Chapter 94 - Break

Alexa looked up at the Black Queen. Her colorless face contrasted with bright, wicked eyes,

"Girl, you must free all these souls from suffering, don't you? It's your last chance, "Shade extended her frighteningly long fingernails to the window. Alexa could see a garden from there. Then she disappeared, but the echo of her voice whispered,

"Tonight."

"Do it."

"Regret ..."

"Don't let the moon come without killing the king ..."

"Magnus shouldn't leave ..."

"You… Locked ..."

"Last chance."

The Princess stayed where she was, and then put her hand on her sore neck, feeling that the experience had been very real. Approaching the parapet, Alexa looked at the small garden.

Her eyes soon identified aconite flowers, belladonna berries, poppy, and hellebore, amid the clutter of plants.

'A garden of poisons ?!'

~ Alexa, what are you doing? asked Alexander, after a while. Then she realized that she was pondering the memories stuck in that painting. She witnessed an echo of the past. And now she could better understand the various facets of everyone involved in this bloody and profane plot.

"Where were you?"

"When you choked I tried to find Balbo or Magnus or anyone who could come and save you!" he explained in a dismayed tone. The nightingale circled her a few times, examining her, and then landed on her shoulder again, rubbing his head on her chin.

"Letitia visited me again," she said, asking next, "How do you get there?"

~ Only the royal apothecary has access to this garden. It is full of dangerous plants. There is a deadly punishment for anyone who enters there. Or try to corrupt the royal apothecary. Be it plebeian or nobleman. It's a law from my grandfather's day, I think. One of my stepmothers died like this. She broke the law and went there, but her maid denounced her. That's what counts."

"She was from a very wealthy family, but she wasn't from nobility," Alexa bitterly commented. She had seen all Gutard's marriages, after all. All plebeian women.

~ Princess Frederika? I don't know. I certainly don't remember her much, just that she had a little black dog that bit my hand once. I was too small to remember the political part. BUT, forget about this garden. If you need anything, talk to the doctor. ~

"According to your brother, I 'killed' all the doctors because I pointed out something they hadn't seen," Alexa left the place, returning to her people. She wanted to be sure that she wouldn't be tempted to listen to a vindictive Shade.

Although Alexander vowed to know what Shade had tried to say, Alexa chose not to speak. It was disturbing.

The Second Prince then asked to see Konrad,

~ Konrad, besides being my cousin, is my best friend. I left him a letter saying that he should watch my body because I'd be back soon. But that Philistine did nothing I expected! ~

Alexa remembered the Duke's harrowed reaction when he saw the Sleeping Prince. So it was because of that letter!

"Don't you think you put a lot of responsibility on your cousin's shoulders? Did you really think he could oppose the authority of your brother or your father? Did you even think about how your letter must have sounded to your cousin?" For the first time, Alexander really annoyed the Princess.

Her head ached because only morbid thoughts about the future were in her imagination. And sometimes it seemed to Alexander that it was just a childish joke. Even the fact that he had transmigrated to a bird didn't seem to bother him, now that he had someone to talk to.

~ I mean that he will be susceptible to believe your words, that's it. And it's a good time to explain the letter. ~

"Shut up, Alexander. I will not be your interpreter to your friends. Your brother is about to leave the kingdom and risk his life to bring the antidote that MIGHT get you out of this situation. But you just seem to worry about banalities, ~ she snarled, furious.

For a moment he fell silent, but then he said,

~ I was dead, Alexa. Being dead is awful. There is neither time nor light. For a long time, I didn't know where I was until you arrived and with your breath and your light, waking me from torpor. The touch of your lips, the breath in my lungs ... I felt it even though it wasn't in my body. It sent me straight to Romeo. Thank you, Alexa. Being alive, even in a bird, is infinitely better. Even though I keep silent forever, ~ and the nightingale flew out the window, faster than their hands could grab it so it wouldn't go.

"Ale! Romeo, don't go! Come back, come back!" she shouted at her bedroom window thoughtlessly, but lost sight of the bird.

'What if he gets hit by an arrow? Does a hawk catch him? Does the strong wind knock him down? Does a cat eat him? Forgive me! I spoke without thinking!'

"Come back, Romeo!"

A knock on the door awaited her authorization to enter.

"Your Highness, forgive me," said a nobleman, "We can try to find the couple's little bird. But right now, Your Highness is awaited for the audience you requested with His Majesty."

Without many alternatives, Alexa followed with the nobleman, although she preferred that Alexander is with her when, and if, she revealed to the Sovereign Prince the curious fact of his son's transmigration.

Seeing her father-in-law after having witnessed the memory stuck in the painting caused an immediate feeling of discomfort in the Princess. The giant she had once sympathized with was more frightening now. The Sovereign Prince had cut his hair short since the last time Alexa saw him. He wore a sling under his cloak; and received her regally seated.

The biggest surprise is that Lady Cordelia was in the room, and gave her a slight smile and a greeting according to the difference in status. She was close to Prince Gutard, looking a little embarrassed, but soon Alexa understood that she was there as a nurse.

After the formalities and reciprocal questions about each other's health, Alexa realized that her audience had no precedence or privacy, nor would Cordelia leave the room. Then she went straight to the main subject,

"Your Majesty, as soon as I arrived I had the news that I could not see my husband. I was told that Your Majesty removed him to a place unknown to everyone. I hope to see you soon. Can you share plans about what we will do to protect him, and how can I be close to him?"