Chapter 257 - Late Night Visit

The evening at the royal table with diplomats from other countries, seated in his place and facing Cordelia, had been more than boring. It had been disastrous.

Alexander made up an excuse and was not there. But Alexa was still officially his wife and had to answer questions about him, as if they were a real couple.

Worse than that, she had to listen to diplomats offering Magnus brides.

Cordelia had the excuse of being a recent widow and withdrew, looking at Alexa with a contemptuous look, as if she was enjoying a small victory.

As soon as the princess was able to leave the hall and escape to the bedroom, away from the conversation of diplomats and courtiers, Alexa did that.

Not even the great step of helping the city to get rid of the plague, thanks to the exceptional knowledge of her brother and two other excellent doctors, was enough to quell the agony she was feeling in her chest now.

She buried her face in the pillow, feeling the thick, hot tears run down her face.

Alexa felt the usual scratching of her hands and a shiver running down her spine, and turned quickly, pulling a pillow to protect her body.

~ Alexaa… ~

It was Letitia's Shade, on the other side of the room, staring at her.

Alexa sighed.

"You were furious because Gutard chose Alexander over Magnus... I think I understand now," the princess began, knowing it was best to be cautious. Even Alexander was reticent about Letitia. Was she really insane?

~ Until the solstice, you can get in and out of there. ~

Yes, until the solstice, when she would immediately fall asleep victim to the curse of the pomegranate seed. She could understand that. 

"Where do you want me to go and what do you want me to do to get the monster out of Magnus?" Again, despite Alexander saying that Alexa should be cautious, he was not concerned with stopping her. Maybe he also wanted it done?

~ You must take the heart out of Magnus' chest… and take it to the bottom, where Orcaius is… ~

At that moment, Alexa felt her own heart skip a beat, because of the shock of the proposal. Letitia spoke in her hoarse and whispered voice, which to Alexa's ears sounded as if snakes crawled into her ear canals. And what she had proposed was obscene.

"You ... Do you think I will again be foolish to fall for another trick of yours?!"

~ Exchange hearts ... Come back before night comes ... And Magnus will be immortal, and free from Orcaius ... ~

"No way ..." she whispered, startled, but a thunderous voice shouted,

"NO F.U.C.K.I.N.G WAY!!! GET AWAY!!!" Magnus had pushed the door open and was now in the middle of the room, eyes sparkling with fury.

The Black Queen immediately fled into the shadows.

The Prince came to bed and hugged Alexa instinctively, then pulled her away by the shoulders to look at her face.

"How can you keep listening to her?! What has she said?!"

Alexa realized that he had not heard everything.

"How did you know that ... What about the guests?!"

"I was worried about you, I made up an excuse to be gone for a few moments. And it looks like I hit the bull's-eye," he snorted, taking a second look around as if to make sure there was nothing else or anyone there.

"Alexa, listen well. I don't want you to do any dealing with ghosts. Don't, do you hear me? My God, I don't believe I have to say that kind of thing to you ..."

"Mags… Not even if there is a way to get this thing off your chest?"

"Lex ..." Magnus sighed, as if talking about that subject was painful. "Is there really a way?"

Alexa was going to say yes, and that Letitia had just said, but Magnus was right, it could be more of a ruse, as she suspected.

"I just don't understand why Alexander acts with such consideration in his favor. If at the same time he knows what you did?"

Magnus' eyes became very yellow while he was thinking about what she said. Finally, he shrugged.

"This is even more offensive. He really thinks nothing can stop him. I was a brat when I let myself be dominated by the evil that lives inside me. But now I'm a man, and I'm going to think of a smart way to deal with it."

"I even see your father talking. A strategist."

"Perhaps I have learned, like him, that being impetuous does not help when dealing with the things we are dealing with. Alexander is a strategist too."

Alexa was fighting over whether to tell what Magnus's Mother Shade had asked, and although her conscience told her it wouldn't do any good for him to know, she could barely contain herself.

"Magnus, listen to me. She believes that there is a simple way to resolve this."

And the princess reported her brief conversation with the Shade shortly thereafter. Magnus looked at her with a frighteningly insane expression for a moment.

Then he took her by the wrist, snarling,

"Let's go to him!"

"Hey, stop! You are hurting me! Wait!" she protested in vain.

Magnus pulled her to meet Alexander to get it out. But they didn't go through the regular corridors. Magnus grabbed a torch and led her through the secret passage that she knew well, back to the secret tower.

'Is this Alexander's shelter now?!' she wondered as she tried to keep up with Magnus's long strides leading the way. 

When they reached the staircase that led to the tower, Alexa felt the chilly atmosphere associated in her mind with a high concentration of Shades.

"Mags, I think we shouldn't bother him today ... He's busy ..." Alexa's eyes filled with tears as her hands itched unbearably. Even as Magnus climbed the ladder, she could see the Shades lining the path, as in a procession up the stairs, to meet their sovereign.

Upon reaching the top and seeing the blue door, Magnus slammed the reinforced wood. Perhaps noticing the steam coming out of their mouths as they breathed, he brought her closer to him, while they waited for a while.

"Come in, Magnus." Alexander's soft voice came from within.