Chapter 103 - Then and Back to Her Body

At dawn, Alexa was ready to leave and paid attention to the sensations, watching the sunrise from the window of her tower, or rather, the tower where the Sleeping Prince was kept as a precious treasure.

When the first lights of dawn tinted the sky, she felt the connection with this body weaken. As if it was 'taken off' from matter and swiftly, when her eyes saw the majestic glow of the sun rising over the horizon, her consciousness was swallowed up in the darkness, as if a mysterious and inevitable force pulled her back violently.

The next step was to feel the impact of her consciousness on her own body, and emerge into the world of mortals again.

When she opened her eyes, the maiden looked at the rich curtain around her, and knew she was in the Duke's castle. Everything was in place. Her little hands and all her old little things. No appendix which required incredible care and caution with.

But there was someone beside her on the bed, she realized. Turning around carefully, she saw that it was Countess Godiva, sleeping heavily with a cap in her hair,

"Don't wake her up, she took too long to sleep," Alexa heard Magnus's voice nearby. She saw that he was in a comfortable chair facing the bed, not moving a muscle. He seemed to haven't slept through the night, from the look of his red eyes. So she got up carefully so as not to wake the Countess. She was wearing a nightgown and socks, but she wasn't happy that she had been touched in her sleep. She went to him, and signaled that she wanted to speak.

The First Prince got up and handed her his own cloak, which was folded at his side, and opened the door for them to leave. As soon as they left the corridor, he closed the door behind him and held her wrist, surprising Alexa.

Before she could understand what the Prince was doing, Magnus brought the inside of her wrist to his face, touching his cheek and closing his eyes for a long moment. He murmured,

"Fight me later. Just today… I'm happy to see you again."

Alexa was speechless. Was he… Was he really so emotional? She felt her pulse between the Prince's thumb and forefinger, capable of breaking her bones with one movement. But he seemed to suck in the air and feel the warmth of her skin against his… Her heart sped up involuntarily, and she bit her lip nervously.

But the moment was brief, as he opened his eyes and, releasing her wrist, that fell limp beside her body, questioned,

"Well. What's happening?"

"The spell worked! Or rather, I believe it's working properly. I was in Alexander's body all night, and at dawn ... I return to my body," she explained quickly. Ashamed of her emotions, but not as quick as Magnus to keep them to herself, Alexa cringed inside his cloak. The Prince took her to the end of the corridor, where he opened a small door to a defense post. The small open balcony allowed an archer or watchman to keep vigilance over the road to the northwest. They could see the sun rising from there, but the place was a little cramped for two people.

"It's maddening, you know?"

She was silent, not sure what he was talking about. Just this morning, contrary to what she imagined it would be, she was feeling insecure and restless. Alexa had imagined that she would tell them the news and that they might even laugh together. But Magnus surprised her well before she could say anything.

"It's maddening that you collapse in front of me and there was no explanation for it. Asleep and inaccessible, just like Alexander! I couldn't give you my blood, and I was worried!"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know it either," Alexa tried to make her hands busy, pulling the hood, but the hood was too big for her so all she did was to fully cover her face, blinding her for a moment. Magnus started by lifting the hood from her face, staring at her with furrowed brows and condescending air.

But she continued, "But now we know. In a way, it's not as bad as it looks. I will be able to monitor not only Alexander's health, but also what's happening in Holstein," she grinned, hoping to cheer him up.

The Prince reached out and ran his round fibula over the fabric attaching the cloak to her clothes, and slowly opening a sardonic smile,

"Hm… I see. But what did you see this time?"

Eager to tell, Alexa reported her meeting with Father Agnello and the possibility of seeing Prince Gutard the following night. Then the First Prince raised her face with the side of his index finger, making her raise her eyes to him,

"Princess, just be careful. He doesn't trust people. He won't trust you," no doubt the First Prince was referring to his own father. And no, she didn't mean to trust Gutard anymore.

"Doesn't he trust you?" she asked candidly. Magnus looked at the horizon as he replied,

"Why would he trust? He knows that I have a heart of stone. One day I was a boy... But now I'm a man."

They were words full of meaning and bitterness, and Alexa pulled her breath inside. The maiden tilted her head to one side, while also watching the sun's rapid march up into the sky,

"You know what's funnier? There's a person who does not give up on the three disasters we are. Father Agnello di Borghesi. What other priest would be trying to save our souls, despite everything?"

"Yes, it's funny. But he's also a political fox and may well take advantage of that, in the end. Don't fall in love with him," said the Prince, crossing his arms. Somewhere nearby, they heard the song of a nightingale.

To fall in love? He was not being literal, of course. Father Agnello was a handsome and aristocratic man, he wasn't even that old, maybe he was just over 30 years old. But that was laughable!

"Falling in love with ..."

"Don't be silly. Priests are men too."

"Ah, I know that,"

"Do you know what?" Magnus' lips narrowed in a thin line. Alexa laughed nervously. Was this conversation really going on?

"Well… Everyone knows. A cleric like Agnello di Borghesi would be much better off in Rome. But I thought you liked him. Since you listen to him," it puzzled her. It was well known that religious and political life were mixed and it wasn't a vocation most of the time.

"Yes, he would be much better in Rome, but he's in Holstein. The Di Borghesi sent him there, of course. I have nothing to complain about. He has already destroyed many enemies I had. So don't just see him as this benevolent and loving priest. It's a scam."

"Well, do you mean that behind the scenes, Father Agnello is like any other priest born in a wealthy family? Just a scholar without vocation or chastity?"

"Ahem… I don't know about that! Why would I care about his chastity?"

"Well, I thought you would know! Since you're so helpfully alerting me to falling in love. Besides, even if I fell in love, I would have the body of…"

Magnus covered her mouth, raising an eyebrow and intimidating her with just the feline look,

"Don't you dare speak or do something like that!"

She snickered at his hand, and the Prince freed her. Alexa explained,

"Don't worry. By the way, last night Balbo taught me something to do with ... what do you call what you have between your legs? I mean, the real name? The name that is in the Bible."

Magnus was confused and fl.u.s.tered,

"How is it? What did Balbo teach you? With what?!" He changed color and Alexa thought it was time to escape. Sneaking under his arm, she crossed the small door and ran down the hall, while Magnus shouted after her,

"Get back here! Explain yourself right away! Alexa! Come back here!"

A door opened, and the Duke showed up, wrapped in a blanket, and Romeo flew towards her across the door. Alexa threw herself into the room and shouted,

"SANCTUARY!"

"Snap it! Come back here! You need to explain yourself!" Magnus ignored the owner of the room and her random request for protection, entering right behind her in the room. Konrad returned with the bird on his shoulder, while Alexa threw herself on the Duke's bed, landing on his pillows.

Now that the door was closed, the maiden crossed her arms, facing the three men. Or rather, two men and a bird.

"What's happening?" the lord of the castle demanded to know. It was a little funny to see him do it only wrapped in a woolen blanket, of course.

"Nothing of note. I was in Alexander's body like the other night. And of course, not being my body, there are many different things... And then, I saw… my husband's stuff…"

"Oh, Good Lord. It's a 'marriage thing'. We shouldn't be taking part, don't you think, Cousin Magnus?" Konrad scratched his hair, nearly letting the blanket fall, and Magnus went to the Duke and tied the blanket around him, very firmly and rudely, saying,

"There's no 'marriage thing' between them! She's a maiden! She hasn't consummated the marriage nor should she be seeing..."

"Oh, too late. I said it already. I saw it," Alexa opened a huge smile, seeing all three deeply embarrassed, each in their own way.

~ Stop Alexa. This conversation ... ~ her husband's nervous voice pleaded.

But they didn't have time to keep this matter going. A trumpet sounded, and the Duke waved, fl.u.s.tered,

"Messengers! It must be something important!"