Chapter 159 - Dear Cordelia

'Dear Cordelia,'

I send this letter to you through my esteemed new relatives, hoping it will find you in good health and enjoying the best of your recent marriage to my father-in-law. May the Good Father bless us all!

My dear Princess, Fate, this capricious thing, juggled wildly with our lives! It wanted our fateful meeting to bring about dramatic changes in our lives!

Only time will tell what these changes have in store for us.

I was let downhearted in the days before my own wedding, because you, dear Cordelia, were sick and shaken by all the events we went through. And our friendship, which was so promising, was shaken too, certainly by false rumors or odd misunderstandings.

At that time, I understood that you wanted to get away from me, and also hurt myself, I let that happen. I regret it greatly.

Doing so, I missed the opportunity to personally congratulate you on your wedding, and to represent my spouse and myself by being present. I hope I can make up for it soon, if you allow me.

Right after the dinner which was the last time we met in person, I felt embarrassed because your family had changed their attitude towards me. I blame myself for not being able to dismiss any suspicions about my intentions.

Fortunately my father-in-law, who is a very experienced person and has always treated me like a daughter, knew how to appreciate all your qualities. If he dotes on you like he dotes on me, I know you're happy, if not more.

Accepting the countess Godiva's invitation, I spent a few days in Würtz, and that beautiful place made me want to live with them forever!

These were peaceful days when I could enjoy the plains and the healthy air of their fields, and saw many interesting things on my walks by the countryside. It would be wonderful to share all that with you. I missed having a friend my age with me. My ladies-in-wait stayed in Holstein due to the Countess Godiva's hurried invitation.

I discovered she's a woman with a reservoir of vitality, and her sense of humor is sometimes odd, but I became attached to her and her warm and frank way.

The news of war has unfortunately taken the best moods out of everyone, and even the Duke has been very busy nowadays.

I was called back recently, and with excellent news, after all!

I am saying all this because I feel that we can resume our ties, which if they are now loosened, are also due to my sluggish and inactive attitude in mending anything that I have done to offend you.

Cordelia, in the face of everything we are experiencing, we must come together and think about the best for our new family and the kingdom in which we live.

But I would like to tell you in person! We can share our recent experiences and I also offer to help you with your charity work in this hard time. 

Come and visit me if you wish. Spend the weekend with me, I beg you! It's a little lonely here, after all. My married life is hard to adapt, but I struggle every day. Due to the plague, I must not go to the castle, but I have been working to change that. Not because I miss the castle, but because I feel I can help. Even though they won't allow me, after everything that happened.

If you want, I'll send a butler to get you and whoever else you want to bring, so they can spend a few days with me.

With God's Grace upon us, I hope this letter finds a place in your heart,

The friend who wishes you well,

Alexa.

-

"What do you want with that?" The Sovereign Prince turned over his shoulder to ask the letter's author, and looking directly into the eyes of Holstein's Second Prince. Alexander's father's eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment and suspicion, and Lex gave a confident smile in return for his frown.

As before, Gutard demanded that Alexa read the letter. The Princess was suspecting that the Sovereign Prince hated to read himself. Alexa had spent a long time and several drafts until she came up with this masterpiece. Lady Eudoxia, Father Agnello and even her father would be proud of her, if they could read this letter.

"Well, as I explained, we can be sure that a group of witches have surrounded Princess Cordelia. For what purpose, we haven't figured it out yet. But Father Agnello has theories ... And it was probably because he got too close to the truth that they caught him. If these women surrounding your wife just try to manipulate Cordelia without really revealing themselves to her, your wife will need help. But if she knows and takes part in it…"

"Hm, continue," demanded Gutard.

"The Inquisition has one of the witches. Their methods may not give us the answers we need, and ... I suppose, the prince would prefer to deal with the entire matter without the direct involvement of the Church."

"Yes. And disobeying me, you took your brother to the place where the witches were..."

Hiding from Gutard who were the other people with them in this mission wasn't a problem, and Alexa imagined that he associated they were more Inquisitors.

"But I showed the Prince of Holstein's willingness to cooperate with the Holy Office," she spoke candidly.

Gutard pretended that he would take off his shoes to hit his son, and the Second Prince moved away from the Sovereign Prince's chair, impishly.

"The Inquisition shouldn't be here, let alone looking at the issues that should be buried."

Alexa worried and had the impression that there were many more things that she didn't know, and that the prince wasn't in a hurry for her to know too. She remembered Sigrid, the lighthouse's witch, and her strange prophecies. Gutard chose a son to marry her, and chose an enemy to deal with. But now that Alexa discovered who the Black Queen had been, and with the kind of thing she and the Diana cult were dealing with, the young princess feared what other secrets lay still under Holstein.

"Well, as I said, Father Agnello recognized the voice of some of them, he just can't be here to point the finger at them. But… can I ask what Your Majesty intends to do?"

This conversation took place in the room adjacent to the sovereign's room, and they were alone at that moment.

"If I have Cordelia's ladies arrested, I will give an opportunity for not only the witches, but my political enemies, to accuse me of trying to forge a reason to get rid of my young wife… And I hope I don't need to explain to you about these political nuances."

'I probably wouldn't understand, Your Majesty,' she played modest. Due to the suspected history of how the von Wuttenfal family enriched themselves and Holstein, and with the strong support that Cordelia's father had with the Polish court, it would be a misstep. As Lex imagined, things would not be so simple. And having his own wife or her close ladies arrested on suspicion of witchcraft was not the same thing as having an unknown young foreign woman interrogated. It could quickly become an extraterritorial affair.

"Well… I will help you with that plan. I want to be sure that Cordelia is as innocent as I thought at first. I will deliver the letter and do as you ask, but I still don't understand how you intend to do this if there is no 'Alexa' to receive Cordelia at Alexander's home."

"It will be more difficult, but just take my requests this time, please. I'm sure we'll find out for sure which side Cordelia is on. And I'm almost sure the witches and her allies will reveal themselves," Alexa was fully confident of her plan and could barely contain herself physically. She was shifting restlessly in anticipation.

The Holstein Sovereign went to the door and sent for Cordelia. Lex heard a guard step out of the corridor before Gutard closed the door again.

"Do you think this lengthy letter will do the trick?" asked Gutard.

"If the written words don't, your request for her to go for sure will," said Alexa.

"And what did you say about me… What nonsense was that? Don't be exaggerated," he scolded, standing up.

Alexa beamed, saying simply, "It could have been like this. Isn't totally impossible, right? And Your Majesty can start at any time. I'm ready to endure all your doting on me!"

She remembered how Cordelia sometimes complained about being passed over and that Alexa had won the von Wuttenfal's heart. Little did she know that none of it was true. Prince Gutard, however, stared at her in surprise, and furrowing his brows, tried not to laugh at her shameless call. The corner of his lips, however, twitched in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Princess Consort Cordelia awaits to be called, Your Majesty," announced the guard outside. Alexander stood in the shadows once more, waiting for Cordelia's entrance.

Cordelia did not hide her surprise at seeing Alexander beside her husband, again. But this time she just kept quiet.

"Cordelia, Alexander brought you a message. Alexa misses you," said Gutard, handing his wife the letter. Alexa noticed Cordelia's reaction when she saw that the letter didn't even have a seal, and was just folded. A clearly violated letter. She thanked him with a nod, and Gutard completed.

"I'm sure she is doing it to show you that she is alive, despite rumors against it. But Alexander assures me she really regrets that she didn't contact you before, and it made you ridicule yourself the way you did."

The room could not have gotten colder with the couple's relationship, Alexa realized. Cordelia couldn't help showing how intimidated she was around Gutard. And Alexa remembered the experience that the now Princess suffered when touching the painting of the Black Queen in Alexander's room.

It must be an ordeal for her to even look at Gutard!

Each angle of the situation showed a distinct point of view, and Alexa just hoped to be on the right side.

"Please accept Alexa's invitation. I spend little time at our house and she needs to remain isolated… just in case."

As expected, Cordelia showed apprehension with the information, with a minimum raise of the eyebrow, but controlled herself at time. The Princess took a deep breath,

"Yes, I will definitely pay a visit to Alexa ... If I have permission to do so," she undoubtedly referred to the punishment of having to stay in her room until Sunday.

"You always end up being saved by Alexa ..." Gutard commented, and Cordelia's eyes showed her anger at the provocation.

Lex smiled discreetly. Everything went according to plan.