Chapter 101 - The Half of X of Life

Awakening under the same sky of embroidered stars, the maiden immediately understood that this must be part of the effect of Sigrid's spell. Again she was awake inside Alexander's body. Would that happen every night? So was that what it meant, 'give him half your life'?

Of course. Probably evenly sharing her life with Alexander was impossible. As much as it was difficult to calculate the half of X of life, mentioned in a famous oriental mathematical puzzle, it was pretty impossible to predict how long someone would live. Then they would have to divide life into more or less equal portions. One would keep the day, and the other the night of each day.

It was almost fair, under the circ.u.mstances.

Even though Alexa would have preferred to arrive at the Duke's castle, she had chosen and accepted this bargain over time, to save Alexander's body. Spending the nights in his body was a strange solution, but the solution that would keep his body alive and functioning. She just didn't know what was going on with her own body in the meantime.

'Now am I the one sleeping somewhere?' the thought scared her.

But as she sat on the bed, she met Balbo's attentive gaze, sitting by the door and staring at the bed,

"Oh hi, good you are there," she whispered. Again the voice that came out of her throat startled her a little. Everything resonated differently inside 'his' body, even though Alexander had a small body for a man. Balbo approached the bed, hand on the hilt of the sword,

"You better prove that you are who I think you are," he hissed, but the maiden took seriously,

"Well, Balbo, you and I have a common secret. But if that's not enough, I had wine at your place a few days ago. You keep it on top of a cupboard," she said.

"Um, Your Highness ... What is this mess?" he asked, relaxing his posture and looking for the water jug ​​to serve Alexa.

"I don't quite know. I agreed to accept help from a witch who was locked in a lighthouse. We feared that Alexander's body would deteriorate in our absence. Or something as bad as. You surely remember that they even tried to steal the body. So it happened, as a consequence," the maiden spoke after accepting the water and gulping it thirsty. She realized that what happened to her actual body didn't affect anything that happened to Alexander's body, because here she needed to empty her bladder and she was hungry as hell.

"Prince Gutard was very distressed by what he witnessed. The priest was here most of the day. In fact, Father Agnello left shortly, and must return later, as he told me,"said Balbo.

"Is he going to exorcise me?" she asked aloud, remembering the battle with the Black Queen. The Florentine Father had a temporary victory against the mighty Shade, but what could he do against Alexa? It was definitely better not to try to find out. If he were able to banish her soul, they would have a problem again.

"It won't be easy to deceive that fox, Your Highness. He's very perceptive. And he knows Prince Alexander very well," concluded the warrior, making a small face.

"Where are we?"

"A castle's tower. The only entrance is quite ... secret. Only five people besides the Sovereign Prince have access to this location. Me and another guard, Padre di Borghesi, and two old maids who were babysitters for the Second Prince. They sent a detachment to another property, so that the Prince's enemies would think they removed him from the castle."

"Hm, it's a splendid plan. Only, it's a plan that will only deceive the living. The ghosts of the castle will find out easily, if they don't already know,"she commented thoughtfully.

"I always knew this place was strange, but now that a Light Bearer says, it looks even worse," the warrior sucked in a breath.

"Well, I believe that there's no place close to power that's not surrounded by spiteful shades. I've never been to a palace without Shades," the maiden searched her memory and couldn't remember. But there were still other complications,

"I will need to feed myself and I will also be able to take care of all other needs, but then people will need to know that I wake up at night."

"Prince Gutard also asked that ..."

Both heard noises outside the door, and Alexa instinctively lay down quickly. She still didn't know what to say to Father Agnello. What if he decided that she was a witch, like the others?

The priest entered followed by a woman, Alexa spied quickly. She also noticed that the room was better lit.

Balbo asked,

"Will the priest stay here by the bed? Will Helga stay in here tonight?" Alexa just had to thank the kind of quick mind that her warrior friend had. Letting her know the Blue Eyes' location and also that there was someone else.

"Helga will only make sure that the Prince is well for the night. But yes, I will stay here, I will read a little and maybe write."

'Oh, damn.' It would be impossible to stay without moving for long hours. She heard it when Balbo moved away, and also when the priest dragged a chair and arranged himself in his reading position, on the table near the bed.

'If I get distracted, maybe I'll actually sleep, then it won't be a problem. I think,' the maiden reasoned, and recalled the day's events. The fight over a turkey that almost resulted in an infamous death for Alexander. What would happen then? And how funny Duke Konrad was throwing a turkey leg as if it were an ax spinning through the air, and ...

OINNNNNNN!

"Oh, that was all I needed!' 'His' stomach protested so loudly that it would have been impossible for the priest not to hear. And really, the maiden heard the chair shuffle.

Alexa sat up slowly, looking around. The woman who was preparing wet cloths to clean the Prince's body was staring at him, gaping. Balbo rose from his chair by the door. And Father Agnello, at his side, watched 'him' with a big smile,

"Your stomach is speaking for you, Prince! How are you feeling?"

"Not very well," Alexa spoke softly and weakly, trying to imply that Alexander could barely speak. It would be better that way, until she was sure she could trust him.

"Your Highness ... do you want to eat now?"

The Second Prince nodded, and then the woman said, smiling,

"I will have a tray of food prepared immediately, Your Highness!" saying that she left, and the maiden made her new body move out of bed with slow, deliberate movements.

"How are you feeling, Your Highness?" the priest asked anxiously. 'The Prince' leaned on the arm that Father Agnello offered him, and steadied himself on his feet. It was all a great act because 'he' was feeling very well, just with a full bladder and starving.

"Like shit. What happened? This is not my room," again Lex spoke softly and weakly. Balbo followed his performance from a distance, completely unmoved.

"Well, this is a long story. You have been poisoned. And it's still poisoned, apparently. As a result..." the priest stopped when the Second Prince made a gesture with his hand, and went to the closed window,

"Can we open the window?" the priest did as he was asked, and the sea breeze entered the tower. The stars were rising in the sky. Lex sucked in the cold air with pleasure, looking at the sea and wondering what the real Alexander, Magnus and the others would be doing now. Taking a closer look at the room, he also realized that this tower must be Gisela's secret tower, renovated to become Alexander's secret room. Gutard had a strange personality, after all.

Helga returned with a tray full of food, and the aroma made the Second Prince's belly growl again,

"Hm, sorry," the 'young prince' murmured embarrassedly, sitting down at the table carefully. The maid helped him by placing a cloth around his neck, showing the soup, roast and vegetables, and even handing the spoon over. Lex checked and there was no wine or beer, just water to go with it. 'Ah, this is really a meal for a patient, how can I live with this?!' The delusion about overcoming times of starving were crumbling behind Lex' eyes.

Luckily, the soup was delicious and hot, and the maid nourished the Second Prince's body with several spoonfuls before asking,

"Father Agnello, please go on. Tell me everything," in fact it would be nice to hear the story through the eyes of the shrewd clergyman, but Lex' greatest intention was to keep Agnello busy while he's eating.

"Well, Konrad found you dead in the morning when he went to look for you in your chambers. You were late for sword training. The doctors came to see you, but apparently nothing could be done. That was on the day that your future sister-in-law, Lady Cordelia was due to arrive in the kingdom. So, it was a great commotion. I was really only allowed to see you in the middle of the afternoon, to do the necessary rites. A wake with present body was arranged, and it would last all night so that the burial of your body would be in the morning,"

"Oh! But I wasn't even dead!" Lex exclaimed, hesitating a little when he saw the roast chicken, but yielding to the stomach's appeal and thinking what was out of sight was also out of mind! NOM NOM! As he chewed ravenously, he motioned for the priest to continue.

"While the court was in mourning, a foreign person cried out that Prince Alexander was alive," said the priest, crossing his arms, "And I would be blind if I were not seeing this person right in front of me right now! Did you think I wouldn't recognize your sinful gluttony anywhere, 'Alexa'?"

The Prince looked up at the priest, feeling himself choking.