Chapter 121 - The Miller's Daughter

Magnus put an arm around Alexa's shoulder, murmuring almost to himself,

"What the hell is that?"

The state of the remains left no doubt for Alexa that they had been there for years, and there was no way that people in Tanbury would ignore that for so long. Also in a gloomy voice, she commented,

"They are here as a warning ..."

Taking a deep breath Alexa removed the Prince's protective hand from her shoulder, and faced him. Magnus was still showing disgust and bewilderment on his face when she said,

"Magnus, you showed me something secret about you. And I need to show you something too."

After saying it, Alexa made her brief silent prayer, summoning the Guiding Light, which flickered on her right palm. Alexa felt almost avenged from the moment Magnus revealed to her about the gifts of his blood, when the maiden saw the expression of dumb shock on the face of the First Prince.

Entering the ruined chapel, her light illuminated the grim place, looking for Shades needing to find their way out. She felt the Prince's gaze burning on her back as she explored around cautiously.

But there was nothing there, or anywhere else around. They looked all over the property. With a sigh, she crouched, relieved, as she let the flame go.

Alexa still felt Magnus's gaze on her, and looked up,

"Are you the only one allowed to have secrets?"

"I'm waiting for explanations," muttered the Prince, who then ran a hand over his hair in exasperation. "Is that why your hands were injured when you arrived? Do you have stigmas? What are you?"

"It's hard to explain. This gift was born with me," now she wasn't sure whether to tell the WHOLE truth, or to let him know what Iain and Locke knew.

Of course, Alexa had this stupid urge to let him know so that her fear and apprehension could leave her permanently, but did that make any sense? What could assure the maiden that Magnus would simply not treat her as his father, Gutard, recommended? A useful tool that should be discarded as soon as possible? "And well, that was not enough to force open the wounds on my hands. Nothing like the night at the villa. That's how I got past the stray and corrupted spirits that were there," this time Alexa told exactly how it all happened, from the moment she saw Cordelia until she took the Flemish maiden out of the turret.

Rubbing her eyes, as if to wipe away the memories vivid in her mind, Alexa stood up,

"I still don't understand what was going on there. I really thought Cordelia was a victim, but after finding the demon in her room ..."

Magnus was silent throughout her narrative, and said at last,

"As for what we saw here, it's clear that this is an accursed place in Tanbury. Let's shut up about it. And if someone saw us wandering around here and starts questioning us, we must say that we believed it to be the local punishment for some heresy. And perhaps that assumption isn't really wrong..."

The Princess opened her mouth to reply that he, being a von Wuttenfal, was being oddly lenient toward Tanbury, but she fell silent. She hadn't heard the sound of bells in the morning, nor had she seen Christian signs around the castle, now that she was paying attention to it. But Alexa supposed that Magnus was thinking the same things.

"Well, it makes me more concerned with where we are," she said, somberly. "Let's go? I don't think we're far from the mill, I can already hear the river."

The couple quickly moved away from the ruins, and soon they saw the river. At least this part was shallow and not navigable, full of rocks. Alexa would like to enjoy seeing it for a while, but they didn't have time for that. Just after a curve, they saw the back of the mill, and the wheel turning using the water's power.

As they arrived silently behind the building, they realized that a person was leaving the mill.

Magnus strode toward the mill, ready to question her from afar, but Alexa held his wrist. The Prince stopped, questioning her with his gaze, but Alexa only made a head-forward movement. Then Magnus saw Romeo, coming out of a gap in the roof, and flying over the person's head.

The girl, being a young peasant, was leaning on a staff bigger than she was, and hobbled down the steps, holding a small bucket with her other hand. Just from the way she limped, hunched over and overcautious, every move caused her pain. Her movements were uncertain and slow.

When the girl turned her face towards them, briefly, it was possible to see that she wore a smeared blindfold. It was a distressing sight, because it was possible to deduce that whatever had recently happened to her eyes, it wasn't completed cured.

~ Mildred, watch out, there is a stone to your right. Yes, the side of the bucket. Watch out, five more steps and you reach the gate ... Watch out. Yes, now another 20 steps forward. There's a puddle of water but I'll let you know ... ~ Alexa was close enough to hear Alexander's voice speaking to the girl, who replied with a murmur,

"Here, Zand?"

~ Yes, Mildred. Watch your elbow at the gate. ~

Alexa looked astonished and with a strange feeling of betrayal in her chest, 'Can he talk to other girls?!' turning to the First Prince, she pointed out, as if wanting him punished,

"He's talking to the blind girl. She hears him and they talk to each other!"

"I understood this much without even hearing him. Watch how she's avoiding the obstacles while that gallant bird is flying around her," Magnus had a slight satisfied smile, unlike Alexa, who kept her eyes wide. He changed his smirk to a condescending look when he caught Alexa's reaction,

"Ehhh, don't tell me you're jealous of not being Alexander's special girl. How is it to discover that talking to him is not that exclusive?"

"Go to hell, ... Your Highness!" she pushed on his wrist, which she was holding now for no reason, and started stomping towards the girl. Alexander saw her, and the girl also heard her footsteps and stopped, astonished, turning towards the sound.

"MILDRED! YOUR INGRATE BASTARD! YOU ARE REALLY A DISGRACEFUL WENCH, DIDN'T YOU TAKE THAT URINAL FROM HERE YET?! I'LL MAKE YOU EAT THAT, YOU HELLISH GOOD-FOR-NOTHING THING! COME HERE NOW! "

The girl turned, startled, to the door she came out of, where a man's booming voice came from.

The girl shivered, fearing to disobey, and at the same time waiting for something.

~ Alexa, this is Mildred. She needs help. Her father ... ~ both girls heard Alexander speak, but before Alexander could finish what he would tell, the man appeared at the back door. He was a gray, shaggy man, big and strong, wearing a leather apron, wielding the big shovel to bag the ground wheat. The miller went down the two steps and came towards the chicken coop, and only then did he see the strangers around his daughter. His attitude changed abruptly. He straightened his back and shifted the handle of the shovel, eyeing the strangers with fear.

"Can I serve you, milords?" he seemed undecided, clearly not understanding what these people were doing in his backyard, but intimidated by the posture and clothing of the newcomers. The Prince said, offhand,

"Good morning, sir. My wife needs water and a meal, and I thought your home could serve us. Obviously, I will pay for the trouble."

"Noble sir ..." the miller looked sideways at his daughter, while a static Alexa watched the situation feeling the blood heat each time she looked at each other.

~ This monster beats Mildred for whatever reason, but she has nowhere to go. She said that everyone in Tanbury hates her! ~ Alexander spoke with explicit hatred.

"This useless person cannot cook, nor is she worthy to serve you water," said the man with contempt. "Your surely would be better served in the castle, milord..."

Alexa interrupted, inflamed and with clenched fists,

"Why does this injured girl have to work? Can't you see she can barely walk?! Can't you see her sore eyes are oozing?! Are you a parent or a monster?!"

The man blinked in astonishment, but replied firmly, "Lady, you are foreigners, you won't understand! Just stay out of our business. You are blessed with the Red Lady's hospitality, but you must not meddle in our affairs!"

"OH!" Alexa was so surprised and furious that words failed her. Meanwhile, the man turned to go back inside, but remembering something, he went back to his daughter. Gripping her wrist tightly, he gave her an abrupt tug to go with him. Mildred, unable to see, stumbled and fell, but the miller did not let go of her hand, and gave another shake, dragging her across the mud.

"MILDRED! STAND UP!"

Mildred screeched in pain.

~ Release her! You're hurting her! ~ Alexander exclaimed, angry but unable to intervene with his little bird's body.

"RELEASE HER!" Alexa shouted, about to do something if the miller didn't oblige to it.

Magnus interfered before her. Overcoming the three steps of distance between him and the miller, he took the shovel from the man's hand with a quick movement and turning it, stopped the shovel right beside the man's neck. Alexa had flinched instinctively, certain that Magnus would kill the miller.

But he didn't. He just laughed devilishly, watching the man shrink and lose his aggressive pose in front of a true warrior.

"If this girl is so useless, and I see that she is, I shouldn't spend her energy on her. Honey, what are you thinking of doing?"

Alexa didn't have much idea about what they could do to help this blind girl abused by her own father. But the Princess was sure that Alexander wouldn't leave Mildred until she was safe.

"What to do…?"