Chapter 253 - Carrots

"What are you talking about?" Alexa sat on the floor with the force of the pressure of Magnus' hands. She could see in his eyes that he was not only curious but shocked and angry. "Are you mad that we're going to have a baby?"

"No. That part ... It's good. I want you to explain the other part to me."

Alexa got dressed. She felt exposed. Maybe she shouldn't have been so sincere about her intentions, but she was suddenly not comfortable with Magnus' reactions.

"I don't know. You are always mad at me. And to be honest, thinking about a baby makes me nervous. And you make me more nervous by reacting like that."

"Alexaaa… I didn't react like that because of our baby, but because of the other thing, you said. And well ... Maybe the fact that you talk about a baby when I don't want to think about babies ... Just about you."

He scratched his head, seeming to realize that his reaction was having the opposite effect than expected.

"Are you worried because I trained something with carrots?"

Magnus's gaze was frozen between horror, censorship, and amus.e.m.e.nt.

"What?! Carrots?"

"I was in a convent, how do you think I would train to 'swallow the sword'?!" Alexa stood up, with clenched fists and a red face. But Magnus covered her mouth with his big hand, sitting her on his lap again.

"No. I don't want to hear about it anymore, my poor ears! Is that what you did at the convent?! Holy God!"

But this time Alexa's eyes were two sparkling amethysts, and she took his hand away with both hands.

"Don't be ridiculous! As if men don't train these things out there all the time..."

"I never heard a noblewoman say such things, Alexa! You are an honest married woman!" He shook his head in disapproval.

"Of course I am! I keep my promises... Whenever possible. I never steal… Whenever possible! I don't lie either… Whenever possible. Honest... as much as possible!"

Magnus gaped, and tried not to laugh.

"You are not helping yourself here."

"Are you jealous of a carrot?"

Magnus thought for a moment, and then shook his head, aghast. Alexa tried to get out of his lap, but the Prince didn't allow it, wrapping her in his arms.

"What else did you do with the carrot...?"

"I washed and gave it to the donkey that pulled our cart," she huffed, but answered honestly.

"In that case, I don't think I should be jealous of the carrot ... Or are you lying?"

"Frankly, Magnus! Make up your mind! Do you prefer me to be honest or to lie? Because ... I thought I could be honest with you! Why can you have learned from women what you did to me that other day, and I can't even have kissed a carrot?"

"I don't believe that, in addition to having to be jealous of Alexander, the damn Blackrose, the prince of Constantinople, and even that disgusting general, I have to be jealous of a carrot!" The Prince replied, maybe too honestly for his own good.

Alexa wanted to laugh at this pathetic confession, and her anger softened.

"It was just what I needed! Are you going to be jealous of every spoon I put in my mouth?"

He held his breath, completely losing his last inch of shame, "Maybe."

"I won't say anything to you anymore. I will keep my thoughts here inside my head. And I'm not going to take your mast or put it in my mouth anymore."

"You won't be eating carrots any more!" he countered, imperiously.

Alexa shrugged. "I don't even like carrots. Now let me out," she haughtily lifted her chin, showing that the conversation was over.

"Alexa!"

"What?!"

"Let's continue what we were doing ..." Magnus' voice changed completely, and he didn't let go, kissing her hair.

"I don't want to. I prefer to sleep," she looked at a distant point, while the Prince put a strand of her hair behind her ear, after sniffing it lovingly. "You smell so good... And you look so beautiful with your eyes flashing contempt in my direction..."

"I'm not even looking at you, Magnus," she noticed the tapestry across the room. "Is that one of the gifts from your engagement with Cordelia? What a shameless prince!"

"Arghh! How can you bring such a matter to our bed?"

"I will visit the kitchen before bed ... to cure heartburn that this matter has brought me ... And maybe I get myself a new boyfriend in the garden and run away with him tonight… A carrot!"

He laughed, this time, and faced the deadliest glare of his wife.

"Forgive me," he purred. "I just wasn't expecting this. Your education was nothing like that of the girls here."

"Hmp," she shrugged, while Magnus kissed her shoulders gently, trying to soften Alexa's bad mood.

"Do you have any questions about my past that I need to clear up now? It's your last chance."

"Alexa!" He snarled. "I'm trying to apologize. I don't like to imagine you… training! With carrots or anything else! I admit, I am shocked! Riled up! Confused!"

"You are not the only one out here who's confused! Yours is not even the first... mast of a man I've ever touched. I needed to pee, you know? So, I don't understand your horror! I looked and took care and bathed that part of someone else's body. And if you're going to be mad about it, your life and my life will get a lot worse!"

she jumped away from him as soon as he loosened his arm, surprised by her words.

"Alexa, no ... Don't mix things up, you know that was a situation ...." he snorted, exasperated.

"Bad luck, Magnus von Wuttenfal. You went to marry the woman who left the wrong convent. The woman who once had a man's body. The woman who was at your side for the worst, but not yet for the best. But if you prefer me to be a saintess, I will join celibacy from now on!" She picked up her shoes, giving Magnus a narrow, furious look.

"Do not leave!" He stood up, demanding with all seriousness.

"Don't try to stop me," she mumbled between gritted teeth, turning away and walking out the door. She had not been a good student for Lady Eudoxia. She had been told never to talk about it or to quickly demonstrate her knowledge of seduction. At least she was able to behave with femininity, which was already a big gain. But she was not going to allow Magnus to misjudge her because she showed a willingness to touch him and give him pleasure.

Snorting, she entered her room, which was merely a guest room in the First Prince's house. He wanted to slam the door, but the Princess would keep up appearances after all.

The more Alexa thought about Magnus' stupid reactions, the more angry she became at him and at herself for liking an idiot like him.

'I am the worst pupil, I just should have kept my thoughts to myself. Why did I think he would differ from other men? ' the Princess threw herself on the bed on her stomach, squinting to keep from crying.

°°°

Alexa woke up without anyone's help, feeling that she had slept little. Her face was wrinkled, and she felt terrible for crying. And wept for something as small as irritation over the night before!

Fighting with Magnus was the least of the turmoil of problems they were experiencing, and yet it affected her so deeply.

When she moved, Alexa realized that there was a string tied to her wrist. Sitting on the bed, she pulled the thread, feeling a weight at the other end. She started to wind the thick thread, until she caught something.

'A carrot?!'

There was a carrot tied to the string, and a silk bow tied a beautiful topaz ring to the vegetable.

"...! But, what the hell does he think he's doing ...?!" Her astonishment didn't overcome her curiosity, when the princess realized that the thread continued towards the door.

'How ridiculous this arrogant Prince is, wanting to bribe me with a ring ...' But Alexa grabbed the carrot with the ring, and getting off the bed, continued following the thread.

At the door, Alexa found another carrot with an ivory and gold bracelet, delicately worked with filigree.

'Oh! So lovely!' opening the door, she looked this way and that, to make sure that idiot wasn't there to call her greedy. But there was no one in sight. Only the thread remained on the floor of the corridor.

"I'm just going to continue because I know I'll find him at the end and I'll shove these carrots right up his…" she found another carrot with a gold brooch and pearls in the shape of a swan, and on another door, a carrot with a stunning tiara with sapphires and aquamarines, which literally took Alexa's breath away and stoked her covet.

Opening the door while still following the thread, she had a feeling of deja vu, recognizing that this was the bathroom she had been in once.

She adjusted the bunch of fresh carrots on her arm, and pushed the door all the way.

The thread, of course, led to the bathtub.

Magnus was in the bathtub, pretending to read a letter nonchalantly. N.a.k.e.d in the middle of ... carrots!