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.