Chapter 147: 147
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Alexa scr.a.p.ed the bottom of the bowl, not really feeling her hunger satisfied but thanking her hosts for sharing with her the little food they had.
Any of them would be killed for hunting in the Baron's lands, according to feudal law, and they didn't even have land to produce their food. But what little they got was being divided.
Her account of what she had seen and heard, and how Lady Gwen's children hid her in a sewing room, appalled her listeners.
Before giving the word that they would help Lady Alexa, Giles decided that they would listen to Cymric.
The leader of the group was concerned, and the princess understood him.
Giles appeared to have some military training, but most of the men in the group were ex-peasants.
Even so, Alexa was determined that, whatever they decided, she had to go back and get Magnus out of there.
Their camp was a group of rustic tents, carts and decrepit vans, surrounded on one side by a palisade and on the other by a stream. Some children ran through the buildings and vehicles, while the men were gathered in a circle talking to each other.
Meanwhile, Giles' partner Anne and her friends wanted to know about Alexa.
Almost all women in the group, old and young, had surrounded Alexa with curiosity.
Alexa tried to be vague and brief, but the questions followed in a way that it would be very rude avoid explaining.
She could simply lie and tell them a made-up story about her origins. But, since she had seen her brother Narses alive, her own identity, which had lost its l.u.s.ter with the weight of the surname von Wuttenfal, seemed to require her to tell who she was. If her day of death came, people would know her story, or at least, a part of it.
Alexa smiled to them,
"I was born in a very distant land, Constantinople, in a family that served the emperor faithfully. I was the youngest in my family, the Dallassenos, and the only girl. But, due to a custom of my family, I couldn't live as a woman in the first years of my life ..."
The fact attracted the attention of all, who seemed to realize that they would hear a very interesting story.
"My mother died when I was very young, so my father gave me the name of a man, Alexios, and raised me as a boy. I was at his side or at the side of my brothers, and I thought I had nothing to fear in the world. I had a pleasant life, and I had fun, studied, and even messed something once in a while. I kept the secret when I could understand it, for the sake of my family. And in fact, I didn't think much about the future. However, I didn't expect that, when I reached a certain age, to refuse the advances of a general, one of the emperor's brothers, would cause the death of the firstborn in our house. As well as the destruction of our family."
Her audience held their breath, and Alexa continued,
"When my father realized that that event had caused the emperor's brother to wrath and could make our protector turn his back, he tried to save us all."
ºº
"OUCH! No! No! Stop!" Alexios, or rather, Alexia Zöe, tried to escape torture while Iacintho held her tightly, wrapping his arms around her.
The maid was trying to pierce her earlobe with a hot needle so that Alexa would start wearing earrings like all the other girls of her age and social class in Constantinople.
"Don't be stubborn, Alexa!" Iacintho grunted, struggling to hold the girl who was struggling like a lamb going to the slaughterhouse. "What can this pain be in the face of everything you've punctured, grated, bled and broken?"
"But now it hurts more!!! I'm a girl now!" shouted Alexa, with tears flooding her eyes. Her logic made his brother laugh heartily, and he ended up releasing his sister, who slapped the maid's hand and ran to the other corner of the room. Silena, the maid, pursed her lips at the maiden's behavior and said,
"Very well, maiden, I will no longer pierce your ears as ordered. But then the earrings 'Kyria' Tarsila gave you before she left will stay in the vanity, not in your ears."
It was Alexa's turn to squeeze her lips, trying to decide what to do. She didn't like the pain, but it was the only way to wear the earrings that her sister-in-law, Michalis's widow, left for her before leaving for her parents' country home.
Her father-in-law Bryennios advised Tarsila to return close to her parents, as he feared that some reprisal would reach the family, shortly after Michalis's death.
Tarsila had left with her servants and a small fortune, not without shedding many tears. The earrings were her personal gift to celebrate the fact that now, due to her husband's sacrifice, Alexa could finally live as a woman. In addition, the earrings were beautiful and Alexa secretly wanted them.
"Okay," she mumbled, returning to Silena, "Just don't be rough." The maid went to disinfect the needle in vinegar and then heated the tip of the needle in the flame of a candle. Meanwhile, Lex sat down, waiting passively.
"For those who took off men's clothes just a month ago, your pain threshold dropped a lot in a short time," Iacintho crossed his arms, mocking.
"It's just that I'm a sensitive person. I am a woman after all. I am much weaker. I can't endure offenses by you anymore, just because I can't do things. You need to treat me well."
Iacintho rolled his eyes,
"I want to see how long this whining of yours will last."
Narses came into the room like a curious cat. The maiden wasn't fond of being the center of attention that way. At least Iacintho was there to help with a pain medicine.
"Why are you hiding your hands behind you?" she asked suspiciously. Narses had a huge smile and seemed to barely contain himself.
Silena took the opportunity to grab her ear again, and Alexa contained a shiver, shrugging her shoulders in anticipation.
"Look!" he showed what he was hiding behind his back.
"OH! OH!" Alexa got up at the exact moment that Silena was going to pierce her ear, and the maid gave a frustrated sigh. Narses waved two luxurious shoes, gracefully embroidered in gold and with red and blue floral motifs, before her nose. "Narses, they're amazing! They're amazing!"
Her blond brother lifted the gift out of the reach of Alexa, who kept trying to get it but without success. Narses was the tallest of the Dallassenos, and Alexa didn't even come close to touching the shoes above her head.
"Not very good for climbing smooth walls, though," Narses lamented, finally handing the flats to his sister. Iacintho approached, touching the pouch on his waist,
"Well, I didn't want to have to compete with Narses, since it would be unfortunate for him, but here is my gift." The dark-haired brother caught a small embroidered silk sachet, which he handed to Alexa.
Her always sarcastic brother's act was a surprise.
Hurriedly opening it, she found a pair of modern earrings, with dark blue stones dangling majestically from cabochons.
"You! Iacintho, that's why you want me to pierce my ears! " Alexa concluded, and he shrugged, with a shy smile.
Narses wasn't happy,
"Iacintho, you said that these were too expensive!"
"For you, yes," Alexa's older brother teased the immediately younger brother, and turned to the maiden, "And I wanted to make sure that, with all these heavy props, our little sister doesn't hang around upside down. Or get into holes. She can certainly lose an ear now."
Clearly Iacintho was referring to all the times when she tried to snoop on his affairs by invading his tent or workshop, usually by the means that Narses taught her.
She shrugged, showing her tongue to Iacintho. Alexa ignored their usual rants, and grabbed her gifts with greed and joy. She didn't know which one was more beautiful and she admired them for a while, with a huge silly smile hanging on her lips.
But a thought came to her mind,
"Hey, brothers, wait. You two are giving me valuable gifts on the same day, and so suddenly ... "
The two Dallassenos looked at each other, and Alexa realized, even if only briefly, that the exchange of looks between them was tinged with concern. But both disguised it quickly.
"She keeps her smarts. Now I just wanted to convince myself to pamper her and that she's a fragile and helpless being."
"But I am!" Alexa protested. "Still, I know there's something weird going on. And you even planned that! You never make plans together!"
Iacintho was silent, but Narses sighed,
"Well, in my rush, I think I spoiled the news our father was going to give you tonight. Or rather, he will. So promise to pretend you know nothing and we'll tell you."
"YES! I promise."
"Tomorrow you will meet the Empress in person. And perhaps, even the Emperor," the maiden could see that Narses had picked his words carefully.
It was a great honor, but Alexa felt that there was something more than simple courtesy in the empress's interest in her.
And she was not wrong.
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Alexa scr.a.p.ed the bottom of the bowl, not really feeling her hunger satisfied but thanking her hosts for sharing with her the little food they had.
Any of them would be killed for hunting in the Baron's lands, according to feudal law, and they didn't even have land to produce their food. But what little they got was being divided.
Her account of what she had seen and heard, and how Lady Gwen's children hid her in a sewing room, appalled her listeners.
Before giving the word that they would help Lady Alexa, Giles decided that they would listen to Cymric.
The leader of the group was concerned, and the princess understood him.
Giles appeared to have some military training, but most of the men in the group were ex-peasants.
Even so, Alexa was determined that, whatever they decided, she had to go back and get Magnus out of there.
Their camp was a group of rustic tents, carts and decrepit vans, surrounded on one side by a palisade and on the other by a stream. Some children ran through the buildings and vehicles, while the men were gathered in a circle talking to each other.
Meanwhile, Giles' partner Anne and her friends wanted to know about Alexa.
Almost all women in the group, old and young, had surrounded Alexa with curiosity.
Alexa tried to be vague and brief, but the questions followed in a way that it would be very rude avoid explaining.
She could simply lie and tell them a made-up story about her origins. But, since she had seen her brother Narses alive, her own identity, which had lost its l.u.s.ter with the weight of the surname von Wuttenfal, seemed to require her to tell who she was. If her day of death came, people would know her story, or at least, a part of it.
Alexa smiled to them,
"I was born in a very distant land, Constantinople, in a family that served the emperor faithfully. I was the youngest in my family, the Dallassenos, and the only girl. But, due to a custom of my family, I couldn't live as a woman in the first years of my life ..."
The fact attracted the attention of all, who seemed to realize that they would hear a very interesting story.
"My mother died when I was very young, so my father gave me the name of a man, Alexios, and raised me as a boy. I was at his side or at the side of my brothers, and I thought I had nothing to fear in the world. I had a pleasant life, and I had fun, studied, and even messed something once in a while. I kept the secret when I could understand it, for the sake of my family. And in fact, I didn't think much about the future. However, I didn't expect that, when I reached a certain age, to refuse the advances of a general, one of the emperor's brothers, would cause the death of the firstborn in our house. As well as the destruction of our family."
Her audience held their breath, and Alexa continued,
"When my father realized that that event had caused the emperor's brother to wrath and could make our protector turn his back, he tried to save us all."
ºº
"OUCH! No! No! Stop!" Alexios, or rather, Alexia Zöe, tried to escape torture while Iacintho held her tightly, wrapping his arms around her.
The maid was trying to pierce her earlobe with a hot needle so that Alexa would start wearing earrings like all the other girls of her age and social class in Constantinople.
"Don't be stubborn, Alexa!" Iacintho grunted, struggling to hold the girl who was struggling like a lamb going to the slaughterhouse. "What can this pain be in the face of everything you've punctured, grated, bled and broken?"
"But now it hurts more!!! I'm a girl now!" shouted Alexa, with tears flooding her eyes. Her logic made his brother laugh heartily, and he ended up releasing his sister, who slapped the maid's hand and ran to the other corner of the room. Silena, the maid, pursed her lips at the maiden's behavior and said,
"Very well, maiden, I will no longer pierce your ears as ordered. But then the earrings 'Kyria' Tarsila gave you before she left will stay in the vanity, not in your ears."
It was Alexa's turn to squeeze her lips, trying to decide what to do. She didn't like the pain, but it was the only way to wear the earrings that her sister-in-law, Michalis's widow, left for her before leaving for her parents' country home.
Her father-in-law Bryennios advised Tarsila to return close to her parents, as he feared that some reprisal would reach the family, shortly after Michalis's death.
Tarsila had left with her servants and a small fortune, not without shedding many tears. The earrings were her personal gift to celebrate the fact that now, due to her husband's sacrifice, Alexa could finally live as a woman. In addition, the earrings were beautiful and Alexa secretly wanted them.
"Okay," she mumbled, returning to Silena, "Just don't be rough." The maid went to disinfect the needle in vinegar and then heated the tip of the needle in the flame of a candle. Meanwhile, Lex sat down, waiting passively.
"For those who took off men's clothes just a month ago, your pain threshold dropped a lot in a short time," Iacintho crossed his arms, mocking.
"It's just that I'm a sensitive person. I am a woman after all. I am much weaker. I can't endure offenses by you anymore, just because I can't do things. You need to treat me well."
Iacintho rolled his eyes,
"I want to see how long this whining of yours will last."
Narses came into the room like a curious cat. The maiden wasn't fond of being the center of attention that way. At least Iacintho was there to help with a pain medicine.
"Why are you hiding your hands behind you?" she asked suspiciously. Narses had a huge smile and seemed to barely contain himself.
Silena took the opportunity to grab her ear again, and Alexa contained a shiver, shrugging her shoulders in anticipation.
"Look!" he showed what he was hiding behind his back.
"OH! OH!" Alexa got up at the exact moment that Silena was going to pierce her ear, and the maid gave a frustrated sigh. Narses waved two luxurious shoes, gracefully embroidered in gold and with red and blue floral motifs, before her nose. "Narses, they're amazing! They're amazing!"
Her blond brother lifted the gift out of the reach of Alexa, who kept trying to get it but without success. Narses was the tallest of the Dallassenos, and Alexa didn't even come close to touching the shoes above her head.
"Not very good for climbing smooth walls, though," Narses lamented, finally handing the flats to his sister. Iacintho approached, touching the pouch on his waist,
"Well, I didn't want to have to compete with Narses, since it would be unfortunate for him, but here is my gift." The dark-haired brother caught a small embroidered silk sachet, which he handed to Alexa.
Her always sarcastic brother's act was a surprise.
Hurriedly opening it, she found a pair of modern earrings, with dark blue stones dangling majestically from cabochons.
"You! Iacintho, that's why you want me to pierce my ears! " Alexa concluded, and he shrugged, with a shy smile.
Narses wasn't happy,
"Iacintho, you said that these were too expensive!"
"For you, yes," Alexa's older brother teased the immediately younger brother, and turned to the maiden, "And I wanted to make sure that, with all these heavy props, our little sister doesn't hang around upside down. Or get into holes. She can certainly lose an ear now."
Clearly Iacintho was referring to all the times when she tried to snoop on his affairs by invading his tent or workshop, usually by the means that Narses taught her.
She shrugged, showing her tongue to Iacintho. Alexa ignored their usual rants, and grabbed her gifts with greed and joy. She didn't know which one was more beautiful and she admired them for a while, with a huge silly smile hanging on her lips.
But a thought came to her mind,
"Hey, brothers, wait. You two are giving me valuable gifts on the same day, and so suddenly ... "
The two Dallassenos looked at each other, and Alexa realized, even if only briefly, that the exchange of looks between them was tinged with concern. But both disguised it quickly.
"She keeps her smarts. Now I just wanted to convince myself to pamper her and that she's a fragile and helpless being."
"But I am!" Alexa protested. "Still, I know there's something weird going on. And you even planned that! You never make plans together!"
Iacintho was silent, but Narses sighed,
"Well, in my rush, I think I spoiled the news our father was going to give you tonight. Or rather, he will. So promise to pretend you know nothing and we'll tell you."
"YES! I promise."
"Tomorrow you will meet the Empress in person. And perhaps, even the Emperor," the maiden could see that Narses had picked his words carefully.
It was a great honor, but Alexa felt that there was something more than simple courtesy in the empress's interest in her.
And she was not wrong.
Alexa scr.a.p.ed the bottom of the bowl, not really feeling her hunger satisfied but thanking her hosts for sharing with her the little food they had. Any of them would be killed for hunting in the Baron's lands, according to feudal law, and they didn't even have land to produce their food. But what little they got was being divided. Her account of what she had seen and heard, and how Lady Gwen's children hid her in a sewing room, appalled her listeners. Before giving the word that they would help Lady Alexa, Giles decided that they would listen to Cymric. The leader of the group was concerned, and the princess understood him. Giles appeared to have some military training, but most of the men in the group were ex-peasants. Even so, Alexa was determined that, whatever they decided, she had to go back and get Magnus out of there. Their camp was a group of rustic tents, carts and decrepit vans, surrounded on one side by a palisade and on the other by a stream. Some children ran through the buildings and vehicles, while the men were gathered in a circle talking to each other. Meanwhile, Giles' partner Anne and her friends wanted to know about Alexa. Almost all women in the group, old and young, had surrounded Alexa with curiosity. Alexa tried to be vague and brief, but the questions followed in a way that it would be very rude avoid explaining. She could simply lie and tell them a made-up story about her origins. But, since she had seen her brother Narses alive, her own identity, which had lost its l.u.s.ter with the weight of the surname von Wuttenfal, seemed to require her to tell who she was. If her day of death came, people would know her story, or at least, a part of it. Alexa smiled to them, "I was born in a very distant land, Constantinople, in a family that served the emperor faithfully. I was the youngest in my family, the Dallassenos, and the only girl. But, due to a custom of my family, I couldn't live as a woman in the first years of my life ..." The fact attracted the attention of all, who seemed to realize that they would hear a very interesting story. "My mother died when I was very young, so my father gave me the name of a man, Alexios, and raised me as a boy. I was at his side or at the side of my brothers, and I thought I had nothing to fear in the world. I had a pleasant life, and I had fun, studied, and even messed something once in a while. I kept the secret when I could understand it, for the sake of my family. And in fact, I didn't think much about the future. However, I didn't expect that, when I reached a certain age, to refuse the advances of a general, one of the emperor's brothers, would cause the death of the firstborn in our house. As well as the destruction of our family." Her audience held their breath, and Alexa continued, "When my father realized that that event had caused the emperor's brother to wrath and could make our protector turn his back, he tried to save us all." "OUCH! No! No! Stop!" Alexios, or rather, Alexia Ze, tried to escape torture while Iacintho held her tightly, wrapping his arms around her. The maid was trying to pierce her earlobe with a hot needle so that Alexa would start wearing earrings like all the other girls of her age and social class in Constantinople. "Don't be stubborn, Alexa!" Iacintho grunted, struggling to hold the girl who was struggling like a lamb going to the slaughterhouse. "What can this pain be in the face of everything you've punctured, grated, bled and broken?" "But now it hurts more!!! I'm a girl now!" shouted Alexa, with tears flooding her eyes. Her logic made his brother laugh heartily, and he ended up releasing his sister, who slapped the maid's hand and ran to the other corner of the room. Silena, the maid, pursed her lips at the maiden's behavior and said, "Very well, maiden, I will no longer pierce your ears as ordered. But then the earrings 'Kyria' Tarsila gave you before she left will stay in the vanity, not in your ears." It was Alexa's turn to squeeze her lips, trying to decide what to do. She didn't like the pain, but it was the only way to wear the earrings that her sister-in-law, Michalis's widow, left for her before leaving for her parents' country home. Her father-in-law Bryennios advised Tarsila to return close to her parents, as he feared that some reprisal would reach the family, shortly after Michalis's death. Tarsila had left with her servants and a small fortune, not without shedding many tears. The earrings were her personal gift to celebrate the fact that now, due to her husband's sacrifice, Alexa could finally live as a woman. In addition, the earrings were beautiful and Alexa secretly wanted them. "Okay," she mumbled, returning to Silena, "Just don't be rough." The maid went to disinfect the needle in vinegar and then heated the tip of the needle in the flame of a candle. Meanwhile, Lex sat down, waiting passively. "For those who took off men's clothes just a month ago, your pain threshold dropped a lot in a short time," Iacintho crossed his arms, mocking. "It's just that I'm a sensitive person. I am a woman after all. I am much weaker. I can't endure offenses by you anymore, just because I can't do things. You need to treat me well." Iacintho rolled his eyes, "I want to see how long this whining of yours will last." Narses came into the room like a curious cat. The maiden wasn't fond of being the center of attention that way. At least Iacintho was there to help with a pain medicine. "Why are you hiding your hands behind you?" she asked suspiciously. Narses had a huge smile and seemed to barely contain himself. Silena took the opportunity to grab her ear again, and Alexa contained a shiver, shrugging her shoulders in anticipation. "Look!" he showed what he was hiding behind his back. "OH! OH!" Alexa got up at the exact moment that Silena was going to pierce her ear, and the maid gave a frustrated sigh. Narses waved two luxurious shoes, gracefully embroidered in gold and with red and blue floral motifs, before her nose. "Narses, they're amazing! They're amazing!" Her blond brother lifted the gift out of the reach of Alexa, who kept trying to get it but without success. Narses was the tallest of the Dallassenos, and Alexa didn't even come close to touching the shoes above her head. "Not very good for climbing smooth walls, though," Narses lamented, finally handing the flats to his sister. Iacintho approached, touching the pouch on his waist, "Well, I didn't want to have to compete with Narses, since it would be unfortunate for him, but here is my gift." The dark-haired brother caught a small embroidered silk sachet, which he handed to Alexa. Her always sarcastic brother's act was a surprise. Hurriedly opening it, she found a pair of modern earrings, with dark blue stones dangling majestically from cabochons. "You! Iacintho, that's why you want me to pierce my ears! " Alexa concluded, and he shrugged, with a shy smile. Narses wasn't happy, "Iacintho, you said that these were too expensive!" "For you, yes," Alexa's older brother teased the immediately younger brother, and turned to the maiden, "And I wanted to make sure that, with all these heavy props, our little sister doesn't hang around upside down. Or get into holes. She can certainly lose an ear now." Clearly Iacintho was referring to all the times when she tried to snoop on his affairs by invading his tent or workshop, usually by the means that Narses taught her. She shrugged, showing her tongue to Iacintho. Alexa ignored their usual rants, and grabbed her gifts with greed and joy. She didn't know which one was more beautiful and she admired them for a while, with a huge silly smile hanging on her lips. But a thought came to her mind, "Hey, brothers, wait. You two are giving me valuable gifts on the same day, and so suddenly ... " The two Dallassenos looked at each other, and Alexa realized, even if only briefly, that the exchange of looks between them was tinged with concern. But both disguised it quickly. "She keeps her smarts. Now I just wanted to convince myself to pamper her and that she's a fragile and helpless being." "But I am!" Alexa protested. "Still, I know there's something weird going on. And you even planned that! You never make plans together!" Iacintho was silent, but Narses sighed, "Well, in my rush, I think I spoiled the news our father was going to give you tonight. Or rather, he will. So promise to pretend you know nothing and we'll tell you." "YES! I promise." "Tomorrow you will meet the Empress in person. And perhaps, even the Emperor," the maiden could see that Narses had picked his words carefully. It was a great honor, but Alexa felt that there was something more than simple courtesy in the empress's interest in her. And she was not wrong.
