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 Zoë 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."