The Real Culprit

Killian opened his eyes to the panicked voice of a court lady, pounding her fists outside his door. He quickly stood up and walked outside. 

"Lady Sofia is being interrogated!" 

…

There was an unusual feeling associated with the eeriness of the prison. It was one of the places the Princess had never even seen let alone walk inside. And here, she was tied to a wooden chair in the dark underground prison, flogged constantly at her feet and calves until she could muster up the courage to confess. 

"I-I promise," Tears flooded down her cheeks as she confessed in a pleading voice, "Her Imperial Majesty passed away while giving birth! And the Prince was stillborn." 

The Royal guard looked at the Royal Secretary sent by the Holy Roman Emperor. 

"His Imperial Majesty does not want to hear this from her," The Royal Secretary said, "Continue." 

The Royal guard nodded, gripped the thick wooden stick, and slammed it across the Princess's legs. She screamed and wobbled in pain, only to receive a never-ending flogging. She didn't know what the Holy Roman Emperor wanted to hear and she couldn't think of a lie to stop this misery. All she knew and said was the truth. How could she make them believe that the real culprit was Mother Nature? 

The Holy Roman Empress had passed away on the cliff within 10 minutes after her bleeding had started. The Princess had successfully delivered the stillborn Prince all by herself, leaving the union childless. Maybe this is what irked the Holy Roman Emperor - his legitimate heir was gone just like that. 

Killian asked the Holy Roman Emperor's audience but he was ignored. He didn't know how the Princess was doing because the prisons were locked and denied access to anyone. Resorting to his last option, he decided to take Heinrich's help. It was better than losing the Princess to some insane Emperor who had deluded his reality. 

"Is there a way I can contact the Great Father from here?" Killian asked the late Holy Roman Empress's direct servant for information as she was the only sane one there who wanted to get the Princess out of the prison as much as Killian. 

"Of course!" The servant said, "There is a pigeon who belongs to the Great Father. It will find him instantly and deliver the message. You should hurry!" 

Knowing that Heinrich was the only one who could save the Princess right now, Killian didn't waste a single second. He wrote a small letter, bound it to the pigeon, and let it fly to where Heinrich was. 

Meanwhile, the Princess's interrogation wasn't going as planned. Flogging was getting nothing out of her and the Holy Roman Emperor had ordered worse methods to be implemented. The Royal guards dunked her face into ice-cold water multiple times. When they failed, they even strapped her limbs and pulled them apart. One of the guards kept pitying her and stopping the procedures before they could cause permanent harm to her. 

She was exhausted but still unsure of what to say and what not to say. What could get her killed and what could let her live?; she had no idea. 

—

Heinrich was in the middle of Munich and Vienna and the journey was still going to take quite a while, considering the heavy snow. The sudden change of weather made him regret sending the Princess to the Palace. 

His chauffeur stopped the carriage out of the blue and knocked at the little window. 

"What is it?" Heinrich asked. 

"A pigeon from the Royal Palace has arrived," The chauffeur said, showing Heinrich the pigeon sitting on his arm with a letter. 

Heinrich reached out for the little creature and took the letter attached to its leg. He opened the rolled letter. His eyes widened upon reading the letter and he quickly stepped out of the carriage. 

He detached one of the horses from the carriage and looked at his chauffeur, "Go home." 

Saying this, he mounted the horse and rushed away toward Vienna. 

—

The Princess coughed up blood even though there was no external wound on her other than bruises and light scratches. They had tried multiple things but in vain. The Princess had her mouth shut after speaking the truth once. She wanted to be careful. Even the most carefully crafted lie, created to save her could get her killed. She wanted to go home so badly. 

Only one guard was looking over her at the time. She looked up at him. 

"Did the Great Father not come yet?" The Princess asked in her lowest voice. 

Somehow, she didn't stutter. She knew Heinrich would be able to turn the situation around. She believed in him. 

The guard shook his head, "I am sorry." He apologized, "I only follow orders." 

The Princess shook her head, "I know." She whimpered, "Can you do something for me?" 

The guard nodded and sat down to hear her better. 

"Go to Killian and tell him I am okay." 

Surprised by her unusual request, the guard nodded, "I will tell him once someone else comes to watch over you." 

The Princess nodded. It wasn't too bad if there were understanding people around her. She would have been dead by now if this guard wouldn't have deliberately pitied her. 

Suddenly, a group of guards walked inside the prison with extra chains, thorns, and straps. The Princess clenched the edge of her chair and closed her eyes. If she wanted this to be over, she needed to have faith in both Killian and Heinrich.