this happen?"


    ''I think it''s happening because you and your vitality are healing this body. You were the only one who could, after all. But that will eventually leave me out, remember? ''


    Lex blinked, concerned.


    ''Tell me everything from the beginning.''


    Alexander looked up at her, looking intimidated, ''From the beginning?''


    She shrugged, ''Alexander, I need to know why you set up this meeting with Letitia''s Shade...''


    ''There is something you don''t know ... About Magnus. And he doesn''t know that either.''


    Alexa''s heart froze as much as the room minutes ago.


    "What is it?" she spoke out loud. But there was a knock at the door,


    ''Your Highness, please, we don''t want to interrupt your rest, but we have to proceed with the preparations,'' said Balbo, on the other side of the door.


    At that moment, Alexa hated her friend for interrupting. Alexander said,


    ''Anyway, it''s a long conversation, and it has to do with Magnus''s heart. The heart of stone in his chest. And about the prophecy Sigrid said to my father, and you heard at the top of the lighthouse ... I will tell you, I promise. ''


    Alexa couldn''t help it. She felt a bitterness in her chest, a feeling that she would not like to hear the things Alexander had to say, let alone want to wait to hear.


    With a lump in his throat of nervous frustration and foreboding, Lex got up, and ordered everyone in.


    But she swore to herself that she would not let nightfall come without knowing Alexander''s motives and the terrible secret of Magnus'' heart of stone!


    The wave of people practically hit lex, and there was no time for anything else. Except to hear Father Agnello explain the concepts of the speech, in a way the Prince could understand why he had to say this, and not that.


    Lex could at least be grateful that the Prince wasn''t a mere parrot, and understood the nuances of what he would say in his first appearance as Prince Regent, in place of the real Second Prince.


    In the meantime, an army of servants and professionals made sure the young Prince''s first public appearance as regent was impressive.


    After being bathed, shaved, and combed, they dressed Alexander in gold and white. According to Agnello and the tailor, ''as a symbol that the sun will shine again and push away the dark period in which we are living''.


    They brought him a tray with the Prince''s meal, and the meager quantity and variety shocked Lex


    . If only they knew that the more nervous she was, the more hungry she felt!


    "Do we have empty pantries, now?" asked the Prince, gesturing to the tray.


    The page who brought the tray was confused and nervous, and looked at Fani for help. But Father Agnello replied instead, in a soft voice,


    "Is your Highness'' appetite exacerbated today? This should be a good sign, as this is usually your normal day meal. Please provide the Prince Regent with more food."


    ''This might be my last meal!'' she thought, feeling sorry for herself. With all that pressure on me! Besides, it was impossible for a human being to consume so little food. That shouldn''t be enough for even a child!


    "I am recovering, I am feeling more hungry than usual, it''s a fact."


    Still, what they brought was just enough to appease her stomach, but not to quench it.


    The priest put his hand on the Prince''s shoulder as if reading Lex'' thoughts of asking for more food. It would certainly be very strange for everyone who was used to seeing Alexander refuse food.


    But everything went by so fast, and Lex wasn''t sure if she had understood and learn everything so fast. But Blue Eyes ensured the Prince he would be at his side all the time. In retrospect, how could Lex foresee that the relationship between them would have taken so many turns?!


    She couldn''t see Alexander now, but she knew he was close to her.


    As Alexander walked up to the anteroom close to the throne room, where the court was anxiously waiting, he met Cordelia and his new ladies.


    It was inevitable.


    Her heart seemed to burn painfully as she realized the position the Princess Consort was in at that moment. A source of wealth. A political token, only, who couldn''t be discarded until they tested her usefulness. Scorned by her husband, isolated, without the support of the court, without the love of the people. Whose only connection with Holstein was an unfulfilled marriage to a Sovereign who could die at any moment. Used by her mother and father in a diabolical plot for revenge and power.


    Still, Cordelia had been conniving with so many cruel things! What a weak and cowardly woman! Lex saw it as a reflection of the world they lived in.


    "Cordelia. Are you ready?"


    "I was told that your father will survive, but I haven''t been allowed to see him yet! I also cannot see my father, or my friends, who I know are innocent! I beg, Your Highness, have mercy!" Cordelia threw herself in front of Alexander, on her knees, in front of the entourages that accompanied each of them.


    Lex felt his face red with embarrassment. The whole situation was awkward to begin with.


    The Prince held out his gloved hand to her, but it was Duke Kurt who helped Princess Consort to get up. Cordelia looked at Alexander, and all Lex saw in her eyes filled with the fear of dying.


    "Calm down, Princess. We have something to do for Holstein. Help me."


    Lex could only assume there was a good reason why their fate was so intertwined.


    The doors to the throne hall were opened, and the buzz of the court invaded the anteroom.


    "It''s time, Your Highness," asked Father Agnello, showing the door.


    Lex took a deep breath. And after the heralds entered, when silence took over the hall, the Prince Regent of Holstein entered and went to the royal dais, sitting on the throne.

 Chapter 196 - Whats Under

    ''You did well,'' Alexander greeted her, as they rode with Duke Kurt and Father Agnello in a carriage to the cathedral, where a mass would take place.


    ''Although I trembled at first, when all those looks measured me from head to toe?''


    ''You probably make me more beautiful. As you spoke, did you notice that there was not a single murmur? They were mesmerized! ''


    ''There was even someone who was sick to the stomach, actually,'' Lex remembered. That deconcentrated her speech.


    "Your Highness should review the order about keeping Lady Duvignes in prison. You know she''s not a traitor, and she didn''t plot Prince Alexander''s death. It was all a big mess, as she told me," began Duke Kurt, putting his hand out of the carriage window to feel the wind.


    "Your strategy was very ingenious. Having a spy inside the castle, with Lady Duvignes'' obvious skills," said the priest, raising an eyebrow. "But her usefulness in this regard has been lost, since there is no longer a French Ambassador. Your choice of a woman of dubious morals only put our diplomatic relationship with the French in check after the death of their diplomat, who had been in Holstein for years. ,"


    "Please, please, let''s leave this matter for later!" Lex asked, distressed, "I have little time. Right now, what I want and need to know the most is what Letitia''s ghost wants. Why Holstein, from all places. What makes this place somewhere where black magic can be so powerful, where so many ghosts can coexist, where so many macabre things happen! This is unnatural. And I need to understand it. This afternoon. "


    "Take it easy, Your Highness. There are other matters¡­"


    "No! This is the most important issue now! Everything is falling apart and I need to know what I''m up against. You have both been researching o it and maybe you already have the answers I need. I promise I won''t help you in anything, anything, if you don''t tell me right now!"


    The Duke blinked, stunned, and Agnello put his hand on the prince''s shoulder, trying to calm him down,


    "Take it easy, my child. I also yearn to know what the man who was expelled from Holstein in the past knows about Diana''s cult and Letitia''s reasons. As for what I know, which must be little in comparison, I will gladly tell you. Come on, Duke," he turned to Kurt. "In front of you is the person to whom the Sovereign Prince has entrusted everything which is most important to him."


    Agnello''s words had a double meaning, and the Duke raised an eyebrow, looking irritated.


    "Well then. Straight to the point, then?"


    The Prince nodded.


    "Due to her obsession with the goddess Moon and ''her most powerful face, Hecate, Letitia became involved with mysterious writings and arcane and forbidden knowledge. According to her, she let it slip once, and I confirmed in my findings. Even locked in a convent, she got access to whatever she wanted. She used her family''s money and other methods to get profane writings smuggled. Taken to her out of other monasteries, where those dangerous writings had been locked up. In one of those profane writings, she learned about the legend of Orcaius," the Duke started.


    Alexa scanned the mind in search of that name, but the Light Bearer had never heard of it.


    "According to what I learned from the myth, Orcaius was a kind of legendary hero who, like others in the past, defied the rules between the living and the dead. He went to hell and brought back a pomegranate there, as a proof that he had come and gone to the underground realms. Because of this theft, the hero could no longer step into the realm of the dead..."


    Alexa breathed heavily, thinking about the kind of curse that prevented someone from dying and having a chance to be reborn.


    "Instead of achieving the expected success and praise, this hero, Orcaius, was ostracized. No one wanted to be friends with someone who had so seriously offended the Gods of Death. And they found that getting rid of him was not easy, since Orcaius did not die. So they kicked him out. Orcaius and his pomegranate went far away, very far indeed ... And you guess where he is supposed to settle down, don''t you?"


    "You talk like you don''t believe it," Agnello noticed.


    "At first I didn''t believe it. Letitia seemed excited about a legend, I would have found it amusing if in the ruins of Holstein she found evidence that a certain Orcaius had lived here. But she was right. Upon arriving here, she actually found evidence of the existence of an Orcaius who lived in this same place in the past. Instead of worrying about it, I found it fascinating, because the legend of Orcaius was involved with the legend of the "Fruit of Sin" that was famous around Holstein, as folklore."


    "Is this the legend which led one of His Majesty''s wives to be killed?" asked Agnello pointedly.


    The Duke shrugged,


    "I don''t know about my brother''s sins or the reasons he had against his other wives. I wasn''t here at this time. The tree is considered being poisonous and impossible to remove, as its roots apparently have no end. Nobody of my generation came to test this theory about its roots, but that''s what the ancients used to say." he shrugged at the obvious question in the Prince''s eyes. "The tree has long been cast in the Forbidden Garden, inside the castle. Everyone knew it was a cursed tree, even though they knew nothing about the Orcaius legend at the end. Letitia, as far as I know, never entered the Garden while she was alive. At least in a natural way, I mean."


    "And what happened? Did she find Orcaius?" the Second Prince questioned.


    "If she found him, she never told me. But I studied everything I could find about this creature. And I believe that, if Orcaius is here, he is the source of all evil in Holstein."


    Alexa remembered the White Queen talking about ''the great evil'' in Holstein. Could she be talking about this? What was Orcaius, that mysterious figure whose legends did not explain much?


    "Letitia wanted the power of immortality and to reign over the infernal hosts as if she were a new Persephone beside her Hades. She spared no effort and used everyone on her way to get closer to her goal. Fortunately, she met a very ordinary and unworthy death, by her husband''s sword," Agnello smirked contemptuously when he said those words.


    The Duke shifted in his seat. As much as he wanted to pretend to be in control, he seemed to be ashamed of having been one of those pawns so skillfully used by Letitia,


    "Her acolytes and she gathered a vast knowledge of witchcraft while they were here. Ancient things, that were here before they even arrived," the Duke resumed his accounting,


    "Yes. Another legend about Orcaius tells that, after a while, he was sought after for his knowledge of prophecy and also of magic. He, in search of a solution to his curse, and with plenty of time to do so, sought the knowledge of death from assorted ancient civilizations, and became a powerful archimage. Other ambitious and insane sorcerers sought him out to learn his arts, and he corrupted them all. This land became a place of pilgrimage for every dark wizard interested in the black arts ... Until one fine day, Orcaius got tired of it all. And he left all the dark mages at war for his magical estate. Fighting for it, they destroyed the old city that was here, and, unable to cope with everything they did, they just left for the four corners of the earth again."


    "It''s an impressive story. And now I understand why this place has always attracted sorcerers, and strengthened the connection with the dead," the Prince pondered.


    "He''s still here, of course. Maybe not in the physical world," Kurt said.


    "You know that Letitia''s spirit is still around, don''t you?" Lex asked Duke Kurt, and he nodded,


    "Not only moved by your desire for revenge on my brother, but as a powerful evil spirit. A demon with a human past, if we can call it that. Her surviving acolytes gathered elsewhere and patiently waited for the moment to bring her back."


    "Was it really possible, as Father Agnello believes, that she wanted Magnus and Cordelia to produce a baby, that she would use in some way?" The Prince asked.


    "Haha. Cordelia? Letitia would have spit in that girl''s face, just because she is ... ugly. Maybe Zilda thought her own daughter was the v.i.r.g.i.n who should be part of a ritual with Magnus, but ... Maybe it was just a mother''s wishes. She wanted to unite her lineage with that of the ''queen of demons''. That was clear to me," the Duke grimaced.


    "Anyway, they believed it would work," Agnello mused.


    "That male figurine that was found on Cordelia''s bed, was it a love spell?" Again the Prince asked.


    "Most likely," said the Duke. "But they say that Magnus has a cold heart, and apparently not even a spell could make him fall in love¡­ Words from my young friend Charlotte. The one the Regent must forgive," recalled the uncle, with a smile.


    Lex kept his thoughts to himself about Cordelia''s disappointment at having only Magnus''s contempt. And also about Charlotte''s views on Magnus''s ability to love. Her cheeks were hot with anger just thinking about them.


    ''Here I am, jealous of women he doesn''t love, while maybe I don''t even have a tomorrow¡­'' Taking a deep breath, Lex straightened up, as the carriage had already reached the front of the cathedral,


    "If all goes well, we can continue our exchanges of information tomorrow," the Prince''s statement drew a surprised reaction from Alexander''s uncle. "Father Agnello can tell my ''current problem'' to my uncle. He better know, if we''re all going to help each other," he said, turning to his tutor.


    After saying that, Lex jumped out of the carriage without waiting for help or following protocol, striding into the church. Lex felt she needed to breathe after hearing everything she heard.


    It was mid-afternoon, and the sun was shining on Holstein''s rooftops. The streets still stank of death, and there weren''t many people around to watch the Prince''s arrival.


    Lex imagined that, inside, she would see Narses.


    And when she saw him, waiting by the door, she couldn''t help but smile at him.

 Chapter 197 - The Lair of the Undead

    "You look better without a beard!" Narses whispered in his native language when the Second Prince passed him.


    The comment was the first thing that almost managed to make Lex laugh, but the Prince managed to maintain his composure, glancing again at his brother. Her brother did this boldly when he was euphoric or drunk, but Narses didn''t look drunk.


    She was also so thrilled to see him!


    A little distant, almost blurred in the background, she noticed Prior Reuben, staring at the Prince with an unreadable face.


    But ''Alexander'' didn''t care. He was the Prince Regent, after all.


    "Narses Dallassenos, we have a few things to talk about. Join the first mass in the castle chapel, early in the morning, and we''ll talk a little bit soon after!"


    "I''ll be honored, Your Highness!"


    Narses appropriately bowed in respect of the invitation, and Alexa even heard her brother say to Alexander, "Brother-in-law, you are lucky to have married this woman!"


    Lex felt the Prince''s face flush with his older brother''s usual audacity, and more than that, with what he said!


    Perhaps Alexander did not understand Greek. Yes, it was more than improbable he had learned Greek. But then she remembered that Alexander confessed to Alexa he had dreamed of her since he was a child ... And that he even thought he lived his life ... In this case, Alexander had definitely understood her brother''s words!


    ''I''m happy that your brother is alive, Alexa. But why does it look like that man back there keeps a look on him?''


    ''Did you notice too? That is the Prior. The Chief of the Inquisition here in the region, ''Lex said.


    Alexander was silent as soon as they entered the Church, not talking about whether he understood Narses'' bravado.


    Lex shivered every time she had to walk through the central nave to the front of the altar. All the things that happened there were remarkable. From her marriage to her fight with the White Queen.


    As the Prince knelt before the altar, she asked Alexander,


    "Are you going to tell me what you did? What is this deal with the Black Queen? And your mother?"


    After a long silence, Alexander replied, not exactly in the way she expected, however,


    ''Alexa, do you believe that even amid so much darkness, and even knowing that we are in the mouth of hell, as we still hear, our voices can they be heard if we ask for help with our hearts? Or do you think this boastful and vain stone building is nothing but an illusion?''


    ''A temple is a place where we can commune ... But our voice should be heard from anywhere, supposedly.''


    ''I want to do this now. I want to beg for miracles. I don''t know if anyone will listen to my voice, though¡­''


    Alexander''s words surprised Alexa.


    ''Are you going to¡­ pray?''


    But there was no answer. Alexander started to pray.


    First the old beaten formulas, then Alexa heard his repeated whispers. He prayed vehemently for his father and Alexa. He asked God to allow them to live. Lex felt the urgency and the vehemence, the honesty of his heart. He asked,


    ''Save them! Please save them! ''


    The colorful and kaleidoscopic lights of the cathedral stained glass windows, at dusk, vibrated in their fullness with infinite prisms, and enveloped the Prince, breaking the raw reality into a separate and ineffable space.


    Alexa lost track of time, surrounded by whispers and liturgy, seeking peace for those who left as martyrs, and asking for the lives of those who still struggled against evil.


    Lex for the first time, understood who Alexander was. For the first time, she saw him.


    ooo


    The princess woke up feeling a damp weight on her face. Whatever was on her eyes and face, it didn''t smell good.


    Somewhere, she heard constant dripping, and the acrid smell of herbs, vinegar, and even alcohol, the antiseptic liquid from the east, invaded her nose. Her wrist and left hand were wrapped in a splint.


    Her survival instinct told her she shouldn''t waste any time. Alexa tried to stretch the body and realized that it was not constrained. Sliding off the cot where she was stretched out as quietly as she could, she put her hand over her face to remove what was preventing her from seeing.


    "Get back there immediately. And don''t take it off," the harsh voice ordered. Her heart beat fast with fright. And knowing that her captor was so close!


    She slid back onto the cot, stretching rigidly there.


    "Are you under some kind of spell?" she heard noises of heavy ceramic pots being opened and closed, and the steps of the undead on the straw-covered floor. It was the typical alchemist''s or physician''s den setting, she guessed.


    However, the realization that Magnus had not been able to find her all day long has terrified her.


    He was alive, wasn''t he? He couldn''t die, could he? Her heart ached with anxiety, and she sat down, despite being told not to.


    "What happened?" She asked.


    "I asked first."


    Something bothered her about that question, but she replied promptly,


    "See, I really am the victim of a curse. In addition to bringing extreme bad luck to everyone around me, I fall asleep at the worst times. I would certainly be a bad, horrible investment for someone looking for a mate ... or a maid for their lair..."


    "In that case, the best thing to do would be to kill you."


    "... However, even with these flaws, I sweep and clean quite well."


    "Pff ..."


    "I''m Alexa."


    "I know."


    "You know?"


    "They are shouting your name in the forest, even the tree trunks know it."


    "Hm¡­" ''that means everything is as expected. All I need to do is stay alive. Don''t become a potential dinner,'' thought the princess, feeling more excited.


    "You are an excellent doctor, monsieur..."


    "Shhhh!" he hissed for her to shut up, and Alexa cringed where she was. She heard light footsteps on the stone floor.


    An oppressive and stagnant feeling filled her chest, but Alexa struggled with the sensation and tried not to instinctively cringe.


    A door opened, and that presence filled the place. Alexa knew, it was the same one that had almost crushed her neck the night before. Her hands immediately went to her neck, and she found dressings there too. Maybe that was why she was practically in no pain.


    She was curious to see the faces of the undead, but at the same time, Alexa was under the impression it wasn''t a good idea to remove that kind of a herbal mask that covered her face and eyes. She already felt her face less swollen, and naturally she should credit the plaster for that.


    But ... If they were taking the trouble to heal her before turning her into an undead too, it meant that the longer it took, the more time she would have to escape.


    Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a cold, rough hand touch her uninjured wrist, forcing her to lie down again.


    "Is your bride better?" her ''fiance''s'' master asked.


    "She woke up now. She is confused and blabbering strange things. She probably hit her head somehow. I need to make sure she doesn''t become a retard like Emmeline."


    "Haha ha. You are quite a demanding suitor! Emmeline was the sweetest and most beautiful maiden I could find for you, my son. And yet you refused her."


    There was an awkward silence between them, and at last the ''Master'' spoke, in a tired and annoyed voice.


    "Show me. I didn''t really see her the night before."


    "There''s not much to see, although she has recovered well..."


    "Then all the better. I like the color of her hair. Remember the sunlight in the morning¡­ I think."


    "It also makes me feel that way¡­ Master. I remember the landscapes of my previous life, touched by the sun ..."


    According to the legends that Alexa remembered, few undead walked in the sun.


    Not because they feared it, but because it prevented the living from being able to identify them.


    They preferred to move in dark, cold, or foggy environments, or when clothes could cover them. Some of them, like the ghouls, were very cadaverous and supposedly stank like decomposing bodies. They would never be mistaken for humans at close range and in broad daylight.


    Alexa was thinking these were creatures similar to the Balkan upirs... Some upirs even took part in wars against the Ottomans, she heard her father tell.


    A hand, even cooler than the first, touched her head, and made a kind of caress on Alexa''s hair. The Princess froze in her place.


    She wouldn''t be able to describe the sensation again, if asked. The Lazarite teachings about the world of the dead and the most unfortunate stage of death came to mind: when a being is totally removed and forbidden to return to the infinite cycle of rebirth. There was a void and an inexplicable absence, and only the magic''s power and the remaining intellect...


    At the same time, it brought Magnus to Alexa''s mind.


    There was a similarity between them, and it was hard to understand.


    "Why the fear, dear little mouse? You won''t be devoured. Weren''t you saved the night before? In fact ... Your destiny is greater than that of all the women you know..."


    The undead creature crouched beside the cot and sniffed the princess.


    Alexa flinched, in disgust and fear, her eyes moistened immediately.


    "Have you touched her yet?" the voice sounded a little surprised, and curious. Alexa didn''t understand the reason for the question, but understood what he wanted to know.


    After a brief silence, the ''son'' said,


    "Yes. She''s mine, isn''t she?"


    The realization of those words paralyzed her.

 Chapter 198 - From Boy to Maiden, from Maiden to Lady

    "I thought you would wait, to make sure she is worth."


    "Or ... Would you give it to someone else?"


    "If you continue to act as if you are better than the others, my dear, I may have to dote on others more than I dote on you ..."


    "This is the first time I ask you for something."


    "I know, I know ... My terrible, temperamental, and brilliant son ... But look ... Be generous to your siblings ... They went out there to defend your right to a new bride..."


    "I will be grateful to all of them."


    "Are you looking forward to me going? Ah, I see ... You have things to do¡­" he snickered with an unpleasant voice to Alexa''s ears. "But I see it won''t be long before she gets well. Then she''ll be ready for me to make her one of your kind..."


    The entire conversation was making her stomach churn, but nothing was worse than what she had already overheard.


    "Say I want to enjoy her... warmth¡­ After that she will be as cold as I am. And there''s also a time when she will be like a wild beast to be tamed, even worse than Emmeline is right now..."


    "I was completely wrong about your ability to be patient¡­ But time will correct that. I already told you it takes some time, and it varies from person to person. Recovering memory and identity is not as simple as you think. I will teach you how to ''sew a soul'' back to a dead body in the future. And if you think Emmeline was a failure, I''ll see if you can overcome your master. "


    No. Definitely, the conversation could get even worse. The ''Master'' returned to the side of the cot, and ordered imperatively,


    "Get up."


    Alexa obeyed, groping for things and the cold stony wall to help her stand in front of him. The Master''s hand touched her face over the plaster and slowly peeled it off her face. At the same time that she was curious, Alexa wasn''t eager to see them.


    The ''master'' seemed quite the contrary, however.


    "She has something that intrigues me."


    "I am also intrigued, so I took her," said the other undead.


    "That energy ..."


    "Maybe I''ll study her, before we make her immortal ..."


    "That''s wise. She reminds me¡­ You."


    "Me?" The barely controlled harsh voice let slip the arrogant temperament. At that moment, when her eyes were almost unveiled, the laugh of her ''fiance'' revealed his identity to Alexa.


    Alexa squeezed her eyes shut tightly, feeling shattered, destroyed.


    Although it all made sense now, from deeds to words, she didn''t want it to be true!


    ''No, please, please, don''t be true! I want to wake up now!''


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    In the days following the rebellion caused by the Dallassenos'' supporters, Alexa anxiously awaited the visit of her family members, while she remained confined and hidden within the walls of Demetrios Saskia''s villa.


    Her family friend sheltered her gently, and her servants looked after her as if she were the young miss of the house. Demetrios Saskia was a widower and his children were all a.d.u.l.ts. His fabulous fortune was made in business with the Egyptians and also with the Venetians. He was a personal friend of the emperor ... and also a friend of the current Dallassenos traitors.


    Alexa felt her heart shrink in hatred, and every strange sound in the house made it pump faster and louder. She feared that the imperial soldiers would arrive and invade the villa, and they would slaughter the people who hid her. She had no news of her own people.


    A few days later, Uncle Saskia came to the courtyard where Alexa rested with the servants. She was throwing grain at the pheasants, lost in dark thoughts, when he entered followed by a slave carrying a chest. She recognized that chest.


    "Lex, how are you?" The gray-bearded merchant sat beside the damsel on the stone bench.


    "Uncle, I yearn for news about my family. Any news. Several days passed already. Tell me where they are. I will go to them. I''m smart, and quick. I will go alone and they will never know I was here!"


    Demetrios Saskia''s eyes smiled, but it was a sad smile,


    "I won''t do that. Because it''s not that smart. Don''t you trust the men in your family? Aren''t they also Dallassenos? Well, if so, you should know that everything is being arranged. Don''t be hasty. Justice sometimes takes the corner paths, Alexa."


    "Does it take the corner paths?"


    "Yes. It means that it often deviates from the fastest path, and that it also walks in the shade. But it will arrive, eventually," he winked kindly at the child in front of him. That, at least, was how she felt close to him.


    "It''s all my fault¡­ My family fell out of favor just because I spoke to Michalis¡­ I should¡­ I should¡­" she let her tears roll freely over her face.


    "Should you have died in the general''s tent? The result would have been the same, Alexa. The past can''t be changed. But look, we saved some things from your old home ... I found some interesting things at the market this morning, too."


    "Thank you, Uncle Saskia. Are they selling any slaves from my house on the market?"


    "We didn''t see any. There was no one there when the soldiers burned it."


    Alexa dragged the sandal on the floor, drawing a semicircle, while thinking.


    "What will happen now?"


    "You must have faith, Alexa! You can never be discouraged! Your father sent you here for a reason, and I am happy that he trusts me with his most precious treasure! Things need time to settle, but you will see your relatives again!"


    Alexa wanted to believe that Uncle Saskia was not saying all that just as a form of empty comfort.


    That afternoon, after Demetrius Saskia''s house had spent a lot of time with the doors closed, the patios were washed, and the kitchen went on working endlessly for a banquet. The servants knew nothing, and she had no answer until the maid came to fetch her from her room.


    ''Young Miss, the Empress is here to see you!''


    Alexa couldn''t be more surprised.


    Gathered in the banquet hall, the Empress, in discreet clothes and accompanied by few people, sat with Uncle Saskia for a banquet.


    It was a secret meeting!


    Alexa threw herself to the ground when she saw her, with teary eyes and a stomping heart.


    "Girl, calm your heart. I''m so happy to see you!" Eirene, the empress, made Alexa look up at her, and the girl saw a triumphant smile on the woman''s face.


    The maiden was so confused!


    "The Dallassenos are very important to me, Alexa. I will not turn my back on those who are loyal to whom they must be loyal. My son, the future emperor, extends his hand to the Dallassenos!"


    These words were being repeated to Alexa, not by chance, and the maiden was smart enough to understand Eirene''s choices.


    "Yes, Your Majesty! Yes!"


    "That perverted pig who calls himself a general is suffering in a bed, with only half his face. His hours are numbered, and if the demons want, they can drag him into the darkest corner of hell!" snarled the Empress, still holding Alexa, whom she helped to sit beside her. Alexa grabbed the woman''s hands, exclaiming feverishly,


    "Your Majesty, that man, he didn''t touch me, he couldn''t do it, Your Majesty! He didn''t touch me! It was a scam!"


    "As I suspected! My poor girl! That old serpent accepted the fact, trying to deceive his own mind and refrain from allowing the disgusting perversities! But I was sure that ... He couldn''t last so little ... with something he really has little appreciation for," she sighed, and Alexa felt again dirty when remembering everything that happened.


    But a sarcastic smile came to Alexa''s lips when she imagined that he would never have the blissful prize of a good death! She would do her best to make his soul be lost forever, never finding his way! She was childish this way, at that point.


    "The Dallassenos brothers are being hunted for the attack on the general, and Bryennios is under arrest. But does Your Majesty suppose you will be able to reverse this, for the future wellbeing of Constantinople?" asked the most powerful merchant in Constantinople politely.


    The Empress took her wine, and in an accomplice gesture, gave Alexa her glass,


    "I need time to maneuver, but Bryennios will be safe and I will ensure that he''s not put to death. The noble Dallassenos brothers, who killed their only sister after the general r.a.p.ed her, to clean up the family''s honor, will have to remain as fugitives for a while. Poor family."


    Demetrios shook his head, regretting the fact,


    "What consoles me is that our Empress watches over those who are loyal ... If a man''s l.u.s.t hadn''t caused all this!"


    "Not a man, a pig!" Eirene''s face became a mask of hatred under the torchlight.


    "My Eternal Empress, my humble services are at your disposal. I will work to bring what is necessary to Constantinople. All the wheat, weapons and supplies as possible. I want the empire to be strong when our future emperor rises to the throne!" Demetrios Saskia spoke, with a slight smile. "And if the Empress extends her benevolence upon this house as she keeps her protection upon the Dallassenos, I dare suggest something to Your Majesty. If it is very offensive and small of me, you see, I am a rude and vain man. Flog me because I will deserve it."


    The Empress, who was stroking Alexa''s shoulder as if the maiden were a pet kitten, asked,


    "At the very least I must listen to your petition, Lord Saskia."


    "My daughter, she is beautiful, healthy and smart, young, and a maiden. She can learn to be a lady, who will do her best for her husband. If her husband were from the imperial family, she would be the most loyal servant of the Empress."


    Saskia''s words puzzled the Empress for a moment,


    "Your daughter?" but then her hand stopped the caresses, and she looked at the girl sitting next to her.


    And she smirked,


    "Oh. Your daughter."

 Chapter 199 - Lady Eudoxia

    Two days later, young Dallassenos was placed in a closed carriage, and guarded by Slavic mercenaries, to be taken to the Convent of Saint Mary, on the outskirts of Antiochia.


    She didn''t want to go, but she had no choice.


    The Empress wished to create a bond of loyalty with the Dallassenos, and this bond was essential for them to achieve imperial forgiveness. If she wanted Alexa to stay hidden in a convent for a while, then that was all the girl could do.


    But Alexa could at least assume to herself, that she was terrified.


    Everything Alexa had heard of convents was frightening. Women who spent the day either praying and martyring themselves, or suffering from being thrown into the convent by greedy relatives, who just wanted to get rid of an heiress. After all, women were supposed to bring a dowry to their husbands when they get married.


    At that time, Demetrios Saskia, when adopting her, had just told the Empress that much of his fortune would go to Alexa as a dowry for her wedding!


    And the empress knew of the problems that Constantinople faced in the last years. Demetrios Saskia put his fortune at stake to help the Dallassenos and Alexa, and the maiden should be grateful for that.


    And she was!


    Her arrival at the convent took place on a misty morning, and that didn''t contribute to her good impression of the place. The high walls and solid building weren''t attractive enough to impress her favorably, and Alexa just expected suffering and boredom from the convent.


    The head of the Mercenaries waited with her at the door when the bell rang to be received. Alexa wondered if she could run long enough and hide in the woods for a while, and then look for a way to find her brothers. That was what her heart wanted. But if she did, Alexa would be turning her back on Uncle Saskia, and maybe even missing out on the chance to see her family again.


    After the exasperating wait and bureaucratic procedure until they reached the Mother Superior, and after the woman read the letters destined for her, the mercenary was gone. When Alexa heard the sounds of the gates closing behind the man, the maiden flinched instinctively, knowing she was cloistered and helpless.


    The world of women was a world that she didn''t have any understanding of, and at that moment, it terrified her.


    She still had some letters with her to deliver to another woman.


    Eudoxia.


    The maiden only knew her name and that Lady Eudoxia was a cousin of her father, which was certainly a distant relation, since Alexa had never seen her.


    Alexa had not been curious about the letters, but when the door opened and Lady Eudoxia entered, the maiden regretted not having violated the letters.


    When Lady Eudoxia entered the room, everything changed.


    It was as if the iconographies had become more colorful, and even the light from the lamp seemed to shine brighter. Something about how she walked, dressed like everyone else, and yet how she looked different, was ... mesmerizing.


    Lady Eudoxia looked Alexa up and down, without changing her expression. Then she moved toward the girl.


    "You are a Dallassenos ... But what happened to you to be sent here, girl?"


    The maiden understood that the first part was easy to deduce, but ... was it so obvious that she was not there willingly?


    "Ah, uhn, greetings, dear Cousin Eudoxia. How''s your health? I''m Alexa."


    "Eh?" Lady Eudoxia''s piercing honey-colored eyes showed a mildly surprised annoyance, as if she had opened a box and found an insect inside. Then she looked at the scrolls in Alexa''s hands, and held out her hand.


    "Are they for me, young cousin?"


    Alexa nodded, and extended the scrolls absently, still trying to understand what was the reason for the fascination the woman, who must have been old to be her mother, exercised just by breathing.


    There was also an unclear hostility between her and the Mother Superior, transmitted by the latter only by the way she watched Eudoxia closely.


    Eudoxia had sat down and started reading the letters.


    The lady read the letters like literate people or skilled courtiers, not reading aloud. She read the letters at least twice, not caring about the time Alexa or the Mother Superior would be waiting. But then Lady Eudoxia turned to the newly arrived young girl, with red eyes,


    "So you need education and refinement to become a potential imperial bride."


    "Uhum."


    "OH" Eudoxia also didn''t seem impressed with the girl''s resourcefulness. "Mother Magdalena, as I believe you already know, that little hurt thing must stay here. She will be under my care, and is here to learn how to be a suitable bride."


    "You will certainly learn a lot from us. She will become a pious person, devoted to her family, and devoted to God and her husband."


    Eudoxia looked at Mother for a moment, and then smiled,


    "Understand, Mother Magdalena. They sent her to me, not to you. I told you I won''t bring shame to this convent, and I won''t go back on what I said. But this girl isn''t here to be taught how to be a shadow. She is here to learn how to be a woman."


    Alexa widened her eyes, when the two women in front of her faced each other with sparking glares, and smiles paralyzed on their faces.


    But in the end, Eudoxia won.


    In that famous women''s convent in Antiochia, there was a brown eminence, who treated that place as an exile and a refuge.


    Lady Eudoxia had a privileged room and many goods, and Alexa wasn''t sure about that, but she suspected the convent was prosperous and comfortable due to donations from her cousin.


    Eudoxia commonly said the convent was like a harem, and even that all of them had a very absent husband. Alexa believed it was a very sarcastic thing to say, especially when she got to know the Gospel better and heard words of Christ''s Love.


    She, however, had her oath and her greater mission, with which she was born. She was a Light Bearer!


    And during the two years that passed there, Alexa felt caged like a bird whose wings were cut, and at the same time, free. Free for being a woman, for the first time.


    At the end of the second year, at Christmas time, the interns were excited because this was one of the only opportunities to go outside the convent''s walls.


    There was the procession that they did annually during this period, carrying the standard with the icon of the V.i.r.g.i.n Mary from one convent to another, for kilometers. There was a stone tunnel halfway, and because of that, they called it the Procession of Light.


    Many believed that this banner was capable of working miracles, and people used to take their blind relatives close to the tunnel. A legend said that blind people recovered their vision when the banner brought by the v.i.r.g.i.ns of the convent finally came out of the tunnel.


    Lady Eudoxia, in those days, was not feeling well, and Alexa, despite being so excited to take part in the procession, said she would stay with her cousin. But Lady Eudoxia was adamant,


    "You shall not miss a chance to get out of these walls, if you can. I don''t want to walk so much, in the mud and the cold, and see the disappointment on the faces of those people on the other side of the tunnel. They don''t lack faith, I don''t think we should let them think they''re blamed by their disgraceful fates."


    Reluctant to leave her older cousin alone in the company of older nuns, Alexa joined the intern girls for the procession. Despite the cold, the weather was steady and they went out on the road singing, with torches and following the luxurious banner.


    The crowd that gathered in that diocese also took part in the procession, so they moved slowly, and sometimes it wasn''t even possible to see around them.


    She looked back when she felt watched, and smiled.


    "Lady Eudoxia!"


    Her smile died when she saw that Lady Eudoxia did not walk like the others, but she was hesitant, standing among the crowd.


    Another girl from the convent touched Alexa''s arm with some truculence,


    "Hey, Sis, watch your torch!"


    They were entering the tunnel.


    Alexa closed her eyes, anguished. It had been a long time since the Light Bearer had seen dead people. And she didn''t want to see them. Not Lady Eudoxia!


    The maiden took a few steps in the opposite direction of the procession, at the same time that her cousin''s Shade came to meet her.


    However, the crowd didn''t open space easily, and Alexa was dragged into the tunnel. She felt Shade''s cold hand grab her wrist,


    "Alexa! Guide me!"


    "... Lady Eudoxia!" her cousin''s name came out as a whisper. Her Shade was so far from the convent! What was she doing there?


    Tears blurred her vision as Alexa was relentlessly pushed into the tunnel by the procession. Her cousin''s face showed an expression of horror and ecstasy that Alexa never completely forgot.


    "Alexa! You are the Light Bearer! Take me to my beloved! Let me go to him, I beg you! "


    The general whose cousin had been a lover to. The man for whom she abandoned family, pride, and honor, to be by his side.


    Alexa didn''t really understand love, but she could respect that feeling. It had made someone like the most imposing and fantastic woman she had known, willfully and unregrettably, leave anything else behind.


    Alexa didn''t care anymore, she didn''t know if she would have another chance. The Light Bearer could not let this woman get lost again. She put her hands together, and summoned the light.


    Alexa could not say what happened. The strength of that moment made her light an effulgent ball that momentarily blinded even the Light Bearer herself.


    The intensity of the light cleared for a fraction of a second the interior of the tunnel as if it were the day, until it became unbearable to look at. Alexa felt herself scream, and closed her eyes immediately, trying to protect her vision.


    She no longer heard the screams from the crowd, and the light faded over her eyelids and tear-soaked lashes. Alexa clearly heard her cousin''s voice saying goodbye in a grateful whisper,


    "I am grateful, my dear. Goodbye..."


    The young Light Bearer''s heart was filled with gratitude for her eccentric relative, who would, at last, be reborn to be beside her beloved. Or was that what Alexa wanted.


    The light was dimming, and she heard a voice behind her ask,


    "I found you, finally ... Please take me too!"


    Turning over her shoulder, she was slow to open her eyes, this time afraid of what she would see.


    Alexa didn''t want to see her brother Iacintho''s Shade.


    She felt her body soften, and fall unconscious on the hard, cold stone at her feet.

 Chapter 200 - Upir

    ''Iacintho!''


    Her eyes again filled with tears, and Alexa finally lowered her head, and covered her face with her hands, curling in pain.


    How had your brother become an undead? Like?! She had failed him; she had left him abandoned, and now they were reunited, in this unusual situation?!


    "What''s up with her?"


    "These are just human reactions," Iacintho sneered, and then added, "It excites me the most, I''m very intrigued. I imagine she has some Dorian ancestry."


    "Hmmm. I don''t really care about those things. Emmeline is also beautiful."


    Iacintho didn''t answer, and the Master went to the door, without Alexa having really looked at his face, as she had not yet looked at Iacintho''s. She just wanted to wake up, wake up from the nightmare!


    "I''ll be in my studio, you take care of everything else..."


    "Yes, master."


    When the footsteps of the other undead could no longer be heard in the hall, his older brother carefully locked the door and returned to her.


    "Alexa. You know who I am?" he stopped beside her, without touching her, and asked in Greek.


    Sniffling, Alexa looked up,


    "Do you always have to be so stupid?"


    The man in front of him scratched his head, a little confused.


    Iacintho was already pale when alive, and dying hadn''t made him tan any more, of course. His skin now almost resembled the pale, hard marble, except for the recess of her lips that were red. The violet eyes like Alexa''s, shone in contrast, showing all the life still aboding that body, as if that force was concentrated only in them. He wore a dark tunic and his indefectible leather apron, but both were cleaner than they had ever been in life. His dark, wavy hair was tied neatly, and he was clean-shaven.


    "Is that how you recognize me? It could have been worse."


    "How did you want it to be? You''re clean and tidy, it looks like it''s actually your wedding day. I would never recognize you this clean..." she grunted sulkily, wiping her tears away.


    "For a moment I thought you had changed ... like, grown-up, for a change ..." he did something like a sigh. Alexa imagined that an undead like him couldn''t breathe, but apparently she was wrong.


    "I grew up ... I changed ... Everything that could change," she replied defiantly.


    The siblings stared at each other, embarrassed.


    "Well¡­ this is good. You changed inside and out, but you kept your essence... the essence of a wild colt."


    Alexa shrugged, "I can pretend a little, I can even seduce a room full of men with a mere glance. I don''t care if you think I''m a wild colt."


    "What are you doing here? What ring is that on your finger? Who are the people looking for you in the forest? What were you doing at Emmeline''s brother''s house?"


    Alexa was going to answer automatically, but then she stopped and looked at her older brother,


    "Is this how you are going to receive me? Do you think you shouldn''t explain to me why you''re here? Like this? What happened? What the hell happened?! It''s my fault?! You were lost and some necromancer ..." she started to shake again, and sat on the cot, feeling suddenly ill.


    Her brother brought her fresh water, and she drank heavily,


    "I''m sorry! I''m so sorry, Iacintho!"


    Iacintho ducked in front of her, frowning,


    "Don''t be silly, Lex. Of course, that couldn''t be your fault. But now that we are reunited, I hope again¡­ The Destiny that binds us is stronger than anything¡­"


    Alexa nodded, facing her brother again and examining his face better. He had aged little more than the last day she had seen him alive, in the palace.


    Two years had passed before she saw his Shade come to her. It seemed like five hundred years, because so much has happened since the day they took her from the imperial palace, until tonight!


    "What you are?"


    "An upir. It''s what they call the kind of¡­ thing that I am now."


    She tried to keep a smile on her face to give him hope and understanding, but Alexa was fighting for the tears not to fall from her eyes again,


    "Right. We will fix this, Iacintho."


    "Now let''s move to what is urgent since my state is ''paralyzed''. Answer me what I asked, in order, and calmly."


    "I''M CALM!"


    "Uhum."


    "I''m Alexa von Wuttenfal now, I married a prince, Alexander. He was sleeping due to the Lotus Potion and then I was going to Languedoc to look for Master Petrus, and our boat sank, and ... But I won''t be a princess for too long because we are canceling the marriage. I shared my life with Alexander through a spell, to save his body, and then I would stay up during the day in my own body, and the night in his, but now it''s the other way around. And now Alexander has been nominated Prince Regent of Holstein!"


    "Holstein?!" he put a finger on her lips. Alexa nodded, waiting for him to explain why speaking the name of the kingdom aloud was so dangerous.


    "Listen, Lex. I think you understood that. The only way for me to save you at that moment was to pretend you didn''t know you. I will find a way to get you out of here. But if you want to save your friends ... We will have to get them out of the forest."


    "We are going to run away together, my brother! Please!"


    "I''ve tried to run away a few times, Alexa. It''s useless. Volos is a lich, and a powerful necromancer, who created unbreakable bonds imprisoning me to him¡­ Although I keep my will for other things, I won''t be able to escape and will return on my own feet¡­"


    "Is this really possible?"


    Iacintho nodded. "I, unfortunately¡­ I haven''t figured out a way yet. But come¡­" he helped her to her feet, and again she felt how cold Iacintho was to the touch. "Follow me, and keep silent."


    Iacintho gave Alexa his cape, which was hanging on a hook. It was good to wrap herself in the thick fabric, as she was dressed only in Emmeline''s diaphanous nightgown, which wasn''t enough to warm her up. The place was cold as a cellar, there were no windows, and Alexa imagined that they were underground.


    She was not wrong, as they climbed a long staircase to a door, and when Iacintho opened, Alexa was stunned.


    They were close to the vaulted ceiling that allowed the moon and stars to be seen through the hollow arches. Climbing plants had enveloped the arches and fell like splendid hair.


    The place, which Alexa didn''t know what to name, had a circular shape, like a well surrounded by a spiral ramp or the interior of a tower. She couldn''t stand her curiosity and approached the railing. Looking down, she was unable to count the floors that were lost in the darkness, dotted with a few sparse torches.


    "What is it?" she whispered, feeling the same energy she would feel when entering a catacomb.


    "As you said before, it''s a lair. Created by the ingenuity and magic of a lich wizard. But don''t worry, you won''t be responsible for sweeping it up," he whispered back. "Now come!"


    "But ..." she still had a question, but it was difficult to express her unease in words.


    "You probably want to know how this is hidden from humans. It just is. There is a spell in the forest. Every mortal who enters it will inevitably be lost ... Which, as you may imagine ..." he left the idea hanging, sighing heavily and turning to continue.


    "OH! You act like spiders waiting with their huge webs!" the realization that the unwary walking in the forest would be lost until they were captured and devoured by the upirs was terrifying. And even more terrifying for figuring that her brother was part of it.


    "Do you want to speak quietly?!" he scolded her, looking back.


    "Excuse me!" Alexa covered her mouth with a good hand, continuing to follow her brother as he went up.


    "How many are in the forest?" she wanted to know. If they were many and as strong as Emmeline, they would be formidable opponents even for Magnus and his new friend!


    "I don''t know how many there were. How many should be looking for you?"


    "At least three. The Prince of H ..." she fell silent, remembering that she must be cautious when speaking."


    "Well then, we''ll do a little trick," After opening a double door, his brother took her into what looked like an abandoned garden, full of thorny weeds and vases and statues were broken and corroded by time.


    He looked both ways cautiously, leading her by the hand to a gazebo where there was a pedestal with a blackened stone basin.


    Alexa quickly concluded that it was a place for rituals, and cringed. She supposed the rituals performed there were profane and involved sacrifices and things she didn''t want to be involved with.


    "Iacintho!"


    "Calm down! Do you want to save your friends and have a chance to get out of here? So just accept my help, this time."


    "..."


    "Of all people, do you think I want to corrupt you?" he snarled just like he did when Lex didn''t want to take medicine. And that''s what made her trust her upir brother she hadn''t seen in years. Alexa had no idea what knowledge and powers he could have, and what paths he took.


    But he seemed to be the same person. He was her family.


    "Right. What do we do?"


    Turning to her and positioning her in front of the basin, Iacintho whispered,


    "I will invoke a wind that will dispel the magical mist for a brief period. And you¡­ will take your light to your friends, to guide them out of the forest."


    "I don''t know how to do that! I don''t even know if I can, because of the spell I''m under!"


    "You may not have been initiated into this mystery, Lex, but you will be able."


    Hearing this from her brother, who, unlike Narses, always scolded her and pushed her away was a surprise that touched her heart. Iacintho was a systematic perfectionist. Who knows, maybe Iacintho also changed a little.


    "And what am I supposed to do?"


    Iacintho seemed to wait for that question, and he didn''t look at her when he pulled a small scythe, similar to Emmeline''s collar,


    "A little of your blood."

 Chapter 201 - Fifth Level Key

    "M-my blood?" she stepped back, uncertain.


    Iacintho raised an eyebrow,


    "My only motivation in helping your friends not to be caught is because they are your friends, Lex. If they aren''t that important, this is a good time to get rid of them. "


    She boldly extended her good wrist to her brother, who slapped her hand. Alexa hid her hand behind her, blinking without understanding,


    "WHY DID YOU DO THIS?"


    "How dare you offer your life for theirs? Are they that important? Would they do the same for you?" he questioned.


    "Does it matter? They are willing to, since they have been looking for me for hours in a cursed forest!"


    "Perhaps they have not yet realized that it is a cursed forest. They will have a hard time leaving without help, anyway..."


    Well, Magnus was not that stupid to haven''t noticed the forest was bewitched, at least she was sure of that.


    "Do it," she again extended her wrist, closing her eyes so she wouldn''t see.


    "Don''t be overdramatic, Lex. I just wanted to know how innocent and pure you were. I won''t use blood, let alone yours. The magic won''t be strong, nor do I want it to be. That would immediately alert Volos," he whispered.


    "Don''t make a fool out of me!"


    Iacintho always made her feel that way, and she resented it with a pout.


    "Focus now. I''ll wait for you to find them first, to dispel the fog for a moment, so be as quick as you can. Don''t try to talk to them, just find the soul of one of them and go beeline for it."


    "How am I going to do this?"


    He smirked to himself, and said,


    "With the Fifth Level Key."


    Lex''s mouth fell open. His brother had risen quickly among the Lazarites ranks, not only because he was a Dallassenos, but because he was naturally inclined to mystical studies.


    "Did you lose your power, Iacintho?"


    "Yes, Lex. The Lich took the Light out of me by turning me into an upir. I''m not trapped in the midst like the Shades, I am trapped in this flesh that never rots or changes. I am certainly no longer a guide to the worlds beyond, as I can never walk them."


    Alexa preferred to shut up at that moment about it. She took a deep breath,


    "Then teach me the key. I won''t have time to train, and I hope the spell upon me doesn''t stop me from doing that ..."


    "You know the truth. You know that everything that exists needs to take part in the cycle. Everything which is planted and grown, needs to be harvested. Everything which was under the ground will rise and what is above will descend. If you deny it, then blindness will fall upon you."


    "I know," Lex said simply. About this, her mind had many doubts, but she didn''t want to think about it, as it would inevitably make her fail.


    Iacintho smiled, and taught her the key so his sister could advance in understanding the mysteries of existence.


    The Light Bearer concentrated on the words that invoked this arcane knowledge and reached out to create the necessary flame. While the small flame flamed protected in her hands, Alexa softly uttered the words, allowing her conscience to join the flame.


    As she had already seen a few times, the soul could manifest itself through blue flames that wandered in the darkness. Now, she could also make her flame wander, leaving her hands, but taking her conscience.


    The experience changed her perception, feeling like a pulsating light, capable of floating, as in a dream. Alexa, however, could not really enjoy the sensation, since, barely able to control her movements, she heard Iacintho''s voice,


    "Go, Lex. We have all night, but they don''t!"


    This woke her up again to the urge to find Magnus. At the same time, Alexa was aware that her body was static by her sibling''s side, and she felt a constant thrust in the opposite direction, trying to take it back to her body and break her concentration.


    It took a lot of effort to get away from the body itself, and go like a supernatural, flaming wisp through the rusty garden gates, onto the road which disappeared into the fog and the forest.


    ''Magnus, where are you?''


    Alexa saw the fog, but maybe because she didn''t see it with normal eyes, but with her inner consciousness, she could see the sky and the big moon up there. The fog didn''t affect her perception, as she felt anchored by her body somehow.


    She remembered the position of the stars when she saw them from Emmeline''s bedroom window, and realized she was northeast of the Sagnac residence. Alexa tried to go as fast as he could, but she knew that her movement as a ''wisp'' was negligible, at best. She couldn''t run or speed up more than if I were walking smoothly, or she felt like she would lose her connection. Alexa had to remain calm above all.


    The princess heard the unmistakable sound of sword fighting ahead, and tried her best to get close, knowing she would find one of them, the captain, the knight or Magnus, fighting one of the upirs.


    "WHAT IS THAT?!"


    Her arrival, lighting up in the dense fog, was not possible to ignore, and she heard Sagnac''s voice alert.


    At that moment, an upir lunging on him was also surprised by the sudden luminosity that revealed his hiding spot before time.


    Sagnac hit the place where the upir was, narrowly missing. But the upir found its end in Magnus''s sharp sword, which appeared suddenly, and cut his neck with a violent blow.


    The upir''s head flew from his body with the impact.


    And blood, a lot of rotten blood, gushed from the creature''s neck, which soon collapsed to the ground. More blood than a human could have in his body. Alexa immediately thought of a tick, fat with its prey blood.


    The sight was shocking for Alexa, and she hesitated, especially when the men pointed their swords at the pulsating wisp.


    "Now!" she struggled to make her voice heard by her brother, where her body was. She couldn''t see Iacintho so well now, without losing concentration.


    Floating slowly, she circled the trio of warriors, trying to make them understand ...


    "What is that?!" Sagnac repeated, sounding even more frightened to feel himself evaluated by the wisp that surrounded them.


    The princess figured the fog mostly blinded them. She could see them quite clearly, although they even looked around to make sure they were close and covering each other''s backs.


    "Alexa ...?" Magnus finally guessed, and the wisp approached him, stopping in front of him for a moment. He reached out to touch it, but Lex just made the flame dance in front of him amicably, to show he guessed right.


    Then Lex led the way, as the wind blew to dispel some of the cursed fog.


    "Follow the light," Magnus said, still holding his sword.


    Alexa thanked the Prince for his quick reasoning, as the wind didn''t last long, but it was enough for them to understand that they should run to get out of the cursed forest.


    She was getting exhausted and feeling the thrust getting stronger and stronger and each time she moved too far away from her body.


    Alexa had barely reached the edge of the forest and she knew she couldn''t take much longer, so she did her best to at least pass on a short message to Magnus,


    "You mustn''t ..." Her anguish at finding the right words that would convince him to wait and not only trying to blindly come to save her confused her mind. As soon as she tried to speak, she simply lost focus and found herself being drawn back into her body.


    Alexa pulled the air to her lungs, frustrated,


    "Damn it. I didn''t get to warn you! I couldn''t!"


    "You at least guided them, didn''t you? Was there enough time?"


    "Yes, I took them out of the forest, but¡­ I couldn''t say it was enough. I don''t know what he can think, I¡­"


    " You bought them some time. You will be with them soon," assured Iacintho, trying to console Alexa. "Do you think you can try again?"


    She should try.


    Although exhausted, she now knew where they were, and maybe she could go faster. But another thought came to her mind,


    "I saw them killing an upir, his head rolled away¡­ If there''s no fog they can get here, Iacintho; they can help us with the lich, Magnus can get us out of here! You don''t know him, but he is capable!"


    "Alexa!" Iacintho took her sister by the shoulder, hearing her feverish and nervous speech,


    "Volos is a lich. Do you remember what that means? It is as if Mestre Petrus had become undead and had much more time to study. And ... a mere sword can not really kill Liches."


    Alexa was speechless as she remembered that fact.


    "I''ll take you to him," his brother whispered, still with his hands on her shoulders. "But if I am found in the forest with you tonight, when ''they'' were sent to do something for me ... I am afraid I cannot defend you."


    Iacintho had had the courage to face a general like Doukas, even though he knew he did not have the training of a warrior. Alexa knew that he wasn''t a coward. He didn''t want her to be turned into an upir. That was what he was trying to avoid at all costs.


    "I will try one more time. I will try to say that they must look for me elsewhere!" she exclaimed, straightening up to start all over again.


    But they heard footsteps, and they turned in unison.


    "What are you doing?"

 Chapter 202 - Lich Lords Sanctum

    "Emmeline!" Alexa exclaimed, intuiting that the undead girl had been there for some time. They just hadn''t seen her before.


    Emmeline looked at them with a sadistic expression that didn''t match her delicate beauty. Alexa now understood that what she perceived wrong in the girl was, in fact, caused by her being a ''young'' upir. Her bestial and violent nature had to be controlled, and the ''Master'' apparently recently punished her, judging by the reddish stains on her clothing. Emmeline wore men''s clothing, riding pants, shirt and boots.


    "I question you the same, Emmeline? Where do you think you''re going?" Iacintho questioned her even harder, and Emmeline''s eyes widened.


    "I saw e-everything!" the girl pointed to them, like a child who doesn''t want to be deceived. "All! The bride with my clothes at my house¡­ is a witch!"


    Iacintho rolled his eyes,


    "Just stop! You should be thanking me instead of wanting to blackmail me! You don''t even have the capacity for it! And I saved your brother right now!" Iacintho put his arm around Alexa, who kept her gaze on the other girl, watching her mouth open in an O.


    They heard the door to the garden open with a bang, and the ''Master'' lich, which Alexa now knew his name was Volos, came in a long, fast stride to the gazebo. He stopped halfway when he saw the trio already there.


    In the clear moonlight, and facing him, Alexa finally saw a lich for the first time.


    Volos was so pale and his skin so dry that it looked like bleached parchment, and he was so thin that his neck seemed to have a hard time supporting his skull.


    In addition to his head and neck, and the outline of his body that he could barely see through the overlapping, bulky and rich tunics, his hands were cadaverous.


    Alexa had only seen people like that among the condemned who were tied to the side of the road to starve. Their crimes used to be placed on plaques around their necks. His eyes also had the fever of life in them, and in that moment, they reflected a myriad of feelings that Alexa didn''t have time to understand, because he asked, in a voice modulated between suspicion and coldness,


    "Well, well, what are you doing?"


    "Something happened, sure?" Iacintho immediately countered the question. Alexa understood that she should follow through with the lie, if it were possible, and pretend that they came to this point at that moment. If it weren''t for Emmeline, of course, she acted like a child who had been caught. It would be very difficult to lie to a being so malicious and much older than them, with Emmeline around.


    "And you, why are you here?" The lich Volos turned to the young upir girl, who flinched, saying nothing. After watching her for a moment, the lich got angry and turned to Iacintho and Alexa in the gazebo,


    "I felt something strange. Something interrupted my magic..."


    Iacintho nodded,


    "Something happened in the forest, I''m sure of it. There were wind and flashes¡­ Maybe it would be better to call them back and find out what happened¡­"


    "Take them away and return soon, Iacintho," Volos said, his face a mask of worry and anger.


    "Yes, Master."


    Iacintho led Alexa and Emmeline inside, and as soon as he closed the door, Emmeline took advantage of the fact he was busy with the door to lunge on Alexa. This time, however, the princess was alert and dodged, turning on her heels and running as far as she could down the spiral ramp, with the undead girl in pursuit!


    ''What the hell?! What does she have against me?!''


    "STOP, EMMELINE!" Iacintho shouted, but not even his command voice prevented the upir from continuing to track Alexa down, like an angry dog.


    Alexa looked back briefly, seeing that her brother was a little behind Emmeline, also furious!


    She entered the first open door she saw, and locked herself there, using the key and dragging a smelly barrel to the door. Taking a deep breath, she looked around, waiting for Iacintho to control the madwoman out there.


    Her heart was pounding, and she paused for a moment to sweep away the sweat on her forehead, feeling dizzy. Her health was no longer the same after so many accidents, and her injured wrist throbbed from blood pumping.


    She was terrified to think of what she had seen a few minutes ago! That upir that practically burst into blood like a leech¡­ Her brother was now an upir, she was surrounded by upirs!


    ''Calm down Alexa! Emmeline hates you because you were in her room using her things, apparently living the life she had! She doesn''t want to drain all your blood from your body... It''s just a misunderstanding...''


    Unfortunately, repeating this to yourself wasn''t working very well.


    They hadn''t had time to try to speak to Magnus again, and she didn''t know how to escape. And on the other side of the door, Iacintho tried to control Emmeline, while cursing, threatening, and the girl howled back fiercely.


    Alexa looked up, and her heart almost had a syncope, when she saw the creature hanging from the ceiling of the room where she had instinctively entered.


    "AH!" she covered her mouth in horror.


    A huge, completely hairless humanoid with bat wings, about two meters tall and more than twice the wingspan, was hanging by chains from the ceiling.


    It took Alexa a while to understand that the creature was inert, dry, like the small mummies that some people sold as souvenirs between Tunis and Cairo.


    A little relieved ''Eh! What a fright, ''Alexa looked around better and realized she was in an alchemical laboratory, huge and full of niches. The place was tidy and clean, although it was impossible to get rid of the strange smell of various ''exotic'' ingredients, to say the least. She was sure she was in the lich lab.


    Her curiosity got the better out of her, even more knowing that she would have little time to be there.


    This was probably a forbidden place.


    And Alexa imagined that she only found the door open because the Lich had left in a hurry to foresee the death of some of her slaves.


    Or children, as he called them.


    Alexa looked quickly, trying to find something that seemed useful or important on the tables, but all she saw were things that she had no idea what they were for.


    A tapestry on the wall caught Alexa''s eye.


    It was very frayed and the moths had already done some damage in some parts, but bringing the lamp closer, she saw something that she recognized immediately. Holstein hill, where there was a temple, connected by the aqueduct to an ancient agora with a building. Today there was neither the temple nor the agora, but a castle and the cathedral.


    At the edges of the tapestry, there were symbols ... Was it ancient Greek? She thought so. She came closer, trying to read what was written, despite the dirt and holes in the tapestry ...


    ''Oak tree ... to the west ...'' She had the impression of having read it before, it seemed familiar in some way, but there the text was incomplete and impossible to read. Anyway, Alexa walked away as soon as she heard a firm knock on the door,


    "OPEN THE DOOR!" Iacintho demanded, but she heard several other steps coming to the door, too, then the chilly and imperious voice silencing everything else,


    "GET AWAY!" that she knew was Volos returning. She put the lamp in place and crouched in a corner, not trying to hide too much. She shouldn''t have seemed too smart not to arouse suspicion.


    "The little girl ran away from Emmeline and found the door open. Now she''s inside! But I can solve this master, forgive my clumsiness!"


    "No! You caused this by wanting to change your bride! You know nobody enters my sanctum!"


    The door opened violently, and the barrel that Alexa had placed against the door flew and rolled out. She didn''t know how it had been done, but she figured it had not been done with natural means.


    Alexa peeked under the table and saw that Iacintho tried to follow him, but the door was closed behind Volos with the same supernatural force used to open it, leaving Alexa''s brother outside.


    Volos walked slowly in the direction where Alexa had been hiding,


    "Little one?"


    Alexa remembered to take the wedding ring off her finger, but she didn''t have the strength with her bad hand to take it off, so she just turned it around so that the coat was on her palm. It was the best she could do for now.


    He stopped in front of her, and Alexa looked at the boots that yesterday crushed her neck with a tremor.


    "Look at me."


    At the very least, it would be stupid to disobey. A lich was the most powerful of all the undead, for its arcane knowledge of magic.


    Alexa looked up. But no one could blame her for trying to make this seem the most innocent and sweet and frightened creature in the world, right? She would soon know if it had the same effect on undead.


    The lich''s dark, piercing eyes, on its cadaverous and disgusting face, studied her for a moment, and then he held out his bony hands to her.


    "Come, child."


    Alexa could only extend one hand to him, the one that was not hurt, however, this would invariably make him notice the ring facing the palm. She was sure he was connected to Holstein now. Was he Orcaius?


    She tried to get up without help, but Volos suddenly took her by the waist and placed her on the table. Approaching, he commented,


    "Let''s see what we have here ..."

 Chapter 203 - Pandoras Egg

    The princess closed her eyes, turning her face away, but Alexa felt Volos use his hand to grab her chin and turn her face around again. It was so bony that she could feel the joints under the skin.


    She had no option but to endure it and pray that he would let her out alive.


    "You really are a little mouse, aren''t you?"


    Alexa shook her head.


    "Oh ... You are really beautiful ... You look like a little star, I am not surprised about his interest... If I still had such appetites..."


    Alexa couldn''t avoid the involuntary reflex in reaction to those words, and she shrank and flinched, but he squeezed her face even more.


    "You prefer someone younger and more handsome, right? I can''t blame you..."


    He let go of her face and turned, heading towards one of the niches. Alexa thought about running away, but controlled herself, knowing that a being who had opened the door so easily could kill her with a snap of fingers.


    He certainly had a very fragile body, but it was because his bewitched heart was elsewhere. Volos did not fear death, because eventually the magical force that kept him alive would regenerate him, even if he was burned and scattered in the wind.


    That was what Letitia longed for, the power to be an immortal witch. Perhaps no one imagined this was what a lich looked like, in the end.


    Volos came back to her, and tilted his head to the side as he fiddled with a small chest. The malicious stare of the lich made Alexa worried.


    So at last he took something from there, which was the shape and size of a quail egg, but it was all black.


    "I should have done this with Emmeline, but even someone like me must learn from their mistakes..."


    "Mistakes?" she dared to ask, much more to buy time to understand what he wanted to do and try to react accordingly, than by a genuine attempt to start a conversation.


    He stared at her in silence, and just shook his head, reaching for Alexa, who was still sitting on the bench.


    "He liked you, you know, didn''t you? You would be just a delightful memory for Emmeline by that time, but that cold-hearted Greek liked you¡­"


    Why did she have a terrible feeling when she heard these comments coming from that undead wizard''s mouth? He seemed so agitated just by talking about Iacintho! She could suspect that, although he had no ''carnal appetites'', basically because he had almost no flesh. Perhaps Volos was obsessed for her brother, who was so brilliant and capable, in the intellectual field!


    That would at least explain not only that he turned Iacintho into an upir, but also pampering him pathetically while forcing him to stay close to him. Ugh!


    "Did you like him?" Volos asked.


    Alexa blinked, shocked. She definitely didn''t want to think of her older brother ''that way''.


    The lich''s gaze went cold, and Alexa nodded vehemently, knowing it would keep her alive.


    "Do you want to leave this room, to be the bride of that handsome and manly Greek man, to satisfy him and keep him happy? Or do you want me to keep your hair as a souvenir, and use your blood to feed Emmeline, for having entered my sanctum without permission?" he offered coldly.


    "BRIDE!" Alexa almost yelled, grabbing the edge of the table with one hand.


    "Not bad. Not bad. Open your mouth," Volos said, and his fingers pinched the black egg raising towards Alexa''s mouth.


    Her heart began to beat so hard that she felt a pain in her chest. ''What is it?! What does he want to do with this ?! ''


    "OPEN. YOUR. MOUTH." his voice reverberated so coldly that she knew that if she didn''t obey, he would not ask for a third time.


    Alexa opened her mouth, and he forced the small egg to her throat.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Iacintho knotted the sheets that tied Alexa to the canopy post of his bed. Alexa was embarrassed but couldn''t help it,


    "Ahh! Please let me go!"


    "No! What he gave you is Pandora''s Egg, so I can''t let you go."


    "This heat! Iacinthooo!"


    The upir covered his sister''s mouth, frowning. He couldn''t blush, but it was clear that he was as embarrassed as she was. Searching a chest, he found a handkerchief, which he prepared to use as a gag. Alexa squirmed, trying to get loose in all ways. That was unbearable!


    "Please, Lex, let me cover your mouth!"


    Knowing that she would regret it later for not allowing it, she nodded, though just the touch of silk on her skin caused further sensual shivers.


    "I''m not like that, Iacin ... MHAHNHANFFF!"


    "Shhhh!"


    She squirmed, with the feeling that a snake had possessed HER body that needed to undulate, be filled and satiated. It was impossible to stay still while all the sensitive parts of her body burned like the sacred fire of a temple, and an uncontrollable l.u.s.t filled her mind. Not to mention the inner of her thighs seemed to melt!


    ''I''m not like that! Please, please, I need to do something, I need to! ''


    She moved so much, trying to make her own thighs give her some pleasure, because, of course, Iacintho had been, as always, genius in tying her so she wouldn''t use her hands.


    "I don''t want you to get hurt, sis. There''s a substantial risk of¡­" he shook his head, aghast. Even for him, who had explained to her about her periods, the situation was uncomfortable.


    She just looked at him with a silent plea in her eyes, ''Help me!''


    "This is a succubus egg and you are suffering the effects, which I don''t need to explain what they are. I can''t let you loose, because there are a lot of guys that..."


    "MEHAAAAHHDH!" ''Let me go! Let me go! I''ve felt this heat before, but it''s demonic, help me...''


    "May Hades protect me from that glare in your eyes!" Iacintho made an exorcise signal to his sister, and walked away, his expression hard and distraught.


    She motioned for him to remove the gag, but he looked like he was actually dealing with a cobra, and approached her cautiously,


    "UFFFF! When will this ... pass? Oh!" Her female parts looked like they were about to melt into lava. She felt her face sting, her vision foggy, her throat dry ... and only one vision appeared in front of her.


    Magnus.


    "Oh!" she sobbed when in her mind the image of his delta-shaped back, with the skin stretched over the rigid flesh allowing the muscles to protrude at every movement, and his firm and manly buttocks. That morning in Schwartzhoffhausen, when he forced his way into the bathtub, n.a.k.e.d! Why didn''t he force his way into her too?!


    Ah! What a naughty and pervert thought! It looked much more like everything Lady Eudoxia explained to her, in detail and with drawings, than something that spontaneously appeared in her mind. But¡­ Her body wanted his, and just thinking about his name made her core throb with desire.


    "Lex ... It''s complicated ...!"


    "When?!"


    "Supposedly, the job of a succubus is to get a man to waste his seed so she can fertilize new demons ... Her only purpose is to make a man exhaust himself to give her everything he has."


    Normally Iacintho would give correct answers, but he was hesitating until he turned his face away and said,


    "For the first time, I would rather you were a boy! So I wouldn''t be suffering like that! There is no man for you, so it won''t go away... Until I find a solution."


    "Release me in the forest!" she would run through the forest to Magnus and there would be nothing to stop her this time.


    "No way!" he made an expression of horror, and approached again with the gag.


    This time Alexa struggled, trying to convince him to let her go, and even when he threatened to beat her up she couldn''t help it.


    When he left the room for a moment, Alexa was frantically struggling with the ropes to loosen up, and was almost succeeding when his brother came back, caught her in the act loosening the last tie.


    "Lex, don''t you see? If you run away something bad will happen to you? And it won''t be what you want, but ... something horrible? Volos did this to make sure ... we were a couple like I said I wanted to. I can''t let you go!"


    Her mind could get it, but if the effect would only go away with her having what the body demanded, there was no solution in sight!


    "Drink this! It is a sleeping drug. At least while you sleep, you won''t struggle or suffer, nor hurt yourself " his brother brought a bottle to her lips.


    That had been smart.


    Perhaps when she woke up Iacintho would have found a solution. With each passing minute the shame was disappearing from her body and mind, but Alexa knew that eventually, she would come back.


    Her body really didn''t seem to cool down, but her mind went dull, and her eyes got heavy and sandy. And Alexa still thought whatever Iacintho had given her, it was as potent as Pandora''s Egg.


    But something happened.


    As in the early evening, her mind began to freely wander, like a small ball of blue fire, looking for a way out.


    A way out to Magnus.

 Chapter 204 - Alexa, the Succubus

    The candlelight flickered when Magnus stood up, throwing his crucifix on the bed in a frustrated and angry gesture.


    He had spent the last hour on his knees, and Alexa had no idea how she knew that. Was she dreaming?


    And if she was dreaming, this was the best dream ever!


    In fact, Alexa didn''t usually remember her dreams after she woke up, but this one she wanted to record in her memory, so she paid attention to details.


    He had bandages on his left arm up to his shoulder, and some purple marks on his chest and opposite shoulder, but he seemed unaffected by it.


    His face was drawn and thoughtful, brows furrowed. The hardness of his expression made his face even more chiseled, and his Adam''s apple moved from time to time, as if it were difficult to swallow whatever was going on in his mind.


    Magnus reached out and let the towel around his waist fall, showing pain and placing his hand on his bandaged shoulder.


    Alexa gasped.


    This time, she didn''t have to pretend not to be seeing all the glorious n.a.k.e.dness of Holstein''s First Prince.


    He was the perfect combination of the beauty of the von Wuttenfals and di Borghesis. The perfect male proportion and the symmetrical and sensual beauty in a single man, if Alexa had any knowledge of male beauty.


    And of course, her body throbbed for his!


    Running a hand through his hair, Magnus sat on the bed and threw his head back, eyes open, looking at the ceiling,


    "My heart! You''re alive, aren''t you?"


    ''Am I ''his heart''? Is he thinking of me?!'' She felt herself smile foolishly, and when he rested his head on the pillow, placing his forearm over his eyes, she wanted to sigh in the face of so much beauty.


    ''He is sad? Worried? Tired out? Or do I, in my dreams, hope he just thinks of me?'' it was a selfish thought, fueled by Magnus'' words at dawn on that beach. But Alexa couldn''t get it out of her head.


    Hesitating for just a moment, with light and silent steps Alexa got closer to the bed, and went up as sneakily as possible.


    Now, kneeling beside him on the solid bed, she watched the rise and fall of his chest and taut belly which, even in a relaxed state, showed the muscles outlined as in stone.


    Her gaze ran curiously down to his pelvis.


    She remembered what she had seen at the source of the Queen Swan, but her mind could be refreshed! Her mouth parted and the heat again spread through her awareness of a body.


    She still didn''t know the name of it. Men gave it many names, as women did, too.


    Lady Eudoxia used to call it a sword or mast, but Alexa always thought that it gave a violent connotation to the act.


    Why, then, did she want more than anything today, to be impaled by Magnus''s sword?


    Oh! Damn lich and his Pandora''s Egg, which made her have such perverted naughty dreams!


    Since that was her dream, and Magnus would never know how perverted her mind was, she could touch him as much as she wanted, couldn''t she?


    The princess reached out to touch the outline of his hip bone in front of her, lit by the dim candlelight on the stand near the bed.


    A few inches from Magnus''s bare skin, her fingers stopped, when Alexa noticed how the fine hairs on his skin prickled just at her proximity. Just knowing the powerful Prince Magnus von Wuttenfal was so sensitive made her so excited! She wanted to squeal in delight!


    Her own body was in a sorry state of arousal, but she wanted to prolong the dream as long as she could!


    Alexa''s fingers then moved forward and slid, following the contours of the muscles and tendons. Magnus''s body tensed at her touch, and she heard his heavy sigh. Alexa felt herself smiling, pleased to be causing some pleasure to him.


    She leaned onto his belly, placing a delicate kiss just below the navel, and another and another, realizing the overwhelming effect of her caresses on the Prince.


    Carefully bringing her own body close to his, her small hand slid as far as the pubic hair began, caressing there, while her well-meaning and adoring kisses trailed towards his chest.


    Alexa was sure he was enjoying it, Magnus''s breathing had changed, it was labored and heavy. Of course, his mast left no doubt about his excitement at the moment. Her hand came up to finally touch the object of her desire ...


    Everything was very fast, and in one moment she was kissing his chest and caressing his abdomen, and the next, Magnus had turned over her and was pointing a dagger at her neck.


    Her back was on the mattress and she had the most fantastic view of those feline eyes searching her face, one of his arms crushing her chest so that she couldn''t escape.


    Although the simple touch of the skin on his arm on her small b.r.e.a.s.ts left her extra-sensitive n.i.p.p.l.es aroused, the pressure was likely to damage what was already so mediocre in her opinion.


    He also became aware of this and his lips twitched in an evil smile,


    "Witch, could you really fool me ...!"


    ''Oh. What a realistic dream! He would really react like that, all mean and stuff,'' she blinked, lifting her arms to wrap around his neck, her eyes half closed, while seductively parting her lips ... and her thighs.


    ''Take me now!'' she meant with a look, her face flushed with desire.


    His face reacted to Alexa''s seduction, and he hesitated for a moment, his Adam''s apple swallowing again. Alexa could even see the sheen of sweat forming on the First Prince''s forehead.


    Then the princess lifted her chin, offering her lips and closing her eyes.


    She felt her mouth being taken with pleasure, his tongue dancing inside hers, and she responded accordingly, pulling him close, even though she felt the tip of the dagger under her chin. Magnus groaned, and the arm that crushed her small mounds lightened the weight.


    When he pulled away, abruptly, separating his lips from hers and removing the dagger from her neck, Alexa still searched her mouth in the air, like a goldfish, and arched her chest towards him.


    "You look just like her, my God."


    "Magnusssss ...!" Alexa whimpered, moving her hand from his neck to his chest, to caress him. Although he allowed it for a moment, Magnus slapped her hand, and turned her back to him, with just one twist.


    Her mind went to extremes in seconds, ''OH! He''s so strong and agile! Ouch! That hurt, why was it so realistic? And ... what is he going to do?! Is he going to kill me?!''


    She felt it when he grabbed her ankles together and stood up, running a hand over her feet and calves quickly. Half of her body was lifted up and her nightgown came to her nose.


    ''Oops! What does he want ... Oh! Of course! He thinks I''m a succubus!''


    Magnus swung the dagger nimbly in his hand, aiming for her chest, and Alexa placed her hand over her heart,


    "Magnus! It''s me! It''s me, Alexa!"


    "What the damn dream is this?!" the Prince''s hand shook, and he got out of bed, grabbing the crucifix with one hand and pointing the dagger at Alexa with the other.


    "Eh, there''s no use trying to exorcise me. It''s me, Alexa! Go back to bed."


    "You ... died and you can''t leave without ... regrets?"


    "You should be happy for the second part ... But I didn''t die," Alexa sat on the bed, extending her arms towards him. "This is a dream, my dream, and you don''t have to be so realistic. Come into my arms, do with me everything I thought you wanted to do since the day I arrived in Holstein ... Please!"


    "To hell with that! I''m sure I''m not dreaming!"


    "Don''t waste time, my love! I will wake up in Holstein, and it will have been a waste of a dream ... When will I dream of you again?"


    Magnus approached the bed slowly,


    "Alexa..."


    "Yes?" she flicked her eyelashes lovingly, leaning towards him and cupping his face with her hand. Magnus leaned down to receive the affection, his eyes narrowed for a moment. Alexa then stroked his beautiful, dark mane, and tapped the mattress beside her with her other hand,


    "Come on, my dear Magnus. Lie here and make me happy. But you shouldn''t be so hasty, despite my own hastiness. This dream is very realistic and I don''t want to feel any pain that wakes me from your arms¡­ You know I really am a maiden," she explained.


    "V.i.r.g.i.n Mary! So much nonsense, it''s really you!" he opened his eyes.


    "So, don''t waste time, uhn? Take me until dawn!" she spoke boldly, this time leaning over to steal a kiss from his lips, while caressing his face.


    "Alexa¡­"


    "Come on! Come my love!"


    He looked away,


    "It would be everything I want most! But, even if it was a dream, I can''t!"


    "How dare you say such a thing! Your body tells me that you can!" Alexa pointed shamelessly to the visible state of arousal in the Prince''s body.


    Magnus grunted,


    "You little crook! That''s not the reason!"


    "Don''t you love me?"


    This time, Magnus''s eyes narrowed, and he pulled a sheet to cover himself. Alexa couldn''t allow this, and grabbed the sheet by the other end. After a small tug-of-war, Magnus gave a tug that made the princess roll on the bed while he used the sheet to hide his n.a.k.e.dness.


    Alexa, belly down on the bed, rested her face in her hands, and sighed,


    "There''s nothing there that I have not seen before ... although I have never seen ... like this!"


    "There''s nothing here for you now."


    "No?"


    "No."


    "You have a lot of willpower, don''t you?! That''s annoying!" Alexa protested, slapping her hand on the mattress vehemently. This brought out a small puzzled laugh, accompanied by the Prince''s furrowed brows.


    "You are not dreaming, Alexa,"


    "...!"

 Chapter 205 - Marry Me

    "I¡­isn''t it a dream?!"


    "Hm," he shook his head slowly.


    "Am I really here?" even with her current state, melting, a little self-awareness returned to Alexa''s mind.


    "About that¡­ I don''t know. I don''t think you''re really here," replied Magnus, scratching his chin.


    "So you can''t ...?" in the back of her mind, she hoped it wasn''t an obstacle, because she was feeling it all realistically.


    "Can I¡­?" the expression of sardonic doubt on the Prince''s face confused her.


    "Can ...You¡­ Me ..." If she knew before that it wasn''t a dream, maybe she wouldn''t have said half of what she had said.


    "Take you?" he helped.


    Alexa nodded, pitifully losing all the self-awareness which had resurfaced in the last few seconds. Everything had been so real! She could have pleasure, and so could he, so why not?!


    Magnus shook his head,


    "I don''t know what happened to you, so you better tell me now."


    "We shouldn''t waste time talking, we can talk later!" Alexa gave him a confident grin. "I can explain everything later..."


    "You hardly know how much your smile could convince me at several other times, but ... You need to tell me now. Where are you? What happened?"


    He sat on the bed, and Alexa quickly went to his back, nudging the wide area and wondering if she should ever measure the width of his shoulders. She started by stroking her fingers over his muscles, as smoothly as a feather.


    "Our conversation will become difficult if you continue to do this, so please stop while I''m being kind ..." he sighed in some kind of suffering.


    "I don''t want to talk. I''m busy here," she kissed between his shoulder blades, noticing the tingling wave that caused Magnus. The Prince, however, swept her little greedy hands from his shoulders, and stood up, pointing a finger at the Princess,


    "Alexa! Don''t!"


    "Don''t treat me like a dog!" she whimpered, going over her ankles.


    "Where are you?" he insisted, frowning.


    "With my big brother."


    "Your big brother? Isn''t your brother in Holstein now?" he sounded quite confused.


    "This is another brother of mine," she shrugged.


    "How many big brothers do you have, anyway? For someone who was an orphan with all the relatives dead, you have many relatives coming up!"


    "Unfortunately, my brother Iacintho ... is not really alive ... But, as I said, these matters can wait for the next night ..." Alexa winked, showing her dimples.


    Magnus put his hand over his own mouth, looking shocked, when he saw her playing with the hem of her nightgown.


    Then Alexa bit her lips and began to lift the hem of the shirt seductively.


    ZAAAAZZ!


    Alexa blinked and saw that her nightgown''s hem had been stuck by the dagger into the mattress, in a quick movement by the prince.


    "Stop it now. As seductive as your offer may be, there are many reasons ... why I cannot and will do none of this tonight. One is that ... Your body isn''t even here."


    "Pardon?!" Alexa first looked at him, incredulous, then at the dagger between her legs, and again at Magnus.


    Magnus pulled the dagger, tearing the fabric of the nightgown ... which in seconds was rebuilt before the princess''s eyes.


    Magnus said,


    "I can assure you I''m not sleeping, and although you are one of the most solid ghosts I have ever seen, I certainly need your other part to do whatever you want!"


    Alexa hid her face in her hands, wishing to disappear from existence for being so pathetic!


    "The sooner you tell me where you are, the faster we will fulfil your dream," said the Prince.


    ''Ah! How hateful you are, Magnus! This damn thing will pass and I will make you pay me for your words!''


    Magnus pulled away and went to get dressed, while Alexa spied pretending to cover her face. She was still ashamed, but she had to pretend to be much more!


    She had no idea what was going on. Wasn''t it enough that she swallowed Pandora''s Egg, had her soul left her body to come after Magnus?! What if she got lost on the way back? Nothing said that she, being a Light Bearer, she couldn''t get lost too! After all, Iacintho was lost!


    "I see that some senses are returning to your little head¡­ Come on, my dear. Tell me where I can find you. Before you have to leave because of one thing or another," Magnus crouched in front of her, beside the bed.


    However, Alexa felt a shiver and thrust from before, and panic took over her mind,


    "MAGNUS! I''m in an underground tower in the cursed forest! An undead wizard and many of those upirs you killed live there. The wizard is powerful and imprisoned my brother and ..."


    A noise at the window interrupted the conversation, and Alexa grabbed Magnus'' arm. At the same time she felt the thrust drawing her away from him.


    "Don''t open windows! It''s dangerous!"


    But Magnus ignored it and even with Alexa clinging to his arm, trying to force it not to, he easily reached the window dragging her, and opened it impetuously.


    In the moonlight, Alexa saw the hooded figure, carrying her body in her arms.


    "Iacintho!"


    His brother looked up, and spoke clearly,


    "Magnus. Save my sister."


    Magnus held his breath,


    "He ... He''s one of them!"


    "Yes, but NO!" Alexa whispered, understanding now that the thrust force was the attraction of her body on her soul. She could hardly believe that Iacintho had come this far. He himself had said it was dangerous to leave after all that had happened!


    After letting himself be seen, Iacintho retreated to the shadows of the arbor. Magnus wasted no time, just grabbing his cloak and sword, and quickly descending the stairs.


    Alexa let herself be drawn back by her body, knowing exactly where Iacintho was now.


    Near the entrance to the forest, waiting for them.


    Alexa woke up in her own body, just before Magnus reached Iacintho.


    The effects of Pandora''s Egg were far from over, and were even more noticeable now that her soul was back in her body. She wanted to jump off her brother''s lap and immediately ran to Magnus, but Iacintho dug his fingers into her shoulder, like iron hands holding her in place.


    "Alexa¡­ I have little time to stay here. I am using the moment of distraction while they are busy with the death of three others, and my Master didn''t notice my absence."


    Magnus reached then, and stared at both.


    Iacintho removed the hood,


    "Magnus, I''m Iacintho, Alexa''s older brother. She is bewitched, but I think you already realized that, since her soul visited you tonight."


    "What was this?"


    "The sorcerer who owns this forest made Alexa swallow a Succubus Egg. There''s no known antidote for this, and it causes..."


    "I already understand what it causes."


    "When is it over?"


    "I had never seen the effects in person. It''s only believed its effects vanish once the user fulfills the basic requirement of a succubus, which is to get the male seed..."


    "Inconceivable! Never!" Magnus snarled. Alexa bit her lip, delighted by learning Magnus couldn''t stand the idea she could even go around doing that.


    "I understand. In this case, I need to find help elsewhere. She can''t stay here anymore, it''s too dangerous."


    "This sorcerer, doesn''t he have the antidote?" the Prince of Holstein questioned.


    "I can try to find it, but not with her around in this state, as I couldn''t take care of her," Iacintho explained.


    "If you go back there without me, won''t it be dangerous for you?" Alexa suddenly became aware of something other than her own body. "I don''t want him to do anything bad to you, Iacintho!"


    Iacintho sighed, exasperated,


    "This is none of your business! You need to go!"


    "NO!" Alexa protested, and turned to Magnus, "That insane lich makes sadistic experiences. He will punish my brother! No! I can''t leave him again!" Her mind was confused, but Lex knew she would not endure it again!


    Her brother, however, refused,


    "I already told you, Alexa. There''s nothing I can do at the moment, without figuring out how to get rid of that lich bastard permanently..."


    But Alexa couldn''t accept that easily,


    "Iacintho, please! Come with us! You also said you ran away before, and you had to return on your own, by some sort of magic. Come with us as far as you can! We will get to Languedoc and Mestre Petrus will help you!"


    Her words gave a brief glimmer of hope in Iacintho''s eyes, which broke his sister''s heart. She knew he still had hopes of breaking free from his sorry state as a slave.


    "Tell him Magnus, tell him he can go with us. Tell him we will return to this forest to destroy the lich and free my brother Iacintho forever! Please, I beg you!"


    "You heard Alexa, Iacintho. She has great ideas at the least likely times, and this is one of them. You must come with us," Magnus agreed with her, realizing that Alexa was visibly upset.


    Iacintho shook his head, again refusing their proposal,


    "You must get out of here now. Take her away and save her. If you can''t be her man for some reason,..."


    "I will."


    "You are too pragmatic, Iacintho!" Alexa''s eyes widened, shocked by her brother''s words, and taking a while to understand Magnus'' response. Then she turned to the Prince, gaping,


    "Hey, did you just say that..."


    "Yes, I said," Magnus didn''t change his expression and took her hand, pulling her to his side. "But not before I married her," he added, this time, addressing to her older brother.


    "There is a chapel a few kilometers from here," said Iacintho.


    "What nonsense, that was never necessary for a man and a woman ..." Alexa was talking, but Magnus covered her mouth.


    "Take us at least to the church, Iacintho."


    After pondering for a moment, Iacintho nodded.


    The Princess looked at the hands held between her and Magnus, and looked up,


    "Are you going to ... marry me?"

 Chapter 206 - Before the Altar

    Half an hour later, already watching the sky lose its deep hue as they rode, the couple, along with Iacintho and Dubois, saw the city of Alen?on, and the tower of their church standing out on the horizon.


    Alexa could hardly believe what was happening! Was she really going to marry Magnus? She was not sure about the validity of this marriage, nor did she understand why he was doing this. However, she didn''t even feel in a position to think clearly.


    The horses stopped in front of the Church, and Magnus, helping her down, asked,


    "Do you feel better?"


    What could she say? What riding had calmed her down? Of course it didn''t! But she tried to maintain some composure, and the princess smiled as serenely as she could.


    "Stay here for a moment, Captain Dubois and I are going to the rectory," said the Prince.


    For the first time, Alexa realized that he was more flushed than normal, and quite agitated. Dubois, however, took off his hat and said,


    "If you don''t mind, Your Highness, I need to speak for a moment privately, can we?"


    Magnus wasn''t satisfied, just by the expression on his face, but he nodded, and they both moved away from the Dallassenos brothers.


    "Iacintho! Is this a legal marriage?" she whispered to her sibling.


    "How could I know? I understand almost nothing about the Western Church. Besides ... This is what matters least," he pondered, keeping an eye to where the men went.


    Alexa never thought about what Iacintho would think about it, but his answer confused her.


    "Does it matter less? I told you! I''m married! I''m getting divorced, but..."


    Iacintho patted her head,"This man is a nobleman, isn''t he? That Captain called him His Highness. He wears a ring similar to yours."


    Alexa remembered that she had told Iacintho she was married to a Prince, but she had said nothing about who was traveling with her.


    "He ... is Holstein''s First Prince."


    Iacintho frowned.


    "Good Alexa, look at it this way. This man could do only what he was asked to... in a medicinal way. It would be a secret, a secret kept by all parties. But his conscience doesn''t allow him to sleep with you without getting married ... He cares about you. He cares a lot about your future."


    Alexa''s heart beat really hard with this realization from her brother.


    "I also feel something for him, Iacintho. I shouldn''t have, but¡­ "


    Iacintho clicked his tongue,


    "Don''t be stingy with yourself and the life that flows inside you, little sis. Knowing this, I am very relieved. You are about to become a woman, right?"


    "Is it so obvious?"


    Iacintho toyed with a coin in his hand for a moment, without answering his sister''s question, exasperating Alexa. Then he smiled,


    "It''s like a dream for me. To know that you are alive. And that you were spared many horrors, in a way. And that maybe we have time to tell each other about our misfortunes and adventures up to this day¡­ And maybe, I''ll even manage to meet Master Petrus!"


    "Narses is alive, brother! He got to Holstein!" she told him.


    Iacintho''s eyes gleamed in joy,


    "Two Dallassenos!"


    "No, big bro! Three Dallassenos!" she beamed with teary eyes, taking his hands in hers.


    However, she felt Magnus''s musky and teasing scent approaching, and immediately turned to him. It was inevitable and shameful, and Alexa put her hands back, avoiding the temptation to touch him.


    Her brother whispered in his ear, before he left,


    "All you have to do now is to wait passively, and control yourself as much as possible¡­ especially inside the church."


    Alexa wanted to laugh, but looked down for a moment, and when she looked again, Magnus was in front of her.


    Magnus looked expectantly at the sky, and Alexa thought he was looking so young, and his look so different!


    ''I love him! But I won''t confess because he treated me like a dog back there, and besides, he''ll think that I can''t tell l.u.s.t from my feelings! But I can! I know what I feel in my heart, and what the spell exacerbates! '' she kept staring at him adoringly, which made him look down,


    "What?"


    "Can''t I look at my future husband?" she replied coquettishly.


    "You''ll get tired of this soon, save your eyes," he winked at her, but Alexa realized that he was a little embarrassed. That was precious!


    She bit her fist in anxiety and glee. Iacintho was kicking pebbles in front of the church steps, pretending not to pay attention to them.


    Dubois opened the church door, calling them to enter.


    Alexa''s heart started beating so wildly! It was unbelievable!


    Magnus took her hand once more, and they entered the immense Church of the V.i.r.g.i.n Mary of Alen?on together.


    Iacintho waited outside, though.


    The priest was placing some things on the altar, and turned to the newcomers.


    "This is Father Angelo Zorta," said Captain Dubois, by way of introduction.


    The priest was a tall man who wore a peculiarly shaped mustache. Stepping from the altar, the priest looked at the couple appraisingly,


    "Welcome to the House of the Lord, travelers. Captain Dubois told me your names, but I don''t think I understood correctly ... Let your hands off each other''s, we are in front of the Altar of the Almighty and not in some peasant festival."


    Alexa blinked after his harsh reprimand, but obeyed.


    "I am Karl Magnus Wilhelm di Borghesi von Wuttenfal, by Holstein. This is Alexa Z?e Dallassenos, from Constantinople. "


    The priest looked at his own hands for a moment,


    "And what can I help these important people do?"


    Alexa doubted that Captain Dubois hadn''t already warned the priest who he was about to marry.


    Magnus briefly let on his infamous arrogant expression, but said, after letting go of Alexa''s hand,


    "We want to get married. Before God."


    Father Zorta looked Alexa in the eye first, and then Magnus,


    "If it depends on me, you won''t get married."


    The air was suddenly cold, and even Captain Dubois, who was discreetly poking a corner of the altar with his boot, froze. Alexa also could not have any other reaction than to open her mouth, in shock.


    The priest seemed satisfied with the reaction he got from the couple, and his mustache twitched sarcastically,


    "A sloppy couple who come to me in the early hours of the day! It''s clear they were fornicating and their dirty minds and bodies want to quickly get rid of their sins'' cost! For the wages of sin is death!"


    "You don''t understand ..." Dubois tried to interfere, but the priest raised a hand, shutting him up,


    "I don''t care if this man is the king of France or who that woman is. You asked for blessing, but not for forgiveness! I won''t marry them, and that''s it! Fornicators are not welcome under the Lord''s roof!"


    Magnus moved toward the priest with his fist raised, but Dubois stepped in front.


    "Get out of the way, Dubois! I''m going to kill this bastard! He doesn''t know what he''s saying!" Both the Prince''s hoarse voice and clenched fist were shaking with hatred, just inches from the captain''s face.


    "Don''t do it! Do not spill blood on the House of God, Prince! Do not commit a sin greater than the pride of this priest! " the captain shouted back, trying to get him to reason.


    "Superb?! Me? What does a nobleman think who thinks he can silence a priest''s voice and bend him to do what is wrong, just mentioning his name?! Should I tremble with fear? My Father will protect me!" replied the priest mockingly, without moving an inch from where he was.


    "But I don''t care!" Alexa grunted, jumping on the priest furiously ...


    But the red-haired giant in grabbed herthe air, w andun her around, holding her with an arm by the solar plexus, "No way, Princess. What good will that do?"


    "It will relieve my anger!! Release me, Dubois!" Alexa felt humiliated, but if her eyes were full of tears, it wasn''t for her, but for Magnus who just wanted to protect her in some way. Did the arrogant, self-righteous priest come to absurd conclusions just by the way they got to the church? Was he more concerned with his own ''salvation'' as an error-free man than with blessing and legitimizing the love of two people?


    "Is that what you want, Princess? May Prince Magnus get his hands in the blood of a priest who refused to do what he asked?! Control yourself!" the Captain placed her on the floor outside the church, and Alexa crouched and hid her face, furious, frustrated, humiliated.


    The lump in her throat was choking her, this disgusting ache in her heart was killing her. But Magnus came to her, and hugged her, protecting her against his chest.


    "Shhhh! Dubois is right. I almost made a mistake in there, which would only bring us disgrace. Shhh! Do not Cry! That man''s words were not for you, they were for me..."


    He kissed the top of her head repeatedly, as if that would make it hurt less.


    "I am not sad! I''m angry! Why did he say those things?! He knows nothing! He didn''t give us a chance to explain!"


    She felt that Magnus looked up for a moment, and angrily wiping the angry tears from her face, she looked in the same direction as him, that is, at the church door.


    "Let''s get out of this place before I change my mind about listening to Dubois. It''s dawn," said the Prince, lifting her up and placing her in the horse''s saddle.


    Magnus was still shaking with hate, but Alexa was grateful that Dubois had prevented him from doing something horrible that he would regret in the future.


    Iacintho watched them in silence, but instead of getting on his horse, he turned to the church, and took off his hood,


    "Go ahead, I''ll catch up with you. I believe that I must apply a test of faith before I join you."


    The image of her brother entering the church was the last thing Alexa saw before dawn.

 Chapter 207 - Waking Up

    Alexa narrowed her eyes, feeling the morning light kissing her eyelids, but not really wanting to wake up to reality.


    Her last good memory was that Magnus had comforted her and kissed her hair, and Alexa wanted to keep that at least in her memory, but ...


    ''This isn''t the sun, is it, actual kisses ...?'' She wondered, feeling the delicious, tender pressure on her eyelids.


    "Magnus?"


    He hugged her,


    "How do you feel today? Are you all right?"


    "All right? What do you mean with ''all right''? Why are you asking this?" she opened her eyes, and looked at him.


    Magnus had messy hair and eyes swollen with sleep. And a silly, gentle smile on his face. He rested his chin on his hand to watch her.


    She had no idea why he was asking that question. And mostly, why was he there, lying next to her?


    "Well¡­ you asked me to control my desire¡­ I tried to do my best, but¡­" He pretended to be annoyed with himself, barely hiding his smile, "That was asking too much. So, are you feeling¡­ hm?"


    Alexa sat on the bed. She had no idea where they were, it was an unknown room, and she was n.a.k.e.d.


    Magnus also was n.a.k.e.d.


    Slowly, the memory of Pandora''s Egg came back to her.


    "What happened? We¡­"


    "You couldn''t take your hands off me, so¡­ Don''t you remember?"


    He laughed, but he wasn''t mocking at her. In fact Magnus pulled Alexa''s hair behind her ear, and slid his finger contouring her ear, lobe and neck, causing all sorts of chills in Alexa.


    She felt a more sensitive part of her neck, exactly where he had left the tip of his index, and was looking at her provocatively. She tried to look, but she just squinted. What was that? A hickey?


    NO! She didn''t remember! How was that possible?!


    "I can see from your confused face that all your screams from yesterday, calling my name, will just stay in my memory ... But ... I want to make you have all the memories of it," with a naughty smile, Magnus leaned back, kissing Alexa''s belly.


    "Hey, stop it!"


    "That''s not what you said yesterday!" He wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her belly and sliding his hands up towards the Princess''s b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    "Oh my God, what are you ..." She knew what he was doing, of course, the princess just didn''t think she would be so embarrassed. Even more when he brushed her pink n.i.p.p.l.es with his thumbs, in circular motions. No doubt those spots were linked with other parts across her body, and Alexa bit her lip, m.o.a.ning.


    "Uhn ..."


    Magnus'' golden gaze looked up at her, and one hand went down from her b.r.e.a.s.t to her thighs, while he lifted his chin to grab the n.i.p.p.l.e he had abandoned, drawing an aroused sigh from the maiden...


    His hand moved forward gently, opening the path that Alexa was involuntarily making easy for him, until he brushed the pink slit between Alexa''s legs¡­


    Ohhhhh!


    A kind of pleasurable and trembling sensation took over her body, coming from her core, and the princess squirmed on the sheets, half-opening her eyes and seeing stars...


    The well-known stars embroidered on the canopy, looked back at her, and she was frustrated because her dream had been interrupted ...


    ''Alexander?'' a horrible thought came to Alexa''s mind. Alexander was around?


    ''Hm?'' he replied, enigmatically.


    ''Ah, uh ... Did I sleep too much?''


    ''Strangely, yes... Did you have any weird dreams?'' he asked, casually.


    "ME?!" Alexa reacted out loud, placing her hands on her chest. She was in Alexander''s body, of course and...


    And...


    What was that wet feeling between the legs?! She closed her eyes, feeling her face flush. She knew what it was. It could only be one thing.


    ''Alexander! I ... I can explain! It was just a dream! Just a stupid dream! '' After all the emotions of the past few hours, she didn''t really want to explain anything to Alexander. Not a thing from last night.


    ''It had never happened to me, before you,'' said Alexander. ''But ... It''s embarrassing!''


    ''Uhn¡­ Never?'' she was nervous about all the possibilities of an argument with Alexander, but she didn''t expect him to say something like that.


    ''Well, I mean, I''m sure no incubus or succubus came to disturb your sleep. So there are only two possibilities ... ''


    '' It was a dream! I swear, it was a dream!'' She was feeling quite guilty, and desperate for Alexander to accept her word for it. Even if it was he who asked for the marriage annulment, she felt bad.


    ''Well, it never happened to me before. Dreams like that. You better clean this up and not embarrass me.''


    ''Wait ... Aren''t you mad at me?''


    ''Why would I be mad at you? Yesterday, my biggest fear was that you would die, Alexa. You were in a horrible situation, and a miracle happened. I have no idea what you''re dreaming about, but it must be with¡­ love. So you were happy, at least in your dreams.''


    Alexa was confused, but grateful, with Alexander''s reaction. It was especially shocking to realize that no one thought of it, back in France!


    It was enough for her to return to Alexander''s body, where the condition of Pandora''s Egg ended up being fulfilled!


    Alexander seemed more curious than angry, and that was more than unexpected. It was suspicious!


    But Alexa needed to be absolutely sure,


    ''You are not the least bit upset about this happening to your body ... And you didn''t even enjoy the sensations yourself? Or¡­ ''


    Alexander didn''t respond directly, however.


    ''You are proving that this body is healthy after all. I know you were dreaming. I can see when your soul returns to my body ... And with each passing day, I notice how my body is getting healthier, more ... developed. You are really bringing life, authentic life, into this body, Alexa.''


    ''This is a good thing!'' Alexa could correlate with her own conclusions about her own body. She also felt that her own body was blooming, albeit late. The Second Prince replied, however,


    ''Actually, Alexa, I don''t know. We have to talk about this and many things, but ... You had scheduled a meeting with your brother, if I remember correctly. And now, as Regent, it will be a very busy day.''


    ''Many weird things have happened, Alexander. I have a lot of news. But first, how is your father?''


    ''He had a rough night. Ceridom is an excellent doctor, but he''s also concerned ... I wish I could do something to help, but I don''t know how far the knowledge of doctors can go ... ''


    Alexa thought if Iacintho was around, he might be able to help, but they were so far away!


    ''And how about your mother''s Shade? She said she would be around ... Maybe she knows something. ''


    ''Another spell? Would my father accept, after everything witchcraft has already done to our family?''


    ''Don''t forget everything she said about our current situation.''


    ''About this, I promise, we have to talk. But Helga is coming soon, please clean this up!''


    Alexa also wanted to say many things. About Zilda''s statement about her and Alexander being brothers, for example. About his dealings with the Black Queen.


    But the more she knew about Alexander, the more intrigued she became... What she had seen in the cathedral didn''t really go out of her head.


    The Princess didn''t know that much to draw definitive conclusions, but soon she could talk to someone who understood infinitely more than she did. Iacintho would know how to clear her doubts, or at least some of them.


    As the Second Prince walked to the chapel with his small entourage, now inflated by the addition of secretaries reminding him of appointments, Lex saw Nerissa briefly, in a corridor.


    She was letting herself be seen, and Lex hoped it was only the Shade''s conscience finally ready to leave the world of the living, and no longer some horrible bond with that place. Perhaps Lex could ask Narses to help her, since as Prince Regent, Alexander was in evidence now, and with a busy schedule.


    Getting close to the chapel made her shiver when she remembered the humiliation she had experienced a few moments ago, back in Alen?on.


    Lex halted in the courtyard, in front of the chapel''s doors, and everyone looked at the Prince Regent expectantly. The resentment was still consuming and Lex felt his hands tremble.


    ''What is it, Alexa?'' asked Alexander.


    ''We were expelled from a church, your brother and I, because of an uncompromising and dogmatic priest,'' Alexa replied. ''I''m sorry, I should be at that mass. But I am sick of the idea of ??being judged, not by a God, but by men who think they speak for God.''


    ''I''m sorry, Alexa.''


    "If Narses Dallassenos is at Mass, tell him I expect him, and take him to the Labyrinth Garden, where I will be," Lex asked some servants, and turned around, refusing to enter Mass as planned .


    Upon reaching the labyrinth, the Second Prince ordered everyone to leave. He went to the gazebo where Lex heard the White Queen''s voice for the first time.


    The Second Prince walked the paths surrounded by green hedges, and this time there was nothing frightening about the maze.


    ''I survived because my other brother found me! Iacintho!'' Lex shared the news with Alexander.


    ''But your brother is dead!'' he replied, astonished.


    ''Ah ... You know that because, like you said ... You have dreamed of me all your life. So, that''s why you didn''t have pleasant dreams as you would expect for a handsome prince like you. You had your nights busy dreaming about my life. The past few years have been less than pleasant ... ''


    Alexander was silent.


    Lex sat in front of the chess game, randomly moving the pieces.


    Then she asked,


    ''Alexander, I was told that they found you here, with a bottle of poison. Where did you get the elixir? Was it Balbo? And you said you had come to find me. It always confused me, but now I really need to know. ''

 Chapter 208 - The Bishop Forces His Stand

    Alexander sighed,


    ''You don''t believe we''re soulmates, do you?''


    ''I don''t know exactly what you''re talking about, Alexander¡­'' Lex scratched his head. ''You mean we are siblings? Zilda talked about it, but I thought it was just her insane mind or just a way to anger your father...''


    ''It would be impossible, since I was born to Gisela and Gutard, and you, to Bryennios and Zoe ... I''m saying our souls are connected. Since our births, and maybe before that.''


    Alexander spoke with conviction, and Alexa was also quite sure she wasn''t a lost daughter to Gutard and Gisela.


    She and her brothers looked alike, like family. Alexander had similarities with Gisela and Gutard too, except for the color of his eyes.


    She would have to do an even more mind-boggling exercise with her mind to find an explanation of how babies separated by thousands of kilometers, and with such special births, could actually be twin siblings.


    ''It wouldn''t be impossible, if our lives had already met, I think,'' she mused. ''But that doesn''t explain our physical resemblance, almost like siblings, actually... Or why you dreamed of me all your life. I don''t know much, but I don''t think it''s common. Do you believe that we have taken some kind of oath to each other in some past life...?''


    That wasn''t a comfortable thought either, but Alexa didn''t really know what else to think. She still didn''t understand whether Alexander spoke of them as a couple, while he behaved more like a brother.


    ''I don''t know. I just know that, when I saw those drawings in the wall, in the forbidden tower, I thought I had a sister... The girl I dreamed of. I tried to understand and read everything I found about soul bonds ... It wasn''t much, I admit. Soul mates, that''s what explained our bond... It was a disturbing thought. Especially knowing you were going through so many bad things, and I was living safely, protected by my father and my brother. Shouldn''t it be the contrary? Why? But how could I explain it to my father, and ask him to let me go and get this person? Everyone thought that, because I was Gisela''s son, I definitely had some connection with demons... And how to confess I was dreaming of a heretic and wanted to bring her home¡­?''


    '' That might have caused a lot of problems, '' Lex admitted.


    That image in the hidden tower, which had now been erased or covered with wooden boards, had also impressed her. They were images showing Gisela delivering a small baby to a dark-handed monster in exchange for a yellow heart. An involuntary shiver took over Lex''s body. What did that mean?


    ''Alexander, do you know what those images meant?''


    ''They meant, Alexa, that even Gisela has bigger commitments than we can see on the surface, in the same way as Letitia. With what my Uncle Kurt revealed to us yesterday, I can only think it refers to Orcaius, that immortal being who is or has been in Holstein in the past. The heart ... Maybe it''s the heart in Magnus''s chest?''


    ''Could this mean she made a pact with Orcaius?''


    ''It seems more likely, doesn''t it?''


    The pair couldn''t keep the conversation going, as they heard footsteps. Alexa was expecting only Narses, as the Prince Regent had ordered, but had already realized that he was not alone.


    And she wasn''t wrong.


    Prior Reuben was at her brother''s side, and while the older man had a small smile on his lips, Narses kept a stony face.


    ''Why does this guy is always on my brother''s tail?'' Alexa complained.


    ''The Prior is an experienced man, or he wouldn''t be a Leader of the Holy Office. He probably has a lot of different reasons to do so¡­ Right now, even though he hunts demonists and people like Cordelia''s mother, he can also become our enemy, ''said Alexander.


    ''I know that. But it will be difficult to get rid of him right now.''


    Lex took the black bishop off the chessboard, which was the only place she could move it at that moment, after all, and got up.


    "Narses! Prior Reuben!"


    The newcomers greeted the Prince Regent according to etiquette, and Reuben commented, in a soft voice,


    "Did your Highness feel unwell for morning Mass? I was told the Prince returned from the chapel door to this garden."


    Alexa could have sworn that the Prior didn''t like the Prince Regent. Small inflections of the voice and the way of looking, betraying a petulant condescension, hinted it. He was perhaps more dangerous than the mustachioed priest from Alen?on, who at least had been straight to the point, skipping hypocrisy entirely.


    "I received a message with bad news, and it broke my heart, Prior Reuben. Since you''re here, could you tell me a little bit about how the Holy Office''s investigation into my stepmother''s entourage is going after the events in Ashgraufelsen."


    "Forgive me, Your Highness, I have nothing conclusive yet. There are mixed reports, witnesses seem to portray you as a kind of miraculous hero ... Just like the reports about your wife. I''m astonished. Maybe we could talk about it..."


    "Er¡­ What can I say about it? I couldn''t exalt myself using a situation like that. I don''t know what people saw, but I do know what kind of miracle I saw."


    "So did a miracle really happen, as many claim? A big ball of holy light, as shining as the sun itself, driving demons away?" insisted the Prior.


    The Prince took a deep breath, and Narses suggested,


    "Is Your Highness devoted to any particular saint? We can only say your faithful prayers have been answered!"


    "Some people have reported that you wife works miracles. Wasn''t she really there, as reported?" Reuben did not even have time for the Prince to respond, maintaining his interrogation and, even speaking softly, being rude to a Prince. He was being rude from the start, by coming without a proper invitation and daring to talk without permission, but Lex knew this type. They felt ''armored'' by their ranks in the Church and their ability to disgrace a person''s life only with a raised finger pointed at that person. That was not the Gospel the problem with the Catholic Church, but people using it to boost their egos. Of course, Lex doubted Prior Reuben would have the courage to do something like that to Prince Gutard, for instance. This type aimed for minor prey, like jackals.


    "I don''t know what are your reasons to hide your spouse, but the Church would like to have a word to her¡­ as soon as possible. Is there any impediment to get to Her Highness, as of now?" Reuben questioned.

 Chapter 209 - The Making of a Saint

    "For God''s Sake! Leave Alexa alone! What do you want, anyway? Make a saint out of her?" The Prince Regent raised his voice, to show his annoyance at how Reuben was pushing the boundaries.


    "Princess Cordelia claims that Princess Alexa is very special. She reported that the Princess has Christ''s wounds in her hands. The Stigmata. And that she is capable of working miracles. Some people remember seeing her touch Your Highness with her bare hand, when Your Highness had been presumed dead. And days later ... there is Your Highness, totally healed from your mysterious illness... These are intriguing reports, Your Highness. Don''t blame the Church for wanting to investigate further."


    All of that was said with a smile, but Lex struggled not to cringe in terror. Narses looked at the Second Prince with a serious face, unable to say anything.


    Alexa had erased these complicated facts from memory, but now she realized it would be hard to explain all that, and what happened at the Ashgraufelsen gates,


    "I will make my report in due time, officially."


    The Prior nodded, having nothing else to do but accept the Prince Regent''s statement.


    But Lex gave a big smile, instead of being unpleasant as she wished,


    "Forgive me, but when they talk about Alexa, I get somewhat annoyed. She has been very misunderstood, and even offended, since she arrived. She feels drained by the court''s judgement, scared by the events, and frightened that Holstein''s commoners are thinking she''s more than she is. And all what happened took a toll on her. She''s quite confused, actually. Alexa just needs time. And I would like to speak to her brother Narses about it." Tilting his head a little, the Prince questioned, as if intrigued, "Do you always go together? Is there an official reason for it?"


    "The Prior has used his time to teach me many wonderful things, Your Highness. I couldn''t thank you enough for his willingness to help me. Even if I''m only a Brother in a Tertiary order, and he''s a Prior," Narses said, smiling. His eyes, however, were cold, Alexa could recognize it from afar.


    "Your Highness," Balbo''s voice was heard, "Father Agnello asks if he can join the Prince and his guests."


    That was so opportune! Agnello Borghesi wouldn''t leave his pupils abandoned near the Prior!


    As soon as he got the authorization, Blue Eyes arrived, accompanied by Balbo. Although he still used his cane to get around, he looked healthier and kept a serene gaze on his face.


    Lex thought that maybe that priest was the only one she would trust as long as she lived!


    "Prior Reuben, Brother Narses, how nice to meet you in His Highness'' company," he said after greeting the Prince. "Your Highness, I have already prepared for your weekly confession, as you requested."


    Lex just managed a smirk, blinking over and over. Weekly confession? That was unexpected!


    ''Is he talking about me or you?'' Alexa asked her soulmate.


    ''I am a good Christian, at most I am sometimes jealous and angry. Have you been committing any sin lately?''


    ''He will find one to frame us, I''m sure,'' she replied.


    But Father Agnello turned to the Prior, and suggested,


    "While His Highness has the family affairs he needs to talk with his brother-in-law, perhaps, Prior Reuben and I have a friendly game of chess? Does Prior play chess?"


    "Oh! Of course. It is an exciting pastime. I accept the challenge."


    With Prior immobilized for a while, at least Lex could finally speak to Narses.


    As the priests sat under the gazebo for their chess game, The Prince signaled to Narses,


    "Why don''t we sit on the lawn, in the sun?" They would be out of the priests'' ears, but in plain sight. A bit of sunlight would be comforting, for a change, too.


    "It''s hard to get rid of this bastard," Narses grunted as he sat down on the grass next to the Prince. "The local Bishop is obsessed with the idea of turning you, Alexa, into a saint, Holstein''s first saint. It would bring a good renown for the kingdom, among other benefits, according to him."


    "I thought that only the dead martyrs, and the blessed, could become saints ..."


    "Me too... And he and his minions started to hypothesize you are in fact long dead. They believe the Princess was murdered at some point, and that information has not yet been revealed as it''s not interesting to the Sovereign Prince. You know it was the first thing I learned when I first arrived. This place has a shady backstory, I''m shocked to learn."


    "I know this rumor is being whispered for a while, and it has a basis..." replied Lex. "As for the fact that they want a saint ... This is ridiculous! How could I become a saint?"


    ''I''d be afraid in your place, Alexa,'' said Alexander.


    "Actually, there is a rumor among the ''thieves'' guild''... that an assassin is looking for Princess Alexa, and it''s even offering a share for information¡­ Of course, disclosing the assassin''s identity isn''t possible without some influence in the guild¡­ I''m far from getting it from my position right now."


    "Meh, this is nothing new. They tried to kill me a few times when I arrived. And they won''t find me."


    "It''s not an old rumor. This time they really want to produce a saint, Alexa. They don''t wish this place to be known as a lair of witches and demons. Even if they have to kill to have one. And if they discover the actual events and the real Alexa aren''t as they picture in their heads, they will feel betrayed and furious, and they will burn you like a witch!"


    "That is why the annulment of the wedding was so readily accepted!" Lex exclaimed, remembering how helpful the bishop was in writing all the letters and reports, missing only Alexa''s account and some witnesses of the non-consummation.


    "Annulment of marriage?" Narses moved uncomfortably, and spoke to his brother-in-law,


    "Your Highness, listen to me. At the very least, to lessen the Church''s interest in my sister, you should say exactly the opposite! You should announce she''s expecting a baby!"

 Chapter 210 - Realization

    "Are you crazy?!" Lex spoke loudly, thus drawing the attention of Balbo and also the priests.


    ''Well, brother-in-law, I think this is a little extreme ...'' Alexander murmured.


    "You shouldn''t even get a divorce! Listen! The clerics out here are biased towards the di Borghesi. If they could get rid of Alexander, they would do it in the blink of an eye! Do you think they are satisfied the Sovereign Prince is ill and the Prince Regent is not who they want on the throne? Unless something irreparably tarnishes the honor of the oldest brother, they will do their best to ward Alexander..."


    ''I don''t want to be the successor, my brother is much more¡­''


    Narses interrupted,


    "I see you guys are missing someone here who openly speaks with both of you, with the sole interest of your well-being! You are the Prince Regent now, Alexander! If you do something wrong, they will pet you. It will even embarrass your father, who trusted you. You must show that you are not afraid, and that you have nothing to hide."


    ''However, Alexa needs to break free from this marriage!'' Alexander replied angrily.


    "Why?"


    ''We¡­ We can''t be together,'' the real Prince partially revealed, embarrassed.


    "Narses, stop. It doesn''t concern you," Lex looked down, feeling bad about how Narses was pushing Alexander, without knowing all the details. Alexander didn''t want to put into words the real reason. Alexander was no fool and knew it already. Nor did she want to humiliate Alexander by speaking aloud.


    "Of course it concerns me. I don''t want my sister to get hurt. She has suffered enough, Your Highness. She..."


    Lex tried to interrupt,


    "Narses, please. You don''t know..."


    Alexa''s older brother averted his eyes, and taking a long breath, grunted,


    "Well, I don''t know. But I know you guys didn''t do everything you told your brother-in-law, about this spell that unites you, and about a long journey, a thousand dangers and the like, just for my sister to earn the canonization badge as the Saint Patroness of the Roads!"


    ''Is he that nosy?''


    ''Sorry, Alexander. He must be feeling bad since we got lost in Venice. He wasn''t like that, I swear,'' Lex was very embarrassed.


    ''He must have had a hard time,'' the Prince pondered.


    Narses looked away, and continued, as if they didn''t know the couple was talking to each other,


    "You are concerned with the spiritual aspects of this situation, and that''s the most important thing. You''re not wrong. However, while your big brother and Alexa are going to Languedoc, mortal enemies are surrounding you, Alexander. You cannot ignore that. Everyone is paying attention to what happens to the von Wuttenfals. After all, what has been happening here? Let me see: a sleeping prince, a demonic cult that caused not only one, but two massacres and some isolated deaths. A battle against the forces of darkness in the central square of the capital. A plague after that. A miraculous princess, a ''gone'' prince and the underdog prince taking over as Regent¡­ It''s not like you are exactly in a boring year in Holstein, are you?"


    "Seeing that way ..." Lex nodded. Trying to look like an outsider, it was all very suspicious.


    Narses continued, speaking to Alexander,


    "Do you think Duke Kurt is reliable? He may not want the throne for himself, but why was he hidden? And why did he put that woman on your brother''s lap?"


    ''I don''t know.''


    "Nor do you know the Church needs to show its strength at that moment. They either find a saint, or they find a demon!"


    "Should we let them deal with demons alone?"


    "Do you really think that man over there could handle the things you told me? No. He only knows how to aim at humans. Alexander, I might be slandering someone, but I think the person calling the Inquisition here was your uncle Kurt. He seems to know them... I would like to hope that it was with good intentions, but I lost faith in humans for a while," said Narses bitterly.


    Lex touched her brother''s hand, nuzzling it to comfort him for the suffering that, she was sure, Narses had endured through there.


    She felt bumps on her brother''s hand, and looked down to check. They were long hands, but Narses no longer had beautiful fingers. There were many scars and his fingers were crooked, as if broken many times. They seemed to hurt a lot, just to look.


    Her heart ached, anguished at the sight.


    Narses turned to Lex, and smiled back, as if saying he was fine,


    "Show strength, confidence, and we will try to dismantle the propaganda that has been made over the years. That Alexander is the witch''s son and should be feared. People need to like Alexander!"


    ''But¡­ what about Alexa?'' the Prince asked.


    "At this point, we cannot deny that Alexa is capable of miraculous things, since there were so many witnesses. The other option would be to let them believe that she''s also a witch ... And that is not what we want. But she can''t be perfect ... She has to stay married!"


    ''Narses, listen to me. When my brother and Alexa come back, they can get married. If necessary, I will become a priest so that Alexa is not embarrassed by marrying again. I will leave Holstein forever. They must be a couple, my brother must reign. I owe them my life, and they want to be together! It is not your fault not knowing any of this, but please stop pushing this agenda on us! Your good intentions are only afflicting your sister. ''


    ''...!'' Alexa did not expect Alexander to say that, and so bluntly, but he did.


    Narses took a deep breath and held out his hands,


    "So the other rumor has a little bit of truth. That Prince Magnus is in love with Alexa. He allegedly left because his father married Alexa to Alexander, not him."


    "Is that what they say behind our back?" Alexa blurted.


    "The castle''s servants are an inexhaustible source of entertainment, I would say," Narses shrugged, revealing his sources.


    ''Yes, he asked to marry her, but my father gave her to me, anyway.''


    "Why?"


    "He believed in a prophecy," Lex then told the prophecy as she remembered it.


    Her older brother scratched his chin, looking sideways at the pair of priests in the gazebo,


    "Alexander, why don''t you directly question your father about this prophecy? You shouldn''t waste any time. Don''t even ignore your flesh and blood enemies. They may take a while to reach you, but they will reach everyone you care about first."


    Alexa knew what her brother meant. Gutard might not have had much time among the living. And even though Narses'' words were harsh, they resulted from genuine concern, and of his life experience.


    ''I thank you for your words, Narses. We are young and inexperienced, as much as we studied. You know a lot more, and we are lucky you are here to share your experience with us,'' said Alexander, in line with Alexa''s own thoughts. ''About Alexa, isn''t it better to leave everything as it is? Perhaps raising rumors of where she might be?''


    "Um, let''s think about a plan. I want to find out who the hired killer is, and get him out of the game. Balbo promised to help me. But I have Prior to worry about, too. He''s a nag," said Narses. Lex took her sibling''s hand again,


    "I have something to tell you, Narses. It''s also important."


    "I don''t know," he pretended to be hurt, enjoying being needed and pampered," You have been hiding many things from me!"


    "I couldn''t tell, because it involved other people''s lives! But ... Narses! I found Iacintho!" she spoke happily.


    Narses did not expect this, and his face paled,


    "What are you talking about, Lex?! Our brother is dead! He died almost three years ago!"


    "Narses! He''s... an upir. He was taken to France by a lich, called Volos."


    Dallassenos again stretched out his hands and snapped his fingers. His neck was red, and he looked away from them for a moment.


    ''What are you talking about? What are these names? ''Alexander asked.


    "An upir is an undead that normally feeds on human blood. His soul is trapped in his body. It''s a pitiful and corrupt state. The upir continues with his previous human appearance as long as he continues to feed on fresh blood¡­ His soul ages, but not his body¡­" Narses explained.


    ''Upir?''


    "An upir can be created by a lich, or according to some legends, by another upir under special circ.u.mstances."


    ''And what is a lich?'' Alexander choked.


    "A sorcerer who became immortal, usually through magic. One practice of a lich is to take his heart out of his chest and consecrate it, keeping it somewhere else. So, even if his body is destroyed in some way, after a while the magic will rebuild it, as long as his heart is in perfect condition..." Narses was thoughtful, with a distant look.


    "The lich keeping Iacintho, ... He''s horrible! He''s nothing but skin and bones!" Alexa exclaimed.


    "They say that a lich can also look good if it feeds on people, but few really care about it after a while. His only obsession is magic power and his machinations or whatever. Maybe they lose their interest in these things. That''s what I learned, at least," Narses revealed, and after a sigh, he turned to his sibling with a stern look on his face,


    "However, the most important thing is that, now that you have found our brother, you must destroy him, Alexa!"

 Chapter 211 - He Who Must Die Twice

    "Narses ...?!" she met her sweetest brother''s hard stare, and didn''t believe what she saw there. "He''s¡­ Your brother too!"


    "You think I''m being harsh, don''t you? Do you think I have changed, or that I cannot understand how good it was to meet you after so long, and after going through so many things ... But, Alexa, I haven''t changed that much. Everything I was taught remains inside of me. And I know I don''t want my brother to live on this land as half, and as a prisoner in a sorry state. I prefer to meet him in another life, and I hope we are relatives, or friends," Narses stood up after his harsh words, cleaning the grass from his robe.


    Lex sniffed and swept away the tears from the Second Prince''s eyes. It wouldn''t be good if the Prince was caught crying.


    She wasn''t as strong as Narses, she knew. She didn''t have the stuff of a Tanaion, who was prepared for it. She didn''t doubt it was the right thing to do, but she never thought someone would require her to do it!


    "I''ll do it ... if he wants to! I can''t force him!" she exclaimed.


    "Even if he doesn''t want to, Alexa, it''s necessary!" Narses insisted, but lowered his voice when he realized that he had caught the priests'' eyes.


    She felt the absence of Alexander, suddenly, and worried,


    "Where is he?"


    "I don''t know," replied her brother, crouching again. "It''s weird to look at you now, inside this body. If you were a boy, I guess this is how you would have looked."


    "There''s no explanation for that, is there?" Alexa questioned her older brother.


    "He has been dreaming of you since he was a child, according to what he told me."


    Lex nodded, slowly. Narses made a face, and asked,


    "You know what he is, don''t you?"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Alexander didn''t return for the rest of the day, and Lex didn''t have time to look for him at the castle.


    Activities with ministers occupied the entire afternoon, and news of problems on the eastern border with Baron Florian''s kingdom worried even General Egon. Holstein had recently sent men to the western border, to help defend the kingdom of W¨¹rtz as the alliances demanded. The army was short on this threat.


    Lex tried her best not to make the Prince Regent seem intimidated by the amount of information and decision-making. Nor arrogant to the point of committing nonsense and making Alexander a fool for wasting wise advice.


    Duke Kurt was there by the Prince''s side, as promised, as was Father Agnello.But they both conducted themselves as discreet advisers. They mostly helped questioned the ministers so the prince Regent could see more sides of the subjects, and also questioned what Prince Gutard had done on similar occasions in the past. It helped the Prince Regent make some informed decisions. Yet, there were so many things to deal with!


    Still, Lex felt so pressured, more than when she did the Order''s initiation rituals! Right now, many lives and destinies depended on the Prince''s decisions!


    Not to hesitate at all, when having this kind of power in one''s hands should demand more than cold blood and courage, she thought. It should demand madness and irresponsibility. Lex knew how precious lives and resources were, in times of plague and war.


    That day, the Prince Regent didn''t even have time to visit Prince Gutard. Lex imagined Alexander would be brooding, holed up by his father''s bed. She knew he needed some time after everything he heard from Narses.


    Then, not knowing exactly what she would find when she returned to Magnus, Alexa went to bed, protected by Balbo. The Prince Regent''s whereabouts tonight supposedly were in his room, fasting and praying for his father''s recovery.


    Alexa decided that she would think carefully about what to do before telling Magnus what''s on her mind. After all, she wasn''t sure of anything, and it would only hurt them...


    But one day she had to find out the truth, didn''t she?


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The Princess woke up a little tight inside a large chest, and hearing all kinds of battle noises outside. The clash of swords, grunts and dragging steps, crashing things, and the restlessness of the steeds.


    She pushed the lid of the chest, which was unlocked. And just as she was going to peek out, she caught a glimpse of Magnus''s boot pressing to close the lid,


    "NOT YET, DARLING! I NEED TO SOLVE SOMETHING HERE! GRUFNH! "


    She was quick enough to bend her head and take her fingers off the edge, when the lid slammed shut on her!


    ''But what''s going on? What''s it, are we really being assaulted this time?!''


    The noises moved away, and Alexa sensed that Magnus lured the opponent away. The Princess could still hear them, actually, but at least they weren''t exactly on top of her!


    So she risked opening the chest again, and looked around.


    The princess was surrounded by chaos, but at least Alexa knew where she was! In front of the gate of the Chevalier Allamand Sagnac''s cottage, where a violent skirmish between the upirs, and the Prince and his allies, unfolded before her.


    Alexa jumped out of the cart, which she supposed was ready to leave, when they were probably attacked while trying to leave the house.


    She saw her brother and Allamand Sagnac in front of the gates, trying to prevent the upirs from passing through them while the house servants were trying to close the access.


    Magnus still dueled with an especially skilled upir, and their movements were too fast and confused for her to follow in the twilight.


    Maybe if they just left, the upirs wouldn''t try to attack the knight''s house, right? She wasn''t sure about that, but ...! Ugh! What was that?!


    One of them jumped with fantastic precision to land in front of Iacintho, who had just pushed an opponent into Knight Allamand''s sword!


    Her brother already looked exhausted, after all, he was not a warrior, but a physician and a scholar.


    It was as if time had stopped, and even the soot in the air was traveling more slowly. Alexa looked fascinated at how the upir warrior raised his sword to hit her brother.


    Her brother who needed to die twice.

 Chapter 212 - Commitments

    But Lex felt like something was tearing up inside her, and before she saw it, she screamed, raising her hands in despair, trying to use the Light to ward off Iacintho''s upir!


    "NO!"


    That wasn''t enough for the upir to interrupt the movement with the sword, even though he turned briefly to see it.


    BOOOMMM!


    The flash that followed didn''t come from his hands, but from the mouth of Captain Dubois'' hand cannon. It reverberated and blasted like a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning, too close.


    Alexa saw her brother being thrown backwards, before the rain of blood, and the dark, smelly smoke blocked her vision.


    "IACINTHO!"


    Without thinking of herself, the princess ran to the gates and through the smoke, unable to even see around her. Pulling the collar of her dress to cover her nose, she crouched down and felt for her brother on the floor.


    Her hand brushed disgusting things, but another hand grabbed her arm, causing Alexa to cry out in terror.


    Turning, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was her brother, lying on the floor with a pitiful expression,


    "Alexa¡­" Alexa saw his lips move, but didn''t really listen to any sound.


    With his other hand, Iacintho groped his own chest, and took something out of his clothes, which he held out to his sister.


    Not quite understanding, shocked, and hoping he would survive, she cupped her hands to take what he offered.


    The hot, fuzzy little thing was trembling and hooting, only Alexa couldn''t hear the poor bird,


    "ROMEO!"


    ''He had thought of Romeo!'' She kept the pet bird carefully in her chest.


    ''How did I think to let Iacintho go?! He deserves to live longer than me, who hesitated to save him when he never hesitated for me. And he didn''t even forget a little bird! '' Alexa wanted to whip herself if she could. She helped Iacintho to get up. He suffered pain just like any other living thing!


    "Is the ... Chevalier Sagnac''s house on fire?" she asked as she looked up at the top floor of the cottage. There was a lot of smoke on the roof, and Alexa could see the glow of the fire through the windows.


    "ALEXIS1!" they heard a distant voice call. She knew that voice. The same plaintive voice that called her the day she arrived at that house. At first it sounded like it was calling ''Alexa!'' But know she was sure, it wasn''t her name!


    Iacintho turned, as did she, and they both spoke at the same time,


    "Emmeline!"


    As soon as Iacintho spoke the name of the tragic maiden transformed into an upir, they saw her silhouette in one of the windows of the second floor.


    Iacintho started to head towards the house, but Alexa grabbed his wrist,


    "No! No! Don''t go there!"


    But Allamand Sagnac had also turned to the house in horror.


    Alexa saw a person running out of the cottage as if running out of hell. But only when she got closer did the princess recognize the housekeeper Mirna. The woman caught some breath first before telling to Sagnac,


    "Master! I had to do this, they were up there ...! Bloodsucker Monsters!"


    Allamand looked bewildered at the woman in front of him, then at the house. And ignoring any attempt by his servants to stop him, he ran towards the burning house!


    Magnus had just arrived at Alexa''s side, quite hurt this time.


    Astonished, the princess hugged him, grateful to see him by her side, drawing a loud m.o.a.n from the Prince,


    "Where''s Alexis?


    "Alexis?"


    "Allamand! I meant Allamand!" he shook his head shrugging off his flawed act.


    "Is he Alexis or Allamand?!" she questioned, dumbfounded.


    "Long story? Where is he?!" he repeated, and Alexa understood in the worst moment they were making a prank on the chevalier all along. His real name was Alexis!


    "He is trying to save his sister! replied Alexa. "He needs help!"


    Magnus and Dubois looked at each other, ready for that. But Iacintho stepped in front of them,


    "Volos is coming! I feel it! He wants me to¡­"


    Alexa didn''t see it coming.


    Dubois used his hand cannon to hit Iacintho in the head. It was so unexpected that no one had any reaction but to see it. Iacintho collapsed. A hand cannon was basically a hollow tube of iron heavy enough to kill a man with such concussion in the head.


    The Princess suppressed a cry, before the violence right before her eyes. And against her brother, nonetheless!


    Dubois himself parried the fall of Iacintho, who was struggling to remain conscious.


    Using this moment, Magnus grabbed Alexa by the shoulders, and made her look at him,


    "Alexa, please listen to me! You must get your brother out of here!" Turning a bit, he addressed the housekeeper lady by their side, "Missy, help us! Get the Princess and her brother out of here! Take them to the city or another safe place! The captain and I will go back there and we will get Allamand!"


    Alexa looked at the burning house, with a bad feeling,


    "No, Magnus, please, no!" her eyes were already shedding tears of apprehension as she tried to grab him. But he easily held her arms to prevent it, ignoring Alexa''s pleas.


    "Alexa, it''s an order! You wanted us to kill the lich, and free your brother! Then please, go!"


    "No, Magnus! This is impossible! It can''t be done like that!" she tried to free herself from Mirna''s arms, who was pulling her away from Magnus to take her away.


    "You don''t know what he might be capable of, Magnus! Please, you have something important to finish! You said you can''t leave me behind! You have a commitment to me and Alexander, above everything else!"


    Only these words seemed to have an effect on Magnus'' determination to face the sorcerer.


    Taking a deep breath, he lifted her off the floor, ignoring his own injuries.


    Dubois, carrying Iacintho, and housekeeper Mirna ran after them to the cart.


    For a moment, when they reached the steeds and released them, they looked at the house, which was burning with fire.


    Alexa took pity on Allamand and his sister Emmeline, who had a very tragic fate, and said a quick prayer so they could leave in peace.


    Mirna stepped in front of them, not at all intimidated by her position as a servant at a time like those,


    "Come with me!" French male name, pronounced Aleksi.

 Chapter 213 - Awestruck

    The two men looked at each other, as if remembering something Alexa had no idea what it would be.


    Magnus asked the French housekeeper,


    "You said there would be no time!"


    "Yes, Your Highness, but everything has changed! I am confident this is the best alternative! On my one-person flight, I covered about five kilometers in six minutes. How could a cart be faster than that?!"


    Alexa could not understand what the housekeeper Mirna meant by flight, and with all those terms, but Magnus nodded and everyone followed Mirna to the barn behind the house.


    Although the shed was not touched by fire externally, Alexa saw through the windows that there was some kind of fire inside, due to the intense light and heat.


    She immediately thought it was some kind of forge, but when she entered, following the woman, the princess saw something unbelievable!


    There was a small boat made of wicker, tied ingeniously to a gigantic hollow pyramid, which Alexa thought was made of silk in a wooden or iron frame.


    The intriguing part was that the small boat floated in the air, and in the middle of the ship was a small furnace! At least Alexa had discovered how easy it had been for Mirna to set the cottage on fire.


    The princess asked,


    "What is this? How can this help us? "


    "This is a flying boat, Your Highness. We can travel a few miles away from here on it. I, Your Highness and your brother, I believe. The men would come on horseback. We can reach the river, where we will meet! "


    Dubois added,


    "Mirna will explain everything later, just trust, Your Highness. She is the daughter of a mathematician and inventor, and has used this flying boat before! "


    "Well, never the night, actually, but¡­ Princess, trust me! It will be fast and smooth, I just need help now! " Mirna looked like someone else, with a flushed face and an excited gaze.


    Alexa nodded, perhaps infected by this excitement and adventurous feeling.


    Dubois was better able than Magnus to help Mirna, and after installing Alexa and Iacintho on the flying boat, the two men were instructed by the flying housekeeper to remove the canvas roof over the shed.


    Alexa clung tightly to the edge of the boat when they loosened the ropes slowly, and the flying boat started to ascend to the sky. It was sweltering, and certainly quite precarious.


    Getting Iacintho out of Volos'' reach quickly was essential now!


    He wouldn''t be unconscious for long, she thought as she looked at her dear brother at her feet, giving signs that he was waking up.


    Mirna operated her furnace with a thick leather apron, gloves, and even a mask, while Alexa stayed as far away as possible, which made her stomach chill.


    Magnus ran under the boat that was ascending to the open sky, and looked up at Alexa, excited but afraid of her safety,


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes! We''ll meet at the river!" she laughed to cover her nervousness.


    He ended up laughing too, awe showing in his face, and Alexa felt her heart melt.


    She knew he wanted to make her confident too! But all she wanted was for Magnus and Dubois to get on their horses and leave as quickly as possible, far away from Volos!


    When the flying boat finally left for the night, Alexa saw the stars above her head, growing and glowing brighter as they went up. And also the horrible column of smoke below, coming out of what was once a lovely cottage surrounded by a flowery garden.


    "Get ready, princess! Do you feel the warm air stream blowing towards us?"


    Alexa would lie if she said she was, after all, she was very close to a small furnace that blew hot air up.


    As the fabric of the pyramid-shaped tent on top of their heads stretched, Alexa figured that the heat was what made the boat fly. As the cold wind blew the sails of a caravel to the cardinal points, the warm air from the fire blew upwards!


    Mirna was a navigator of the skies!


    "This is incredible, Miss Mirna! Your boat really does fly!"


    "Yes! My dad created this, and I''m perfecting it! It''s a long story! But¡­ What do you think? " Alexa couldn''t see her expressions and could barely hear because of the crackling fire, but she shouted back,


    "Can we get to the stars, Miss Mirna?!"


    "Huh?! No. I don''t think we have any fuel for that!" the housekeeper shouted back. "Just sit down and stay alert, we can''t swing the basket too much or tilt it! My father once told me the tale of a man who made wings glued with wax, one for him, one for his assistant. They were flying, but the boy wanted to go towards the sun, and his wings melted, and he fell to his death!"


    Alexa had heard a legend like this,


    "If we go to the stars, will we melt and fall, Miss Mirna?"


    "I don''t know, but I know if there is an incident with my furnace, we will fall like a fireball!"


    "You should be cheering me up!" Alexa exclaimed.


    "Hold on, Your Highness! This is my first night flight!"


    Alexa winced, while gawking at the sky and the landscape, awestruck.


    They were moving away from the house, propelled by a warm breeze from that direction, and away from the cold cursed forest.


    At the same time, Alexa could see a black cloud forming over the hill and the forest, and just wished the boat could go even faster.


    But looking at the stars and traveling towards the night horizon, full of glowing constellations, was an unimaginable adventure!


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The trip took about half an hour and was not as smooth as Mirna had promised. The landing, mainly, was problematic and ended up falling in a field, instead of landing near the river as Mirna wanted.


    In fact, they tried their best not to fall on a caravan gathered around a fire, and luckily they did.


    Iacintho had regained consciousness during the flight, although he was still a little dazed, he helped them out under the tent.


    They heard dogs and men screaming and running in the direction where the object that fell from the sky had landed. Alexa knew they would be in trouble, and Magnus and Dubois had not yet gotten there.


    They had seen where the flying boat fell, right?


    But the French housekeeper just took off her apron and mask, smoothing out her braid and straightening up,


    "Excuse me for landing, if there''s a next time, I promise I will perfect this."


    Alexa couldn''t help herself, and hugged the housekeeper, who was suddenly stiff as before,


    "Congratulations, Miss Mirna! You are awesome! You not only saved us, but you also created a flying boat!"


    "Ahem, as I said, my father created it, but¡­ I helped him. Why," she sidestepped the subject and the Princess at once, embarrassed by Alexa''s compliment and cheerful display, "What a ruckus! These people really aren''t from Alen?on. All of our neighbors know me and my boat."


    The Princess could understand why the flying boat was a major attraction in the region.


    Before people arrived, running across the field, she asked,


    "Should we run?"


    "What crime are we accused of?" replied Mirna.


    Iacintho covered his head, which had dried blood all over his hair, so as not to attract attention anymore. He suggested,


    "We''d better let Miss Mirna speak. From the size and type of the caravan, they appear to be gypsies or artists. Better if they are the second type. If they understand we are from the region, they might not upset us. And if they upset us ... Run towards the river, while I delay them."


    A group of people surrounded them with sticks.


    "Who are you?! What was that?!"


    "My God, they came from heaven in a flying tent!" a female voice with an Italian accent spoke. For their clothes and variety of types, they were not Romanis, but artists. A troupe of artists. There was a dwarf, a giant woman, and¡­


    "Hey, look! It''s Princess Alexa!"


    "No, it can''t be!"


    "Why would she be here, being a princess?"


    Alexa could not follow who was saying what, as they got closer.


    Mirna stamped her foot and threatened,


    "Get away from my artifact! It''s about to get the King''s favor!"


    "What happened? Did your circus fly with the wind?"


    "...!" Mirna and Alexa gaped when someone mistook the amazing flying boat for a mere tent that had been dragged by the wind.


    "Wait, how do you, how can you mistake that fire spot in the sky for a tent?" Alexa questioned.


    "I don''t know, but now that I''m looking closely, it''s a strange tent," a funny-voiced man nudged the pyramid with his foot.


    "I told you she could only be an acrobat, dancer, or rogue," the giant woman said, coming closer to Alexa, "So agile, and that trick on the mast!"


    "I also do that as well as she did!" the Italian woman sneered.


    "Ahem, I am not a circus artist, nor is this a tent that flew with the wind!" Alexa explained. She found their exchanges funny, and they seemed harmless, actually.


    "Yes, it''s her! Look at her cute face," a thin man in a flashy vest approached with the torch, but Iacintho stood in front of Alexa. When the flame lit his face under the hood, the man turned away,


    "Jesus Christ! You scared me!"


    "You?! Is Princess Alexa from Holstein? The one who would marry the Sleeping Prince?"


    The throng of horses startled them,


    "Are they hors.e.m.e.n of the owners of these lands?" the speed of the gallop frightened the group.


    Alexa squinted her eyes, and soon deduced that they were Magnus and Captain Dubois, and relaxed,


    "Stay calm, everyone. We won''t be expelled from these lands. My friends are coming..."


    Relieved, the group got even closer, to check at Alexa and the strange object up close.


    Magnus and Dubois stopped the horses abruptly, taking out their weapons, still not understanding what was happening, but Alexa reassured them,


    "Calm down. These people came from Holstein."


    "Excuse us, we were in Holstein, but we are not from Holstein," someone corrected.


    "Yes, we are artists; we have neither origin nor destination!"


    Alexa opened a smile. She could practically identify with that!


    "Isn''t that beau ... isn''t him Prince Magnus of Holstein?" the giant woman touched Alexa''s shoulder.


    "Well ... actually, it is," revealed Alexa.


    The group surrounded the Prince, who had barely jumped from his horse.


    "YOU!!! YOU OWE US!!!"

 Chapter 214 - The Troupe

    The Princess had discovered with some humor that the troupe of artists blamed Prince Magnus for having canceled the ''grand marriage'' to Cordelia.


    Magnus was shocked to be charged so shamelessly by those people, and even more, at a time like that!


    They had come to Holstein specifically to attend the festivities, and to be paid for their performances...


    But everything changed suddenly, and they weren''t paid, as they were not needed.


    Charges and accusations increased and become louder, while the Prince just listened to them in silence, with an annoyed frown.


    "You need to compensate us!"


    "We invested our money to go to Holstein, now we are broken!"


    "Yes, it''s not our fault you canceled the wedding!"


    "And then witches burned, and the city flooded, we couldn''t even stay to make some money before we left the city!"


    Alexa realized that Magnus was getting irritated, and put herself next to him,


    "Be calm! This is not the time! Can''t you see that these men have just fought for our lives? Bandits attacked us!"


    She believed it was better not to scare them off by telling them about a sorcerer, let alone upirs, as she thought it would only lead to troublesome questions and panic.


    "Tomorrow!" Magnus finally spoke, loud enough for everyone to shut up immediately. In fact, even the dogs that were barking were quiet, with their commanding voice,


    "Tomorrow I will resolve on compensation for your frustrated efforts. But tonight... Break camp. This place is dangerous. You heard her. Tonight, in particular, is a terrible time to rest your heads peacefully in this place."


    A woman who wore an Egyptian-style veil pointed to the skies, and Alexa felt a shiver. Dark clouds were coming in that direction.


    "It''s true! The sky was starry a moment ago! It''s an omen!"


    "Rain is always a bad sign for artists," someone grumbled.


    A man with a pointed beard, dyed faded green, stopped in front of them,


    "Well, Your Highness, fate has brought us together tonight, and there is some reason for that. I see that some of you are injured. We are miserable wandering entertainers, but not so miserable that we cannot share what little we have. Let''s get out of here! I''m Beaumont, Your Highness, the leader of the Fantastic Montparnasse Company!"


    Alexa found the group''s title pompous and intriguing, but Magnus was not in a good mood,


    "It''s ironic that after charging me, you make your offer so generously. I will pay for what you believe I owe, and anything else! Now, if you like your life, move quickly!"


    The group moved away to do just that, Dubois and Mirna went to look at the flying boat. The princess looked at Magnus,


    "Are you all right?"


    "Don''t mind my appearance, I''ll be fine tomorrow," he put a hand on her shoulder, bringing her closer to him to examine her.


    "I''m fine," she said. "It was incredible and everything went well."


    Magnus briefly stroked her face,


    "We must get as farther from the sorcerer as possible, and the quicker, the best. Since it''s not possible to fight him effectively at this moment, we will preserve ourselves and take your brother away!"


    Alexa opened a smile. Magnus was being generous to her brother, and he was not usually generous, as he claimed.


    "Stay close to Missy Inventor and your brother for now," he said, showing that he still had a lot to do. Alexa did not argue, she could help in other ways at this point, and they could not waste time.


    When she reached Iacintho''s side, Alexa asked in a low voice,


    "Will the power of Volos reach so far? Will he come after us?"


    "I don''t know if he will want to get away from his protected lair that much. Especially after he lost part of his guardians, both in combat and fire. He''s furious, that''s a fact," his brother stared at the ominous horizon. "But he''s not an idiot. Volos will prepare himself first, and he shouldn''t go too far without being sure what he''s up against. No doubt he didn''t expect his upirs to be defeated so quickly¡­" Iacintho turned his eyes to Alexa, "Which leads me to intriguing questions about your Prince¡­"


    Alexa didn''t answer anything at that time, it wasn''t the right time or place for this type of conversation. She was just relieved that all Volos would possibly do at that moment was to take out his frustration with a storm or something.


    In just under an hour, they were leaving the area, and moving away from Alen?on towards the south, with the caravan of artists. This made them move more slowly, but there was the extra security of being in a large group.


    Mirna, who knew the area, indicated a spot where they could camp safely, and when the caravan finally stopped, due to tiredness, it was almost dawn.


    The inventor wasn''t happy to have to abandon her precious project, which she intended to show the King of France soon, in search of favor and royal sponsorship. But it wasn''t possible to take the bulky flying boat, which was damaged on landing.


    Magnus paid for one of the wagons in the troupe, and Paloma, the Seer, gave her colorful wagon to Alexa.


    The singing triplets Titania, Portia and Virgilia, invited Iacintho to their wagon, and didn''t accept no as a refusal.


    Alexa thanked the psychic and was going to call Mirna to join her. But Prince Magnus took her by the hand, and got into the wagon, without giving the princess time to refuse or say anything else.


    "I need help with my injuries!"


    "But you said you were fine!"


    "No, I said I''d be fine," he closed the door behind Alexa. And in a way, Magnus'' sudden attitude, and now his hand closing the door behind Alexa''s back, made her a little nervous.


    "Errr ... Well, let''s see what we can do, then," she looked under his arm, peering at the inside of the car. "Look, a crystal ball!" she was sneaking under his arm, but the First Prince grabbed the fabric of her dress,


    "Don''t be cruel! And nobody cares about a crystal ball," he brought her back. "Why don''t you help me and we went back to what we were doing last night?"


    "Pardon?" Alexa blinked, feeling her cheeks burn.


    "Yes, nudge me to sleep! Let me sleep in your arms."


    "Magnus!"


    "What?" he played dumb, letting her go.


    Alexa went to the center of the car, and he followed her.


    The wagon had been painted in strong colors and had drawings of stars and suns, and also strange symbols that Alexa sensed didn''t even exist.


    But it was the most beautiful wagon in the troupe, which meant that Madame Paloma was well in demand, being a true psychic or just a fraud. A fringed curtain separated the bed, at the bottom of the car, from where she received her customers.


    "Is there anything we can use to disinfect your wounds?"


    Magnus was already taking off his bloodstained shirt, which he tossed aside. Alexa saw cuts and bruises. But the Prince was far from dying because of them ... As long as they won''t get infected, of course.


    The princess was sure the ''heart of stone'' was the reason behind it. Only that she knew what kind of heart was in Magnus''s chest, now.


    She found a clay pot with fresh water, and also a cloth. That would at least help to clean the wounds.


    Alexa had bent to get some water from a basin, when Magnus leaned against her body behind the Princess, turning on a warning sign in the Princess''s mind.


    "W¡­ What''s that, poking me from behind?" she turned, startled.


    He laughed shamelessly,


    "Don''t you remember? You asked for it yesterday. Insistently."


    "...!" she gaped, not even knowing what to say.


    Magnus brushed a lock of hair from the princess''s face,


    "Please take care of me!" His smile was irresistible, but his shamelessness was unnerving!


    "Be quiet, and I will take care of you. Keep your hands still, for starters," she dipped the cloth in the bowl with water in her hands, ready to start, if Magnus cooperated.


    ''How could he have all this vigor?'' Alexa supposed that another man in his place wouldn''t have all that stamina after a battle.


    "I really don''t understand your behavior, and why you keep telling me these things..." she mumbled.


    Again Magnus locked her with his arms, placing his hands on the wagon''s wall behind her,


    "No, don''t even start it, saying it was all a dream. You and me and even Dubois and your brother¡­ We all know it wasn''t a dream. You''re under a dangerous spell and we don''t want you to get hurt, so¡­ I promise I''ll do it the way you asked me to!"


    "OH! OH!" Her cheeks turned red, and Alexa couldn''t hide her fl.u.s.tered mind and how she stuttered without even being able to respond to him.


    "You look really cute when you pretend to be ashamed. I certainly love your s.e.xy game!" He smiled, bringing her close to him by the waist. The roof of the wagon was low, and the Prince had to bend his back a bit, which only made him look taller.


    Looking up, Alexa gave a half-hearted smile,


    "Oh, well, Prince, this problem has already been solved."


    The winning grin on the Prince''s face disappeared.

 Chapter 215 - Whos to Blame

    "What. Did. You. Say?"


    Alexa didn''t expect to see Magnus''s face so upset all of a sudden, and cringed,


    "Why are you mad? Isn''t that a good thing? I think it''s a good thing, in the end," she defended herself.


    "Who?"


    "Who? Why, nobody. After all, I woke up¡­"


    "What do you mean, nobody? Doesn''t that Pandora Egg have just one solution? Don''t lie to me, Alexa. I was going to marry you."


    At first, Alexa was not understanding the reactions of the First Prince, but then everything became clear.


    "No-no-no. I woke up in Alexander''s body, as I was saying."


    "And what does that have to do with it?"


    "It has to do with that I fulfilled the requirement. It was strange, but¡­"


    "Did you use Alexander''s body? Really?"


    "It was inevitable. I didn''t know it would be like this..."


    "Did you really have the nerve of? What did you do? Did you do that to a woman?"


    "NO!"


    His face got red, and he yelled,


    "ALEXA!"


    ''Oh, oh, I don''t even want to know what''s going on in his head¡­'' she tried to explain,


    "Magnus! Listen to me! Alexander''s body is male, and¡­ when I woke up¡­ well, there was a little¡­"


    "ARGHHHH!" he blew out of his lungs, and walked away, angry and relieved at the same time.


    "Why are you angry? I couldn''t help it!"


    "This whole situation is exhausting, you know?" Magnus vented.


    "Yes! It was embarrassing! And ... Wait a minute there! Now that you don''t have to ''save me'' anymore, are you mad at me?" she squinted her eyes accusingly.


    "No, I''m not mad. I''m mad that you went through all of this, confused by everything, and¡­ incredibly disappointed¡­"


    "DISAPPOINTED?! You are a pervert!" Alexa put her hands on her waist, throwing a cold glare at him. It made him laugh,


    "Stop! Stop right there! Disappointed that you are not chasing me right now with your greedy little hands, instead of having those withering eyes to my side. And ... uh, it''s aching right here, "he pointed at his shoulder, "You could help me while the sun is not up."


    Alexa shook her head, not believing he managed to be as seductive as the more silly he was. In the past, she was just irritated by this absolute belief that Magnus von Wuttenfal seemed to have that his cheap efforts could seduce someone... Except it really worked, because she wanted to take care of him.


    "It''s fine, sit there as I said, and I''ll help you. I should be looking after my brother, and not here with you," she reached for the basin while Magnus sat on the bed.


    "Those kind girls seem to be attracted to Iacintho''s mysterious type, don''t you think? Will it work?"


    "I don''t know what to think, I just know that he acts the way he did before, so I hope everything will be under control," Alexa didn''t want to think about Iacintho at that moment, and shook her head to get her brother''s dilemmas out of her mind. The Princess began to carefully clean Magnus''s wounds using the wet cloth. She was focused, trying to do it in the best way possible.


    "Why don''t you say what you told me before ... again?" he barely refrained his amused grin, she noticed out of the corner of her eye.


    "Can you stop, please, Your Highness?" she pressed one of the wounds on purpose, "I was under a spell, I wasn''t myself."


    "Well, I think you were, yes, yourself, and everything you said was true. You just weren''t hiding or playing games," he replied, still amused, and ignoring or pretending to ignore the pain.


    "Can''t you just forget?"


    "No, I cannot and I won''t. I want to remember everything, every little word and every little look of greed! You were salivating over me!"


    "Salivating over you?! Let''s not exaggerate, Magnus von Wuttenfal!" She hit the fabric hard on the bottom of the basin while rinsing it for a new application. Water even splashed on them.


    "Don''t be so outraged. Resisting you have always been so difficult, and that day, I don''t even know where I found willpower for it."


    "I appreciate you being so responsible, Magnus."


    He pulled her onto his lap, and Alexa protested, "Don''t do this, you''re disturbing me. I want to finish this before dawn. I don''t want to fall face-first into this basin with dirty water."


    But Magnus removed Alexa''s bowl again, and held her face with both hands,


    "I don''t want to steal a kiss from you tonight. Kiss me, Alexa."


    The request surprised her, but she ended up smiling, and leaning in for a peck on his lips. However, Magnus did not let this be just a small kiss, making the sensual contact of his lips an intense, long, and delicious kiss. Alexa felt the body relax in his arms and extended her hands to also hold his face, and bring him to her.


    It was so good to kiss him!


    When their mouths parted, she felt dizzy and light, and her fingers traced the outline of the Prince''s jaw, the design of his neck, in a soft caress.


    "Thank you for saying that you would marry me in that situation," she said.


    "Hm, it was the first time that you were excited about the idea. But of course, it was the spell," he teased.


    "Sure," she narrowed her eyes, and crossed her arms, accusing him, "You just said... ''I would marry you''. But you were quickly changing your mind, because of a minor obstacle ... You are so fickle, Magnus von Wuttenfal."


    "I was taken aback," he scratched his head, making a face as he moved his arm. "I don''t know what to do with it. The fact that they marry you to Alexander is probably my fault, in the end, and it hurts me."


    "Why do you say that?" she frowned, confused. But the strength of the morning dragged her away, and she didn''t hear whatever he was talking about, after all.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "J¨¹rgen de Wits escaped?!"


    The Second Prince didn''t believe what he was hearing. Sitting at the breakfast table with Duke Kurt, Father Agnello, and Princess Cordelia, the news was indigestible and worrying.


    The prince looked sideways at his stepmother, whose face was lowered to the plate, red with shame. They were having breakfast together at Kurt''s request,


    "He ran away this morning, no doubt with expert help. Some men guarding the prison died. Captain Gunnar is investigating. I wonder if Princess Cordelia is in any kind of danger. We should reinforce your stepmother''s guard, Alexander."


    Lex looked at Cordelia,


    "Does my stepmother want to leave? Or will you make it easier for us to protect your life?"


    She sighed, not raising her head,


    "I already suggested to my husband that he allow me to go to the countryside, if he wanted to. If he believes that I do not serve him, I think he could ask for the annulment, as the Prince Regent recently asked of his wife ..."


    " And what did my father say to him? " Lex asked, ignoring Cordelia''s comment about the marriage annulment. The Prince was surprised that Alexander''s stepmother already knew.


    "Your father is very generous to me. He heard me and forgave me for being weak and obedient to my mother. He understood my insecurities and said that I shouldn''t worry, he doesn''t think of humiliating me by sending me home..."


    "But Hansa members think you''re a hostage. In fact, Your Highness, the Hansa Leaders sent an official letter to Holstein, demanding explanations," said Kurt.


    "I think the only way to prove that would be to send me back, but I don''t want to go. My husband rescued me, and I want to repay his kindness as long as he allows... If my father comes to me, I will tell him that!"


    Lex was pondering Cordelia''s words, and trying to understand the political impacts of this situation, and what they could do. This subject was so unpleasant, mainly because it involved Cordelia.


    The chancellor excused himself to enter the room where the von Wuttenfals ate, to warn that Prince Gutard was calling them.


    The Chancellor''s distressed expression showed the urgency, and that he imagined that the sovereign Prince wanted to express his last wishes.


    Lex went there immediately.


    ''Please, Alexa! If you can keep my father here a little longer, don''t let him go!'' Alexander pleaded.


    Since she woke up Alexa hadn''t heard his voice, although she felt Alexander with her. However, they also hadn''t had a minute alone since the Prince Regent had left his chambers.


    ''I have no more power to prevent death than any ordinary human, Alexander,'' she replied, feeling how sad he was with her response.


    The Sovereign Prince didn''t look any better than yesterday, and Alexa''s heart was upset too.


    ''Alexander, you better talk to your father, I will move away so you can be with him,'' she offered, giving the command to Gutard''s real son.


    Now, she was just an observer.


    Gutard, looking bloated and feverish, stared at the people who gathered around his bed. After a long, he commented,


    "I wish Magnus were here. And Godiva too¡­"


    "Father," Alexander took his father''s hand, tears in his eyes, but Gutard motioned for him to be silent,


    "I gathered everyone here because I want to speak, not listen."


    Alexander nodded, as did the others.


    Gutard took a breath,


    "My younger brother always had a doubt in his heart. And in Ashgraufelsen, that witch barked her lies and her justifications in order to poison our hearts. Doubt has germinated for a long time... doubts I knew some people had. But there are things that I discovered later than I should have... If you wonder, Kurt, whether Magnus is your son, I have to tell you now."

 Chapter 216 - The Purest Love

    ''Oh God. Why isn''t Magnus here now? '' Lex was sorry, for it involved Magnus directly, Iit was his right to be present.


    ''I prefer that he''s not. He would be very disappointed,'' Alexander told Alexa, though. Both foresaw the worst.


    "Kurt," said Gutard, "I have spent years brooding over your crime and your absence. I wasn''t able to see in myself the failures that contributed to the misfortune on our family, at first. But now I do. And... you came back. It''s a troublesome time, and you said that you are here to help."


    "All of this is true, Gutard," Kurt said looking at the sovereign''s face.


    "If you''re doing this because you think ''your son Magnus'' is going to inherit the throne, turn your back and go."


    Everyone present was shocked by Gutard''s harsh and direct words. Probably not Father Agnello, Lex noticed.


    "Gutard, I ..."


    "You think he''s your son, and I know you do. If you blindly intend to defend ''his interests''," Gutard stressed, "go away. First: Magnus is not your son."


    "You... You can''t say that," Kurt shook his head.


    Lex much rather preferred to be in any other place instead but witnessing this awkward conversation between brothers, however... For the first time, she felt that the imbroglio of a woman between two brothers was also a reflection of her own experience. Gutard was consistent, and he was a man who was not only discreet, but shrewd as well; a man who planned. If the Second Prince, Cordelia and Father Agnello were witnessing this conversation, it was important that they were there, Lex concluded.


    Gutard replied his brother with a condescending and ugly grin, after staring at him for a moment,


    "Ah, I can, Kurt. That madwoman wouldn''t have put your son in front of my sword, knowing I was enraged and would kill her. She wouldn''t have died laughing, if my horror at killing my son in her arms didn''t satisfy her."


    Cordelia even put her hand over her heart, shocked and disgusted.


    If Lex hadn''t already heard the story, she might have been just as confused as Cordelia was. Lex saw Kurt''s frown, lost in memories and thoughts, and a myriad of feelings escaping his hardly composed face.


    Perhaps he was so much more focused on the fact Gutard denied him Magnus'' paternity that he didn''t pay attention to the last and crucial part, Lex noticed. He was so sure of being Magnus'' father!


    But at last the Duke nodded, as if accepting the fact,


    "Does that mean you haven''t forgiven me yet? I am not here to crown Magnus. I''m here to help undo what I helped to cause."


    After listening to his brother, and pondering for a moment, the dying man turned to the other side of the bed,


    "Father Agnello di Borghesi. You have changed a lot since you got here. You went on to protect Alexander, and to penalize Magnus, when in the beginning it was different. I may not ask your reasons, but I know they exist. Plus¡­ I know why you''re here."


    Agnello stiffened, and everyone looked at him, and then at Gutard. They both looked at each other, but said nothing. Lex knew the Blue Eyes'' secret, and possibly Gutard had guessed it right a long time ago.


    Perhaps Cordelia was the only person there who didn''t know that Padre di Borghesi was Letitia''s son.


    Gutard looked at his brother and the priest,


    "Help me. My two children are involved with the same woman. I forced them into this situation, without thinking about their futures, but to the present problem. I just thought I should make the best strategy to save both of them. Basically, I treated the girl, Alexa, just as another piece on the board. She was the third queen. But as long as I need to dispose of a queen to win, I should do it. I was wrong, as always. I just saw my victory, and the big game."


    "Ahem, does Your Majesty refer to their marriage annulment?" Father Agnello wanted to confirm.


    "Your Majesty! I dare to express my opinion, as a woman! This will ruin Alexa''s life!" Cordelia came into the conversation. "I don''t know if the past can serve as a lesson for the future, in this case. These are completely different stories!"


    "Eventually, enmity and tragedy would set in, that''s what my brother means, princess." Kurt tried to explain. "The only similar thing here is that there''s a woman between two brothers. In fact, I consider the married couple as compatible and fit to each other, and there would be no reason to separate them ... Unless, as has been said, they can be brothers ..."


    Gutard frowned.


    "I would be doubly damned with unfaithful wives, huh? Isn''t it enough to live my life like I did? Shall I be striped of the little mirth I have, my sons? I can tell you, they''re my sole reason to endure your scorn. My heart got cold after so many stabs. After Gigi, it withered. Death would be a blessing!"


    Lex wondered if ''Gigi'' meant Gisela.


    But the Second Prince went ahead.


    "Dad, don''t worry. I''m sure I''m your son. Remember when you showed me how our toes move the same, and are crooked? And that I sleep facing the same side as you?" Alexander knelt by the bed.


    Alexa felt a little pain in the flank, which alarmed her more than if she felt the pain as before. This meant that time was passing, and the body was recovering, exactly as predicted. And that meant that their time was running out.


    At the same time, he was so happy that Alexander had this complicity with his father.


    "Yes, Zand, and you used to do many things I thought were similar to myself... Over time this has changed, but I recognize myself in you..."


    And speaking in general to your small audience, he continued, "Well, I had two children, and I don''t want them to become enemies. The annulment of the marriage of Alexander and Alexa should happen as soon as possible. Spare no effort. You understand the reason."


    "But... is Alexa in agreement, Your Majesty?" Cordelia asked in a shy voice.


    "Cordelia¡­ This is a good question. Does she want the annulment? Does she just want to leave, leaving my two children behind? Does she want to be with Alexander? Does she want to be with Magnus? I don''t know. Whatever she answers will be done. But I don''t want my children to become enemies, or to cause each other''s pain."


    The men nodded. After seeing their agreement, he once again stared at each of them for some time, then addressed his new wife,


    "These are my family matters. Cordelia. You said yesterday that you didn''t want to leave. You said yesterday that you have nowhere to go." He took a heavy, aching breath. "But your options are just as open as Alexa''s. I killed your mother, and I would kill your father if I had the chance... How can you want to be my wife?"


    Alexa had never seen Gutard be so direct and frank before, and couldn''t help thinking he and Magnus had many similarities, after all. She also didn''t know how Cordelia could handle it, so the answer was a genuine surprise.


    "I-I want to stay. You set me free."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Gutard couldn''t endure this family reunion. His fever had not left him, and he asked to be allowed to rest. Alexander insisted on staying with his father, but was also expelled,


    "You are the Regent of Holstein, and you have a lot of work. Do you think the world will stop just because a man like me is about to die?"


    Alexander fought back tears, and it worried Alexa. Death was prowling that room. And she could practically feel Letitia''s presence, savoring Gutard at last rotting on a bed. The room was filled with the energy of hostile Shades.


    For a while, it was impossible to do anything other than let Alexander breathe heavily while looking out a window. He asked for reports from Ceridom, and was not satisfied with what he heard.


    The rotten blood, the infection in the lower limbs of the sovereign prince... It wasn''t getting any better.


    The Prince Regent asked to prepare a horse, and went down to the castle courtyard. Alexa was going to ask what Alexander intended to do, but he surprised her by saying,


    ''Alexa, if my dad dies because he tried to save me ... You know I don''t deserve it, don''t you?''


    ''You shouldn''t say something like that ... He thought you deserved it, and that''s the important thing. As he said himself, he is aware of all the mistakes he made, trying to do his best. But he''s not the only one, is he? Me, you, your brother, and everyone around us ... Everyone is solely responsible for what they do,'' she put into words some disconnected feelings that had been growing inside her for the past few days.


    After a brief silence, Alexander said,


    ''I''ve been thinking ... I just get what others have to give me. It is time for me to repay everything they have already done for me. My dad, Mags, all the people around me, and you, Alexa. If my father doesn''t survive, I need to do my best until my brother comes back, and takes the throne. ''


    ''YES! SUPPORTED! '' Alexa spoke excitedly. She felt that Alexander was saddened and at the same time wanted to find the strength to continue. ''Alexander, we are really soulmates. I will not abandon you on the path you need to take.''


    ''But that doesn''t mean that we have to be in a marriage, so I know I can let you go. Our connection is of a different kind. It''s Philia1, who is born in my heart, and I feel it comes from yours to me,'' he explained.


    Alexa couldn''t be more surprised at his words.


    ''Yes, Alexa. Our souls are already connected, either by magic or because, from the beginning, we are one. We are more intimate than you will ever be with another person. And yet, we will have to separate once again. We are so equal that we could be confused to, and fuse into, each other. I am happy that your heart has chosen my brother to love. We can no longer live each other''s lives. We will have to separate, and I ask you to take the first step. ''


    Now they were riding, in the company of Balbo and a group of guards, out of the city.


    Alexa had been mesmerized and absorbed in the developments that Alexander''s words caused in her mind. Alexander was a lot more literate and philosophic than her. But deep in her heart, she understood what he meant.


    ''Where are we going?''


    ''To the lighthouse. My mother''s Shade had said that we should restore Sigrid''s spell. We should look for where Sigrid has spent the last few years, don''t you think? This will be the second step to part from each other.''


    ''And¡­ what is the first step?''


    ''Stop pretending that the marriage annulment''s decree makes any sense to us, as it does to other people. You and I are a pair, but you and Magnus are a couple.'' the purest form of platonic love.

 Chapter 217 - Massacre

    The spectacular landscape of the headland that housed the lighthouse fascinated Alexa''s eyes for a moment. Alexander was tired, as he said, and she took back the command as they rode.


    The waves sparkled on the unusually sunny day, and seagulls and other seabirds crossed the skies with their strange sounds. This vision gave Lex the hope that they could finally get out of the dark period that Holstein was going through.


    Spring had come!


    Wasn''t it just that darkness and fear gave way to what was blooming and bright?


    As the Prince Regent got off his horse in the lighthouse'' courtyard and saw the military deployment come towards him quickly, all of them trying to appear composed and dignified.


    Lex found it strange to find a new deployment to guard the lighthouse. Wasn''t the witch dead?


    ''Did you know that, in a bygone era, they believed the flight of birds could predict the future?'' Lex asked her soul mate.


    ''And can you read the omens?'' Alexander asked, taking the bait.


    ''Yes,'' she lied, making a small frame with her hands and looking through the square shape. ''It depends on their behavior, which way they go and what kind of birds they are. For example, seeing a bird fighting with another in the sky isn''t auspicious... But there are other more subtle hints of the future.''


    ''And what are the omens for our future?'' Alexander asked, eager to learn more.


    Closing one eye and using only the other to peer through the square frame, Lex slowly turned. Maybe she could see something funny to cheer Alexander up before they entered the lighthouse.


    The infinitely blue sky and the birds she had no idea what they meant came into view as she spun around.


    The sea and the waves crashing on the rocks, at the other end of the shore, and the rocks near the lighthouse ... Nothing interesting or inspiring.


    ''Did you see anything?'' the real prince asked, eager for an answer.


    ''Nothing important. I''m letting my intuition guide me, don''t get in the way. ''


    Lex''s sight inspected the Prince Regent''s personal guard, led by Balbo, then the seven lighthouse guards and the janitors, lined up in nervous anticipation. In the background, the low-ceiling housing, made of stone, and¡­


    ''Alexa. Did you see what I saw? ''


    ''Uh? What are you talking about? ''


    ''A person at the window. A person peering out the window. ''


    Lex turned there, still peering as before, and only saw one window ajar. But there was no one there.


    There was only one way to find out.


    "Sergeant," the Prince turned to the man a little ahead of the others, "Is there anyone else here?"


    The sergeant hesitated for a moment, but said,


    "No, Your Highness. Everything is as ordered by the Sovereign Prince. Nobody but the caretakers."


    ''Pffff, no one respects a handsome Prince, see, Alexander?'' it was boring to think even dogs obeyed Magnus'' voice, and even though Alexander asked a direct question, as Prince Regent, the man lied so blatantly.


    ''Uh. They are very mistaken about me. I''m not just Alexander the Beau, I''m also an excellent swordsman! My master said that!''


    She felt like she had heard something like this before.


    ''I shouldn''t be out there ruining your reputation, Alexander, the Beau,'' despite making a small provocation, Alexander was really a handsome man, and the title fits him very well. And Alexa was possibly screwing it up! As much as he told her they were the same, there were some important differences.


    But, at that moment, the Second Prince needed to at least impose his authority as Regent. Turning towards the accommodation, the Prince warned,


    "I am thirsty. I will take the opportunity to inspect your quarter''s general conditions."


    The silent but restless reaction from the lighthouse crew was only a confirmation of what Alexander had seen.


    Signing for Balbo, the Prince went to the main door of the lodge.


    Balbo opened the door and went in first, as expected.


    Even before the Prince set foot on the doorstep, Lex heard the sounds of struggle, and apprehensively stopped. His guards surrounded him, protecting him from both the outside and the inside. However, the lighthouse soldiers did not move, only showing on their faces the apprehension of those who already knew they were in great, great trouble.


    Balbo was pulling someone out, and the person was struggling and gasping. Only when it was brought into the light of day could the Second Prince''s shock be greater with what he saw.


    "Jette?!"


    The troubadour lady was placed in front of the Prince by Balbo, who kept her secure by the collar of her flamboyant shirt. Jette Allegoria was scared and furious, and gasped when she was found there.


    Lex felt Alexander''s agitated state, and even though he didn''t say it, she knew the first question was,


    "What are you doing here?!"


    "Your Highness! Allow me to present my reasons ...! "


    A stab of headache throbbed in his temple, and Lex narrowed his eyes, turning his back on Jette for a moment,


    ''Alexander! Many rumors came out of that lighthouse, and I never knew the source. These men are either weak, or corrupt, or both. You need to tell me what you want to do about it! ''


    ''You are right! These are also not the men who were here the other time. But I also don''t like that they lied to the Regent, let alone that... '' after a sigh of a heart full of distrust and hurt, Alexander added,'' They must be stopped and punished. Jette ... she needs to confess the reasons for being here. ''


    The Second Prince looked at Balbo,


    "Captain, the detachment of the lighthouse disobeyed orders and thought they would get away with it. They must be punished."


    Balbo nodded, and the artist''s eyes widened,


    "No! Don''t do this, Your Highness. They are not to blame. I came here to entertain them. This is a lonely, isolated, and boring place. We sang songs, play dice, and¡­"


    "Shut up, Jette! How dare you?! Did you find a new and very specific audience, so suddenly ?! What do you want here?"


    Balbo threw her to the ground and ordered another soldier to watch her, while he turned to the group of lighthouse soldiers.


    The troubadour looked at the spear pointed at her suspiciously, and then looked up at the Second Prince,


    "Your Highness! It''s not a lie! Your Highness knows me so well! But it''s my fault, all mine! I''ve been coming here¡­ why I wanted to write a song about your wedding! And some stories say that¡­"


    ''Do you really believe her, Alexander? I don''t know what this woman wants, but I can''t believe she is that innocent,'' the heart in her chest pounded in a painful way as if a splinter was in the middle of her chest. Alexa knew how disappointed Alexander was.


    "Jette! You really think I''m a stupid fool who will swallow all your words, don''t you?"


    "You¡­ you''re not Alexander! I know you aren''t!" The troubadour''s lady eyes took on a dangerous glow when she changed her posture, and revealed what she knew with sadistic pleasure,


    "You are not Alexander and you did a spell in this place! You and the captive sorceress stole the Prince''s body! This farce of Santa Alexa is just a scam, damn Satan witch! Listen, men! This is not the Prince! The witch possessed his body! And that man!" she pointed at Balbo, making Lex look over his shoulders. Balbo was bringing the sergeant to his knees in front of him, but he turned to them when she did it. Jette continued, literally spitting out the words,


    "That man is the cathedral''s marksman! He tried to kill Prince Magnus at the parade! I saw him! He''s her slave!"


    Jette''s passionate words were spoken so vehemently that even the Prince shuddered. There were too many things at once, and Jette looked at the Prince with abject disgust and bloodshot eyes.


    Many things happened in one moment.


    The lighthouse soldiers, impacted by the words of the bard, left their state of astonished restlessness and submission.


    A shout cut the air,


    "It''s not the Prince! It''s the witch!" followed by a cry of a soldier rebelling and advancing with a spear towards the Regent.


    Lex spun around in time to see Balbo cut the sergeant''s head. Blood splashed through the air, in a perfect arc, and the slaughter began.


    Soldiers take up positions to defend the Prince against the rising of the lighthouse detachment.


    Jette took the moment to grab the soldier''s spear and push him, running for the rocks.


    The soldier recovered quickly and turned to capture her, but the Prince grabbed his arm, shaking his head,


    "Leave her!" It wasn''t Alexa, but Alexander, using everything he could to prevent Jette''s death.


    Balbo and the elite guard had little difficulty against the lighthouse deployment men. Lex witnessed a Thanaion other than his brother in action again, and Balbo Cerd¨¢n was eerily effective and clean in his movements.


    In a matter of minutes, it was over.


    Then everything went quiet, very quiet.


    The sounds of swords and spears, the roars of men and the sounds of fighting, or the final gurgles seeking life, were no longer heard. There was only a red and grotesque scene on the ground in front of the lighthouse.


    Nauseating.


    ''Balbo¡­ tried to kill Magnus¡­?'' both Alexa and Alexander asked themselves, in unison.


    His heart ached more and more, so hurt, and everything became blurred and dark, while Balbo came towards the Prince Regent.

 Chapter 218 - In the Dark

    Thump.


    A broken, exhausted, aching heart.


    Thu-Thump.


    The only sound in the darkness was the faint beating of this weak and tired heart.


    A distant light seemed to be the only way out of the darkness, but it was far away.


    ''Alexander, are you there?''


    ''Alexa?''


    Their hands touched in the dark. She knew they were lying on the floor, just feeling each other''s presence. Apart from the distant light, they could see nothing else.


    She did not recognize the sensation and controlled the panic. It wasn''t real; it wasn''t real.


    He said,


    ''I know what the light is. Light is the way out. Not for the return, but for the restart.''


    Alexa for a moment was confused, but then she understood.


    It was what happened when the soul was no longer connected to the body. Either it was death, or ... that was how the Lotus-fruit potion got.


    She wasn''t feeling the pull trying to bring her into the body.


    Alexa groped, touching Alexander''s face.


    It was as real as she remembered!


    He held her wrists gently.


    ''Is it time to leave? Has the spell finally lost all its strength? ''


    ''I think so,'' she said nothing about her sad conclusions. Alexander didn''t expect Jette and his master swordsman and one of his best friends, both people he admired, would betray him. His unwillingness to continue living was too strong, and that disconnected them from reality.


    But¡­ what about her? Had Balbo killed the Second Prince?


    As a Thanaion, perhaps Balbo Cerd¨¢n thought it was his duty to do so. Or maybe he had other reasons. Maybe Alexa never knew.


    They hugged, but didn''t cry.


    There was no sense of time, but it didn''t seem like more than half an hour had passed.


    ''I will use my Light, we must find our way back,'' she uttered.


    Alexa joined hands and said her prayer.


    But nothing happened.


    She tried and tried, increasingly frustrated and fearful, until the realization could no longer be denied.


    She had lost the Light.


    ''Why can''t you, Alexa?'' her soulmate asked, touching her shoulder.


    ''I don''t know.'' Deep down, that was a big lie.


    Deep down, she knew.


    How many times had she avoided doing her Light Bearer service? Countless times she postponed, procrastinated, and refused to do what was necessary.


    Alexa no longer deserved the gift.


    She no longer had the right to use it.


    Much less for a selfish purpose, after having ignored the suffering and decided who deserved it, and when.


    ''I can''t do it anymore, Alexander. I did a lot of things wrong. I didn''t look for Nerissa to help her, I didn''t clean Ashgraufelsen¡­ I haven''t done anything for the castle Shades, just because I think it will be useless¡­ I was among upirs, and even refused to let my brother-turned-into-upir have a second death. And I ... I''m not as impartial as I should be.''


    Alexander mumbled under his breath, and the flame lit up in his hands after a few moments. It was small, but that allowed them to see each other.


    ''You really can! As in Ashgraufelsen! '' She was startled.


    ''Maybe it''s because I''m with you,'' Alexander looked at the flame in his hands in awe.


    ''Tell me, Alexander. What was your deal with the Black Queen? ''


    ''Do you mean, Letitia?''


    ''Yes.''


    ''I asked her to leave my father alone. Not to disturb him while he recovers, or to try anything against him.''


    ''Did you look for her? Behind my back? ''


    ''No, it''s not how you think. It''s not easy to avoid her, she is the current Queen of the Dead in the castle, Alexa. My mother''s power countered the influence that Letitia has. Letitia was a true unscrupulous and evil necromancer. But now that my mother is no longer in the castle ... I could be on the run, as I was when I was in Romeo, but for how long? Besides, running and hiding is cowardly. I called her for a parley of sorts.''


    ''She hates Prince Gutard so much ... She wants to kill him anyway, how did she agree with that?''


    ''Because I told her I would make you open the gate. The gate she so desires to open. ''


    Alexa shook her head, looking into Alexander''s violet eyes. ''Sorry, Zand, I don''t understand. There is a part of it I don''t understand. She actually spoke of a gate, and I suppose it''s something of importance. Something we shouldn''t be doing. Why would I do that in the first place? ''


    ~ Why do you, out of everyone you, look only at the light, and not at the darkness, where the answers are? ~


    Alexa heard the voice close to you, and stood up, with a start. The White Queen was on her feet, and when Alexander got up and took the light there, it became possible to see Gisela and her somewhat frightening visage.


    ''Alexa,'' said Alexander, Orcaius really exists. He''s under Holstein, asleep. He induced himself to sleep, as he found no solution to his own curse. Letitia dreamed of being Orcaius'' most faithful servant, consort if possible, to make her delirious plans of being a Persephone with her Hades in hell true.''


    ''Does Letitia want to become a lich?''


    ''Perhaps that was her first wish, but now that her body is gone, I can only assume that her delusions have escalated as well as her madness,'' said Alexander. ''But I told her something that convinced her I am completely stupid and I can be useful to her. I cried and faked in front of you so she made sure I was as useless and pitiful as she always believed.''


    Alexa didn''t want to repeat that she didn''t understand it, so she just waited for Alexander to explain. What she understood, however, is that in recent times, Alexander''s situation has put him in greater contact with Gisela. And he could clarify many things. Alexa just hoped he would share what he knew with her.


    ''Letitia never got what she wanted because my mother was the guardian of Orcaius'' rest. But when it became impossible for my mother to continue to defend the place, her only alternative was to expose Letitia to the Prince of Holstein... exposing herself too. She thought she would get rid of Letitia and the cultists with this, but things didn''t go as expected. Magnus died and my father went to find Gisela, begging her to do something.''


    ''And she did, didn''t she? She made a pact with a lich, exchanging a baby for a magic heart! The heart of the lich itself! Who was that lich? Was his name Volos, by any chance?'' Alexa questioned, exposing what she had found out so far.


    ~ Volos? How do you know that name? ~ The White Queen asked suspiciously.


    Alexa deduced that, by the way she responded, it was not Volos.


    ''Someone who turned my brother upir. All in good time. If it''s not him, who else?''


    ~ Orcaius. I can wake him up. I have permission to do that, if it''s important. ~


    Well, Gisela once was some kind of high priestess or lackey of the sleeping Lich. Exactly the position that Letitia wanted. And Orcaius gave her his heart...? It stuck on her throat,


    ''Wait. As far as I know the heart of a lich is very precious. Did you steal his heart?! He wouldn''t give it to you.''


    ~ Keep your mouth shut about what you just assume, girl. He gave it to me ... But he did so because I told him it was the only way to end the curse. Orcaius is a Blind Soul. He cannot see the way, so he cannot leave. But if the light was inside him ... ~


    ''You mean ... If he devours a Light Bearer? The light of a Light Bearer? '' Alexa came to her conclusions, horrified.


    ~ Yes, Alexa. That''s what I told him. I even traced the birth of a Light Bearer girl, which I consecrated to Orcaius ... I went so far for Magnus, the son of my rival... A child who I wept for when I saw dead. I was exchanging one child for another, the price of magic was fair ... But as my happiness grew, when I felt life inside me _ and seeing Magnus resurrected_ I thought about the child I promised Orcaius. The child that would be sacrificed at birth, a Light Bearer Girl. You. ~


    Alexa put her hand on her chest, while listening to Shade''s words,


    ~ At first I just thought it wasn''t a problem, because the Light Bearer girls were all sacrificed just after blooming for the gift for the first time. I would just use the sacrifice that was already set to appease Orcaius'' distress. And Holstein would finally see him descend into hell, where he should have been for a long time. Orcaius long ago had expelled all his acolytes and destroyed all his writings¡­ There was nothing to regret¡­ But I was sorry. ~


    Alexa felt knocked out, almost numb, as if her mind wanted to preserve sanity at any cost. She didn''t know what to say.


    ~ Then I did another spell. I linked your life to my son''s. My son existed only because you exist, in first place, to be sacrificed. So I thought that one could only live if the other lived. You both have become connected by your souls and your destinies. But it''s time for you to get rid of it. ~


    Alexa looked at the distant point, trying to digest everything she had discovered there.


    ''You did a spell binding us because you had offered me to Orcaius in exchange for the heart to resurrect Magnus.'' She had a minimal notion about the rules of magic, which required equal weights in what was given and what was paid. Gisela was a shrewd witch. She had left dead ends to circ.u.mvent the set price. Which made her pay with her life ... Maybe on purpose. Finally, it explained why Prince Gutard let the Church condemn his wife_ who now Alexa knew, he loved. And so he locked her up in the tower to die... When he discovered how she saved Magnus'' life and what she did to Alexander and some unknown child. The crimes she committed were serious, even if they were crimes for pity.


    "When you told me you needed to go back, what did you want me to do?"

 Chapter 219 - The Deadline is Tonight

    ~ I cannot leave without your forgiveness, ~ the Shade said simply.


    ''...!'' of all the things she expected to listen to, Alexa didn''t think that was Gisela''s request. And only gradually did the understanding of what the White Queen had done to her make sense in her mind.


    Perhaps her mother had not died as a result of childbirth. Alexa had no way of knowing. Perhaps she would have been sacrificed, if the spell that linked her to a boy elsewhere had not inspired her father to hide her identity.


    At the age of four, the period when Alexa awakened for her powers, and saw a Shade for the first time, she would have been thrown into the fire. But while surviving was a blessing, she shouldn''t have been alive... if it weren''t for Alexander''s life. But all magic has an end, and they were coming to an end. Both must die to keep the promise in return for Magnus'' heart.


    ''You ¡­ went too far, Gisela.''


    The Shade didn''t respond, as the White Queen knew of her crimes against her own son and the Light Bearer.


    ''Alexa,'' Alexander called, ''Everyone commits mistakes. You said you made decisions that went against what was right, but followed your heart and your instincts instead. Perhaps you cannot forgive her now, as I did. But she did not do this for personal power or selfish purposes. One thing led to another, which led to another...''


    The princess knew her soul mate was saying sensible things, and reminding her of her own mistakes.


    ''Yes, everyone commits mistakes,'' she murmured, turning to the Shade, ''but what are you going to do to fix it?''


    ~ I can''t fix anything anymore. I''m dead. Only in my future reincarnation, should I pay for what I did, and try to correct my mistakes. ~


    Alexa fell silent.


    Again, she had opened her mouth to say stupid things, moved by her revolt.


    Why did she, a child on the other side of the world, have to pay for a witch''s deal? Why would she be sacrificed to Orcaius, the Blind Soul, the Eternal Lich?


    It was hard to get.


    Of course, Gisela on the first impulse, wouldn''t offer something that cost her a lot, to balance the magic. The witch thought she could live with the guilt of having sacrificed a special child to save another. But when she saw her own baby, when she felt like a mother, her thoughts changed, her heart softened. She shared her own son''s life and destiny with the child she would use as sacrifice.


    ''You ended up cursing your son as you did to me, instead of protecting him, or me.''


    ~ I shared the pains, and life. Alexander endured your sufferings together with you. But I didn''t know all the consequences or everything that would happen. ~


    ''Alexa, find somewhere in your heart understanding for all this,'' said Alexander beside her. She can only really leave when she knows that you at least understand her.''


    She wanted to make things easier and not drag that bitterness, but there was something else.


    ''So tell us, is there still a way to renew Sigrid''s spell? The body has fully healed, so my soul can no longer maintain Alexander''s body, as Magnus''s blood did?''


    Shade sighed heavily when she heard Alexa''s words.


    ~ The spell can no longer be renewed. There is no more time. Now, there is only one alternative for Alexander. The pomegranate. ~


    ''What do you mean by that? Are you talking about the pomegranate Orcaius stole? ''


    ~ Yes, and that''s in the Forbidden Garden. A single seed will keep the soul forever wherever it is, in this world or the next. The deadline is tonight, children. But if you''re in Alexander''s body too... They''ll be stuck together, you know? ~


    ''Yes.'' Alexa at least thought she understood. However, Alexander could not be alone in the body. How could this be possible?


    ''Don''t worry,'' said Alexander. I think I know a way. ''


    ''What will happen if we can do this?''


    ''I will return to my body, and you to yours.''


    ~Alexa, your body will return to the place where you connected with Alexander. At the lighthouse. But, after that night passes, I don''t know what can happen ... ~


    ''So we can''t waste any time! I have to wake up, Alexander! '' Alexa exclaimed.


    ooo


    "Gahhh!" The Prince Regent woke with a jump, feeling light slaps on his face. A hand full of calluses and smelling of blood tried to wake him up. Lex narrowed his eyes, pulling this hand away from her face. "Enough! I woke up!''"


    "Thank Godness," said Balbo, relieved.


    Looking around, Lex saw that they were in the cell that once imprisoned Sigrid. The walls were also painted with strange scribblings, drawings and symbols. But she didn''t have time for that,


    ''Alexander, are you on board?''


    ''Yes, Alexa. I''m with you.''


    It relieved her a little. Getting up and going to the window, she looked through the bars. The sun was shining high in the sky. Maybe it was the middle of the day.


    ''We have a few hours to reach the Forbidden Garden.''


    The Prince turned to Balbo.


    "The blame for this massacre will rest on your head, Balbo. Were you really the person who shot Magnus? So you asked me for the coin and pretended you were going to investigate who had hired the actual killer?"


    The eyes of the Castilian swordsman and assassin narrowed for a moment, but he spoke with his usual calm,


    "The death of these people was needed to protect your identity, Your Highness. Unfortunately, I heard that Jette escaped, by your express order. She needs to be captured. And yes, I was the man on the roof of the cathedral. But nobody hired me but myself. I also hired the killer who dressed as the bride. If she were there, he would have killed her to be in her place, but they had already replaced her with a maid."


    "BALBO! WHY?!"


    "Prince Magnus was poisoning Prince Alexander with his blood, Your Highness, that''s what I saw. I was an ignorant thinking I knew more than anyone. Thinking it would do him good to get the First Prince, who always pretended to be his friend, out of the way. I was wrong. But that was only proven when Prince Magnus went in search of his antidote for his little brother."


    Lex bit her lip in distress. Balbo had a real appreciation for Alexander, and as a Thanaion, he had thought Prince Magnus was the real culprit.


    ''In the end, your friends are just worried about you ... They cheat on you with their best mind at heart ...'' she said to Alexander thoughtfully.


    ''I ... I don''t know what to think of that right now. But we don''t have time! We have to get to the Forbidden Garden! ''


    ''Yes!''


    Turning to Balbo, the Prince made a dismissive gesture, "This matter will have to be postponed. We need to get back to the castle immediately! "


    The ride back to the capital and the castle seemed to drag on because of their haste. The impression Lex had was that the path was getting longer, and the sun, faster in the sky, as they rode furiously towards the city.


    Feeling out of breath, the Prince Regent ran through the courtyards and staircases, being guided by Alexander, who knew the castle better than Lex. Balbo followed at the same speed behind him, as did the other guards.


    After a few cool, raised, pointed arches, the prince reached a tall, wide portal. Lex could see the poisonous, beautiful, well-kept garden just beyond the ogival gate. There were no guards at the door, no bars.


    One of the guards came in front of the prince, immediately kneeling,


    "Your Highness! What are your plans? Not even the Regent can enter! It''s the law!"


    "What do you mean, I can''t go in?!" Lex didn''t imagine hearing that. Wasn''t Alexander the Prince Regent? Wasn''t he in Gutard''s place? Didn''t he make the laws?"


    The soldier lowered his head further, but pointed to a mosaic next to the garden door.


    Lex approached the mosaic, where he saw it written in Latin,


    BEWARE.


    NO LIVING BEING, NOBLE OR COMMONER, SLAVE OR FREE PERSON, SHALL TREAD THE SOIL OF THE GARDEN OF FORBIDDEN HERBS. ONLY THE ROYAL GARDEN KEEPER SHALL ENTER FREELY. THE THREAT TO THE KINGDOM IS DIRE, AND THIS LAW IS WRITTEN IN STONE FOR IT IS NOT FORGOTTEN, ERASED OR TORN. THIS IS ONE OF HOLSTEN''S SEVEN LAWS THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED. THE ROYAL GUARD HAS AN OBLIGATION TO KILL ANYONE WHO DISOBEYS, UNDER THE PENALTY OF HAVING THEIR LIVES AND THAT OF THEIR FAMILIES TAKEN AWAY FOR DISOBEDIENCE TO THEIR OATH, THEIR PROPERTY BURNED AND THEIR NAMES TAKEN AWAY. THERE IS NO ONE ABOVE THAT LAW, NOT EVEN HOLSTEIN''S HIGHEST.


    "No! This is ridiculous! Where is the royal apothecary? I want something from the garden!" Lex turned to his witnesses, his heart pounding hard. The Prince understood the reason for this law. That garden had not only the most dangerous plants in the kingdom, but it also protected the cursed Pomegranate tree from both the unwary, and the ambitious.


    A girl in a green apron came running, and threw herself at the Prince Regent''s feet,


    "Please, Your Highness, I beg you not to come in! Do not break the law. This humble servant is Ana, I am the daughter of the royal apothecary! He left with a small guard three hours ago, taking medical supplies to the battlefront in the east. These are very precious supplies, which he needs to teach how to use. Please wait for his return! We will send messengers to pick him up! "


    It took Lex a while to remember that they were facing the Poles in the east. But¡­ three hours? Even if they sent a messenger to get the man back, it would be at least six hours, and they didn''t have all that time.


    What to do now?


    CONTINUES

 Chapter 220 - How to Enter the Forbidden Garden?

    Frustrated, the Prince Regent kicked the floor,


    "Damn it!" Lex imagined that the Prince could easily escape punishment, but ... what about the men in the castle guard? Has there ever been a situation like this before?


    "If the Prince needs anything, I will go in his place!" said the same soldier as before. Balbo also offered, and even the girl Lex had never seen, kneeling at his feet.


    But Lex had no idea what could happen to these people when he touched the pomegranate tree.


    Lex read and reread the mosaic several times, to make sure what was written. It would have been better to have done this without witnesses, but there was no time to regret it.


    "Is it written there, ''stepping''?"


    "Yes, Your Highness!" said the girl, distressed. "Whenever my father leaves the garden, he sweeps it meticulously towards the exit. If there were footprints around it, it would be proof that the place was invaded. Normally the trespasser would be suffering from the effects of being exposed to the poisonous garden air, to which my father is already immune. Some plants are deadly and even their pollen is poisonous. But even if the suspect suffered mild effects, the green dust on his feet would be an indication of the crime...! Please, Your Highness, allow yourself to go in your place. My father would kill himself for knowing he was not here when His Highness needed him, anyway!"


    "Shhh, stop, let me think!"


    Alexander intervened,


    ''Alexa, don''t! I didn''t think it would have such an expensive price. I don''t want to live if the price is the death of these people! What happened a little while ago at the lighthouse, because of me!''


    ''You really aren''t giving up anytime soon, are you?''


    ''You have a weird smile plastered on your face, so I imagine you know what to do,'' Alexander noticed, with a worried tone in his voice.


    ''I never know what to do. I have only a vague idea.''


    ''And what exactly do you want?''


    ''We don''t have so many time left, so ... Let''s go in through the top. Show me that place again, that place where I first saw the Forbidden Garden.''


    ''Lex! You are a genius!'' Alexander exclaimed.


    ''Don''t greet me yet! If I get too confident, I will screw up as usual,'' Alexa said. And turning to the kneeling girl, the Prince held out his hand to help her up.


    "Ana, do you know what the garden is like?"


    "Well, I never went there, of course, but we have a map¡­ The pharmacy assistants also operate the mobile awnings, all year round," said the girl, who was red in the face from touching the hand of the Prince with hers.


    "Mobile awnings? What is it?"


    "Some plants need more shade and water than others, and during the year, as the light changes, we operate awnings and watering cans a few floors above trees and shrubs..."


    It sounded better than expected.


    "Show me the map," ordered the Prince, and the girl nodded. His guards surrounded him before he took a step, however. And Balbo, who was their leader, asked,


    "Your Highness, what do you intend to do? We will do it for you!"


    The Prince shook his head, "Only I can do this. There is no point in offering to do this in my place. If you want to help me, just don''t get in the way and help get people out of my way, and that will be good enough."


    Balbo motioned for everyone to move away, and bowed his head,


    "Just tell us what to do, Your Highness."


    Lex''s heart was racing because every moment that passed was one less moment to reach the pomegranate seed.


    The Prince followed Ana to the rooms of the royal pharmacy, where aides stopped by their benches.


    Everyone wore cloths around their faces, and thick leather gloves, to deal with the poisonous and medicinal assets that came from the garden and other parts of the kingdom. When they understood the Regent was there, they knelt down.


    Ana approached with gloves and the same type of bandages that everyone wore there,


    "Allow me, Your Highness. Anyone who is not used to these poisons will be seriously affected by a short time of exposure."


    The Prince let the apothecary to help him with the bandage and gloves.


    While I was sitting there for the girl to do this, it was long enough that the news had reached the councilors. And Agnello di Borghesi was arriving, limping but haughty, and with a deadly glare in his blue eyes.


    "Your Highness, an incendiary rumor has reached my ears .. But I am sure that the Prince, who always thinks of others first and not of himself, is not thinking of exposing himself to death!"


    "Ahem ..." Why did the Blue Eyes look always make Lex intimidated? "I''ll explain..." But Lex knew that whatever he said in public, it could have an unpredictable effect.


    "Please don''t make your father who is severely ill suffer so much ..."


    Lex didn''t want to waste time on a long explanation, but he already supposed he couldn''t get rid of Blue Eyes so easily. And in theory, being one of his tutors, he might be able to stop the Prince Regent from doing something.


    "Don''t doubt me, Father Agnello. I don''t have time to explain. I need a pomegranate seed, the poisonous pomegranate that is in the Forbidden Garden. It''s important. Crucial I would say. A life can be lost without this ingredient. So don''t stop me. I have no plans to risk other lives because of a Prince or a Princess. But I need to go there, so I need to do it myself."


    Lex realized that Ana was surprised that he knew about the pomegranate tree. After all, how could anyone besides apothecaries know about it? And Lex doubted the Royal Garden Keeper would even come close the cursed pomegranate.


    But the girl kept her thoughts to herself, which Lex thanked in thought. Their inexplicable knowledge only complicated a situation that was already complicated by nature.


    Blue Eyes surveyed the Prince''s face for a moment, and his gaze softened,


    "I see. You are desperate. But you are perfectly aware it''s an immutable law of that place. Even a consort has already lost her life to a similar situation. The Sovereign King did not allow the entire guard of the castle to be lost by his wife''s disobedience. Nor he defied the law written on stone, because it would shatter the belief in the laws, and in his authority and right to rule."


    "Yes I know. But I will take the risk and pay with my life, if I step in the garden, as the law says!" Lex spoke grimly, remembering Alexander''s account of this episode. "Now please, Father Agnello, don''t expose yourself to these poisons, for these can harm you just by being aspirated. Guards, please escort my tutor out."


    "Alexander!" Blue Eyes exclaimed, surprised and irritated, when the guards obeyed the prince. But he preferred to go out proudly, accompanied by the guard.


    Now, only Balbo was on the Prince''s side. Ana opened a sliding door that had various types of plants drawn on it, revealing a staircase.


    "This way, Your Highness." Going upstairs behind the botanist, Lex saw a complex system of pulleys and levers which could be accessed from the inside, and probably controlled the awnings and sprinklers Ana had mentioned earlier.


    When they reached the top floor, Lex saw a second room with water tanks, and a map of the garden. Trying not to take a deep breath, since even there, the toxic potential of the air was great, Lex studied the map for a moment.


    The garden wasn''t extensive, and they marked the types of plants with drawings, colors and words.


    By the map, the pomegranate tree was almost in the center of the garden, isolated from other plants by concentric walls.


    "What is it?" The prince asked Ana.


    "Extra protection, Your Highness. There are three two-meters high stone walls. We never touched this tree. It''s the reason the garden exists in the first place. It cannot be destroyed or removed from there, according to legend. And ... In spring it bears fruit to a single pomegranate, with black skin and red interior. This is what is written, of course, because not even my father saw it in person. I don''t know of any remedy that uses these tree''s ingredients specifically ..."she dared not question him, of course, and the Prince ordered,


    "Extend all the awnings Ana, so I get as close as possible," If Lex had infinite time to his disposition, he could think of more efficient and safer ways of doing what he had in mind, but that wasn''t the case now.


    With the map memorized, Lex said to Balbo, "Let''s go upstairs, I''ll go down there to the tree. You can hold a lifeline for me."


    Balbo nodded, and they ran over there. Lex felt Alexander as apprehensive as she did,


    ''Have you started to think I''m crazy yet?''


    ''No. You are the most courageous person I know. ''


    ''If there is still no pomegranate ... It''s the end.''


    ''Yes. Most likely.''


    Lex took the rope and wrapped it around his waist, making a tight knot. Climbing on the par.a.p.et, the Prince realized that the sky was no longer bright. A dark cloud had obscured the view of the sun, and the wind had started to blow.


    ''Your friend is watching, Zand.''


    ''She''s not my friend. But yes. She may not know what we are doing, but Letitia may not care if you are a body or a spirit, to do what she wants ... Watch out.''


    Looking down, Lex saw the awnings made of canvas and slats start to open. When the first one was fully extended, she motioned for Balbo to keep the rope safe, and threw herself into the air.


    A gust of wind hit the Prince''s body in the middle of the jump.

 Chapter 221 - The Forbidden Fruit

    The unexpected gust changed the route of his jump, and Lex had to twist and try to land as best he could on the canvas awning. But the impact was greater, and the awning not only shook all over, but Lex heard a distinct, loud sound of wood cracking beneath him.


    "Dammit dammit dammit!!" the Prince exclaimed loudly, feeling the tarp fold under his feet as he sank. The pantographic awning had broken and was rapidly collapsing. "Oh oh oh!"


    All Lex could do was move his feet quickly and jump to the next awning, which was a little difficult as the unsteady material under the Prince''s feet did not provide the necessary firmness to get a good thrust, and ...! Phew!


    Balbo pulled the rope to help the prince level up to his next goal. Lex couldn''t lose the thrust. The Prince had already discovered that the task was going to be more difficult than he had initially imagined. Mainly because Lex had no idea how resistant the awnings were. And Alexander was actually heavier than Alexa, for starters.


    If he depended only on the rope, he would be thrown against a wall and would never have enough thrust to reach the center of the garden without touching his feet on the ground¡­ All the Prince Regent would have to do was be shamefully hoisted and go down in history as the most beautiful and pathetic prince that ever existed in Holstein ... A very short existence, actually.


    The wind was getting stronger and stronger, and even through the fabric Lex could smell some herbs. Worse than that, the wind swayed the awnings ever stronger. But the Light Bearer had no time for regrets or going back.


    Expecting to be able to stay on the awning long enough, Lex moved closer to its edge, closer to the center. Some awnings were not designed to be mostly horizontal, as they only served as a protection against the strong sun for plants.


    However, the wind had suddenly become too strong, even in that garden enclosed by high walls on all sides. The tarps flapped and slats creaked loudly, and Lex wondered if he should change his strategy. The awnings would not support the Prince''s weight and the strength of the wind, but they were his only option at the moment.


    It was difficult to walk on the awning, which seemed to be about to take flight. The wind came in under the awning canvas and forced upwards. Lex decided to crawl for a moment, and he moved forward successfully until he felt the front of the awning rise and turn against his face. The canvas was coming off the wooden frame!


    The Prince narrowly avoided being flung in the air, or being thrown on the floor, wrapped in tarps. Lex just jumped to the side and let the wind push him into one of the vertical awnings.


    Now he had to rely on Balbo''s awareness to loosen the rope as he ran, using the stretched canvas as a wall. If only he could¡­


    VOOOOOSH!


    On the opposite side, one of the vertical awnings came free and flew towards him. Lex just tried to be faster and throw himself into the first of the concentric walls around the Forbidden Tree, completely avoiding being hit.


    Only when the Prince felt the painful tug at his waist did he see how wrong he was.


    Agh! Lex tried to throw himself forward, grabbing the edge of the wall with both hands.


    He felt relief from the opposite thrust when the rope broke. The awning that had come loose, its now shapeless and changing form like a grotesque flying monster passed over his head. With a violent crash, it collided against the awnings on the opposite side, behind the Prince.


    ''BALBO!'' Alexander screamed in his mind. Lex looked over his shoulder, trying to climb the wall and not fall to the floor.


    Balbo fell from the window, pulled by the rope that had been hooked to the wreckage of the awning.


    "AHHHHHHHHH!" A scream of horror came from the Prince''s throat, drowned out by the bandages around his mouth and nose. Balbo was falling at great speed and tried to turn his body for a less catastrophic landing, but he was tangled in the ropes and being pulled down violently.


    The loud Manheim of destruction, the flap of the tarpaulins, and the noise of the wind deafened him for a moment. The Prince didn''t move. He just flinched, holding himself by his hands, and closed his eyes, feeling his feet dangle half a meter from the floor.


    Just a few seconds later, Lex had the courage to open his eyes and look back.


    Balbo was lying between the awnings, tangled between the ropes and pieces of wood from the awnings ... and with his body and face about ten centimeters from the floor.


    "BALBO! BALBO? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? BALBO?!" Lex rose to the wall, breathing heavily. Was that a nightmare? Was Balbo dead?


    After a few seconds, the warrior coughed, moved and said,


    "I''m fine, Your Highness ... Almost well, actually!"


    "Don''t move, Balbo. Do not move!"


    Both knew that Balbo''s situation was precarious.


    "Go ahead, boy. Just leave me. If it''s my time, so be it ... I''ll kiss this soil. I lived well. "


    Lex knew that Balbo believed this with all his heart, and envied him for that certainty. If everyone could leave life with this tranquility... Death seemed to hover around them, but everything around them was lethal.


    In the midst of the howling wind, he heard the guards shouting.


    "We are going to pull you with hooks, don''t worry!"


    Balbo was heavier and had to be rescued first, in addition, he might have fractures. But the Prince couldn''t give up now. Lex had already been way beyond his goal.


    Jumping from one wall to the other, even with the wind, was much less difficult than the way there had been. The distance between them was small, and they formed a small maze, but that was not a big obstacle if you were on the fence.


    Upon reaching the last wall, and looking down, Lex saw the exposed roots of the cursed plant. They were red and twisted, creeping into the black earth frighteningly, like claws digging into the flesh.


    The tree itself was leafy and vigorous, with shiny leaves and a strong trunk.


    A single fruit, with black skin, hung on a branch, and Lex reached out as far as possible to reach it.


    The wind almost knocked the Prince over, but it also caused the fruit to come directly into the palm of his hand. Lex blinked several times. Had the branch willingly moved toward him?


    At that moment he felt strong dizziness as if all the blood in his body had come to his head, quickly. His ears rang, and Lex knew it wasn''t the wind. His heart ached in his chest. Was I about to do something idiotic? The tree seemed to want the pomegranate to be picked.


    Lex pulled the damn fruit hard.


    PLUCK!


    His dizziness passed like a miracle.


    ''It''s done.''


    Sitting on the wall for a moment, Lex laughed, and lifted the fruit, for Balbo to see,


    "We got it, brother. We went into the garden of hell, and took the fruit."


    ''Alexa, don''t eat it yet,'' Alexander warned. ''And we just need a seed. It''s better not to take this thing out of the garden.''


    Alexa thought it was a good idea, and opened the fruit with gloved hands. The fruit juice was thick and carmine, and looked like blood. It wasn''t very appetizing, especially knowing the plant was cursed.


    ''What we need now, Zand?''


    ''First, you need to put the seed in your mouth at the very moment when night falls, but you shouldn''t swallow it yet. That insignificant moment will be enough to swallow the seed. Just make sure the spiritual bond we have is broken by dawn.''


    ''How come?'' Lex separated only one seed, and taking out a handkerchief, carefully tucked the tiny treasure inside his vests. While doing so, soldiers, inspired by their prince''s deed, were descending on ropes to rescue Balbo and the Prince Regent. Much more cautiously than Lex, however.


    ''Do you really need me to tell you this? Magnus loves you, you love him¡­ I couldn''t suggest anything better, '' Alexander said. Lex felt a trace of bitterness and nervousness in the tone of his soulmate.


    ''Are you unsure whether this will really work?''


    ''We only have one chance, Alexa. I would like to have Balbo''s firmness of character and say I am prepared to leave. But I cannot. Not now.''


    The gale continued, delaying and creating extra complications to Balbo''s rescue, but Lex had less difficult to leave the garden, just after they carefully removed Balbo trying


    not to touch the floor of the garden.


    The garden was cursed and tainted by the pomegranate tree, Lex knew. The law was meant to protect, and should be enforced.


    When Lex came out of the garden, he saw Ana giving medicine to her Castilian friend. Probably some antidote to minimize exposure. Lex was feeling strangely healthy and with only a few parts of his body sore from exertion, so he declined the antidote. By the way, why take an antidote, if in an instant the Prince would swallow the pomegranate seed?


    Lex was trying to sneak out when someone put a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw his uncle, or rather Duke Kurt, looking at him with disapproval.


    But the night was falling, and Lex had no time for bullshit.


    "What''s it? Do you want to see if my shoes are dirty with garden dust?"


    Kurt only raised an eyebrow, but Lex took off his boots and threw them on the floor, shocking the witnesses. Talking to no one in particular, the Prince Regent ordered, "Take care of Balbo. And think about the Law on the Forbidden Garden. It is better to rewrite to avoid crazy people like me. It really must be enforced."


    Moving away quickly, Lex knew they wouldn''t leave the Prince alone until they knew why he did all that. He couldn''t get rid of them, so he went to the only place where he would have some peace, at least for a while.


    The Secret Tower.


    The tower was without most of the furniture, and without its bed. But Lex just sat on the floor.


    ''Alexander¡­ If that doesn''t work, we will only meet in another life.''


    ''Yes, Alexa. But I will recognize you, ''he said.


    Alexa realized that the Alexander of the last days, since Ashgaufelsen, was no longer the young man she had met. He had changed. He sounded more mature, seasoned, and more selfless. She could only suppose that everything he knew, long before her, had affected him.


    ''If all goes well, we will meet again tomorrow, here in the castle,'' she said, and the Prince placed the seed in the back of his throat.

 Chapter 222 - Magnus, Say Yes, Please!

    Alexa woke up swallowing her saliva, in a reflex movement.


    But looking at her hands, there was nothing wrong with them, except that they itched a little. She was lying on the bed of the fortuneteller''s wagon, and looking sideways, she saw her brother Iacintho near the table, feeding Romeo carefully.


    Oh, poor Iacintho!


    Trying to be pragmatic, if that were possible, she tried to push the issue that, as her brother said, was ''paralyzed'', to another moment. She needed to ensure her connection to Alexander weakened enough. And it wouldn''t be an unpleasant task! For the first time she really looked forward to it!


    "Iacintho, what happened here during the day?"


    Her brother looked up at her,


    I think only the stars lined up correctly, for an important event, as I had studied days ago ... But it will be far from here. Maybe in Holstein? Now I can even better understand some planetary aspects ... Well, but as for earthly matters, during your time in Holstein, your Prince and I talked. He brought me up to date on the problems and reasons for this trip ... A strange man, he. I don''t know if we will really be friends, but I can understand his resistance to me. He just accepts me for your sake, but keeps an eye on everything I do. Which is wise, in a way. I think it will help me more than it will hinder me. " He shrugged, putting Romeo in his palm with a smile.


    Alexa ignored his last comment and jumped out of bed, running to Iacintho. She recklessly told the latest facts and her high stake in the pomegranate seed.


    Iacintho listened without even blinking, which was a little unnerving, in fact.


    "Um¡­ I certainly need to know more about all of this, but this is an excellent theory. You need to connect your soul to another person, by an oath but ... Do you really want to have such a powerful bond with that Prince out there? Tonight, an oath you take will not be light, Alexa. Think about the consequences for your future lives."


    "I know, my brother. But¡­ as for future lives, I''ll work it out when it''s time. At that moment, I can only decide for this life. And I know what I want. Before I felt it was wrong, and so did he. But if he wants me, I want him too."


    "So don''t waste your time with me anymore, Alexa. Your choices and your future are out there," Iacintho stroked the nightingale''s head and led him to the window, releasing him into the night.


    Alexa hugged him tightly, despite her brother''s protesting m.o.a.n, and kissed him on the cheek!


    She was ready to go!


    A delicious barbecue smell filled her nostrils, and Alexa filled her lungs with happiness! There was cheerful music and all the signs of life around her, and¡­


    "OOOOPS!" Alexa almost tripped over a child who was sitting on the steps of the cart, but managed to balance and not hurt the little one. A very ruddy little boy smiled at her, and whispered,


    "Princess, I''m on a secret mission! Come on!"


    Intrigued, Alexa nodded, and looked around.


    She saw that Captain Dubois was in a group of men, chatting animatedly. That was where the music came from, as she spotted a dark man playing the hurdy-gurdy* and another playing a small tambourine.


    But she didn''t see Magnus anywhere ... Uhn, she actually felt watched, and she was sure it was him spying on her.


    He just couldn''t find out where the Prince was!


    ''What is happening?'' she wondered, following the little boy over the side of the cart.


    Apparently they were getting out of the Prince''s sight for some reason, Alexa concluded as the child guided her behind the wagons.


    Then the boy met a girl several years older than him, and with a grin, he ended his mission,


    "I brought her without anyone seeing!"


    The girl nodded and tapped on a wagon window. The princess doubted they had been so sneaky. But she waited, expectantly, until the wagon door opened, and Paloma the Seer, and the giant Soraya came out of the carriage and surrounded her.


    Alexa took a step back, fearful, not understanding anything anymore, let alone the huge smiles on their faces,


    "What do you want?!" it had apparently been a bad idea to be convinced by a child''s sweet smile. As always.


    But Soraya said, slapping Alexa on the back that almost blew her lungs out,


    "Calm down, Your Highness! Today is the day! Or rather, the night!"


    "What are you talking about?" No one could blame her for being ready to run, could they?


    "The Prince had his fortune told by Palomita here!" Soraya gestured to the woman with the veil, from whom only black eyes could be seen. "The Prince asked the oracles some questions. And guess what?"


    "Why do I have to guess if I''m not exactly the oracle here?" Alexa asked, but now a little less alarmed.


    And definitely interested in what they had to say. In a gossipy tone, she leaned forward with her best smile,


    "But ... Since I can''t guess, tell me ... What did he ask?"


    "He''s a smart man ... He knows how to ask questions ..." Paloma the Seer spoke, with a mysterious hiss.


    Unlike the witches Alexa has been dealing with, Paloma''s effort to look like a witch had a commercial aspect well known to Alexa from the East. No one would take her seriously if she was as charlatan as she looked.


    And in fact, it was very good that they left Holstein just in time.


    "Yes, sister, and what did he question?" she insisted, as Soraya pushed her into the wagon.


    "Among other things, he asked when you would be ready for him," revealed the Fortuneteller.


    "Uh? did he ask that?" Alexa could not imagine Magnus having the courage to ask this at a divination table ... But the thought brought her a smile. ''Is he that desperate?''


    The achievement made her vain, and she chuckled to herself.


    "Yes. And I saw¡­ that you are ready."


    "And did you tell him so?" Alexa worried. Was that why everyone was acting so weird? And ... What did that mean?


    "I am a professional. I said the truth."


    "...!" Alexa covered her mouth with both hands, and only then looked around.


    The princess saw Mirna, sitting in a corner near a lamp, finishing sewing the hem of a dress, and on the other side, one of the triplets wore the needles at the other end.


    "Your Highness," Mirna bowed appropriately when she saw her, "Women insist that you would like to dress extravagantly for the party today. Are you sure it''s appropriate?"


    For a brief, tiny moment, her mind was right for Mirna, but her heart was right for the women in the company of artists! Alexa nodded,


    "Yes, Miss Mirna, it''s more than adequate, it''s what my heart desires!"


    Mirna pondered for a moment, and shook her head in disbelief and acceptance, shrugging. Women celebrated!


    "Yes! That man is yours, Your Highness! He''s all yours!"


    Soraya took the sheet from the top of a water tub, and splashed herbs over the water. The Princess couldn''t tell whether she was smiling. But soon Alexa could not notice her anymore, as they were already undressing her for what would probably be her last maiden bath.


    If Alexa knew that she would be scrubbed and kneaded, manipulated like a rye dough, it would have escaped the hand of women before.


    She was bathed meticulously, combed, scented with fresh petals rubbed all over her body, and dressed. And they were all thrilled and delighted with the moment, which made Alexa even more nervous.


    Well, why were they doing that, anyway? She hadn''t even spoken to Magnus yet! Why were they all excited, giggling and chatting, and full of advice that Alexa couldn''t even pay attention to?!


    Outside, the music was more and more lively, and the children screamed for joy in their games. The men were in some kind of male racket, full of laughter and defiant exclamations.


    Undoubtedly, the caravan excitement was contagious, and while one of the triplets capriciously placed a wreath of wildflowers on her head, and another closed the ribbons of the corset, Alexa was happy.


    "Am I pretty?" she asked, liking how the green and purple tones of the vest and corset made the embroidered flower dress colorful and cheerful. There were no jewels.


    The women nodded, and she saw in their eyes they were not lying.


    It made her happy. Alexa was sure that Magnus would also be no different.


    Tonight she didn''t want to see the Prince, but Magnus.


    He was just the opposite of everything she thought she saw on the first day she saw him. Except for the fact that he''s handsome, of course.


    ''Hfff, here I am, completely silly as a silly girl of songs,'' she thought, as the women left before her from the wagon, making way for Alexa to pass.


    ''What is it, a path of petals? Oh my God, no! Is happening!'' Her feet stepped on the flower petals that made a trail to the center of the camp.


    Torches lit the way, and ahead of her, she saw the group of men, and Magnus among them.

 Chapter 223 - Yes, I do!

    Alexa felt her body vibrate, her hands sweat. Out of the corner of her eye she looked for her brother, to calm down. She saw him watching her, sitting on the roof of one of the wagons, in the moonlight.


    ''Okay, this is happening. Is happening. He''s waiting for me and he really set it up for a peasant wedding. ''


    That was how the commoners got married. There were no church records, or blessings. Just the promise of each other, and the other common people as witnesses.


    It felt like forever, but suddenly, she was in front of Magnus.


    TSSSSSSSS!


    The dwarf thundered the cymbals when Alexa stopped. It scared her and she practically jumped forward, because her eyes were glued to Magnus''.


    ''You. Are. So. Beautiful!'' she thought, dumbfounded.


    He also wore some extravagant clothes, but it was his look, his smile, that obfuscated everything else, even the bonfire''s light.


    Magnus, though, grinning like a fool, leaned forward, taking her hands gently and whispering,


    "I like it when you look at me like I was a roasted turkey that day," he recalled the distant time when he said he would marry her, and she choked on food.


    His words were happening right now!


    She pursed her lips, a little angry that he was bringing up the subject right now. But the way he looked at her was so full of tenderness that her reprimand also faded into a smile.


    ''Well, maybe I am ... But you have a lot of teeth, you know?'' she returned it in kind. But Magnus''s grin only intensified.


    Alexa realized that Beaumont, the man with the green beard and also the leader of the troupe, stopped with a flourish and a smile next to them,


    "Allow me to speak some useless words, ..."


    The maiden was sure they were beautiful words, but she would have to struggle to remember later. At that moment, she could only feel her hands trembling in Magnus''s hands, and look into his bright eyes.


    "... Magnus and Alexa, do you really want to be a husband and wife? With loyalty and tenderness, friendship and respect, patience and compassion? Love is a flame in joy, it''s a cold ember in poverty. May the love they claim to endure the strong wind, the condemning gaze,¡­"


    "YES!" they spoke in unison and loudly, and were themselves startled by it.


    Magnus brought Alexa to his chest, running his fingers in her hair. Alexa closed her eyes, feeling so, so good! It was so good to be in his arms!


    "If that''s the case, we who witness your promise, declare you husband and wife!"


    Magnus laughed out of happiness, and Alexa felt his chest resonate against her ear. She felt his tender kisses in her hair, his arms around her holding so strongly that she doubted she would be able to get out of there anytime soon.


    She looked up, astonished, and he had a winning smile,


    "You doubted it from the beginning."


    "...! Well¡­ Maybe I believed it from the start¡­" Alexa bit her lip, flirtatiously.


    The caravan exploded with joy and music.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "I¡­ I think we left the party too soon¡­" At the same time she said that, Alexa wondered where all her determination from hours ago went! Did it fly through the window, perhaps?


    Yes, in her heart she was sure she wanted it with all her strength, but ... Maybe Magnus''s predatory gaze was crumbling all her resolve.


    Normally, he couldn''t intimidate Alexa, but that look had many promises included.


    When he closed the cart door behind her, isolating them from the noise of music and party, Alexa was sure they would not go back. And Magnus confirmed this with a murmur,


    "Alexa, even if stars fall from the sky and the world outside takes fire, tonight you''ll be mine. This door won''t open before that, I promise."


    "Can you stop being scary, please? Do you need to make me change my mind, too?"


    Magnus took her by the waist with ease and deposited her sitting on the table, where the crystal ball was.


    His hands did not leave her waist, and he leaned towards her, using his own face in a caress against his beloved''s face,


    "Hey. You have already eaten everything you wanted, and drank all the wine you wanted. What''s your excuse now?" Magnus spoke with a sly yet sweet smile, as his thumbs stroked her belly over the corset.


    That was true. But Alexa hadn''t even gotten drunk!


    She wrapped her arms around Magnus''s neck, offering access to her neck and lap, which were being assaulted by kisses right now. She tried to focus her mind on how to respond to the pleasure she was feeling, making him happy too. Lady Eudoxia had said that ...


    "Magnus, don''t you think we could ...?" she moved her arm trying to point to the bed, but he followed the movement and nibbled lightly on her hand, while spreading her legs over the edge of the table. Alexa slid forward and clung to him, afraid to fall.


    "What are you doing?"


    Well, she knew what he was doing. Lifting the skirt of her dress while letting his hands greedily touch her legs, sliding upwards. Alexa''s whole body shivered. She was definitely feeling her thighs melt.


    "Hm, your scent!" Magnus murmured, sliding his face between her b.r.e.a.s.ts and belly, and squeezing her thighs with pleasure.


    Alexa''s hands slid through his hair, bringing him back to a kiss, for which she was thirsty.


    Magnus leaned over her, forcing her upper body back, and Alexa leaned her head on the table. The crystal ball rolled onto the carpet, but they were engaged in the most delicious and unreserved kiss they have ever had, to care.


    "Hm, and now, can I?" he murmured, breaking the kiss for a moment, and staring at her face.


    Probably he was referring to the last few inches of fabric on her skirt that needed to be lifted to expose her pubis. He learned his lesson!


    "Asking as politely...yes," she teased.


    Contrary to what Alexa imagined, he didn''t do it quickly.


    Out of sight, Magnus lowered himself between her legs.


    "What¡­?!"


    "Let me appreciate that."


    "No!"


    "Alexa ... I''ve seen you, but much less than I would like ... I promise you will like this, uh?"


    She didn''t have time to respond properly.


    "Nhgmm ...!" She felt his lips touch the inside of one of her thighs, and then the other, alternating between them with her kisses. Only gradually did he discover the fabric, revealing more and more.


    It was delicious and exciting, and the more Magnus used his mouth, seeming to delight in her skin in long, wet kisses, Alexa swallowed feeling her whole body burning more and more.


    She had no idea that those parts were so sensitive and that he would torture her so slowly!


    "Mag ..." Alexa whimpered, trying to suggest that he didn''t have all the time in the world.


    But the Prince disagreed.


    (CONTINUES)


    Dear readers: sorry for this mess:


    This part below is from the previous chapter but I can''t delete it.


    Girls, I''m so sorry for it! It happened when I needed to reorganized the volumes.


    Please ignore it.


    "Yes! That man is yours, Your Highness! He''s all yours!"


    Soraya took the sheet from the top of a water tub, and splashed herbs over the water. The Princess couldn''t tell whether she was smiling. But soon Alexa could not notice her anymore, as they were already undressing her for what would probably be her last maiden bath.


    If Alexa knew that she would be scrubbed and kneaded, manipulated like a rye dough, it would have escaped the hand of women before.


    She was bathed meticulously, combed, scented with fresh petals rubbed all over her body, and dressed. And they were all thrilled and delighted with the moment, which made Alexa even more nervous.


    Well, why were they doing that, anyway? She hadn''t even spoken to Magnus yet! Why were they all excited, giggling and chatting, and full of advice that Alexa couldn''t even pay attention to?!


    Outside, the music was more and more lively, and the children screamed for joy in their games. The men were in some kind of male racket, full of laughter and defiant exclamations.


    Undoubtedly, the caravan excitement was contagious, and while one of the triplets capriciously placed a wreath of wildflowers on her head, and another closed the ribbons of the corset, Alexa was happy.


    "Am I pretty?" she asked, liking how the green and purple tones of the vest and corset made the embroidered flower dress colorful and cheerful. There were no jewels.


    The women nodded, and she saw in their eyes they were not lying.


    It made her happy. Alexa was sure that Magnus would also be no different.


    Tonight she didn''t want to see the Prince, but Magnus.


    He was just the opposite of everything she thought she saw on the first day she saw him. Except for the fact that he''s handsome, of course.


    ''Hfff, here I am, completely silly as a silly girl of songs,'' she thought, as the women left before her from the wagon, making way for Alexa to pass.


    ''What is it, a path of petals? Oh my God, no! Is happening!'' Her feet stepped on the flower petals that made a trail to the center of the camp.


    Torches lit the way, and ahead of her, she saw the group of men, and Magnus among them.

 Chapter 224 - The First Time

    Magnus ran his tongue at the junction of her leg and groin, getting a longer sigh from Alexa.


    "Why don''t you let me try you? Show my adoration to you?" He asked, and his breath touching her sensitive skin made every hair on her body that still wasn''t standing up stand on end.


    "This is a torture!" she purred.


    "Nothing bigger than having wished you since the day I saw you..." he nibbled on the mound of venus, superficially and lovingly, and Alexa thought she was going to pass out. Something strange was happening, and it made her wish he did many other things - all other things.


    She wanted him inside her now!


    "Nghnn!" she bit her fist to make no sound. With the other hand Alexa tried to pull the skirt down and put an end to that sweet suffering and anticipation, but Magnus''s firm hand held her fist.


    Then he kissed gently over the slit, lots of kisses actually. Then Alexa felt his tongue touch her pink slit quickly, lightly, and her legs softened and opened more, without Alexa having any command over them.


    Magnus stood up, suddenly, kissing Alexa''s wrist that he had squeezed tightly because she refused to keep her skirt up.


    The corner of his mouth twisted in a sardonic smile.


    "HMMM, why are you so red in the face? Why are your lips so inviting and trembling ... I DIDN''T EVEN START."


    Alexa hid her face in both hands, a little angry that he was in control, but realized that he was taking off part of his clothes. ''That! Don''t delay! I don''t want to have to beg for you again! ''


    "Oh my God, is the most shameless person in the world hiding her face? No, you can''t," Magnus removed her hands from her face, causing Alexa to reveal her anxious face of blushed cheeks, dilated pupils and a half-open, breathless mouth.


    He watched her for a moment, also with dilated pupils. Alexa could see how much his n.a.k.e.d chest went up and down, also breathless and agitated.


    Abruptly Magnus lowered his face to steal another passionate, lascivious, long and meandering kiss.


    Alexa grabbed his shoulders, pulling him close, to stick the bodies together, and Magnus held her close to him as if he wanted to crush her. They both gasped and pulled each other towards themselves, until the Prince pushed her away a little,


    "Must I hold your hands?"


    "Hold my hands?"


    He decided that he did, and he intertwined his fingers in hers, looking at her significantly, but Alexa honestly didn''t understand.


    Then Magnus lowered himself again between her legs, which were already around his waist.


    "Oh!"


    He kissed and blew and teased, making her little pink flower half open and swollen. This made Alexa twitch her belly in anticipation, while Magnus made it look like he was actually courting her most intimate point, in absolute adoration.


    When was he going to stop teasing her?!


    But when he kissed her petal, and let his tongue slide, entering the recesses and exploring, Alexa squirmed in surprise and pleasure.


    "Ahhh!"


    Magnus found a particular point with his tongue, which was the ''pearl'' that Lady Eudoxia had mentioned in her lessons.


    This made Alexa bite her lip and even try to escape, because the sensation was so good that she even built a kind of fear. A fear of reaching whatever was on the end of Magnus'' tongue and lips touching that point.


    He noticed it quickly and punished that small spot, while preventing her from escaping, clasping her hands.


    "Stop, oh! Stop!" she begged.


    "This is bad?" he moved away or a little, letting go of his hands, and getting up. Alexa tried to pull away but he grabbed her by the h.i.p.s, bringing her to him. Her pelvises clamped together, and she felt his volume and hardness_ hot, silky and throbbing_ pressing against her.


    Looking into Magnus''s face, she could see how the muscles in his face betrayed his current sensations.


    He opened the eyes he had half closed for a moment,


    "Is this really bad?" Magnus slid his mast provocatively over her most sensitive spot. It was silky and made her eyes teary, out of pleasure and desire. Something inside her was boiling and was about to explode when he stopped with a low m.o.a.n and his whole body trembling.


    "More..." she begged, m.o.a.ning and stroking his belly with her fingertips. The expression of suffering and pleasure on Magnus''s face was transcendent.


    "No ... No more," Magnus took a hand to Alexa''s b.r.e.a.s.t, stroking it briefly over the thick fabric of the bodice.


    Then, ravenously, he pulled the cleavage down and exposed her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Meanwhile, the lower parts of their bodies touched, and he asked, pretending a renewed interest in Alexa''s n.i.p.p.l.es,


    "So ... You asked me to stop just minutes ago..." taking her hands and making her to embrace him, Magnus asked, "But if it''s that bad, why are you thrusting your body against mine? If I give you more, and just for you, you will leave me alone afterwards. This is very typical of you! Poor me! I was just doting on your little, pretty, and pink ..."


    "Yes, stop it! This is torture."


    "Torture was what you did to me all this time, especially when you attacked me in the middle of the night..." The Prince leaned over to grab a n.i.p.p.l.e, while one of his fingers played lazily with her ''pearl'' in circular motions. "I want to hear all your kitten m.o.a.ning, all night, asking for more..."


    Alexa was sure that would happen, because she was melting, limp, falling apart on his finger''s sensual movements. Her h.i.p.s moved on their own, and she grabbed his face with both hands,


    "Please, I''m serious. Take me now or leave me alone. I will m.o.a.n and purr and you know it! I even meowth for you, I promise!"


    "...!" Magnus did not expect this, and was paralyzed for a moment between a laugh and a frown, but then he opened his devastating smile,


    "Ah, my love! My love! Why are you so adorable?!"


    "I''m not adorable, Magnus, stop this torture, I want you, nghmmm!" again Magnus didn''t even let her finish, and took her lips, finally entering her and making her his wife.

 Chapter 225 - First and Last Night Together

    Discovering pleasure with Magnus was a fast-learning and rewarding experience.


    And Alexa didn''t care to m.o.a.n and purr like a kitten, as he said _ or to touch him when he asked, and to reciprocate the sensations he gave her, albeit tentatively. They had repeated the experience in a few ways. And as the couple escalated in their free exploration of each other''s body, new, fantastic new climaxes ensued, till their complete exhaustion.


    Now they were both sweaty, clinging to each other''s bodies, and barely fitting on the wagon bed.


    Alexa was nestled on top of his body, with no strength to move.


    His chin was resting on her hair, and he was, as usual, playing with her earlobe absently. Alexa''s finger slid over a scratch she had done on his flank with her nails. It was still red.


    The time had come for the good and bad news, and she was in no hurry to tell him. But it would be horrible to leave him without knowing.


    Magnus closed his eyes for a moment, and Alexa took the opportunity to touch the little mole on his face with a finger.


    "What is it?" he asked, still with his eyes closed, holding her finger.


    "This is the thing I like most about you."


    "Uh. I was hopeful, earlier, that it would be the last thing I showed you." He opened his golden, swollen eyes, staring at her with the shadow of a naughty smile.


    She laughed, "Give it to me so I have nowhere to go."


    He pretended to hand the beauty mark over her fingers, with his as tweezers. "Here it is. Your new North Star. Come back to me, Alexa. I''m serious."


    Alexa''s eyes suddenly filled with tears. And then she said,


    "I didn''t want to ruin our time together, but ... when I go in the morning, I don''t know if I''m going to be back at night."


    Magnus'' caresses ceased immediately, and he turned her face to him, holding her chin,


    "Will you come back to me?"


    More than the question, what was happening in Magnus'' golden eyes disturbed her. Alexa only had one answer to give,


    "No."


    Magnus'' face changed completely, and Alexa continued,


    "There was no more time, my love. Sigrid''s spell is over. Let me tell you what happened, so we can think about what to do now."


    He nodded and she reported the day''s events. Magnus narrowed his eyes when he heard about the events at the lighthouse. But was horrified to hear her account of the Forbidden Garden.


    He stretched his neck from side to side, trying to relax his shoulders, getting ready for something, and bit his lips thoughtfully, and finally, he kept running his hand through his hair. Anyway, all his tics in a single sequence. It would be funny if it wasn''t worrying.


    "So, I put the seed in the back of my throat..." she finished the report looking anxiously at Magnus, feeling all the disapproval that emanated from him.


    Placing her carefully seated on the bed, Magnus got up and took the pitcher of water to drink, before saying anything. After pouring a cup and offering it to his wife, he sat on a bench in front of the bed, and faced her.


    Alexa thought that if he needed the physical distance to say something, it shouldn''t be a good thing. It looked like he was choosing words.


    "Alexa ... Did it all really make sense to you?"


    "What do you mean, Magnus?" She was feeling cold now away from his body, and maybe because he reacted that way. "I did this to save Alexander! After all that has already been done... ?! I mean... How could this end? We really thought we would have time to get to Languedoc, but we didn''t have all the hitches or what happened in Holstein! We didn''t expect Sigrid''s spell to weaken ... "


    "I mean¡­ If picking up the damn pomegranate was the solution for Alexander from the start, why weren''t we told?"


    "Because... Sigrid didn''t know about it, perhaps?"


    "Sigrid was Gisela''s damn mother! She should know!"


    "I didn''t know that!"


    Magnus sighed. "No, you didn''t know. But Gisela knew about this solution ... And was she never able to say that?"


    "Well, there are the rules of the dead ... They can''t reveal what they know - in fact, they forget things over time..."


    "To hell with the rules of the dead. Because nowadays she is talking a lot! And everything she wants to, when she wants to!" he snapped.


    Alexa blinked. Well, she had never stopped to think about it, maybe because whenever Gisela spoke more, Alexa was in a state of unconsciousness, and not awake. Besides, Gisela was a special Shade ... Wasn''t she?


    "Are you saying that your good stepmother is not quite who she seems? Does she really want to harm me and Alexander?"


    "Alexa my love!" Magnus got up and came to her, taking her face in both hands in a desperate gesture, "I always worried, but so far I was sure she didn''t want evil - neither Alexander nor yours. However, the pomegranate tree ... I don''t know what that means. That cursed tree cannot be the solution..." Releasing her when he realized that he was pressing too tightly on his beloved''s face, Magnus pulled away again, too restless to stand still.


    "It''s scary! I don''t have a good impression of it anymore!"


    Alexa swallowed hard at Magnus'' words. She remembered her own feeling when she touched the pomegranate ... It was not a good feeling.


    "Mags, why would she want Alexander''s evil? What she said seemed to make a lot of sense. Not only that ... If it works, I will return to my body, and Alexander will be able to enter his again ... maybe all she and Sigrid tried to do was to avoid using the last resort - the pomegranate seed."


    In saying this, the memory of the Persephone myth struck Alexa. The maiden who swallowed a pomegranate seed in hell and could never leave it.


    Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears.


    "Mags ... Mags, I swallowed the pomegranate seed!"


    The Prince, who was uncomfortably walking back and forth in the restricted space, even at the height of the wagon, stopped and turned to Alexa. His nervous expression softened and his eyes went dark when he saw his wife''s face, and he immediately sat down next to her on the small bed. Putting Alexa''s head on his chest and stroking her hair, he asked,


    "What is it? Do you know anything more about this?"


    Alexa told him the legend of Persephone and Hades, in a nutshell, and saw the worry in his eyes disappear when she reached the end.


    How could he have a smile in his eyes while her eyes were watering? She wouldn''t be up the next day or the next night! She would be in the dark and the cold, lost in the Realm of the Dead! Or at best, forever in Alexander''s body! Their love and their marriage were ruined!


    "Are you finding it funny?! How can you be happy when it will ruin everything? I swallowed the pomegranate seed! I was deceived!"


    Magnus wiped away her tears, trying not to show her reaction was amusing to him, which only made her angrier.


    "Wait a minute! At least my little brother used his intelligence to advise you well! And I love him for that!"


    "Hpf, what are you talking about? Now that you''ve got what you want, don''t you care anymore?"


    "PFHHFFFF!" this time he barely managed to contain his laughter. "Alexa, at dawn you are no longer a maiden¡­ If that was a requirement¡­ You can no longer be stuck in ''hell'', whatever that is really. You already have your connection with the upper world¡­ ME!"


    Alexa opened her eyes wide, then narrowed them accusingly,


    "Oh my goodness, are you all happy to consider yourself my savior ... That''s why such a silly face!" she was a little relieved, but annoyed that Magnus was laughing at her.


    "No, that''s not it. I am happy that my brother thinks of avoiding the price in this way."


    "But, we''re not sure that was a requirement, Mags ... And does that change your distrust of Gisela''s plans?"


    "I don''t know. I dont know. All the things I have discovered recently confuse me more than they clarify. I''m only sure of one thing. I need to go back to Holstein now."


    Alexa bit her lip. In fact, with the uncertainty of what would happen at dawn, Magnus must return.


    "About what the pomegranate seed really is, Orcaius, Volos and the secrets under Holstein ... Maybe my brother can reach Master Petrus. If Iacintho achieves this, it will be even better than just me coming. He will take Master Petrus to Holstein, and he will help us!" Alexa spoke optimistically, getting up. "I''m going to talk to him now, I can''t be..."


    Magnus tugged on her arm, preventing her from running.


    "Hey, where are you going n.a.k.e.d in the middle of the night?"


    "Ah," Alexa reached for the dress, but Magnus sat her down on the bed again.


    "No. I will solve this. We have little time together, listen to me."

 Chapter 226 - Confession

    He was right, and Alexa was happy to be able to share things with him.


    "Whatever is going on there, I''m sure it''s not over yet. You are going back there, and you need to be aware. I''m worried because Alexander also made a deal with Letitia..." Magnus didn''t refer to her as a mother, and Alexa understood why.


    Alexa''s heart was filled with consternation about what she was about to say, but she couldn''t help saying,


    "Alexander changed after he left Romeo ... in fact, he has changed a lot since he asked for the marriage to be annulled."


    Magnus bit his lip, staring at the emptiness in front of him for a moment. "I didn''t expect him to do that. But he knows how I feel about you. Even though he likes you... He understood that our situation was untenable."


    "I''m talking about other things. Things I didn''t realize before. He''s not what I thought he was, or the person he showed himself to be in the beginning. Only that."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "He''s more melancholy than I expected. It is also tougher, and perhaps harsher than I expected either."


    "He''s a man, Alexa. A prince." Magnus stood up, suddenly looking nervous. "And what did you say ... If you are not going to be trapped by the power of the pomegranate seed ... Does that mean Alexander is the one who will be trapped?"


    Alexa blinked, stunned.


    "NO!" she exclaimed in denial. But if the seed functioned like the myth''s pomegranate seed, then Alexander was under a new spell. They believed it would allow him to return to his body, but what was the catch? In fact, now she thought about it, Alexa was just as worried as she had been when she thought it was what would happen to her.


    "He''s going to go back to his body, but does that mean he''ll never wake up again?" she bit her thumb, distressed.


    Magnus looked down, hiding his face. She mused,


    "Well, but maybe¡­ Is he also counting on getting rid of fate like that by connecting with someone? Or¡­"


    "Do you know anything about it?" he asked hopefully.


    Alexa unfortunately only had bad news,


    "I got the impression he liked Jette Allegoria, but he felt betrayed by her... And I''m under the impression she doesn''t like him that way, either."


    Magnus took a deep breath,


    "That woman is an opportunist. In Alexander he found a patron and a fool to support her. And of course, he doesn''t love her, at most he has some kind of jealousy for not being the center of attention of an artist."


    Alexa knew that Magnus was biased against the troubadour by pure protectionism toward his younger brother. As for what Alexander felt for Jette, Alexa probably couldn''t have known any better, but she knew he was shocked and disappointed. Besides, it had never been clear what the troubadour was actually doing at the lighthouse, but she would soon discover it. However, Alexa asked, barely controlling herself,


    "He doesn''t have a friend, as you did have that friend YOU WILL NEVER, EVER, SEE AGAIN?"


    Magnus turned to her, reproaching her with his eyes,


    "Stop worrying about my past in this regard. Since you appeared in front of me, all the other women have become as interesting as a Mass. But I don''t remember any of Alexander''s girlfriends¡­ And that is worrying at the moment, if the requirement is the same. "


    Alexa did not know what to expect now, and tried to remember everything that was said between Alexander, Gisela, and her, to give clues as to what would happen next, but her tired mind was not collaborating. He was probably going to have to wait until dawn to find out, which was not to be delayed.


    "Magnus, lie here with me a little longer. We don''t know what will happen, and we won''t see each other for several days." she hit the thin mattress next to her. "Don''t forget to take good care of Romeo on the way back ..."


    But Magnus was still crestfallen, brooding over something.


    "You can''t stop thinking about your brother, can you?"


    "Sorry, my love. This situation¡­ It''s largely my fault, and again, I am not able to redeem myself for all the harm I did to Alexander."


    Alexa''s heart sank for a moment. Alexander also said things like that. That he owed something and wanted to redeem himself. What were they talking about, anyway?


    "I know that you care a lot about Alexander. I know how much you took care of him when he was asleep in the castle. But Alexander drinking the elixir was not your fault, Magnus..."


    He looked at her.


    "I have something to tell."


    Alexa nodded, worried.


    "I lied to you. The night you saw me giving Alexander some of my blood," after saying that, Magnus was quiet for a moment, but Alexa just sighed. She had recently begun to suspect this.


    "Well, I really have to tell you this from the beginning. I ... It started well before the actual fact. My stepmother Gigi ... She had saved me. She had taken the place of the terrible mother I had, a woman I, as a child was just afraid of. A woman who took me to her insane services, who made me take part in... She used to say we had a secret from my father, and about how bad he was and how he would kill me if he discovered it... Well, that''s how she was crazy. The day my father killed my mother, he also killed me, by accident. Or not by accident, I don''t know. Maybe he didn''t believe that I was his son."


    "Mags¡­ Your father Gutard has no doubt you are his son. He made it absolutely clear on the last day I saw him," Alexa tried to comfort him, but he just made a gesture with his hand, that it didn''t matter.


    "That woman, Gigi, was everything to me. A kind of first love. I was delighted that she took care of me and gave me care and attention. But then ... She had her own baby, my little brother. I didn''t like Alexander''s arrival. She shared the attention that was once mine, with her baby. A baby that had no defects..."


    "What a jealous kid you were!"


    "Yes, of course, as a child, I thought I was being usurped from what was mine. My father and my new mother had a better son than me. He was not patched up, he was not strange and silent, and he was not the son of the wicked madwoman. I secretly kept these feelings in my chest... And as I became healthier, it didn''t mean I was a better child. Every time I was upset, my chest hurt, and I got angry... But I soon found out how to ease this anger. I was cruel to the servants, to the animals... And when my stepmother was arrested, I couldn''t understand. I felt possessed by boundless anger. My father did nothing for her, my father let her be arrested and accused... I didn''t understand why."


    "It must have been confusing and difficult. You were just a child." Alexa was shocked by the revelations, and wondering how much of that was the influence of what was in his chest.


    "My father disciplined me personally. Which made me really hate him. Now, I know how scary I must be, for a child. A prince, whom no one but his father could challenge and discipline. Alexa, believe me. I did horrible, unthinkable things. My father told me he thought of killing me, because I was possessed¡­ I think it was then I understood I had to stop. I had to win over myself, or I would end up dead. Of course, I still didn''t understand why."


    Alexa controlled herself not to show any shock when hearing her husband''s confessions.


    "Still, I hated Alexander. And I hated him even more because everyone feared and avoided me, but they seemed delighted with him. He was handsome, cheerful, adorable ... Even though they said behind his back that he was the witch''s son, everyone melted when he smiled. My father just had violence and horrible words for me, but he had smiles and gifts for Alexander... I stayed in the shadows, just refining that envious resentment... The whispers became louder."


    "You mean, your mother''s ghost? The Castle Shades?" Alexa asked, increasingly distressed about the secrets of Magnus'' heart.


    "Yes. Ghosts of people who died, and that I remembered taking care of me in the past. And her. You can guess what they suggested I do to solve ''the problem''."


    All she could think of at the moment was the confused mind of a little Magnus, feeling lonely and frustrated, disturbed, and pressured by ghosts of cultists and spiteful servants. Tortured by ghosts who may blame him for their deaths.


    "I was twelve years old, and Alexander was almost five when it happened. We were in the woods that today are Alexander''s garden. There were tutors nearby, of course. But I was a smart boy. I had a small knife to peel fruit with me. I lured him into the bushes. And I killed him."


    "Magnus!" she couldn''t hide her shocked reaction, this time.


    "Yes, Alexa. I killed Alexander," repeated Magnus, staring at her.

 Chapter 227 - Back to the Lighthouse

    Alexa looked back at Magnus, feeling so cold that she shivered and hugged herself. At the same time, she felt a strange tingling in her body, and in desperation she looked at the cracks in the door, where the first lights of dawn entered.


    As much as that horrible revelation was shocking and painful, Alexa threw herself into Magnus'' arms, and he held her tightly, smashing her against his chest.


    There was no time for words, or promises. Or even a kiss goodbye. Only the sensation of dissolving in his arms, as if it had never existed, as if it were made of dream''s stuff.


    "NOOOOO!" Their voices mixed, not really wanting to let go of each other''s arms. But the magic was much stronger than them.


    ooo


    Alexa woke up feeling the smell of smoke, and something small and light moving about her. Instinctively she took her hands to protect herself, and found the little feather ball!


    "Romeo!" She sat up, looking around. The surprise was replaced by the thought that Romeo had returned with her because the poor little thing had also been part in the whole body swaps. Was the poor bird free at last? Alexa hoped so!


    She was beside the big fire pit in the top of the lighthouse. But the fire pit had no high flames.


    Still, the heat was still enough to bother and make her eyes sting. The heat was already making a few drops of sweat appear on her face, and she walked away as quickly as possible and headed for the stairs.


    The place had been without its caretakers during the day and night. They were dead. She felt their spirits and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Now that she knew she couldn''t invoke the Light, Alexa was afraid.


    Only when she reached the stairs did she look at herself, protecting the little bird against her chest. She was n.a.k.e.d, as she was moments ago.


    One moment she was in her husband''s arms, and the next she was miles away. This time, however, her own body had come with her. All Alexa could do was trust that Magnus would be back as soon as possible. And run to the castle to find out what had happened to Alexander!


    But first, she needed clothes. Where to find?


    She heard voices, but the sound of the fire crackling did not really let her hear the words. Were they voices of the living? From the dead? Were they new janitors?


    One night had passed after the massacre at the lighthouse. The fire was almost extinguished, due to lack of maintenance.


    Just like herself, Alexa concluded with a tightness in the chest.


    However, at that moment, her instinct spoke louder. Looking around quickly, the princess decided to hide. She would have a lot of work to explain what she was doing there, and on top of that, n.a.k.e.d. People were going up the stairs.


    His first instinct was to enter the open door of Sigrid''s cell, but he immediately regretted it. It was obvious that they were coming here.


    Looking around, she found an old, dirty shirt, really disgusting for being so long abandoned there.


    But she had no choice but to wear it, and quickly.


    Alexa barely had time to do this and hoist herself up on one of the beams on the ceiling of the room, feeling her bandaged hand ache with the effort. Even with Iacintho''s remedies, she was sure Emmeline had unscrewed her wrist.


    Romeo flew to the same beam. She loved that little bird, but her heart froze at the thought that the poor nightingale would give up her whereabouts if she sang and someone looked up.


    Luckily, they weren''t even the only things alive perched on those beams.


    Jette''s sonorous voice echoed in the tower-shaped building,


    "Answering your questions, that''s how I learned that she disappeared at that point, and that all the people who lived and worked here, had died. And as the Prior can see, it happened again. "


    The door leaning against Sigrid''s cell was ajar, and Alexa held her breath, as if it helped her hide better. Under the beam where Alexa was lying and stretched to the maximum, four people entered. Jette''s red hair stood out, and she was able to recognize Prior Ruben Van de Velte immediately. She didn''t know that he was going slightly bald on top of his head, quite naturally. The other two people were wearing hoods and holding torches, Lex was sure that one of them was her brother Narses.


    If Narses had noticed that there was someone else in that room, he gave no clue.


    "And here, was there a witch imprisoned? Reuben went over to the scrawled, soot-blackened walls, and one of the men with the torch quickly illuminated what he wanted to see. Alexa wondered if the prior was aware of the secrets recorded by Gisela''s mother.


    "Many of these things, as far as I could understand, are related to the myth of the demon Orcaius," explained Jette. "My epic is almost over, if I want I will be happy to show it later."


    "Hmmm ... Are you sure that your narratives have the necessary moral background to stop being an apology for paganism, and that they are edifying so that a Christian reader is not horrified?" Reuben asked, with barely veiled disdain. Jette fell silent.


    ''Then that''s it? Is the troubadour writing her supposed masterpiece, which is based on Holstein''s legends? And now, afraid of Alexander, who Jette thinks is possessed by a witch _ me _ ran and allied with the Inquisitors? '' Alexa even wanted to be impartial in thinking that Jette was just thinking about herself, but it was too late. Unfortunately, the bard''s interference was very dangerous for her and Alexander.


    "Jette, I must confess I wasn''t very convinced with your flowery story about the Prince Regent being possessed. But the massacre is really a supicious thing. The Prince''s attitudes have been excentric and erratic lately, according to some reports. "


    Alexa wondered if Reuben knew what had happened in the Forbidden Garden.


    "To claim that my sister is a witch is very frivolous of you, troubadour," Narses, who was closest to the door, spoke at last. "You never thought that she could be a victim?"


    Jette was confused for a moment, turning to face her interlocutor. Narses took off his hood so she could see his face better.


    "Ah, I see! Your sister is missing, my dear. Yes, it is better to think so, then. She is a victim, and something took her body, and then she took the body of the Prince Regent! But I am handing the case over to those I believe are God''s servants prepared to investigate and judge the situation. My observations are product to what I saw and learned: The Prince Regent is possessed. Holstein is in danger. "


    A loud crack at the top of the lighthouse interrupted the conversation, while all four looked at each other.


    "What''s up there?"


    "I think only the lighthouse."


    "Shall we take a look or would you prefer to stay here?"


    Reuben nodded, "Yes, brother, let''s see what else we find. This demonic environment is not healthy, we must get out of here before it contaminates our spirits. "


    Alexa thanked him for thinking so, she also didn''t like that place, and wanted to get away so she could run away. Only when she realized that their voices had departed did she grab Romeo and step down from the lock, slipping down the staircase. Near the exit door she saw an oilcloth coat hanging from a hook, which she immediately covered herself with. There were also wooden clogs, unfortunately no pair as small as her feet, so she abandoned them because they would only get in the way.


    As she left, she saw the horses tied up, and wondered if she should get one. But he decided that this was only going to be a future problem, and he just went the same way he had arrived the first time, avoiding looking at the bodies that were in the same place where they had fallen the day before.


    It would be tiring, but it was her most sensible option.


    "Come on, Romeo. Didn''t you miss Holstein? " she whispered, placing the bird on her shoulder.


    Alexa was arriving at the small isthmus that connected the continent to the piece of land with the lighthouse, when she heard behind her,


    "HALT! STOP!"


    And it was not Narses'' voice.


    ''Ah, of course. I underestimated the fact that a lighthouse is basically a tower, and if someone were up there looking around, they would easily see me. ''


    She wasn''t exactly sure what she was supposed to do now. If she stayed, even if she had Narses by her side, she would have to answer questions she couldn''t, and she didn''t want to answer right now. On the other hand, if she ran away, she was assuming she was guilty of something, wasn''t she? And that would only hinder her fragile relationship with the church.


    She took a deep breath, turned to the lighthouse, and smiling, waved to them!


    "You are alive! Thank God!"


    Internally she preferred to run a thousand times and not talk to Reuben, but apparently it would not be possible to avoid it.


    Narses was the first to come through the door, and ran to his sister, lifting her off the floor to look at her with eyes full of happiness.


    "LEX!"


    She smiled a little, and whispered, "Help me! I just got back! "


    He nodded, and as he put her down again, he kept his arm over her shoulder, turning her to people who were coming out of the lighthouse.


    "Alexa! What are you doing here?"


    "I ... Who are these people?" she asked, to buy time.


    "Ah, yes, let me introduce. Alexa, these are Reuben Van der Velde, my mentor and Prior of the Dominican Order in this region. Bernard, my order brother. And the woman is Jette, an artist who claims to be friends with your husband, my sister. "


    Wow, Narses was really fast! The dismissive tone towards Jette was ostentatious.


    "Your Highness, it is an honor!" Jette was the first to bend over elaborately, and to face Alexa''s bare feet.


    ''Damn it!''


    Reuben and Bernard did the same, but only with the necessary emphasis, and when Reuben looked up, he had a puzzled look in his eyes,


    "Princess? What happened, and what brought you to this horrible place?"

 Chapter 228 - Reunion

    "Ah, I¡­ I had a dream. Horrible." Alexa was a much better liar than that, but that was exactly the intention.


    She wished to seem too embarrassed to lie.


    The problem with lying was always the same: having an excellent memory and guessing what people already knew about the subject. But with so much going on, she didn''t quite remember the name of the convent where she was supposed to be.


    In that case, once she discarded the possibilities of passing out and running away, it was time to counterattack. Of course, with a soft voice and as shaky as possible.


    "And it seems that my dream came true. So many dead people! This place should be locked and protected. What are you doing here?"


    The prior didn''t expect to be questioned and blinked, puzzled.


    "I was warned that something bad had happened here, Your Highness. But I am concerned about your health. Your Highness does not seem to be well ... You are even barefoot and..."


    Alexa looked at her feet, as if she saw them for the first time. Then she looked at Narses. Her brother picked her up immediately.


    "I think my sister is confused, Prior. She has seen horrible things and such a scene is not good for her."


    "Please, Prior¡­ Pray for these helpless souls. This place was once the scenario of many horrible things," the Princess asked. She didn''t even want to look at the depressing scene near the guard''s lodge.


    "A group is coming," warned Bernard, and everyone turned toward the road. The sea and the seagulls made a loud noise that covered the horses'' hoof on the road until they were close enough. Lex immediately recognized ''her'' own horse. That is, the Prince Regent''s horse. He was riding the steed, accompanied by Captain Gunnar and a large group of soldiers.


    Alexander!


    He was awake!


    Asking to get off her brother''s arms, Alexa turned anxiously to wait for him, her heart filled with a sentiment of joy and relief!


    It was absurdly strange to look at the figure she had got used to seeing in the mirror, in the flesh, in front of her.


    Alexander was wearing the same dirty clothes as the day before, the clothes Lex went to sleep in when she put the pomegranate seed under the Prince''s tongue. Still, this person was distinct from the mirror person!


    All she could see now was the difference between them, not the similarities!


    The Second Prince got off the horse in a fluid movement, and came striding towards Alexa.


    The two looked at each other, first with serious looks, but their smiles mirrored immediately. She didn''t know that his eyes carried this depth!


    Then, suddenly, Alexander knelt in front of her, and took her hands, kissing them and placing them tenderly against his face, saying nothing.


    "Ah, Alexander ... You ... My hands are dirty, don''t do that!" Alexa was a little embarrassed, even though her eyes were full of tears for finally finding Alexander in the flesh! Only then did she realize seeing him awake was almost a distant dream. But it was happening now.


    And he continued to hold her dirty hands, which were just now touching the beam full of soot and dust.


    "Don''t be silly!" His hands tightened on hers, while his youthful grin only intensified.


    "Your Highness ..." Narses was noted, with an ''ahem'', bowing respectfully. "Wouldn''t it be better to take the Princess to a less unhealthy place? She just arrived and found us here ... But it seemsagain she had her disturbing dreams, which made her flee through the night aimlessly. And my sister just arrived at this place¡­ Where we found this terrifying scene!"


    Good idea! Sleep-walking! She could count on his brother to make up an indisputable lie!


    Alexander looked at the people around him, nodding briefly to the Prior in recognition of his presence, and fixing his gaze on Jette.


    The princess was astonished. What she had said about Alexander to Magnus was true. She had never before imagined that his youthful beauty could display the same harsh reactions she used to see in Magnus. Or was it all they went through and everything they discovered what made Alexander tougher and less innocent?


    "Jette, Jette, Jette ... Yesterday I committed a mistake about letting you go."


    Alexa saw him imitating her mannerism, this time mockingly. She hadn''t no idea about what he was doing right now, since he was so protective of Jette.


    The troubadour was pale, and her body swayed a little, showing her desire to turn and run.


    But Alexander turned to the Prior again,


    "Those lives, which the Prior sees wasted here... These are the wasted lives from this kingdom''s traitors. First, they had a very simple duty. Keep this forbidden place from the presence of strangers. But they failed. If their reason was banal, so much the worse. If they let an intruder in just for fun, they were useless and dangerous for Holstein''s defense. If for some other reason, they incurred a conspiracy. And their wage was death, deserved as well. And the same intruder," The Prince looked at Jette blankly, "tried to cause an uprising, with insane and unreasonable accusations. Accusing me and my wife of a pact with the Devil, and other bullshit nonsense. My family served God by hunting demon servants for years! And a person I housed and trusted, bit my hand like a snake. In fact, she led an assassination attempt."


    He sighed, looking around with an expression of disgust. The surrounding view was chilling¡­ "Today I returned and found her here, next to the prior. And I wonder: what does Jette want? Does she really have anything against me? Does she want to take down the von Wuttenfals? At whose service? Does she work for the Poles, or any other kingdom? Or has she lost her mind? I must find this out, and she will tell me. And that is why Jette won''t be immediately killed after committing the crimes she has committed. High treason, lead a military rebellion, and try to murder a member of the royal family. Yesterday I was too stunned to realize what you did, Jette. But this morning I see. You killed everyone with your maleditious tongue, and you got our hands dirty."


    "Your Highness!" Jette probably imagined that she would not escape a second time after crossing Alexander''s path again. Alexa wondered why the troubadour just didn''t run away from Holstein, but maybe the Second Prince was right.


    "Crazy! I ask for mercy, Your Highness! This crazy woman was just too scared! And thinking about protecting His Highness, to whom she holds so much esteem!"


    Alexander shrugged when Jette threw herself at his feet,


    "Guards, arrest Jette and take her for questioning."


    "NOOOOO! I just wanted to protect my friend! You, Your Highness! I thought you were in danger!"


    Alexa looked from the corner of her eye to the Prior, who was pale as a wax candle. Certainly afraid of never leaving the lighthouse alive.


    But she knew that even though he was a potential enemy, if something happened to him, things might get even worse.


    "Did the Prior come here to check on Jette''s words?" Alexander questioned.


    "Your Highness, I certainly didn''t know that she led an assassination attempt against a member of the royal family..."


    Alexander stared at him, "In all seriousness, Prior, I thank you for the time-consuming, unpleasant and thorough work you are doing with the sorcery cult infiltrated in the Princess Consort court. Many people must be wanting to feel special in some way, when their relevance and fame have been overshadowed by the horrible events in our kingdom. Perhaps this is the case with the troubadour. But she will pay for what she did, whether intentionally or because of her frivolity. Her destination is the gallows."


    Jette, held by two guards, barely managed to control her tongue when she heard this, but perhaps she thought better of it and remained silent. Lex knew that this woman was dangerous, as well as the Prior. Only now did she understand how Magnus and Alexander felt when she let Lady Gwen leave without punishment.


    "Alexander, can we go?" she asked softly.


    "The prior understands that I am patiently explaining things that are not necessarily church business, just because I am getting tired of having to defend Alexa from ridiculous and malicious accusations? All Alexa has done since she arrived here was to help, generously and putting her own physical integrity at risk. She is a lady of many sufferings, and my family holds her in the highest esteem. Be sure that whoever attacks this lady will face von Wuttenfal''s wrath. And my anger, mainly."


    Well ... He wasn''t very threatening, in fact, even though Alexander was so serious and eloquent. Alexa lowered her eyes to the floor, to keep a straight face, because she knew he was saying exactly what he thought.


    "I am sorry to find myself involved in yet another unpleasant situation and confusing accusations about witchcraft, Your Highness," said Prior Reuben after a while. "And although I always wanted to meet your wife," he emphasized the last words, probably stressing that he was aware of the divorce application and disregarded it, "it''s unfortunate it occured in such a depressing place and situation. But it''s part of my role as a servant of the Holy Church, please understand. "


    "Come and see us tonight, if it''s not a nuisance." Alexander offered, and that was a surprise even for Alexa. "Can Narses accompany his sister, or is he necessary in any way?"


    "No¡­ I think he can go on with his sister, who he misses so much! He has already done many things to be reunited with her," the Prior could not hide his discomfort.


    Turning to his men, Alexander ordered,


    "Soldiers, prepare everything for a Christian burial for these men. Despite being traitors, their relatives will have the comfort of bidding them farewell."


    Alexander still held Alexa''s hand all this time, until he ordered a small detachment to accompany them back to the castle.


    He helped her onto his horse and climbed after her.


    Alexa felt a strange shiver, when he spoke, behind her.


    "I missed already being with you."

 Chapter 229 - Princess Alexa of Holstein is Back

    Her arrival at the side of the Prince Regent caused a surprise in the castle. The news spread quickly, and as soon as they had stepped foot in the main courtyard, the servants and courtiers rushed to see them, finally together.


    At an appropriate time and situation, Alexa would have been happy. If she were not, for example, canceling the marriage, and having married Alexander''s brother. But she could not ignore that their fantastic union was the subject of much curiosity and fascination. It would be disappointing when the news of the annulment was made public. In fact, Alexa shivered when imagining the scandal and repudiation she would face.


    Alexander was awake in his own body, and well. And she had fully returned to her own body, full time. It relieved her. At the same time, Alexa would love not to be there!


    She wanted to be at the traveling artists'' caravan with Magnus.


    But Alexander helped her off the horse, and again took her by the hand,


    "Can you get refreshed and ready to go to my father?"


    Alexa nodded, and soon afterward the castle maids efficiently ''kidnapped'' her and took her to the room she occupied so briefly as Alexander''s wife.


    After a warm and relaxing bath, she was being dressed and helped by all the ladies who still remained on her personal staff. She knew, when asked, that the plague had also hit the castle, and claimed many lives. Edel had been one of the victims, and Maria, dismayed by the death of her younger cousin, had gone to the countryside.


    The feeling that things were returning to normalcy confused her, in fact. After so many adventures, being back in her body and in the castle was disturbing.


    She was being combed, and was absently chewing a cherry pie when Princess Consort was announced. Alexa sighed.


    Cordelia, dressed in black, appeared to have grown even thinner in the short time Alexa had not seen her. Her clothes were loose on her body.


    Alexa stood up, seeing her. She wouldn''t be stingy and put all resentments aside. There was visible suffering on Cordelia''s face.


    "Alexa!"


    "Cordelia! I''m so sorry! I''m sorry for not paying attention to what was happening to you!"


    "I''m sorry for being jealous of all the attention you''ve received! If I hadn''t been so vain, everything would have been so different!" said Gutard''s new wife, taking Alexa''s hands. "Are you hurt?"


    "It''s okay ..." Alexa pulled the bandaged hand gently. "How''s the father-in-law?"


    "Ahhh¡­ I''m concerned, in fact. He is not well, and the events of the previous day left him upset and agitated. He tried to get out of bed and it hurt his legs a lot..." Cordelia examined her face carefully, Alexa realized. Trying to read in her expressions what she knew from the events of the past day. But both were experienced liars. Alexa was aware Cordelia was hiding her knowledge about the garden. She had attended the service, voluntarily or not. Then she played dumb too, playing the same game of ignorance.


    "What happened?"


    "The Prince Regent broke into a garden to look for something. It seems to me that there is a strange rule about this garden ... Which the Prince circ.u.mvented, in some way." Cordelia sighed, staring at her for a few moments, slightly reproachfully.


    Alexa understood that Cordelia wanted to say only with the look that she knew was her in Alexander''s body. Just as she had made clear at Ashgraufelsen. But Alexa was not going to admit it. Her survival instinct told her she should never reveal the whole truth. She looked down thoughtfully and replied,


    "He shouldn''t have done that. But we found some writings stating that we could use a specific plant against the disease that afflicts him. Since he hadn''t fully healed yet..."


    This took Cordelia by surprise, and Alexa was pleased about how her makeshift story made perfect sense,


    "Oh, yes. And if the medicine worked, then Prince Magnus'' expedition must be contacted and returned immediately!"


    Cordelia opened a genuine smile, this time,


    "This is wonderful news, finally! While everyone was thinking that the Prince was acting strange ...! You were looking for a cure!"


    Why did Alexa feel like throwing up when she heard Cordelia talking with so much and sudden encouragement? Was that about Magnus'' return? She didn''t know. But Alexa didn''t even have time to say anything else, since she was told that the Prince Regent was waiting for her. Alexa invited Cordelia to accompany her.


    Alexander waited outside the room, talking to Narses, and turned to them, with the shadow of a smile.


    "Cordelia, my stepmother, thank you so much for spending so much time taking care of my father. Of course, he and I know the reasons, but we will not overlook your usefulness. A dedicated wife will always be praised, and taking care of it is very much worthy of a princess. In the meantime, stay away from Alexa ... It''s not a request. It''s an order."


    The two women gaped.


    Alexa never expected Alexander to act so arrogantly and cruelly, even if he was proving to differ greatly from what she imagined. She didn''t think it necessary for him to offend Cordelia.


    "But¡­ Alexander! Don''t you think you''re overreacting in your care?" She asked cautiously. At the same time, she did not want to undermine the Prince''s authority by questioning him. However, she couldn''t just keep quiet.


    "My stepmother is very intelligent, and she knows that the current situation requires a cautious strategy. I''m just reminding her she might as well spend as much time helping my father. A widow would be nobody in Holstein."


    Alexa blinked. Alexander did not like Cordelia, perhaps much less than Alexa herself, but apparently he was showing how he was Blue Eyes'' excellent pupil. In Cordelia''s place, Alexa would be furious and humiliated.


    Cordelia''s face was heavy and contrite, and she managed to speak, in a choked voice,


    "Y-Your Highness, it is my duty to look after my husband. Strategies are for war. I''m happy for what Coff Coff ... A-Alexa told me. The Prince found a cure. I''m leaving, with your license."


    Alexa noticed that Cordelia''s cough returned.


    After she left, Alexa asked,


    "Was it necessary to do this?"


    "If she didn''t know what to do, now she does. She must stay away from you. All that jealousy could dry you dead with just a look¡­"


    "I agree," said Narses, shrugging. "You refuse to take the necessary actions, Alexa, and that will become a big problem later. At least your husband is attentive and takes care of you."


    Alexa wanted to say that Alexander was no longer her husband, but even if Alexander himself knew and agreed with that, it was a rude thing to say without a good reason. But when she was alone with Narses, Alexa really had a lot to say to him.


    The trio went to the Prince Regent''s room.


    To their surprise, however, Prince Gutard already had visitors. The Prince Regent''s tutors stood beside two ministers, talking to Prince Gutard.


    Alexa also didn''t like to see how the giant Gutard was thin and weak, now that the swelling had subsided.


    Death was definitely waiting for him ... But he was quite attached to this world. His will to live was admirable.


    Everyone greeted each other properly, and Alexa knelt beside the dying man''s bed,


    "Everything will be fine now, Your Majesty! We''re getting to the end of it all. Magnus is returning and Alexander is back. Isn''t that good news?"


    "Ah¡­ The pretty little thing is what she was and it makes me happy¡­ And guilty about you¡­ But here you are. Seeing your face makes me think I played well, after all ..." He put his hand on the Princess'' head, stroking her hair in a benevolent and awkward caress. "Can we talk about this later ...?"


    Alexa nodded, a little confused. What could be more important than that in the Holstein Sovereign''s mind?


    Gutard motioned for Duke Kurt to speak, and Alexander''s uncle turned to his nephew with a deadpan face. Alexander was keeping an impassive face, too, but the very upright posture showed his discomfort with the situation that took him by surprise.


    Narses ... Well, Narses had the gift of mixing with the environment when he wanted to, and he kept himself neutral and discreet, watching everyone.


    "My nephew. As the battle on the eastern front intensifies, and we have received worrying reports, the Duke of Burgundy has advanced rapidly through the territories adjacent to Holstein and W¨¹rtz ... Our divided forces will soon be in trouble. W¨¹rtz has lost a fort to the south, and the enemy army is advancing to the north, which is more unprotected."


    Alexa made quick calculations, understanding that Konrad and Aunt Godiva were in the north, and the armies were insufficient.


    Worse than that, Holstein had withdrawn part of the soldiers promised to defend the allies at W¨¹rtz, to move them into battle against the Poles in the east. The Duke of Burgundy''s consecutive victories would certainly affect the defenders'' morale. Konrad was inexperienced and not warlike. The Duke of Burgundy had chosen well his way to reach Holstein, an important kingdom whose greatest strength was maritime. Forces almost useless in the attack that came by land, finding a capital weakened by the plague.


    All of this she was able to think for herself because of her endless meetings in the shoes of the Prince Regent and also because she remembers Magnus''s meeting in the war room in W¨¹rtz, almost a month ago.


    Alexander frowned, "Can''t we have a little peace for a change?"


    "There is peace in eternal rest," said Duke Kurt to his nephew, enigmatically, and Alexa shivered at the thought if the Duke knew something, "but none of us are really avid for that rest."


    "I know that my brother would be much better than me right now," said the Prince Regent, "But he''s not here. In this case, since General Egon is in the east, I will go to the border with W¨¹rtz with two-thirds of the remaining assets. How long will it take to get them together?"


    Everyone looked at Alexander, gaping.

 Chapter 230 - Unexpected

    "So what happened in both the villa, the cathedral and then in Ashgraufelsen is that Lady Saskia, now Princess Alexa, had a sacred relic with her?" Prior Reuben Van der Velt rubbed his palms with his fingers, probably alleviating the symptoms of sweaty hands. His eyebrows furrowed as Alexander finished the long story, showing his astonishment at what he was hearing.


    The night had come so quickly, and as agreed, the Prince Regent received the Prior for a private dinner. Narses and Blue Eyes were with them, in the same room in which Alexa was once exposed to ridicule in front of a small court.


    The Princess could not help being dumbstruck by the twists and turns of life, but the situation was not yet comfortable.


    The Prior reminded her of a retriever, who was sniffing around looking for rabbits that just wanted to live their lives in peace.


    He certainly had a good nose for what he did. He knew he was faced with a unique case of magic and ''dark'' powers, he just still couldn''t point the finger at it.


    Alexa wondered what he would do if he really got to the truth. Would he remain blindly attached to his dogmas? Would he back away from dealing with powerful nobles? Or would he see the situation as it was?


    From Narses'' reactions, she didn''t have many hopes that would be the last two options. Prior Reuben was nevertheless intriguing, but a major problem.


    Alexa was sitting between Father Agnello and Narses, in front of Prior and Bernard on the other side of the table, with Alexander at the end. She had remained silent while the highest authority in the kingdom at the moment spoke.


    "A relic like this has been in Constantinople all this time, and was it delivered by the Empress to the young Alexa?" the Prior repeated, thoughtful and amazed.


    True Christian relics were coveted and it was possible that a relic with the true miraculous gift was in the possession of an empress. Of course Alexa had never heard of the Lamp of the V.i.r.g.i.n, but Alexander described in detail the small ceremonial lamp capable of illuminating darkness and expelling unclean spirits.


    "Yes, I lied to the witches about Alexa leaving the house and she was there. Frightened by the dreams she had had. Because the burden of carrying such a sacred object was that the Enemy was tempting her with horrible visions and experiences that would have made a man like you cry ... Alexa bear the burden of the relic. But the Lord probably had a purpose for her, since he brought her to Holstein, where she interfered directly in Satan''s work¡­ But in the end, the relic fell on the bridge, when she last used the lamp¡­ "Alexander stood up and went to a table, where he personally took a box richly decorated with ivory and gems. A box worthy of keeping a religious relic, especially if it was truly imbued with sacred power.


    Alexa took a deep breath. She would never have guessed that Alexander was so cold-blooded. Nor that Father Agnello was so unmoved by a lie of this size and gravity.


    She discreetly looked out of the corner of her eye to check her tutor''s reactions, and only saw that he followed the events with half-closed eyes, sipping his wine from time to time.


    Alexander opened the box in front of Prior, and Alexa had to contain her own curiosity, since she supposedly knew the object like the back of her hands.


    "Of course, the relic was found after a search," Alexander completed, with a small smile.


    The Prior made the sign of the cross.


    It was done.


    Alexander had found justifications for the gifts that Alexa presented, as if they were granted by the Christian relic and not inherent in her. He had told how he woke up the day after the wedding when Alexa was at church fighting the demon who had attacked him.


    "And your mysterious illness, was it caused by this demon who was expelled by your wife?" Reuben van der Velt asked.


    "Yes. This was revealed through a dream for Alexa. They had summoned the demon for this. The witch threw her conjure bag in the garden, through a window, and the conjure bag was hooked on a tree. It would be impossible to get out of there and I would die ... But Alexa pushed the demon away. However, as a guarantee, I decided to take the conjure bag out of there, and destroy it."


    The prior''s breathing was heavy enough for him to be heard fighting his heart. Again he looked at the object in the box and pulled out a handkerchief, drying his hands and forehead. Then he looked at Alexa, with curiosity.


    "Your Highness ... Are you still disturbed by visions?"


    Alexa nodded sadly, but then said, "Yes, prior. Nightmares about future things, things I don''t understand. Like the nightmare that took me to the lighthouse, only to find¡­ that."


    "There was a rumor that the Princess had died there," the Prior commented.


    "Alexa had a dream about a witch that my father had trapped there. That witch was my grandmother. My mother''s mother. Which is why my father never killed her. Because I thought she might regret her sins¡­" Alexa''s thoughts fled Alexander''s words for a moment, pondering when Magnus and Alexander discovered this fact. But Alexander still explained, "Alexa tried to cast out the demon that my grandmother served, but was seriously injured. And she was taken to a convent, where she recovered. The place remained defiled after my grandmother died."


    His serious and somber tone was an assertive and cold report, capable of shivering even Alexa, accustomed to the most horrifying subjects.


    "This is the price that those who choose to fight evil have to pay," finally Alexander said, sitting down and taking a sip of his wine, thoughtfully.


    Silence fell on the table. Alexa was still in awe of Alexander''s inventiveness, and wondered if all three, Agnello, Alexander and Narses, hadn''t invented this together to get rid of the Inquisition once and for all.


    "Does the Princess use prayer so that the lamp will be lit?" it was a direct question to her, so Alexander could not take his wife''s word as he was entitled.


    Alexa nodded again, "Yes, Prior."


    "Could you ... Please ... Show me how?" The Prior asked in a humble and kind tone. It was a reasonable request.


    Alexa felt her heart skip a beat, and this time even Blue Eyes shifted in her chair.


    Narses commented in a low tone, "Prior Reuben, I certainly never saw my sister doing this, and I think I would be delighted to see divine power working through a relic that my only living relative used. But that does not mean that the relic can work miracles in any environment and at any time. "


    "It puzzles me that Lady Saskia came here after the massacre at the villa, and didn''t mention any of that."


    "I was afraid. I was a nobody and I had a past that I wanted to forget. I was ready to forget, but the divine purposes for me were very different from what I had imagined, "Alexa said.


    "Could the princess at least show what she does, so that I can record it in a letter to the pontiff?" The Prior insisted, still kindly.


    Alexa lowered her face pretending modesty and embarrassment, hoping that someone would interfere and make the Prior stop insisting.


    Alexander reached out and closed the box with the fake relic.


    "Prior Reuben, there was an essential condition for the relic to emit its light. The Lamp of the V.i.r.g.i.n should necessarily be carried by a maiden ... "


    Alexa held her breath, listening to the heart beating loud and resounding in her ears. ''What?! What did he say?!''


    It was natural for men to shift in their chairs, and the Prior asked, without hiding his astonishment,


    "Oh! I understand! But¡­ in that case, will the marriage annulment be revoked? "


    Alexander gave a crystalline laugh, which startled Alexa,


    "Apparently there is no more possibility of annulment!"


    ooo


    Alexa entered the room next to yours, where Alexander was currently taking off his shirt.


    The Princess looked around, recognizing the objects she had used, the canopy bed of stars, and even the toiletries, as if they were her own. In fact, the princess room was not as expensive as this one. And even looking at Alexander''s body confused his mind. That body had been his. He was more developed, more flushed, more full of life.


    Your life.


    Half of his life he had left for Alexander.


    Without turning around, and putting on another shirt, the Second Prince asked,


    "Is Balbo all right?"


    "Yes. He said he''ll be up tomorrow to go with you to the border. He''s crazy, because he has fractures and wants to pretend that everything is fine. " The question took Alexa''s focus for a moment, and she answered honestly. I had just returned from the infirmary. "He asked about his cat. I sent for the puss. "


    "Cats make me shiver, and you know why," he commented, pretending to shiver. "Me and Romeo." He went to the covered cage, peering under the cover to see how his pet was doing.


    But Alexa had not come there for pleasant conversations. It was impossible to look at him and recognize the person he spoke to the first time inside a bird.


    "Alexander. I did not understand. I really don''t understand what you did that night. What''s the point of that? Why did you say that to Prior, and why did you let him think we''re a couple?"


    "Alexa, it''s simple. I changed my mind," he replied with a smile.

 Chapter 231 - Mists Dismissed

    "You¡­?! You changed your mind?!" Alexa''s mind went through a state of confusion, amused disbelief, because he could only be kidding. Then shock, to realize that Alexander was not kidding. Again incredulity and confusion, and finally, anger.


    Yes, anger. "What are you saying, Alexander? You can''t play around with that. You know what happened. You know it''s not possible. You know that¡­"


    Tying the straps on his shirt, he approached Alexa, as if he were very calm and in control,


    "Alexa! Calm down. The inconstancy of life should excite your spirit. It''s quite different from the immobility of death ... from which we rarely escape."


    "Bullshit! Don''t pour philosophy on me. Why are you doing this?! Have you gone crazy? You were the first to say I could ... No! You said I should! And that a piece of paper was nothing to us!" her voice was squeaky and trembling, and Alexa was so shocked and upset that she wished to punch Alexander.


    "And it''s not, Alexa. I''m not unable to see that you and Magnus needed to do that. And you would, with or without my consent. But... You can come to conclusions on your own, if you can''t see that I''m doing the best for us..."


    "I don''t know if I can reach the same conclusions as you! You changed! You¡­ You are no longer the sweet person I met, whom I married!" she exclaimed, feeling that her head was going to explode.


    "Well, you married a sleeping person¡­ In many ways, Alexa. How could you know me? And who am I? Who are you? I''m not the only one here with many facets. Does everyone have to be just one thing? Does Balbo have to be just one thing? Cordelia? My dad? Your brothers? Mags? No, Alexa, we are much more than just a single face, which never changes. You have been several things and will become others soon."


    "No! I said it already! No rambling! I want direct answers, Alexander! Why are you doing this?!" A fear took over Alexa''s mind little by little, like a fog enveloping her little by little.


    Alexander stared at her for a moment and then said,


    "I woke up Alexa. The spell is finally over." And turning to the window, he said,


    "Narses, come in at once. Your sister needs you now. I need to leave and prepare a lot of things tonight."


    Alexa blinked, dumbfounded. Not only were they being spied on. It was Narses. And did Alexander know that Narses was there all along?!


    After a few moments, Narses revealed himself and jumped in, taking the hood off his face. He didn''t look happy, and came to his sister''s side. Alexa glanced at her brother''s face, looking for some clue as to what was going on, but Narses kept his serious eye on Alexander.


    The Prince Regent looked at them both, and went to the bed to get the jacket and cloak that were there.


    "We are going to have to leave some things unresolved, since the problem of the living is more urgent than the problem of the dead. We are in war. This is easy to understand, isn''t it?"


    Alexa was gritting her teeth in anger.


    "You can''t just ignore what happened!"


    "I know I don''t. But all in good time. And tonight, I need to join an army."


    "I''ll go with you!"


    "You are not going. I would rather, I really wish you were with me, but you can''t. "


    "Why not?!"


    "You are expecting a baby."


    "...!"


    "...!"


    Alexa looked at her own hands, because they were shaking with the news. Alexander left, closing the door behind him, and only after a few moments Alexa came to her senses, and ran after him.


    "HEY! COME BACK HERE! COME BACK HERE! YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT!" she shouted in the hall. The guards pretended not to see or hear anything, unmoved.


    "Are you sure?" he turned over his shoulder, with an amused smile. At the end of the corridor, high-ranking warriors were waiting for him.


    "Come back here! We''re not done yet! ALEXANDER!!!"


    "I will be back, Alexa. We will talk later!" he responded in the same way, joining the warriors. Alexa kicked the carpet, fists clenched in frustration, and ran back to Alexander''s room.


    "Narses ...!"


    "Alexa!" her brother was as astonished as she was, and he hugged her. "Are you expecting a baby?"


    "How could I know?" She was frightened, frustrated, confused, and buried her face in her brother''s chest. Narses patted her back.


    "Hey listen. So that''s how you guys talked?"


    "Don''t look at me like that! We were canceling the wedding. He even¡­" Her outrage at the changes in plans that Alexander had taken the best of her, and she released her brother and went to the window, trying to contain tears of anger from falling. "Why is he doing this?!"


    "Because he likes you. Isn''t it obvious?"


    "No! It''s not obvious! Why would it be obvious?! He made me believe he liked someone else. He sent me to Magnus..."


    "Ahhhh, a man''s heart is not something a woman can understand..." pondered her brother, placing himself beside her by the window. "But you were almost there. Try to understand, as he said. Make an effort to put yourself in his shoes... And remember. He''s not a man anymore."


    "What are you saying..." As always, absorbed by superficial things, Alexa knew she was pushing the truth behind a curtain, where she wanted it to stay until it was no longer true. She ran her hands through her hair in exasperation.


    "Narses ... Magnus told me he killed him when Alexander was a child ..." She took a deep breath, looking out the window at the stars and the rough sea. His brother put his elbows on the par.a.p.et, thoughtfully,


    "Hmmm¡­ You have a guess of the amount of power needed for a soul to stay in a body, haven''t you? You mean¡­"


    Alexa realized that she would have no alternative but to reveal Magnus'' secret.


    "In short, in the past a woman came to Holstein intending to wake up Orcaius and becoming his servant or his queen. At least the first position was already occupied by Gisela. The two started a dispute that neither won... Both were chained to their regrets and tasks as ghosts. And on top of it, haunting the monarch who had the misfortune to fall in love with them, successively¡­ This Gutard has such a bad taste for women..." Narses put the narrative in order so he could understand, extracting the essence from everything Alexa revealed. His sister nodded,


    "Yes, and the firstborn, Magnus, was killed by accident. Desperate, Prince Gutard asked Gisela for help. She resurrected Magnus using a heart of stone ... A lich''s heart. For that, she offered me, a Light Bearer, for the lich. Some time later, she connected me to her son, Alexander, by magic."


    "The Firstborn, out of jealousy and supposedly hearing voices, kills his younger brother. But his baby brother does not die."


    "It doesn''t fit." Alexa didn''t want to focus on the terrible crime Magnus committed. She knew he tried to atone for his sins, but it was a crime the same. "Magnus would not carry all the guilt he does if he had simply discovered that Alexander is immortal¡­"


    At the same time that Alexa said this, she remembered the first time the First Prince brought the subject of immortality up. "Wait! Magnus probably never thought it because he thought he was the one who resurrected Alexander. Using his magic blood!"


    "Yeah, that makes sense," Narses pondered, in an unimpressed tone. Alexa however was hyper excited, biting the side of the fingers as her habit.


    "He may have found out it could keep Alexander alive. And he must have done it several more times, to know that his blood needed to be taken at regular intervals to keep Alexander''s life¡­ And Alexander in his body..."


    Narses mused, "Basically what we know of an upir. Perhaps the heart in Magnus''s body would give him that power. At least, that was what he believed. Even so, it was a power of limited effect ... Alexander must never have been entirely normal. In fact, even the fact that he could have grown up impresses me... I am not Iacintho and I was never interested in these aspects of death. But it''s fascinating."


    Alexa nodded, that was her own feeling too. Perhaps the fact that she and Alexander were connected in some way was a factor that influenced them both? He was not an upir ... At least not a normal upir. What did he feed on? It was clear that he had little appetite, unlike Alexa, who was always hungry.


    "But when half of your life was donated to Alexander''s magically animated body, it made all the difference. And I can tell you, I hadn''t seen a soul as unique as Alexander''s before. It''s bright and awe inducing¡­ When I saw it, I thought an angel was talking to me!" continued Narses, lowering his voice to little more than a whisper. "Except¡­ Maybe Alexander wasn''t really influenced by Magnus''s blood¡­ But he might be a powerful person himself. Someone who was looking to escape a curse and needed several things for it. A new body. And the Light to see the way..."


    Alexa put her hand on her chest, feeling it hurt.


    "Are you basically telling me Alexander never existed?"


    "Of course he did. You know that an existence is an existence. He lived and thought as Alexander. Like Alexios, my favorite brother_ he also existed for me, and for many people."


    "What''s up with you guys tonight? I don''t want to think in depth! I need answers!"


    "Only he could tell you for sure, Alexa. In case he wants to. But that Prince is no ordinary person. He''s powerful and unique. I fear that he''s in fact¡­"


    "Orcaius!" Alexa completed, feeling that she needed to speak the name aloud to stop denying what everything pointed to.

 Chapter 232 - Knowing Alexander

    Alexa was sitting on her bed, looking at Romeo''s cage in her hands, almost without blinking. She had been there for some time. And she couldn''t say how much, after her brother finally had to go after they talked a lot.


    The nightingale returned from its night flight and landed on top of the cage, facing Alexa.


    "I prefer you like that, Romeo," she lamented to the bird. "I also preferred Alexander like that..."


    Another thing worried her mind. If she was pregnant, her son or daughter was in a delicate situation. Right now, she needed to find out if that was true, but how could she expose herself like that? She felt nothing different in herself. That is: everything had just happened. She swallowed a cursed pomegranate seed; had her first time with Magnus; the spell on her body and soul was completely broken, casting her back to the lighthouse; and Alexander had said she was pregnant. Alexa knew it could be true ... She felt nothing different but an overall sense of being healthy again, though. However, Alexa could credit this to several other factors.


    The Princess heard light footsteps in the hall, and hesitation at her bedroom door.


    It was Alexander.


    Alexa quickly got under the blankets_ she didn''t want to talk to him now. It is, she needed to talk to him, she just didn''t want it to be now.


    He opened the door, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to calm her agitated breath.


    So she heard his footsteps approaching the bed, and when he leaned over to reach the cage in the middle of the bed, she instinctively flinched.


    "So are you here, Romeo? Did you miss your warm nest next to Alexa''s body? I miss that, too," she heard him say. Alexa couldn''t shrink any more than she already was, thinking of his words.


    The mattress sunk slightly when he went up, sitting down next to her.


    "GAHHHHH!" Alexa gave up pretending to be asleep, throwing the blankets up. She already knew she wasn''t really having much success,


    "What are you doing here?! And with boots on my bed?! And... And you smell like smoke, wine, and horse sweat, not to say worse! Could you ''not smell bad'' on my clean sheets?" She didn''t look at his face to know his reactions, but she heard him laugh with his youthful, clear crystal voice.


    "It''s the first time we''ve shared a bed like a man and a woman, awake and in their respective bodies, and you already accept that we''re a couple ... since you treat me like we''ve been married for at least twenty years."


    Alexa narrowed her eyes, looking sideways, and muttered,


    "I''m not lying."


    "I know you don''t. But understand me at least this time. I already understood all the situations where you smelled like fish, old man''s fart, and a thousand other things but roses ... And I managed to survive."


    The princess opened her mouth to contest, but it was probably true.


    "Don''t be so sulky. You said you wanted to talk to me! I came back for that. I know I owe some explanations and I don''t want you to resent it."


    "Do you want me not to be resentful? Ah Alexander, I''d love to strangle you right now!" She showed her clawed hands to him, who pursed his lips with a guilty and amused look.


    "Forgive me. I could not avoid many things that have happened. They were out of my control. I tried to do my best not to hurt you ... But you will see I am thinking about your wellbeing and... everybody''s wellbeing, in the end." He held out his arm for Romeo to stroll along its length.


    "You..." she got up and stood on the bed. Standing taller than him, facing him, was a way of trying to make him change his attitude. This calmness and condescension emanating from Alexander annoyed her deeply.


    Alexander looked up at her, seeing that the princess was staring at him, with her finger raised.


    "No¡­ I couldn''t tell you what I didn''t even remember, Alexa. The fact is that I was Alexander as far as I was able to be... Poor creature... Let''s say I also had to live as someone else, just as you had to live like Alexios. The difference is that I didn''t remember who I was¡­ But, at the same time, I knew I wasn''t who they said I was."


    "You ... Aren''t you the real son of Gutard and Gisela?"


    "Yes, I am. I just had no memory of what I had done and who I really was. I had no dreams of my own, I just dreamed of your life... I knew you were someone else, so... Who was I? I had to find out."


    Alexa put her hand over her mouth,


    "When did you wake up? Now, with the pomegranate? Don''t tell me that. You have been very strange lately."


    "Since you arrived in Holstein¡­ And you softened the heart in Mags'' chest. From that moment on, I started to remember, little by little. I didn''t always understand what was going on, though. It was confusing and frightening¡­ But the time of fear is over."


    "Is it really your heart in his chest?" Alexa asked, afraid of the answer.


    But Alexander didn''t answer her question. Instead, he carefully placed Romeo in the cage. "I didn''t want to lie, but if I told you the truth, you would be gone. If I said you were meant for me before you were even born..."


    "You raised Mildred, didn''t you? Now what Eldric said makes perfect sense!!! The gods visiting his home!" she exclaimed, pointing at him again, and then kicking Alexander''s knees, releasing her frustration when she realized that Alexander had been lying for a long time.


    He was taken by surprise, and defended his knees with his hands, until Alexa stopped her immature reaction.


    "You took too many risks for me and I will always be grateful. I can''t imagine a person as generous and innocent as you, if I hadn''t lived by your side."


    "I am not generous. Not innocent, either," Alexa crossed her arms and made a face, and Alexander closed his eyes for a moment.


    "All right. Forgive me. I was the one who had a lot of fun moments by your side. I was scared, angry, embarrassed and had all kinds of good and refreshing emotions. I was a bird! I have been close to your heart so many times that sometimes I long for the thump-thump only your heart knows how to do... It''s a place where I will always feel safe. I shouldn''t be saying that. You are looking at me with a murderous look that can even scare me."


    The fact that Alexander had his eyes closed when saying this was impressive, and Alexa shivered.


    "I know that you are actually a lich who is somewhere under Holstein, like Volos! You have taken possession of this body, but you have neither this face nor this youth."


    "Ah Alexa, Alexa¡­ Are you trying to offend me or is that a question?"


    "It''s kind of question," she mumbled cautiously for a change, assessing whether she was provoking the powerful lich too much.


    "I am not exactly a lich. Like Volos, I mean. I will grant you this truth because you are my wife. The woman I love."


    Alexa swallowed.


    "Love? If you love why ... Why?! I don''t understand this love!!!" she sat down abruptly on the mattress, and the Prince opened his eyes, staring at her.


    "Do you need to understand love?"


    "...!"


    "There is nothing to understand about love. I didn''t choose you to love."


    Alexa didn''t know how to answer the words spoken so clearly, or to stare into her eyes, without shame or fear.


    "Alexander will not be returning. He was part of me, but when he fully awoke, he was gone. He was probably more fun, but I will do my best ... In my old spirit, so as not to upset her." Seeing her embrace as if she were cold, Alexander took the blanket and placed it on Alexa''s shoulders, kneeling behind her on the bed.


    "Hold on just a little longer. This son has obligations to the father who looked after him so dutifully, so lovingly. I''m going to war. Until Magnus is back, at least. I''m sure our enemies won''t be prepared for it," he shrugged, and the princess got alarmed.


    "Are you really going to avoid talking about our situation? About Magnus, you and me?" Alexa was not comfortable talking about it after hearing Alexander confessing his feelings. But if she was pregnant, this son was unquestionably Magnus''! And more than that, it was Magnus that she wanted to be married to! She couldn''t deny that anymore.


    "He''s definitely going to be mad at me. But he can''t kill me anymore, can he? Because he did it once ... And it was horrible, to tell you the truth. But I don''t hold a grudge... I will reward him with everything I can do for him, Alexa. But don''t think I can give you up now. It''s beyond me, I''m sorry."


    "Get out of here, Alexander," she managed to say, annoyed beyond words. She couldn''t tell whether Alexander was being cynical or was really serious.


    The Prince got out of bed, and went to the door.


    "But I won''t go to war until I say goodbye. It''s the least a couple should do... Then we will see each other soon. And Alexa¡­ I''m going to ask you a favor."


    "What?" she replied brutally.


    "Do not disturb Gutard. Don''t tell him. Don''t let him die in disgust for failing. He was an excellent father for Magnus and me. What would we have done without his disciplinary love?"


    She couldn''t even imagine what kind of powerful monsters they would be.


    "Nor tell anything to ''Blue Eyes''. I like what you call him. He worked hard for us, too."


    This made Alexa question, despite having sent her husband out,


    "What''s your deal with Letitia, anyway?"


    "Hm..." he turned over his shoulder. "You will soon know. Alexa¡­ Take good care of yourself. Don''t take unnecessary risks. There are still many dangers around you. Stay away from Cordelia."


    "If you think so, why don''t you just send her away?"


    "Because you convince me she serves some purposes. She''s taking good care of my father, either because of some kind of self-inflicted penance, or because this is her gift. And my father is taking good care of her... Because he needs to redeem himself with women, don''t you think so? So, we must not interfere in that."


    "...!"


    The door closed behind Alexander, leaving Alexa with more questions.

 Chapter 233 - Scaffold

    "Your Highness! Your Highness! Please wake up! Forgive me, but Your Highness needs to wake up!"


    A distant voice called her, but Alexa wanted to continue sleeping. In her dream, she was walking along a path of petals towards the door of the Fortuneteller''s wagon, where Magnus was. Ah! She knew they were now married and could repeat all their lovemaking again and again! She longed for it!


    But even though she struggled to sleep, she couldn''t keep the reality out of her head. Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath, regretting having woken up.


    "Your Highness, please forgive me! Duke Kurt demanded that I do this!"


    She sat up, making a face.


    The servants had dismayed expressions, lined up in front of her bed, and Bertha was beside the bed, waiting for the Princess''s reaction.


    "What can he want now?"


    "Your Highness. The Duke brought the doctor and the royal midwife with him."


    "...!" Alexa''s eyes widened, stunned. "What the hell, what does he want with that?"


    "Your Highness¡­ Do you want us to send a message to the Prince Regent? He''s in the Field of Mars, gathering the army."


    "Where''s my tutor, Father Agnello? Or Balbo?"


    "Ah ... We can find out, Your Highness!"


    "Please! Fast! And send someone after my brother too!" Alexa still didn''t understand what the Duke could want with this, but her guts were not at all happy about it. It couldn''t be good, so early in the morning. But well, it wasn''t so early in the morning, but past midday, to be honest.


    He was certainly there to see if she was really pregnant. But was that possible, so soon? Or did he doubt Alexander''s word?


    Well, that was really confusing.


    Moments later, the door to Princess Alexa''s chambers was opened for the small group to enter. Duke Kurt, Cordelia, Charlotte, an elderly woman with a scrutinizing gaze and the doctor Ceridom were there, staring at her with at least some real embarrassment on their faces. Alexa considered that, if the Princess Consort was right there even with the express orders of the Prince Regent forbidding her to be close to Alexa, it was something very serious and which required her presence.


    After morning greetings, Alexander''s uncle spoke, and his expression reflected his displeasure.


    "Early in the morning the bishop sent me a letter asking about Princess Alexa''s marital status ..."


    "Marital status?"


    "Was the marriage consummated? Wasn''t the marriage consummated? " he summed it up barely managing to control the irritation in his voice. But to amend his harshness, he smiled,


    "The Princess is aware that the marriage annulment was requested, and it was just one step away from being sent to Rome¡­ I don''t know if the Princess is aware, however, of what was agreed between our family¡­


    Alexa just wanted to disappear, she didn''t want to explain about it! She felt so lonely and miserable all of a sudden! She was being asked if they had consummated the marriage. Yes, she had, but not this marriage to Alexander! And if the Duke was referring to the promise that Prince Gutard made, about Alexa being able to choose between his sons... If only it were that simple. She knew who she wanted, but she also understood the consequences of saying that right now, openly. Magnus wasn''t even there. If she made public that Magnus and her were married ''secretly'', it would be disastrous!


    "No... Can we wait a moment to have this conversation?"


    "Your Highness, many decisions depend on your response. In order for the claim for annulment to follow the previous allegations of Prince Alexander and Prince Gutard, the consummation of the marriage would have to be refuted. So I ask, has the marriage been consummated? "


    Trying to buy some time, Alexa asked,


    "If the marriage had been consummated, could it not be annulled?"


    "Is it your wish that it be canceled?"


    ''Damn bastard, why such a direct question?'' At the same time that this seemed like her exit door, Alexa could see that there was a trap on the other side of the door.


    "I am embarrassed by all of this. Badly waking up and already being summoned to give such important answers. "


    "What makes me happy is that Princess Alexa is not an ordinary, squeamish or fragile woman as many believe. She is an enlightened woman, with great knowledge and courage, and who is not easily intimidated, "replied Duke Kurt promptly.


    ''Smart asshole, you really want me to take a stand! But I wonder: what do you get out of it?''


    "Yes, as I had already talked to Alexander, it''s my wish to cancel the marriage. It''s also his wish, as he stated to his family and to the Church," she said.


    Alexa saw Cordelia slightly open her mouth, and Charlotte held her breath.


    The Duke put his hands back, and said,


    "Alexander told me that he changed his mind about this, and that he thinks you would change your mind too. He says Your Highness is pregnant¡­" Kurt scratched his eyebrow, looking away from Alexa.


    The princess shrugged her stomach instinctively.


    "If so, everything gets complicated, Alexa. Maybe you want to talk to more experienced women before we make anything official? The consummation of a royal marriage must be recorded accordingly in the books of the kingdom. As an enlightened woman you should know this. We will need to know the approximate day and time of consummation, since there were no witnesses. Or ... Was there no consummation?"


    Alexa felt sweat dotting her forehead, she knew that no matter what she answered, the fact would be checked. They would discover that she was no longer a v.i.r.g.i.n. This would lead to an endless cycle of questioning.


    "I ..." she had no choice but to buy some time with what she could. "It''s better not to send the letter to Rome, and wait for the end of border conflicts to think about personal matters. This is a subject that can wait."


    The Duke nodded, assertively. "Well then. What about the consummation record? "


    Alexa thought for a while. The last thing she wanted to do was register that she slept with Alexander when it didn''t happen. A piece of paper might not mean anything to a creature like Orcaius ... but it would mean it to men, and it would mean it to her child.


    "Let the Prince Regent''s record be registered. I don''t want to be touched, "she made a dismissive gesture, and the midwife spoke for the first time,


    " Forgive me, Your Highness. I promise to be brief and careful!"


    "NO!"


    This time, Duke Kurt''s gaze was icy. "The Princess is making a big mess, at an unnecessary time. I hope you are aware of the moment Holstein is going through and losing focus with these kinds of problems just do us harm!"


    "So, just forget about me here! Just forget that I exist!" she exclaimed, aghast.


    "Your Highness is getting nervous, but needlessly," Charlotte said softly, seeing the expression of disgust on the Duke''s face. "These intimate matters need to be dealt with here in the West¡­ They need to be recorded, in the royalty. Please understand that, if His Highness The Prince Regent has that impression, we should be able to appease his doubt. We cannot neglect a pregnant woman, let alone a princess expecting the Prince''s first child."


    Alexa felt deeply unhappy, but she shook her head stubbornly, gathering the tears she could to defend herself,


    "Please, get out of here! I don''t want any of that."


    The situation was untenable while The Duke waited for a moment for her to change her mind, but Alexa just kept quiet and with her arms crossed.


    "What the hell, no one is intimidating you like that to cry your petals out! These are straightforward and honest questions, and the fact of not answering is very strange!"


    "After everything that happened in this city, in this castle and with this family, who could blame me for wanting to be cautious? I already said: Let it be registered as what the Regent ordered. Let it be decided as the Regent decided. If he doesn''t wish to send the letter to Rome, let it not be sent. If he wants to announce me pregnant, let it be announced."


    With no room for argument in the face of the Princess''s stubborn and closed stance, the Duke withdrew, followed by the others.


    Alexa took a deep breath, wiping tears from her face, feeling like she was on fire for being in this situation! She didn''t even doubt that this was a ploy by Alexander himself, to force her to accept the situation she was in now.


    Bertha, the head of her chambermaids, entered shortly afterwards, with her hands on the white apron,


    "Your Highness, a messenger has returned from the city. Your tutor, Father Agnello, is watching the hanging of the troubadour Jette Alegoria. And he asked the Princess to go there immediately."


    Alexa raised an eyebrow, restless. That was unusual and even for a person used to morbid things, of very bad taste. She knew that many people liked to watch executions, but she was definitely not one of those. She also couldn''t imagine the Florentine priest was that type of person either.


    Thinking that way, she figured there must be a good reason why he wanted her there.


    Fully covered by a cloak, Alexa arrived in the downtown accompanied by an escort. It was impossible to get rid of the guards and at least she managed to come in a discreet carriage.


    A small crowd had gathered around the Execution Square, and they were watching the scaffold with interest. From a distance Alexa saw Jette, in a beautiful outfit of flashy colors, and the rope around her neck, speaking loudly.


    "Is she¡­ reciting poetry?" Alexa asked while standing next to Father Agnello. The priest was standing directly in front of the scaffold, holding his rosary. He was staring at Jette, but Jette just looked at the horizon, without looking at anyone.


    The priest didn''t answer, but his page, a boy from the Italian court, spoke after he bowed respectfully.


    "Your Highness, forgive me for clarifying. The priest is praying for the troubadour. The troubadour was convicted of treason, but used a favor from the Prince to obtain one last wish: to recite her incomplete last work before she died. She''s been talking nonstop for an hour or so."


    "Oh!" Alexa turned to Jette.


    "Overwhelmed by the warrior of irrefutable deeds, the Dark Lord lays and sleeps¡­"


    Alexa was paying attention.. Was she talking about Orcaius?


    The princess understood that at that point in the narrative of the troubadour''s unfinished epic, Jette tried to tell the whole story of Holstein. The true story. She must have spent a long time researching different sources to have so many interesting facts, narrated in a mesmerizing way in elaborate verses and perfect metrics. Jette was a true artist ... But she had incurred the fury of her patron. She had committed an inexcusable crime.


    One verse caught the princess'' attention. Within the troubadour''s intricate poetry, there was mention of the Gates of Hell in the depths of Holstein, guarded by a three-eyed bitch... There the greatest treasure of the Hell King Orcaius was kept. Unfortunately, Jette passed this point very quickly, advancing in her poetry without returning to that intriguing detail.


    The poetress''s voice was already breaking, and sometimes she apologized for a part that was not well elaborated, going on to another. But her strength was running out, as was her voice.


    In any case, Jette''s poetry was not being well understood by the people who had gathered to listen to it. Despite her popularity, her epic gradually became dull and dark for the commoners, who lost interest and began to ask for the troubadour''s death. That was an easy and quick show.


    "Faster! We don''t have all day!"


    "Jette! It''s boring! Sing for us that other song! ''Catina of the Friendly Thighs'' ballad!"


    Alexa bit her lip in anguish, at the irreverence of the people. Jette''s humiliation was cringeworthy.


    Jette looked at the priest, and wiping tears from her eyes on her shoulder with a nod, the troubadour raised her head and began to sing, in her broken voice, the libidinous song of a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e named Catina.


    The scaffold opened, and Alexa closed her eyes.

 Chapter 234 - In the Shadows of the Cathedral

    Alexa spent the afternoon with Prince Gutard. Unfortunately they could not be alone at any time.


    The Princess could see that, in fact, Cordelia and Ceridon were doing their best to keep him comfortable and well. Alexander had already said that it was only a matter of time before Gutard died, unfortunately. She at least wished he could make it up to himself, and relieve some of the weight in his judgment. That was what his children wanted, too.


    But her return to the castle, like Alexa, became uncomfortable. The noble ladies who had not gone to their rural residences sought to invite her to join them at their small events. Alexa could not deny a visit or two in the early evening, from people who said they were sick and begged her to go to pray in their rooms. Feeling, and knowing herself an imposter, but unable to deny this kind gesture, she visited these women and spent time with them.


    This side of femininity was still the most complex for her! Her experience at the convent at least prepared her for this, and the princess tried to be empathetic and kind.


    She learned that the city was in an uproar because of the imminent departure of an army to the western border. Even the castle was busy. Father Agnello had left the castle after Jette''s execution to some private matters, Alexa found out with sadness.


    While the maids helped her get dressed to sleep, Alexa''s mind wandered to Magnus. Was he coming? According to her calculations, Magnus should not have taken more than a week to return if he came by sea. Alexa suspected that this would be his route, since even the match avoided the conflict with Burgundy. In addition, he had a captain with him.


    But she didn''t know what to expect when he finally arrived. What would happen? She was afraid to think. She was afraid to pose as an element of dispute. At the same time, she was afraid of being passed over by Magnus in favor of his brother. ''Does he love his brother better, or me?''


    She shook her head, trying to get the insidious question out of her mind.


    ''While I am here, I shouldn''t just be waiting idly.'' She could, for example, try to find out what Volos had to do with Holstein. She remembered the tapestry in the lich lab, with ancient images of Holstein. Was he really that old? And if it was, did that mean that Orcaius was still much older ... Had Volos been one of Orcaius'' disciples?


    She had some clues about Volos, and maybe with that, she could find out even more about Orcaius.


    The guard at her door warned of Lady Duvignes'' arrival.


    Just out of curiosity, Alexa ordered to be let in.


    What could Duke Kurt''s spiess want with Princess Alexa?


    When the French lady entered, she bowed respectfully and with a graceful smile.


    Alexa could not help comparing herself with Charlotte, and recall Magnus'' silly comment, trying to appease her. ''After I met you all women became dull... I know, Magnus von Wuttenfal! A woman like that didn''t become a vase or a painting in the wall...! You liar! But I liked what you said, hihi. They will have to become landscapes on the wall from now on, or I will rip your ear off!'' she thought, narrowing her eyes.


    "Uh! Oh sure, thanks for the welcome, Lady Duvignes." ''Am I to offer condolences for the death of her husband? Uhn, I won''t do that. He tried to kill Alexander, and I had a hard time for it¡­ ''


    "Your Highness, unfortunately the subject that brings me here is not very pleasant, but I shouldn''t postpone it anymore," the other woman paused to make sure Alexa was paying attention and that she was allowed to continue speaking,


    "After I was cleared of participating in a plot to assassinate His Highness Prince Alexander, I helped the Castle Guard''s Captain Gunnar, to find the evidence against the witches who were here¡­ and I had been, along with Your Highness, the first person to arrive on the spot when that maid was murdered. I hope you remember this fact... So the Captain allowed me to deliver the item that I believe belongs to him," the French ambassador''s widow held out a silk scarf to the princess with both hands.


    Alexa opened the scarf, checking with surprise that it was the yellow topaz heart, which should be in her wedding dress. Touching that stone that caused so much greed and the death of a girl, gave her a shiver down her spine. Even more to remind her of the drawing on the tower wall.


    That yellow heart should have been on her dress, but she married with an amethyst heart over her heart...


    Magnus asked for her hand in marriage first, but she married Alexander instead...


    The prophecy spoke of two gates or doors, but she opened only one¡­


    "I am sorry for all the pain that was caused because of this. I was involved in this situation without being able to let go, Your Highness. But I never wanted to hurt any of you, I hope you understand."


    "Uhum."


    Charlotte Duvignes blinked, trying to hide her shock at Alexa''s rudeness. The Princess wasn''t being rude on purpose, just her mind rushed.


    She needed to talk to her brother, actually.


    Charlotte Duvignes tried again,


    "I don''t know why the witch really wanted this object, but it might be accursed now. To tell you the truth, Your Highness, and I hope you don''t misunderstand me, I have a contact here in the city who can examine this ... If Your Highness wants it."


    Charlotte Duvignes certainly knew how to be useful. But Alexa already knew who her contact was, and could also count on her brother to go to the Jewish sage in the ghetto. Perhaps he knew more about Orcaius. The princess certainly didn''t want Lady Duvignes to be with her when they spoke of Orcaius. This was an excellent night to do this, with everyone in an uproar in the castle and in the city, preparing for war.


    "I appreciate your suggestion, Lady Duvignes, and I think it will be clever to examine this more carefully. I also thank you for keeping this jewel until my return. I will certainly accept your help for this ... but at another time. Right now, I need another favor ... And if you can do this for me, I will be very grateful," she said with a smile.


    Charlotte seemed satisfied that her approach was successful, and helpfully agreed, as Alexa imagined it would be.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    An hour later, Alexa had managed to get out of the castle incognita, through Charlotte''s room. Her guard was still waiting at the door of the Frenchwoman''s room, and Alexa left the castle when some wagons with supplies left the gates.


    She would meet Narses and together they would go to the Jewish ghetto. She didn''t want everything she discovered to go straight to Duke Kurt''s ears. He seemed to like Alexa less than he had shown to like Alexander. The change in status and the revelation that Magnus was not his son may have upset him and changed his plans, although Alexa never found out what those plans were.


    Following the wagons with supplies, she left only when the carts went to the gates to the west, towards the Field of Mars. Narses had said he would be at the rectory tonight, and that was where Alexa was going.


    His quick steps echoed in the stone streets near the cathedral. It was late enough that "good" people were not on the street without good reason, and Alexa just wished that this area of ??the city was better lit at night. She hadn''t brought a torch or lantern with her. The shadow of the large building made everything darker the closer to the cathedral and the ruins of Roman buildings.


    "Is the Light Carrier afraid of the dark now?" she murmured to herself, mocking the strange feeling that was taking over her chest. But she knew she no longer had The Light with her, and perhaps that was the real reason for her fear.


    It wasn''t long before she got to the bishop''s house, and Alexa pulled the cloak around her body and walked faster.


    But why was her ear deceiving her, making more steps echo than just her own? She looked over her shoulder discreetly, but saw nothing. Stopping for a moment, Alexa looked around, since her heart pounding told her there was something wrong.


    Alexa spun on her heels and ran towards the bishop''s house, where she would find help. She didn''t know who it was, but she knew she should run, and a lot.


    ''Dammit dammit dammit!'' She didn''t look back but felt the person approach quickly. He was much bigger and much faster than she was. Alexa pulled her dagger and spun, hitting the air.


    The bastard had deftly deflected her surprise blow. At a glance, Alexa had the necessary information. He was a man, and very well prepared with some small- and medium-sized weapons with him. His face was covered with black soot, only showing his blue eyes and beard under his hood.


    A killer!


    The man reached out and took her dagger easily, ignoring the blade with his gloved hand. In the fight of forces, he fared better, and Alexa dropped the weapon, again turning to flee. But he grabbed her hood, and threw her on the floor,


    "You''re going to want to be nice. Isn''t it better to pray for a miracle? If it happens, I may spare you! Haha ha!"


    Falling with hands and knees on the damp and dirty street, Alexa snarled with anger for being so weak!


    "You idiot, what are you doing ?! For whom you work?!"


    Calmly removing a machete from his waist, he bent down, looking at her in the face.


    "For those who pay better, dear. And prayers don''t pay as well as sound gold, before you ask me," placing the knife under Alexa''s chin, he made her stand up, examining the Princess carefully.


    "Walk!" ordered the man, and Alexa obeyed. He had a cold and indifferent look, and Alexa could only believe his words. He would kill her. Apparently, without the slightest remorse.


    "Wait, let''s make business! I can also pay well, you know? I''m a princess."


    "Hmmm," he turned her back to him and made her start walking. "A dealer. Should I do an auction to find out who pays the most for my services?"

 Chapter 235 - Ambition

    Alexa hadn''t thought of any of this, she just wanted to survive. She felt very stupid for having forgotten her brother''s words. There was a murderer looking for her in the city! A murderer allegedly hired by the bishop himself.


    "Does he need a saint and does it have to be just me? I think you realized that I am a very ordinary person."


    "Perhaps you were born for this glorious moment," said the killer. Alexa realized that they were going to what had previously been the cathedral cemetery. They had time to encircle it and lift some headstones again, but everything looked like a macabre construction site.


    "Hey, don''t be like that. I really prefer to negotiate."


    "I cannot negotiate, princess. There''s some honor in this business. And in fact, the advantage will be all yours..."


    "I see no advantage in turning a corpse just to a ridiculously ambitious bishop to make money by selling religious trinkets as souvenirs," she sighed, thinking about how she could reverse this situation. She knew she had been stupid and careless, but that wasn''t the way her life would end, right? It could be presumptuous on her part, but she wasn''t destined to die like a false saintess, Alexa felt in her gut!


    "Well, since you know your patron to Heaven''s Kingdom," the killer chuckled, praising himself for his own comment. He poked Alexa with a dagger in the back, keeping the machete against her neck, as they walked. "He wants to ask some questions¡­ And I hope you can reply to it quickly."


    "I may just not reply," she commented, but the killer snapped,


    "Do as you like, I was paid to kill you and make you a saintess. Your confession can be made directly with the Creator, in my opinion."


    Alexa fell silent. The killer only treated her as a curious case among his jobs, and he would not be easily convinced. At first she had thought he was taking her behind some tombstone or statue, where he would slit her throat and discreetly dump her body. But then Alexa saw that there was someone in front of the cemetery gate, with a dark cloak.


    The Bishop!


    "Oh! So¡­ it''s true..."


    "Alexa of Holstein, such a bad timing to be in Holstein, as you always do," Bishop Hildebrand commented, seeing her face to face.


    He was right, of course.


    The killer nudged her lightly with the dagger in his ribs and Alexa went forward, since he took the machete from her neck.


    Now, between him and the bishop, Alexa knew death was coming near. In fact, he already felt its inexorable power pooling powerfully around her. All her bravado and the certainty that she would be able to escape drained away quickly, and she worried.


    Why did she think she was entitled to a glorious death? She knew it was most likely a ridiculous fantasy. A death is a death, as Jette discovered that morning, regardless of her plans, works or merit. The troubadour wished to be remembered as the creator of an epic and lasting poem, but would be best known for her rhymes about a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e''s ever-open thighs. And Alexa, perhaps, became known ironically as the Saint of Holstein, against her will.


    That would at least serve not to make two brothers fight for her! There was a certain beauty and usefulness in her unexpected end, after all.


    Taking a deep breath and coming to terms with her destiny, Alexa threw herself on the floor,


    "DON''T KILL ME, I''M PREGNANT!"


    She had no problem with begging for her life. As Jonah Locke said, ''Honor is disposable!''


    The Bishop laughed, "Of course you are just a lying cheater. And not a virtuous v.i.r.g.i.n as we expected!"


    "But I am a princess! You can''t kill me just to keep your schedule! This is stupid!"


    "Let''s do this good deed for everyone, my dearest stained flower! You have caused the disgrace of nobles with your false innocence! You have deceived everyone! They are trying to correct the mistake and I just wonder what kind of trouble you and that brother of yours planned. But not here. You will be my sanctified creation and you will revert to the good, and not to the shame of this city! I will only spare the Princes from shame, and the people will thank you in the end¡­ No one needs to know what kind of bitch you are!"


    "I am not a bitch and this is not ''helping everyone'', as you say! For example, dying does not help me," Alexa was angry that the brazen Bishop still wanted to justify all his selfish acts. Of course if he was talking aloud about his pitiful justifications, perhaps his mind still had a tiny portion of conscience he was doing something awful and stupid. Perhaps he was trying to justify himself to God, or whatever. Anyway, perhaps he could be convinced it was just useless.


    "Think carefully. Leave me alone and I promise I will not retaliate. I cannot be a saint, I am an ordinary woman. And you already know that."


    "Too late..." he tilted his head, looking at her with cold eyes. "Alive, you are a hindrance, and a nothing. But dead, your value increases."


    Before Alexa could answer anything, and paying attention to the killer''s movements, Alexa felt an immense cold.


    A blast of cold wind blew suddenly and mysteriously, shaking the leaves from the trees and swinging the bishop''s cloak in front of him. The bishop narrowed his eyes, as if trying to see from a distance. Alexa looked over her shoulder, realizing that someone was walking towards them, through the dark street.


    And that noise ... Were they birds?


    Along with the wind and clouds that formed in the sky in an unnatural way, she heard the caw of a flock of crows. In an instant, the sky was littered with patches even darker than the night, landing menacingly on the roofs, tombstones and trees around the cathedral cemetery.


    Alexa had already experienced a similar scene before.


    "What? What are you doing, witch?!" the Bishop took a few steps back in terror, as did the assassin who, still pointing the knife at Alexa, was walking slowly backwards without taking his eyes off her.


    Alexa stood up, not sure if she should really say she had nothing to do with it. But a voice anticipated,


    "Alive, you are a hindrance, and a nothing. And dead, you aren''t worth much. It applies to you, Bishop Hildebrand."


    She knew who it was before she even looked up at the figure in the middle of the street.


    Alexander.


    He was in his armor, a lonely figure, young and frighteningly beautiful in the middle of that darkness. He seemed to glow in the darkness. Not as a saint, but as a god.


    Alexa, at least, was afraid, and knew she should be.


    The killer had the first reaction, and moved quickly towards Alexa. But before he touched her again, Alexa just saw the indistinct and blurry movement of something coming her way,


    "AAAARGGHGGGHHAWHAHWMMF!"


    The killer''s cry echoed, despite all the incessant and loud noise of the flock of crows. It was just the time for Alexa to have blinked instinctively in a reflex reaction. When she opened her eyes, her body shrunk with fear. She saw the assassin''s body fall to the side, pierced by a spear thrown into the distance. The knife in the man''s hand fell to the ground, useless.


    With the corner of the eye Alexa saw the Bishop shrink and press his back against the cemetery gate, in clear panic.


    Alexander made a sign for Alexa to come towards him. Fighting her first instinct, which was to flee, she took a few steps into the street, avoiding looking at the murderer who was still dying impaled by the spear in his chest.


    All those crows and that unnatural wind were enough of Alexander''s power, and she was sure she wanted no more proof it was just a taste of what he was capable of.


    Alexander found her halfway, and put his hand on her waist, bringing her to him.


    Bishop Hildebrand, perhaps imagining it was over, tried to run to the side of the building. But in their first steps away from the gate, the crows flew at him, menacingly surrounding him, squawking as if insulting and judging him.


    Again, the Bishop retreated, terrified, shouting to scare the birds. Alexa couldn''t remain inert to see the desperation of the man who moments ago wanted to kill her, but Alexander grabbed her wrist before she could move away from him.


    "No."


    He turned her to him, so that Alexa looked at his face.


    Alexa was horrified, because there was nothing different on his face. He was the same person, the same cold look, the same face like hers.


    "Alexa, don''t have pity on anyone who doesn''t have pity on you ... It''s the last time I tell you this."


    He made a gesture, and Alexa looked over his shoulder.


    The birds, as if moved by a single force, attacked the Bishop, as they would if he were already dead.


    The Bishop''s screams echoed for a while, until they ceased to exist among the birds'' squawking.


    Alexander picked her up, when Alexa couldn''t stand being there and tried to escape.


    "Why didn''t you pass out, like you always do, so as not to see? It was a perfect timing for it," he commented almost sweetly as he walked with her away from the cathedral.


    "I couldn''t," she confessed, hiding her face.


    He did something like a laugh, but it wasn''t exactly that.


    "Why weren''t you in the castle, sleeping?"


    ''Because I was investigating you,'' she thought, but of course, she didn''t speak her mind. "I need to talk to my brother, I need him to help me with Iacintho ... Iacintho cannot remain as a slave to Volos!"


    "You are right about that. But ... Let your brother look for it. He''s very capable, and he''ll do it. As for you ... I''m serious, do you believe me? Don''t leave the castle. As long as you are inside, nothing will happen to you. I guarantee that my influence will keep you safe even from a distance¡­ But I can''t promise anything outside."


    Alexa looked away, concerned about this new information.

 Chapter 236 - Sins to Confess, a Heart to Find

    Alexa woke up with a door opening, and half sleepily remembered that she was sleeping in Father Agnello''s bed. It had been where Alexander had left her the night before, when he had brought her back to the castle.


    "I bet you have sins to confess," Alexander had said as a justification for bringing her to the confessor''s quarters, but Alexa figured it was a joke. At least, she hoped it was.


    It would be impossible to get the horrible scene from the previous night out of her mind so easily, she knew.


    The priest made a tired gesture in her direction,


    "I can''t imagine what could have made you imagine that my bed is more comfortable than yours, but please help yourself, Your Highness."


    "The ... Second Prince has already left with the army?" she asked, and Blue Eyes nodded,


    "At daybreak. It was a beautiful scene to see... But since you''re awake, you can tell me what''s going on. Alexander was too busy to tell me."


    Alexa jumped out of the priest''s bed, feeling wronged,


    "And am I not busy? I''ve been busy all this time and have always been able to report! Why can''t he?!" Of course she knew why, Alexander was not going to tell Blue Eyes everything that happened. "And I have the impression that you left me out of the picture when talking to the Prior!"


    The Florentine Father twirled the ring on his finger, "I don''t know what you''re talking about. Now, as for the fact you are pregnant ... I expect your confessions."


    "H-how do you know that?" She gasped, not out of fear, but out of outrage.


    "Before he left Alexander said that you needed special care."


    They faced each other, and Alexa for a moment wanted to tell her tutor everything. But incredibly, Alexander''s request to keep a secret was filled with kindness rather than selfishness. Father Agnello had come to Holstein on a personal mission, and at least in Magnus''s case, he was decisive in keeping the Prince with a sane mind and a sense of right and wrong. Alexander was also fond of him and his effort. How would he feel when he learned what Alexander really was?


    "You have guilty eyes, Alexa of Holstein. Sit right there and get ready to open your heart to God."


    Alexa made a face, but it was better that way. She needed to tell God and Father Agnello about her marriage to Magnus.


    ooo


    Your brother entered the room and found Alexa by the window, fervently wishing to be out there under the weak sun instead of twirling that rosary infinitely in her hands.


    She absently murmured her pity, thinking about the smile of her beloved Magnus, and the little chick that moved when he grimaced at Alexa. How much longer would it take to arrive?


    "Excuse me for coming without warning, Father Agnello. Sis, how are you?"


    "I''m good, Narses, how about you?" She was going to put the rosary aside, but Father Agnelo''s reproachful look fell directly into her hands, and Alexa grabbed the rosary willingly again.


    Narses handed the priest an envelope without a word, and Blue Eyes went over to the window to read. Even though his face was as impassive as possible, his brow furrowed in concern and shock.


    Alexa had not told him about last night, of course, and supposed that he was being communicated about the bishop''s death at this time.


    "Brother Narses, can you keep Your Highness company, please? I think I need to go to the Episcopal house."


    Narses nodded, and she and her brother retired to the princess''s quarters. As soon as the door closed, Alexa whispered,


    "We can''t waste any time, Narses. Soon Volos must call our brother back, and as if it''s not enough that he''s an enslaved upir, I can hardly imagine what kind of punishment he will receive for everything that happened!"


    "Do you believe that Volos''s heart could be in Holstein?"


    "It''s my best bet." She had many more things to tell her brother, but she dared not say anything inside the castle that could be taken as a betrayal against Alexander. Whatever the forces that obeyed him, she didn''t know what could happen.


    Together, after breakfast, they went to the castle library.


    The help of Mestre Valerius to find ancient records unfortunately did not result in much, as both Alexa and Narses could barely read on those darkened scrolls, even more so to understand the very archaic language.


    Alexa drew what resembled the tapestry, and the writings, and showed it to the library keeper.


    After scratching his head for a moment, and narrowing his eyes at Alexa''s childish drawing, the scholar exclaimed, "Ah, yes! There was a famous tapestry recorded in a book. With a figure more or less like this. A catalog of the works of art that existed in the castle. It is actually made up of several volumes. However, this drawing I believe is registered in the first volume."


    "Did it say what was written on the tapestry?"


    "Possibly, Your Highness. They were very detailed records. Each figurative tapestry, stained glass, fresco, painting and sculpture, and even smaller objects that were given as gifts or produced here. If it ever belonged to one of Holstein''s noble families, it should be registered in those volumes," the librarian spoke proudly.


    His assistant consulted a tome of registry, and pointed out.


    "I lent the record of the works of art to His Highness Prince Alexander, the previous year, His Highness ..."


    This made Master Valerius''s eyes widen as he remembered, "Oh, V.i.r.g.i.n Mary! The fire in the Prince''s chambers! Did the precious books get burned?!"


    Alexa and her brother looked at each other, both wishing it hadn''t happened. She realized that Alexander had actually done research recently, as he himself confessed. He suspected that something was happening and sought to discover Holstein''s secrets, as well as who he was.


    She couldn''t help but feel her heart sink when she imagined a confused creature like him, feeling very different and knowing that Magnus had killed and resurrected him somehow.


    The brothers had never talked openly about it, Alexa believed. Both spent years thinking about what happened and without understanding in depth, haunted by their mothers'' past and the witch hunt.


    Mestre Valerius left them for a moment to check the logbook, and Alexa whispered, "I believe Father Agnello was after this information, I remember reading something like that. The priest may have read the book or seen it elsewhere. If we cannot find the book, we will have to talk to him..."


    Narses held his breath, uncertain as to trust anyone. Alexa would understand her brother. He had become very suspicious after everything that happened. She was going to say that Agnello was a good man, but Master Valerius returned, with a smile,


    "If you are not here in the castle, perhaps you are in Ashgraufelsen! In fact, there is a record of the departure of one of our aides to help the prince at Ashgraufelsen. He certainly took the packages to his country residence, but he could have brought them when he came to the castle before Christmas ..."


    Alexa stood up, happy,


    "Well, this is something that fills me with hope! You must go to Ashgraufelsen, brother!"


    "But how could I look for such precious objects in a prince''s house?" Her brother asked promptly, as she spoke of an official visit.


    Alexa made a snort, realizing that her brother would risk his life to look for a needle in a haystack, if he went to Ashgraufelsen in stealth mode. And it was a fact that, coming as an official envoy of the Princess, they would not even let the princess''s brother walk wherever he wanted. Let alone fumble around with the prince''s objects, in his absence.


    In the back of his mind, Alexander''s words, about his safety outside the castle not being guaranteed, echoed.


    But she had to take a chance.


    Iacintho needed to be freed from the lich, and if the whereabouts of Volos''s heart were in a book was outside the castle, she would have to go to Ashgraufelsen again.


    ooo


    "So this is Ashgraufelsen?" Narses asked, looking into the distance at the imposing building perched on top of the rocks.


    They had hurriedly built a rope bridge and wooden planks to temporarily connect the mansion to the road.


    Alexa had arrived with her brother and a small escort, imagining that she would have to enter the gorge, but that was much faster. The horses had to stay on the other side, however. Looking at the bridge, memories of what happened there and the moment when she and Alexander came together to close the portal came to mind. ''Could it be that at that moment there was still something from the old Alexander?'' she wondered, knowing she would never have an exact answer. The great supernatural event had indelibly marked the place. She felt the cold and saw, in the very structure of the stone mansion, that the Shades that were lost there still suffered.


    "Brother, if you can do something for this place," she murmured, "many souls must leave."


    Narses looked at her, puzzled, and also spoke between his teeth, since they didn''t want to be heard by the guards, "Why are you talking like this, as if you can''t help me do this?"


    "I lost the Light here, Narses."


    He looked at her in disbelief. And then, angry, taking her arm as soon as she got off the horse.


    "What did you do?!"


    Alexa shook her arm, angry, and did not answer her brother, going to the rope bridge before all.

 Chapter 237 - Searching

    Three days passed in Ashgraufelsen.


    Alexa was received with honors and veiled curiosity. And the servants of what for the capital was a manor, but for the residents, it was a castle, did their best to make their stay on the rock''s manor as pleasant as possible.


    The people there, while still shocked by the events of that fateful night, differed greatly from the people in the castle. Hospitable, caring, and merry, despite everything. The Princess imagined that Alexander could live happily there, protected and loved, far from the capital. Unfortunately, as a Prince, he had to be in Holstein part of the time.


    Wilbert took care of everything with an efficiency that made Alexa remember Miss Mirna immediately, but the butler acted like a kind grandfather, most of the time.


    However, it didn''t take even two hours after arrival, for Alexa to discover that the Prince''s studio was locked. And of course, it was the only place where the Second Prince would keep his books.


    Wilbert explained, "Your Highness is looking for special books Prince Alexander kept? Well, I can only pray that Your Highness understands my position as guardian of this house for so many decades. If the Princess had a letter from the Prince, allowing access, I would gladly give it. But without Prince Alexander''s express authorization, I cannot allow anyone else to enter the room ... Not even his wife."


    Alexa opened her mouth in a shocked ''O'', while Narses put a hand on her shoulder,


    "Wilbert, my friend, His Highness Prince Alexander, ordered his wife to come and get a certain book from the royal library. He just didn''t have time to even write a note because he was busy preparing for war!"


    "I am shocked that His Highness has forgotten what he has expressly ordered me to do. He said that only his father was allowed to enter his studio in his absence! And even made me swear it! Please don''t ask this poor employee who has worked in this house since Duke Kurt was the Lord over Ashgraufelsen, to disobey his master! Even with the best of intentions! Kill me to take what is necessary ... But don''t make me open the door!"


    Alexa had swallowed and agreed that they would do nothing without Alexander''s express permission. She had no intention of following Wilbert''s suggestion and killing him to get the key to the studio.


    Later, having dinner with her brother, they developed a small plan to enter the studio without raising suspicion or harming Wilbert. Alexa didn''t want the butler to suffer the fury of Alexander for breaking his promise.


    The next day she went to visit the nearest village, and held a party that lasted all day. This removed most of the castle''s serfs from Ashgraufelsen, except, of course, Wilbert and the guards.


    Alexa even promoted an Egg Hunt, inspired by her adventure in England. Each egg marked with her seal that a child brought to him would be exchanged for a silver coin. She couldn''t possibly know her seal could have so many different symbols!


    Still, she just laughed at their inventiveness and audacity, and handed them the promised coins; she didn''t want to be a petty princess, and that money was Alexander''s, anyway.


    As always, children were disconcerting! She needed to get used to children, since she would be a mother soon!


    In the meantime, Narses had boldly walked across the steep roofs of Ashgraufelsen to the studio window, dozens of feet from the bottom of the cliff. And spent a few hours sawing the window''s guardrail.


    It was hard and dangerous work, but when Alexa came back in the late afternoon, and joined her brother for dinner, she discovered things had worked out as expected. And that they could later enter the studio without Wilbert''s knowledge.


    "It''s ridiculous to have to do it that way, but we have no other option," she commented while enjoying a meal alone.


    She noticed that her brother had not dissolved the wine in water at least three times, but he was tired and most likely his muscles were sore after so much effort. They were already in the third wine jar, actually.


    "We will do that and I suppose that by killing this Volos, your disobedience can be absolved. Tomorrow I will start cleaning this place..."


    "You are being annoying, Narses! Don''t start again. I have seen things that have disturbed me. No religion is totally wrong, nor totally right. I don''t know if I can judge who is prepared to leave this land, and I don''t know if you can too!" she set her glass of wine on the table, staring at him.


    Her brother looked up at her brightly. He shrugged,


    "And so you have no protection from any god. Your doubts don''t give you strength. You are an arcophoros, you don''t have to decide anything - you just have to show the way."


    "You are being uncompromising!"


    "And you are being soft, Alexa! Our brother, who I thought had more self-respect and more respect for the great cycle, still walks like an upir! And... Your Princes are freaks! We will have to do something about it!"


    Alexa didn''t answer, thinking about how her brother was not at all wrong. She knew they were freaks in the life cycle. But because of their proximity, she hadn''t thought until then that they, as souls who should have left, only lived through magic.


    At the same time, knowing that her brother had completely changed his mind, and that perhaps he was thinking of bringing death to Magnus or even Alexander, was something that made Alexa''s heart shrink.


    She was afraid for all of them.


    And she realized that she couldn''t hate Alexander for what he was doing.


    Dealing with death had already been easier for her. Now, how could Alexa want the revival of Magnus? How could she tell Iacintho that he had to leave?


    ooo


    After dinner, they snuck out of a window, and her brother helped her into the studio.


    He was being more cautious with her than usual, and this made Alexa think even more about the life she carried in her w.o.m.b.


    She waited for him in the dark and Narses entered shortly after her, taking advantage of the moonlight to use a flint and light candles he had brought with him. Alexa realized that he wasn''t shaking as much as before dinner. Was it the wine or the excitement of doing what they were doing?


    They looked up and down the studio and found many things fascinating. But they needed to take this time to find the book, and discover the whereabouts of Volos'' heart. Unfortunately, it wasn''t to get to further know Alexander and his tastes.


    Despite their efforts, they found the collection that Master Valerius had mentioned, but after spending a good deal of time carefully skimming through the pages, it didn''t look like they had found the right book. It was tiring work and only with the candle lights, very difficult.


    They had to leave it for the next night and the night after that, as they couldn''t just disappear into the castle during the day.


    During those two days of greater closeness with her dear brother, Alexa was more aware of everything that had changed in him.


    Although Narses was still irreverent and haughty, he was broken.


    She could only imagine the kind of torture and suffering he could have endured. His eyes did not have the same brightness, nor did his eyes bear bright places well. His scarred hands trembled easily. His face was never relaxed with a subtle smile, like before. She could see the creases around his mouth, which hadn''t been there before.


    How she wished she could erase all that suffering from her brother''s face! She could only suppose that Narses had managed to survive by abjuring his belief in front of men, and clinging to it internally. And that made him the uncompromising person he was today. But, was he the uncompromising one, or was she the one whose beliefs had crumbled?


    Her eyes blinked with tiredness as Alexa checked the books again, while Narses started checking other objects, and even furniture,


    "This book has to be here!" he grunted, frustrated.


    "I hope it really is, and that Alexander didn''t take it to the castle with him. If he did, the fire ruined the book," she concluded darkly.


    Her brother was running his hand over a panel on the wall when he felt something strange and pointed to the place with a winning smile.


    This brought a gush of energy to the Princess, who was sleepy.


    In minutes, Narses managed to move the panel a little and Alexa slid her small hand in the gap, pulling a package from there.


    "Uhn, a secret. I hope it will be useful and not just lewd images of women," her brother commented, shrugging when he saw that the package probably contained loose sheets. Apparently this was what he found most in his forays.


    "He''s not like that."


    "Every man is like that, Alexa."


    She could agree that Magnus was probably like that, but she couldn''t imagine Alexander that way. She opened the package carefully.


    The contents were a bundle of letters, all written by the same person.


    Konrad, the Duke of W¨¹rtz.


    She knew they were close friends, but why did the letters need to be hidden?


    And, did sweet Konrad know the truth about Alexander?

 Chapter 238 - A Lichs Heart

    Alexa tested the rope again, and realizing it was firm enough, accepted the flashlight her brother handed her. She was at the edge of an abandoned cistern a few kilometers from Ashgraufelsen, in a disused and dilapidated military post.


    The place where Alexander and Konrad had supposedly hidden the ''thing'' they had found and which they dared not mention in detail in their letters.


    The night before, Alexa discovered that Alexander confided many things to his cousin, and vice versa.


    In his letters he spoke of ''Greek girl'' with distress and at times, with horror, sharing with his young cousin what he knew and what he discovered.


    And Konrad, instead of advising him to forget about these matters and to seek refuge in religion, helped him to investigate his presentments and doubts. Often Konrad used his own resources to fund searches, travels, and mercenaries, which wouldn''t attract Gutard''s attention. As it would have happened if Alexander did it.


    It was in this way that, investigating Holstein''s past, due to his constant deja vus _ feelings of having been in places he had never been before _ Alexander discovered the design of a tapestry that led him and Konrad to find ''the thing''.


    While Alexander deciphered everything necessary to find the location of the oak tree mentioned in the tapestry, Konrad hired men to search the entire kingdom. And finally found a hidden mausoleum not far from the capital, from which they took a bronze sarcophagus. It took them about ten months.


    "Let''s say that these two boys had a lot of free time between jousting competitions and Law classes," Narses grumbled, as Alexa read the letters with increasing alarm.


    In his letters, Konrad always seemed concerned about Alexander''s mental wellbeing, stimulating and encouraging him - Alexa imagined that his cousin thought it was the best he could do to keep Alexander alive and struggling.


    She couldn''t make an image between the Prince she met in the form of a bird, the Alexander who was Orcaius, and the person Konrad spoke to in his letters. They didn''t seem to fit into one person.


    Since they only had the letters that Konrad had sent to Alexander, and not the ones that Alexander had sent to his cousin, it left some facts to imagination. The letters mentioned that Magnus at some point found out about Alexander''s studies on Holstein''s black sorcerers of the past, and he was furious.


    Father Agnelo found out through Magnus, and confiscated the book and all the research that Alexander had with him.


    This wasn''t so important anymore, however, as Konrad had already launched the search and was bringing the object to Ashgraufelsen.


    After they saw what it was about, they decided to lock it up somewhere, afraid of what they had found.


    That was more than Alexa and her brother would find if they had just made it to the book itself!


    Alexa was sure it was the heart of Volos.


    "Nobody carries a bronze sarcophagus out there without being seen," muttered Narses, standing up and fixing his belt. "Get ready to go to where they hid it, I''ll find out where it is."


    And Narses came back with the answer, two hours later.


    Alexa saw the knuckles of his fingers were injured, and pursed her lips in disapproval.


    She knew that with every hour that passed, Volos could have taken over Iacintho again, although they didn''t know what kind of consequences it could have. She understood Narses'' haste, but not his violent methods.


    At that moment, therefore, she descended with the lantern in the place where the Duke and the Prince had supposedly hidden the bronze sarcophagus.


    Alexa found the object, under a layer of earth and well wrapped in thick canvases.


    In there the air was dense and still, and Alexa felt the use of necromancy in her bones. ''Am I getting good at identifying this kind of thing over time?'' she wondered.


    All she wanted to do was get out of there as soon as possible.


    It took a long time to pass ropes and hooks capable of lifting the object with the help of the horses they had brought.


    Narses was resourceful for that.


    Alexa had a vague memory of seeing a similar scene in her childhood, led by her father. But at that moment, she was exhausted and in need of fresh air, so she finished the moorings as best she could, asking Narses to pull her up with a tug on the rope.


    The moon was already descending in the sky when the horses finally pulled the heavy sarcophagus from the cistern.


    At that moment she was not concerned whether Wilbert or the guard knew she wasn''t at Ashgraufelsen. But at opening the sarcophagus that had caused such terror in two young nobles, who were, in no way, cowards.


    Narses used a knife to remove the tarps and ropes, and revealed the sarcophagus lid.


    There were no legible inscriptions, just decorative designs on the lid, and hermetic symbols around it. But the Dallassenos siblings knew the sarcophagus had been violated before.


    "Volos," Narses mumbled, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I smell the necromancy and stagnation."


    After some work, Narses finally managed to open the lid. A rotten smell of decomposed human flesh escaped from there, causing Alexa to vomit immediately.


    Her brother just threw a clean cloth at her, motioning the Princess to walk away from the sarcophagus. He could not take his eyes off what was inside, with a frown and clenched fists.


    Alexa preferred not to see whatever had that unbearable smell. But at the same time, she knew that if she didn''t see it, she could spend my life dreaming of something unspeakable inside the sarcophagus. Following this logic, she got up from the stone where she sat down to rest, and came over to the coffin.


    What she saw impressed her.


    There was a bronze statue inside. A life-size statue, greenish as one might expect from bronze. But Alexa recognized the face - a more human and fleshy version of Volos.


    "It''s him!" she exclaimed.


    Narses leaned over, and using a cloth to protect his hand, touched the statue''s chest.


    Alexa was certain that the rotten odor came from the statue. Pushing, Narses moved the plaque that was the statue''s chest, revealing a niche, where a gray and wrinkled heart beat constantly.


    Narses pulled a curved dagger with a black blade from inside his clothes, and looking first at the object and then the heart inside the strange statue''s chest, he stared at Alexa.


    "Do it," he ordered, handing her the dagger. Alexa took the blade reverently, because she knew it was the blade of a tanaion, destined to take miserable lives out of this world.


    And without thinking too much, just in memory of her surly brother Iacintho, when he was still alive, she stuck the dagger in Volos''s hard heart.


    The air stopped around them, as if something choked.


    Alexa just saw the alarmed look of her brother, who threw himself on her and turned her away from the sarcophagus.


    An invisible force drew air into the statue, while the object began to blacken and consume itself.


    Alexa and her brother embraced, not being effectively affected by that, but mesmerized by the speed with which the matter around the heart was attracted to it, and consumed. The heart caught fire, and the statue turned to ashes in a matter of seconds!


    "Y-will Iacintho be all right?!" Alexa asked, her eyes full of tears.


    Narses loosened his hold and turned her around, keeping his arm over her shoulder,


    "Sis ... It would have been better if he had left this world this moment."


    "You have a harder heart than Volos!" she exclaimed, walking away.


    "No, Alexa. That''s the way to keep me untainted. I am the last Dallasenos Light Bearer. I have to keep the Light, or at least an ember of it, alive."


    Alexa felt miserable when she heard her brother''s words, but she wiped her eyes,


    "You should at least get married. Get over with this farce! I will help you."


    "Yes. I hope I have time for all this, before the end," he said, throwing the torch that had lit all their work that night inside the sarcophagus. "Let''s go. What could be done for our brother''s soul today, has already been done. And even Volos will one day thank us, in a future incarnation. "


    ooo


    They left Ashgraufelsen the next day, under the foreshadowing of a storm.


    Narses had cleared the place from desperate Shades, and he was exhausted and hurt but, at the same time, neither of them really wanted to stay there.


    There was still the bitter taste of dealing with a lich, and at least they were sure that Volos wouldn''t return as a lich wizard.


    At the same time, it made Alexa have terrible thoughts about Alexander and Magnus.


    The brothers said goodbye temporarily on arrival in the capital. Narses had been away from the Dominicans for a long time, and he owed his superiors an explanation.


    Alexa arrived only with her escort at the castle, feeling tired after the long and slow journey back.


    As soon as she arrived, she was informed that Father Agnello wanted to speak to her immediately, as it was urgent.


    With a strange feeling about it, Alexa just wiped herself off the dust from the trip and went to find her tutor. They ended up meeting in the corridor, as he came to her, unable to wait. That alone has already worried the Princess.


    "Father Agnelo, what happened? Did something happen at the border? Or something with Prince Gutard?


    Taking a breath to prepare for bad news, the priest looked her in the eye,


    "Just something to worry about, but the news is not the worst. A Hansa ship intercepted the ship on which the First Prince was returning to Holstein. All were taken prisoner by Cordelia''s father!"

 Chapter 239 - The Savior

    The news made Alexa blink, and then laugh. In fact, she tried to contain herself before Blue Eyes'' worried look, but the air escaped her mouth mockingly,


    "PFFFFFFF! Haha ha! Is this how Cordelia''s father is going to die?!" There was a little nervousness in her reaction, but it was also hilarious. Magnus captured by an allied vessel of the maritime merchant league, to be delivered to Cordelia''s father.


    "Alexa, you don''t understand the gravity of the situation..." the priest still tried to compromise, but the Princess interrupted him, with a big, childish grin,


    "It''s like putting the wolf inside the sheep pen!"


    "I thought your political knowledge was more refined, Alexa," she heard the bitter voice behind her, and the Princess turned, surprised.


    Cordelia was coming with two chaperones down the hall. Alexa felt her feet stick to the floor, and saw out of the corner of her eye the priest changing his weight for the cane that helped him walk.


    "Princess Consort is right, Your Highness," in public, Blue Eyes returned to formality. "The political situation is tense, and perhaps your view of what a single man can do in the face of large numbers is wrong. Because of the recent tensions between Holstein and one of Holstein''s greatest allies _ and the driving force of the kingdom''s economy _ the Prince can destroy the kingdom if he follows the path that Your Highness envisions¡­"


    "And what is he supposed to do, if it''s true?" Alexa stubbornly clung to the idea that Magnus wouldn''t accept being taken prisoner for anything in this world. However, she knew that the First Prince was well aware of the political implications and of his position as a presumed heir.


    There was still a smile on her face when her eyes filled with tears. Why did it have to be this way?


    She put her hands back, looking at Cordelia who was frowning in her direction, as if she saw something worrying and slightly unpleasant.


    "If the news got here this way, it is because Hansa still believes in negotiations," added the priest softly, placing a hand on Alexa''s shoulder. "So a lot of diplomacies is required right now. After all, we are at war on two fronts. It is a time when all caution is needed."


    Now Alexa understood what Blue Eyes meant. The effects of the disastrous engagement between Magnus and Cordelia, and the marriage that didn''t happen... and the treatment the Dutch court was receiving, in the eyes of foreigners, demonstrated that Holstein was unreliable. The ''Jewel of Low Saxony'', the great rich and powerful city, was ruled by sadistic and inconsequential madmen.


    Prince Magnus killed a nobleman, and in a vile whim, didn''t allow his corpse to be taken to his homeland to be buried there. And it allegedly caused the conflicts on the eastern border,


    Accusations of witchcraft, murders, and Prince Gutard''s greedy and cruel record were combined with the inconsequence of his eldest son, and the illness of his youngest son. The di Borghesi and the Hansa might have very different interests in Holstein. But at the moment, everything depended on Magnus''s delicate situation as a prisoner. And that was due to Cordelia''s situation at the palace. She was a hostage in the eyes of the Hanseatic League.


    Not to mention that Alexa knew nothing about what would have happened to Iacintho, Captain Dubois, or even Inventor Mirna.


    "Excuse me. I ... I just got back from a tiring trip to Ashgraufelsen, I''m not thinking well..." she murmured her pathetic excuse, glancing at the priest and the other princess, but Cordelia''s gaze hasn''t changed.


    Gutard''s wife spoke to the Florentine Father,


    "Father Agnelo, congratulations on your nomination as the new Bishop of Holstein. I hope the nomination is well accepted by the Church. Please help us with this mediation process."


    Alexa didn''t know that this had happened and didn''t hide her surprise, while Blue Eyes just nodded.


    Princess Consort just nodded, and continued on her way.


    "What happened here?"


    "On the days he was absent, a letter from Prince Alexander was sent to the Archdiocese, with his formal commendation, after the tragic death of Bishop Hildebrand. The process is a little slow, but we always receive the commendation of a regional authority with respect..." sighed Father Agnelo, explaining succinctly. "Did you hear that the Bishop was found dead?" he asked suddenly, looking at her with piercing eyes. Alexa lied,


    "I heard rumors. Is the Church investigating, I suppose?"


    The priest''s gaze became hard, but he said,


    "It is, and it''s not pleasant at all. I will do my best to help, but I feel that at some point, we made a serious mistake. Alexa... Stay alert and ready to run. I''m serious." He lowered his voice at the last sentence. But they were in a public place and a group of nobles came in that direction. They ended the conversation, and the priest blessed her before going the other way.


    The princess returned to her room, with a heavy heart. The feeling Alexa had was that she could never breathe with all the capacity of her lungs. Of having to keep her breath suspended because the danger was always imminent.


    And if Father Agnelo had suggested such a thing ... Not even he trusted the future.


    And they were right ... Magnus was perhaps more in danger among men than facing monsters. Alexa knew that human beings could be more corrupt and scary than forces from beyond.


    In addition, Cordelia''s father had immense political power ... and perhaps even had contact with necromancy.


    But she couldn''t just be with her thoughts. Noble ladies looked for her, and by the sake of keeping gathering information, Alexa received them.


    The news had alarmed everyone. And the idea that, perhaps Princess Cordelia should prove to Hansa she wasn''t a hostage, was unanimous among them.


    Alexa decided.


    Early in the evening, the Princess went to Cordelia''s quarters and asked to be received.


    ooo


    Cordelia received her with a small book in her hands, and her look showed curiosity,


    "Alexa, I can''t say how surprised I am for your visit. I thought we shouldn''t see each other again, unless strictly necessary..." she showed she hadn''t forgotten the humiliation Alexander imposed on her. Alexa however, had completely forgotten it.


    "Ah, I think he still has a problem with what happened in Ashgraufelsen..."


    "Apparently, to the Prince Regent, I am a useless and despicable thing that his relatives insist on keeping close by. But I don''t blame him, since I am treated like that most of the time by everyone."


    "No! It''s not like this! It''s just ... Your family caused a terrible mess. But my father-in-law better assessed who you are! As you said one day, he values ??you!"


    Cordelia looked Alexa in the eye, and without saying anything, it was clear she didn''t think exactly like that.


    "You have a lot of benefits and you can go wherever you want, without a worry in this world. Besides¡­ You weren''t a bit least surprised about the capture of your brother-in-law," Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "As if you knew exactly where he was supposed to be. Don''t you think you''re the most valued here? My husband even had the audacity to say that, even if you are married to one, you could choose the other if you wanted to!"


    Alexa felt her head throb, suddenly. Cordelia perhaps would be hard to reason with, and she knew it, but the only thing she could count on was that Cordelia had common sense.


    "Did the Prince Sovereign say such a thing?!" her best attempt was to pretend to be surprised and horrified.


    "Are you surprised? Didn''t you know anything about that?!" Cordelia tilted her head to the side, puzzled.


    Alexa slowly shook her head.


    "You know, Alexa¡­ I don''t believe you. No longer." Cordelia walked away, going to a bookcase, and carefully storing her book. And then he turned to her visitor, "I should be afraid of you. You saved me from something I didn''t want, and I was grateful. But after that, all you did was ruin my dreams, my life, my future. My mother was a witch ... But what are you? How different are you from her?"


    The Princess swallowed. The conversation was definitely not going as she wanted!


    "It was an artifact, a sacred relic! I already explained everything to the Church!"


    Cordelia wrung her hands in exasperation and looked at Alexa with bulging eyes,


    "Are you trying to drive me crazy?"


    "No Cordelia! Calm down! We already explained everything to Prior Reuben¡­ It was an artifact, the V.i.r.g.i.n''s Lamp, and¡­"


    Princess Consort''s face contorted in an ugly frown, and she laughed bitterly,


    "So that''s it. I''ll be called crazy for everything I told. Perhaps even I will be accused of slandering you for everything I have witnessed."


    "..." Alexa fell silent, it was better to wait for Cordelia to calm down.


    "You shouldn''t have come, Alexa, if you had nothing important to say. I already understood that I must stay out of your way for several reasons. All I want is to survive. Is it so hard to understand it? For this reason," Cordelia gestured, showing the door to her rooms, "If you have nothing important to do here, it is better to keep us from wear and tear."


    "NO, wait!" Alexa exclaimed, going in the opposite direction, that is, toward Cordelia, who stiffened with her approach. "I have something important to say. Something important to ask, actually."


    "...!" Cordelia looked at her with astonishment when Alexa knelt in front of her.


    "Cordelia. Please intercede! Save Magnus, and the prisoners! Only you can resolve this quickly!" she was willing to beg, and that was why she had come here.


    Cordelia''s face contorted between disbelief and anger. Her eyes became red and watery and her mouth twisted in contempt,


    "So you finally showed your face, Alexa? Have you finally decided to take on who you chose?"

 Chapter 240 - Gutards Last Wish

    Alexa swallowed, feeling all the hate of Cordelia emanating in her direction.


    "I really wanted to like you, Alexa. But you decided to steal my husband as soon as you laid eyes on him, didn''t you?"


    "It wasn''t exactly like that. If you remember, he was quite unpleasant toward us¡­" Alexa tried to defend herself, but she was aware that she was being ridiculous and hypocritical.


    "Cordelia, at the very least these are past and unimportant issues close to what I''m asking you to do! You just need to meet with the Hansa leaders and say you are not a hostage. Or, if you think so, tell me! I help you get back to your home! Isn''t that what I wanted to do as soon as we arrived? When were we still friends? I didn''t want you to get hurt. I don''t want anyone to get hurt! If you want to come home, I''ll help you, huh? I promise! You just need to¡­"


    "Let the Hansa leaders know it was all a sad misunderstanding? That Holstein was just battling witches, and that my father''s claims are lies, isn''t that?"


    Alexa nodded. Cordelia leaned over, touching her face with a cold, bony hand, in a parody of affection that Alexa endured, trying to suppress a shiver of disgust,


    "Alexa¡­ So are you telling me that Holstein''s fate is in my hands? That I can prevent this kingdom from being expelled from the Hansa League, losing its only use? That I could help free the man who humiliated me so many times; the man who tossed me aside for you? That I would save the kingdom, in two different ways?"


    Alexa tried to pull her face away, but Cordelia grabbed it with both hands,


    "Are you begging for the life of the man you once said you despised? The man who humiliated you? The man you seduced...?


    Alexa''s fists tightened in defense, but she stopped herself. Princess Consort had all these things choked in her throat and had waited a long time to vomit it in her face.


    "Cordelia. I don''t know how long your mother had this idea of ??marrying you to Letitia''s son. And whatever purposes she had with that. It would undoubtedly be easier if you wanted it, and you were deceived by all kinds of fantasies... But Cordelia! This marriage had a nasty purpose! Now you are no longer a pawn in your mother''s plans... You are free!"


    "Now am I a part in the plans of that murderer of women? Or Duke Kurt''s plans? Or the di Borghesi''s? And how shameless you are¡­ I am a pawn even in your plans, Alexa¡­ You want me to help free Magnus so he comes back and you become his lover! Not me, his savior! You!"


    Alexa pushed Cordelia''s hands and stood up.


    "I came here willing to beg for your help. And I even accept that many of the things you said to me are just and deserved. About your marriage ... I interfered, with no intention of harming you, but maybe I was one factor making Magnus beg his father not to marry you. Or maybe it was his pride, or the instinct that something was not going well ... But I was wrong in several ways. For many of these things, I regretted it. And for others, I don''t regret it. So, I''m not here to ask for forgiveness. I''m here to ask: please do something! If you say you can''t, or you don''t want to ... I''ll look for another way. But I won''t waste my time, nor yours, in this unproductive conversation."


    "I don''t believe in your shamelessness!" Cordelia opened her mouth wide, showing her irritated shock.


    "Do you have any reason to not interfere? Or do you just not want to? Do you think you can''t? Do you think they won''t allow you? Or will you simply not do it because you want to take revenge on those who offended you? That''s your choice tonight, Cordelia," Alexa winced, trying not to let any tears fall.


    Tears streamed down the other princess''s face, however,


    "DAMN YOU! I HATE YOU!"


    "We are past that moment, Cordelia. I don''t hate you. I want your help. I want to help you do that. And if nothing else interests you in that matter, I can only promise what I have. I owe you a favor for that, a favor as big as my life. Help free the prisoners quickly, without shame on either side."


    Cordelia looked at her, and wiped her face with the back of her hand, abruptly.


    "Get out of here. I will do what I can. But now, I don''t want to see your face."


    ooo


    Both Duke Kurt and Father Agnello were in favor of Alexa''s idea. Gutard was weakened that night and just waved his disapproval with a gesture. But they all came together in arguments about why it was important for the Hansa League to accept the legitimacy of the marriage between Cordelia and Gutard, and that she wasn''t a hostage.


    Gutard just snarled, seeking strength,


    "Cordelia! If you want to go ... Take everything that is yours, the sh.i.p.s, the gold and every hairpin and ribbon you brought to this house... But my son doesn''t need you. We don''t need Hansa, if they act like wolves... Your father should not be feared. He must be killed." His breath was faulty and his voice, trembling, but he managed to keep his commanding stance even bedridden.


    In her bones Alexa felt ashamed for doubting Magnus for an instant.


    Cordelia shivered in a corner.


    The room was filled with the man''s frustration at being disabled and tied to a bed. Alexa could practically feel him choke with anger and pain.


    "Egon is having difficulties in the east, and we suspect that our enemies are receiving secret support from the Danes, my brother. Things have become more difficult than we imagined. Magnus needs to return and we must be patient with Hansa right now," Kurt spoke appropriately, and Gutard howled, cursing everyone around him, sending everyone away.


    Kurt turned and left the room, followed by the others.


    Alexa was going to do the same when Gutard ordered her to stay.


    "Alexa ... Get closer."


    The Princess obeyed, realizing that Ceridom, who had just entered again afterwards, stayed away near the open door.


    "Your Highness, are you feeling bad? Ceridom is here ..." This time, however, she had a strange feeling.


    "I feel like a child who cannot decide his own destiny. Lying, useless..."


    She understood what he meant. One day, a man so strong and powerful, even juggling death, conquering supernatural enemies, making strange pacts and not paying them¡­ The next day, his strength is pulled out in one of his most noble gestures. Alexa felt a lump in her throat, and held the Prince''s hand.


    Death took everything of human''s hands.


    "I think there must be some reason for that, dear father-in-law. I was afraid of your plans and your decisions, but now I understand better..."


    "Do you understand? Pretty little thing¡­ I see, you understand. I also see I won''t have much more time ... I listened to the prophecy, and I chose the weaker one... But can you save them both?"


    Alexa also knew that. He chose Alexander because he believed his youngest was the weakest under a curse. He was a father, and he knew there was something wrong with Alexander. Deluded by Sigrid, as he was by ''Gigi'', his love and Orcaius worshipper, he never imagined that his son was Orcaius himself. But Alexa remembered how Gutard loved Alexander.


    She wiped the tears from her eyes with her free hand, saying in a choked voice,


    "So is it Magnus''s turn? What can I do for him?"


    "Get the monster out of him..."


    Gutard wheezed with great difficulty. Alexa ran her hand over her forehead in filial affection, trying to ease her suffering.


    "I can''t wait any longer..." His eyes turned to Alexa, letting her see he was at the limit of his strength.


    "Oh Your Highness, I''m sorry!"


    "I just wanted to hug my kids..."


    Alexa leaned over, trying to give him some last comfort, and whispered in his ear, tenderly,


    "Your first grandchild will be born soon¡­ Life always wins, big man."


    Gutard squeezed her hand slightly, and his eyes gleamed.


    The light in them went off, then, and Alexa saw his Shade, briefly.


    Gutard went to the Path toward his Trial without looking back once, with courage and conviction. Perhaps comforted by her words. She wouldn''t ever know.


    A hideous scream echoed from behind the walls, a crescendo as if coming in that direction at great speed.


    The candles flickered and extinguished at once, and the great chandelier quaked and fell from the bedroom ceiling with a loud crash.


    Alexa still held Gutard''s hand, and cringed, waiting for the Shades'' fury to pass. In terrifying flashes, the room was filled with them, including the Queens.


    Their wailings and cries became loud and Alexa covered her ears with her hands, feeling her palms sting and bleed, but no Light came out of them.


    "AHHH! Back off, back off!"


    What did they want? His body?! Why so furious?! Were they furious because he escaped the fate of being chained to the castle? Alexa didn''t know.


    She heard Blue Eyes'' authoritative voice, proclaiming exorcism rites. She also heard Duke Kurt shouting, but she didn''t understand what he was saying, only the cacophony of wailing and howling, interrupted by Father Agnelo''s effort to banish the spirits.


    When everything was over, the room was in darkness, and the only light came from the door through which some people had entered.


    Alexa was grabbed by the arm, and abruptly pushed away from the bed. She realized that Father Agnelo was the first to reach the body of the Sovereign Prince, and concluded that Duke Kurt was the one who gripped her wrist.


    She didn''t react, she had no reason to fear him.


    People rushed into the room, opening the windows and bringing candles.


    "He''s gone," said Blue Eyes, looking at Gutard''s brother with a respectful and sad countenance.


    Kurt left Alexa and went to the bed, looking at his brother''s body with respect. Alexa''s hands dripped blood. But now it was over.


    Then the Duke turned to Alexa, with a bitter and accusing look,


    "You killed the Bishop, didn''t you? The Bishop, and now, my brother..."


    "No¡­" Alexa didn''t like to see Kurt von Wuttenfal glaring at her with absolute disdain, his lips quivering,


    "GUARDS! ARREST THE WITCH!"

 Chapter 241 - Fear the Dark

    "ARREST THE WITCH!"


    The finger pointed at Alexa made her shrug immediately. Looking at the door, he saw the guard entering.


    "YOUR HIGHNESS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Agnello came to Alexa''s side, questioning the Duke. The Florentine Father was sweaty and pale as wax, his spiritual struggle had visibly drained him.


    "We have more than enough evidence to accuse this woman of witchcraft, Father Agnello. GUARDS!" Kurt spat, wasting no time listing what the evidence was.


    Alexa''s feet turned to the window, and she saw Blue Eyes open his arms to pull them away, placing himself in front of her as a human shield.


    "NO ONE WILL DO THIS! YOU CANNOT! IT''S WRONG!"


    "The Church will judge her so-called innocence, Father! Did you lose your faith in the Church? Will you stand by the witch, priest?! Its corruption has no limits. I will not allow you to become the Bishop of Holstein!"


    The guards hesitated for a brief moment, but Captain Gunnar ordered fiercely,


    "OBEY THE DUKE!"


    The impasse was over. The servants by the windows flinched, fearing the violence that would inevitably follow. Alexa froze. Her biggest nightmare was about to happen.


    She would be delivered to the Church as a Witch.


    How did it get to that point?


    The soldiers moved forward, and the priest tried to defend her, even resorting to violence. Blue Eyes used his cane, while fiercely facing the guards. But Alexa and her tutor were easily cornered in a corner of the room.


    Alexa escaped and ran towards the window, but before she got there, she was grabbed by the Duke himself, by the neck.


    Tears of pain streamed from her eyes when he threw it back at the soldiers, and her hand instinctively went to the injured area.


    She fell at the feet of Father Agnello, who was shocked to see the brutality with which the Princess was treated. He was so upset that he was almost unrecognizable.


    A powerful punch threw the Florentine priest to the floor beside her, and Alexa heard a dry thud, when his head hit the ground. The priest''s incredibly blue eyes rolled into his sockets, and he erased


    "AHHHHHHHH! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" She screamed, in fury and despair, grabbing her tutor by the shoulders, to check if he still lived.


    "TAKE THEM OUT OF HERE!" Kurt shouted his command.


    While they were being dragged brutally out of the room, Alexa caught a glimpse of Princess Consort in the hall. They exchanged a look, and Cordelia looked away, entering the room shortly after.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    One day Alexa had already come to this place. The castle dungeons.


    This time, she was the prisoner, and the witch.


    Father Agnello was unconscious at her feet, lying in the sawdust. The soldiers had thrown them into a large, empty cell, perhaps the same cell where the witches had been before. They tied the priest by the ankle cuff to a thick chain, attached to the wall.


    Alexa was cuffed by the neck, however. The chain passed through a hole outside the cell, possibly allowing its regulation. Should the prisoner become dangerous, he would be pulled to the wall by the neck.


    Her first concern was with Blue Eyes. Pulling the heavy chain with bloody and sore hands, so as not to hurt her already injured neck, she sat next to him on the floor, checking if he breathed and how his heart beat.


    The haughty priest had taken a good beating! And that, in addition to his injuries from which he had barely recovered,the exorcism that drained his energies, left his fragile body in danger of life!


    The Princess tapped the Father''s face lightly with the back of her hands. "Come on, come on Blue Eyes¡­ Wake up! I need you!"


    The twist in his destiny was still reverberating in his mind. As soon as Prince Gutard left the world of the living, his brother ordered her to be arrested for witchcraft. And Father Agnelo on some similar charge, perhaps? For allying with the witch?


    She didn''t know. She just knew that the accusation of the bishop''s death was something that would easily put her in the fire. Perhaps she had been stupid to let Kurt know she was in Alexander''s body¡­ Agnelo and Kurt had no sympathy for each other, which only got worse when they both became the Prince Regent''s advisers and ministers.


    Alexa at least hoped that her brother would hear about this soon, and could help her ... but, what if he too was captured?


    Narses always suspected that it was Kurt who brought the Inquisition to the city.


    Blue Eyes opened his eyes and blinked, taking his hand through his hair, with a painful "Ouch". His face was swollen on one side, his mouth cut and bruised, his eyes barely opened.


    Alexa had not been able to do anything for him because there was not even water in the cell, and the jailers moved away. Except for the occasional sound of m.o.a.ning and coughing, or the shaking of chains, silence had fallen over the dungeon.


    "Are you okay, Alexa? Are you in any pain? " the priest murmured, genuinely concerned.


    Aside from a slight bruise on his neck, there was no other injury worth noting, so she reassured him.


    "I''m fine, Father. Just try to rest. Thank you for trying to defend me. I couldn''t get away, after all."


    "I thought the Duke was a smart political snake, but I see that besides that, he is an obsessed madman." The priest sat down slowly, and when he moved he ended up vomiting. He put his hand over his kidney, with an expression of intense suffering.


    After a few moments he nodded that he was fine, which Alexa knew was not true. To distract him, she asked.


    "Will he try to take the throne for himself?"


    "If he really believes that Magnus is not his son? Without a doubt, yes. If he gets a deal with Hansa, he might even be able to calm the conflict in the east¡­ And if Alexander comes back¡­"


    " Alexander will come back. Magnus will be back. "


    "Calm down. We have many allies in the castle, and outside it. "


    Alexa knew that Balbo left with Alexander, so she imagined that the priest spoke of people she did not know. The Borghesi, probably.


    "I am worried about my brother. If they caught him ... "She knew there would be no forgiveness for Narses, who had been infiltrated in the Holy Office and under Prior Reuben''s nose.


    Father Agnelo sighed, probably thinking the same thing.


    The hours passed, leaving Alexa consumed by anxiety and worry. She dozed off unintentionally a few times, waking up with bumps and emerging from nightmares where she was being taken to a torture table.


    The Princess was sure that if there was no way out of there, she would be questioned and they would not be kinder to her than they were to her brother. However, the same trick would not work twice with all Dallassenos ...


    When she heard muffled footsteps coming down the stairs, she hugged herself expectantly.


    The priest motioned for her to stay in the corner, but she took his arm,


    "No, Father, you are very hurt!"


    "Shhh!" he pushed her back severely and without patience. Alexa almost fell sitting down, but managed to balance herself, remembering how bad it would be because of the chain around her neck.


    The torch lights came to that corner. The Moor accompanied Prior Reuben, Brother Bernard and others.


    Prior''s face was a mask of restrained anger, and Alexa''s eyes were fixed mainly on him. But Prior Reuben did not speak directly to her first, but to Father Agnelo.


    "Did your arrogance make you believe that having pacts with such creatures would bring you to power, Agnelo di Borghesi? You forgot that the Church is vigilant. And heretics will not survive! "


    "You think you''re very smart, but you''re just being used, Prior. Don''t you see that a power coup is underway? " Blue Eyes replied.


    "I just see a witch and her allies. My concerns are not earthly, "scoffed the Prior. "Alexa¡­ if this is your name. You left the castle and went to look for Bishop Hildebrand. You killed him using your nefarious powers ... And you''ve been using your nefarious arts since you came to this region! Confess now, and repent! "


    "How can I repent if I did not kill the Bishop or use any nefarious powers? I have no nefarious powers!" Alexa exclaimed.


    Well ... The princess will have to confess her sins, which she doesn''t want to remember! Gentlemen, I need to speak to the Duke. If she says something, let me know..."


    "What about the priest " Asked Bernard.


    "The priest also needs to explain what kind of pact he has with this creature."


    "You cowardly hypocrite!" Alexa shouted, disgusted.


    The Moor had his cell key, and smiled sarcastically when he turned the key in the lock. Alexa could have sworn he was happy with what he would do next, whatever it was.


    The torches flickered hard, and in the next moment, they began to go out. A crazy cry, from one of the prisoners, startled everyone, and Alexa heard the group of religious men mutter among themselves the strangeness of the event. She felt her hairs stand on end, and she couldn''t wait for a good thing.


    The princess grabbed the priest''s arm, attentive to the sounds and quite frightened,


    "What is that?!"


    "Witch¡­!" she heard the Moor''s voice ask, restless, "What are you doing?"


    In the darkness of the dungeon, a terrifying growl was heard.


    And another.


    And yet another.

 Chapter 242 - Hanged Man

    When it was over, there was the horrible smell of death and blood in the air.


    Nothing outside the locked cells remained untouched.


    Besides the groans of those still dying, inside the cells the prisoners screamed in despair or sobbed in terror.


    The Princess and the Priest remained embraced, frightened to realize that, despite the cell where they were standing with the door open - the last thing Duke Kurt''s ally did before being attacked by the hellhounds - the supernatural creatures totally ignored them.


    Jailers and Dominicans - no one escaped. The exit door was locked.


    Would the Black Queen, invoking Hecate''s powers, have interfered with the imminent torture of Alexa and Agnello?


    Or was it Alexander''s promise that inside the castle the Princess would be safe? Even though she was a prisoner, would she be physically safe until his return?


    Neither the sword nor the attempts at exorcism by these men was enough. The creatures of darkness tore them in pieces.


    But what good would that do, if the chains remained locked, if they were still prisoners?


    A loud bang followed.


    They were using a battering ram to knock down the large door to the dungeons. Alexa could hear Captain Gunnar''s loud drills.


    Perhaps she could convince him it was a coup and threatened Holstein''s future!


    Father Agnello was getting hot and sweaty at her side. Blue Eyes was certainly not well after more physical and spiritual suffering. He murmured prayers, but Alexa could not concentrate on doing the same, if only to empty her mind.


    "BOOOM!"


    Heavy footsteps of boots ran down the stairs, and Alexa thanked the little light she saw.


    The soldiers investigating everything that happened in the dungeon, ignoring the hysterical cries of the prisoners asking for mercy because hell had visited them that night. Captain Gunnar came with his men to where Alexa and the priest were, finally.


    "You can''t deny it, Princess, it''s your doing... Where you are, strange things happen!"


    "But you are wrong! I didn''t do it! Don''t you think that even the ghosts of this castle have revolted with what is happening? Captain Gunnar, listen to me! Don''t allow a coup against the Prince! Ensure that the rightful heirs have somewhere to return! Don''t let the Duke shut us up! He''s ignoring all of Prince Gutard''s orders! He, a mam who was banished once! And more than that! Is all the power of the Church now in the hands of a Prior who came from elsewhere? What does he know about Holstein?!"


    "Don''t let this angelic face convince you despite the evidence before your eyes, Captain," the Prior spoke behind the group of soldiers. They made room for his passage to the cell door.


    He examined what happened in the cell with the torchlight, and Alexa looked around. In a radius of about three meters around her and the priest, there wasn''t even a single bloodstain on the floor. The Moor Khalil was lying in the cell doorway... or rather, most of him. The rest of him was horribly scattered around the corpse.


    The Prior didn''t look shocked. In fact, he just looked disgusted.


    "Yes¡­ Here is the evidence. Nothing has touched us or the convicts in this dungeon. It only touched men who would do harm to innocent people," said Father Agnello, looking up with contempt at the other religious man. "Nothing happened to us and we were kept from all harm¡­ If you insist on torturing us, rest assured¡­ You will also be a criminal¡­ I have been in the hands of witches and my spirit has not broken. That man, the Duke, may have a heart full of good intentions, but only if they are made for the benefit of what he wants! But¡­ If God is really with you, you shouldn''t fear any harm¡­"


    "You are full of fallacies, Father Agnelo! Don''t you dare challenge God, your wage will be death!"


    "I challenge you, not God, Reuben. If you are with Him, you will have enough power to drag us from here to the death that you believe we deserve¡­ If you are truly His representative, I accept my death and surrender to it, by your hands and by the Lord''s desire."


    Either Blue Eyes was really convinced of what he said, or he was an excellent bluffer. Alexa gasped, wanting to believe that this would at least change something and help them, but the Florentine priest''s bravado was too bold!


    "If you need to see the Lord''s power to die knowing you made the wrong choice, Agnelo, then the Lord will help me!" replied the Prior, after a few minutes of silence looking at them both. He signaled, and the Captain had Khalil''s body removed from the door. In horror, the guards had to obey and clean the passage.


    In Reuben''s first steps into the cell, the torches flickered, and their fire extinguished. Alexa begged,


    "Please, Captain! Save yourself and your men! Get out while you can!"


    The captain looked at the torch flames and the mutilated bodies, and his men dragging their feet towards the stairs. They were not cowards, but something terrifying had happened here. Common sense was in the Princess''s words.


    "Prior! We better go...!"


    The prisoners started screaming again, begging to be taken out. They felt that the darkness was returning.


    Before the Captain gave the order, some soldiers ran for the stairs, abandoning their duty in despair. Nobody wanted to die like those people who were torn in pieces and had their guts scattered throughout the dungeon. The Captain cussed them for their cowardice, and pulled the Prior by the arm to retreat, but Prior Reuben just shook his shoulder, letting go,


    "Run, coward. I have nothing to fear! God is with me!"


    "Stubborn man! You are wrong!" The captain turned his back, looking at Alexa one last time.


    "Pleasepleaseplease, stop it!" Alexa murmured, with her eyes closed, knowing everything was going to start again, when the cell door locked by itself with a bang, behind the Prior.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Kill me,"


    implored the Prior in a weak voice. Many hours had passed since the cell door closed behind him. Scarce streaks of sunlight entered the vents, letting them know it was morning.


    Father Agnello was unable to get up from the cot because of an internal wound, swollen in his abdomen. Alexa had tried to relieve Prior''s suffering, but it wasn''t possible, she had no strength and the chain around her neck didn''t allow her to let go.


    Prior Reuben was tied upside down by one foot, by one of the extra chains in the cell. His face and lower limbs were swollen and purple from the acc.u.mulated blood from the inversion, and the wounds. He was suffocating little by little.


    Alexa for a while tried to support his head, but could not do so for a long time.


    "Someone will help us, take it easy."


    "She has much more mercy than I do," coughed Father Agnello, addressing the Prior. "So is the person you wanted to kill ... But boasting is always the greatest enemy of a servant of God."


    "Kill me," repeated the Prior.


    Alexa heard a new sound, coming from the stairs. It was soft and stuffy, and it filled her heart with hope.


    Only a familiar light appeared, small and bluish.


    "Narses!"


    "Little sis, calm down! I''ll get you out of here," he whispered, lighting his face for a moment, near the cell. "Sorry for the delay."


    She was so happy that he was alive to begin with! His delay was probably justified.


    Her brother used a key to open the cell door. Only when his light illuminated the place better, he could see the Prior hanging upside down.


    "Hmmm ..." he mumbled when he saw who it was. But Narses ignored him, coming over to his sister and using the same key to open the chain around her neck. The Princess felt a relief to lift that weight off her neck and shoulders.


    "Father Agnello can''t walk alone ... But the Prior ..." Alexa whispered. I wasn''t sure what to do.


    Narses released the priest and whispered to her, while placing him on his shoulder,


    "Go to the stairs! Be cautious. Lady Duvignes is waiting for you there!"


    "Lady Duvignes?" Alexa opened her eyes wide, hardly believing what she was hearing. But he still heard Prior''s request,


    "Kill me."


    Narses turned to the hanging man, and the light went out for a moment,


    "As you wish, Prior."


    Alexa ran for the stairs in the darkness.

 Chapter 243 - Homing Birds

    Lady Duvignes helped them out of the castle. Alexa looked back through the carriage window, with a bad feeling. Alexander''s words had proved fateful: Nothing could really touch her inside the castle. She was sure that her life would be intact while she was there.


    But, that didn''t mean that other people wouldn''t get hurt!


    Orcaius was the King of the Dead at Holstein, she had no doubts about that.


    Inside the carriage, she drank some water offered by her brother, and wet a cloth to help Father Agnello, wet his fevered lips and wipe his sweaty forehead and neck.


    "What now Narses?"


    "Charlotte said she has a place that can hide us for the night. We are going to leave Holstein towards Denmark. It is our best option."


    Alexa nodded. It was a viable plan, and it wouldn''t take them very far from Holstein. She didn''t want to get lost from Magnus!


    "I cannot leave Father Agnello."


    "Don''t talk like I''m not here," mumbled the priest.


    "Let''s get to the hideout, then we''ll see that," her brother opened the door, while the carriage was running at full speed guided by Lady Duvignes. He joined the French woman on the ride, to defend the carriage if necessary.


    Alexa closed the door and turned to the priest, worried. She had no idea what to do, but she knew that some internal injuries could quickly kill a person. The carriage jolted a lot because of the speed, and he m.o.a.ned at every bump, but they had no other option.


    Alexa wondered if the guard facilitated their escape, after what happened. She had no way of knowing, just being grateful to have left that nightmare behind.


    Could she really leave Holstein behind? Or eventually, would she come back?


    Her heart said yes, because Alexa could not conceive of her future without Magnus...


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Some hours had already passed, and the night fell on Holstein. They had arrived at a house in a remote area, but still within the walls. It was a pleasant house, sparsely furnished but with good and tasteful furniture. The bedroom was the best room in the house, with luxurious furniture and an especially large bed.


    And Charlotte seemed to know the place well.


    Alexa had an uncomfortable distrust of the usefulness of that house, but had to keep her thoughts because that wasn''t the most important thing now.


    She watched the priest in a restless, groaning sleep while her brother was downstairs.


    She came down when he called her.


    Charlotte Duvignes had returned with food, and warned them,


    "The soldiers are searching for you in the city. The rituals of Prince Gutard''s funeral are being prepared with all the pomp, which should at least distract Duke Kurt a little."


    "This is something I don''t understand, Lady Duvignes ... I am absolutely grateful for your support, but why are you helping me?" Alexa asked frankly.


    Charlotte Duvignes smiled, handing her the plate of food,


    "I could say that it''s out of sympathy only, because I too was imprisoned unjustly, and they almost killed me. But it''s not just that. I am a lonely foreign woman in a dangerous court. A worthless widow, without possessions, left with anything..."


    "I''m sorry, but you had a patron," Alexa replied, and Charlotte opened a wider smile, showing her dimples.


    "Yes, I did. My patron has reassessed my usefulness, now that no one else at court trusts me. The prison ruined my cover, so he dismissed me. I have a purse of gold to return from where I came from... But that wasn''t quite what I expected... I worked for years at Holstein,. Everything I know is here... How can I leave? And, at the same time, if I go against my former master''s will, can I survive?"


    "So you switched sides?"


    "Put it this way: I''ve always worked for Holstein, and that''s what I want to keep doing. Perhaps my former master found a recent ally who made him think I was a worthless woman... For doing exactly what he wanted me to do¡­ Or perhaps he always thought that..."


    Narses finished chewing what he was eating to say, "I remembered that Lady Duvignes had helped Captain Gunnar with the evidence he needed against Zilda Bartolini... And today he ''forgot'' the dungeon''s master key to his lady friend. We can only be grateful, although at the moment there is no gold in our pockets, my lady."


    "You can be generous when the time comes, in front of the Princes!" she replied, with a bow. "I''ll be back if there''s any other news..." the French lady was turning towards the door, when Alexa asked,


    "Wait! Lady Duvignes, could you find a doctor?" she hurried to remove the pearl and gold earrings from her ears.


    Lady Duvignes refused the jewelry, "No, keep it. I''m going to see if I can get a discreet person who doesn''t mind taking risks... I''ll be back as soon as I have something."


    After she left, Narses said,


    "I had no option but to rely on her¡­ for now. But¡­ Do you think Agnello di Borghesi will survive¡­ I feel death prowling this house."


    "Maybe he will survive ... If he can get through tonight," she voiced her concerns aloud.


    A few more hours passed, and Lady Duvignes returned, but alone.


    "I have good news! I found a Jewish doctor who will not ask questions. But he won''t come here either. We have to get Father Agnello to his house. I would prefer not to take him alone, as I won''t have the strength to carry him," she explained.


    "So let''s do this!" Alexa exclaimed, but Narses retorted, clicking his tongue,


    "No, I will take him."


    "I can stay in the house with the Princes ... After all, I can answer the door if necessary, to give her time to escape..."


    "Shouldn''t we all go?" the Princess asked,


    "A large group will cause a lot of suspicions, Your Highness, and my ally may be angry. In this case, I can accompany your brother, but then Your Highness would be left alone."


    Narses took a deep breath. Alexa knew that he could trust no one. But she needed to reassure him so he would take Blue Eyes to a doctor.


    "Please, Narses, you both should go. I can be alone."


    The brothers stared at each other, and Alexa begged,


    "I''m sure Father Agnello can survive if he has the necessary medical help! Please Narses! He also chose his path, but his time didn''t come. We can do something for him! Take him to the doctor, I will stay here with Lady Duvignes. We will be wary!"


    She would be watchful of Lady Duvignes and her actions. That was what she meant. Narses finally agreed.


    ooo


    The women helped Narses to put the priest in the carriage. And Lady Duvignes gave very precise information on how to avoid guard points in order to reach the Jewish ghetto, and which door Narses should knock on.


    "Take care!" Narses gave her a stern look and spoke almost as Iacintho of old days would have said, and she nodded, knowing how worried he was. Her brother pulled the reins of the carriage and eparted at the same moment that, trilling loudly and clearly, Romeo landed in front of Alexa!


    "My God, what is this?! He escaped, and found me!" Alexa extended her arm and the bird came to her wrist, sweetly. Alexa caressed the nightingale with joy!


    At least a small reason for happiness, Romeo was with her, and somehow, it made her feel good and warm inside.


    "I could have sworn ... that you want to tell me something!"


    "Your Highness, we shouldn''t be on the street ..." The Frenchwoman''s gaze however shifted from Alexa and looked at the horizon for a moment, thoughtful, and then turned her attention to her.


    "Let''s go in?"


    Alexa looked at the horizon too. She didn''t want to be the last to know anything. All she saw were the stars and smoke in the east ...


    "Does the smoke mean anything?"


    "It may mean a few things, but we have no way of knowing now. It comes from the cathedral, or we wouldn''t be seeing the smoke so high. The royal funeral ceremonial has probably started. It''s one of its probable meanings: the funeral rites of a royal..."


    Her joy at being found by Romeo faded.


    When they entered the house, Charlotte took something off her cleavage.


    "I was reluctant to hand this over, but here it is. I hope you make the best decision, Your Highness."


    It was a small object, and Alexa soon saw that it was a small strip of paper, which had already been opened. It was a message of the kind that homing pigeons used to carry.


    Curious, she read the contents, and her heart jolted with joy.


    ''I AM COMING HOME TONIGHT. M.''

 Chapter 244 - Looking at the Monster

    "Magnus ... Are you coming back?!" she recognized his hasty handwriting. The message was short, as were all messages by carrier pigeons.


    "When did this come? How did you get this?"


    "Princess, I have many contacts at the castle. That message cost me some money, as it would go directly to the Duke''s hand," Charlotte crossed her arms, taking a deep breath. "Well, the First Prince must have found a way to escape, and he tried to send a message, probably from our fortified port further west, Lubon."


    Alexa had already been in Lubon when Duke Konrad went to pick her up, in her unsuccessful attempt to go to England. Magnus had gone to get her, too!


    If he was so close, it was even possible he was arriving, or even already in Holstein.


    "He needs to know where I am!" it was the only plausible thought at the time.


    "But if you go to him in the castle, you will be arrested again. However, in the current situation, it''s also not wise to inadvertently let the Prince go to the castle. What can happen if he arrives unaware that his uncle had Your Highness and Father Agnello arrested shortly after the death of Prince Gutard!"


    "And Cordelia? What happened to her?" Alexa wanted to know.


    "She left with a large escort on a ship early in the morning, heading for Amsterdam," said Lady Duvignes. "To be the hero of the political impasse. I wonder if she''ll be back in time for her husband''s last rites..."


    Alexa regretted having been hasty and begged Cordelia to do this, but maybe was for the best. Maybe she would never come back and it would all be over.


    "Lady Duvignes, help me! I need to find the Prince before he meets the Duke!"


    "I feared that Your Highness would ask me for this. You know you''re taking a lot of risks, don''t you?"


    Yes, she knew, and nodded. But it was necessary!


    "I think as soon as the Prince arrives in the city, he will see the smoke in the cathedral, and will know that his father is dead. He may go there first, instead of going to the castle, because he won''t know how long ago it happened!"


    Alexa knew that Charlotte''s mind was sharp, but she admired her for her quick thinking.


    "Well then, that''s what we have to do. There are many places to hide in the cathedral. I can find him there!" she stroked the bird on her finger, before carefully storing it with her.


    "We must leave a message for your brother," after fiddling with a drawer, the French woman handed feather, ink, and paper to Alexa, who quickly wrote in her native language where she was going.


    Her heart was pounding with anxiety.


    They didn''t have an extra horse, though, and had to walk to the cathedral.


    Luckily, the French woman knew the city very well and guided them through some obscure shortcuts. The city was emptied because of the plague that had expelled many residents, so they had no problems and the only unwanted encounters were with cats, rats, and dogs.


    Despite being the middle of the night, many carriages were standing around the cathedral, full of servants in their liveries, waiting for the nobles who came to be the first to pay tribute to the late Sovereign Prince.


    "Damn, so many people!" Alexa evaluated, worried.


    Of course, there were soldiers around the cathedral.


    "I guess it''s better to split. I will enter normally, and Your Highness can enter using the cemetery''s access. Meet me on the stairs to the steeple."


    The Princess nodded and saw when the French lady went into the crowd, acting discreetly. The guards approached her, but Lady Duvignes lowered her hood, showing herself to be a totally different person from the fair-haired princess they were looking for.


    Despite her current state of anxiety, Alexa took a deep breath and started looking for a way to get to the steeple staircase, holding Romeo against her heart.


    It was essential to warn Magnus about his uncle''s betrayal!


    But that wasn''t so difficult at all, compared to everything she had already done.


    And in minutes, she would sneak into the church, across the side septum, toward the main steeple tower. She scanned the main nave, seeing the candles burning in the hands of the nobles. Alexa had no idea who was presiding over the ceremony, since at the moment there was a shortage of priests in the city.


    Alexa saw the door open, and Lady Duvignes peeked through the crack. As soon as she saw her, the woman waved for Alexa to come over.


    It was a split second that exposed the betrayal.


    The Frenchwoman glanced sideways, as to someone close and behind the door. It made Alexa''s heart jolt painfully and Romeo protest with a jump. She had fallen into a trap, but maybe she still had time to retreat!


    Turning on her heels, the princess ran in the opposite direction, trying to access the cathedral''s reserved rooms, since she could not get through the crowd or the guards.


    ''I should have known that if it involves this damn cathedral somehow, I will be in trouble!'' she reproached herself, resisting the curiosity of looking at whoever was chasing her over her shoulder. She just knew he was a big man, from the way the ground vibrated with his powerful strides.


    Dodging two altar boys coming out of the hall where she had entered, Alexa tossed on the floor some chairs she found in the hall. Perhaps she could delay her pursuer.


    Looking this way and that, she saw only closed doors.


    Arriving in a hexagonal-shaped room, Alexa saw that her only way out was through a barred gate or a small door, which she hoped was open.


    It was.


    Trying this one, she found that the dark path was a narrow spiral staircase, and she only had one way to go, upwards.


    But the man was on her heels, this time closer.


    She found a door with a simple wooden lock at the top of the stairs, and getting rid of the obstacle, went out into the night.


    She was on the eastern portion of the cathedral roof, and turned to close the door, but there was no time.


    A huge hand grabbed her wrist, violently, and Alexa let out a cry.


    Romeo finally escaped her clothes, and flew away, scared, while Alexa was pulled towards the person.


    Alexa had no strength, and her wrist had barely recovered from her confrontation with Emmeline. Even so, she tried to squirm and break free, to no avail.


    She turned to face the person, at the same time that the voice and name by which he called her made her paralyze with terror.


    "Alexios!"


    The princess looked up, facing the person she most feared in the world.


    The disfigured face, drawn by a hideous twisted scar that started in his mouth and ended in his left ear, examined Alexa with bright, satisfied eyes.


    "Doukas?!"


    A sadistic smile appeared on that terrible and insane face.

 Chapter 245 - Doukas

    "You destroyed my life, as you promised! So I finally arrived to destroy yours," he snarled, and Alexa was surprised at the impression that he was pleased to be recognized.


    The former Byzantine general wrapped his muscular arms around the Princess'' body, squeezing her against his body in a disgusting gesture. Alexa struggled, knowing that this was a cheap provocation, rubbing her in his sweat, knowing how much she hated him.


    "Get off!!!!" Alexa couldn''t stand it and tried to push him, to no avail. At that moment, her anger took the best of her. She was much madder at herself for being so stupid to believe that damn vixen! ''How foolish I was! How could I have expected that she might even want to help me?''


    She knew why she had believed, of course. She wanted to believe that Magnus was coming. But Charlotte had sold her to Doukas.


    ''Didn''t I learn anything from what happened in Venice?''


    Doukas laughed, taking her by the neck, curling his fingers in a disgustingly e.r.o.t.i.c parody. Alexa cringed, her eyes cloudy with tears of fear and horror.


    "You didn''t really leave my mind for a moment, Alexios¡­ You ruined every aspect of my life! I cannot allow you to live..."


    "The Fall of Constantinople was not my fault¡­" the princess contested his words.


    "You always had a terrible lack of vision..." Doukas looked at her from above, condescendingly.


    How long had Doukas been in Holstein?


    She had no way of knowing that he had survived the Fall of Constantinople! Had the Megadux, the Archgeneral, been spared? It didn''t make any sense, and Alexa could only suspect something obscure and shameful in response to the fact that Doukas was there, completely alive!


    "How did the great general survive?!" She asked to provoke him. Maybe he would get angry and in an attempt to humiliate her, his reaction would be to throw her, and she would use that to escape.


    "I have been wandering, you little devil... haunted by my face in the mirror, by your face in my nightmares..." pulling Alexa''s hair back, so that the princess squeezed her eyes in pain, he whispered in her ear. "You got too far, didn''t you?"


    She could see that, although Doukas was upset by his long-awaited moment, he was not a complete madman. Perhaps he really blamed her even for his failings as a general. But her priority now wasn''t to sympathize, but to survive.


    He lifted her in the air, and Alexa felt that he was walking towards one of the flying buttresses. Because she wasn''t on her own feet, she got dizzy with Holstein''s horizon wobbling around her, and grabbed his arms.


    "Don''t do this ... You won''t even be entitled to rest after death if you do this," she warned. She at least was sure Orcaius wouldn''t forgive it¡­ Nor Magnus.


    "Much worse ... He will have a long life of suffering, and every time he is dying, his last breath will be long ... and long ... and long."


    Magnus'' voice interrupted.


    Instead of the long-awaited relief, Alexa was afraid, hearing the voice of her real husband.


    Her feet dangled in the air, and from the corner of her eye, she saw that there were at least four meters of free fall, with some painful obstacles on the way to the ground.


    "But if he releases me safely, you''ll be very forgiving, won''t you?"


    "No. Who are you?" Magnus asked, taking the sword from his waist.


    "No?!" Alexa asked, astonished. Was Magnus really playing with her life? Was he repeating his father''s history, in confrontation with Letitia?


    "I am Doukas, that person''s husband."


    "Alexa? How many husbands do you have, anyway?!" Magnus asked, shocked.


    "Three, and counting," another voice spoke. Iacintho was crouched like a gargoyle in the shadows, and joked about his sister''s convoluted life of engagements.


    "Wait. This is getting confusing. Let''s talk while sitting somewhere, drinking, preferably. Let''s not distort the facts," she temporized, feeling that she was running out of air.


    Doukas raised her at eye level, and his insane gaze searched her again,


    "You demon?! Do you want to make me crazy? Do you really laugh in the face of death? Do you think I came all this way to make you laugh in my face again?"


    Alexa had already taken the situation in her hands a few times, and not always in the right way. If Magnus and Iacintho were acting so bold, she would blindly trust their plans ... Had they had time for a plan?


    "Ah, well," she narrowed her eyes, opening a smile, "That. Yes. Is that what is happening? You should know that not even death can stop us, Doukas. You tried to destroy my family, but it only made us stronger. You are right ... I will laugh, and laugh ... Because you are laughable."


    Saying those things at least eased the terror in her chest.


    It was as if Doukas and his name were no longer as important as they had once been.


    "Alexios! Bastard!" Doukas howled, and the princess felt her body spin in the air, a sudden sensation of weighting nothing. All she could do was instinctively let go of his arms as she saw Magnus coming toward Doukas like a blur.


    At the same time that she felt the world turn upside down, Alexa felt the fall being interrupted by a tug on her leg.


    She was grabbed and hoisted at the same time as she heard the clash of swords.


    "Narses!" she exclaimed, seeing her brother''s face acrobatically spinning with her in the air, and landing on a lower buttress, some meters below where she was.


    Taking a deep breath, Alexa crouched for a moment to regain her sense of balance and stop the world from spinning around her, while the compass inside her head kept spinning.


    Meanwhile, her brother was pushing to climb the wall again and get to where Magnus and Doukas fought fiercely.


    Alexa would not be left behind, although she knew that Magnus could easily get rid of Doukas. That was a Dallassenos'' matter!


    Everything that bastard had done to her family, just because of his insane whims! And ... Wait, did he have the audacity to say that Constantinople fell because of the Dallassenos?!


    By the time the Princess finally got to where the fight was taking place, Magnus was moving away from Doukas, who was kneeling and panting, and had a hand on his chest ... His clothes were dyed red.


    Narses landed on the tip of the flying buttress, behind Doukas, with the lightness of a bird. Iacintho walked there like a cat, calmly and with a frightening smile on his face.


    Magnus held Alexa''s hand briefly, when she stayed by his side for a moment, but let go. Alexa joined her siblings, around Doukas.


    Narses pulled his black dagger, and pulling Doukas''s head back through his hair, gently slid the blade down his neck, making a slight red streak ... like a mark.


    "Like last time¡­ You don''t deserve to die by this blade. But you will have a taste of death! For my father!"


    The black blade sank just enough for the blood to spill out of the ex-general''s veins in jets.


    Iacintho, standing in front of Doukas, crouched down, and with one hand he grabbed the general''s face with contempt. With his small scythe, he dug the curved blade into his side, making Doukas squirm.


    "For my brother, Mikalis ... for our friends, for my sister ... Suffer!"


    "For our misfortune ..." Alexa approached, seeing him fall on the edge of the stone. She shoved him with her foot, "Die."


    Doukas'' body spun in the air, encountering many obstacles. It never reached the ground, contrary to Alexa''s miscalculations.


    It was impaled on an iron cross, on a pinnacle meters below, and became a grotesque new decoration in Holstein Cathedral.


    "Oops!"

 Chapter 246 - Magnus and Kurt

    Alexa stuck her heart to Magnus'' heart when he lifted her up and brought her against his chest. She gripped the leather of his jacket with urge and longing, barely believing that he was actually in front of her.


    Magnus was in bad shape. Dirty, stinky, unshaven. His eyes looked heavy and feverish from lack of sleep. Still, it was like coming home. There was her North Star, on his face, just as it had to be.


    "How¡­ how did this happen? How did you get here?" she remembered to breathe, and asked as soon as he put her down.


    "Romeo..." said Iacintho, approaching and rubbing the top of his younger sister''s head. In his other hand, he held the bird. "I made him look for you!"


    "AND I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFUL! But do you understand what that means?! Not really." Scolding Alexa, Narses tugged slightly on his sister''s ear. Alexa squawked exaggeratedly. She turned huge eyes on her husband, asking for help.


    "You deserve it," said Magnus, still holding her by the shoulders to stare her in the face. "And what is this about another husband?"


    "This bastard caused the Dallassenos'' ruin, just because he was a stubborn and crazy bastard. He wasn''t really my husband. But... Where''s Charlotte? That¡­" turning to Narses, she opened her eyes wide. "And what about Father Agnello? What happened to him?"


    "He''s with the doctor. My instinct did not fail me. When I got back to the hideout, Iacintho was arriving...! The priest will be fine, he just needs intensive treatment. As for Lady Duvignes, we haven''t seen her." And turning to Magnus, Narses warned,


    "We have a lot to tell Your Highness, but as I said, be alert. A coup may be in progress. Gather those who are loyal to you."


    Magnus nodded, and raising Alexa''s hand to his lips briefly, he said.


    "Can you stay for a moment without climbing walls or hanging from rooftops? We have a lot of things to do here."


    Alexa felt her cheeks blush as two roses, because Magnus was doing this in front of her brothers.


    She blinked at him several times, trying to tell him to stop being overly affectionate with her eyes. But all she managed to do was get him to pull her close again and hold her tight in his arms.


    "I''m sorry, Magnus. Your father could not wait for your return," she mumbled inside his embrace.


    The Prince sighed.


    "So what I can do for him is my best. Come with me," he took her hand. But they didn''t have time to get to the exit door. They heard footsteps and moved away from the door, taking up defensive positions. Alexa was placed behind him. And behind Narses. And finally, Iacintho pushed her with his foot behind him.


    Alexa was peeking from behind her brother''s back.


    Duke Kurt and some of the kingdom''s warriors reached the roof, weapons drawn.


    Magnus smiled sardonically,


    "Hm, I was feeling guilty about having my sword drawn in sacred ground; but if I''m not the only one, fine."


    The Duke stopped when facing Magnus, and lowered his sword.


    "It wasn''t possible to see who was running around the church causing a stir and commotion," he explained.


    "Have Holstein''s noble families forgotten my face yet?" Magnus questioned haughtily. "I can''t say whether it is good to see you, my uncle. The news that reached me worries me. In addition, my father is dead. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I would like to decently pay my respects to him..."


    "Not so fast. What happened here?"


    "Sheesh¡­ It''s tiring, but it starts with betrayal and ends with a well-deserved final. I would have preferred it not to have happened here, but it was a matter of life and death. And someone died." Magnus sighed. "My uncle, I swear I am trying to maintain civility in the face of the events. So tonight, allow me to bathe and make myself presentable to say my last goodbye to my father..."


    "HE WAS NOT YOUR FATHER!" abruptly the phrase sprang from the Duke''s lips, as if he couldn''t take it anymore.


    Alexa followed the reactions on Magnus'' face, fearful.


    "Ah," the First Prince exclaimed, at first seeming to understand what was being said, as if something inside him had lit up. Then he clicked his tongue, snorted, and looked away. Everyone was silent, and Alexa could have sworn that many wished not to be there at that moment.


    "With this statement, do you intend to check my birthright? Maybe that''s how you intend to legitimize a coup, uncle?"


    "I am not talking about Holstein. It is true."


    "And are you supposed to be my father? Is that what you''re doing?"


    "Magnus, I need to explain."


    "NO, let ME explain. If I had any doubts about my fatherhood, I would remember how my father was at my side. How he did things... unimaginable, perhaps even, unforgivable in the eyes of God, for me. How he endured what I was, and made me become a man, following his example, for so many years. While he had a bitter reign over Holstein. This man was my father. Where was my uncle, who today vomits rude words on the night of my father''s funeral?! Was this opportunistic man at my side during difficult times? Of course not, as he was not concerned with what kind of person, or monster, I would become. Even if you were my father, I''d not recognize you as such. The true link between father and son was proven several times. How can you say you are my father, if it is proved by all acts, besides blood, that my father was called Gutard?"


    Alexa wanted to clap, but forced herself to wait in silence.


    "If you want to challenge my right as Prince of Holstein, then this place belongs to Alexander. And if you still insist, my uncle..."


    One of the warriors next to Kurt said,


    "The Prince is right on several points, and the key thing is that we should all lower our weapons because we are on sacred ground. In addition, His Highness has the right to bid farewell to the late Sovereign Prince, calmly and soberly. We should bring any disputes over rights to the emperor, in case of controversy, don''t you think?"


    The words did not soften the spirits but got them all off the roof of the cathedral, in agreement as to the futility of continuing the discussion there.


    Alexa and her brothers were still not feeling safe, however. The damage was done. The court probably believed that she was not the saint they believed, but a witch.


    How could it work?

 Chapter 247 - Two Brothers, Side by Side

    "I''m sorry ..." Alexa said, stroking Magnus'' face. They were lying side by side on the bed in Schwartzhoffhausen. The next day would be very exhausting, there would be a mass and the archbishop would come for the ceremony. Magnus would be very busy.


    All of this after fleeing from his captors and finding ways to reach Holstein even before the news of his escape arrived.


    And Alexa had just told almost everything ... Including about Alexander. Magnus'' eyes had gone dark and cloudy, and he started to stare at the ceiling while listening to her, his Adam''s apple twitching nervously from time to time.


    "What will we do, Mags?" she asked anxiously. The first light of the day streamed in through the curtains, but they had not slept yet.


    Magnus didn''t respond right away, just said,


    "That was the most bitter thing I could have swallowed." And after that, he fell into another thoughtful silence.


    Alexa sighed. She could imagine that her lover''s mind was bubbling like a cauldron with everything he had discovered. And Magnus'' beloved little brother proving to be in fact a lich, or demigod, capable of controlling Holstein''s darkness! This painful truth was maddening.


    Although Alexa wants to ask many other questions, mainly about what Magnus would do about their marriage, she remained silent. She knew he was thinking about it too.


    In addition to the political complications for the Prince, they had no idea how to deal with Alexander. What he wanted, and what he would do, that was unfathomable for Alexa.


    At that moment, have a few hours stolen to just sleep was what they could do. Rest their eyes and bodies, in each other''s arms. Alexa hugged him and murmured,


    "No matter what, I know where to come back."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    In the early afternoon, Alexa was on the opposite side of Duke Kurt, near Prince Gutard''s coffin. Magnus had insisted that she be in the ceremony.


    "If you owe nothing, Alexa, why should you hide? It was my uncle who committed a mortal mistake, which broke the trust my father put on him for the second time."


    Still, she kept her gaze off, under the veil that protected her face. Her brothers were not there. Or at least, Iacintho was certainly not there, although she could not see Narses at that moment.


    Her older brother was taking care of Father Agnello, and supposedly, Narses was looking for Charlotte¡­


    Maria, her first lady-in-wait and a lovely companion, had come with her family from the country for the funeral. The young Lady was beside her, helping the Princess and keeping her company.


    Alexa didn''t know if Maria just knew nothing about what had happened recently, or if her pure heart just didn''t care about the rumors. It was good to have someone on that lonely bench!


    A commotion near the cathedral door caught her eye, and the two young women discreetly looked back.


    Those people coming in were¡­ Countess Godiva and Duke Konrad?!


    Alexa got to her feet immediately. Although it was only natural that they came, W¨¹rtz was not at war?! What did that mean?!


    The haughty Countess and her nephew approached the majestic bier where Gutard''s body rested. The woman''s abrupt gestures were enough to reveal her pitiful state in the face of a sibling''s death.


    Godiva was the oldest of all, and as far as Alexa knew, the Countess''s only living brother was Duke Kurt. And he went to her. Konrad stroked the aunt''s back, trying to comfort her, and Alexa joined him in this task.


    Just when the Countess hugged her younger brother Kurt, sobbing, Alexa and Konrad walked away a little, and the princess could ask,


    "Konrad, sorry, but I''m surprised you came! I thought you couldn''t do so because of the Burgundy''s threat¡­" she left the question hanging. He whispered,


    "Alexa¡­ When Alexander arrived with reinforcements, the battle didn''t last more than half a day. The Burgundian army, or what was left of it, fled shamefully." There was something in the Duke''s tone of voice that showed more than awe or relief. It also let slip what Alexa interpreted as fear and suspicion.


    ''Poor Konrad! Doesn''t he know yet that he lost his best friend forever?'' Alexa thought, and held her hand as a consolation.


    "Alexander came back with you, I suppose." The idea he had returned so quickly was at the same time relief, for having won at least that battle was a good thing. And on the other hand, it was scary, because Alexa knew that soon the brothers would have to discuss the future.


    "Yes. He and Mags met at the cathedral door..."


    After learning this, Alexa could not ignore the information, and was about to get up again to go outside, when the von Wuttenfal brothers entered, side by side.


    Magnus was dressed entirely in white, in mourning for his father, and Alexander was still in his armor, carrying the enemy flag in tatters.


    She had never seen them side by side, with their differences and similarities. Magnus, taller and stronger, dark and imposing, had the apparent strength of a natural-born king. Alexander, slender, small and blond, looked like an archangel in his armor of pinkish hues, his face impassive and mysterious.


    Both of them had such penetrating and frightening looks that it seemed that they would turn those to whom they looked directly into a statue of salt.


    It was an impressive sight.


    The von Wuttenfals gathered for the mass service of the former Sovereign Prince.


    Alexa had no idea how the other relatives of Gutard were feeling at the moment, but she believed she knew that Magnus was frustrated and diminished by having been absent in what he could deem a useless, deceitful journey. While Holstein was dismantling amid intrigues, wars, and supernatural events.


    She could have sworn she felt his resentment and his self-judgment tearing him apart, just to see Magnus'' contrite face looking at his father''s coffin, and the enemy flag captured by his younger brother, as homage.


    Alexa knew how proud Magnus was, and as much as he liked to show indifference and rebellion, he was responsible and disciplined. But above all, he was a warrior Prince, while his younger brother, according to Holstein''s tradition, was educated as a diplomat.


    How was it possible that Alexander had led a one-day battle and won? As much as there was a context, there would be the comparison, and the worst, the question: where was Holstein''s firstborn while the kingdom was falling apart?


    When the service was finally over, the two brothers looked at each other, face to face, while Alexander handed the kingdom''s flag to his older brother to fold over Prince Gutard''s coffin.


    Alexa saw them measure themselves again, in silence, on top of their father''s coffin.


    Although the Princess knew that Alexander was Orcaius, she did not want the two brothers to fight each other!

 Chapter 248 - Cordelia is Back

    Alexa returned to Schwartzhoffhausen after the ceremony, and in the next two days didn''t leave, at Magnus'' request.


    Her restless and curious nature felt suffocated by the request, which at this point seemed like an imposition.


    Father Agnello was there, recovering from an infection. The initial aid of the Jewish doctor, reinforced by the advanced treatments of Iacintho, proved to be essential for Blue Eyes'' recovery.


    Benjamin Rosencrantz, that was the doctor''s name, was also there to see Agnello during Iacintho''s absences. At that moment he was trying to subtly probe the origins of the Greek doctor''s knowledge, but Alexa could barely pay attention.


    What irritated her the most was the idea that Magnus and Alexander might have been making some decision regarding the three of them, without consulting her.


    She didn''t doubt that they were capable of that, as they had done this before. And that, with Alexander in the shape of a bird! At the same time ... What audacity to do that behind her back!


    "My brother learned from the best alchemists and herbalists, he is an excellent doctor himself! He learned from several doctors¡­ Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Egyptians, Greeks, Slavs, you name it. Petrus de Languedoc, a great sage picked him to be his student!" The mere idea that this was happening, a Christian priest whose life was saved by a Jewish doctor and was now being treated by a pagan upir, was mind-blowing by itself.


    Also, it showed that mercy, like medicine, were beyond beliefs.


    "Petrus de Languedoc¡­ I''ve heard of that name. Master Iacintho, despite his youth, has unbelievable knowledge!"


    Alexa was a little puffed up, and at the same time sad, because they hadn''t reached Iacintho''s master. She didn''t ask questions about how her brother survived, but she knew she wouldn''t want to know, either. She wished there was a cure for his condition, but she knew there was only one way.


    Blue Eyes didn''t like Benjamin, and pretended not to understand anything he was talking about. ''My God, he must heal quickly, since he has the strength to tease the doctor just because he''s from another people! Nothing is perfect, really!''


    The Priest also didn''t like her brother Iacintho, but he disguised it better. ''Of course, at least he''s smart¡­''


    Alexa and Maria were listening to Father Florentino''s page read aloud a particular chapter of the Bible, while the priest explained it to them, also in the loudest voice he could. Iacintho wasn''t there and Benjamin was quietly using the mortar and pester to crush the herbs for a plaster, enduring the indirect preaching.


    A servant of the house came respectfully to announce,


    "Your Highness, forgive me for interrupting. But Duke Konrad arrived in a carriage. He asks to see you, and says it is urgent."


    Alexa maybe was getting more and more used to bad news, and got up immediately, looking at Blue Eyes.


    "Unless it is private, I would like to see how Duke Konrad is doing," said the priest.


    Konrad, as of his normal temperament, entered the room smiling. Alexa noticed how Maria stiffened and barely contained a sigh of fascination in front of the handsome young Duke.


    And after the compliments and knowing a little about the priest''s health, for which he wished him well, Konrad said that he had come to fetch the Princess.


    "My cousins ??asked me to take you to the port." He took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Alexa. "They spotted the ship that Princess Cordelia left on. It should land soon. Alexander sent this to you, and Magnus said ... That he agrees with Alexander," he pouted as someone who disagrees with whatever it was, but doesn''t wish to vocalize his opinion. Alexa hurriedly opened the letter.


    "IF CORDELIA RETURNS WITHOUT RESCUING ANYONE, SHE SHOULD BE PRISONED FOR TREASON." That was just what the note said, in Alexander''s handwriting, still signing as Prince Regent.


    Alexa exclaimed,


    "But...! Why me?"


    "I don''t know", Alexa," Konrad shrugged his broad shoulders, but tried to smooth things off and ease her. "Don''t worry, I''m here to help you. Not that I think you need help. The cousins ??are in a lot of trouble. I will stay until the seventh-day mass, and I can help instead of getting in the way. I feel useless and they know it."


    Alexa could not refuse all the kindness of her now second favorite von Wuttenfal ever, and agreed. Although the prognosis of seeing Cordelia wasn''t the most encouraging thing.


    ooo


    Alexa and Konrad arrived shortly before the majestic ship docked. A detachment was there to enforce the princes'' orders if necessary. Alexa didn''t know what to expect from this unwanted encounter. Besides, why did they want to choose this mission for her? Did they think she would be avenged in arresting Cordelia?


    As late as today, Alexa would go to the castle to meet with those two von Wuttenfal brothers. Even if Orcaius could kill her with a snap, she would not fail to ask him all questions this time. And Magnus would not escape explaining either!


    She didn''t even know who she was married to at that time!


    And the fact that they were agreeing made her very upset. What did that mean?


    The diplomats who had gone with Cordelia descended the ramp as if they wanted to escape the ship, maintaining the minimum composure required. Alexa understood, she also had no good memories of sh.i.p.s!


    Then some people who looked like part of the captured crew descended the ramp, and Alexa saw among them the Housekeeper Mirna! The Frenchwoman looked curiously at the port, and when she saw the princess, Mirna gave in a subtle smile, although her eyes gleamed.


    "Mirna!!!" Alexa however did not have the same composure as the inventor, and ran to her, hugging Mirna!


    "You came! My God, I didn''t know! I didn''t know you were coming!"


    Mirna blushed, but took a deep breath and bowed respectfully as soon as she could.


    "Your Highness, I was told that I would have a new job here. Unfortunately, I don''t have my recommendation letter with me. Chevalier Sagnac actually said he would never write one, but I think it was a joke. He liked jokes, oh such a jolly!"


    "Yes! Yes!" Alexa nodded, looking up the ramp and seeing Cordelia, accompanied by two captains. One of them, Captain Dubois himself.


    "Ah, of course! Captain Dubois is also here!" Anyway, good news.


    "The Prince and his brother had to come in front, since the captain refused to leave his crew," Mirna elegantly explained the escape of Magnus and Iacintho, as the discreet person she was. Alexa couldn''t have done it better!


    Hadn''t Magnus said anything just to keep her from worrying that people she knew were in enemy hands? Probably, this just made sense, Alexa thought. And she was a little relieved not to have Cordelia arrested. Although her greatest wish, that the Cordelia would never return, was not realized, of course.


    Alexa noticed the look of the other Princess measuring from top to bottom.


    Alexa didn''t even expect to feel the petty satisfaction she felt, when she finally understood what Cordelia saw.


    The last time they saw each other, Alexa was being dragged by the guards to the dungeon. Today, a few days later, there was Alexa, well dressed and with her sparkling jewelry, a carriage and a Duke as escort, waiting for her in her original princess position.


    The Princess kept the letter in her purse, and applauded Cordelia''s arrival. Whatever had happened, Cordelia did what was needed and brought the captured crew alive.


    But Alexa knew that her very existence tarnished Gutard''s widow''s glorious moment as a diplomat.

 Chapter 249 - Family Council

    It was late when Bertha came to warn her frantically that the meeting in the war room was finally over.


    The princess was waiting in her castle room, determined to find out what the von Wuttenfal brothers planned for the future.


    In the corridor towards the war room, Alexa crossed with several ministers and soldiers leaving, but they pretended not to see her, avoiding her completely, looking the other way and deviating from her path.


    Were they afraid, or were they angry? Or both?


    She opened the door without knocking, knowing that she should not announce herself. Alexa also thought it was useless since she suspected that Alexander might know she was coming.


    The Princess didn''t expect to find the other von Wuttenfal there, except for Cordelia.


    Everyone was standing and away from the strategy table, and looked at her when she entered. Alexa smiled, although she was a little irritated ''Am I not attending important meetings? Why?!''


    "Hi. You are all there. I was wondering where everyone was, since I haven''t seen you lately..."


    Countess Godiva motioned for Alexa to stay by her side, and the princess obeyed. Duke Kurt stared at Alexa with obvious rancor, and pointed her out,


    "Can''t you see it, Godiva?! Your nephew cannot see he was deceived to leave the kingdom to chase chimeras, while the witch had all under control! I was fooled thinking I was dealing with Alexander, but it was this Greek witch instead!"


    Well, Duke Kurt showed courage, by questioning them so openly, she had to admit. He was right in one thing, and wrong in another.


    Well, Duke Kurt showed courage, by questioning them so openly, that she had to admit. He was right in one thing, and wrong in another.


    "Magnus, it''s not possible that you are not seeing this. Or are the rumors correct? Did she seduce you? She has been possessing your brother''s body, and she controls him completely now! As far as I know, he can be as dead as Florian, just a better corpse!" the man yelled, out of himself.


    "Alexa just agreed to the spell to save Alexander, uncle! But it''s all over now! Leave them alone! She''s not a witch!" Konrad defended her.


    The Countess put her hand on her heart, shocked. She didn''t know any of that until now.


    "Kontze is right, and that is a fact that I witnessed it myself. Is it hard to accept that your return as Holstein''s savior tripped over your fanatical blindness, uncle?" Magnus snarled. Alexa could have sworn he was at the limit of his patience, just by the way his thumb scratched the tip of his nose briefly.


    "It doesn''t make any sense. This woman even managed to make my brother do the stupidest and strangest of promises! Godiva! How can a woman leave one brother and marry the other?! I am neither crazy nor blind! Everything we know about Orcaius... She is one more of his servants!"


    Only then did Alexa understand why Kurt was speaking so openly. This was a family trial. He had no option but to defend himself.


    "My father trusted that she could save my brother¡­ And even though he was wrong, she diligently carried out her task to the end! And you, out of your arrogance, thought you knew a lot and brought the Inquisition here!" Magnus accused.


    "Don''t be unfair, those witches..."


    "Hahaha ... Kurt. ''Your Inquisition'' only showed your inability. The only thing they are good at is dealing with frightened peasants, to show that the Holy Office has some use. The only thing they care about is gold for their Orders, financed by fear!" disdained Alexander. "Alexa overturned Zilda Bartolini''s mystery. But your performance on the bridge was beautiful, I admit!"


    "Is it true that you have powers, Alexa?" asked the Countess, regaining her presence of mind in the middle of the argument.


    "Er, aunt ... I can hear and see ghosts ... But this isn''t uncommon in this castle..." Alexa dragged her feet to tell her secret. But the Princess felt she shouldn''t hide it at that moment.


    "Oh, poor thing!" the older woman crossed herself. Then turning to the younger ones, he said,


    "Well¡­ I think this was a mistake caused by your uncle''s ignorance. Who, wanting to solve a problem that always haunted Holstein, tried to interfere without knowing that other measures were being taken by Gutard."


    Magnus took a deep breath, listening to his old aunt and struggling not to retort at the Countess''s seniority. He respected and esteemed her.


    Alexander kept a look that ranged between attentive and amused.


    "Be understanding, Princes of Holstein. The troubled mind of a man who has carried his sins for so long ..." The countess continued.


    "Aunt Godiva. He caused many deaths. He brought the Inquisition and tarnished Alexa''s honor irremediably. He also planned a coup!"


    Kurt remained silent, looking sideways at Alexa. She felt his penetrating gaze burn her skin. He didn''t even try to deny all the accusations.


    "He kept spies inside his brother''s castle and possibly more spies at sensitive spots inside the city! I knew Charlotte was a spy, but I was a fool enough to think she worked for someone else... But it wasn''t after the government secrets she was after¡­ It never came to my mind that a von Wuttenfal could do this with his own family ... But, what to expect from a man like him?!" Magnus declared, crossing his arms in contempt.


    That alone made Kurt sway as if he had been whipped. Alexa imagined that, having fed the illusion of being Magnus'' father, hearing those words hurt him.


    "Listen to that old aunt! Kurt will agree to leave his title, and to join a reclusive monastic order."


    Kurt looked quickly at his sister in revolt.


    Alexander smirked, for the first time,


    "I like the way you think, aunt. It''s wise. If there is no desire for political action, there''s nothing like summing up the rest of one''s life in spiritual contemplation. Out of sight, out of mind! You may lessen the burden you carry until the end of your days..."


    The Duke trembled in his place, Alexa imagined how his pride was hurt by being banned for the second time, even trying to do his best.


    Unexpectedly, the Duke moved, as quickly and boldly as she had seen him at Ashgraufelsen. The metallic sheen of his dagger gleamed in the candlelight. Towards her!


    "DIEEE!"


    Alexa dodged, at the same time that another blade, bigger and much faster, intervened, with a SWEEESH! cutting through the air, and the unrelenting sound of metal breaking bones.


    "GRMMFH!"


    Kurt didn''t scream, just bit his lips to stifle his painful grunt. Not even Countess Godiva screamed, covering her mouth with both hands.


    Alexa saw Duke Kurt''s forearm hang from his clothes, attached to his body by a tiny patch of skin and fabric. Kurt grabbed the bloody severed limb with his other hand, the rest of his body immediately white as wax, his mouth twisted in horror and shock.


    Her stomach turned, and Alexa also covered her mouth in horror.


    Magnus was beside his uncle, furious and with his sword drawn and covered in blood in his right hand.


    Then Alexander raised his hand toward Kurt von Wuttenfal, his face finally drawn in a frown of hatred.


    The man leaned towards the ground, while before the eyes of the von Wuttenfals present there, he wrinkled and shrunk. His life being sucked from him!

 Chapter 250 - Her Destiny

    "You damn stupid monkey?! How dare you?! How dare you try to touch her?!" Alexander exclaimed, with utter contempt and irritation emanating from his voice. His face changed, and it was impossible to hide now that he was no ordinary human being. The shadows reflected on his beautiful face. A being touched by the Netherworld.


    Beside Alexa, Countess Godiva let out a heavy sigh and plummeted to the side, exactly Alexa''s side. The princess tried to support her, but she would never have the strength because Godiva was heavy. Meanwhile, Kurt shrank as the flesh of his body dissolved under his skin, his hair turned white as snow and finally fell from his head.


    Konrad was paralyzed with terror, gaping at Alexander directly.


    Magnus turned to his brother, sword drawn,


    "STOP!"


    "Do you really want me to stop, Magnus?! Your hypocritical piety has no limits!"


    The brothers met eye to eye, but Alexander did not give in, keeping his hand extended in Kurt''s direction.


    Kurt groaned, and everyone looked at the poor creature huddled on the floor, grabbing his severed arm against his stomach. He had aged over five decades in seconds, his clothes were loose around his shrunk body and his skin was wrinkled and withered.


    Magnus snorted, frowning in anguish, and turning, he struck yet another violent blow at Kurt, pulling him out of that painful existence with a stroke of mercy.


    ''Hgg!'' Alexa gently laid Godiva''s head on the floor, getting rid of her weight, and ended up sitting down. Her legs were also shaking at what she had witnessed.


    "You had no right to have done that! Whoever you are!" The First Prince hissed, without taking his eyes off Alexander again.


    "You are wrong, Magnus. I had a right. You and I agreed that innocents should not die. We are working on it. But this man ... he wasn''t innocent." Alexander closed his hand and shook it, placing it behind his back.


    And then he looked around. First for Alexa, on the floor, his aunt, and finally Konrad.


    Alexa saw the always kind and well composed young Duke with his face upset in shock. Trembling lips and red eyes, a pale, contorted face, until he cried out, pointing to what had once been his beloved cousin.


    "ALEXANDER?! WHERE IS ALEXANDER?!"


    Alexander looked at the one who was once his best friend, and his brow furrowed and his lips tightened, his violet eyes turned the color of sapphires.


    "Oh, Konrad¡­ Forgive me. This is me."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Konrad''s cry of despair, hatred and pain still echoed in her mind when Alexa woke up to Romeo''s excited singing. Colored lights danced around her, and she realized she was in her room, at the castle.


    Astonished, she sat up suddenly, looking around.


    She saw Alexander by the stained glass window, sitting absently, and Magnus standing by the door, staring at her.


    "Why ... Are you in my room?"


    Neither responded immediately, and Alexa understood the reason. Neither wanted to leave her alone so that the other could be with her.


    "Since you''re here..." she said, smoothing her hair and her wrinkled dress. She didn''t remember exactly how it ended or how she ended up in her bed. Alexa just didn''t want to close her eyes again to avoid remembering Kurt''s demise. "I don''t want to talk about anything else right now, except our future! Neither war nor succession¡­ I want to know who I''m married to!"


    "WITH ME!" both responded immediately and faced each other in defiance upon hearing each other''s response.


    Exasperated, she clapped her hands on her legs,


    "NO!"


    "Don''t even try to be a single woman!" said Magnus, frowning.


    "Don''t even try to escape!" completed Alexander, raising an eyebrow, and adding, "It''s dangerous."


    "What are you talking about? Now that the three of us are here, know! I know I did enough, and you yourself admitted that I tried hard to help you, to the limit of my strength. Stop being stubborn and set me free from this marriage! You said that it''s just a paper for the church."


    "You were treacherous in everything you did ... And you know that," muttered Magnus. Just by his low tone, Alexa could imagine he had already said all the variations of that to Alexander before. That was just another repetition.


    "I also said that the old and innocent Alexander, my forgotten self from days ago, cannot be held responsible for anything," he tossed his hair back. Magnus'' eyes were now fixed on him, like a hunter who follows a predator. "But I can''t be accused of everything either, although it doesn''t make much difference to you how things happened. Alexa, you are my wife. Half your life is mine. And you are connected to me by the little pomegranate seed you swallowed ... Just like Mags is connected to me by the heart in his chest. I cannot let you go; I don''t want to let you die."


    ''So why don''t you just leave us alone?'' it was the first thing that came to her mind. But Alexander was different today. His sullen face had dark circles under his puffy eyes, showing suffering and tiredness. Alexa might be audacious, but she still had a love for life. Even though she had just heard that he didn''t want to hurt them, she preferred not to take any chances.


    "If you''re really going to put yourself between me and Alexa, wait and see, Alexander! I will find a way to get rid of you. You know I didn''t mean to, but you don''t leave me any other choice!" his older brother stated.


    "It will be useless for all of us, Magnus. The magic that unites us keeps you alive. If you break that magic, when you try to kill me ... and if you succeed, of course ... you will die... And if you die... What is the purpose?" Each pause for Alexander seemed well thought out so as not to say anything on impulse, to reveal nothing beyond what was necessary.


    Alexa already suspected that, and ran her hands over her face, unnerved.


    "And do you think it will be bearable for us to live like this? Do you think I will accept living with you just because of a role, or because I am afraid of you?"


    Alexander shook his head, "I understand that you''re angry. But I said before, it got out of my hands some time ago."


    "Alexa... My... brother, he says that something will happen to you, because of the pomegranate seed..." Magnus approached Alexa, beside the bed, grabbing her small hand with his big, warm hand. That brief touch made her feel a little comforted from that scary conversation.


    "What will happen?" Immediately, the legend of Proserpina came to mind, and although Magnus initially scoffed, they discovered they were wrong, after all.


    "When winter comes, you won''t be able to walk among the living, Alexa," said Alexander. "Making the long story short, however much you wanted to run away and leave Holstein behind as if it were another tragic episode of your life, you will come to my home in the winter. You will fall asleep at the end of the solstice day, and you will only wake up when spring comes. And so it will be until the day your mortal life fades... As long as I live, you can live with me, however."


    The princess blinked again and again.


    "What?!"

 Chapter 251 - Sharing is Caring

    "Don''t think this is going to happen, Alexander," said Magnus, raising an eyebrow. "I will find a way to stop it. I will not let my wife go to you."


    Alexa was gaping and still speechless.


    "It would be better for us to come to an agreement..." Alexander sighed, finally getting up and heading for the door. "The fact that you will destroy the three of us just because you can''t share anything is unfortunate..."


    Alexa rarely saw Magnus even blush, but this time even his ears turned red. He was apoplectic.


    "DO YOU THINK I WILL BEND TO THIS MAD WHIM AND LEAVE ALEXA BY YOUR SIDE?! Share her? You are a lot more stupid than I thought."


    "It wouldn''t be you sharing, but me. For three simple reasons, which may not be clear to you now. First, you will have a child together, and that brings you together in some way. Second, there is no other way because even I am not strong enough to undo the curse of the hellish pomegranate seed. And lastly, because killing you to rip my heart out of your chest is not in my plans ... Don''t force me to do that, Magnus. I don''t want to. Alexa," he turned to her. "Tell him not to do it."


    Alexa looked at one and the other. The death of one meant the death of the other!


    Magnus fell silent, although his face showed that several conflicts were going through his mind at that moment. Opening the door, Alexander said goodbye,


    "On this subject, I see that there is nothing more to say. Time changes everything, for better or worse. And the more we struggle, the more we will get hurt..."


    When he left them, Alexa hugged Magnus.


    "The fault is mine! I''m such a fool! I couldn''t see through their doings!"


    "This cannot be the end. You won''t end like this, being forced to go with him for as long as it is! If what was left of my brother died in the consciousness of that¡­ thing¡­ I will find a way to destroy him."


    Alexa just stuck her face in Magnus ''chest, exactly against the chest that held Orcaius'' heart inside. She had no doubt that Magnus said that with conviction, but Alexander was right. What good would it do if Magnus died?


    oo


    "What Alexander says makes sense, Alexa," replied Iacintho after hearing all the accounts of his younger sister''s recent dilemmas. "Within everything I have learned about the mysteries of the Underworld and the Great Judgment, returning from hell with something from there is impossible. You have the seed within you, so you cannot get rid of the curse. Like Alexander himself, in a way. You have stopped sharing a body, but you still share many things. Even the sleep that afflicted him ... Now it will also afflict you, for an entire season."


    He sighed heavily, as if his mind could not produce a satisfactory solution to an enigma.


    "I can''t believe I couldn''t see behind his farce!" muttered Narses, sitting on a rock.


    The brothers were gathered on some rocks near the sea on that cloudy afternoon, not far from Schwartzhoffhausen, watching the waves break on the gravel beach.


    Iacintho was the only one among them with the hood fully pulled and covering his face, in addition to the heavy cloak hiding his body. Alexa and Narses had found out that the legends about the upirs were real. During the night it was much more difficult for regular humans to realize that Iacintho was just as supernatural as during sunlight. So he avoided being seen during the day. Although he was able to walk around like anyone else, in fact. He also complained his vision got blurred by too much light. ''Upirs were created by shadows and to the shadows,'' he had said.


    "Tsk," Iacintho mocked his brother, laughing darkly, "at least you got rid of your private jailer with the help of your brother-in-law¡­ I got some help from the other brother-in-law."


    Narses and Alexa looked at each other, worried, while Iacintho laughed. Then finally, Narses also laughed, "Alexander would be a great brother-in-law, that I had already sensed. Too bad, even though he''s a great brother-in-law, he''s out of the cycle, and in a way, he''s dragging our sister out of it too."


    His words were full of meaning, and Iacintho agreed, wiping his eyes from the tears brought on by his laughter.


    "Yes, Narses. I understand what you mean. So we will look for a way to save it. Lex is expecting a child, and during the three seasons for which she will be pregnant with her baby, we have to find a solution. Because ... we don''t know what can happen. I am relieved that Alexander claims that this baby was not put there by the seed that our shortie swallowed. It was the normal method, and with Magnus. "


    "Can this child be normal?" Narses asked.


    "Don''t you have any tact?!" Alexa put her hand on her stomach, completely flat and, particularly, hungry. This conversation gave her the chills and made her think, in a very real way, that she was actually expecting a baby. There was a small Magnus or a small Alexa inside her body. A baby in need of care, nutrition, and a father and mother.


    But there was also a cursed pomegranate seed inside her. That would take her to the dark world that she experienced in some conversations with Alexander, in her dreams.


    Couldn''t she be with her baby?


    "Can we leave immediately looking for a solution? Where to? Should we still look for Master Petrus?" she asked, feeling a lump in her throat as her fingers unconsciously circled lovingly under her navel. It was there that she imagined little Magnus living.


    "This is the obvious step that Alexander imagines we will take," said Iacintho.


    "Yes, he knows her and he also knows a lot about us. And maybe even about Master Petrus, since he lived Lex''s life in dreams, as you said. I think he could have many ways to stop our most obvious actions. Like snatching you from their views, for example."


    "He said he doesn''t care, because wherever I am, I will reach him as soon as winter comes," Alexa recalled, fearfully.


    "Lex ..." said Iacintho, getting up from the driftwood trunk where he was and coming to his sister. "Listen to your brother. You have less than nine months before winter comes. Your agony can be unbearable if you think this time is short. Take the time to be with your husband and let Narses and I think about how to fix it. We are free from our prisons thanks to you¡­ Collaterally, of course."


    "Eh, are you really going to thank Alexander who caused all this, for having each of you got rid of your burdens?" she narrowed her eyes, sullen by Iacintho''s increasingly strange sense of humor. But Narses agreed.


    "And we will show you appreciation fixing this mess for you."


    "Trust your brothers a little. We are not totally useless, despite appearances!" Iacintho winked at her.


    "Speak for yourself, undead!"


    "Hm, an undead who is more friendly with the ladies than you have been, oh great celibatarian seducer!"


    Alexa didn''t believe what she was hearing. They had become the opposite of what they were! Narses was now much more surly than Iacintho, and ... Was Iacintho now a bon vivant?


    But she knew they had some sort of recent deal. And although Narses said that Iacintho had to be destroyed, it didn''t look like he was in such a hurry after seeing him in person.


    "Are you saying that I shouldn''t worry about that?! I don''t want to have two husbands!"


    Iacintho sighed,


    "Right now, Alexander is managing to have you for him all year, don''t you think so too?"


    "...!" Iacintho had a point, though.

 Chapter 252 - Just Natural

    Violet eyes lurked when Prince Magnus dismissed the jack for the night, and finished dressing, sat down to put on his boots. Magnus was too impatient and independent to expect a servant to help him with this.


    Or maybe it was a hard habit to lose when he was a scary kid.


    ''Come here ... Come here ...'' Alexa thought, stretched like a plank over the bed canopy. I was ready to surprise you. The Prince came close to the bed, and she slid subtly close to him, still not revealing herself.


    ''But¡­ is he really going to sleep without even visiting me in my room?! Hpm, this is not being a good husband, in my opinion! What if I were in my room, not here stalking him? '' she pondered, moving silently to attack him from the back¡­


    "Yawnnnn!" Magnus shrugged the Hungarian Water vial beside the bed, rubbing his eyes.


    ''Oh poor thing, you''re so tired! So many things to worry about! '' Now he had his back to her, and Alexa reached out with her gloved hand to touch his shoulder. But her hand didn''t reach him, and she stretched a little bit more¡­


    ZAPP!


    The world spun and the next instant the princess was on her husband''s lap.


    "MAGS!"


    "Mags!" he imitated her by making a horrible falsetto. Alexa giggled, hiding her mouth with both hands while he sat on the bed with her in his lap. "You have no sense of the danger?"


    "None," she shook her head emphatically. "Why did you get the scented water?"


    "Because I don''t leave it here normally. And the ''killer'' hidden in my bed sprayed ''himself'' with perfume before hiding in the canopy. I hoped he had wanton plans before he killed me...!"


    Alexa squinted, satisfied and purring,


    "Ah, but ''that sloppy killer'' wasn''t even able to surprise you ..." She flinched as Magnus''s hand that wasn''t supporting her back slid down the dress, stroking her leg gently.


    "OH! But I am surprised! So surprised when the day this mitten-handed kitten came out from under the seat of my carriage!" he widened his eyes in an exaggerated and comical way. But his lips pursed as if he kept a funny secret. "Well, but I remember that during your first visit to Schwarzhoffhausen, you didn''t want to visit my room ... You even ran out of the window so you wouldn''t spend the night here ..." he recalled, softly kissing her chin as his hand drew pictures on Alexa''s skin under her dress¡­ She felt her skin grainy and the unending heat rising and concentrating in places that throbbed with excitement, while she couldn''t take her eyes off his eyes.


    Or she couldn''t get the smile off her face. Alexa blatantly lied,


    "Well, I don''t remember that. I just remember saying my prayers and tucking myself under the covers, in a pleasant room... But I''m here in your room now. What are you going to do about it?" Alexa batted her lashes as innocently as she could. She was very aware of the volume in his pants brushing against her body, which was getting bigger and harder, by the way.


    "Hm, let me see ... The visitor didn''t see all the weapons I keep in my house at that time ... I have one exactly in this room. The most special and mighty¡­.And what a pity the visitor cannot use her hands to search ..." He turned Alexa with her back to him, on his lap, and held her wrists. Alexa still had her hands hurt, even with the ointments that Iacintho prepared, and was wearing gloves tonight.


    She laughed when he spoke in her ear,


    "But you''re too close to the weapon, really close..."


    "My God, why are you a rascal and this tacky, Mags?" she asked as he provoked sensations that made her simultaneously want to cringe and expand on his lap.


    Magnus threw his head back, laughing, and leaning Alexa''s back against his broad chest, confessed,


    "Only your voice telling me this nonsense can lift my mood lately, Alexa...!"


    "Nonsense? Do you really find yourself seductive with these strange things you say?" she could play that game too. Alexa forced her bum against his crotch, positioning herself so as to provoke him perfectly. Besides, she decided to untie her shoes. But she could do that without leaving his lap, couldn''t she? The princess squirmed to reach the laces, hearing her husband m.o.a.n and clasp her h.i.p.s, so she definitely wouldn''t stop pressing and rubbing his volume.


    Teasing her lover wasn''t vulgar or tacky because they''re definitely enjoying this foreplay and this exchange.


    "Why¡­ I''m not a seducer. And also ... You are not even the most adorable or the most beautiful! If I wasn''t in love, I wouldn''t even throw a second look at you..." He bit her nape, rocking her body just slightly. She m.o.a.ned and whined, accusingly,


    "You liar! You said that I am beautiful, several times ..."


    Magnus turned her around and brought her back to kiss her mouth with l.u.s.t. "How. Dare you. Judge me¡­?" Each word interrupted by a kiss, completely matched by Alexa.


    "But am I beautiful or not?" she tucked her hands under Magnus''s shirt, touching his chest and sliding her hands to his back.


    "Too thin. Too chatty. Too rude. Also, a glutton¡­"


    "Hm¡­ Maybe I''m just bothering you, so¡­" Alexa started to get up, but Magnus didn''t allow it. On the contrary, he quickly undid the lace of the dress and stripped off the top, pushing it down. Alexa took a deep breath, a little nervous with Magnus'' gaze on her not-so-prominent b.r.e.a.s.ts, but then he touched them gently, starting to caress them with his fingertips and half-closed eyes. She closed her eyes too, enjoying the sensations.


    "So, have you found the weapon yet?" he asked.


    "Oh!" she exaggerated the surprise. "Don''t tell me that this HUGE thing is under me!"


    The Prince bit his lip to keep from laughing, and nodded solemnly. "Do you want to see it? Do you want to touch it?"


    She turned, anxious, and with bright eyes. "Yes!" But then she remembered that her hands were bandaged. "But¡­ I shouldn''t. My hands are rough ..."


    He facilitated the access and Alexa made mention of touching the hard and red phallus of her husband.


    "No, no, you can''t touch it with your hands ..." He corrected her gently, and she put her hands back.


    "Uhn, I already know what to do..." Her eyes gleamed with the idea.


    "Do you?" he asked in a voice hoarse with desire, when Alexa got off his lap and leaned in front of him.


    "Can I kiss it?"


    He nodded.


    "Can I put it in my mouth?"


    He nodded emphatically, and Alexa could see the effect his words had on her husband''s shaft, which seemed to throb with her proposal.


    "Great! My master Lady Eudoxia showed me how to do it and said that one day I would be very good at it. And she said this is a good thing because I could do the ''Swallow the Sword'' technique many times and it wouldn''t harm the baby!" Alexa crouched down, leaning between Magnus'' knees.


    He put heavy hands on her shoulders.


    "Teacher of what? Practice? Baby?!"

 Chapter 253 - Carrots

    "What are you talking about?" Alexa sat on the floor with the force of the pressure of Magnus'' hands. She could see in his eyes that he was not only curious but shocked and angry. "Are you mad that we''re going to have a baby?"


    "No. That part ... It''s good. I want you to explain the other part to me."


    Alexa got dressed. She felt exposed. Maybe she shouldn''t have been so sincere about her intentions, but she was suddenly not comfortable with Magnus'' reactions.


    "I don''t know. You are always mad at me. And to be honest, thinking about a baby makes me nervous. And you make me more nervous by reacting like that."


    "Alexaaa¡­ I didn''t react like that because of our baby, but because of the other thing, you said. And well ... Maybe the fact that you talk about a baby when I don''t want to think about babies ... Just about you."


    He scratched his head, seeming to realize that his reaction was having the opposite effect than expected.


    "Are you worried because I trained something with carrots?"


    Magnus''s gaze was frozen between horror, censorship, and amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "What?! Carrots?"


    "I was in a convent, how do you think I would train to ''swallow the sword''?!" Alexa stood up, with clenched fists and a red face. But Magnus covered her mouth with his big hand, sitting her on his lap again.


    "No. I don''t want to hear about it anymore, my poor ears! Is that what you did at the convent?! Holy God!"


    But this time Alexa''s eyes were two sparkling amethysts, and she took his hand away with both hands.


    "Don''t be ridiculous! As if men don''t train these things out there all the time..."


    "I never heard a noblewoman say such things, Alexa! You are an honest married woman!" He shook his head in disapproval.


    "Of course I am! I keep my promises... Whenever possible. I never steal¡­ Whenever possible! I don''t lie either¡­ Whenever possible. Honest... as much as possible!"


    Magnus gaped, and tried not to laugh.


    "You are not helping yourself here."


    "Are you jealous of a carrot?"


    Magnus thought for a moment, and then shook his head, aghast. Alexa tried to get out of his lap, but the Prince didn''t allow it, wrapping her in his arms.


    "What else did you do with the carrot...?"


    "I washed and gave it to the donkey that pulled our cart," she huffed, but answered honestly.


    "In that case, I don''t think I should be jealous of the carrot ... Or are you lying?"


    "Frankly, Magnus! Make up your mind! Do you prefer me to be honest or to lie? Because ... I thought I could be honest with you! Why can you have learned from women what you did to me that other day, and I can''t even have kissed a carrot?"


    "I don''t believe that, in addition to having to be jealous of Alexander, the damn Blackrose, the prince of Constantinople, and even that disgusting general, I have to be jealous of a carrot!" The Prince replied, maybe too honestly for his own good.


    Alexa wanted to laugh at this pathetic confession, and her anger softened.


    "It was just what I needed! Are you going to be jealous of every spoon I put in my mouth?"


    He held his breath, completely losing his last inch of shame, "Maybe."


    "I won''t say anything to you anymore. I will keep my thoughts here inside my head. And I''m not going to take your mast or put it in my mouth anymore."


    "You won''t be eating carrots any more!" he countered, imperiously.


    Alexa shrugged. "I don''t even like carrots. Now let me out," she haughtily lifted her chin, showing that the conversation was over.


    "Alexa!"


    "What?!"


    "Let''s continue what we were doing ..." Magnus'' voice changed completely, and he didn''t let go, kissing her hair.


    "I don''t want to. I prefer to sleep," she looked at a distant point, while the Prince put a strand of her hair behind her ear, after sniffing it lovingly. "You smell so good... And you look so beautiful with your eyes flashing contempt in my direction..."


    "I''m not even looking at you, Magnus," she noticed the tapestry across the room. "Is that one of the gifts from your engagement with Cordelia? What a shameless prince!"


    "Arghh! How can you bring such a matter to our bed?"


    "I will visit the kitchen before bed ... to cure heartburn that this matter has brought me ... And maybe I get myself a new boyfriend in the garden and run away with him tonight¡­ A carrot!"


    He laughed, this time, and faced the deadliest glare of his wife.


    "Forgive me," he purred. "I just wasn''t expecting this. Your education was nothing like that of the girls here."


    "Hmp," she shrugged, while Magnus kissed her shoulders gently, trying to soften Alexa''s bad mood.


    "Do you have any questions about my past that I need to clear up now? It''s your last chance."


    "Alexa!" He snarled. "I''m trying to apologize. I don''t like to imagine you¡­ training! With carrots or anything else! I admit, I am shocked! Riled up! Confused!"


    "You are not the only one out here who''s confused! Yours is not even the first... mast of a man I''ve ever touched. I needed to pee, you know? So, I don''t understand your horror! I looked and took care and bathed that part of someone else''s body. And if you''re going to be mad about it, your life and my life will get a lot worse!"


    she jumped away from him as soon as he loosened his arm, surprised by her words.


    "Alexa, no ... Don''t mix things up, you know that was a situation ...." he snorted, exasperated.


    "Bad luck, Magnus von Wuttenfal. You went to marry the woman who left the wrong convent. The woman who once had a man''s body. The woman who was at your side for the worst, but not yet for the best. But if you prefer me to be a saintess, I will join celibacy from now on!" She picked up her shoes, giving Magnus a narrow, furious look.


    "Do not leave!" He stood up, demanding with all seriousness.


    "Don''t try to stop me," she mumbled between gritted teeth, turning away and walking out the door. She had not been a good student for Lady Eudoxia. She had been told never to talk about it or to quickly demonstrate her knowledge of seduction. At least she was able to behave with femininity, which was already a big gain. But she was not going to allow Magnus to misjudge her because she showed a willingness to touch him and give him pleasure.


    Snorting, she entered her room, which was merely a guest room in the First Prince''s house. He wanted to slam the door, but the Princess would keep up appearances after all.


    The more Alexa thought about Magnus'' stupid reactions, the more angry she became at him and at herself for liking an idiot like him.


    ''I am the worst pupil, I just should have kept my thoughts to myself. Why did I think he would differ from other men? '' the Princess threw herself on the bed on her stomach, squinting to keep from crying.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Alexa woke up without anyone''s help, feeling that she had slept little. Her face was wrinkled, and she felt terrible for crying. And wept for something as small as irritation over the night before!


    Fighting with Magnus was the least of the turmoil of problems they were experiencing, and yet it affected her so deeply.


    When she moved, Alexa realized that there was a string tied to her wrist. Sitting on the bed, she pulled the thread, feeling a weight at the other end. She started to wind the thick thread, until she caught something.


    ''A carrot?!''


    There was a carrot tied to the string, and a silk bow tied a beautiful topaz ring to the vegetable.


    "...! But, what the hell does he think he''s doing ...?!" Her astonishment didn''t overcome her curiosity, when the princess realized that the thread continued towards the door.


    ''How ridiculous this arrogant Prince is, wanting to bribe me with a ring ...'' But Alexa grabbed the carrot with the ring, and getting off the bed, continued following the thread.


    At the door, Alexa found another carrot with an ivory and gold bracelet, delicately worked with filigree.


    ''Oh! So lovely!'' opening the door, she looked this way and that, to make sure that idiot wasn''t there to call her greedy. But there was no one in sight. Only the thread remained on the floor of the corridor.


    "I''m just going to continue because I know I''ll find him at the end and I''ll shove these carrots right up his¡­" she found another carrot with a gold brooch and pearls in the shape of a swan, and on another door, a carrot with a stunning tiara with sapphires and aquamarines, which literally took Alexa''s breath away and stoked her covet.


    Opening the door while still following the thread, she had a feeling of deja vu, recognizing that this was the bathroom she had been in once.


    She adjusted the bunch of fresh carrots on her arm, and pushed the door all the way.


    The thread, of course, led to the bathtub.


    Magnus was in the bathtub, pretending to read a letter nonchalantly. N.a.k.e.d in the middle of ... carrots!

 Chapter 254 - A Shameless Husband

    Alexa just didn''t let the carrots and their jewelry fall exactly because the jewelry was so valuable. But she wanted to cover her mouth to avoid the mix of sensations that seemed to want to come out of it audibly.


    "MAGNUS!"


    Magnus really was so ridiculous that he was cute! She wanted to slap him and laugh, and at the same time, her heart warmed because he was able to be so pathetic to make her forgive him.


    "Don''t you have any shame?!"


    "No. You don''t have to go to the garden to find a fifth or sixth husband. If you look carefully, you can find something here that satisfies you!" he blinked and Alexa could no longer contain the sound of her laughter, even if she pursed her lips,


    "PFFHFHFHF!!! Hahaha!!!"


    "It''s advisable not to pull the thread too hard ... These jewels are an inestimable heirloom!"


    She placed the carrots and their jewelry on the table, and approached the bathtub, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. At least she found that carrots floated around Magnus.


    "Shall I light a fire under it and cook you like soup?"


    "As long as you constantly try me to know my taste, I wholeheartedly agree ..." he grinned brightly.


    "That was the strangest thing you''ve ever done ..."


    "You saved me with loaf against a dagger, once. Don''t you think we are made for each other?" the Prince gave the string a slight tug, moving Alexa''s wrist. "Why don''t you go into this refreshing water with me?"


    "Aren''t you reading a letter?"


    "I paid a poet to write a poem for you, in fact."


    Alexa held her breath, surprised, and got pink cheeks. "You did it? Did a poet write poetry for me overnight?"


    "Yes. He''s very good. So good that I realized if I try to say these things to you ... the beauty of his words, destroyed by my inept tongue, would diminish me," he crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it aside. "I must be happy for at least have a good face and noble blood. Because my courtesy skills are nil, Alexa. In that regard, maybe even a carrot is more charismatic than me."


    "You made yourself unforgettable, at least," Alexa put her hands on her waist, evaluatively. He was working hard!


    "Let''s talk about the baby..." Magnus kept his face impassive.


    "The baby? What about the baby?"


    "I have some questions about the baby."


    "Did you change in one night? What happened?"


    Alexa undid the bandages, checking how her hands were. Realizing that they were almost healed. She went to his back, taking the wet cloth and rubbing his neck and shoulders. It was so good to look at his back that carried her so many times while she was asleep!


    "Me? Did I change? I don''t know. Recently I feel like I''m someone else, but I can''t make any promises," Magnus seemed to enjoy her massage on his neck, shoulders, and back, stretching lazily.


    "Then ask your questions. I don''t know if I''ll be able to answer it though ..."


    "How can you know it''s a He?" Of course, Alexa knew that every nobleman wanted to have male heirs, and preferably, as soon as possible. But she didn''t know what was in her w.o.m.b.


    Magnus showed a little confusion, and corrected himself, while Alexa condescendingly gave him another chance. Could it be that the men were all the same?


    "It was just a way of speaking. But do you talk to Her?"


    "No. And I don''t know if it''s him or her. There is no spirit on my side. Or you would see it too, wouldn''t you?" that was a question she always had _ whether Magnus also saw spirits.


    "I don''t see them all the time, just when they want to, I think. And it''s good like that. And¡­ will our baby be a Light Bearer?"


    Alexa sighed. She once considered it a gift from the gods and something that set her apart from ordinary people. Even though it was a heavy burden, now seemed too heavy to pass on to a child. She has been there before knowing how heavy this gift was.


    "The Dallassenos were hardly born without the gift. Especially men."


    Magnus touched her hand over his shoulder, squeezing it to comfort her.


    "I hope God has mercy on our child," Magnus turned over his shoulder to face Alexa as he said this and raised her hand to his lips after that.


    Alexa felt a mixture of sadness for not knowing the future, and comfort for knowing that Magnus thought so.


    TCHBOOM! He grabbed her and in a flash, pulled her into the tub.


    Alexa gave a cry, first because of the scare and then because of the cold water. He protected her from drowning, but Alexa was furious!


    "Arghhh!!!"


    Bringing her to his lap and against her chest, Magnus pretended to console her, "OhOh, poor thing, she fell into the water! So wet! Let me help you get those wet clothes off, oww poor thing!" covering her with kisses and with her hands lasciviously pacing the princess''s body.


    "Are you finally going to fulfill your wish the other time I was here?"


    "Ah, you don''t tell me!" Magnus threw the carrots out of the tub. "After all that, hearing that false intel you were actually a man¡­ It broke my heart! I''ve been so hard for you!"


    Alexa laughed and groped his body until she found what she wanted, grabbing it willingly.


    "Wow!" Magnus was taken by surprise but laughed delightedly. "Did you find what you were looking for in the garden?"


    "Magnus ... Why don''t you just shut up?"


    "Give me your mouth again and the only thing I will do besides devour you, will be to breathe," his hand also moved quickly towards the delta of Alexa''s legs, and she sighed in delight when he touched her core. She offered her mouth for him to kiss her as he asked.


    In moments, they were sailing through the shallow waters when they heard heavy footsteps approached the door. Magnus held her close to him, not really leaving her body when the man outside announced,


    "Your Highness, news from our eastern border. We lost the village of Harzdorff and the Ludoraz Bridge!"

 Chapter 255 - At the Center of the Labyrinth

    Alexa walked cautiously, following the red-haired ghost that attracted her to the maze. She had no doubt that, now that Alexander knew he was Orcaius, he was the real Sovereign over the dead of the castle. And they certainly made a parallel court for themselves.


    When he arrived at the gazebo with the statue, she found Alexander sitting in the shade of the marble ephebe. He had his eyes closed enjoying the warmth of a streak of sunshine, but she knew he was aware of her arrival.


    She also didn''t need to look again to know that Nerissa was gone before she even got close to the mighty Lord of the Underworld.


    "If we want this war to end, Magnus will have to take immediate action."


    "Why are you saying this to me?" she asked, although she sensed the reasons.


    "Because he is procrastinating his decisions to go to war because of you."


    "I can go with him."


    "You might," Alexander opened his eyes, which against the sunlight became the color of violets. "And if you do, he may become very cautious because of your presence and the presence of his future heir."


    The Princess took a deep breath, clenching hands.


    "What do you mean? Should I stay? So why not just help us with the pomegranate seed? There must be a solution."


    "Why don''t you help me with Holstein? While my brother is gone the kingdom will be weakened. Father Agnello could help, and even your brothers, within their powers... And maybe you even convinced Auntie Godiva to stay and help. She is excellent at this and knows the kingdom very well."


    "Konrad won''t be staying, no matter what we say to him," she warned. She had not yet agreed with Alexander, but lately, this political concern had assailed her mind. The kingdom was administratively on the verge of collapse.


    "Konrad has his father''s heirloom, his lands, and his long life ahead of him. I hope he forgets the past and dedicates himself to his future." Alexander''s words were void of emotions, Alexa didn''t know what to think about it.


    "He went out of his way for you, and is that all you have to say about what happened?"


    His gaze in response was not furious, or ashamed, but inquisitive. Alexa felt judged and thought if she had said something too stupid.


    "Should I take him with me in the winter, too?"


    "No, no!" Alexa hurried to say.


    "Can you do what I ask you to do? Not for me, but for Magnus?"


    "And why can''t you do that yourself while he takes care of military affairs?"


    "Ah..." he smiled, getting up and extending his hand for Romeo to land. "There you are." Turning to Alexa, he replied. "I will be busy for a long time, sifting the dead who must go from those who must stay. It won''t be a pleasant job¡­"


    Alexa''s eyes widened. Hearing him say that gave him a different notion about the castle. She imagined how ingrained many of those unfortunate souls were to the castle and the city, still more a place with such a unique history.


    "Are you going to take them to the Path?"


    Alexander stared at her with a long silence, and finally said,


    "I must send some to the rebirth. But those who have committed heinous crimes should stay for a little more..."


    "What will you do with the Queens?" Alexa asked. "You said that I would know soon."


    "You know you both committed terrible crimes, don''t you?"


    Alexa winced. Was Alexander able to say that even from his mother, who fought so hard for him?


    "Are you really so ruthless?"


    "You will tell me. They are not the only ones to commit abominable crimes ... But they have been trying to serve their sentences."


    "Did Gisela commit a terrible crime? I thought she saved Magnus'' life, even though she did other¡­ doubtful things, " the princess murmured the last words.


    "And what did she do to little baby Dallasenos, stealing her destiny and her life?"


    "I mean ..." Alexa swallowed. "Did you wake up to be a punitive lawmaker?"


    He huffed at her words, "It''s hard to impress you, isn''t it Alexa? But you will find out what I do when you are beside me."


    "I won''t be at your side Alexander. Give up. Let''s just forget about it before we lose our friendship. I can''t be your wife and Magnus'' wife at the same time..." Alexa insisted again, but when she realized that Alexander locked himself in an indifferent expression, she asked again,


    "If I forgive Gisela, will she be able to be reborn?"


    "It will probably happen when you accept that she did this knowing that your destiny was at my side... Then she can leave."


    Alexa held her breath. She didn''t think so, and knew that Alexander wanted to win this game wearing her down.


    "What about Letitia? Does she expect Magnus'' forgiveness?"


    "Ah, as she said, she is waiting for your help. She wants to ''save'' Magnus, taking my heart from his chest..."


    Alexa put her hand on her own chest, shocked that Alexander could say that so nonchalantly. But he continued,


    "Look for her, if you want to listen to her. But she''s not a sensible soul, so draw your own conclusions..."


    "You made a deal with her about it, and you both worked together."


    "I made a certain deal that I would permit you and her to do something if both agreed to it. About working long with her¡­ You know I don''t. She even tried to prevent us from reaching the pomegranate tree. She was not happy to see us separated because she knew that our situation was much more useful to her than me being free and totally awake."


    "So Letitia plans to harm you, doesn''t she?"


    Alexander shrugged, "Alexa, you will find, as I found out, that being fully aware is more painful than you think _ and what I remembered. You still have a lot of decisions to make."


    Alexa fell silent. It occurred to him that the Black Queen knew of some way to get the heart out of Magnus'' chest, and that involved ''opening the gate'', as the prophecy said. Gutard chose to open the gate that favored the youngest son over Magnus. Ah, if he only knew ...


    Alexa came close to Alexander, and reached out to touch Romeo. His fingers traced the nightingale''s feathers on the Prince''s wrist.


    "Alexander, you know that I''m going to open the gate to get the heart out of Magnus," she said. She didn''t want to leave it dubious or hidden.


    "Your words sound like an iron hand crushing this very heart, Alexa. Can''t you really share anything else with me?" he asked, while his fingers touched hers.

 Chapter 256 - The True Plague Doctor is a Handsome Upir

    "I am the one who can really understand you, accept you as you are. And you can understand me too. I know you hold a grudge right now ... but take my words into consideration," he stroked her fingers for a moment and then withdrew his, looking at her deeply.


    They were eyes with an overwhelming, frightening depth. Eyes of someone who had seen too much in this world and beyond. Alexander had no innocence, as the voice Alexa heard in her mind in the past made her believe.


    Alexander''s gaze trapped Alexa for a moment and then blinked, lowering hers.


    "II ... I have some questions to ask ... about you."


    "About me?" He showed his surprise. "Totally about me?"


    "Yes. Who are you? What do you remember? Are the legends real?"


    "We will have all winter for these questions," he smiled showing the dimples. "I''m awestruck because you ask more questions now than you ever have before!"


    Alexa blushed. "I did not have time¡­!" she tried to justify herself.


    "I wouldn''t have those answers either, but the Alexander I once was would have been thrilled to know. I mean, that you were interested in the person he was... And maybe you could have had interesting answers from him too. We won''t ever know, though..."


    "Yes¡­ I realize my mistakes now. I always thought I would have time to do things later. As if there was always tomorrow ..."


    "There is always tomorrow _ for immortals ... But not everything can be postponed."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Alexander-Orcaius was really deep, and being close to him made Alexa feel like a foolish child. Even hours after she spoke to him in the garden, his words still echoed in her mind.


    She was getting ready for dinner, and in a way, feeling small, empty, and useless.


    Alexa looked at herself in the mirror, while Maria rummaged through the princess'' jewelry boxes to choose a piece of jewelry consistent with mourning, but that showed the power of the von Wuttenfal family.


    The courtiers and ministers were doing their best to transform the transition of power after Gutard''s death, and to cover up all internal problems while they were not resolved.


    Delegations from other kingdoms arrived for the coronation of Holstein''s new Sovereign Prince, and this could be vital to the kingdom''s recovery. The war to the east was becoming an even bigger problem than the Duke of Burgundy''s advance from the west had been.


    Burgundy''s claims to power were crushed in consecutive defeats, but the kingdom was facing problems from the Poles'' attack. Alexa had heard that the Danes secretly financed the Poles ventures against Holstein. It had all started because of Baron Florian. But now, Alexa wondered if the Baron had come intending to create hostility, since the beginning, also financed by Cordelia''s father.


    Alexa even wondered if her presence was not controversial, but Countess Godiva had explained that they would have to test the reactions to find out. The Countess had decided to stay to help Magnus in these dire times. And Alexa was grateful to have advice from a person as sensible and smart as Godiva.


    "These beautiful earrings¡­ I don''t remember seeing them before! And ... Oh! What a beautiful tiara, Your Highness!" Maria exclaimed, looking in fascinated amazement at the new objects. Alexa bit her lip, worried. At that moment, she couldn''t even say that she had been gifted by Magnus!


    "Ah¡­ These are jewels that have been kept for some reason. Maybe I should just wear small earrings and this swan-shaped brooch?"


    Maria nodded and began to carefully guard the other jewels, when Bertha announced that Iacintho wanted to see the Princess, with a confused and restless expression.


    Alexa imagined that the head of the maids was like that because of her brother''s singular countenance. She wondered if it could cause problems in the future, and hoped it wouldn''t.


    Iacintho was dressed in the western way, and it was an impressive sight indeed!


    Alexa got up when she saw him. Even in the lair of the Volos lich, he had a neat and composed appearance, as if maintaining hygiene was a way of maintaining sanity and routine. Considering the nature of the living dead, of course.


    But with new clothes and a _ almost unheard of _ slight smile on his face, she would say that he really was a man of singular beauty and an erudite l.u.s.ter. Iacintho''s beautiful long dark hair gleamed with a l.u.s.trous shine, and his eyes, resembling Alexa''s, had the color of a spring night, crowned by long and well-shaped brows. "Brother, your presence makes me so happy!"


    "I was told that maybe I could see her before dinner, Alexa," he looked around, noticing the people in the room. Alexa turned around, to dismiss everyone, but stopped when she saw Maria gaping at Iacintho, as if she no longer could blink!


    ''How fickle! Two days ago she was all excited because of Konrad!'' Looking back at her brother, the princess saw that he too followed Alexa''s gaze to Maria.


    "Why, I see that they don''t know each other. Maria, this is my older brother. He arrived with Prince Magnus, a few days ago. Brother, meet my friend Maria Wemmel, one of the kindest people I know."


    He looked away at Alexa, with what his sister thought was ''a funny face'' and which left her apprehensive at the same time.


    "Kindness is clearly not the only attribute of Lady Wemmel," he commented elegantly.


    Alexa gaped. Iacintho never seemed to care about civilities or courtesy, because he only cared about books and occults. He didn''t even care about people much, as far as she remembered. And suddenly... She found out he knew how to get elegant words out of his mouth. Courteous words capable of making Maria even more agitated and unable to hide a fat -dimpled smile!


    "Ah, I''m not witnessing this! No, please!" she exclaimed, placing her hand over her mouth afterward. Iacintho put his hands behind his back, averting his gaze, and Maria grabbed her skirts with her fists closed, her face as red as an apple!


    "Alexa! There''s nothing to witness! If you just forgot all the education you should have received at the convent, I remember my father''s teaching! Don''t be rude! I just ... I can''t help praising Lady Wemmel. You told me she''s a kind noblewoman with solid principles, who ignores the baseless backbiting against you!"


    "Ah! Lord Dallassenos? I''m a little confused, I''m sorry. I was told that the Princess''s other brother is called Narses Dallassenos, even though I met the princess as Lady Saskia ..." Maria had not yet recovered. "I appreciate the undeserved praise. But I may leave you alone..."


    "It''s not necessary, Lady Wemmel. My affair with my sister is not private... It''s a favor that I ask."


    "Uhn?"


    "Alexa ..." this time Iacintho looked only at her, and returned to his usual professorial tone. "I visited some places in the city and heard from Doctor Rosencrantz about the disease that spread through the capital. Although the most serious outbreak is over, some parts of the city still need care, so that it doesn''t happen again..."


    "And something can be done about it?"


    "Yes, or I wouldn''t be talking to you, airhead!" he crossed his arms and frowned.


    Not even a pretty girl could take Iacintho out of his usual concentration with enigmas involving death and illness, apparently. Alexa took a deep breath, relieved.


    "And what can I do about it?"


    "Put me in touch with the chief physician of the kingdom. I have a plan, and Doctor Rosencrantz can help, too."


    "Can you solve the plague problem?" The two women asked, in unison, and with hopeful smiles.


    "If nothing else escapes where it should keep locked, yes, I can," he spoke with confidence.


    Alexa was not sure about that, since there was still a door to be opened.

 Chapter 257 - Late Night Visit

    The evening at the royal table with diplomats from other countries, seated in his place and facing Cordelia, had been more than boring. It had been disastrous.


    Alexander made up an excuse and was not there. But Alexa was still officially his wife and had to answer questions about him, as if they were a real couple.


    Worse than that, she had to listen to diplomats offering Magnus brides.


    Cordelia had the excuse of being a recent widow and withdrew, looking at Alexa with a contemptuous look, as if she was enjoying a small victory.


    As soon as the princess was able to leave the hall and escape to the bedroom, away from the conversation of diplomats and courtiers, Alexa did that.


    Not even the great step of helping the city to get rid of the plague, thanks to the exceptional knowledge of her brother and two other excellent doctors, was enough to quell the agony she was feeling in her chest now.


    She buried her face in the pillow, feeling the thick, hot tears run down her face.


    Alexa felt the usual scratching of her hands and a shiver running down her spine, and turned quickly, pulling a pillow to protect her body.


    ~ Alexaa¡­ ~


    It was Letitia''s Shade, on the other side of the room, staring at her.


    Alexa sighed.


    "You were furious because Gutard chose Alexander over Magnus... I think I understand now," the princess began, knowing it was best to be cautious. Even Alexander was reticent about Letitia. Was she really insane?


    ~ Until the solstice, you can get in and out of there. ~


    Yes, until the solstice, when she would immediately fall asleep victim to the curse of the pomegranate seed. She could understand that.


    "Where do you want me to go and what do you want me to do to get the monster out of Magnus?" Again, despite Alexander saying that Alexa should be cautious, he was not concerned with stopping her. Maybe he also wanted it done?


    ~ You must take the heart out of Magnus'' chest¡­ and take it to the bottom, where Orcaius is¡­ ~


    At that moment, Alexa felt her own heart skip a beat, because of the shock of the proposal. Letitia spoke in her hoarse and whispered voice, which to Alexa''s ears sounded as if snakes crawled into her ear canals. And what she had proposed was obscene.


    "You ... Do you think I will again be foolish to fall for another trick of yours?!"


    ~ Exchange hearts ... Come back before night comes ... And Magnus will be immortal, and free from Orcaius ... ~


    "No way ..." she whispered, startled, but a thunderous voice shouted,


    "NO F.U.C.K.I.N.G WAY!!! GET AWAY!!!" Magnus had pushed the door open and was now in the middle of the room, eyes sparkling with fury.


    The Black Queen immediately fled into the shadows.


    The Prince came to bed and hugged Alexa instinctively, then pulled her away by the shoulders to look at her face.


    "How can you keep listening to her?! What has she said?!"


    Alexa realized that he had not heard everything.


    "How did you know that ... What about the guests?!"


    "I was worried about you, I made up an excuse to be gone for a few moments. And it looks like I hit the bull''s-eye," he snorted, taking a second look around as if to make sure there was nothing else or anyone there.


    "Alexa, listen well. I don''t want you to do any dealing with ghosts. Don''t, do you hear me? My God, I don''t believe I have to say that kind of thing to you ..."


    "Mags¡­ Not even if there is a way to get this thing off your chest?"


    "Lex ..." Magnus sighed, as if talking about that subject was painful. "Is there really a way?"


    Alexa was going to say yes, and that Letitia had just said, but Magnus was right, it could be more of a ruse, as she suspected.


    "I just don''t understand why Alexander acts with such consideration in his favor. If at the same time he knows what you did?"


    Magnus'' eyes became very yellow while he was thinking about what she said. Finally, he shrugged.


    "This is even more offensive. He really thinks nothing can stop him. I was a brat when I let myself be dominated by the evil that lives inside me. But now I''m a man, and I''m going to think of a smart way to deal with it."


    "I even see your father talking. A strategist."


    "Perhaps I have learned, like him, that being impetuous does not help when dealing with the things we are dealing with. Alexander is a strategist too."


    Alexa was fighting over whether to tell what Magnus''s Mother Shade had asked, and although her conscience told her it wouldn''t do any good for him to know, she could barely contain herself.


    "Magnus, listen to me. She believes that there is a simple way to resolve this."


    And the princess reported her brief conversation with the Shade shortly thereafter. Magnus looked at her with a frighteningly insane expression for a moment.


    Then he took her by the wrist, snarling,


    "Let''s go to him!"


    "Hey, stop! You are hurting me! Wait!" she protested in vain.


    Magnus pulled her to meet Alexander to get it out. But they didn''t go through the regular corridors. Magnus grabbed a torch and led her through the secret passage that she knew well, back to the secret tower.


    ''Is this Alexander''s shelter now?!'' she wondered as she tried to keep up with Magnus''s long strides leading the way.


    When they reached the staircase that led to the tower, Alexa felt the chilly atmosphere associated in her mind with a high concentration of Shades.


    "Mags, I think we shouldn''t bother him today ... He''s busy ..." Alexa''s eyes filled with tears as her hands itched unbearably. Even as Magnus climbed the ladder, she could see the Shades lining the path, as in a procession up the stairs, to meet their sovereign.


    Upon reaching the top and seeing the blue door, Magnus slammed the reinforced wood. Perhaps noticing the steam coming out of their mouths as they breathed, he brought her closer to him, while they waited for a while.


    "Come in, Magnus." Alexander''s soft voice came from within.

 Chapter 258 - Prince of the Dead

    The door opened, and for a moment she felt her feet stomp, as if there was no floor under her feet. But the moment passed quickly, and the dizziness and tinnitus were also gone as if by magic.


    Alexander was sitting in a chair, in the middle of the room, with his hands superimposed and facing them. The cold started to dissipate as the Shades left the place.


    "Where''s Balbo?" Alexa asked, remembering that she hadn''t seen her friend since the Second Prince returned from the battle.


    "Living, I think." Alexander studied them with keen, curious eyes. "Should I give a message if I see it? Did you come to visit me in the middle of the night just for longing, or is there a specific reason? "


    "Stop telling your lackey to upset Alexa with stupid ideas. Alexa is not here to be a pawn or to fulfill prophecies, or to serve as a gift from your servants to you! I''m warning you, stop! If I have to bring this castle down to expel all of you, I will! "


    Alexa worried about how Alexander''s eyes shone with amus.e.m.e.nt and he barely controlled his laugh.


    "Mags, my brother. Since you refer to Letitia like that, I realize that it is impossible to rescue any bond by repentance and effort on her part. Maybe you, or Alexa, remember all the work she did and how she was very collaborative with Zilda, when they stole this body and set my room on fire. She tried and due to all the confusion with the followers of the Cult of Diana, the poor thing has gained considerable power here ... Which is not much use when your mind is already clouded by madness and darkness, isn''t it, Alexa?


    Alexa had to nod at Alexander''s words, seeing Magnus snort to control his confusion.


    "What does that mean?"


    "That at that moment, my not-so-lovely ex-bride almost took over this castle. Almost. But now everything is back to normal and you never have to worry about it again. I would even say that you should forget, but I know it''s impossible. But ... She got me a favor, in exchange for her not to disturb our father in his final moments. Do you think I did it wrong? "


    "What you did is your responsibility. Never involve Alexa in this again or your hypocrisy will end like your teeth, when I hit you. My patience has a single limit: the well-being of Alexa and the Holstein people, and I''m talking about the living. Enough! I might as well play the same game as you, but Alexa will be out of it. If one of her ghosts comes near her to speak an AH! and suggest anything that I think is dangerous, we''re really going to test how much each of us can handle¡­ since I''m feeling especially powerful now that you''re awake. "


    Alexa did not know this, and looked from one to the other, worried. The brothers looked at each other: Magnus frowned and showing his irritation with a withering look. Alexander returned an appraising look, but finally pressed his lips.


    "I got the message. But, even though we are talking about someone who brought you into this world, let me say _ the queen of bitches is crazy. She has taken over important access in my absence ... and thinks she can do something for you. She decidedly realized that we are not the type for each other. "


    For the first time, she saw Alexander being so sarcastic, and even though it was all true, she was ashamed to be there listening to him tell Magnus those things about his mother.


    "You''d better get back to your work then, Prince of the Dead. I am dealing with the living at the moment and I was interrupted by this unpleasant matter. "


    Alexander looked at Alexa thoughtfully and ended up saying,


    "You look very beautiful tonight, Alexa. But¡­ Did you cry? "


    Her embarrassment and confusion made her put her hands over her swollen eyes.


    "Does she cry because of you, Magnus?"


    "..." The First Prince took a deep breath, and wrapped his arm around Alexa''s shoulders, but did not carry on the conversation.


    They left as quickly as they came, and when Magnus returned to his room, he asked her, kneeling in front of him as he sat her on the bed,


    "Is it true? Are you crying? Did I make you cry? "


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Conversations that did not lead to solutions and only brought a feeling of frustration in both was not what Alexa wanted for her and Magnus. Before they happened, she knew there would be obstacles, she just didn''t realize that even small things would have such an effect on them. How not to be able to simply declare that they were husband and wife was painful.


    But they both knew they would need to work on the solutions to this over time. And there was really no room for conversation when the court waited for its future ruler.


    There was no conversation, and if Magnus knew why she had cried, he didn''t say. With a deep feeling of sinking into the darkness, Alexa was looking at the ceiling over her head, coming to the conclusion that, for feet used to running, living like a princess was a type of prison.


    The next day, she was preparing for the seventh-day mass of Prince Gutard''s death, knowing that she would be there beside Alexander.


    Alexa sighed in silence, without really having someone to share her thoughts with that morning.


    The arrival of Father Agnello, announced by Bertha, made her leave her sad thoughts, and produced a smile on her face to receive him. The medical treatment of Iacintho in conjunction with Dr. Rosencrantz was surprisingly short-lived. Blue Eyes showed energy, although much thinner.


    "Father Agnello!" she exclaimed, after asking for his blessing. "So is it true that the Archbishop said that you will be the next Bishop of Holstein ?!"


    "I think the requirement is to survive Holstein and continue to live in the city - basically there were no other candidates ..." sardonically he sighed.


    "You will be a good Bishop for us ... You know the truth and you will not be intimidated ..."


    "I also know that we will have to prepare ourselves to deal with the truth ..." he gave a tired smile.


    Agnello was one of those who felt betrayed because they had been ''tricked'' by Orcaius. And Alexa found herself empathetic with both sides of the situation. The boy they met was Alexander, since Orcaius was not aware of who he was. They were fascinated by his innocent and sweet personality, weakened by stigma and nightmares. Even Alexander did not imagine that he was the source of all problems in Holstein. Now the Alexander they knew was gone, and there was nothing they could do to bring it back.


    "I will go to Rome right after the Coronation, as part of my duties ..."


    Alexa followed Father Florentino''s agonized look at the people in the room, and asked everyone to leave her alone with her tutor.


    "I thought about taking the divorce application signed by Alexander and Prince Gutard''s seals for Your Holiness to analyze and grant the divorce. I thought of asking an audience to explain the reasons to him ... But not only did the letters disappear from the Bishop''s office, but the official record of Holstein also disappeared from the Royal Library! Mestre Valerius is the only one who has the key to the enclosure, which was not broken into. But the Registry has disappeared! "


    "Alexander..?" she whispered the question.

 Chapter 259 - Under the Surface

    "Balbo!" Alexa whispered, leaning over the drunk man, with his face lying on his arm on a table at the bottom of a tavern.


    Narses had brought her there, and being a princess, Alexa was in disguise, but she would have come even if she couldn''t hide.


    She should be waiting with the other guests in the cathedral for Magnus''s Coronation. But Narses warned her they had finally found Balbo.


    Her voice seemed to have some effect and Balbo struggled to raise his head a little and confirm. "Why are you here, Your Highness? Let this stupid man rot without the right to a quick death!"


    So that was it.


    Alexa tapped her big friend on the shoulder, "Is your reason for leaving your post and wasting your precious life in a bar?"


    "I was a foolish blind man, and I helped to destroy your life, Your Highness! What justifies my stupidity?"


    "You cannot be responsible for my actions, Balbo! And besides¡­ I still need you." This wasn''t what Alexa had come for, and she didn''t even know if she could do that.


    Officially, Balbo was an elite officer, one of the kingdom''s fencing masters, and one of the Second Prince''s trusted men.


    She sensed that none of this was of any importance to Balbo Cerd¨¢n. Like Konrad, he was heartbroken to see the shining Alexander leave and make way for the Dark Prince of the Dead Orcaius.


    "Prince Magnus wants to speak to you!" she shook her friend''s arm. "Don''t show up this way in front of your sovereign!"


    "He was merciful not to execute me for treason for trying to kill him. Thanks to Princess, I failed. I must be glad to the Fates that they favored you and not me that day. What I can do is disappear from his sight in gratitude."


    "Balbo, he didn''t take it wrong ..." Alexa said. "He understood his point of view."


    "I¡­ I''m waiting for a Galician boat to reach the port. I''m going to join pirates and¡­"


    "I would never have imagined, considering your ever composed stance, that you had this kind of fantasy. Become a mean burglar, with so many talents you have."


    "Furthermore, it''s unnecessary to be either clever or skilled to be a pirate ... But to be responsible for the Kingdom''s Elite Intelligence ..." commented Narses casually, in a low voice. "Don''t look for death so eagerly, because it will run away from you. What needs to be done now has a greater purpose, and you are an essential part of it, Brother. So get up!"


    Alexa raised an eyebrow. She didn''t know that part. What was Magnus up to? However, if that could make Balbo not give up on himself, she was good with. After he showed autonomy at the lighthouse, even Prince Gutard had approved it. He prevented the incident from becoming a problem of much greater proportions - despite the controversial and merciless method.


    "Me? Intelligence Elite? If I can''t even point out what was going on under my nose?" He raised his head and finally accepted the mug of water that the Princess was offering him.


    "Starting from that, we have a mission now, Brother. We have many things to discuss while everyone celebrates. You have the necessary padding for this type of action, you are the kind of person the Prince Sovereign needs to organize an incorruptible and vigilant Intelligence Bureau. That''s what he said, at least," Narses shrugged.


    Magnus was willing to reform and protect his kingdom, and Alexa was proud of it. He would change the way he dealt with political spies, and sorcerers in search of Orcaius'' forbidden knowledge.


    "Accept it, Balbo!" she insisted.


    "I am not in a position to make demands, but it would be nice if Your Highness were the secret leader of this operation!" he replied, unexpectedly blushing.


    The suggestion took Alexa by surprise, but she found out that, in her heart, she longed for something like this.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The days drip through their fingers as water, and Magnus was finally crowned the new Sovereign Prince.


    His older brother''s Coronation was also Alexander''s last public appearance.


    With the coronation of Magnus as Sovereign Prince, according to the tradition of the kingdom, the Second Prince Alexander also became the Duke of Ashgrau, the rich mining province in the North.


    And Alexa, consequently, was turned into a Duchess.


    Unless she wanted to draw attention to herself and her uncomfortable situation, it was best to remain silent until they managed to do something about it. Alexa suspected, however, that Alexander intended to hinder the change in his marital status indefinitely.


    And the new Duke took turns between the tower and his quarters, with rare visits to the garden. Only people of strict confidence could go to him or serve him. He was frugal and a recluse, and would need little attention.


    One thing was remarkable, while some parts of the castle had become noticeably more pleasant overnight, other parts had to be closed down as accidents and strange events occurred at any time.


    During that time, politics consumed all the time of the new Sovereign Prince Magnus I, who administered the kingdom and dealt with many other problems besides what happened inside the castle.


    Also according to tradition, Cordelia was designated as responsible for the castle''s domestic affairs above the Chamberlain, since officially Magnus was a single Prince. Alexa remembered the day when Gutard told him that, because he was a widower, Alexa would take charge of that role. Things didn''t turn out that way in the end, and Gutard''s widow would hold on to that role until the Sovereign Prince married.


    Alexa at the same time felt relieved, because she didn''t want to busy herself with a castle this big and problematic, but in the back of her mind she thought she should be concerned with that. She and Cordelia, who was now a Countess and no longer Princess Consort, hardly spoke to each other, since there was little reason for that. They only met at events that forced them to do so.


    Alexa''s attention was on another matter.


    Father Agnello had recovered Jette''s writings shortly after the troubadour''s death.


    During the afternoons or evenings, Alexa met with the librarian Valerius and her brother Iacintho, the most focused on this type of subject, for a specific reason.


    They gathered Jette''s drafts and notes, and all the materials the bard woman found about Holstein. And the two scholars could investigate everything that was known about the past. Iacintho was convinced that there might be some clue about Orcaius and the Pomegranate Seed.


    It was a surprise when Valerius came in to help, as he was the one doing the researches for Gutard in the past. A man like Valerius knew a lot about Holstein.


    She knew that her brothers were dedicated to finding a solution to her dilemma, and lately they didn''t want to involve her because they knew she was pregnant.


    This was a little unnerving, to be honest, as Alexa felt no change in her body.


    But her mind was divided into a thousand pieces, occupied with big things and small things. Among the big ones were Magnus and Alexander.


    Not even every night she was able to wait awake for Magnus. But he always came to her room after his work, no matter the time. One night she woke up from dreams she didn''t remember, and found him looking at her, sitting by the bed.


    "Mags?" she had mumbled, sleepy. "Why are you there?"


    "Shhh ... Go back to sleep,""he had replied with a whisper. ""It''ll be dawn in a little while."""And are you going to stay here, watching me? Go to sleep!" she could barely speak, but she had the impression of seeing his smile.


    "I think I got used to seeing you sleep. Just sleep, you''re safe."


    "Ah! How scary you are ...!"


    Now that she thought about it during the day, she was still undecided about feeling loved and worried about Magnus. He had something strange inside him that gave him almost infinite energy, but even Magnus needed rest and nutrition. And mostly, he shouldn''t be watching her sleep anymore.


    At other times, Alexa sighed when she thought of that other lonely figure who lived in the castle, hated and feared by everyone.


    And, unable to bear this thought for more than a few days of indecision, Alexa went back to the maze again.

 Chapter 260 - Innocence

    "Here!"


    Alexander promptly grabbed the peach Alexa threw at him, rising from the lawn when he saw her.


    Birds sang and the scent of camellias and roses filled the air. The bright afternoon was conducive to being outside the castle, and Alexa regretted not having done this before.


    "Thank you!"


    "I thought you might like some company from the living ones, for a change ..." she said, looking at the papers scattered where he had been sitting. Alexander looked over his shoulder, too.


    "I was drawing. I like to do this while I''m thinking¡­ "


    Alexa didn''t know much about Alexander. But she recollected some facts and tried to start a light conversation.


    "Your father once said that you have beautiful handwriting ..."


    The new Duke''s gaze wandered for a moment in memory, and turned to her with a smile. Alexa had her teeth stuck in her own peach, and for the first time she noticed Alexander was becoming different from her. Manlier, yet still youthful.


    "I miss that man¡­ Ahh Alexa¡­" He sighed "Yes, I''m glad you came to see me. I miss you too. "


    "Hm ... If you didn''t cheat on us..."


    "Don''t be unfair. You are no saint either, remember? You missed your chance to be beatified recently."


    "Uggh!" Alexa shrugged at the memory. They tried to kill her to produce a saint.


    Alexander took a small dagger from his clothes and methodically began to peel the fruit. Alexa immediately remembered Magnus'' narrative and shivered, but Alexander just looked up from the fruit for a moment and smiled again, knowing he was observed.


    "Do you miss the wind hitting your face, the feeling of movement, and the joy and surprise when looking into the only bowl of food¡­? Rather than sending untouched dishes back to the kitchen? " He started eating thin slices of the fruit, looking at her and waiting a reaction.


    "Hm ..." she pondered for a moment, knowing that yes, she really wasn''t adapting so well to live the life of a noblewoman without much to do but wait for a baby for nine months. Magnus still hadn''t made up his mind about letting her be part of the Intelligence Elite. He hadn''t said either yes or no.


    Finally, without finding a way to lie about it to someone who knew her so well, she nodded.


    "Through you, I remembered what living was like." Alexander''s simple, clear sentence impressed her.


    She didn''t know exactly what he meant by that, but before she could ask, he gestured with his hand,


    "Come. The tank is full of fish, and the fountain has been cleaned up. You''ll like to see it."


    She followed him, still amazed that he was in a good mood. Alexander was saying,


    "You can use my horses and most of my things. If you prefer to go to Ashgraufelsen and enjoy spring in the mountains, where you can stay away from the court, just do it as you wish... I think it would be a good idea. Your baby must be born in a von Wuttenfal home ... The royal midwife is very experienced and there is no one more impartial in the whole kingdom ... You know, it doesn''t even matter that you are the son of a commoner AND witch ... If you are given birth in her hands and born to live, you will live! " Another disconcerting smile, and Alexa got dizzy thinking about that future, and all the court intrigues about the birth of her baby, just waiting to happen.


    She didn''t know what to say or what to think about this matter with Alexander. Why did he seem to accept everything with such patience and understanding?


    Suddenly, a thought fell on his head like a turtle from the sky.


    ''Of course! He cannot possibly have heirs! It''s the only explanation!''


    They passed through part of the labyrinth and reached the gazebo with the statue. A little further on, there was a fish tank and a small fountain with a newt, spouting water.


    "Did you notice that the water flows smoothly through the tank? It comes from the aqueduct and then goes to some chores in the castle," he informed, pointing to the crystal clear water where the fish swam.


    The pleasant sound of the water was soothing and she watched the fish evolve in silence, next to Alexander.


    Alexa had many questions, but that was not what she had come for.


    "Again, thank you for coming, Alexa," the sudden comment startled her. Was he able to read minds? She had no way of knowing, and it made her uneasy.


    "I figured it must be a little boring to be alone for so long."


    "I find it annoying not to have many people to share this radiant day with. Ephemeral things that are seen and felt only once," he got rid of his shoes in an instant, plunging his feet into the tank with an expression of ecstasy. Alexa was jealous.


    "What are you waiting for? This delicious water running through your fingers will not pass twice here! Most experiences of a lifetime cannot be experienced in the same way in another, can they? Knowing this, humans cling to their lives with nails and teeth ... Without knowing that the beauty of living is to experience, not to keep. Poor fool, he who speaks to you! "


    ''Is this something aimed at me?'' she wondered. "Also¡­ Isn''t he clinging to life?"


    But she took off her shoes and raised her dress a little, joined Alexander, walking on the rocks at the bottom of the tank and feeling the running water reach her knees.


    At first she squealed with satisfaction, the water was colder than she imagined.


    Alexander laughed.


    "Of all the people, I wouldn''t have imagined you silly squealing because of some cold water."


    "Don''t be rude, I am a girl after all! I am a fragile flower, too!"


    He laughed again, and in an unexpected movement, hit his hand in the water, making a bow of water that hit Alexa in full. She had tried to swerve, but she didn''t have time.


    "What?!"


    "Haha ha!" he just laughed at Alexa''s outraged and surprised expression. The princess narrowed her eyes, and loosening the hem of her dress, she did the same and splashed Alexander with water, with a feeling of enormous satisfaction to wet him by surprise too.


    They engaged in a silly chase, spreading water as they tried to wet each other, amid laughter and silly threats.


    Alexander stopped first, making a truce signal and looking in one direction.


    Magnus let himself be seen.


    Alexa noticed immediately that Magnus was furious. She let her hands fall to her sides, still standing in the fish pond beside Alexander.


    This day was the last day she saw Alexander, on this side of life.

 Chapter 261 - Edelsteintal

    "At least let me go horseback riding, I''m feeling sick ..." Alexa put her face out of the carriage window, and this time she wasn''t lying.


    The movement of the carriage, for miles on end, made her stomach sick.


    Surrounded by protection and in the midst of the lines of the army that would join the army in the east, only two days had passed since Magnus pulled her out of Alexander''s garden with a threatening look at his brother.


    "No. The doctor said it''s not good for you to ride a horse," Magnus was relentless, riding his horse beside the carriage.


    The defense of the border could no longer wait, when General Egon had been wounded in the last battle, when he reconquered a fortress.


    Magnus had to go. His presence wasn''t only the necessary leadership, but it was also the affirmation of his legitimate power for the other kingdoms.


    And contrary to what common sense commanded, he didn''t leave Alexa behind.


    Nothing was said as an excuse for her presence in the entourage, but somehow Alexa suspected a scandal was inevitable.


    This reminded her of her beloved guardian Lady Eudoxia, a woman who accompanied her general passionately, despite falling out of favor socially because of it. It was ironic that this was happening to her now. Alexa had no appreciation for titles, and would prefer much rather there were no honors and fetters of nobility forcing them to do this or that.


    She would have much rather shared a pea soup with him in a dilapidated barn a thousand times than to pretend that he was a single prince and she, a woman married to his brother.


    "Your Majesty! Please¡­! At least let me walk, then!"


    He darted his yellow eyes at her, amused and suspicious.


    "Your Majesty¡­?" he moved his lips in provoking questioning. Alexa narrowed her eyes, and this time she didn''t blush.


    The previous afternoon, they made love so passionately, and again and again, right after Magnus announced that she would follow him and stay at the barracks or at a fortress. His demanding passion had exhausted Alexa, as much as it was fantastic to be with him. "Enough! I''m not¡­ I''m going to be able to travel like this. My body is exhausted!"


    "There''s not such a thing as ''enough of you'', my love!"


    "You won''t have time for me, because you just don''t ... me, nhg! ... let it go to the field?" It was difficult to finish any thoughts while Magnus caused such intense sensations in her body.


    "Because I ... cannot stay away from you ... ah!"


    Although the words were complimentary, Alexa knew that there was much more than that, even in the insane and possessive way in which he had her, and with which he dealt with her now. She was sure jealousy was corroding him from inside, because of that silly incident, and it was the reason for his passionate needs. And now, his forceful and greedy behavior.


    She nodded, knowing she had mistaken him using the formal treatment. Then she slammed the carriage window shut and placed a handkerchief over her mouth to control her nausea.


    ''How did things get to this point?'' Her heart was pounding in her chest as she thought of Magnus.


    But it wasn''t a pleasant feeling. She didn''t know why she had that bad feeling in her chest, that lump in her throat. The unnerving apprehension she recognized was very similar to the fear and disgust she felt when she arrived in Holstein.


    ''Why is he doing this to me again? I am not his property! Doesn''t he trust me? ''


    But Alexa always knew the answer to that.


    ooo


    "Ahhhh! So beautiful" she took Magnus''s hand when he helped her down from the carriage, looking around in ecstasy.


    "What place is this?" Alexa looked at the flowery meadow, with yellow daffodils on the green and low carpet reborn with spring. The valley stretched to the four corners, cut in the distance by the road where the army passed in an orderly long line.


    But the Prince had taken her off the road for that moment alone at dusk. The sun went down behind the mountains, while the remaining heat seemed to emanate from the land. The fragrant scent of grass and fertile land was soothing and inspiring.


    "We are going to rest there tonight," Magnus pointed to a fortified building at the top of the hill, keeping Alexa''s hand in his.


    "But¡­ you''re already running late because of me! Shouldn''t you go ahead while I go with the rear?"


    "Stop thinking about it. I wanted to show you this place. It''s called Edelsteintal. Do you like the flowers?" Magnus stood behind her, and put his chin on Alexa''s shoulder. The warmth of his body and his embrace made her soften.


    "Yes, I do." She inhaled the air, looking at the sky tinged with orange and pink colors as night approached.


    "Liar, you said you like horses and weapons."


    "But I like flowers and sparkling gifts too!" Alexa protested, then turning over her shoulder, grinned with her best dimpled-smile, "And I like you, Mags."


    She felt the tender kiss on her hair, then cheeks, and snuggled further into Magnus''s arms.


    "I like you so much too, my love! My chest hurts with love!" he whispered with his hoarse next to her ear.


    Alexa turned to face him, touching his face, "Mags, I was only there because¡­"


    "Shhh! I don''t want to talk about him. I want to look at you and this beautiful place, now. This is one of the most beautiful places in Holstein in the spring¡­" he gave her waist a slight squeeze, bringing their bodies together.


    "Are you aware that when you do that, I have to lift my neck up so much that it hurts and I cross-eyed?"


    "Yes, but you look cute when you get cross-eyed!"


    "You have to decide ... Whether I am beautiful!"


    He looked up at the sky, with an overly thoughtful expression,


    "Let me see¡­ Your eyes are like the beginning of the night, and like purple jewels. Your face looks like a delicious peach, and your mouth ... Besides having the most delicious taste and being capable of speaking many absurdities, it has beautiful shiny teeth..."


    "What else, what else?!"


    "Wow, you have perfect cheeks, with the color of fruits ripening in the sun," he looked down and stroked her cheek with his thumb, then tilted his face to kiss in the exact same spot.


    She didn''t know that he thought all of this, nor that Magnus'' mind could produce these comparisons. Alexa was flattered and appeased about her fears, at least at that moment.


    He continued,


    "At first, I thought you were a little strange, since your face was familiar to me. But that''s not what I find most beautiful about you, Alexa. Even your body... There were few reasons to make me so feverish around you. That was inexplicable!"


    "Yesterday you said that I am fatter ..." she complained suddenly.


    In response, Magnus grabbed one of Alexa''s buttocks, startling her. He gave it a handful and naughty squeeze, clicking his tongue in approval.


    "I didn''t say fat, if you remember well ..."


    "Hmp!" she feigned outrage, but she just wanted him to continue talking.


    "You must stop being dubious ... I like sweet words!"


    He looked at her tenderly, pretending to swallow hard under the pressure.


    "But I don''t know how to say these things."


    "You do know, Your Majesty!" Alexa put the tip of the index on his nose. "You always surprise me with the most unexpectedly sweet words when I least expect it... Why can''t you do it on purpose, for a change?"


    "Oh, this is me, a man who only knows how to be spontaneous!" Magnus pretended to cough embarrassment against his fist, and Alexa laughed. Again he wrapped his arms around her, looking her in the eye with an unmistakable gleam in his eyes.


    "Alexa, your soul is the strangest and most unique thing I''ve ever seen. It is where your true beauty resides. Sometimes, when I think of you, I feel like crying."


    "Like crying?!" Alexa certainly didn''t expect this confession.


    "I already told you. You are the only thing that makes me afraid to die. I''m afraid of losing you. I know it would be unbearable and I wouldn''t forgive myself, in a thousand lives, if such a thing exists, because I had you, and lost you between my fingers ..."


    Alexa again touched his face with both hands.


    "Magnus. I also like you so much that even when I''m mad, my heart just longs to get back to you. You know it?"


    "I can hear it as many times as you want to tell me, Alexa," Magnus'' face seemed to twitch in a mask of pain as he rested his forehead on Alexa''s forehead.


    "What''s it?"


    "I didn''t know that happiness hurts."


    She laughed, stroking his face. "I feel it too. I think it hurts because it seems so elusive ..."


    He nodded, and in a quick movement, lifted her off the floor. Alexa gave a little cry of fright, but laughed when she realized that this was so they could kiss better. He didn''t want her to have neck pain!


    The kisses evolved and when night fell, they were lying side by side, among the flowers, watching the first stars appear in the sky. Magnus had wrapped her with his cloak.


    Alexa was facing a bright star and thinking about the previous moments. In the ecstasy of the act, a ''petite mort'' had engulfed her.


    As always, everything had gone dark around her, and it had drawn a blurred vision in her mind.


    She held a jewel-yellow heart, pulsing in one hand, feeling guilty and relieved at the same time.


    And Magnus'' unmistakable voice roared from somewhere nearby:


    "ALEXA!!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!!! WHAT DID YOU DO, ALEXA?!"

 Chapter 262 - Gunpowder and the Awakening Demon

    While they hoped that the border dispute would be resolved quickly, this was not the case.


    Holstein was a smaller kingdom than his enemies, and its political alliances were too shaken for support to be swift. The emperor was hesitant, and the strongest ally, Florence, was getting reinforcements and resources to send to Holstein, despite their own constant feuds with other Italian neighbors.


    Spring passed quickly, while bloody conflicts were escalating. Alexa was located in the most advanced fort, where Magnus spent most of his time. That peaceful and idyllic afternoon that they spent together in Edelsteintal was the last moment of beauty and calm silence that Alexa remembered.


    Mirna and Narses came to be with Alexa, and she was grateful for that. Narses had a post as an officer, but Mirna just kept the Duchess company.


    Letters came and went from the capital. Except for the shadow of war, her brothers were optimistic.


    Letters from the new Bishop of Holstein, Agnello di Borghesi, on a trip to Rome, implied that the damage caused by rumors of witchcraft in Holstein was like an infected wound, and it needed much treatment in the Church''s memory.


    She couldn''t ignore the pain and horror of the war. And even if the new Prince Sovereign managed to keep Holstein''s much more powerful enemies mostly at bay, it took a lot of time, energy, resources, and lives.


    In the past few days, she and Mirna had been involved in an unusual activity: Alexa had remembered seeing a hand cannon with a hook that made it more manageable when living in the East. And she wondered if that was more practical than the complicated hand cannons. Mirna started to design an alteration to the weapon. There weren''t many in the army, and nobody used them because they were complicated to operate, and inaccurate.


    The first tests were promising, even if noisy and frightening.


    Unfortunately, they weren''t able to do many tests because even she didn''t have enough power to request much war material for that use. Furthermore, she knew that if she told Magnus ahead of time, he would forbid her to continue testing, due to the danger. Even Mirna insisted that Alexa no longer participate in the tests, and be content with the reports on Haakbus, or arquebus1 as they baptized.


    But Alexa knew that her baby was fine, growing inside her as if ''she'' wanted to eat the world through Alexa. How hungry the baby was!


    A great battle took place in the middle of the summer, and on that day Alexa believed that everything was lost. Her agitated dreams, like her belly, seemed like ominous omens of an impending disaster.


    "Your Highness! Are you awake?" Mirna''s voice, audible enough on the other side of the door, totally woke her up. She had woken up a moment earlier with the sensation of hearing thunder in the distance, which made her heart race.


    Alexa just hoped that reinforcements would arrive soon, and that the invaders would give up altogether.


    It had been over twenty days since she had seen Magnus, who had not returned from the front.


    "Mirna ?! What happened?" she wished it were not bad news, although she sensed it was. He urgently opened the bedroom door, almost tripping over the other woman.


    "If you hurry, Your Highness, perhaps you can stop Narses from leaving!"


    "What are you talking about, Mirna?!"


    All she could see was that she might never have seen Mirna with her hair down and her clothes in disarray, and that she had never seen her so upset. Not even on the day of the fire in the house where Mirna served until her thirties.


    "Narses is returning to the capital. He and Iacintho have a plan for Alexander, and according to the letters they have been exchanging, the time has come!"


    ''So this is what they were up to ...'' she knew the brothers exchanged confidences of which she wasn''t a part, but she felt stupid for not thinking they might plan not to include her in the real action of freeing her from the curse or from Orcaius.


    An accomplishment passed through Alexa''s mind at the same time that her hand reached for her cloak, so Alexa could go to her brother before Narses left.


    "How can you know that, Miss Mirna?"


    "Your Highness, this is not important now, but that they don''t fight with a lich even worse than Volos!"


    That was a fact, but Alexa already had her answer. Mirna might have been a mystery to her, but her brother seemed less fond of alcohol and didn''t spend the nights with the other soldiers as he used to¡­ Since they arrived at this fort.


    The two women ran to the stables, while a large garrison arrived with prisoners. Looking this way and that, Alexa couldn''t see her brother.


    "Are we that late?" she asked, distressed. She had no idea what was going on there, but she pushed Mirna aside so the soldiers and horses wouldn''t push them. The aggressive and hostile mood made her tense. Some prisoners were their own men!


    "What''s going on here?" She demanded an answer from one officer. The man looked at her a little confused as to why the Duchess was there in the middle of the night, and when he opened his mouth, he thought better of it and closed it.


    "Say it!" she ordered, realizing that the only way to get him to speak was to use his social position.


    "Your Highness, I have bad news. A reinforcement of mercenaries reached the shores and rejected our reconquest action. The battle was very tough. Even so... As the reinforcement promised by the Florentines did not arrive..."


    "Magnus?!" Alexa despaired. Mirna supported her back, but Alexa pushed her, she was so nervous. She wanted answers and took two steps towards the man, almost grabbing him by the clothes.


    But he left in time and spat it out, to avoid further irritating the Duchess...


    "An entire unit has deserted, Your Highness. These are the men we are capturing. The Prince was left with only one cavalry unit and two infantry units¡­ They will not take it¡­"


    The way he spoke was so defeatist that Alexa wanted to punch him right in the middle of his face. He spoke as if he were already sure that everyone was dead by now.


    Now she understood the confusion between the fort''s garrison and the patrol units that captured some deserters.


    Alexa was sure that Magnus had not fallen, unlike them.


    He could be with few men and it left him with few options, but Magnus was not dead, and nowhere near that.


    She had had a ''petite mort'', and that was not how things were going to happen. Actually, she even didn''t know if he could die...


    A knight rushed over to Alexa, his face apprehensive to see his officer dealing with the Duchess _ probably in the wrong way.


    "Your Highness¡­ We received a message in the early evening, warning that the ship with the Italian mercenaries has already been spotted. Unfortunately, the message didn''t reach the battlefield, and after a hard attack on one of our camps, a unit dispersed... However, we don''t know..."


    "How long does it take for the ship to dock with the reinforcements?"


    "Why, Your Highness, I don''t see why you should worry about this, please calm down..."


    "You are in charge of this fort, which is just a supporting garrison, Lord Bauer ... We are less than two hours from the battlefield. If we go there now, we can help secure the defense with another hundred men, at least for a few hours... Not to mention the deserters," Alexa spoke at once. "And I know that if we do nothing, we are the next target. It won''t take long. You have the choice to help your Prince with reinforcements, however small, today. Or try to defend this fort with even fewer people, or prepare to retreat¡­ By tomorrow."


    "Miss Mirna, the men who have been testing the new cannons have told me we have thirty of these new weapons ... That it can be an element of surprise." Bauer turned to the Frenchwoman.


    "Thirty-six, oui."


    Alexa rejoiced internally. There were few weapons, but they could be an element of surprise. The moral impact was devastating. She had seen it firsthand. At this point, the attacking sh.i.p.s'' cannons, if any, had run out of gunpowder for a few days, already.


    "M¨¹ller, gather everyone in the courtyard, including the prisoners!" Knight Bauer ordered immediately. Alexa felt a slight relief that the knight who led the defense of the fort was neither stupid nor a coward.


    "Your Highness is going to need an escort to go back to Edelsteintal," he recalled, amid the orders he was giving in a frantic pace.


    She had to choose a path. Either she''d go after her brothers, or after Magnus.


    But her instinct was that she had to go to the battlefield, however insane it was.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Alexa had already been at the back of wars, and knew her surroundings and their results. The corpses; and the refugees escaping in despair. Burnt fields and Death, like a big fat monster lounging in no hurry to finish, haunting the region.


    She knew soldiers, warriors, and the inherent cruelty that prolonged conflict unleashed. In this regard, her innocence was not guarded.


    In the course of two hours of brisk walking, her eyes saw what the past twenty days had done to the region. And she understood why soldiers had abandoned their lines by fleeing for their lives.


    She had promised to stay with Mirna at the rear of the unit. It was impossible to leave the Duchess behind after all the ridiculous and cruel threats she made to go with them. At least they got her protected by a helmet and a heavy chest plate that didn''t close properly because of her belly, and her promise to retreat at the first order.


    By now, she knew that Magnus and his men had recently invaded a taken citadel, even with a quarter of the necessary men! Flames still engulfed burning sh.i.p.s in the small port.


    She didn''t know much about military strategy, but because of the heavy countenance of officers and soldiers, and the simple fact that soldiers deserted, either Magnus had made an insane and proud mistake, by blindly trusting the promised reinforcement would arrive in time¡­ or he knew what he was doing.


    They would never know the truth, only the consequences.


    In the morning, the Florentines disembarked in the bay with little trouble. And before the sun was high in the sky, Holstein''s flag was raised again on the citadel wall.


    There was still the sound of isolated skirmishes, and shots of arquebuses, when Alexa escaped the sight of her escort and sneaked into the citadel.


    She had a bad feeling about Magnus.


    She wandered cautiously through the destroyed city until she saw him.


    Magnus was surrounded by a pile of bodies, and with inhuman roars, he was brutally attacking what a few moments ago was a person, but now was a bloody and half-broken carcass.


    She saw nothing around but the frightening figure with disheveled hair and beard, covered in soot and blood, brandishing a sword like a club.


    She screamed in horror.


    He turned his golden eyes in his direction, at the sound of his voice. His movements stopped. He, however, seemed to be slow to recognize her.


    It''s known that the Arquebus weapon appeared in this region around this time. I thought it would be an interesting addition to the story.

 Chapter 263 - Flawed

    Alexa put her fist against her mouth, horrified. It was possible to see how far the man she knew was far from the being she was facing now.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the figures as static as she was, scattered across the wreckage and piles of bodies. She didn''t even know who Shades were and who was alive. Alexa just wanted to erase from her mind what she had seen, the animalistic and sadistic acts she had witnessed.


    ''The monster. The monster inside him. He already said it. Every time he spills blood ... '' Her thought was not completed, because her feet were getting in the way of each other, as her thoughts.


    When Magnus dropped the sword, making a move to come to her, Alexa swallowed. Her whole body was shaking ... Turning her back on him, she started to run.


    "ALEXA!" he roared, running after her.


    She didn''t want to look back. She didn''t want to hear his voice, not like that!


    Terror overwhelmed her senses, and she ran through the empty streets and courtyards, almost out of breath, having no idea where she was going. He was still chasing her and his heavy steps reverberated behind her.


    But Alexa has not went that far. Her flank started to hurt and her heavy pregnant belly was too much for her. Nauseated and panting, she put her hands in her knees, trying to catch her breath, when he stopped in front of her.


    "YOU! You are in so much trouble, young lady!"


    That didn''t even sound like Magnus...


    She held out a hand in a signal that he wouldn''t approach.


    "Stop! What are you doing?!"


    "Once again, does the nosy lady have to come where she wasn''t supposed to be? What is your excuse to risk your life and my son''s life?"


    She blinked as thick tears fell.


    "I barely recognize you, Magnus ... Did you ... Did you look around you?"


    He did as suggested, but snorted, looking back at his wife.


    "Are you talking about the dead enemies?! Did you want me to spare them? Do you know what they did to the people of this village?!" he barked.


    Alexa also looked around again, but closed her eyes.


    "You didn''t think about this place''s people! You only thought of your hatred and your thirst for revenge! Your soldiers consider you insane, Magnus! I¡­"


    "Do you consider me insane too?!" he laughed insanely. "Another crazy warrior, the third in succession? But I overcame Blackrose''s feat, didn''t I? I set aflame not a part of Venice, but enemy boats and soldiers ... Is that enough for you?"


    "You didn''t do this for me."


    "Neither did he do it for you, but for the glory of his name and the Church''s."


    "I don''t even know why we''re talking about him now, Magnus! Don''t you see how you are? Don''t you see the beast inside you..."


    "The beast inside me¡­ It''s always that. The beast inside me. A demon, isn''t it?"


    "Yes! You said that yourself. Don''t let yourself be dominated by this anymore, Magnus!"


    "HAHA HA! HAHAHAHA¡­ HAH¡­ HAHAHAHAAH!"


    The sudden laugh that broke out from Magnus startled her. In fact even some crows on the roofs fluttered with the loud sound echoing in the alley.


    "What ... what are you laughing at?!" Alexa asked, seeing him sit on the floor carelessly, while laughing as if he knew something she didn''t know.


    "I had a revelation tonight, Alexa. My fears are completely gone. Some people say they can hear God''s voice in times of despair. But of course, it didn''t happen to me. Hahaha.. haha ??..."


    His irritation had subsided, and he was laughing. How had that happened? She didn''t understand.


    "What happened, Alexa, was the funniest thing ever. I discovered, my love, my little dove, that there is no black thing inside me. There is no voice telling me to do things. There is none of that. There is only Magnus. Deciding what to do."


    Alexa bit her lip so hard that she tasted blood. Behind the mask of filth on the Prince of Holstein''s face, his golden eyes scanned her as he loosened his armband clamps.


    "Yes, Alexa. This is the war, this is the Prince, this is the man you chose, among your queue of suitors... Am I the best of them, or the worst? In a way ... I feel sorry for you."


    His words scared her more than she expected.


    "Sorry?"


    "Sorry, Alexa Zoe Dalassenos von Wuttenfal. I will not share you to anyone. Does he think he will spend the winter with you? Does he think he will win your heart overtime?! I will imprison him in such a way¡­ and even if you sleep¡­ You and I can live forever like that¡­"


    Alexa remembered Jette''s verses, in her epic.


    "Overwhelmed by the warrior of irrefutable deeds, the Dark Lord lays and sleeps..."


    Was that an account of past events, or a prophecy?


    "Magnus ... I don''t want to live forever."


    This time, it was he who looked at her as if he didn''t understand her for the first time. Wiping his face with the back of his arm, he stood up, asking,


    "And how can we make this work?"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "I can no longer see that impish Alexios when I look at you," squeezing his dark eyes in contentment, Master Petrus de Languedoc ruffled Alexa''s hair.


    "Ah, well ... I grew up!" she looked adoringly at the Alchemist.


    "I see, I see!" His hand hovered over Alexa''s prominent belly, and he said a brief blessing.


    "This little girl will be protected from all evil. Wherever she is, evil will not touch her."


    "A girl?!" Alexa''s heart split between awe and fear.


    "Calm down, Alexa," Iacintho put a hand on her shoulder, "This is good. The girls in our house are less likely to carry the gift. Her life can be a lot easier than yours was, and what a Dallassenos boy would be."


    "Ah ..." She wished so, while also wishing that the Dallassenos'' blood was strong enough to continue passing from generation to generation. Even though she herself had been deprived of her Light.


    "Iacintho''s messengers reached me, and when I was ready to go all the way here, a Bishop knocks on my door! I never imagined this happening," Petrus smirked. Bishop Agnello just squinted like a bored cat, guarding his thoughts as he watched the Dallassenos siblings meet with their mystical mentor.


    "It must have been an interesting trip ..." Narses commented. He seemed the most anxious in the room, and Alexa noticed his restlessness through his movements. She had come home from a long journey, and her whole body ached. Just the need to find out what her brothers were doing still kept her on her feet.


    Magnus didn''t want to let her go back to Holstein, and only when she begged at his feet and said that she was afraid for his brothers'' lives did he bring her.


    Yes.


    He turned his back to the east and returned to Holstein with her, transferring his duties to other generals.


    It was a relief to discover her brothers'' shady business wasn''t a confrontation against Alexander, but Master Petrus'' arrival.


    But why did they all look at each other as if they kept a secret from her?


    Why were they doing this to her? Didn''t they see that she was on the verge of tears? Even when she smiled because seeing Master Petrus was really something great?


    "We''ll all be talking together soon, won''t we?" She tried to control herself. They quickly agreed and advised her to rest after arriving from such a tiring trip.


    "Did something happen?" Iacintho asked, but she shook her head. Alexa wasn''t prepared to tell them Magnus was going mad.


    Alexa thought she really needed to rest. Her thoughts were confused. Did they really not know what had happened in the citadel? Hadn''t the news arrived yet?


    "I will do this." She glanced at her brothers, and they looked very tense and guilty.


    Master Petrus - a small, slight figure who made himself giant by the force of his mysterious presence - seemed to hold his breath and his troubled thoughts within himself. Agnello kept his gaze away, as if thinking deeply, with his mind absent.


    ''What are they doing?'' she wondered. However, knowing that she wouldn''t have an answer, Alexa withdrew.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "There are no actual possibilities to break this spell, not the way it is. Is that your answer, Master Petrus?" the Sovereign Prince''s voice didn''t hide his annoyance. Alexa had approached the room cautiously, silently, to hear what they were still talking about.


    Alexa had woken up in her room, in the middle of the night. She was feeling more rested after the tonic that her brother Iacintho had prepared for her to have a relaxing sleep.


    And Alexa imagined that, as they always did in the past, her brothers should still be in Master Petrus'' company, sharing secrets in the dark hours as they preferred. And they were.


    But Magnus was with them, this time.


    "Possibly not, with the knowledge you have gained and with everything I know about this type of transfer ..." Master Petrus had a dry and assertive tone. "There is a solution, as Iacintho told me, and it has already been suggested."


    "Do you really think my old heart may be somewhere, in Orcaius'' power?"


    "He partially lost his powers while living here as the boy Alexander, His Majesty. He even hinted at this in his reports. And according to Iacintho, he told Alexa that ''Letitia'' has taken possession of one of his resources linked to you, Your Majesty, as soon as she was backed by the living witches of her cult."


    "I already said that all of this is just another attempt to force Alexa to do something she will regret." Magnus snarled.


    "As I understand it, Your Majesty," Petrus sounded bored, "A sophisticated and well-crafted magic has linked some bodies and some lives and souls in a process that binds them together. However, it would be stupid to think that chance did it, and it was made without a purpose. From the beginning, the intention was to regain Orcaius'' freedom. He was caught in a curse that prevents him from being reborn. And forces him to be, unlike the Dallassenos, not a Bringer of Light, but an Avenger."


    Alexa didn''t know what was nothing she was hearing, hidden near the door, in the shadows. She didn''t see their faces, but she could deduce from the kind of silence that Magnus would curse at any moment, and she was not mistaken.


    "Avenger?! What the hell is that?"


    "It''s what you are quickly becoming, Your Majesty. It doesn''t take long for the blood you spill to take you to the end of everything that''s still human in you. Your end is near, Magnus von Wuttenfal."


    "HOW DARE YOU?!!!"

 Chapter 264 - Trust is the Key

    Magnus in a sudden movement grabbed the alchemist by the collar of his tunic.


    "No!!! Let him go!" Alexa ran there at the same time that her brothers jumped up to defend the Languedoc man.


    Iacintho pulled the Master while Narses pushed Magnus away. Alexa saw her husband propel like a spring back to Narses, but she had already interposed between them.


    She stared at Magnus''s chest, watching him gasp with contained fury, his fist still raised. Behind her, she realized her brother was still on guard.


    "Is it true, Master Petrus? Is it true that Magnus is losing his humanity?" she asked over her shoulder.


    "I just saw that he can still control himself. Is it because he has motivations for that? If so, my dear Prince, surround yourself with these priorities in your life. I know it is difficult for a man in his position¡­ But if you give in to your darkest instincts, taking advantage of your strength and power, the cursed heart will completely own you¡­ Freeing Orcaius and clasping your soul¡­"


    Alexa looked up at Magnus and whispered.


    "See? All you have to do is to keep doing what you were doing before. Stop thinking it cannot be avoided. You worked hard to control it, I know you can do it again."


    "Anyway," Petrus said, heading for the door with Iacintho, "Everything conspires against you, Magnus. Even imprisoned in a tower or anywhere else, the advantage is his. There is very little left for him to have everything he wants, including freedom, without having to move another finger. He has used all kinds of people -from ambitious to well-intentioned - to achieve a rebirth, a host to his cursed heart, more life, and even the light to escape from hell. And that''s why we used to say the road to hell is paved with good intentions."


    Alexa had never thought that way, and dropped her hand along her body.


    "So¡­"


    "My dear, the only weakness he has at the moment is that for some reason, he hesitates in favor of his brother, and you. But see, he was never willing to die and be reborn, get rid of the known and start over. If that doesn''t tell you anything about his ambitions, I am not Petrus, the Alchemist," the Master shrugged, and after looking at the couple for a moment, bowed his head at the minimum of obeisances and left with Iacintho.


    Narses, after staring at them too, did the same.


    "Magnus¡­ Did you really arrest Alexander? In the tower? With all those keys?!" One more thing she knew about Holstein.


    He took a deep breath and asked,


    "Now I want to know. Would you go there just to check on his welfare? Haven''t you heard your beloved Master Petrus reveal what we''re dealing with? Its innocent and radiant appearance is perfect for seducing and deceiving, for raising pity and even using some guilt or protective instinct! It is Lucifer himself!"


    "I ..." If that was true... If Alexander-Orcaius¡­ He really was so cunning, and he meticulously used so many people to get to the top of his plan¡­ "It''s hard to believe, having known him." she finally spoke. Although she couldn''t really accept it, deep in her heart. She knew that she could open that door anytime she wanted. It was part of the prophecy.


    "You really are the type of person who does what he needs. And I see that, like Gisela, you would continue to do it, and do it again, even if he says you are condemned for having committed crimes to benefit him..." he went to the table and reached for a glass, pouring wine for himself.


    Alexa sighed. Understanding things that way also made her see Gisela differently.


    "He said that if I forgave her, he would let her go. Perhaps he would do the same for Letitia¡­" she looked at him hopefully. Magnus stared at her for a moment, and Alexa was lost in the sharp lines of his face, staring at her, lost in thought. He made a dismissive gesture with his hand, saying,


    "It might be easier for you to forgive someone who stole something from you when you weren''t even born. But this is not my case. I can''t be as magnanimous as you are¡­"


    "You mean, silly. Fool. Gullible." she dried her tears. Was it the pregnancy, or had she really become a tears fountain?


    "Stop. Don''t cry because of him," he said, and even though he sounded more annoyed than concerned, Alexa ignored this and went to him.


    "It''s not because of him," she confessed, sulking. She took Magnus''s hand and placed it over his head. Alexa expected him to console her, but he patted the top of her head with an open palm.


    "You''re not thinking of seducing me with your crying again, are you? I won''t accept that you go to him. I''m warning you."


    His tired voice said that he even wanted to sound threatening, but he didn''t have the strength to do so. He most probably had slept less than two hours since they arrived. After all, Alexa still held his wrist over his head, and again he patted it. "Turn those watery, purple eyes of yours over there. The keys aren''t even with me."


    "Where are they?"


    "ALEXA!"


    "I was talking about you."


    "Don''t change the subject. It will be treason, and I will treat anyone who comes there accordingly. God... That''s why they wrote laws in stone in this house. Because of people like you."


    "I was talking about you," she repeated softly. The hours of travel and the weight of events could have made Magnus forget what happened the day before in the citadel. The harsh conversation they had. But she had not forgotten the things she had witnessed, or what they had talked about.


    "Then that''s it? Now is everything I do a reason for you to cry?" Magnus finally did a shy caress on Alexa''s hair before moving his hand away and sitting on a chair in front of her.


    "Sniff ..." The question made her nervous. Was that how he felt?


    "BWAAHAHAH BWAH!" she burst into crying.


    "Alexa¡­!" Magnus murmured softly, agonized and worried, running a hand through his long, unruly hair before reaching Alexa and sitting on his lap.


    "Stop. Don''t use your tricks again. Please. I don''t want to see you cry ...! But there''s no good way to do that! STOP or I''ll go crazy!" His voice wavered in mood and volume.


    "They are not tricks! I''m dying here, don''t you see?! I don''t know what to do! I don''t want to lose you, Magnus! I don''t want things to be like this! I don''t want to live as we are living! I don''t want to be tough anymore!"


    "Then let me take care of you!"


    "NO!!! You don''t let me do anything!"


    "There is nothing for you to do, Alexa!!!" he exclaimed. "It''s over! You are no longer running away, you are my wife!"


    "You know it''s not what everyone thinks!"


    He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. "I wish you were beside me, entering the rooms and sitting in the place of honor beside me, but that would only do you more harm than good. And it will create unnecessary conflicts."


    Alexa looked at him, shocked. And he looked at her.


    "My son with you will be the future Sovereign of this land, Alexa. Is that what you want to hear?"


    "No Mags. This is far from what I want to hear."


    "Trust me when I say I will take care of you. I promise. I won''t officially marry anyone else, but you. If it''s not possible, then I won''t marry. I am yours. I already said it. And you are mine. So, trust me. Don''t hide things from me as you do. Stop doing it."


    "Then promise."


    "I already said I promise."


    "No¡­ Promise, that pride or violence will not dominate you. Promise that your hand will not spill blood. Promise that you will not lose your sanity to the monster." Alexa held his face with both hands, looking at him intensely, trying to read in his eyes.


    Magnus blinked, astonished.


    "Yes. Promise it, Magnus. That you will do this for us. For our daughter. For us."


    "It''s a girl?" he gaped.


    "Yes. Don''t get angry, please. Master Petrus said earlier that it''s a girl." There was not a man who did not want male children as firstborn, and he had said just a few moments about his heir. She didn''t know what to expect.


    "Oh!" a smirk showed on his pensive face. "I hope she goes after you ... in appearance, I mean. Not in other aspects."


    This time it was Alexa who gaped, but Magnus didn''t withdraw what he said.


    "Yes, Alexa. I can promise that. I will do this for us. But I also need you to promise something.


    "..." Why did Alexa know she wouldn''t like to hear what he''d say next?


    "Don''t make plans behind my back, and I won''t make plans behind your back. Don''t fool me, and I won''t fool you. I need to trust you, in addition to loving you. Don''t try to manipulate me, cheat. For nothing in this world. Are you listening to me?"


    Alexa pondered. Were things as bad as he made them out to be?


    "I need to trust you. So that no trickery can reach us and set us apart. You know what we''re going to be dealing with from now on. And especially, Alexa. Do not go there. Don''t open that door in any way. Do not speak to him."


    Alexa lowered her eyes, embarrassed. He was right.


    "I promise Magnus. We will try to live in peace. I will trust you, so that you trust me. We will do it all together." She lifted her chin, her eyes sparkling with emotion, and spoke from the bottom of her chest with a renewed conviction.


    "I promise, Alexa. Let''s do all of this together¡­" he said solemnly, and they smiled shyly to each other.


    Magnus played Alexa''s hand a little, lost in thought, for a few moments.


    He leaned down to kiss her, but she placed two fingers on his lips, pushing him away.


    "Shave!"


    "Uhn?" he frowned, surprised by her demand.


    Alexa would make sure he stayed clean, clean-shaven, as that was step number one to maintain sanity. Step two was getting constant personal guidance of someone both moral and pragmatic: Blue Eyes.


    Should she speak the truth, or tell him that the beard reminded her of John Blackrose, to stoke the competition he had against the English knight and move him to shave, without hurting his pride?


    Oops, she did that again¡­


    "Let me take care of you? I always wanted to shave¡­ I mean¡­"

 Chapter 265 - Time to Heap

    ~ Alexa¡­ ~


    The Duchess heard the soft whisper, without actually seeing the Shade. She was grateful for the deference. Lately, she had severe headaches and flashes when she saw a Shade. Alexa was staying more in Ashgraufelsen, her official residence, and was not going to the capital if she could avoid it. This helped because she was more likely to see ghosts when she went to the castle, for one reason or another.


    But this time, it was different. They were in the bas.e.m.e.nts of the castle, doing something that could not be seen.


    "Are you sure you don''t want help, Lex?" Magnus asked, trying to take the objects from her hand. Alexa jerked her hands away so he wouldn''t do that.


    "I''m pregnant, not sick!"


    He raised his eyebrow and nodded, a little amused. "Then that''s it?"


    "Yes. As there''s no longer a body, I will represent it with this small figurine."


    "You know that Agnello must be waiting for us with a bowl of peas, don''t you?" the Sovereign Prince asked.


    Alexa held her laughter, pouring the perfumed oil on the statue.


    She was doing a little ritual of forgiveness. Gisela had committed crimes, as had Gutard and so many others. But the White Queen needed to leave and face her trial. Orcaius had already punished her enough, at least in Alexa''s sight.


    "Gisela. For what you did to me, I forgive you. I won''t hold any more resentment. You brought me pain, but you also made me grow. I wouldn''t have met Magnus, and I wouldn''t be Beatrix''s mother, who will be coming soon."


    "And her siblings, who will come after her," Magnus added the information.


    Alexa scolded him with a glare, and continued. "Sometimes we get involved in a sequence of bad decisions, trying to do the best, don''t we? But you did bad things out of ignorance of the truth. You were not a bad person, as far as I know. And you were loved by a man, and by his son. And Magnus wants to say a few things too."


    Magnus was embarrassed, but positioned himself in front of the table where a small black box with the figurine was positioned, in addition to items for libation and purification. Alexa had done exactly as taught to relieve a long-lost soul. Master Petrus'' advice had been essential. Doing so only prepared her for leaving, but Alexa no longer had the gift of guiding her as a Light Bearer.


    Coincidentally, or not, the rain that had threatened to fall all morning finally poured on the castle. They could hear it even deep in the bowels of the castle.


    "Well ... Ahem." Magnus looked with uncertain eyes at Alexa, who just nodded so he wouldn''t give up. Magnus''s hand instinctively went to the small crucifix on his neck. Alexa didn''t care. She already knew that forgiveness and morals were independent of religion. But religion could connect men with their best aspects. And Magnus knew that too.


    "Gisela. Despite what you did, you were a good mother to me. I don''t know what really motivated you to do the things you did. But any explanations would not change anything. If you can leave the world of the living and rest, know that I will not hold a grudge."


    Alexa took a deep breath and approached again, taking an obol from a small bag which she placed next to the statue.


    "Why are you putting money next to the statue, Alexa?"


    "Do you like to travel without money, Magnus ?! Don''t you remember how horrible it is to travel without money ?! Do you want her to have to beg on the way ?!" Alexa growled under her breath, to herself. "Why does he have to ask everything, if he doesn''t even believe it?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about? If I didn''t believe it, I wouldn''t be here."


    Alexa felt Shade leave them. She hoped that Gisela could really break free, and that Alexander would keep her word.


    "She''s gone. I guess."


    "Hm. I think I felt it too," he said, watching Alexa carefully close the lid. Then she opened a larger box and took out another identical box from within, looking significantly at her husband.


    "Magnus, just one more to go!"


    "What?!" he narrowed his eyes. "Are you doing things behind my back again, Alexa? Didn''t I already say that ...?"


    "Calm down, Mags! It''s just a suggestion ... There is nothing here. I just thought you could get used to the idea¡­ That your real mother needs forgiveness too."


    "Hmp!" Magnus grunted. Alexa knew that the last month, full of politics, treaties and reconstruction, had had an enormous weight for him. And there was still more to come. Autumn was ending and the couple''s secret fears were silenced by trying to enjoy all the little time they could together.


    She just wanted him to consider letting Letitia go.


    Both Queens were under the yoke of the Avenger Alexander, or Orcaius. But forgiveness could help them break free.


    Master Petrus explained what an Avenger was. Similar to a Fury in ancient Greek myths, an Avenger had immortality acquired after committing an unforgivable crime. And their role was to punish with suffering, although they had a predilection for some types of criminals. Alexa remembered everything she heard from Alexander.


    She suspected that the criminals he most abhorred were those who had committed crimes against children.


    She would like to go to the tower. Find out if he was okay. And ask him to release them for good. But she wouldn''t do that.


    Because Magnus was right.


    "It''s all right. One day you will be able to forgive her."


    "I wish I could afford to have that soft heart of yours, Lex," he took the box from her. "Besides, it doesn''t just depend on my forgiveness. Agnello also needs to forgive Letitia, don''t you think?


    "...!" ''Magnus knew that he and Blue Eyes were brothers, all along?!''


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "OHHHHHHHH!"


    Not only the children, but the a.d.u.l.ts as well, looked static and with their mouths open when the hot-air balloon landed in the open field near the village. The harvest festivities were brightened up by the event.


    Mirna and Narses were beaming with wreaths and wheat on their heads, applauding the descent. Narses went to help the men grab the ropes and bring the balloon to the moorings, under the supervision of his companion. They had just gotten married in the morning, and now they were offering this show to castellans and peasants.


    "Remind me again, why was Iacintho in the basket?" whispered Master Petrus, scratching the goatee he had grown over the past few months.


    "Because Narses doesn''t want Mirna to go because she is expecting a baby. And Iacintho doesn''t want Narses to go because he doesn''t want him to die. "


    "You Dallassenos are definitely funny!"


    She laughed along with the Master. Alexa was feeling agitated, unable to really focus on the things around her, that day. She saw Captain Dubois, in one of his rare moments off, with his wife and son, who was a miniature copy of him. Ruivo went to help hold the ropes and greeted Iacintho when he came down.


    "THERE IS! Iacintho! You got higher than Mrs. Mirna went at that time!"


    Just by the face of his brother, as always as hooded as possible, Alexa already knew that he had not liked the ride at all. Was Iacintho afraid of heights? Or was it because he was the center of attention, taking part of the balloon ride?


    Before she could reach him, Maria took a few steps towards her learned brother.


    People feared him discreetly, although most did not know the reason themselves, Alexa imagined. Maybe they just sensed that they were in the presence of a predator.


    But not Maria. Her friend was completely in love with Iacintho, who was totally indifferent to the maiden ... although Alexa knew he wasn''t.


    This time was no different, Iacintho was rude to Maria, and walked away, leaving the chamberlain''s daughter desolate and confused.


    Alexa was divided because she didn''t want to tell away her brother''s secret, so that Maria could understand what the real reason behind Iacintho''s rejection. She didn''t know how Maria would react.


    In the early evening, when they returned from the party to the manor on the top of the rock, Alexa found her older brother sitting on the new bridge rails, newly built.


    "Why the bad mood, Iacintho? Was it that awful to be up there?"


    Iacintho snapped his fingers, and snorted. Was he returning to his old self, always dark and grumpy?


    "Each time my uselessness becomes more evident. I thought I could ''live'' with that, Alexa. But on days like this, the freak I am is more evident," he confessed softly, looking at the new moon.


    This conversation would eventually come, Alexa knew. "Iacintho, I think alike too, sometimes."


    "What are you talking about? You have a life."


    "A half-life. I handed part of it to Alexander. And ... I''m under a curse. Magnus also has his fetters, but unlike me, he will probably live far beyond an ordinary man."


    Her brother didn''t look at her to say,


    "I understand you. And I even understand Alexander. It is more difficult than I thought, to be prepared for departing. Especially¡­ when you have hope. Or do you worry¡­"


    Alexa sighed, thinking everyone, in the end, was afraid of what was on the other side.


    "Narses told me he talked to you about it."


    "At first, I just asked him to let me help you. He said he wouldn''t let me go by myself. As soon as it was over, we would leave together. He was in great pain and his heart was broken and bitter. And I¡­"


    "Did you want to leave, Iacintho?"


    "While I was alone, I wanted to. Every day. But then I found you. And I was released from my servitude. And I thought I could reciprocate before I left. As a doctor. But in the end, what will it be? I will also cling to all the paltry excuses to extend my stay here, which is already over?"


    "Narses doesn''t intend to make you leave anymore, does he?"


    "He will be reborn and make our family be reborn in another way. I''m glad he found a new joy and his bitterness is sweetening¡­ He doesn''t have time to think about me? I don''t know."


    "And I don''t intend to imagine how you handle it. I think each of us is going to have to find our own way of dealing with this, Iacintho." Alexa put her hand on his shoulder, and he put his hand on hers, with a smile.


    "Yes, I know. Each one will have to deal with their choices. Whether staying, or leaving."


    The following morning, Iacintho had disappeared without a trace. There were no letters, promises or goodbyes.


    And three days later, Petrus de Languedoc, the ill.u.s.trious guest at Alexa''s house, was found dead, serenely in his bed.


    His expression was so peaceful that the servants only learned of his death in the middle of the day.


    ooo


    Events brought melancholy to Ashgraufelsen, so Alexa went to spend the last days of her pregnancy, and also the last days of autumn, in Schwarzhofhausen.


    Her spirit became even more restless with the notion that if the spell really took effect, and she had little doubt about it, Alexa would have little time with her baby.


    Even though Magnus'' most trusted people were prepared to serve her and little Beatrix, Alexa was in a panic. The kind of panic that makes a person smile and walk calmly while their mind is paralyzed.


    Also, they did not expect the Emperor himself to come to Holstein for Christmas, with a short-time notice.


    After the lack of support with which Holstein was treated during times of war, the Emperor''s visit was viewed with suspicion by Magnus.


    Alexa had a good excuse for not being at court and felt overwhelmed by imagining the real reason the Emperor had come in person to visit the powerful Magnus of Holstein.


    He had a fourteen-year-old daughter, Sofia Frederika, who was also in the entourage, along with her stepmother, the Empress.


    Perhaps her state of mind was so disturbed by this certainty in her mind, that Alexa had ignored the persistent colic all day. When the royal messenger who came every day for news, asked for information, she just sent a note telling Magnus to bring the King''s Cake when he came home from the castle... Beatrix was hungry!


    At four o''clock in the afternoon, Alexa definitely knew that Beatrix was not hungry... She wanted to be born.


    That made her happy ... There were a few days before winter started. And she could calmly see her baby''s face!


    "Well, Lady Eudoxia, you have not prepared me for this. How nice it would be to have your advice!"


    With the royal midwife, some maids, Maria and Maria''s mother at the ready, Alexa prepared to bring Beatrix to the world.


    TO BE CONTINUED

 Chapter 266 - Solomons Dilemma

    "Beatrix, why are you so... ugly?!" she looked at the noisy little thing that had left her body, with a feeling of gratitude in her chest, for having been able to bring that soul into the world.


    But were babies born that ugly?


    Looking closely, the tiny tiny nose and those little red fingers moving¡­ Well, it wasn''t that bad.


    The Duchess had no idea of ??the color of her daughter''s eyes, which were squeezed in revolt because of so much light and noise.


    Alexa was proud that her little baby had such a healthy lung.


    "Your Highness, Beatrix is ??beautiful!" Maria''s mother exclaimed, receiving approval for her comment from all the women around. They poured praises to the newborn baby and her mother.


    ''Course she is! Look at that! A fragile bright and frightened little soul.'' Beatrix''s mother kissed the small head with immense jealousy of her little baby. Now that she looked better, Beatrix looked a lot like Mags ... That was so intriguing! Alexa so wanted Magnus to arrive soon to meet his daughter!


    Her body was limp and her chin was a little stiff from smiling non-stop at the little thing on her arm after the midwife returned Beatrix to her.


    Alexa was so tired¡­


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Alexa woke up with a start, feeling a chilly breeze and with the urge to hold Beatrix very tightly to her chest.


    Then she felt long, bony fingers pulling her child away.


    Feeling an uncomfortable weight on her belly was secondary.


    Beatrix cried, and Alexa opened her eyes, now completely awake and scared. Her fingers failed for just a moment, and Beatrix had been taken from his arms.


    "Cordelia!"


    Cordelia''s expression reclined on her, with one knee over her belly, and holding Beatrix was possibly the realization of her worst nightmares.


    "My beautiful baby! My beautiful boy! You look so much like daddy!" The other woman murmured, looking in awe at the small human wrapped in a blue blanket. Beatrix was screaming at the top of her lungs.


    Alexa tried to push Cordelia, but the other woman hit her hands.


    "Get away, you bitch. You really stayed until my child was born, didn''t you? But now you must leave."


    "Give me my daughter now!" Alexa shouted, turning the body. It wasn''t his intention, but in doing so, she escaped being pinned to the mattress by something sharp and long.


    ''Gasp!'' She flinched and dodged another blow, and felt her gown tear when she tugged free of her attacker.


    Even though it hurt to go out under Cordelia, she did it. Cordelia got off the bed from the other side and showed a pointed dagger, stained with blood.


    Alexa stopped immediately.


    "You better not bother me, Alexa ... I''m tired of you."


    Out of the corner of her eye, Alexa saw two maids on the floor, but she didn''t see anyone else. She didn''t know what had happened and how Cordelia had gotten there, but her heart failed to imagine that crazy woman hurting her Beatrix!


    "Stop, Cordelia!" her voice came out shaky. While her eyes darted around her for an opportunity to attack Cordelia and get her daughter back, Alexa was also afraid of hurting her baby. Cordelia''s face muscles twitched because of excitement and exultation, while Cordelia thrust the air several times.


    "Take it! You filthy whore, you stole everything from me! But not my baby! You are not going to steal my baby¡­!"


    "Cordelia¡­ This baby is not yours¡­" How could she manage to speak calmly, realizing that Cordelia didn''t even seem to have a sense of reality? When her heart seemed to want to pierce her chest out, so afraid that this insane woman would hurt Beatrix?


    "You freak! You damn cheater!" Cordelia stopped for a moment to adjust the baby in her arms and Alexa tried to use that moment to jump over Cordelia.


    Her desperation did not allow her to think straight, and Alexa tripped over the body of one of the fallen maids beside the bed. That was enough for Cordelia to throw the candle holder over Alexa, and run for the door.


    "Die, Alexa, die! For Hecate, die! Your servant begs, oh Hecate Lady of the Thresholds, imprison that woman!" Cordelia chanted.


    Alexa saw the door jambs dye red for a brief moment, as soon as Cordelia ran through the door, and it hit hard on the hinges. Even feeling a pinch of pain in her lower abdomen, Alexa stood up, slapping her hands in despair over her own body to put out the flames. She threw herself against the door, but as she imagined, there was something preventing her from going out. The door was closed, and her hands were unable to push or pull it.


    "HELP!"


    She wasn''t sure why she was screaming for help. She knew if there had been any loyal servant or soldier to Magnus still alive or conscious in that house, they would have already come. She didn''t know what had happened ... She just realized that she was reliving the same events in the villa when she found Cordelia.


    But she had no time for memories or conjecture.


    Turning on her heels without even breathing, she ran to the door of the adjoining room, avoiding the flames that spread across the bed and carpet. She managed to get in there, but it was a small alcove without windows or an exit, so Alexa went to the bedroom windows of the main room.


    Locked.


    The smoke was already burning in her eyes and the flames were becoming dangerously high. Her mind was confused and her thoughts were not complete, fixing on one thing: Beatrix! That lunatic had stolen Beatrix!


    "COFF COFF!!!"


    She tried a few more times, unsuccessfully, to use furniture against the windows, but everything that had a threshold was touched by Cordelia''s invocation.


    Alexa crouched down, feeling the shortness of breath, but she couldn''t let herself get down.


    She heard Magnus''s voice calling.


    "ALEXA!!! ALEXA!!!"


    BOOM BOOM!!! BOOM! The impact of men trying to knock down the door on the other side shook the threshold. Maybe it would work if they had a ram¡­ But it could happen too late.


    "I''m Coff HERE! I AM HERE! Cordelia! Get Cordelia! " she came close to the door and screamed as loudly as she could. "Listen to me! Get Cordelia! She''s got Beatrix!"


    Between her and her daughter, Alexa wanted her innocent little daughter to survive.


    "ALEXA! Listen. There is a secret passage behind the mirror, get out there!" Magnus shouted. "Lead everyone through it to get out there!"


    He had no way of knowing that only she had survived.


    "Don''t mind me, bring my baby back!"


    She didn''t even know if he was understanding what she was saying with his choked voice and tears on his face.


    "Listen to me Alexa," he said loudly and calmly, and the ramming stopped. "Go out there calmly. I''ll get Cordelia. But do it now. Tell me that you managed to drag the mirror and that the passage is free. Are you listening to me?"


    She nodded and then realized that he couldn''t see her. "YEA! Hell yes!"


    Running up to the luxurious Venetian mirror on the wall, something that cost a small fortune but seemed too complicated to move away, Alexa took a chair and broke it.


    As soon as she saw the secret passage, she didn''t hesitate, even though she strode blindly into the walls of the narrow corridor and stumbled over the irregularities of the floor as she ran. She didn''t think she would need a light source.


    It was a surprise when Alexa felt her palms emit a soft glow.


    Without reasoning about it, she invoked her Light, and the long, completely black path lit up, so she could make it to the end.


    Alexa was climbing some steps dug into the damp earth when a trapdoor opened above her. One of Magnus'' men reached out to help her, and Alexa wasted no time in accepting it.


    As soon as she was on the surface again, the Duchess realized she was close to the stables. She was panting and feeling dizzy, but seized by irrational and desperate energy to see her little Beatrix again.


    "Magnus, where is he?"


    The knight pointed. Alexa saw Magnus leaving towards the gates of Schwartzhoffhausen on his horse, at a gallop.


    "Your horse, Lord Emich!" she turned to the knight beside her, ignoring everything else. But she didn''t wait for an answer and ran to the first saddled horse she saw.


    One day, Alexios Dallassenos had been an accomplished rider, able to win races in the East. Even if she now died after doing this, she would reach Cordelia and Beatrix.


    She caught up with Magnus, and along with him, they continued in pursuit of Cordelia''s carriage, which was far ahead of them on the road. They could not even really see the carriage, they could only hear the throng of the eight horses pulling the vehicle from a distance.


    "ALEXA! Come back!" Magnus ordered. "You''re bleeding!"


    "Screw it! I won''t come back!" she shouted back. "Don''t waste your time! I want my daughter!"


    They soon saw high flames in the distance at Holstein harbor, lighting the sky from afar. At first, Alexa didn''t understand, but then it all made sense as soon as they got closer. Some sh.i.p.s were on fire, in a scene similar to the one she had seen recently.


    Why were the ''merchant sh.i.p.s'' on fire?


    Alexa could not be absolutely sure, but she thought some of the sh.i.p.s were the same ones that were part of Cordelia''s dowry.


    "Did the madwoman set the sh.i.p.s on fire?!"


    "Except the one she intends to escape in!" Magnus shouted answering her question. At that moment, they entered the dock area, where the carriage had gone. All the muscles were tense and Alexa felt something very wrong with her, but she wouldn''t stop for anything.


    The pier was brightly lit because of the flames on the unmoored sh.i.p.s, and they could see exactly where the carriage was. They must prevent Cordelia from getting on the boat that was leaving the pier towards the ship. The ship was waiting at the harbor entrance, ready to leave. It would be hard to reach her once she went into the boat.


    "BEATRIX!"


    Magnus jumped off his horse at a man who held a spear beside the carriage, his sword coming down brutally and splashing blood everywhere.


    Alexa couldn''t be so agile when going down, suddenly feeling her legs weak and numb.


    She fell to her knees as she got off the horse, witnessing Magnus reach and slaughter Cordelia''s minions, to reach her at the end of the pier.


    The men in the small boat that would take Cordelia to her escape ship rowed away, abandoning the Countess when they realized what they might have to face.


    Cordelia hesitated, holding the little blue package wrapped around her chest, and watching the sea and the boat leaving. Magnus came towards her like an avenging angel. He grabbed her by the hair before she threw herself overboard, and raised his sword.


    Alexa screamed.


    They were repeating what happened to Magnus, Gutard, and Letitia.

 Chapter 267 - Falling

    Too late.


    Cordelia''s hands lifted Beatrix.


    Magnus''s sword came down on them.


    Alexa closed her eyes, unable to see anything else, feeling the blood drain from her brain and everything turning red in front of her.


    She heard the sound of flesh being shattered, bones being crushed, above the sound of the sea and the flames.


    And Beatrix''s cry, so loud it looked like it was going to pierce the smoky sky.


    ''¡­!''


    ''Beatrix''s cry?!''


    Still, she was afraid to open her eyes. Shades could also cry.


    Through the curtain of tears, she tried to see something.


    But what she saw was too horrible to try to understand, and she closed her eyes cowardly.


    She felt the wet, heavy and sticky hand on her shoulder, the smell of metal and liquid rust near her. Even though she opened her eyes, she couldn''t see under the tears. A soft, small, damp package was pressed against her arms.


    A little bun that vibrated and screamed to the point of losing her voice, sobbing.


    "Beatrix?!" She grabbed her little girl greedily, feeling the monster walk away.


    When Alexa turned her head to where Magnus had gone, she saw his figure silhouetted against the flames in the distance, throwing Cordelia''s head carelessly into the sea.


    ooo


    Captain Dubois had been the first person to reach Alexa and the little princess, taking them from the pier and the port. They were taken directly to the castle.


    Alexa had no coherent memories of events from there, only her stubborn refusal to take medicines that would make her sleep.


    Ceridom and Rosencrantz assured her that Beatrix was fine, however. Just exhausted. The girl didn''t have a measly scratch on her body!


    Her own exhaustion overwhelmed her, shortly after the reassuring news.


    Alexa had confused and scary dreams, broken and disconnected, with doors and keys, the dead ones... and the living.


    Alexander and Magnus.


    ooo


    Alexa woke up with a heavy body, and the soft baby cry in the background.


    The Duchess looked and saw a wet nurse preparing Beatrix for her next meal.


    That was a good thing. She had not been very successful in producing food for her baby.


    Was winter coming, the curse on her body slowly taking over?


    It was very cold, by the way, and a maid wrapped her in furs before she got out of bed.


    "Your Highness, Master Ceridom asked to be warned as soon as you woke up. Many people want news. They want to see you. What should I say to them?"


    The maid was nervous about pressing her, but Alexa didn''t care. Receiving her daughter in her arms, Alexa examined Beatrix until she was satisfied, before answering,


    "Ceridom can come in. Do you have news from His Majesty?"


    The maid shook her head, ashamed.


    The answer sounded about correct. Nobody knew about Magnus.


    But she knew. She knew that he had finally been overcome by the Yellow Heart.


    She didn''t know what would happen now, though.


    Agnello entered the room as soon as Ceridom left. After calmly blessing Alexa and meeting little Beatrix, he said,


    "My dear, be calm. Balbo and your brother are looking for the Sovereign Prince. They will not approach him, because they know the danger of this. But we will soon know where he is, and how he is. I don''t want to be unfair to you at a time like this. But you must remain strong. And flexible as always."


    "Dom Agnello! Winter is only a few days away! What will happen?"


    Agnello sighed.


    "If you were another type of woman, I would hide the fact from you. But I know that you can understand. If Holstein falls under a demon, the demons will prevail. If we can defeat the monster... Holstein will be without government. If the von Wuttenfal manage to recover from all this tragedy, they may be able to survive in power. We can work for that. Godiva is skilled as emin¨¦nce grise, and I can help. The von Wuttenfal cannot lose any more allies. Perhaps ... Konrad can take the throne as Regent. It''s risky, because despite his great character, he''s too gentle and can be seen as weak. Beatrix must be enthroned as part of the family¡­ For her sake¡­"


    " No, Dom Agnello. Don''t you dare suggest that. Beatrix will not carry the name of Alexander."


    "It will make her life very difficult, Alexa... You had to take someone else''s name in order to survive."


    "Is different. I can not do it."


    "Then she will be Magnus''s heir. The annulment of his marriage, which I personally asked the Pope, has not yet been made official. You and Magnus were not officially married, and for the Church she is an illegitimate daughter... But if the Sovereign Prince makes Beatrix his heir, it can ease things up a bit. "


    Alexa wasn''t sure if Magnus cared about that kind of thing right now.


    "II ..." Alexa decided to open her heart to her tutor, "I wonder if Alexander couldn''t..."


    "Regret it?" Blue Eyes got the distant look, and this look became hard. "How can we know? To be honest ... I was close to that door yesterday. "


    Alexa turned to Agnello with eyes full of amazement.


    "Yes. I was too troubled in my heart because of everything that happened. I thought to myself that if there was a way to resolve this, even if it cost me my life, my soul, I would do it. But when you get there¡­ "


    "What made you change your mind, Don Agnello?"


    "I spoke to him through the door. I asked if he could do anything to help Magnus. I talked about Cordelia. About your innocent child. And he said ... "


    Alexa held her breath to hear, but Blue Eyes changed his mind.


    "He was bitter, Alexa. He just asked who would take care of the child, Beatrix, when you were asleep and Magnus..." he broke off, hinting at Magnus''s mad fate. "He also commented on The Little Wisp. Referring to her, I guess."


    She swallowed.


    Everything was falling apart because they forgot Cordelia completely. Because it made Magnus irreversibly cross the line.

 Chapter 268 - Christendom

    "What are you doing?!" Alexa put her hand over Magnus'' hand, preventing him from taking Beatrix out of the rich cradle where the girl slept.


    Not even she knew where she had found the courage to confront him. She just woke up to see the silhouette standing in the room, looking at the crib, and even though it was Magnus, she didn''t know what to expect.


    "How many promises will I break from now on?" he replied gravely, shaking Alexa''s hand from his and taking Beatrix with just one hand. Magnus went over to the candle rack to watch the baby. Alexa held her breath and watched him closely.


    "She doesn''t look like you," he commented. His voice hinted at some disappointment.


    "But it looks like you."


    "You think so?"


    "I do," Alexa held out her hands, for him to return Beatrix to her. He did this, with an ironic smile on his lips and an inscrutable look.


    "Are you afraid of me, Alexa?"


    She exhaled, worried about the consequences of her response.


    "You are not going to hurt Beatrix as you didn''t, not even by accident. If you have that control, please tell me, Magnus, that we are going to make it..."


    "I can''t say that, Alexa. My heart. This heart ... is full of tar, on fire, which spills into me. If before, I felt it drop by drop, now it''s gushing¡­ Every time I kill more powerful I get¡­"


    "But you are aware of it! "


    "Haha ha. I was aware of that before. But justifications for my actions will always appear. On the one hand, it scares me, and I''m not afraid to tell you that. On the other hand, I feel a fool for being afraid, because nothing would stop me. Nothing would touch us ... I just have to grow my power."


    "Stop it now, Magnus. That kind of thinking is dangerous!"


    "After all that we''ve been through, do you think I haven''t seen anything? Ha, you''re awesome, Alexa." He reached for a fur cape that was on the mannequin and came after Alexa to help her get dressed.


    "What is it? Where are we going?" she asked, stunned.


    "To do something necessary," he replied, without giving details.


    It was very cold outside, but he put his wife and daughter in a carriage. He rode on the front.


    Alexa had realized that they were heading towards the cathedral, and when they got there, she was surprised to find Countess Godiva waiting for them by the front door, while rubbing her gloved hands.


    Whatever Magnus was doing, he hadn''t told Alexa. And why did it have to be in the middle of the night?


    One of the hors.e.m.e.n who had escorted the carriage used his cloak to protect the Duchess from the night dew and the wind. Alexa was going up the stairs in quick steps, looking only at the floor, when she felt the deadly look of the Sovereign Prince on the scene.


    Even the knight hesitated, and Alexa practically ran into the building. Magnus seemed so furious at the kindness of the man that he protected Alexa and Beatrix while Magnus got off his horse!


    The Countess hugged her, whispering for Alexa to calm down.


    Alexa felt warmed by the radiant energy of that woman. She slightly removed the mantle over Beatrix to show her face to Magnus'' aunt. Her daughter slept as if nothing in the world could affect her.


    "Aw!" Magnus''s aunt melted, giving a brief pat on Beatrix''s very fine hair. Alexa felt proud, and whispering blessings. At least in the middle of it all, she knew Beatrix would have her dose of love from Godiva.


    "What is happening?" she whispered.


    "It''s Beatrix''s christening!" replied the Countess. "Don''t argue, Alexa. Magnus arranged for it to go now."


    "Okay, but ... why in the middle of the night?"


    "The Emperor and his wife will be Beatrix''s godparents," whispered the matron. Alexa was confused. She and Magnus had talked before, and decided that Narses and Mirna would be Beatrix''s godparents. Alexa wanted Beatrix to be with people who understood her and who knew all the secrets.


    But now Magnus had decided on his own that the Emperor and Empress would be the godparents of their daughter?


    She felt betrayed. As he said, he was already starting to break promises that they would decide everything that was relevant to them, together.


    The nobles were taken to the V.i.r.g.i.n Mary''s niche, and there she met the Empress and some ladies in waiting, as well as imperial guards. Everyone was alert and at least the women were curious.


    Alexa felt horrible. Except for the luxurious cloak, she was not dressed properly, and not even her hair was in good shape! Naturally the Duchess was judged from top to bottom, but the Countess took her directly to the Empress.


    Alexa was happy to see no 14-year-old girl in the room.


    Contrary to what I expected, the Empress broke the protocol, and came to meet her!


    "My dear Duchess! We still have not met! What are men doing to us in the middle of the night?!"


    She understood that the Empress had heard of the abduction of Beatrix by Gutard''s widow, although the woman was not direct in revealing this. Empress Anna seemed to want to make up for Alexa for her suffering, and she was grateful to find an empathetic person, who instantly fell in love with her little baby¡­ Anna bore a boy to her husband.


    Alexa then discovered that, investigating other things, Balbo and Narses, as the heads behind the intelligence network that was much bigger than Holstein, had recently discovered a plan to kill the Emperor. Magnus had ordered the traitors to be exposed. It was not yet over, but Magnus'' action had saved the life of the Emperor and his family.


    Still, Magnus did not expect a reward, but questions about his actions. It was a surprise that after the events, the Emperor understood the situation of Magnus and Alexa.


    In moments a small choir of sleepy boys was on hand to sing in the ceremony, and Magnus and the Emperor appeared with the Bishop.


    The ceremony and records were done with the necessary details. All the while, Alexa was afraid that the Emperor would come to his senses, but he didn''t seem angry, although maybe he was a little worried.


    When it was over, Beatrix was christened and blessed, and the imperial couple made Magnus promise that their daughter would go to court to visit the godparents when she was old enough.


    As everyone walked to the exit of the church, Alexa saw that Balbo was near the door, and smiled at him, waving discreetly.


    That was enough for Magnus to grab the waving hand tightly, squeezing Alexa''''s fingers. It hurt.


    Alexa looked up, scared, to him, but he was not looking. Only his haughty profile looked at Balbo, who looked away wisely.


    "Don''t make me change my mind!" he murmured under his breath, and Alexa was confused. She had no idea what he was talking about. Only her heart was beating fast, with a bad feeling.


    "Give Beatrix to my aunt."


    "No, it is not necessary."


    "Deliver Beatrix. And come with me. "


    Godiva, who was beside them, reached out to take the baby, and Alexa reluctantly handed her over.


    "Don''t worry Alexa. I will take her straight to my room and the wet nurse will be there. If you need to talk, Beatrix can rest in a warm place. Nephew¡­ have good sense. "


    "Mind your own business, my aunt."


    Both women were astonished, but before one of the two responded, Magnus took Alexa by the arm and took her to the carriage. This time, he went in together.


    They faced each other. And Alexa found desperate eyes when looking into Magnus'' eyes.


    "What are you doing? Why are things happening like this? We can''t decide everything together, how do we agree?"


    "This is no longer possible Alexa. If I don''t have hope anymore.


    "Don''t you trust me anymore, or don''t you trust yourself?"


    "I can''t do this anymore, Alexa. I don''t want to talk about what goes on in my mind all the time. The wicked and insane things¡­ I wanted to have one last moment with you before I went crazy."


    "What?"


    "I have two options, Alexa. Die by my own hands, or kill everyone who tries to kill me. "


    "What?" she repeated foolishly as if doing so would deny having heard his words.

 Chapter 269 - Bitter End

    "I already know that. When you sleep for the winter, I will go crazy. What is really going to stop me?"


    "Mags ... You are normally a very sensible man." She chose her words cautiously. Magnus'' eyes were lighter, more and more yellow ... less and less human. "What''s happening with you?"


    "I just know things I didn''t know before. With horrible clarity. I remember ... The things that happened here in the past. I remember¡­ who I was, and how we got to this point."


    "Are you ... saying that your heart brings you memories now?"


    "Yes, Alexa. And I don''t know what to believe anymore. I am Orcaius, or Orcaius is Alexander. Or ... It''s better not to start with that. It could be an infinite thing, repeating itself every time someone tries to change the fate of this pathetic creature that has defied the unknown... In a cycle of destruction, which is taking on ever greater proportions."


    Alexa was beginning to understand what was going on in Magnus'' head. He saw no solution and was sure that everything would be repeated. He would either be imprisoned for the hope that there would be a cure, or he would lock himself in place while he still had some sanity. Godly people, or unscrupulous people, would come to him ... And it would start all over again. And there was still one person, at the top of the tower, of whom they knew nothing. Who really was Alexander? A criminal and manipulative soul, or someone who once only wanted to save Orcaius, and ended up taking his place? A victim?


    She reached out to touch his face, but he held her hand in the air quickly, and did not allow it,


    "You don''t think I can live with your pity, do you?"


    "Mags, that''s not it. I¡­"


    "You will soon hate me."


    "Don''t try to predict the future."


    "But I already know how it draws itself."


    Alexa was silent, and Magnus released his hand. The carriage continued on smoothly, but she did not look out the window. I just imagined they were going to Schwartzhofhausen.


    "There are two days until the solstice," she recalled, suddenly feeling colder, and curling up under her luxurious cloak. It hadn''t snowed yet, but it would happen anytime. Maybe even tonight.


    This meant that for three months, she would be unconscious in this world, and according to Alexander, conscious in the underworld, with him. But did things were supposed to continue like this, as he had said? He seemed to have planned everything methodically, even if he said otherwise.


    "Beatrix will be fine. The Emperor is aware of the problems we have had with witchcraft in the past year. He also knows that Cordelia was a witch. And other things too. Here are some letters," he took some papers out of his doublet, which he handed to her. "You have some explanations there. I don''t want to waste my time on that anymore. I can''t fix the future any more than I did."


    Alexa was holding the cards and blinking, sensing that what Magnus planned was something extreme and definitive. Her reflection coincided with the carriage''s stop.


    The door opened, and the coachman informed the Prince that they had arrived.


    Magnus helped Alexa down, and she then saw that they were at the lighthouse. The place was empty and abandoned.


    She had no logical choice but to follow him to the top of the lighthouse, watching the giant, distorted shadows they both made against the curved walls, while the torch Magnus carried in front of him projected the light.


    "Your Light is back, isn''t it?" he asked, turning to her when they reached the top of the lighthouse. The same place where she had shared her life with Alexander. Without fire and heat, the place was inhospitable and cold, blackened, and ugly.


    "Er... I think so," Alexa replied, uncertain but hopeful.


    He turned his back to her for a moment, after placing the torch in a holder.


    The absolute silence of the place was only broken by the sounds of the sea. That cold night, he looked especially desolate and lonely.


    "Alexa¡­ He turned to her, holding a spear. She was startled. Before she could ask anything, he came to her and handed her the spear. Her heart pumped painfully.


    "Mags ... What is this?"


    "Two goals: one is to defend yourself."


    "Hang on. Mags, what are you going to do?"


    He gave a sad smile. "I already realized that it would be very difficult to look into your eyes and explain¡­ But I know that you already know the reason. I''ve said it before. I need to die. Die to kill Orcaius. Die to end this."


    "NO!!!"


    His smile changed, "It flatters me in a way it shouldn''t have, Lex. Don''t make it any more difficult. I''ve said it before. If I can''t trust you, who can I trust? Help me. We will kill Orcaius together."


    Alexa felt her knees shake, and her body soften. She would have an easy time forging a faint... In fact, if she didn''t stand her ground, she was sure she would fall to the ground.


    Tears started streaming down her face. Even though she understood the plan, she couldn''t agree with that.


    "Look at you. You learned nothing from everything we lived. In waiting for people to repent, to change their ways ... Why did I expect that from you? " Magnus commented.


    "YOU CAN BE RESIGNED TO LEAVE ME, AND TO LEAVE YOUR DAUGHTER, BUT¡­ WHAT ABOUT HOLSTEIN? YOU KNOW VERY WELL THE JACKALS WILL COME FOR THE LOOT! THEY DIDN''T DO IT ALREADY FOR THEY FEAR YOU!" she screamed. It was pathetic to appeal to that, but it was real. She knew that without Magnus, the rich kingdom would be an easy target.


    "And do you prefer Orcaius to rule over Holstein?"


    "YOU ARE NOT ORCAIUS! You are Magnus! Magnus von Wuttenfal!"


    "NOT YET! BUT¡­ Don''t you see that this is how Alexander will be free to find you when winter comes?"


    "MAGS!" She was grateful to have a pole to lean on, as her knees were definitely no longer supporting her weight.


    "ALEXA!" he ran his hand through his hair, aggravated. "Don''t do this with me. Understand ... That I KNOW. That the Magnus you met is dying here and ... I have little time for that. Do you think I''m ready to leave? Do you think I wouldn''t like to take care of everything? Of everyone? Beatrix? Do you think I want to leave you?! No, Lex. I want to devour you, consume you, possess you ... As sickly as the general of Constantinople. I will kill you and turn you into an upir, and then you won''t leave me anymore ... We will be an eternal couple. I''m going to sting Alexander''s body and give it to the animals. I will destroy that ridiculous cathedral that was built on top of my tomb ... How dare them?! There are no new things under the sun. I will judge the crimes in my city..." Magnus put his hand on his face while murmuring under his breath. If Alexa had not come close, she would not have heard the scary words, which made her grip the spear more tightly.


    In a choked voice, she called him,


    "Mags ... Stay!"


    "Please Alexa, don''t weaken me!" he took a deep breath, clearly fighting himself.


    "Mags!"


    "Do you love me, Alexa?"


    Don''t ask me that. You know I do!"


    "I love you too!"


    "So don''t do this to me!"


    "Because I love you, it''s necessary."


    The two stood in silence, staring at each other for a moment. The tension was palpable, and Alexa could not stand the pressure, babbling her revolt in disorder, while copious tears washed her face.


    "I won''t do this to you! If you expect me to pierce your heart... I won''t do that! Don''t make me do this!"


    "No. I wouldn''t ask you to get your hands dirty with this." he looked at her. Tears were streaming down his face when he drew his long dagger. The triangular blade shone in the torchlight.


    "But I''m breaking my promise about joint plans. I doubt I will be able to do that by tomorrow ... and every word of yours is just another excuse for me to hold on to vain hopes. If I don''t do anything now... Orcaius will win. And it will all start again. So I can''t hear you anymore. Don''t forget. The heart must be destroyed. This is your responsibility, Alexa."


    He opened the jacket and Alexa still didn''t believe he could do that. To himself. To her.


    Alexa knew she was being childish, and that he was right. Or wasn''t he?


    The scar on his chest was exposed, and Magnus pointed the dagger at his heart, murmuring something she couldn''t hear.


    Then he raised his head to face her. His brow furrowed.


    "Why are you crying, my love? I think I learned the lesson better than you ... Close your eyes, if you can''t see. Please close your eyes."

 Chapter 270 - The Mischievous Lady Goes to Hell to Get Her Lover Back

    The first snowflakes swirled behind Alexa as she looked ahead with a stone-faced face.


    "Magnus is dead," she whispered almost inaudibly when the door opened and Blue Eyes let her in.


    His eyes reacted faster than the rest of his face, and Magnus''s older brother held his breath for a moment.


    "So that was it. It had nothing to do with the emperor''s safety, or yours¡­ I didn''t want to believe it¡­ But he did it." Agnello wiped away the tears that wet his lashes.


    "And what now?"


    Agnello de Borghesi looked at her for the first time as if his mental faculties were not sharpened enough to understand what was implied.


    "I mean, Don Agnello di Borghesi¡­ I don''t want to go to the tower right now. Know what happened to Alexander. Did he die? Didn''t he?" she took a deep breath, avoiding looking at him. In his mind, all he heard was the loud THUMP THUMP in his ears. "And Magnus¡­ He''s at the lighthouse. I didn''t want him... to be found that way."


    The bishop looked at her for a moment and then nodded slowly. "Alexa. Sit down. Calm down."


    He called an assistant and asked him to bring some wine diluted in water for the Duchess. When the person left, he crouched down in front of her and took her hand.


    "You have dry eyes and a hard heart because the pain was so great and you don''t want to believe what happened¡­ It''s hard to accept but we don''t always understand what God wishes for us¡­" Noticing his words were making no effect, he completed, "But don''t worry about it now. I''ll take care of that. I will speak to Godiva. I''ll get everything solved..."


    Alexa knew it was a lie. Agnello couldn''t solve everything. When the nobles knew that Magnus was dead ... Would they really wait for the remaining von Wuttenfal to decide what to do? Especially after the harsh year they had? And... If Magnus wasn''t there, would the Emperor keep his word to protect Beatrix?


    Alexa remembered her own life and experience. It was too common to lose one''s favor when you stopped being important enough. It was too common to have fingers pointed at you when you were on the weaker side.


    Would the di Borghesis continue to support the von Wuttenfals without a strong, stable male heir with a direct connection to their family?


    How long would it take for Alexa to have to find a protector for her and her daughter?


    Her fears swirled in her mind as she sat there listening to Agnello speak, without really paying attention.


    "Please," she said. "Make sure his body isn''t found that way... Please."


    "Right. I''ll do it. I will send for your brother to be with you in the meantime. We are not going to spread the word for now, until we decide how to do it... I also have to find out about Alexander."


    "Yes," she said simply, nodding. It was what she expected. May Magnus''s death be hidden as long as possible.


    Christmas was a week away. According to local tradition, pine branches with apples and candles were placed on the tables during this week.


    Days ago, Magnus had told her that he liked Christmas because of it. And that apples had been his favorite fruits for the same reason. It was a peaceful and joyful time at home.


    A thick, stubborn tear ran down her chin, and her lips trembled. It was difficult to keep the revolt within this cruel and unusual destiny within.


    Magnus had been disciplined enough to understand that the only way to challenge Fate was to face the enemy without fear of sacrificing himself.


    He had trusted that she would be strong enough to handle it. And that the world would overcome his absence.


    Wasn''t that what she had been taught? That attachment was the worst sin, and that after death, there was ... life? After winter, spring would return. It was the cycle.


    She sipped the wine they served her while watching Blue Eyes give instructions to his secretaries in a low voice. Then the Bishop took his hat and cape. But before leaving, he ordered them to take Alexa to the guest room of the episcopal house.


    Alexa went, obediently.


    But as soon as the bedroom door closed, she took out a small dark box under the cover. A muffled noise came from inside. Sitting on the bed and carefully opening the cover, she saw the yellow, bloody organ, beating steadily.


    THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP


    She could hear Magnus'' voice in her mind, questioning her.


    ~ What did you do, Alexa?! ~


    ooo


    The Duchess kissed her daughter''s delicate forehead good night, with tears in her eyes. She could only hope and trust that everything would work out from now on. Mirna beside her, sporting a big pregnant belly, whispered,


    "Don''t worry so much, Alexa ... We will all be here, together and Narses and I will be with you!"


    She nodded, looking at the pink-faced and kind-looking sister-in-law. Love had done the couple well. Love had made his brother decide to live. And love had made Iacintho decide to leave so as not to hurt whom he loved. For each ill, an ailment.


    She lay down as recommended, and watched around. In addition to Godiva and Mirna at a distant point, whispering that the Duchess was apathetic due to the shock, she listened to the castle''s sounds with special interest.


    She could have sworn to hear Alexander laughing and crying in the castle tower, like a madman.


    Nobody else listened to it?


    The thought of trying one last time to talk to him came to her mind. But the realization that it would be a huge waste of time was what convinced her to stay.


    She hasn''t heard Romeo since Alexander was locked in the tower. For the first time, the suspicion that men did not even trust the immortal bird crossed her mind, and she narrowed her eyes in fright.


    What she was about to do was so terrible and scary in itself that her head hammered insistently that it was a big mistake.


    ooo


    In the dead hours, when silence had fallen over everything, Alexa pushed the old door at the bottom of the secret passage. There was no resistance, no ghosts pushing her into narrow ditches. The long descending and wet path was not made for mortals to walk.


    THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP


    She carried a box with Orcaius'' heart on her shoulder. Her hands were free to light the way as a Light Bearer.


    A few steps ahead of her, the Black Queen''s Shade guided her, with her long black robes dragging and melting in the darkness.


    It hadn''t been difficult. It was enough to call her once.


    "I''m ready. Open the door."


    The long-dead Princess''s insane eyes showed understanding and perhaps concern. Alexa did not expect this.


    But there was not much time. This was the last day of autumn, and in a few hours, the first winter night would begin.


    Although, there in that long, winding descending tunnel, there was only night.


    After everything they had discovered about Orcaius and the old city before Holstein, Alexa hoped that there would be a connection between the castle and the church, where an ancient temple probably housed the remains of Orcaius.


    The church was built on top of the pagan temple, so ... It had no solid foundations, metaphorically and literally...


    She perceived the presence of spirits long lost and imprisoned in silent and static forms, along her path. The walls wavered as if they were not part of reality, and at the same time, were imprisoning ... Alexa shrugged, not knowing what to wait.


    After what felt like a long time, maybe a half-day walk, her legs wanted to give up. Logic made little sense in this tunnel. It was hot and hard to breathe. She was sure that she was no longer in this world.


    But the Light Bearer had no alternative but to follow forth. To return was to fail hopelessly. She had already come too far to return.


    Then she came to a gate with bars that resembled snakes. Due to her tiredness, and drying the sweat on her forehead, Alexa blinked and had the impression that they moved subtly, their scales undulating in the light of her torch.


    "What is it?"


    Letitia then stopped in front of her, and with a gesture, ordered her to go on.


    As soon as Alexa touched the bars of the gate, feeling her hand burn and sting unbearably, everything shook and the gate opened.


    Alexa bit her lip and grabbed her skirt with closed fists, trying to ease the pain. Beneath her damp lashes, she saw that the Black Queen had not passed through the gate. The Shade just stared at her. If Alexa wanted to come back without doing what she had proposed, she would have to go through Letitia.


    It didn''t seem like a good idea. The witch cult had strengthened the Black Queen enough to be an annoyance even for Orcaius.


    But Alexa didn''t intend to go back without doing what she had come to do.


    The circular room had Ionic columns and reminded Alexa of a sort of atrium. For Alexa, there was a parallel between the gazebos in Alexander''s labyrinth and this location. The feeling of being inside this sort of temple was indescribable.


    She slowly examined what was around her, in awe.


    She could feel the antiquity. She could see the ingenuity. But unlike many old and dilapidated places where she had been, that place seemed long ago abandoned ... As if a huge period of time, of lives and deaths, of knowledge and oblivion, interpolated.


    It was as if the gods had already stepped on that very floor. Long, long ago.


    Then, bored, decided to leave the realm of mortals.


    It was like the last place before¡­


    Before?


    She didn''t know.


    She was so ignorant. She just didn''t know.


    She couldn''t help being consumed by a profound admiration and curiosity about everyone who had passed by, what they had done, and what they had lived. It was impossible not to be moved by the thought that life and death cycles passed and those columns survived that. She looked with respect at the past, without being able to really understand it.


    In the center of the room, there was a marble altar. But instead of a chessboard, or a marble ephebe, there was a pomegranate on the altar. Red and fresh, cracked in half, with its red juice dripping appetizingly.


    ''Hm, here you are,'' Alexa thought, dismissively. When she looked up she saw only darkness, and a bunch of keys hung over the altar as a chandelier of sorts, or a charm.


    Looking around again Alexa saw that there were several doors beyond the columns. But only one was open.


    She knew the legend. Kore, the maiden, sometimes called Persephone, accepts her fate after being kidnapped by Hades. Being his Queen she becomes the Mistress of the Underworld, the Mistress of the Keys.


    But Alexa did not accept her fate.


    She walked slowly to the open door, looking around with curiosity. So was that what she was promised?


    Knowing what was behind the doors, knowing what the end of the journey was like?


    The small chamber into which it entered looked nothing like the imposing atrium through which it had passed. Carved in the stone, a niche kept what she was looking for.


    "Oh!"


    Despite suspecting that she would find something like this, after everything he studied about Orcaius, Alexa''s heart reacted as if she didn''t know beforehand.


    Instead of finding a single bronze statue, there were two.


    A new type of awe confused her for a moment.


    The bronze statues were side by side, and their sculpted external figures were just two ephebes, even younger than Alexander was. Alexa was admiring the statues for a moment.


    Solemnly.


    "I came for my half-life, Alexander. Or Orcaius, whatever. If it''s because of me that you are still alive, we will correct this error."


    Immediately the air in the chamber became oppressive, but Alexa gathered her willpower to resist fear and doubts. Hearing the flap of wings, she looked around.


    Romeo landed on her hand, as if trying to prevent her from doing whatever she was doing.


    ''So... Are you a messenger, all the time?''


    The bird looked at her as if understanding what she said. But the nightingale didn''t reply as Alexander or Magnus. She felt like she was being observed by a God...


    The time to hesitate was over.


    Pushing the lid on the first sarcophagus chest, she saw the niche to a heart.


    Empty.


    And when opening the other sarcophagus, she saw a small human heart beating softly.


    The heart that had been Magnus''s once, and now was Alexander''s, imbued with Alexa''s life. She had no way of recovering that, but she couldn''t allow Alexander to live while Magnus had died.


    Putting the pulsating yellow heart in the first niche, Alexa took the dagger Magnus used.


    With a sigh, she thought of her daughter and thought of her beloved Magnus.


    If she did it right, he could revive.


    If she had given Alexander part of her life, Magnus deserved the other half.


    She just had to have the courage to do this twice, and then a third time.


    "Yes, Magnus von Wuttenfal¡­ I know that you would disapprove of that. I''m not doing the deal... I''m cheating..." A small smile appeared on her lips as she raised the dagger high. "But you know how mischievous I am."

 Chapter 271 - Epilogue

    [1914, Madison, New Jersey - Edelsteinstal Manor]


    ''How did I end up married to this ... rude idiot?!''


    That was the thought in her mind when Alina admired herself in the full-length mirror, again. It was a stunning wedding attire, she had to admit. Aside the stupend saphire and diamonds tiara, the dress itself sported beautiful French laces and delicate ruffles, which highlighted her small hourglass figure.


    ''Hourglass my ass.''


    Of course there was some padding to make a bust more seductive and feminine, and also on the h.i.p.s, together with a corset. She always used them when she could. Her lean body was an advantage in her business, but not so beautiful in terms of seduction. That didn''t stop her from getting married twice, apparently.


    Besides, she liked her own face. No one would have ever imagined that that skinny, poorly nourished orphan girl would one day have a face like that, right? Her gazelle eyes, the color of amber, used to fascinate people, and she liked how her lush hair cascaded like waves of liquid old copper when she untied them. She was also privileged to have been born with ivory skin and enviable health, and a delicately chiseled heart-shaped face, which made her commonly treated better than her original social status would allow.


    Alina took off her dress, getting rid of the enhancing accessories and tucking into her wedding nightgown. Everything was so expensive and in good taste! She liked the feel of premium fabrics on her body. The smell of Egyptian linen sheets, mahogany panels, and freshly picked gardenias in the room. The glimmer of the crystal chandeliers and vases. In fact, everything around her fascinated her, and she had never been in such a beautiful place in her life.


    There was only one problem.


    She couldn''t stay.


    She would run away as soon as she could.


    Besides, her ... husband ... That insane man didn''t know anything about her, did he? Especially the fact that she was not who she claimed to be.


    And she was sure he would soon regret having forced her to marry him.


    After all... He had heirs! Why marry a stranger in a matter of days after forcing her to accept it and basically make her one of the richest women in the country?


    He had a severe case of psychiatric issues, oh yes.


    It made her worry.


    ''He will want to consummate the marriage, of course. He already made that very, very clear¡­'' Alina worried. She would have some explanations to give, since she never told him that she had been married before. But ... On the other hand, he deserved no explanation!


    ''HA! He said he didn''t care who I was. He just wants me to pay for what was stolen!''


    It was a weird way to make her pay, but she wasn''t going to stay to see how he intended to treat her after the guests left.


    Alina heard footsteps in the hall, and ran to the bed, where she sat.


    Magnus von Wuttenfal came into the room, pulling on the tie from his wedding attire.


    He looked her up and down. Alina pretended to be looking at a distant point, allowing herself to be watched.


    It was impossible not to have mixed feelings about this man, and his sparkling blue eyes.


    ''Damn, why is he so scary?'' she felt her hands tremble involuntarily, and stretched them out against the bedding so he wouldn''t notice.


    Magnus von Wuttenfal was handsome, in fact, one of the most handsome men Alina had ever seen. Dark and tall, with impeccable and manly features, in addition to exuding an aura of personal power that Alina had never seen before. But it was impossible for her to get used to the intense way in which he looked at her after ''that''.


    He stopped by a sideboard and opened a large manila envelope he had brought with him. Immediately, Alina knew she was in trouble again.


    ''Uff, I have to think of a way to escape this as soon as possible ... How will I find my brother, if I have to leave the state ... Leaving the state wouldn''t be enough distance. I will have to go to the other side of the country! Maybe to the other side of the world!''


    But... If Magnus von Wuttenfal wanted to find her on the other side of the world, he had more than enough resources for that.


    "So¡­ who are you, really? Diana Robbins, assistant to an investigator named Giorgio Donatello? Or¡­ Miss Ella Black, the ''Escape Queen'' at a cheap theater on Coney Island? Or¡­ Alina Hearst, a survivor of the SS Titanic?"


    ''Wow! That was quick!'' she thought, and then began to draw circles on the soft mattress, without looking at it. "Well, if you already have a dossier on me¡­ It won''t be a problem for you to discreetly cancel the wedding, will it?"


    He let go of the folder and turned to her. She continued,


    "And ... I promise I won''t be picky about divorcing. We can let it go... This theft thing. I already said I don''t know any of that. And that it''s unfair for me to pay for something that someone else did¡­ Hm¡­ What do you think about sponsoring my show, as a¡­ favor?"


    Her husband scratched his chin slowly with his big hand, his blue eyes sparkling in his direction.


    "Oh, okay, I take it back. I can leave tomorrow. The way I arrived, no less."


    "You came in invading this mansion, remember?" he approached, amused, taking off his tailcoat and tossing it in a corner carelessly. Alina looked over at him, and noticed a volume hard to ignore in his pants.


    ''Gasp!''


    "I meant¡­ that I can leave with my clothes on, nothing more. I can change countries to save you from embarrassment."


    "When you get to know me better, you''ll see that ... I''m totally shameless." He got rid of his shirt, paying attention to Alina''s reactions. His legs beside the bed almost touched hers, sitting on the mattress. She stretched her torso, stretching, and trying to hide the blush that took her face.


    In addition to the broad shoulders and the physique that Alina was not used to seeing except for manual laborers, the banker had a huge scar that cut his chest vertically. The escape artist was a little nervous. That cut looked like something a coroner would do on a corpse.


    She didn''t want to think about corpses, or dead people, now.


    "What''s it? Does that bother you?"


    "N-no ... I just think if we''re going to cancel the wedding, the wedding night part could be totally ignored..."


    "No..." he shook his head slowly. "Tomorrow I will consider what to do with you, you little liar. Today, you are my bride... And you need to be treated accordingly."


    "Ah, Mr. von Wuttenfal, you don''t have to be that threatening. I already gave my word that I agree with the marriage, didn''t I? And..."


    It was hard to concentrate on what to say after, suddenly, he grabbed her around the waist and set her up on the mattress, bringing her close. It made her a little taller than he was, and the eccentric tycoon looked up at her. His hands gently caressed Alina''s back in circles.


    ''Damn, this is good!'' she thought, feeling her n.i.p.p.l.es hard suddenly. ''Stop it, you are crazy and I will run away tomorrow. If my brother is not here, as you said, nor have you done anything with him, I need to find him. And I also need to find Giorgio...''


    "Look at me," he demanded, and she unconsciously obeyed that imperious voice. Hating herself for it, of course. Alina didn''t want to look into those blue eyes the color of the Mediterranean sea again¡­ and get lost in them.


    She already knew it would be a serious, stupid mistake.


    But she did, and her eyes plunged into that deep sea. She knew she wouldn''t be able to read them. Alina had the impression that they hid many secrets and had seen many things ... Her curiosity was piqued.


    His hands tightened on her ribs in a way it was at the same time a little rough, but it made a heat spread through Alina''s body. She gave a small sob, and he laughed, kissing her neck.


    Alina''s skin immediately got goosebumps. She was surprised to be enjoying how he touched her. Or was it the situation in which she was involved that aroused her?


    ''Okay ... I might sleep with him ... He doesn''t really disgust me. It''s not that bad, actually.''


    With her mind appeased by this decision, Alina wrapped her millionaire husband in her arms, and relaxed her body.


    He wrapped her legs around his waist, and searched his wife''s mouth for a kiss.


    ''Oh, don''t kiss me. I don''t want to be that close to you... '' She thought, but when her lips touched only briefly, she found herself longing for him to complete the kiss... which he didn''t.


    He just smiled sardonically, and laid her against the sheets of the soft bed, coming over her.


    ''...! Why did he stop?! What an idiot!''


    He slid a hand gently under the nightdress, teasing her thighs with a featherlike touch. This sent an exciting message to Alina''s brain, and she felt moist. The next touch was not so gentle, his fingers sank into her flesh with possessiveness. Why was this making her even more aroused?


    ''I shouldn''t be enjoying this, should I?'' Alina asked herself, wrapping her arms around his neck. With a tug, her husband dragged her on the bed and against his pelvis, and Alina was startled when she felt the volume under his pants pressing against her delta.


    Swallowing hard, she reminded herself that she definitely shouldn''t be enjoying any of this. She had a far greater commitment than letting herself be distracted by... Magnus.


    It didn''t help that he now decided to tease her n.i.p.p.l.es over the fabric of the nightgown ... with his lips and teeth.


    "Nhg!" she couldn''t resist and ended up letting out a groan of pleasure. Magnus von Wuttenfal only provoked her, seeming to be in no hurry, contrary to what she had previously believed.


    "Kiss Me!" she heard the sound of her own voice demanding, and wanted to die of shame, feeling her face go red and hot.


    Then her husband leaned over, to the point that her whole body and his were glued to the most pleasurable parts, and she whispered.


    "Do you want me to kiss you? I can do this."


    She offered her lips excitedly.


    But the bastard didn''t kiss her!


    "You¡­?"


    "If you want a kiss, or more than one, or that I take you to the stars tonight, you only have to do one thing."


    ''Oh, my God. His games again¡­ ''


    She looked at him expectantly, while he rubbed his body sensually against hers. She felt him as hard as iron, and she was so wet too!


    Magnus took one of her hands and flexed her fingers closed. Except for the index finger.


    "Do it like the first time."


    "Hm?"


    She couldn''t believe this. She even felt that his mast had throbbed just because he said what he wanted.


    "Oh. Okay." Alina then looked at his face, admiring his face. That was easy, because he, despite being completely crazy, was beautiful.


    It was just not looking into his eyes that everything would be fine.


    Then she touched the spot next to his nose, as she did the first time she saw him.


    Alina didn''t know why she did it the first time, she just couldn''t react when she fell on him and, for the first time, looked at his face.


    That little beauty mark... It looked so beautiful and special. And somehow, it reminded her of something. Something elusive in her mind, but good, sweet, and comfortable. Something that warmed her heart in a way that she had never really felt.


    Looking and touching that little spot on his face ...


    It was like coming home.


    THE END


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