Chapter 89 - Death Looms Over the Town

Together, Balbo, the Princess, and the bird crossed the flooded streets while the storm punished Holstein. Inside Alexa's hood, the nightingale shivered in the cold as they passed the square in front of the cathedral, now a dangerous and scary lake in the middle of the night. They were having little progress, and with each tentative step of Balbo's horse, Alexa felt like the time was running over. Alexa tried to protect the flame inside the lamp, to guide them, but it was almost impossible.

Worst of all was the constant sensation of death, like a great entity now awake looming over the city. So her hand burned under the bandages. It was a night of deaths and ghosts.

A large, darker object floated towards them, and Alexa did not need much imagination to identify a dead human body. Only when the corpse floated close to them did Alexa discover, with disgust, that the putrid and swollen body, with mice huddled over it, couldn't be a victim of the deluge. Most likely, the cathedral cemetery was vomiting its dead out from their tombs.

The moment returned to Alexa's mind when even the cathedral ossuary pushed old bones to the surface. And she recently attended a mass for the dead in the villa's slaughter. Rotten bodies emerged from the same direction, as a reminder of hell.

In the distance, screams, cries, and light of torches. The poorest residents from the lower parts tried to save their belongings from destruction and flee to the highest part of the city, close to the castle.

Balbo was floundering in the flood, guiding the horse, and Alexa worried about that,

"You need to mount, Balbo, this water is dangerous," she said. In addition, the slowness and the struggle against the current were unbearable when more than escaping from there, it was reaching the Sleeping Prince urgent.

"Save your horse, Balbo, I'm going over that," Alexa pointed to the ancient Roman aqueduct, still in use, that cut across the city. "We met at the castle," throwing herself into the air, she grabbed the slippery column and climbed it, standing up when she reached the top.

The bird hooted desperately,

Panting, the Princess said,

"For a moment I thought, yes, I had made a bad decision, hubby." She looked at Balbo riding the horse and looking up at her, making a sign of joy, and turning the animal to continue crossing to a safer place. "But if you're dying, I can't waste any time, can I?"

Running over the stone arches, beside the fast-flowing water, Alexa managed to travel a good bit, until she saw a group of horsemen with torches and lamps, calling her name while wallowing in the flood.

"Alexa! Alexa!"

"Princess Alexa!"

Magnus and his men faced the flood to find her!

Whistling as hard as she could, she caught their attention from above the arches. Alexa saw when the Prince took off his hood, to look at her.

"Go back to the castle! Alexander is in danger! Come back!" she shouted, pointing to the castle.

Magnus motioned for them to do so immediately, and the horsemen turned around. And she continued to run over the aqueduct, not listening to the Prince's yelling demanding her to go back. Alexa knew she could get closer to the cliff and find them on the way to the castle using that suspended and unimpeded construction.

The homeless people were crowding to find shelter around the walls of the castle, and Alexa saw when the Prince and his men made room to reach the castle gates.

Alexa still had time to recover some of her breath and stamina when Magnus passed her, lifting her body to the saddle while riding.

"Why did you do that?!" the First Prince grunted in her ear as they rode through the gates. He was probably referring to her risky stunts again. And as Alexa did not answer, he turned her face for a moment, so they looked at each other in the eyes. She saw frustration and concern, and a flick of relief too.

But the moment when they looked into each other's eyes had to end. She took his hand off her chin saying,

"I don't know what's going on, but Alexander is in danger. They may have taken advantage of the moment and their guard down."

"Gisela's ghost cannot protect him anymore, it would be a timely opportunity to kill Alexander," Magnus grunted, stopping the horse as soon as they reached one of the doors.

'Yes, that was an assumption that would make sense. Perhaps the Black Queen has new plans now, 'Alexa thought, following the Prince through the stairs and corridors.

As they approached the Royal Family's wing, Alexa already noticed the smell of smoke invading her lungs. Servants and soldiers flocked to the scene, but both the Princess and Magnus knew that it was literally a smokescreen to cover the attack on the Prince.

"Stay with Romeo here. I'll go in and look for him. Don't let Romeo die!" said Magnus, disappearing into the smoke from the hall.

Her heart was beating fast and hard, and she touched the bird inside her clothes. Romeo was cold and limp, with weak heartbeats.

"Hang in there, Alexander," she murmured, taking on a fatalistic feeling.

Somewhat stunned, Alexa tried to get out of the way of those who fled and the brave ones, like Balbo, who went in the fire to rescue people. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder. It was Blue Eyes, trying to get her away. She took the priest's hand away, and resolutely headed for the smoke-filled corridor, tired of waiting.

Then, a deep pain pierced her head, and she whirled on herself, unable to fight the excruciating attack,

"Hahaha" she heard as she felt her body falling to the ground. A melodious female voice with a beautiful Florentine accent. "I have something you want, Princess."

Alexa looked up, and saw the ghostly face of Shade looking at her derogatorily, as a queen looks at the lowest of the servants. She felt a pressure in her chest, as if the weight of a foot was on her and Romeo.

"Stop ..." she moaned.

"I am making my choices, and you must make yours. I will return his body, on one condition."

Alexa gasped, knowing that at that moment she was too weak spiritually to fight another Shade, and on her terms.

"Come on, tell me your price. I'm all ears," she pushed Letitia's heavy ghostly foot, releasing the bird from the weight. Listening to what the Black Queen wanted was important, and if she somehow had her husband's body, Alexa should be cautious. And of course, she didn't care about honor.

"When I order you, you will kill the king," said the witch's spirit triumphantly.