Chapter 72 - Knight

While they're dressing, hairdressing and adorning her, Alexa's thoughts went elsewhere. Her intuition told her that many hidden things, involving not only the dead of the castle, but the living ones as well, were in progress. As the White Queen had tried to show her, or show off herself, Lex wasn't still sure. A macabre game of chess, a mortal match, was underway.

Murders and assassination attempts were common in royal courts, where the power struggle was constant. However, the influence of the dead in that court was real, and impacting indeed. What are the ambitions of the dead, and what are the ambitions of the living? From now on, how would she live, bearing the surname Von Wuttenfal and being a Princess?

Blue Eyes had said a few times that Prince Gutard was a strategist, and that his actions aimed at a larger scenario. Naturally, he was much more aware of the scenario. Alexa, however, was blind to it, knowing very little about the causes and consequences of each act in this deadly stage. On this board with two princes and their deceased mothers, both witches, what were the remaining pieces?

The maiden remembered that the board was incomplete, and that Magnus grabbed the falling Black King. Was Magnus the Black King, or not? If so, was your own future husband, Alexander, the White King? And what would happen in the checkmate?

Decidedly, she was now part of that board, and she needed to understand who was who in that game.

Looking at herself in the mirror, the maiden barely recognized herself. Weeks ago she was just Lex, who played dice and bet on horses, cheated, and traveled on an endless getaway. Today she was about to become Princess Alexa Zoë Saskia Von Wuttenfal.

When the surrounding people were satisfied, under Countess Godiva's demanding baton, they walked away, in awe and sighs of admiration. Someone murmured very softly, but Alexa heard,

"Isn't it a shame that the groom can't see how divine his bride is? On the other hand, poor Prince Magnus ...!"

That irritated her, and Alexa bursted,

"Shut up, never compare us again!"

Nobody expected her angry reaction, but the attendant deeply retracted. She didn't want people by her side to nurture the clear polarization ... And Cordelia, who would soon be going home, just as Magnus always wished, didn't need to be snubbed. She had done nothing wrong.

"Come here, Alexa," called the Prince Sovereign's older sister, holding the stunning bridal tiara.

Maria and Edel put on their veil, and helped her up. The dress was heavy, and in place of the golden topaz over her heart, there was an amethyst now. They said it was more befitting, and that it even referred much more to the groom with violet eyes like Alexa's.

The Maiden bent down in front of Countess Godiva, and heard the same words she had heard in her little death days ago,

"This is your wedding tiara, my lady. My mother used it before us. You will be the first of this generation, I hope that one day you will pass this honor on. The Wuttenfal family salutes you ... Honor us, for you are one of us now ..."

The tiara was placed delicately on her head, and she thanked the Countess, who had tears in her eyes. Godiva was clearly a woman of strong emotions, and Alexa felt a sympathy for her maternal, although proud, heart. Alexa smiled back and offered a hug to the noble matron, who accepted without reservation!

"Go, the ladies will take you to see your groom before the ceremony."

"Your Excellency, who will receive me at the altar?" the maiden asked. She knew that her wedding would be by proxy, something very common among the nobles. But she didn't know who would represent her future husband during the rites.

"Ah my dear. My brother asked Konrad if he could act as Alexander's proxy, and my nephew said he would do his best to do so. But if it's not him, this is irrelevant, even Your Majesty will receive you at the altar."

"It will honor me in both cases," Alexa replied, although she preferred not to be intimidated at the altar for being next to Prince Gutard. She always felt tiny around him.

Alexa imagined that there were at least two reasons for the ceremony to be held in the cathedral and with hundreds of witnesses. The first was that it would invalidate her previous engagement and make it much more difficult to revoke the marriage for technicalities. And the second, possibly, was to prevent weird ghostly events during the ceremony. Alexa knew very well that the Von Wuttenfal were fully aware, like most of the court, of the ghosts of the castle. Just, no one ever spoke of it.

Leaving her quarters with her ladies, Alexa was taken to her future husband's quarters.

This time there was no crowd, just a nurse lady and the guards inside the room. She realized that the splendid bed was prepared for their wedding, and she noticed a beautiful ornate birdcage on the support beside the bed. The nightingale she had seen days ago was there.

That intriguing runaway bird had apparently returned to its owner.

Alexa was not sure what they expected her to do. 'Should I say a prayer? Just admire the Prince's legendary beauty? Or who knows, just to say hello?'

If she had her powers on her, she could try, with discretion, touch him and know where his soul was.

She reached the bed, and through the translucent curtain, she saw that the handsome Prince seemed immutable and immobile as always. Pulling the curtain aside, she stared at that mysterious figure of someone who Alexa knew so little. Prince Alexander of Holstein.

Staring at Alexander was a little unsettling, though.

"Hello, Your Highness. It's me, your bride. Alexa Zoë. We are getting married today," it was strange to speak to a person she did not know if she would be listening. 'If you were standing, how would you have received me in this court? Who are you, actually? What were you doing when you were poisoned? And most importantly now: where are your loyal friends, who can I count on to protect you?'

The bird in the cage flailed, suddenly seeming to want to flee. The nightingale struggled from side to side in the cage, and shrieked incessantly. The maiden turned to the cage, knowing the bird was trained and would return, and opened the hatch so it wouldn't get hurt.

At that moment, her gaze was drawn to one of the soldiers on guard, who held the spear impassively in a corner of the room.

And he made a discrete gesture to the damsel with one hand.

The secret sign that identified a Lazarite. A Lazarite assassin.