Alexa recoiled when Gutard passed by her and entered the room, impetuously.
Magnus stopped beside her and held out his hand to the maiden. Shaking and not understanding, Alexa stared at him, seeing in his frown and shut jaw that the Prince contained himself.
Impatiently, the First Prince took Princess's injured hand and checked, then immediately tied a handkerchief around the small burnt hand without saying a word. As soon as he did that, Magnus turned his back on Alexa and entered the room. Like his father.
The damsel's palm burned and throbbed, and it filled her eyes with water. Again, was she just a tool for someone else's plans?
Even though the Princess was very curious before, this disappointment was hurting not only in her hand, but also in her heart. In a way, she had believed that Prince Gutard had some sympathy for her.
So Alexa turned her back and left the tower.
°°°
Alexander's labyrinth was the quietest and most peaceful place she knew. Sitting on the lawn near the Gazebo with the statue, Alexa could cry as much as her heart wanted.
The princess wanted to be alone, avoiding the noise of her ladies and anything else about her tragic wedding party, the duel or Cordelia. The Princess had brought Romeo with her, who seemed happy to come out of its cage and to flutter free through the solitude of the garden.
But when Alexa pulled the scarf and looked at the palm of his hand, with painful blisters, the little bird landed on the maiden's shoulder, looking curious.
The Princess wanted not to feel as lonely as she did today.
~ Maiden! ~
Alexa got scared, as the bird had spoken to her. It was a young, pleasant voice, with the same accent as everyone else.
~ Don't cry! ~
"R-Romeo ?! Are you talking to me?" Alexa wiped the tears away quickly, looking everywhere. But there was no one else who could speak to her.
~ You called me last night, ~ said the voice. Alexa took Romeo from her shoulder and 'he' obediently got on her knee, seeming to face the Princess.
"Alexander?!"
The nightingale trilled very loudly, looking excited.
~ Yes, it's me! Franz Alexander! How did you get hurt, milady? ~
"Ah, I ...!" How could he have been worried about her when he had… migrated to the body of a small songbird? And how had that happened?" The princess was stunned. It was not the time to talk about his resentments and his broken heart! she had found her husband's soul! I was there with him all the time!
"Your Highness, I don't know how it happened, but you need to get back to your body soon! Can't you leave Romeo's body?" It was the only plausible explanation, unless Prince Alexander had a very specific reason for wanting to live like a bird.
~ No, I can't ~, he said simply.
Alexa observed the bird. Romeo was a chubby nightingale with a vibrant blue breast with an orange stain. There was nothing to distinguish him from other nightingales of his kind. Nothing human.
"Did you take the elixir? Did you do this consciously?" Alexa had many questions for her husband but some were more urgent.
~ Yes, I searched for that. But things did not go as expected ~, Alexander replied.
The Princess sighed. The Sleeping Prince had transmigrated to the body of his pet bird. The old teachings of the Lazarites talked about this possibility, so the concept was not new for Alexa. It was just something that seemed to complicate her husband's situation. The Princess didn't know how it could be resolved. But she hoped that Petrus de Languedoc would know.
"Do you know that you and I… We were married yesterday?"
~ Yes ~, his soft voice answered after a moment. ~ You must be scared of it all, milady. ~
"The people here are not what they seem. The castle is full of ghosts. My husband is the Sleeping Prince, but his soul inhabits a nightingale. Witches immolate people for grotesque rituals, and everyone pretends that nothing of happening. Today I was forced to open a door with a magic key that hurt my hand ... "Alexa swallowed her wish to cry again for the injustice of the last situation. "Sorry, Your Highness, but I don't like being chained to you by fate."
A little silence followed, and Alexander said,
~ I'm sorry. There's one person who can help you…~
"Everyone who says they can help just wants to take advantage," the Princess grumbled, fully aware that even here only one person helped her without interest or gain in mind. John Blackrose.
~ Then trust me. I want nothing from you. ~
"No? Not even if I help you get back to your body?" she was surprised, because Alexa thought that was what the Second Prince wanted most now.
~ What is the use of this? Would my return make everything better for you? ~
"It seems to me that your family wants you to come back. Your father and Magnus wish you to come back, at least," but at this point, she was no longer sure. Alexa then heard footsteps approaching, and straightened up. The maiden knew it was the First Prince.
The nightingale flew to the statue and landed on the young ephebe's shoulder with the arrival of his older brother. The Princess did not turn around until Magnus was sitting beside her, while suppressing a small grunt of pain. Without a doubt, the toll for the back injury earlier.
"What do you want here, in Alexander's Labyrinth?"
"He forbids everyone to come here without his consent. But I would come anyway. Eventually, " Magnus did not directly answer Alexa's question, but he did bring a pot with a pungent smell. The princess soon guessed it was an ointment.
~ RASCAL! ~ Prince Alexander exclaimed upon hearing the revelation. This took the Princess by surprise, and she pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Magnus noticed, and his face seemed to clear as well. The First Prince opened the jar and wrinkled his nose at the smell,
"Let's treat this, we don't want a princess who keeps showing off filthy rags as a threat," he recalled their first meeting.
"It seems that the more I get involved with Holstein's affairs, the more I get hurt," Alexa handed her hand, but kept her expression cool.
"I'm not going to justify his actions," Magnus said as he carefully applied the ointment over the blisters.
~ How did you get hurt? ~ Alexa's husband wanted to know.
"Your father drags me to that tower and makes me open that cursed door. Just because of a prophecy! If the prophecy required my blood, would he have killed me? I have no doubt that I would!" the Princess spoke to Magnus, but also to Alexander.
"My father's sins are eating him away," said the First Prince, looking up as he carefully arranged the bandage. "At this point, he is not to be trusted. Stay away from him. "
~ Yes, stay away from him, ~ repeated Alexander, in a sulky tone.
"Did you find what you wanted there?" she responded to the advice with resentment, refusing to dissociate Magnus from what had happened. He was there, and he didn't stop his father from hurting her.
"Yes. Alexander's mother's remains were there. It was there that Princess Gisela killed herself. "
The bird flew up to them, and asked Alexa,
~ Take me there! ~