Chapter 77 - Bedding

The honor of the crowned Princess was at stake.

A duel to the death had been proposed, and Baron Florian, a 'hero' in his own kingdom, did not back down. At dawn, in the cliff, they would establish who was the best.

Her champion came to Alexa. With a flowery greeting, Prince Magnus asked, loud enough for everyone to hear,

"My sister-in-law, grant me this dance. I put my life under your veil, I hope it's up to your value."

Still stunned, Alexa nodded, giving him a hand and accompanying Magnus to the center of the room. The feast atmosphere was awkward, but the master of ceremonies called on the dancing couples to resume their positions. Of course, Florian had left the ballroom with the Polish retinue.

Out of the corner of her eye, Alexa saw Cordelia's family, watching them in shock. The Princess didn't know whether Baron Florian had done this spontaneously or as part of a Machiavellian plot. Alexa had just decided to stay alert, from now on. She had been taken by surprise by the slap in the morning. And now for that offense, which undoubtedly created a shadow of a doubt at court.

It didn't have to happen again.

"Was that really necessary? A duel to the death?" she whispered when the dance started. It was a strange dance, spinning around the room, and the hands of the couples were in contact all the time. Despite the distance of the bodies, there was no exchange of pairs.

"The Baron was very unlucky. He will lunch in hell in a few hours," was Magnus' witty response. He was not looking into the Princess's face, however. It was natural that he was edgy, but Alexa felt that there was something more.

"Don't tell me you have doubts too," she presumed, going rigid at once. They missed the pace because of that and Magnus got annoyed. Only when they set the pace again did he reply, in a dry tone,

"I'm mad that they think that. But I don't share their doubt. If I had any suspicions, you wouldn't be married to my brother now."

The Princess could not decide whether that was what the First Prince considered a compliment.

"Don't die," she blurted. The maiden felt she should say. She didn't want him to become a Shade full of regrets in this place. Alexa didn't even know if she could get him on the Path.

"Die for you? Don't worry, Princess Alexa. I won't even come close to that today," it was Magnus' caustic comment. Alexa was once again stunned by the Prince's words. She knew his determination, but not the day of his death.

The music reached its final moment, and Magnus bowed to thank her for the dance. And after that the Prince suddenly raised her hand, drawing everyone's attention,

"After accepting my life as her champion, I cannot allow Princess Alexa to dance with no one else. At that moment the Princess leaves for the night!"

Under greetings and vows of happiness, the maiden withdrew with her ladies, for the bedding ritual.

°°°

All the symbolic rituals she went through in her life would not have prepared Alexa for the idea of ​​having her first time with an audience of people. In a tortuous way, destiny wanted the damsel's first night with her husband to be just a night's sleep. So there was no need for an audience.

After dressing in one beautiful nightwear, Alexa went with her ladies to Prince Alexander's room, where she would spend her first married night. Only by tradition did the courtiers greet the Bride when she crossed the threshold.

In the morning, when she left her spouse's bedchambers, the Princess would receive blessings from her father-in-law, the chief of the Von Wuttenfal family, and instructions on her position.

The draperies of the princely bed were drawn as soon as the Princess lay down beside her husband. Then the courtiers were all gone.

When the door closed, Alexa took a deep breath, turning to her husband. The damsel scrutinized the Second Prince, as always impassive in his slumber, in every detail. Alexander was breathing almost imperceptibly beside his wife. His heart was beating faintly, but steadily, the Princess checked as she placed her ear on his chest.

Was it really true that the Second Prince, her husband, took the poison spontaneously? And why would he do that? Of course, one could purchase such an elixir with the right amount of gold. But who would have provided him with such a rare elixir?

Remembering something important, the Princess kneeled on the bed and rummaged through the sheets, under the cushions and pillows, and under her husband's head,

"Excuse me!" she eased his head while she searched. Alexa had remembered that Prince Magnus had acted suspiciously with his cousin, Duke Konrad. He had hidden an object under the convalescent's pillow. Was it a sigil, or a spell? Just a superstitious religious symbol? It was very likely that there was a similar item under his brother. And then she would understand better what beliefs the First Prince had.

Alexa even left the bed to pick up a candle from the chandelier. She noticed that they put a cover over the nightingale's cage so he would sleep peacefully. 'Someone is taking care of the bird as carefully as the Prince,' the Princess thought. Alexa investigated every corner of the bed, under the mattress and also in the canopy. The magnificent furniture was massive, and she couldn't check under it.

Disappointed with her investigation lack of results, the Princess lay down again. 'What a fool I am! I had thought Magnus liked his brother! Did he put a patois under the Duke's pillow, but not under Alexander's? Ah, well, I should have remembered that when he received the news of Alexander's death, the Prince wasn't so upset. Maybe he's just keeping up appearances ... And he says he'll seek a cure from Mestre Petrus, ha! It's just a way to escape the marriage to Cordelia. He did many things, including trying to seduce me and marry me, just to avoid this marriage to the heiress, didn't he? At least ... He knew when to stop. How could I trust him? Just because he ... he ... can die today, for my honor? Don't be silly Alexa, he's not doing it for you, but for the Von Wuttenfals honor', the maiden's thoughts flew to Magnus again, dumbfounded by the ever-contradictory behaviors and dubious motivations of the First Prince.

Then the Princess heard soft sounds inside the room. Almost imperceptible sounds. But it was steps, she was right.

'Oh crap, why don't I have my dagger here?' The only thing she had at her disposal were pillows, actually.

"W-who's there?" Maybe showing that she was awake would simply make the person reveal herself. The Princess wished it was Balbo, at least.

There was no answer, but the veils in her canopy were thrown back violently.

It was the First Prince.