Maiden is Free... By Now

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"On the way to the turret, I saw a small wooden shrine, with a single and almost extinguished lit candle, before a saint who, I will not lie, I don't know the name. To me, it was an unmistakable sign that God's light still illuminated this place. I lit a torch with the light of that candle before climbing the turret," Alexa said, not even blushing, knowing that the truth was riskier than the offense at this time.

"When I entered the turret Lady Cordelia was, she was surrounded by three 'things,' as dark as pitch. And I used the torch to scare them away from the woman, I didn't know at the time, was Lady Cordelia. They fled as the flame approached, but threatened us again as I backed away. I didn't know then, but a terrible surprise still awaited us. But in my desperation, I started burning the room clothes, and that's when…" she showed her bandaged hands once more, like tokens of her deeds. As expected, the men looked down in pity.

°°°

Alexa felt a chill on her spine, feeling the chilly energy of death coming once more to touch the living. She couldn't do anything but witness the monstrous man with his scorched mask lift the mace above her friend's head with a sinister laugh. 

A bloody mess already covered Locke's head, but Alexa could hear the mercenary's strangled laugh,

"Lex! Anon!" 

Locke bragged maniacally, then raised his sword one last time, using it upwardly as a stake. His final thrust impaled the huge man upon him by the lower belly as the spiked mace descended toward his face.

The giant freak collapsed like an ox to the side, moaning horribly. Alive but agonizing.

Alexa couldn't really stare at Locke, squinting her eyes as she prayed with her burning hands toward him. Her friend's Shade just passed her like a breeze, touching her hair lightly as he left.

°°°

"This 'possessed' man," said Alexa, not really knowing why that unhappy soul had taken part in it; whether willingly or not, "suddenly came up, and my bodyguard killed him. But my friend was killed by him in return while defending us… As he died, the hideous giant took off his mask in despair, and I could catch a glimpse of his gruesome retarded fool face, malformed by birth, I guess. But the fire I used to drive away the demons was spreading, and my bodyguard had sacrificed himself to buy us a chance to escape… So… I took Lady Cordelia with me. We left the mansion and ran across the grounds to the horses. By then, the turret was already burning.

So we rode in the direction we came from, and halfway we met the rest of Lady Cordelia's entourage, coming to rescue…" The petite maiden waved her arms, childishly showing that she had nothing more to report.

She was genuinely exhausted by now. Remembering and cautiously distorting the facts had been quite an exercise. But her emotions were shaken too, but she couldn't let her guard down.

Decidedly, she was now alone in the world.

"Thank you so much for your cooperation for now," said the Royal Guard Captain, standing and flexing his muscles after the long hour and a half listening to her report. "We will talk again about the reason for your trip, but at this moment, I believe the Lady needs to rest."

Father Gianpietro asked Captain Gunnar if he could stay with Lady Saskia a moment longer, and the Chief of the Royal Guard agreed.

The Prince apparently invited himself to whatever it was, staying when the Captain greeted them and left the room. The priest looked over his shoulder, realizing that the Sovereign's firstborn was still there, but did not scold him. Alexa just put on a desolate expression, deep down wondering what would come next. But she kept an appearance of undefined sadness no matter what, staring at the hem of her skirt.

"Let's say a prayer for the souls of Lady Saskia's guardians, Prince Klaus. Join us?" asked the Florentine priest.

"Uh? Prayer? Oh yes, yes," Klaus joined them, kneeling and pulling a jeweled cross from his clothes. Alexa was going to kneel, but the priest motioned for her to remain seated.

"Thank you, Father Gianpietro," said the maiden, genuinely grateful for the kind thought of the religious. She should pay a Catholic mass for both of them, Iain and Locke, shouldn't she? Yes, surely she should. She would, because they professed Catholicism. Uhn…

The priest said a beautiful and brief prayer, which Alexa listened for the first time. She opened her eyes during the act and met the prince's golden eyes staring at her. The priest was apparently the only one concentrating his thoughts on prayer.

She then squeezed her eyes shut again, until the end of the prayer.

When it was all over, the Italian priest stood up and said,

"It will be tiring days ahead, Lady Saskia. I heard the manor burned to the ground, and I think it was better that way. But there will be a mass, and other arrangements that the Church must take. After all, your account indicates that there were acts of witchcraft."

"Since it happened in another kingdom, we can get closer to the authorities there, as there was an attack on my … Lady Cordelia. It needs to be thoroughly investigated,"

Alexa just evaluated the words on both sides, weighing how she wanted to leave as soon as possible. That case of witchcraft seemed very complicated, but now... Lady Cordelia was terrified. After what she went through, she naturally feared intimate contact, and Prince Klaus was unreliable. But deep in her heart, Alexa regretted having promised to stay a bit for the other maiden. Perhaps it must have a way to leave while not breaking her word… 'Uhn…'

"Shall we?" asked the reason of her thoughts, and Alexa blinked, taken aback. "Uhn? Shall we? Where?"

"I'll take you to your ward," said the prince, cryptically, keeping his jeweled cross in the folds of his clothing. The priest said,

"I go with you then."

Alexa thought it was purposeful that Father Gianpietro had interposed, and found it very convenient, in fact. In any case, Klaus showed nothing but indifference to it,

"Of course, cousin. Come on. It's late."

She followed the two men through the corridors, the priest leading the chandelier a little forward, and Klaus went to her side. Alexa went all the way with the uncomfortable feeling of his gaze on her. She had many theories as to what he might be thinking, but his expression was serene and enigmatic.

Arriving at her bedroom door, the priest said with a kind smile,

"Tomorrow morning, ask someone to show you where you can find me. I have many things to talk to you about, Lady Saskia. It's important."

Alexa nodded, thanking and leaning in to kiss the priest's hand as usual, and confirming that she would.

"Will I really be interrogated again?"

"Don't be afraid, if they allow me and you wish so, I'll be with you," Father Gianpietro said soothingly, "But lock the doors tight and stay vigilant and fearful, maiden. You have your soul and body to watch over. Keep helping God to watch over you, as you have done."

Alexa thought this was a subtle message to the Prince, who looked away with a bored expression at this point. Realizing that he would not have the slightest chance of speaking with Alexa alone, since his cousin didn't seem in the slightest desire to go before him, the Prince called the Father to let Lady Saskia rest.

Alexa sighed as she closed the door behind her, glad that she wasn't currently being tortured as a witch in a fetid dungeon.

She would do everything to keep it that way until she departed from that weird kingdom.

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