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!"