Chapter 115 - Like a River Runs to the Sea

The Princess chuckled, trying to sound sarcastic when she really wanted to cover her nervousness,

"I was just thinking ... It is probably the first time that a Prince as rich as you will bathe in water that has already been used."

"Ha," his response was instant, "You innocent girl. There are so many reasons I did it before that I'm not even going to list them. But go and bath already, while I'm being kind."

Alexa blinked, uncomfortable. 'Ah, of course, he's a ladies' man. Why would he never have bathed after a woman?'

Still, she wasn't happy and demanded, sharply,

"Turn around, and don't you dare peek this way."

"How unfair, you've seen me n.a.k.e.d before," the Prince snickered, although he went to fiddle with some clothes on the bed.

She took the time to pull out a towel and wondered how to do it. Usually she wore a thin tunic under her clothes, but the borrowed clothes didn't have this undergarment. As soon as she took off her dress, she would be hopelessly n.a.k.e.d.

Alexa noticed that Magnus raised the garments at eye level to examine. They were their own clothes, washed and properly repaired. Seeing Prince Magnus fiddling with her clothes, even though she wasn't in them, was a little unnerving. He was scrutinizing it, and it was only after a while she realized he was checking that everything was in place.

"Are all the ornaments there?" she was referring to mother-of-pearl ornaments and silver buttons, even the mink fur on the collar of her coat. Her pearl and gold crucifix was there as well as some rings, including her wedding ring.

"Some are missing, but may have been lost at sea. I'm wondering if we're going to need that money, after all. I only have a certain amount with me," he replied, and turned around suddenly. Leaning his head to the side, he asked,

"Are you going to bathe in a dress?" he was referring to the fact that Alexa was still dressed next to the tub.

"If I were n.a.k.e.d, you would be ogling right now!" she narrowed her eyes accusingly.

"Princess," he took a deep breath, putting the clothes aside and coming to her, "this situation will have to allow some flexibility on your part." Taking the linen towel she would use to dry herself, he stretched out in front of her and wrapped it around her neck. "If I see a little bit of your buttocks or any other part of your body, don't you think I'm the one who will have to ask God for forgiveness for peeking at what I shouldn't have been? Don't you think I'm the one who will have to repent? So don't worry too much about how I'm going to deal with my sins. Worry about seeing me n.a.k.e.d and take a liking on it…"

"Argh, you're annoying!" Alexa started taking off her dress under the fabric that covered her, and that Magnus held for her at the neck, like a tent. When the dress finally fell to the floor, she grabbed the large towel around her neck and Magnus walked away, sitting on a chair near a desk. He picked up quill, ink, and paper to write, but he seemed undecided on how to start.

After she entered the water sprinkled with hyacinths and marigolds, and bathed vigorously with the fragrant soap available, Alexa told the events of the previous night in Holstein. Magnus interrupted her sentence when the Princess was in the middle of telling about the succubus.

"Allow me to question," he got up and came over to the tub, crouching in front of her. "Did you come in when the two were… at it?" the corners of his lips twitched, and Alexa could have sworn that he was amused that his father had such a bad experience. While empathizing with the horror it would have been to discover that the woman in his bed was a monster.

"They were doing ... well, you know," meeting Magnus' golden eyes as she said that wasn't the simplest thing in the world. "Don't focus on that. I bet your father is very sorry for giving in to l.u.s.t. But as you said, we're not the ones to worry about the sins of others, are we? What matters is that I am sure that witches are actively working to attack the von Wuttenfal. This creature, I had heard in my land of myths about it, so I think these witches are the same group that attacked Cordelia on the road. The characteristics seem similar."

"What are you talking about, Alexa?" he questioned immediately, and the Princess regretted having spoken without thinking. "What characteristics are these so clear to you? You increasingly show that you are very acquainted about witches affairs."

"Ah, I told you, I heard a lot of things," she couldn't keep her gaze this time, and turned her face away, but Magnus pulled her face back to face him again.

"You're always lying so it's hard to trust you," he said, looking down from the Princess' violet eyes to her mouth while holding her chin. Alexa trembled under the Prince's touch.

They both took a deep breath. Alexa managed to say,

"Both scenarios looked like myths I heard in my region. That's what I meant. I believe they worship the night goddess, Hecate. Meaning, a pagan goddess. But ... in a very perverse and corrupted way, perhaps. I don't know," she harshly took his hand off using both hands, and splashed water on his face next. "Perhaps I have my reasons for not trusting you, Prince. We know that."

"Fair enough," Magnus wiped his face with his hand, but he didn't look annoyed, just stood up, returning to the desk. "Tell me more."

She told about her conversation with Blue Eyes and also with Cordelia, and Magnus laughed,

"Ah, so now your dear friend is a suspect? Do you regret invading my carriage to defend her, now?"

Alexa immediately went silent and red, feeling her ears burn with embarrassment, and could not justify herself. She still wasn't sure about Cordelia, however.

As soon as the princess finished her bath, she put on her tunic underneath in a complicated maneuver under the bed's blankets, while Magnus concentrated on writing. Then it was the Prince's turn to bathe. He undressed shamelessly, with his back to the bed, and nodded,

"Why do I feel my back burn with your eyeing? Don't forget I am not responsible for your sins."

The Princess closed her eyes, cursing herself internally for being so curious. Confused about why she felt nothing when she saw Prince Gutard totally n.a.k.e.d, but was so fl.u.s.tered about just a glimpse of Magnus' broad back, and a bit of his firm buttocks on a narrow, manly hip. She turned on her back and stayed that way, to ensure her sanity.

The noise of constant rain outside, and her own tiredness of having been looking for Romeo so much, won over her and the Princess felt her body relax under the warm skin, and her eyes started to get heavy. But the weight of a body lying behind her on the bed and crawling under the blankets made her fully awake.

"I noticed that you are well recovered, Magnus. Yesterday I was concerned about it..." she commented on a fact that had caught her attention. Then he reached out and carefully turned her body around to face each other. When he did that, Alexa felt her skin crawl and her n.i.p.p.l.es swell, and she just hoped he couldn't notice any of that. But there was a respectful distance between their bodies on the bed.

Looking into her eyes, Magnus said,

"Well, I think the thing in my chest does that. I don't know if I can really die. I feel the discomfort for a while, but it goes away quickly. In the morning I was still coughing, but now I'm fine. However…" his eyes were distant for a moment, "Ulrich also recovered quickly. Maybe the doctors here are good."

She was thoughtful. It was true, Ulrich miraculously recovered in a quick time, and she wondered how. "Maybe I should see a doctor, too. My body still hurts from the wreck, "she revealed. It was nothing serious, but she was sure it was full of bruises even in places she didn't see during the bath. To reinforce it, she pulled the cover away and showed one arm, pushing the sleeve of her tunic. Her forearm had a purplish hematoma. Alexa didn't remember all the places where it hurt. It hurt, but maybe she was used to the pain to care about it.

Magnus slid his index finger over the purple skin, with a concerned look. Then, he gently brought Alexa's forearm to his lips, and placed a soft kiss on the bruise,

"You'll be fine. I'm so sorry."

With a look he searched for more purple places, and kissed them with the same care, causing a feeling of warmth and well-being that rose from Alexa's chest to her head. The Princess felt her body soften completely with this show of affection and the gentle touch of the Prince.

He pulled the collar away from her tunic a little, noticing yet another purple stain near the back of her neck, and the maiden could not refuse or protest when the delicious, tender sensation of that kiss overtook her. Magnus took her other arm, stripping it and doing the same on each spot. That was so good! She knew it was wrong, but she didn't have the willpower to push him away. She just closed her eyes while remembering all the parts that were hurting, wondering madly if he would kiss them all.

"Are your back hurting?" he asked softly, and although she hesitated a little, Alexa nodded making an expression of suffering that made him frown and look delighted and pious at the same time. Turning her with her back up on the mattress, he left the covers at her waist, and slowly pulled her tunic up, making Alexa's skin crawl with both the cold air and the awareness of the act.

Alexa knew he was n.a.k.e.d, but she didn't have the courage to look, and she kept her face turned and eyes closed, taking a deep breath. She felt it when he wrapped his muscular legs around her covered h.i.p.s, with his knees on the mattress, and leaned over her with a shadow.

Her heart was beating so hard that she thought the sound inside her ribcage filled the entire room. She was immobile and torn between her guilt and pleasure and desire. What would happen? Would she have the strength to stop? She didn't know.

She felt his lips on her bruised shoulder, and the heat emanating from his chest touching her skin without his skin actually touching her. Alexa body's quivered involuntarily with pain and pleasure.