A Dead Maid

Lady Duvignes had screamed loudly, and the nightingale flew away, while Nerissa's ghost seemed confused and quite incredulous at her own untimely death.

Then Alexa felt her palms clench in pain. Nerissa began a pitiful wail, at seeing her own body, and suddenly turned once more to the Light Bearer, with staring eyes.

Slowly, the Shade began to come toward the maiden, arms outstretched…

Alexa knew that the ghost just sought the light, instinctively. But Alexa also knew that that castle was so dark! Souls couldn't get out on their own.

But there was a problem.

If her hands began to bleed in front of that Frenchwoman, or if Lady Duvignes witnessed Alexa using her gift, the maiden was sure she would have the same fate as Alexander's mother.

So what could she do?

Pass out. Black out. Fall unconscious.

That's what a lady does.

It was a coward action, she knew, but the damsel couldn't solve Nerissa's problem now.

"OHHHhhh!" the maiden plummeted to her right side, falling heavily on the Frenchwoman, who obviously had to hold her weight and carefully manage to lay Alexa on the floor. This made the French ambassador's wife force herself out of her shock,

"Lady Saskia! Saskia! Cette idiote, pourquoi il fallait que ce soit maintenant?, getting no response from Alexa, the woman realized she had to act quickly and seek help, exactly as the maiden expected.

Lady Duvignes went to the door and shouted, and then went down the corridor, but she didn't go far. Alexa could already hear sounds of doors opening and other noises of living people. They would soon be there.

Alexa lay on the cold floor, eyes closed, still pretending unconsciousness.

The maiden heard the sounds of wet cloth, and light, slow steps coming toward her.

She felt the cold air of undeath touch her face, knowing that Nerissa's spirit had reclined over her, and watched her face very closely.

The maiden opened her eyes.

The dead woman's ghostly face almost touched her own, and her glassy green eyes stared at Alexa frighteningly. The dead redhead maid's wet hair dripped like animal guts, touching Alexa's skin with the chill of her lost spirit spiritual form. It was almost as real as a living person, but infinitely more unpleasant.

The maiden felt more ghostly presences approaching, but did not see them yet.

'Oh, how I hate it!' Even if she somehow understood and was even accustomed to the idea, contact with ghosts, especially such ones, full of grudge and confusion, was not pleasant at all.

"Later on! Not now!" the maiden whispered, asking for understanding and sympathy. She heard people hurried into the studio, answering the call of the French Lady.

Nerissa's ghost faded like smoke, annoyed, and Alexa closed her eyes hurriedly again, feeling that she would soon have problems with this ghostly matter.

°°°

"Alexa, are you feeling better ... coff coff? You're still so cold!" Lady Cordelia tried to smile as she placed a hand on the Greek maiden's forehead to measure the temperature. Alexa found Cordelia's hands particularly hot, and said,

"You've done a lot for me, Lady Cordelia! I know you're not fully recovered, and still, you worry about me!"

In fact, since Alexa was brought into Cordelia's quarters, the young Flemish lady had been taken care of the damsel, ordering her ladies to bring blankets, hot tea, and even warm socks to her friend. The case of a maid's murder in Lady Saskia's studio had taken the castle by storm, and was the main subject of the night.

Alexa, however, knew she had to hurry to fulfill her deal with Blue Eyes, and it was tonight. Fortunately, most of the questions about the maid's assassination were directed to Lady Duvignes and not to her, who got unconscious as soon as she entered the room. Now she had to get rid of all the attention, and do her part in the pact.

Alexa had no doubt that she should not be due to the priest di Borghesi. However, she did not expect this complicated situation!

"The doctor just asked me to rest a lot until my wedding day, and take my medicine. The cold of that night didn't do me any good. By the way, none of that did me good," the bride said with a faint smile, and Alexa knew it was true. Cordelia was so kind!

"I want you to take good care of yourself, right, my friend?" she held Cordelia's hands, "The things I told you before, I just said because I want you to be happy and well," all of this was true inside the maiden's heart, and so it hurt more to think that among them was this man, Cordelia's fiancé, being a perfect selfish rascal.

Alexa didn't speak anymore because her heart felt inexplicably guilty and confused. She just wanted Cordelia, at least, to recover from her cold soon. "Don't disobey the doctor then, since you're really getting married!"

And wasn't she the one who had told the prince that same morning to go in search of Petrus and postpone his marriage, since he didn't want to marry Cordelia?

In fact, this situation of duplicity was becoming unbearable, because she really had deep sympathy for the Flemish maiden. Alexa then took a deep breath and started talking but she was interrupted by Cordelia,

"Alexa, have you visited Duke Konrad? I heard he got badly hurt when the bad guy threw him out of the carriage! You should undoubtedly be one of the first people to pay a visit to him!"

Alexa, deep in her mind, knew that, but had thought she could do it the next day. However, the maiden agreed with her friend, leaving the most unpleasant subject, Klaus, for later, "Yes, Cordelia, I intend to pay him a visit by early tomorrow."

"No no, you better go tonight, he's already getting visitors and you can't wait to visit him and show your consideration!"

The maiden considered that these feminine kind gestures were not yet spontaneous in herself, she still had much to learn about the expected charitable behavior of the girls.

"Well, I'll do it right now!" she stood up, thinking that would at least give her an excuse to get out of there and continue her plans for the night.

But Cordelia had other plans for her, as she called a maid and asked her to bring something that was already prepared, apparently,

"See, knowing that you couldn't prepare coff for yourself, even after the incident, coff coff...maybe you can present him this little gift to comfort the Duke…"

Alexa looked at the item the maid held, it was a pillow with a beautifully embroidered linen cover, and it exuded a delicious aroma of soothing herbs and flowers.

"Cordelia, you really think of everything!"

With the maid carrying the gift, Alexa had no alternative but to go see the Duke immediately.

Upon arriving in the Duke's chambers, the door was open and she was greeted by a lady-in-wait, who announced her arrival.

Some people, among them Countess Godiva, and Prince Klaus, were there, talking to the convalescent young Duke.

The Prince's eyes and hers met for a moment, and he looked at the gift Alexa had brought to his cousin. Klaus raised a scornful eyebrow at the maiden.

'What's up with this man?' she wondered.