Chapter 165 - Flowers

Alexa was inside the water tub, trying to think of what to do next, when the First Prince woke up growling and stretching. She watched him grope the mattress for the body that was supposed to be beside him, and then quickly grab the sword in reflex reaction.

"I'm here," she said. "I just thought you needed to get some more sleep."

Water properly covered her body to her shoulders, so she wasn't concerned about it.

She had never thought about how painful it was for Magnus to carry her body along until she saw him the previous morning. She had to tell him what had happened at Holstein, and with Alexander, and she was sure the Prince would be furious.

Maybe he wanted to return to Holstein, and Alexa even fought about this option. 

Due to the Lotus potion, Alexander had severed his soul's ties to his body. 

And, for some reason still unknown to her, her husband had ended up trapped in the body of a bird. So, his body was slowly dying without his soul to command him. 

Alexa interjected and agreed to take part in a spell to save her husband's body ... And by sharing her life with him, she had to unfold between his and her bodies, during the day and during the night.

But now, with the stab that was supposed to kill that body, the life they both had shortened even more… Perhaps because of Sigrid's spell, the bond between them has drawn them to the same body. And according to the analysis of a powerful Shade Witch, the chances that they would both remain in the same body were minimal, but still possible.

If it was possible for Alexander to stay in his body and Alexa to return to hers, it would be great. After all, here she was, again in the body that belonged to herself, during the day, just as it had been since they had been under the spell. Had they not done as the White Queen suggested, would Alexander be inside her body, too? Or wouldn't she be able to leave Alexander's body by the morning? She didn't know.

'Ugh!' she had no doubt that it would be maddening for both to be running the same body at the same time. Conflicting ideas and desires, conflicting movements... It would be a terrible mess. Undoubtedly one of them would have to give in…

Was Master Petrus' Elixir still necessary, as the Shade implied? she wondered.

'Yes. When Alexander's body recovers, it will 'close' again. Even I shouldn't be there! Or I will may never be able to leave! Only the elixir will be able to tie Alexander's soul to his body again ... that's the only certainty I have in all of this.'

If they were quick enough, and reached Master Petrus soon, it might not be necessary to reinforce Sigrid's magic. However, Alexa was not comfortable with the idea of ​​leaving Alexander, a soul of a living person, wandering in the dead's world. Even more beside the White Queen. Alexa couldn't predict what could happen to him… She had already heard legends about heroes who went to the depths of the dead and returned after a long time… But even for the Lazarites, this was considered a difficult and risky task, a stage reserved only to the most prepared. 

It was the primary use of the Lotus Elixir, at first. And that was why it was so dangerous.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," The First Prince snapped his fingers, near the door. Alexa looked up at him. 

'I will tell you everything after breakfast. You better eat well ... And me too,' seeing him unshaven and needing clean clothes didn't make him worse in his eyes, but it clearly didn't improve the Prince's mood.

"I'll be downstairs in a moment," she said, not knowing what Magnus had said, but deducing that it must be something about the plans for this morning.

The Prince slammed the door as he left, realizing that he had not been heard. 

The princess saw Romeo looking confused on one of the ceiling beams. Alexa felt sad when she realized the absence of Alexander made the songbird a mere pet bird, without the charismatic glow of the soul that had inhabited it. Just its 'birdy' charm, it is.

Fortunately, Romeo was really a trained and docile bird ... But Alexa imagined that just in case, they would need a cage for the poor pet.

"I bet that's not how you would want to migrate south, is it?"

Downstairs to the inn's hall, the Princess found Magnus waiting for her. She remembered how, the night before, the First Prince carefully laid her on the bed and also how he dried her damp feet. And also how he seemed ecstatic to say aloud she was beautiful ...

Alexa felt herself blush, and looked down. Unfortunately, she knew he had seen her stupid reaction.

"We will have a long way to the port where my men have been ordered to wait. But it will be better if we do some shopping before… Horses included. We can leave after noon…"

Alexa nodded,

"Can we eat now? I have something to tell after our breakfast ..."

"Oh, and where is that ogress who once said she wouldn't eat a lot?!" he smirked vengefully. "I could have given all of our money that you would restrict yourself to..."

"Oh, for goodness' sake! I said I was going to eat less, not that I was going to fast!"

This however seemed to improvemagusn's mood at least for a moment, and he motioned for her to go out the door first.

'When is the best time to tell?' she wondered, as they walked the streets following the flow of people towards the fair. People looked at them with curiosity as they passed, and Alexa felt exposed.

"Aren't you going to tell me?" he asked suddenly at her side, making Alexa's heart start. She put her hand on her chest, wary,

"Tell you?"

"Yes. How was the trip from Byzantium to Holstein. You came without a man of your own to the borders of my kingdom. And it's quite unusual... Unless you were really Alexios Dallassenos, and a hunted heretic."

"AH!" incredibly, the question that would have panicked the princess earlier was far better than assuming that she had let his brother be stabbed and nearly died.

"You're right. I traveled like a man most of the way. And I obviously didn't flaunt my identity away. But there is something else I want to tell you…" 

The town square was packed with people and stalls selling all sorts of items. Sellers flaunted their products, mountebanks tried to earn some coins with their acrobatics and songs. And naturally, pickpockets looked for distracted or inexperienced victims, things that both of them weren't.

"Haha ha! Of course. You tell your life to people you barely know, but you can't tell us, your travel companions, to say the least. What do you think, Alexander?" he touched a fabric hanging from a tent, to feel the texture. But he wasn't very impressed, and started to stroll around the fair. Finally, he stopped beside a florist, evaluating her offers. The woman and her son offered their various products, including flowers for bath, talc and perfumed soaps.

Alexa stopped beside Magnus.

"About this. We need to talk about Alexander… "

But Magnus ignored her completely,

"Look, Alexa! Rolls stuffed with sausage!"

Alexa immediately turned to the direction he indicated with his chin, just to hear the Prince's resounding laugh behind her. When she turned around again, Magnus placed a flower in her braid,

"...!" she didn't know what to say, but she felt her face blush heavily.

"It's not a bread, but I hope it will please you!" he gave her a condescending look with half-closed eyes.

"Well then, let's go eat now because I think it is the dear prince in front of me who is obsessed with food, after all," she narrowed her eyes at Magnus, trying to hide her embarrass. "We need a cage, horses, and I would not object to extra clothes, since we only have the ones we are wearing." 

She would like to ask him why he was doing all that, since they didn't have to pretend to be a couple anymore… or did they? Perhaps it was better this way, since again they were a couple traveling alone.

He agreed with a nod. And Alexa decided to tell him only when they were on their way to the port where they were expected.

After buying the cage, and accommodating Romeo with all possible comfort in his new home, the couple went to a tavern to have breakfast.

That morning, Alexa realized that, since they left Holstein, that was the first time she had the feeling that they were close to the objective on the mission. 

They were in France after all. 

But mostly, she thought the First Prince was thinking about something. He was usually thoughtful and avoiding boring subjects, since she cried. In fact, he even looked like he was actively trying to cheer her up.

"After all, what's the news from Holstein? Did my father agree with your plan?" he said after thirsty gulping his mug of beer.

She had her mug in her mouth, and just nodded, wanting to keep the subject away for another moment.

"Um, well," he nodded, approvingly. "Don't curse me just because I want them all to be exposed at once," he gave a huge, devastating smile, which turned devilish in the end. "Don't even curse me for wanting to come back soon and watch the trial of all of them ... I bet you have a lot to say."

"Eh… That little girl who called you Lord Cat was absolutely right. Look at you smiling wickedly at the thought of seeing a witch trial ..."

"I think you realized the world isn't full of innocent people asking for more rain or good harvests with archaic superstitions. And..." he left the sentence in the air when he stopped to look at the tavern door. A group of men entered loudly. The princess followed the First Prince's gaze, and her entire body froze when she realized who had arrived.

In a dive, she ducked under the table.

"Alexa? What are you doing?" Magnus tried to pull her back but his hand missed the target the first time.

"Blackrose!" she exclaimed.