Chapter 93 - Framed Memories

However, two days passed without the Princess being able to leave the convent, where she was recovering from physical and spiritual excesses. The wounds on her hands, which the nuns called stigmata, healed faster than the wounds on her body, as they always did. The Poor Sisters' herbal balm really helped with healing and other remedies relieved pain and gave her a heavy, dreamless, restful sleep.

The atmosphere of perfect peace calmed even the spirits of her lady-in-waiting. After saying goodbye and making a substantial donation to the convent, the Princess's party left for Holstein. In contrast, when the carriage was approaching the city gates, they could already smell the unpleasant odor emanating from the outskirts of the capital. The mixture of sea mud and fetid rot, after the flood that hit the central and port part of Holstein. After breathing pure mountain air, Alexa even brought a handkerchief to her face to withstand the shock in her nostrils.

Workers cleared the city of mud and debris when the princess's entourage crossed downtown.

Her arrival was received with joy. But Alexa received the shocking news that, under orders from Prince Gutard, the Sleeping Prince had been taken to an unknown location. A measure to protect Alexander from attempts on his life.

"How could he do that?! What secret location is this? He really has a way of locking things up, doesn't he?" she shared her affliction to her transmigrated husband.

~ But I am not a thing! I'm not a prisoner! Or am I?! ~ Prince Alexander sounded quite shocked and fearful. The Princess also feared for the new attitudes of the Holstein sovereign, following the catastrophic events following her marriage to the Second Prince. But she tried to calm her husband down,

"Alexander, it might be better to tell your father you communicate with me and that your soul has migrated to Romeo. Maybe it will calm him down and together we can think of something."

~ Alexa, maybe you are right. But please approach him cautiously, ~ he suggested, wary.

The Princess regretted the fact that none of Gutard Von Wuttenfal's heirs could trust her father as blindly as she had trusted her own. In some ways, like unconditional love for his children, Prince Gutard and her father Bryennios were alike. They made a mistake and paid bitterly to save a child's life.

However, when requesting an audience with the Sovereign Prince, Alexa found that she could only see him near dinner time. The Prince would be reunited with several dignitaries throughout the day.

The castle was chaotic for renovations due to the fire in the family's wing, so Alexa got out of the way for a moment. Wandering with Romeo on her shoulder, she saw two servants walking by carrying the picture of Princess Letitia from Prince Magnus's room. Attracted by the object, she followed them discreetly. They abandoned the painting in an east wing corridor, just covering it with a cloth to save it from dust.

When they returned to fetch more items and left the empty corridor, Alexa went to the painting and raised the cloth, watching the painting in Italian style attentively.

In the light of day, the Princess's beauty was admirable. Although Alexa's eyes insisted on going back to the ring with Diana's symbols.

Then the maiden heard the voice of Magnus behind her,

"What do you think you're doing, you pernicious lady?" and felt his hands wrap around her neck ...

She blinked, feeling suffocated, and tried to turn and get free, but she couldn't. His hands were forceful and were pressing hard against her throat. On the slightly glossy surface of the painting, she saw the male silhouette behind her, lifting her up into the air. Much taller than Magnus was.

It was not Magnus, but Gutard.

Then she understood, and closed her eyes, touching the painting surface and giving herself over to the vision of the past attached to that object.

"Not content with trying to kill me earlier, do you dare come to my room again?"

Gutard rolled over Letitia, holding her neck with one hand. The Prince's eyes shone with his hatred and contempt. As young as Magnus was today, Holstein's First Prince ignored his beautiful wife's naked body and spat on her face, saying next,

"Do you think this circus will deceive me? Where were you? Is your father sorry to have sold you to the Prince of the North? Do you think killing me will be easy?"

Princess Letitia tried to take the Prince's hands off her neck, but failed, scratching his face with her long nails. But he was no match for the giant's strength over her, and the hand constantly pressing on her throat. She coughed and tried to speak, but it was impossible. He buried his face between her breasts, inhaling the air, and tightened his grip on her neck, saying,

"You damn whore. How dare you come here with another man's scent? Bitch. I'll kill all your children," saying this he opened her thighs with his knee, while touching the delta of her legs with his hand.

"When I have evidence against your family, my wife, I'll make you all bleed as you want me to bleed. I'll drink wine while rejoicing at your ruin," and saying this Gutard slapped her beautiful face with his free hand, drawing blood from her lips.

Riding her and using her body while threatening and torturing her, Gutard seemed to transcend with hatred, until the pleasure of his body made him howl and clutch her hips tightly, depositing his seed inside the woman.

Then she laughed when he rolled over, exhausted, wiping her face from tears, blood, and spit. The blond man looked at her with confusion in his eyes, and Letitia spat her blood on his face, whispering,

"Kill your heir, you damn bastard, and I'll burn your house and name down! Touch the son you made tonight, and the Von Wuttenfal will be wiped out from this land! Yes! Your seed is powerful, but so is my blood!"

The beating she witnessed next took Alexa out of the trance, and she vomited immediately. And she searched for air, stumbling until she reached the window and opened it.

The Black Queen, at the end of the corridor, took less than three blinks to reach her, bowing to whisper,

"You chose your side, but don't forget, my girl. He will kill you as he did with all of us."