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.