Chapter 187 - Alexa, the Brief

"Annulment of marriage?" Bishop Hildebrand was astonished, but not entirely concerned.

The afternoon meeting with Prince Gutard and the Bishop had started with other matters. The Second Prince had agreed to report events in Ashgraufelsen to the Church in an official manner, and that included, of course, the Holy Office. In the end, Alexander's father explained,

"Bishop, I am devastated to have to say what I am going to say, but I believe I made a sorry mistake. Now that my son has recovered from his illness, he has found himself married to Lady Saskia. But it's a doomed marriage. I should have listened to my oldest son at the time, but I was blind and obsessed with my son's illness and ... Well, the Bishop knows that Princess Alexa is a special person."

"More than special, more than special," agreed the Church leader in Holstein with a smile. "People murmur her name in awe. Some even believe that she's capable of miracles against the forces of darkness ..."

"Without a doubt if she wasn't interceding for me, I wouldn't be standing now," said the young Prince. Alexa has remained collected, only as an observer, since the morning episode, letting the true owner of the body make the decisions.

He was right, and she was wrong.

'What am I doing? I complain about them but I'm no better. I just can't be between two men. And between two brothers, moreover! None of them is my destiny, after all. If our marriage is canceled, could I really… marry Magnus? Of course not. The only chance to be with the First Prince would be if I… agreed to be his lover, the same thing he offered me as soon as I got here. Basically, everything is ruined. '

She missed part of the conversation, only overhearing that they confirmed the marriage had never been consummated and that annulling it was the best way.

The Bishop then asked a secretary to join them, to record the facts which would later be mentioned in the annulment process. While the notary transcribed the interview with the princes, Alexa noticed Gutard tapping his fingers rhythmically as he always did when he was worried.

"The Princess also must undergo an interview, and witnesses must confirm that there was no consummation. But I don't think that will be a problem, since you say she only spent a single night in her husband's room… and he was still unconscious," the bishop was optimistic about the outcome of the process. Alexa just didn't understand why he wasn't trying to dissuade them.

Even if the bishop feared Gutard von Wuttenfal, that should be his role, right?

He was probably aware of the Prince's plans to marry Alexander to a woman from the eastern lands. But a rich heiress, this time.

When the interview was over, Gutard demanded to be taken to the ossuary.

As they descended to the site, Alexa remembered when she was there for the first time, planning to escape Holstein, and how she ended up falling asleep.

The ossuary had undergone renovations after the cathedral incident, but part of it was untouched. Exactly the part that Alexa remembered seeing.

A new, empty tomb drew attention. There was not much more space available in the valuable sanctuary under the altar, and the tomb was on the floor of the ossuary, right in the middle. There was still dirt around it, and its lid was standing, against a wall full of mortuary niches.

The beautiful headstone carved with angels and flowers had Latin sayings and the person's name.

PRINCESS ALEXA, THE BRIEF

WIFE OF ALEXANDER VON WUTTENFAL

In a way, it didn't even irritate her.

Alexa's presence in Holstein had disrupted all witches' plans. She was quickly targeted as an enemy, and maybe she was already dead if her body was still in Holstein.

The Prince approached the tombstone, which was in a place of honor, among the von Wuttenfal of the past.

'Are you okay with that, Alexa?' Alexander asked him softly. It was the first time he had addressed her since the discussion in the morning, and she didn't even expect it.

'Yes. Empty tombs shouldn't scare anyone. I'm not there yet, so it's not a problem… When I die I will run straight into the light, and I hope to bathe directly in the Memory's River, so I don't remember anything about this life! I don't want to have any regrets after leaving!' she really hoped so, at that moment.

'Is there really nothing good in your current life, Alexa?' he asked, sounding shocked.

Alexander's and Alexa's attention diverted to their side, though.

Prince Gutard extended his hand to one of his men, next to them,

"Give it to me."

The man handed the Sovereign Prince a pick, and Gutard felt the weight of the tool in his hand, wielding it willingly.

He struck a powerful blow against the stone on the wall, exactly where the drawer with the name of Zilda Bartolini was.

The ossuary trembled at the blow, and the second blow caused the stone to crumble into small pieces at Gutard's feet.

Alexa immediately felt something wrong, and Alexander, along with her, felt it too.

The son ran to his father, just reaching for his back, and trying to pull the Sovereign Prince back, while a putrid, black wave blasted from the violated headstone like a ferocious monster ready to tear the violator apart!

The whole earth shook again, and quickly, Gutard spun, embracing his son and dove with him into the empty tomb, while everything collapsed over their heads!

Alexa felt the impact on her back, the weight of Gutard's body that protected the young prince, and a tremendous pressure on her chest ... it was getting difficult to breathe, while they were buried alive ...

Her conscience blinked, and Alexa saw, between the mists of La Petite Mort, the future.

... The candles flickered, and the low light revealed the muscular and rough reliefs of a male body, next to hers. Alexa just saw the details, the prickly and warm skin, contracting slightly to her touch, to her kisses ... Her own hands stroking him gently, feeling the texture of skin, hard flesh and bones beneath it, and her lips deposited soft and loving kisses on the skin, rising from the iliac bone to the chest ...

Pulling her breath out with agony, Alexa regained control, feeling her contact with life return in a jolt.

Everything was dark, and the Second Prince tried to open his eyes, but the dust deposited on them only made his eyes hurt as if there was fire in them.

"Alexander?! Alexander's father?!" she called.

"Shhhh! Coff coff!" Gutard coughed and everything around them shook once again.

The weight on Alexander's body was unbearable, and his confused mind had returned from a paradisiacal moment in the future to the hell of the present. Was there a trap to destroy the unwary who tried to violate Zilda Bartolini's secrets?

'Alexander? Are you there?' she asked again.

'Don't move ... A beam is unstable ... Some are still alive, but ...'

Was Alexander totally out of his body at this point? Alexa could only assume that yes, that was not impossible due to the state they were in.

At this point, however, it could be very useful.

'Save us, Alexander. Look for my brother Narses! He may be staying at the episcopal house! Or maybe he's with the other Inquisitors, interrogating witchcraft suspects! He's the only one who can hear you! '

'Hold on, please ... Alexa ... If my dad dies when I'm not here, tell him I ...' Alexander's words choked up with emotion. Alexa knew what Alexander meant. She didn't feel like she would die now, and she didn't know if that was because of her peculiar situation. Despite the shortness of breath and the terrible pressure, she had hope.

'I'll tell him. Please, go!'

She felt him move away, and wished he could find Narses soon. And not to get lost on the way. Stray souls could easily get lost if they went too far from places steeped in their history, such as the places where they died or the places where they lived. The fog was thick and deceptive.

"Father-in-law… Hold on, Alexander will save us…" The second Prince had his face crushed by the chest of the sovereign Prince, and could move just a few centimeters if he tried too hard.

He groaned in response, and wheezed.

Alexa realized that he struggled all the time with the weight above him, trying to support with his back as much as he could to not crush Alexander. Luckily, they had fallen into Alexa's grave, however, it was just deep enough for the coffin to be deposited.

Time dragged on as she saw the Prince Sovereign's strength fail. And the giant man pulling from the bottom of his willpower a few more minutes of survival for both of them, forcing his body to stand firm and support the excessive weight on them.

Everything shook, more earth fell on them, and the Prince closed his eyes.

Was there a strange future before you, a night of love with ...? Magnus? So it was not his end. However, he wished there was time for them to save Prince Gutard.

'Alexa!' Alexander had returned. 'I found him!'

Her chest was filled with happiness and renewed hope! They were saved!

Their rescue wasn't immediate, however. Every second that passed while cautiously removing debris from them was tense, as the ossuary could collapse with all of them inside.

When the weight finally began to be lifted off them, she was sure to have seen Alexander beside her, unlike any other Shades she had ever seen, emitting his own special light.

Then Alexa felt her body being carefully pulled from the grave, and being lifted smoothly. They wiped her face, and she saw her brother, smiling at her with tears in his eyes,

"Lex!"