The Mischievous Maiden & The Sleeping Prince - Chapter 265

~ 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?!’

°°°

“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