Chapter 190 - Fonfutsfatz

Only the full moon and the lantern of the carriage illuminated the road ahead of the trio after they left the port.

After about two hours, they arrived at a property next to a wide stone road. On the way, they ignored a noisy tavern, despite Alexa looking at it with a long eye, repressing her desire to demand food.

Magnus seemed to ignore that her body had been without food for many hours.

The maiden studied the stone house facade closely. It was a large, beautiful two-story house with a wide turret and mansard roof. Its walls were half-covered with ivy, and a well maintained and trimmed front garden welcomed them.

The Captain went ahead to inform them of Prince von Wuttenfal's request for a stay at the house that night, while Alexa and Magnus stayed in the carriage.

"How are you going to explain my situation during the day? I know Captain Dubois thinks I have the same problem Alexander had, I suppose it's hard to explain to people if they ask," she had her doubts whether the captain believed this was really a disease, or supposed it might be a spell.

"People really ask a lot of questions!" he confessed, showing his frustration. "In addition to saying you have a disease which needs to see a doctor in Languedoc, I have no other plausible justification. I just hope we can get to Master Petrus fast. The fact we need a carriage is already enough delay."

If only they could travel only when she was awake! 

She was experienced enough to know how difficult and dangerous it was to travel only at night, especially in a small group. In unknown lands, to top it off. They should travel as faster as they could, but her condition was a hindrance. Magnus should keep traveling during the day if they wish to get soon in Languedoc.

"It's unnecessary to sleep in the same room tonight ... I know how to defend myself from seducers. And besides, that would offend our host," she commented.

"Are you ashamed of sleeping in the same room as me? It's not like it hasn't happened often..."

"Uh, it's not that. I am grateful you have been taking care of me, actually ..." she knew that the problem would not be that she slept in the same room as him, of course. Being awake was far riskier!

"But ... we'll see." He closed the matter, promising to at least rethink it. At the same time, the Captain was returning, followed by a man carrying a lantern, clearly a servant.

"The house's master is not at home, but his housekeepers will arrange our stay," said Dubois, with a smile, opening the carriage door and getting the luggage.

Alexa was grateful to be able to stretch her legs a little. By following them into the front garden, she just noticed, withered flowers around the first portion of the entryway. 

Closer to the house, however, the lilac arbor and the camellias were blooming beautifully, like everything else, in the spring. She had little knowledge about plants, but even under the moonlight, it was possible to notice that the whitered plants seemed to have been exposed to some pest or frost.

In a few moments, they were already inside the comfortable residence. And the princess's curiosity about the plants was forgotten as soon as the housekeeper received them in the lovely cottage.

Alexa's eyes ran across the organized, tidy, and cozy main hall.

There were some signs of mourning displayed over the fireplace and near the entrance, but the princess knew that eventually, families would lose someone in the winter.

Mirna, the housekeeper, was a woman with a round face and small eyes, dressed in a clean and impeccably starched uniform, quite an achievement for that time of night.

Magnus stopped in front of the coat of arms of the house, scratching his chin, while the housekeeper tried to make them absolutely at ease, offering them supper and having the fireplace lit so that the guests could rest and warm up,

"Your Highnesses, the lord of this house had to pay a brief visit to a neighbor, and probably agreed to have dinner with them! But I already sent a messenger to notify him of your arrival!"

"In this case, we can expect the return of your master, missy. Furthermore, I prefer to meet my host before taking advantage of his hospitality," Magnus said, as would be expected, but Alexa internally thought this type of etiquette was big nonsense and a waste of time.

She held her hands out to the warmth of the fireplace, internally wanting to kill the Prince for not sitting down at the table as they were invited. But Alexa would no longer allow him to make fun of her bad manners.

The captain started a merry conversation with the housekeeper, about the region, the wineries, and the French delicacies. Of course, Alexa imagined this was a safe and pleasant subject to spend time while waiting, but ... 'Could you please shut up talking about food?!'

Her only solution was ...

"O-ooh!" She bent her knees and collapsed on the carpet, pretending to faint.

The expected reaction ensued, Magnus picked her up and everyone came to her rescue. 

The princess could then open her eyes and murmur sweetly,

"Oh, sorry ... I got dizzy… Many hours… A bit weak…"

'Didn't I have to look sick and fragile? So I'm collaborating with the whole hoax, aren't I?!' it was her mental justification for her false fainting.

The Prince frowned, torn between believing or suspecting her acting, but the housekeeper took the case in her hands assertively.

In moments Alexa was sitting in a rocking chair, with a blanket over her legs, and the younger maid feeding her a tasty and warm soup with a spoon, under the shocked gaze of the First Prince.

It was the scene the House's master, Chevalier Sagnac, witnessed when he returned home.

Alexa turned around as soon as the door opened, and a tall, slim man with long dark hair entered. And, as Captain Dubois had anticipated, Allaman Sagnac was a handsome man. Beautiful, indeed. 

His slender, aristocratic appearance, with pale skin, delicate features and fascinating clear eyes, rivaled that of the Prince of Holstein in every respect. She immediately compared the Frenchman's appearance to that of her brother Iacintho ... If only Iacintho had long hair, wasn't always frowning or wearing a smelly leather apron, of course.

The gaze of the newcomer immediately turned to Alexa, like a moth drawn to the light.

Magnus' shadow obstructed Alexa's view of the French noble, however.

"You?!" asked the young nobleman, when he found Magnus standing in the middle of his main room.

Magnus laughed out loud and delighted. If Alexa didn't already know him at least a little bit, she would have missed the note of sarcasm in his voice,

"Allamand Sagnac! Son of the Baron de Saint-Jacques! Of course!"

"Alla…?! Magnus von Wuttenfal," the knight's voice seemed to bring the same nuances as those of Magnus, his eyes flashing some sort of mischievousness.

'Oh ?! What is happening? Do they know each other at all? '

"Pardon for my delay! My servant didn't know how to pronounce the name of the noble visit at my house. FONFUTSFATZ-ZEIN… "

Well, that seemed like a veiled provocation, and Alexa bit her lip to keep from laughing.

Magnus rose an eyebrow, and nodded condescendingly.

"But, what are you doing in this region, my dear Prince ?! And this dazzling beautiful lady! I must have the candles of the whole house extinguished, because her light is enough to light up even the darkest path..." He circled the Prince, coming up to Alexa, who was sitting in the chair. He held out his hand to her, and Alexa just supposed she should extend her hand too...

However, as soon as she did that, Magnus held her hand firmly.

"Yes, she has an intense light ... But you will only see it once ... I can show you how."

This time Alexa had a hard time keeping a straight face. Magnus was being ridiculous!

Sagnac gave a subtle smile and withdrew his hand,

Why, Your Highness ... I just want to greet the lady who took the heart off my chest at this very moment ... Please, lady, take good care of what is now yours!"

His gaze sought Alexa's, who a little astonished didn't exactly know how to respond, even more with Magnus between them again.

Looking closer, his pallor looked a little sick, actually. And in fact, the smell of cheap wine and perfume betrayed his housekeeper's excuse.

Turning to his guest, the elegant man straightened up and laughed,

"Your Highness! It's been so many years… Your Highness has changed a lot… It's a shame that you have withdrawn from the jousting circuit! It wasn't because I…"

"Yeah. Maybe it was. It would have been tragic if I had defeated you again," Magnus said. "Your little sister should not cry again."

The knight shook his head with a condescending smile,

"My memory is different. We had a tie."

"That doubt would have been resolved in our duel, but you tried to throw me from the rail of the emperor's castle ..." Magnus snarled.

"That was an accident. We both slipped."

"Well… forgive me for saying I would kill you the next time I see you. Looking back, it was silly ... Your sister was so scared, for no reason. I was really young and brash… " Magnus did not change his tone at any time, which made Alexa doubt he was really sorry.

Of all the places they could have gone, would they have to stay exactly in the home of a nobleman who clearly detested Prince Magnus? Of course, nobles would hardly refuse hospitality to each other without good reason, and would the fact that they had badly resolved swoops enough reason?

"Yes, I think the same, Your Highness. Youth and a little competitiveness, ha! Good times, however. And the lady?"

"This is Princess Alexa von Wuttenfal, my younger brother's wife."

Again the knight gave her a warm look,

"This knight and the Sagnac house are at your service, Your Highness. You can call me ..."

The candles in the room suddenly faltered, and Alexa heard an indefinable, plaintive, and strange call.

"Alexa! ...Alexa!"