Chapter 237 - Searching

Three days passed in Ashgraufelsen. 

Alexa was received with honors and veiled curiosity. And the servants of what for the capital was a manor, but for the residents, it was a castle, did their best to make their stay on the rock's manor as pleasant as possible. 

The people there, while still shocked by the events of that fateful night, differed greatly from the people in the castle. Hospitable, caring, and merry, despite everything. The Princess imagined that Alexander could live happily there, protected and loved, far from the capital. Unfortunately, as a Prince, he had to be in Holstein part of the time.

Wilbert took care of everything with an efficiency that made Alexa remember Miss Mirna immediately, but the butler acted like a kind grandfather, most of the time.

However, it didn't take even two hours after arrival, for Alexa to discover that the Prince's studio was locked. And of course, it was the only place where the Second Prince would keep his books.

Wilbert explained, "Your Highness is looking for special books Prince Alexander kept? Well, I can only pray that Your Highness understands my position as guardian of this house for so many decades. If the Princess had a letter from the Prince, allowing access, I would gladly give it. But without Prince Alexander's express authorization, I cannot allow anyone else to enter the room ... Not even his wife."

Alexa opened her mouth in a shocked 'O', while Narses put a hand on her shoulder,

"Wilbert, my friend, His Highness Prince Alexander, ordered his wife to come and get a certain book from the royal library. He just didn't have time to even write a note because he was busy preparing for war!"

"I am shocked that His Highness has forgotten what he has expressly ordered me to do. He said that only his father was allowed to enter his studio in his absence! And even made me swear it! Please don't ask this poor employee who has worked in this house since Duke Kurt was the Lord over Ashgraufelsen, to disobey his master! Even with the best of intentions! Kill me to take what is necessary ... But don't make me open the door!"

Alexa had swallowed and agreed that they would do nothing without Alexander's express permission. She had no intention of following Wilbert's suggestion and killing him to get the key to the studio.

Later, having dinner with her brother, they developed a small plan to enter the studio without raising suspicion or harming Wilbert. Alexa didn't want the butler to suffer the fury of Alexander for breaking his promise.

The next day she went to visit the nearest village, and held a party that lasted all day. This removed most of the castle's serfs from Ashgraufelsen, except, of course, Wilbert and the guards. 

Alexa even promoted an Egg Hunt, inspired by her adventure in England. Each egg marked with her seal that a child brought to him would be exchanged for a silver coin. She couldn't possibly know her seal could have so many different symbols!

Still, she just laughed at their inventiveness and audacity, and handed them the promised coins; she didn't want to be a petty princess, and that money was Alexander's, anyway. 

As always, children were disconcerting! She needed to get used to children, since she would be a mother soon!

In the meantime, Narses had boldly walked across the steep roofs of Ashgraufelsen to the studio window, dozens of feet from the bottom of the cliff. And spent a few hours sawing the window's guardrail. 

It was hard and dangerous work, but when Alexa came back in the late afternoon, and joined her brother for dinner, she discovered things had worked out as expected. And that they could later enter the studio without Wilbert's knowledge.

"It's ridiculous to have to do it that way, but we have no other option," she commented while enjoying a meal alone. 

She noticed that her brother had not dissolved the wine in water at least three times, but he was tired and most likely his muscles were sore after so much effort. They were already in the third wine jar, actually.

"We will do that and I suppose that by killing this Volos, your disobedience can be absolved. Tomorrow I will start cleaning this place..."

"You are being annoying, Narses! Don't start again. I have seen things that have disturbed me. No religion is totally wrong, nor totally right. I don't know if I can judge who is prepared to leave this land, and I don't know if you can too!" she set her glass of wine on the table, staring at him.

Her brother looked up at her brightly. He shrugged,

"And so you have no protection from any god. Your doubts don't give you strength. You are an arcophoros, you don't have to decide anything - you just have to show the way."

"You are being uncompromising!"

"And you are being soft, Alexa! Our brother, who I thought had more self-respect and more respect for the great cycle, still walks like an upir! And... Your Princes are freaks! We will have to do something about it!"

Alexa didn't answer, thinking about how her brother was not at all wrong. She knew they were freaks in the life cycle. But because of their proximity, she hadn't thought until then that they, as souls who should have left, only lived through magic. 

At the same time, knowing that her brother had completely changed his mind, and that perhaps he was thinking of bringing death to Magnus or even Alexander, was something that made Alexa's heart shrink. 

She was afraid for all of them.

And she realized that she couldn't hate Alexander for what he was doing.

Dealing with death had already been easier for her. Now, how could Alexa want the revival of Magnus? How could she tell Iacintho that he had to leave?

ººº 

After dinner, they snuck out of a window, and her brother helped her into the studio. 

He was being more cautious with her than usual, and this made Alexa think even more about the life she carried in her w.o.m.b.

She waited for him in the dark and Narses entered shortly after her, taking advantage of the moonlight to use a flint and light candles he had brought with him. Alexa realized that he wasn't shaking as much as before dinner. Was it the wine or the excitement of doing what they were doing?

They looked up and down the studio and found many things fascinating. But they needed to take this time to find the book, and discover the whereabouts of Volos' heart. Unfortunately, it wasn't to get to further know Alexander and his tastes.

Despite their efforts, they found the collection that Master Valerius had mentioned, but after spending a good deal of time carefully skimming through the pages, it didn't look like they had found the right book. It was tiring work and only with the candle lights, very difficult.

They had to leave it for the next night and the night after that, as they couldn't just disappear into the castle during the day. 

During those two days of greater closeness with her dear brother, Alexa was more aware of everything that had changed in him.

Although Narses was still irreverent and haughty, he was broken.

She could only imagine the kind of torture and suffering he could have endured. His eyes did not have the same brightness, nor did his eyes bear bright places well. His scarred hands trembled easily. His face was never relaxed with a subtle smile, like before. She could see the creases around his mouth, which hadn't been there before.

How she wished she could erase all that suffering from her brother's face! She could only suppose that Narses had managed to survive by abjuring his belief in front of men, and clinging to it internally. And that made him the uncompromising person he was today. But, was he the uncompromising one, or was she the one whose beliefs had crumbled?

Her eyes blinked with tiredness as Alexa checked the books again, while Narses started checking other objects, and even furniture,

"This book has to be here!" he grunted, frustrated.

"I hope it really is, and that Alexander didn't take it to the castle with him. If he did, the fire ruined the book," she concluded darkly.

Her brother was running his hand over a panel on the wall when he felt something strange and pointed to the place with a winning smile. 

This brought a gush of energy to the Princess, who was sleepy.

In minutes, Narses managed to move the panel a little and Alexa slid her small hand in the gap, pulling a package from there.

"Uhn, a secret. I hope it will be useful and not just lewd images of women," her brother commented, shrugging when he saw that the package probably contained loose sheets. Apparently this was what he found most in his forays.

"He's not like that."

"Every man is like that, Alexa."

She could agree that Magnus was probably like that, but she couldn't imagine Alexander that way. She opened the package carefully.

The contents were a bundle of letters, all written by the same person.

Konrad, the Duke of Würtz.

She knew they were close friends, but why did the letters need to be hidden?

And, did sweet Konrad know the truth about Alexander?