Chapter 79 - Blood

Magnus wiped the blade and also his brother's lips, and patted his head affectionately as if he had been a good boy for taking everything. This exasperated Alexa,

Only then, the First Prince answered her question,

"What am I? I don't know."

The Princess watched the effects of the 'medicine' on her husband's body. Alexander's cheeks seemed to become pinker and it agitated his breathing for a moment. As well as his heartbeat, gradually returning to normal.

"This is incredible…!"

"Incredible? I don't know," Magnus chuckled bitterly, sinking his head back into the pillow and looking at the canopy ceiling. "But if it serves to save my brother, then it can't be all bad. Maybe I just have to be what I am and pay the price for it."

Alexa deposited the candle next to the bed, watching the First Prince without knowing what to say next. The startling revelation still seemed to struggle to settle in the Princess's mind. Silence fell between them, until Magnus broke it,

"I discovered this a few years ago. Alexander and I were training the bow. He was 9 or 10 years old, I guess. And ... The Nightingale. The poor bird crossed the path of Alexander's arrow. It wasn't his fault, but he ... "Alexander's older brother scratched his nose with a half-smile, lost in his memories, "Well, my little brother lost it. He's got very upset. He started to cry and to blame himself. That was the nightingale who used to sing next to his window, Alexander said. At first, I was angry with him. He was being very dramatic because of a hapless bird. So I got to where the bird was lying, with Alexander on my heels."

The Princess could imagine the scene in her mind, as if she were witnessing it while Magnus recalled his memories.

"I crouched down, and took the dead bird in my hand. As I pulled the arrow from the fragile little body, my hand was cut on the arrow. Blood fell on the nightingale. I was still talking to Alexander and trying to calm him down when the bird started to shake in my hand. I looked stunned, just to see the little creature revive! Before the nightingale was almost broken in half! But his flesh closed and his feathers covered his chest, and he stretched his wings in the end!"

"This is fantastic, Magnus!" Alexa spoke with amazement.

"You would have been as we were: without reaction, paralyzed by fascination and shock," he concluded.

"That nightingale that revived… Is THIS nightingale? Alexander's nightingale?" The maiden asked.

"Yes, it's the same. Romeo is his name," the Prince nodded. "When I heard about Alexander's death, I hoped that I'd be able to do the same, whatever the cause of his death was. But it didn't happen. Nothing happened. He remains trapped in that accursed sleep."

The Princess stroked the blond hair of the young prince asleep beside her, penalized,

"But if you go far, he can become very weak!" Alexa concluded.

"Perhaps. I should be back soon. So your instructions must be accurate, Alexa. Where does the Alchemist live? Does he really have the antidote or do you just assume that?"

"To tell you the truth, I saw him once. And yes, Master Petrus has the antidote. Maybe I have to go get it, Magnus!" Alexa exclaimed. Yes, that would be the perfect solution.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"YOU, don't be ridiculous! Do you think I can't? Didn't I prove that I know how to manage it alone?! A trip is no trifle for me!"

Magnus sighed,

"It won't be like that, Princess. You must take care of Alexander. Keep him alive. You heard the prophecy. You will sleep next to him and feed him with your hand," he said in a definite tone.

"Mememe, how convenient it's to speak of prophecy. I could go, and I would certainly meet Master Petrus in Languedoc. It just has to be you because you want to get away from Holstein right now," the Princess resented.

Magnus in a sudden movement took her wrist, firmly. He looked into Alexa's eyes, over Alexander's body, irritated. Looking down briefly at his brother, among them, the First Prince asked,

"Don't you think it's better that way, Alexa?" and released her arm with a jerk. Alexa felt a lump in her throat, and said nothing.

In fact, it might be better for their sanity to take a long time apart. A trip from north to south would take less than a month to go, and at least another to return. But Alexa doubted that Magnus could be back in three months. Summer would have come when the Prince returned with Master Petrus. It would be a good time for their hearts to cool.

But what about Alexander? Would he resist all this time?

There was still the possibility that Alexa could find the antidote in Holstein. She would look for it, in his absence. It was wise to let him go.

"What are you doing? Why are your eyes closed?"

"I'm resting my eyes, can't you see?" this was the rude response from the First Prince, comfortably installed on the other side of the bed.

"Go to your room," the Princess could empathize with fraternal love, but she was there! Wasn't Magnus talking about keeping distance just moments ago?!

"No. I'm just resting my eyes. I have a duel in a few moments and if I go to my room, a succubus, or Cordelia, will show up there. For one, I don't have time. For the other, I don't feel like it," it was Magnus' cretin answer, putting an arm across his eyes.

"My God, what an unbelievable man you are," Alexa got mad at him, and wrapped herself in the blanket after carefully covering Alexander as well. The Princess didn't want Magnus to keep saying that she didn't take good care of his brother.

Falling silent for some time, the damsel realized that Magnus was not sleeping.

"Some people told me that their father was a Witch Hunter. And they also say that Alexander's mother was a witch, " she said. Magnus just grunted in response, sounding grumpy,

"Hm."

"By the age difference between you and Alexander, you must remember your stepmother."

"Uh-huh."

"What do you remember of her?"

"It's not like if one could forget her, Alexa. After a while living here, you will know everything. You don't have to know it from me."

"I'm not sure about that. People are very discreet in this court."

"But you are nosy enough for your own sake. Just remember, in my absence, my dear Princess: accidents are deadly for those who are flesh and blood. Even you almost died in a hole that no one would take you out of. Take care of yourself."

Magnus always shied away from matters, and that was nothing new. Alexa just shut up.

"My stepmother. Yes, she was a witch. And she saved my life when I and my mother were attacked. She saved my life and demanded to be 'the queen', in exchange for that," unexpectedly, the First Prince told.

Alexa was going to ask for more details, but she realized by the flapping sounds in the cage, that dawn was coming.