Chapter 120 - Finding Romeo

Alexa blinked, and smiled candidly,

"So what is he going to help? My husband is full of skills, but what could he do that milady might need?"

"I need a champion for a duel, Lady Alexa. I was unconcerned, until Lord von Wuttenfal reacted badly to our good intention and cut off the hand of my best warrior," Lady Gwen spoke with a small, almost imperceptible jerk of amus.e.m.e.nt at the corner of her lips. Alexa brought both hands to her mouth, shocked,

"H-how?!" it was a bit of an act and exaggeration, because despite the surprise, since yesterday the princess had anticipated something weird coming.

Since the strange conversation of Lady Gwen and Magnus on the stairs.

Out of the corner of her eye, Alexa saw Jennifer carefully mimic her movement, doubling the number of astonished maidens in the room.

"Are you afraid that your husband will lose his life in this duel? He took my champion's hand without the slightest difficulty. I think you shouldn't worry so much, or rather ... Maybe you should trust your husband more," said the woman condescendingly, standing up. "Lady Alexa, may I leave you for a moment? Some domestic matters require my attention at times, I need to get ready for that."

"Ah, of course," Alexa also stood up and bowed gracefully. And Jennifer did the same. It was a little funny, and at the same time the maiden asked herself, 'What's the matter with this girl?'

"Jennifer, come with me," Lady Gwen ordered and Alexa wondered if she was being too obvious to her confusion around children. Jennifer was adorable, just a little disconcerting.

The expression of frustration on the little face was heartbreaking, and the girl shuffled off the visitor's side.

After saying goodbye, Alexa returned to the room, because now that she had heard that she needed to know what's gotten into Magnus to accept a duel.

She found him washing his face in a bowl of water, and seeming to suffer with each gesture. It was still difficult not to stare at the First Prince's n.a.k.e.d torso, and she looked away at the ceiling. The scar that revealed that he had no human heart inside his chest was disturbing, too.

"Um, good morning 'husband', it's good to see you standing. I thought I would need to get you out of bed with a shovel."

"Why do you have to speak so loudly and stomp like that when you enter?" Magnus asked without turning to her, wiping his face.

"Were you at least sober when you agreed to duel for Lady Gwen?" she asked, still watching the birds on the beams. Feeling watched, she looked down, and Magnus stared at her. The Prince shrugged,

"It won't be a problem. And no, I wasn't drunk."

The attitude was more like that of someone who just doesn't want to admit that he had done a big mistake. Typical of an arrogant personality like Magnus's, she thought. Then she shrugged as well.

"Should I continue the mission by myself? I can do it," as soon as she said that and noticed Magnus's grimace.

"What are you talking about? This mission is not even yours! "

"Well, I'm leaving to pick up Romeo," Alexa took her cloak and after tying it around her neck, went to the door. But Magnus got in front, blocking the exit with his body. They stared at each other, measuring themselves for a moment, until Alexa averted her eyes, annoyed,

"Cordelia is involved in witchcraft and I think your father doesn't know it yet. The Inquisition is coming to Holstein. Your brother… But you agree to duel just because Lady Gwen 'your balls are hot' asked!" although Alexa said all this in a low tone, her grudge was evident in her tone of voice.

"My balls?" his gaze, once bored reddish from the hangover, flickered with amus.e.m.e.nt as he repeated what he had just heard, incredulous. Alexa felt her cheeks burn, but stubbornly repeated,

"Yes. I just overheard your conversation on the stairs. What scare was that? Where was she measuring something 'hot' on Your Highness?"

"Ah, you were listening in on the sly and figured she had her hands on my balls?"

"Didn't she?! Where did her hands go, then?"

Magnus laughed but also winced,

"I think it will be more fun to let you die without knowing, Alexa," he put on his shirt quickly, while Alexa narrowed her eyes in anger at the Prince's mockery.

"Note that I am only commenting it because I realize that she is throwing herself on you."

"And what's the problem if she does that? Should I offend our hostess?" he sat for a moment to put his boots on, looking up at Alexa.

"You have no problem with offending people you are not interested in. So I suppose…"

Magnus snorted, annoyed and sulky, getting up and grabbing his jacket.

"Ah, we're just going to get Romeo and you tell me the important things along the way. I don't need you to judge me for giving my word when I thought it was appropriate," he mumbled, opening the door. The Princess was surprised, but finally she passed him without looking at his face.

After seeing that Ulrich and Johannes were asleep, Moments later Magnus strode through the gray landscape, discreetly moving away from the castle. Alexa scoffed,

"Do you really think they don't know we left?"

"They know we are out, so our excuse will be that you had a ... a woman thing and wanted to go out after herbs."

"Hm, woman thing, do you know what that is?" it was a foolish excuse and surely a woman wasn't going to take her husband with her to get herbs if she could talk to another woman about it.

The Prince was visibly embarrassed, and perhaps he would have had a witty response if it weren't for the hangover. Even the little sunlight seemed to irritate his eyes this morning.

"Tell me about the Inquisition and also about Cordelia."

Alexa started to tell the details of the events of the previous night, as they walked. She thought they were going the right way again when they arrived on a wagon trail. However, due to the rain of the previous day, it was impossible to stay in it because of the mud.

"Damn Alexander!" the Prince kicked the mud in anger, and Alexa didn't need to ask to know that the reason was to be walking on the mud, like a commoner. In a foreign country, depending on the favor of others. And owing favors. Without money or power. And too far away to be able to influence events at Holstein.

Also, the hangover, of course.

In silence, Alexa got out of the way and returned to the grassy field. It was uncomfortable but at least they wouldn't come back with mud on their knees. Unlike the First Prince, she was more than used to the ups and downs of life.

"Meet with Charlotte and listen to what she has to say. Take cash with you. This will make your relationship commercial," said the Prince authoritatively.

"Um, are you afraid of losing your lover to your brother?" Alexa spoke without thinking, immediately regretting it.

"What? Would you do it? Would you try to seduce her by posing as Alexander? Is that the real you? You really spent a lot of time traveling as a man, didn't you?" Magnus's sarcastic and angry voice hurt in her ears. Alexa concluded that today it would be impossible to have an open dialogue like the previous day… Only because the previous day never existed and should be forgotten.

Magnus cut the field towards the forest and they skirted the road, until Alexa saw a ruined roof on the other side of a small forest.

Pointing there, she caught Magnus's attention, and they sidetracked, believing that going through the woods would be much faster.

They walked in silence, Alexa following Magnus a few steps back.

It was a small coniferous forest and they could see the stone building on the other side. At first, they thought it would be the back of the mill.

When they reached the clearing around the building, they realized that the small complex had a chapel, whose single small tower was a little overturned and burned, as if struck by lightning. Only the rustling of the leaves of the trees, the birdsong and in the distance, the murmur of the river broke the devastating silence.

Looking at each other, they didn't know if they were in the right place or not. Alexa approached Magnus instinctively. A more accurate visual inspection showed that the place had been abandoned for a long time. It looked like a small convent, with a building of stones piled in ruins and some auxiliary wooden buildings in the same state.

They walked around the place in silence, listening for any sounds that indicated human presence, but it was unnecessary. The place had embedded the silence of the ruins. The undergrowth grew in unusual places, and smelled of mud and rotten wood.

The chapel door was open, perhaps because the door had been removed for another purpose. A good quality wooden door was priceless anywhere, and Alexa peered curiously at the interior.

"Your Highness should see that," she murmured almost to herself, eyes fixed on the interior of the Catholic church. In fact, Alexa took a few steps towards the threshold, but did not enter. Magnus came and stopped beside her, immediately.

Inside, a little light came through the cracks in the half-destroyed roof. Enough so Alexa and the Prince could see, tied to the cross beam, three hanging ropes.

And in these three gallows, three skeletons dressed in rags.