Chapter 170 - Coffin

Heavy footsteps in the hallway and the familiar clink made the couple straighten up, and Magnus released her for a moment, looking at the door.

Alexa however, felt the darkness approach, as she always did in the twilight. 

She didn't hear the answer she asked for, as her body was again engulfed by darkness and her consciousness was thrown into the blurry existence of Alexander's body at this point.

Alexa had had brief moments of lucidity while in Holstein. She had the impression the Second Prince was constantly watched by concerned looks from the people around him, and that he wasn't in the tower. There was diffuse pain that throbbed with the beating of his heart ... and also the bitter taste of medicines that kept the Prince numb.

She also felt herself floating, in the darkness, feeling like a light creature that emitted some kind of pulsing radiant light ... Alexander was with her.

But when Alexa felt the irresistible thrust of the spell taking her back at dawn, all the numb sensation was gone in a flash.

The first thing she noticed, even before opening her eyes, was the claustrophobic sensation and the rhythmic movement below her. And the loud noise ... Was it rain?

But after all, what was going on?

Staring at a plank a few inches away from her face, realizing that her arms and legs could barely move, and that she was covered with withering and soaked flowers couldn't be a pleasant way to wake up in France.

'Is that a coffin?! Am I in a coffin?! '

After testing her theory and realizing the coffin lid was firmly held in place, she struggled and shout,

"MAGNUS! MAGNUS! Help!"

The only good news about it was that there was rain on the coffin and the crackling and bumping was familiar. The coffin was in a wagon.

Which was much better than if she were six feet under the ground.

"SAVE ME!!! Please!!!"

After a long time screaming and banging the wood without success, Alexa got tired, and wondered whether Magnus was around her.

After all ... She had heard people's arrival in front of the room door at the inn ... Her thoughts wandered and the feeling of apprehension left her even more suffocated inside the coffin. She needed to get out of there!

Then the vehicle stopped, and after a few moments, she felt the weight of someone climbing on the vehicle. Her heart looked like it was going to explode, since she didn't know what else to expect when the lid finally opened… if that would really happen.

What if they were just going to bury it?

"I'M ALIVE!!!" she screamed, whacking the lid again.

Hasps turned, and the lid was removed.

The Princess immediately sat down, seeking air.

"ARGHHHH! You?!" She looked at the Prince, staring at her with curiosity and a raised eyebrow. He was soaked.

"Who else were you expecting?"

"GAH!" she jumped quickly out of the coffin, and then onto the floor, while the Prince did the same, and left her there for a moment. 

"A coffin?" she brushed off the flowers stuck to her, and realized that she was wearing a completely different dress, accompanied by a veil. It was not a simple yet resourceful way to transport her, it was a prank of terrible taste!

But Alexa unhitched the horse from the cart, and would have provided something for the animals to eat, if she could see something in the barn still engulfed in shadows at the beginning of a rainy morning. The only source of light came from the semi-open door.

There were no animals sheltered there, and the barn had a leaky roof but was kind of clean. It was not uncommon for farmers to rent ruined barns to travelers, and this seemed to be the case. The strange thing is that it was empty of travelers but them.

She freed Romeo from the cage, and the bird flew towards the hay to feed and stretched its wings, trilling.

It didn't take long for Magnus to return with a small brazier producing a lot of smoke. The torrential rain almost put it out, and the prince struggled to keep the fire going, ignoring Alexa completely while doing so. When the ember was hot enough again, he stood up and faced her.

'How can he look so haughty when anyone would be miserable? Not Magnus von Wuttenfal. There's nothing magical about his blood. It's undiluted arrogance able to even prevent death, because it's something smaller and below a von Wuttenfal, ' she thought, impressed. At least, he seemed tired, and the spirit of discussion in Alexa waned when the heat of the brazier warmed her body.

"Ehhh, hm? Can you at least explain what it was all about? Is it a prank of yours or what?"

He snorted, turning his back on her and starting to undress.

"Hey, stop! Why are you always undressing in front of me?"

"Because it's just natural. Do you want me to be sick? And I don't want to remind you that it's not at all unpleasant for you. Just yesterday you were shamelessly feeling my abdomen while pretending to cry."

"...!" Alexa fell silent, stunned.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't thinking straight."

"Um, I can't understand your behavior. I'm probably still wearing those donkey ears," he mumbled. Alexa turned on her back while he took off his soaked clothes, and went to warm up near the brazier.

"Your clothes are in my bag, in case you got wet ..." she heard his voice, and searched the saddlebag. The clothes were not clean, but at least they were dry.

"Did you dress me?" she looked for a dark corner to change, while she could see exactly where he was.

"Again, no. And… What would I have seen that I haven't seen before?"

"No? So what happened?"

Magnus started taking care of the animals.

"The owner of this place charges a lot for the privilege of sheltering in the hay and among rodents, and we don't even have a decent brazier," he mumbled, before Alexa returned to him, "Do you know how to cook?"

"Don't get away from it," the question made her nervous. She just knew how to stick things on a skewer and roast them, and nothing more. But they didn't need to talk about it, did you?

"It wasn't my idea, but until the rain started, I was enjoying myself thinking you deserved to be held a wake by your beloved, Lord John Blackrose. You were so close, and yet so far," he turned to face her with a mockingly dreamy, and very sarcastic, expression.

"What?!"

It didn't make any sense, unless… John Blackrose had come to her, since she hadn't gone to John Blackrose. Alexa literally had to hold her chin, and hid her mouth with her hand,

"Was he there? And found me passed out?"

" 'She seems to sleep peacefully, ahhh ...'" Magnus purposely imitated the English accent, and a penalized sigh from the knight. "'But in fact, she's dead. She died just a few moments ago. The princess received the news that my brother was stabbed inside the castle ... While she was away and looking for YOU! '" Magnus's dramatic rise in tone and accusing eyes were of a deplorable farcical quality. But, of course, that was the intention.

"No...! You didn't have the courage to do that."

"Why not?! My theatrical gifts may be poor compared to yours, my dear, but they were enough for your beloved English knight," he wiped his hands together, with a satisfied smile, before reaching for the saddlebag in search of something.

It was ridiculous! Prince Magnus had taken advantage of the fact that she was inert and looking like a dead woman during the night hours, to let Lord John Blackrose believe that she was really dead. And on top of that, he insinuated that she died of remorse when she ran away to meet her ex-fiance! He really had a diabolical mind!

"And then ... What happened?"

"The idio… your ex-fiance was shocked. Then upset ... Finally, he proposed that we held a wake over your body in the church, out of respect for your soul ... Then we took your body to the priest and everything proceeded in the most pious custom ... Women washed you, dressed you, perfumed you... We prayed for you, " he bit the side of his thumb to keep from laughing openly at his memories ... "So we held a wake over you for the night. He gave you this shroud, and this coffin so that you could be transported to Holstein..."

Alexa was out of breath when she heard the report. Taking off her shoe, she went over to him, unable to resist the urge to whack Magnus' shameless face. He wasn't at all intimidated. In fact, as soon as she arrived and tried to hit him, the Prince dodged the first two blows easily. On the third try, he came forward in a quick movement and grabbed her, bringing Alexa to his lap,

"Why, why, you can't be serious! Do you really want to hit me? Just because I let him pray for your soul?"

"You are so resentful! But you shouldn't have made Lord John a fool!" she released her shoe and tried to pull on his bangs, but the Prince bit her wrist slightly during her attempt, seeming to have a great time, in fact.

"Well ..." he said, "He's a goofball, right?"

Alexa huffed.

"Your lover would leave France at dawn, and you will have to wait a long time to find him again... But he can try to exorcise you, since he'll think you're a ghost now..." he laughed and his whole body vibrated under her. Alexa was now sitting on Magnus' lap, trying to remember how it had happened, and fascinated by the Prince's obsession with John Blackrose. He also seemed to try to read her thoughts and reactions, gazing at her. His mouth twitched in a half-smile when he said,

"But that was of some use. He told me your story, or part of it. I mean… Your true story."