Chapter 138 - Mildred's Rest

The last thing Lex saw before dawn brought the princess back to her body was the torch illuminating the body lying on the floor.

The page that used to accompany the priest was purple and his eyes were open, horribly, while a black spot of blood covered his chest. His shade was not there.

Waking up in the stone house of Old Cymric, she suppressed her horror by covering her mouth with her hands, and looking around. Blinking, the princess saw Romeo quickly pecking at something dark and disgustingly looking, and swallowing before she could see for sure what it was.

"W… what are you doing?" 

~ Me? Nothing. Just eating a… fruit, ~ Alexander replied. Alexa stood up, still a little suspicious that he was lying, but found nothing suspicious. Maybe it was just her horror, making her see things.

~ You are scared. What happened? ~he asked, coming closer with small advances on the back of the bed. It was funny to see him move his little birdy body, no doubt it was very cute. On the other side of the grimy curtain, Old Cymric snored.

Alexa told Alexander the latest events, ending with the disappearance of Father Agnello.

The Prince sighed,

~ I am definitely concerned. He was always interested in the castle's history. He was always a very cautious and canny man, though. But this time I don't think it's just ghosts playing tricks on him ... ~

Alexa was thoughtful, thinking what could have happened to the priest. 

The princess heard the unmistakable sound of a horse approaching, and she pulled the curtain away abruptly, her heart suddenly racing. It could be Magnus!

The old man took a fright in his sleep and woke up babbling confusedly, while Alexa was already at the door lifting the lock to leave.

To her disappointment, it was Giles who came ahead of his companions, and greeted her,

"Milady, as promised, we will take you to the convent. Are you ready?"

She nodded. One of the issues would be resolved, at least. Mildred would have an appropriate funeral rite and within her faith, and that would make her afflicted soul more peaceful to follow the natural path, instead of clinging blindly to suffering and pain. She wanted to ignore what her instinct told her, and hoped to find Magnus waiting for them in the convent. 

After saying goodbye to the old man, who recommended Giles to return even in the middle of the afternoon, Alexa followed with the group. They had arranged a small cart where Mildred's body was placed respectfully.

The man Alexa had seen before everyone else, the day before, discussed with the foreigner,

"Milady, you were right! My brother said that the Saxon knight defeated the Baron of Brentford!"

She hated herself for laughing in joy, since she didn't even approve of that damned duel. Romeo was also restless on his shoulder, making little cheering noises.

"I said it would be like this! But then the news spread quickly! Tell me what happened!" she asked, and the man shrugged,

"Well, the news spread as fast as possible on that road, my lady. Baron Brentford is a mighty and feared warrior ... But I don't know how good it is for your husband. There can be no doubt that there's a grudge about it after all."

"It would be very good if your husband could leave the region as soon as possible," Giles advised, riding beside him. Alexa knew that Magnus was able to think about it alone, but still worried.

However, the matter was not over, since the men were excited by the feat and regretting that it wasn't possible for them to watch the duel. Alexa asked,

"Did you all live in Tanbury?"

"No, not all," Giles explained, "but somehow we got together because out of necessity. We are safer that way. There is strength in numbers, so they say,"Alexa nodded, and Giles continued,

"But Tanbury and Brentford produced a large part of our group. Some of us still have relatives living on these lands."

"Sorry, lady, but does your husband take part in jousting?" someone asked.

Alexa was confused about what to answer, but Alexander came to her rescue,

~ Yes, Magnus used to take part in the summer festivals! But he stopped because he thought the jousting armor was getting too heavy and clumsy! I agree with him, but… ~

Alexander followed with his long, technical, and very excited explanation, that Alexa tried to reproduce the best she could for men. She had a vague idea of ​​what jousting was, since she had never actually seen one. The Greek girl just knew it was a popular sport in Western courts.

Her description got to the point where she was narrating the details of a summer festival in Mainz, the contestants and all the glory of the nobility of the Holy Roman Empire. It filled their time as they made their way to Duncaster. But they did not enter the city, contrary to what she imagined,

"Being with us and a corpse will make it difficult for you to enter the city, milady, and either way, we can reach the convent by the other side. Also, as I said yesterday, people in Tanbury are more than likely looking for you," Giles explained. 

Half an hour later, continuing towards the northwest, Alexa saw the construction on the hill, and Giles pointed out, 

"That is the convent of St Ewe, milady!"

The old building surrounded by trees looked pleasant and peaceful.

Alexa remembered, with some homesickness, from the time when she lived behind similar walls, with her eccentric cousin and tutor Eudoxia. Not all women ended up in a convent in search of spirituality, but even Mildred sought shelter there for peace, even after her death.

Convents were strange places, she concluded.

Giles and the men didn't follow the princess to the gate. Alexander commented,

~ I can hardly believe this is the second time I have entered the cloister of a nun's convent. ~

"You better not start boasting about it, 'Your Highness'!" she countered, remembering that the women thought they had some privacy there.

Upon arriving at the gates of the convent, some guardians left their activities in the garden and came to her.

After quickly explaining that she would like to speak with the Abbess, as directed by Father Agnello, she sat on a stone bench, enjoying some of the weak sun and resting from the ride.

She felt Mildred's Shade's presence nearby, and without looking for her, the Lightbearer said,

"Mildred, you have the opportunity to see the place you chose to live. I hope you are satisfied that you got here, anyway. As for us, we did our best, even if you don't believe it. But I don't blame you for being suspicious. I was also persecuted and wronged, and I tend to trust the wrong people. If what you need to feel free to leave this land was to find someone who could truly pray for your soul, with the words that really comfort you, I think you can have it here. "

Mildred had weakened a lot like Shade after she accepted that she was dead. 

Her ethereal and sad presence passed like a breeze through Alexa and Alexander, leaving a trail of melancholy and her soft voice,

"... I am grateful ..."

Alexander sniffed, and the maiden asked,

"Are you crying?"

~ Hun, no ... I hope Mildred finds peace. But it reminded me of my mother ... ~

Alexa hadn't told the Prince about her dream about Gisela, which she sensed was not just a dream. 'Should I tell him?'

But the princess got up without taking the matter further, when she saw a novice come towards her and take her to the abbess.

Mother Ursula, a woman with a serene and attentive eye, heard Alexa's narrative. On the advice of Father Agnello, she didn't hide her identity as Princess of Holstein, as this would guarantee, according to him, to be heard without a doubt. All the princess asked was that Mildred could have her grave in the cloister. 

Alexa also said, as the clever clergyman had suggested, that as soon as she returned to the continent the princess would have the necessary contacts for letters to reach Rome. A brief list of names should follow this statement, he had said. This sparked a spark in the Abbess's expression, and subtly, the nun asked if the Princess could then take a letter with her, when she left England, bound for Rome. 

As the Princess followed Blue Eyes' instructions step by step on how to get the Abbess's favor, her thoughts wandered to the well-being of the ever surly and crafty Father Agnello. Where was he, and what would have happened to her tutor?

ººº

A simple rite gathered seventy-two women, seventy-three with Alexa, and a bird, around the tomb in the grave near the Abbey chapel. The princess now knew that Mildred's soul was soothed and gone, and it brought relief to her heart. 

By mid-afternoon, despite the invitation to stay, Alexa said she was staying elsewhere and, although regretting not staying for a big meal and a more pleasant dorm than the last, she said goodbye.

Although the moment had the solemnity and mourning expected, she realized that the nuns and novices were curious about the visitor from another kingdom who came up by their door with no pomp, and left in the same way.

The abbess accompanied the Princess to her horse, handing her a basket of delicacies for her return and also the letter.

"Your Highness, I will alert the archbishop of what you have reported to me, so he can verify what is happening in the south. But make no mistake, these things may take time to work. In the meantime, don't delay in this region. It's dangerous. Many noble families are obedient to God and keep their people in Christian customs with the help of the Church's shepherds. However, I know that some nearby lands still hide wizards and apostates. This is not so unusual, unfortunately. It's not long before the spring equinox, when pagans disguise their old and shameless rituals with festivities and distort holy teachings to cover up their evil! Please listen to my advice!"

"Spring Equinox? Rites?" the Princess had not realized that it was only a few days before the Spring Equinox, and also for Easter. 

And now Alexa was suspecting what was behind the Lady in Red's attitudes.