Chapter 17 - Maiden is Free... By Now (1/2)
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Alexa felt a chill on her spine, feeling the cold energy of death coming once more to touch the living, as she witnessed the monstrous man with his scorched mask lift the mace above her friend's head with a disturbing laugh. A bloody mess already covered Locke's head, but Alexa could hear his strangled laugh,
”Lex! Anon!”
Locke shouted,then raised his sword one last time, using it upwardly as a stake, impaling 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 look at Locke, closing 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.
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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 Lady Cordelia turret, it was surrounded by three” things, as dark as pitch,” and what I did was use the torch to get them away from the woman I didn't know at the time, was Lady Cordelia. They fled as the torch 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 cloths, and that's when…” she showed her bandaged hands once more, like tokens of her deeds. As expected, the men looked down in pity.
”This 'possessed' man,” said Alexa, not really knowing why that unhappy soul had participated in it, whether willingly or not, ”suddenly came up and killed my bodyguard, but 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 growing rapidly and my bodyguard had sacrificed so that I could escape… So… I took Lady Cordelia with me, we left the mansion and ran through the grounds to the horses. By now 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 really exhausted. 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 half listening her report. ”We will talk again about the reason for your trip, but at this moment I believe the Lady needs to rest.”
Father Agnello asked if he could stay with Lady Saskia for the Captain Gunnar a moment longer, and he agreed.
But 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 Regent'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 expression 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 Magnus. Join us? asked the Florentine priest.
”Uh? Prayer? Oh yes, yes,” Magnus joined them, kneeling and pulling a jeweled cross out of his clothes. Alexa was going to kneel but the priest motioned for her to remain seated.
”Thank you, Father Agnello,” said the maiden, truly 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...