Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ The Glaciers' Widow ❯ Amor atque Lex ( Chapter 13 )

~*Amor atque Lex*~

*Love and Law*

" Also tomorrow it'll be cold..."

A guard said rubbing his hands. The other handed a cup filled with a fuming liquid and added:

" Never seen a winter so cold, my daughter would want to snow: since when she heard the Baroness of Acquaviva speak about snow, she wants to see it at all costs!"

" That Jucher..." the first watch hissed with badly hidden scorn," This winter is her work: she must have put a spell to attract this cold from Mounts of Llaya. "

" Sshh! If anyone hears thou and tells it to the Princess or the Prince, you will go through a great trouble."

" She must have put a spell on them too: the Princess is always with her and since when /she/ has come, the Prince is changed much."

" Changed?"

" What art thou doing? This is a position of watch, not a tavern!"

Lafarga exclaimed putting in rank the two men, whom came to attention. The Commander watched the two soldiers with a frown: he had overheard their conversation, and even if he shared their worry - everybody had noticed the Prince's change, even if they didn't know if it was a positive or negative thing- but they couldn't be distracted during the watch. So he began to scold them bitterly, while the two guards bent their head swearing mentally for have been so stupid; one jumped, as if he has heard a strange noise and he looked at the sky: a Saracen moon shone in the sky and dense clouds had swept by the northwest wind. His eyes widened and he attracted the attention of his friend and Lafarga, whom looked aghast the clouds.

Presea threw a pitiful glance to Fuu, whom tossed and turned in her bed, and with a sigh putted the boiler in the fireplace.

" Hold on, my lady, the chamomile and lime tea will be ready within ten minutes. Here a warm cloth: it'll ease a bit thy pain...."

The nurse said placing a fuming cloth on Fuu's stomach before, then Presea sit on the bed's edge and grabbed her hand. Fuu squeezed hard Presea's hand while two big tears flowed on her cheeks: she seemed to calm down, but few after she took back to toss. Presea sigh again and let the girl's hand: at this point there was only one thing to do to ease her pain and give her some comfort, so she pulled off the shoes. The nurse was about to climb in the bed, when the boiler fell from the tripod.

" Now art thou also trying to kill me, blessed nurse?! Hey! What art thou doing? And then /I/ would be the pervert!"

Ferio exclaimed coming in the room through the secret passage. Presea stood up and exclaimed pointing the young man:

" Now I understand how thou do to come in this room even if I locked the door! There is a secret passage in the fireplace: as soon as possible I'll close it!"

" Art thou nuts?! Fuu-chan, tell something to her, or this... Fuu! What is happened honey? Talk, nurse, what is happened to my Fuu?!"

Presea puffed drying the floor.

" Thou art a man and couldn't understand such things! However, for this moon thy secret is save."

Ferio watched thoughtful the nurse, thinking over the meaning of her words - moon... secret...-; he then raised a finger and he said naively:

" Oh, yes! Fuu has periods."

Very, very shocked, Presea glanced at him.

" A... a man shouldn't know such things!!!"

"What can I do?" he say worried watching his beloved," Thou were preparing an infusion for her and I spilled the water..."

Presea was struck by his words, but above all by his voice. The woman massaged her temples and took the boiler.

" In a very exceptional way, I grant thou to share her bed. But do nothing but what my lady will ask. I make again the tea."

Ferio half smiled: Presea did her job with extreme diligence and, even if she was a pain in the back, she was a good woman. The Prince drew near the bed and embraced Fuu, whom had sat after his coming. Ferio kissed her salty eyelashes and then her dry lips, while his hand caressed tenderly her back.

" What can I do?"

Fuu looked him with watery eyes.

" ... Hold me... "

Ferio loosened the embrace and pulled off shoes and cloak, then slipped in the bed and kissed her gently. Fuu fondled his cheek with her fingertips and, taken his hand, she turned around pressing her back against his chest and placing his hand on her lap. Ferio sink his face in his hair and inhaled her beautiful fragrance, while the hand massaged her belly: Fuu seemed to calm down a little bit. After a quarter of hour, Presea carried a fuming teacup that emanated a lime blossom and honey smell: Ferio helped Fuu to sit and he took the teacup for her.

" Come on, drink my love, it will help thou..."

The nurse watched the man and thought over his actual behavior: his gestures, his kindness, but above all his eyes showed a sincere and disinterested love. If Ferio had been the man that Presea imagined, he would have left grumbling and would have looked for somebody else with who spend the night. During whole the moon, Presea had watched the lover attentively and, even if unwillingly, she must acknowledge that Ferio /really/ cared for Fuu. With a sigh and with an -almost- accommodating smile, Presea took the tray, the teapot and the empty teacup and went in the small drawing room.

Presea was applying a dark red ribbon to one of her white bonnet - for the Juchers, that color symbolized the mourning, when Ferio joined her. The Prince rubbed his eyes and spills some water and, after have drunk greedily, he answered to Presea's interrogative:

" Fuu's sleeping." he said with a whisper," If it doesn't bother thou, I want to stay with her."

Presea puffed:

" Thou never asked my permission, Sir."

" Ah-em... this... this case is different."

Presea looked the man for a long time and after an unbearable silence, she said:

" Do as thou please, but not dare to graze my lady with an finger, clear?"

Ferio for the joy kissed Presea's forehead and went back in Fuu's bedroom.

Presea stretched and yawned and got up: though it wasn't late, she didn't hear noises from the next room next. Firm to do the so much expected sleep, Presea went to check Ferio and Fuu: both slept deeply, he embraced her exactly as he was doing before -with a hand pressed against her lap- and they looked innocent like two children that searches comfort in each other in a night of storm. Presea approached the bed and tucked both up in bed. Ferio grunted something in the sleep and tightened Fuu even more.

Presea was ready to go to bed: after have covered the burning embers with ash, she squeezed herself in a shawl and she went her in bedroom. The nurse had just closed her eyes when anybody knocked: a glance at the clock -a quarter to eleven- and grumbling went to the door.

" Who's bothering at this time of the night? Is it possible that I couldn't sleep in peace in this..? Holy gods!"

" W'ere is Margot?"

Presea looked amazed the man in front of her: among all the people that she could think, she /never/ would have imagined to open that door and find Hernst Van de Graaff, Baron of Acquaviva and -above all- Fuu's grandfather. The Baron had always refused to call his granddaughter "Fuu" -for him; it was a too exotic name for a Jucher, favoring her second name, Marguerite. The man came into the drawing room leaning on his walking stick and he twisted the mouth at the luxury room's sight.

" W'ere is Margot?"

" In her bed, Sir."

" I go to 'er: I don't see my granddaug'ter from many moons, s'e will be happy to embrace 'er old grandfadser."

" No!" Presea exclaimed placing herself before Fuu's door." Er... my lady is been just fallen asleep and I don't want to waked her up."

" Nurse, lose some sleep once every so often won't 'urt 'er! I am her grandfadser, am I not?"

Hernst said hobbling. Presea nibbled her lower lip: if the Baron discovered what had happened to his granddaughter...

" Please understand, Sir: my lady has been ill, it has been difficult fall asleep for her and in her actual state the sleep is the better thing!"

" A reason in more to see 'er."

" I advise thou to don't come in, Sir."

Hernst glanced irritated at Presea, whom felt pierced by his icy look. His voice, yet being calm, had a vein of threat.

" Move, nurse, t'y be'avior is unwordsy beyond dsan suspicious! I 'ave dse impression dsat dsou want to 'ide me somedsing."

Presea sink her head biting her lower lip and she moved, while hot tears flowed on her face.

" Forgive me, Sir, forgive me! I... I have done everything in my power to avoid it..."

The elderly ignored the woman's words and opened the door: the slim light of the candles in the drawing room lit up part of the bed. Confused between light and shade, Hernst saw two figures: a muscular and masculine one -Ferio- that embraced a delicate and female one -Fuu. Hernst felt his heart break: his little granddaughter, his only granddaughter, had fallen so low to dishonor her family and her people becoming the lover of a Miargios. What hurt him more, it was to know what would have happened to Fuu when she would have gone back to Llayamana: not only has had premarital sex, she has had it even /before/ the Mysteries' ceremony! Practically she was still a child! And this meant to stand trial and then punishment: but survive in high mountain in full winter for seven suns, with a blanket and a knife was impossible. And admitting that she survived, her destiny was however marked: nobody would have married such a woman. Hernst turned and glanced very angry at Presea; his eyes two thin cracks.

" I 'ope dsat dsou 'ave a satisfactory explanation, Presea P'arle."

Presea sink in an easy chair and told to the Baron what had happened between the two -naturally skipping some /particular/.

" So dsere is a secret passage in dse fireplace... w'y don't dsou 'ave closed it?"

" I have discovered it only this evening: I had decided that I myself would have closed it tomorrow."

" Dessin knows about dsis... dsis.."

" No." Presea whispered watching her own hands," Princess Emeraude, Marquise Umi and I are the only people to know it. I swear on my mother's grave, Sir, I have done the possible to extinguish from the start this... this shame."

" Evidently dsou 'aven't done enoug'. Do dsou know what will 'appen to Margot now?! Become her own stepsister's future 'usband' lover! O God, I don't dare dsink about w'at will decide dse Counsel of dse Elderly w'en it will know it!"

" He... the Prince has promised that he'll marry her: he has said that if he will be far from Sephiro for twelve or thirteen moons -I don't remember the right number- the marriage will be valid even..."

" I know dsis country's laws, also my poor Klelya married a Miargios. I'll talk wids dsem tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow: tomorrow I'll be calmer and I'll take a decision almost impartial."

Taken this decision, the Baron got up and left.

The morning following Presea was desperate: when he had waked up, Ferio had found the nurse cry in the small drawing room and at first he laughed, thinking that the woman was worried for Fuu. Presea looked at him terrified and she told him that the Baron had come at the castle for Alcyone's funeral, that he had discovered their affair in the worse way, that he had threatened her and that as soon as gone back to Llayamana Fuu would have been brought to trial. Presea burst again in tears and sink her face in the handkerchief. Ferio had whitened in face: this was the last thing that he wanted. The sense of guilt gripped his heart as a vice: he knew, he had always known that the Jucher laws were harsh; he knew to have put in Fuu danger; but he had been too selfish and couldn't-care-less to admit it. For him the important thing was to be with Fuu, in spite of every law and rule. But now the reality had decided to impose itself and to make them pay the price to have lived a dream. Ferio laid a hand on his forehead and murmured painfully:

" And now? What should I do?"

" Speak." Presea sobbed," Speak with the Baron as soon as possible! Not let my lady..."

Her words stopped in her throat, but Ferio knew what Presea meant: he nodded and went out, without think that somebody could see him. Ferio ran along the hallway, and then down the staircases, doing three steps to time; sees him come, two maids moved making fall the laundry's basket that overturned, a sheet got entangled between his legs and he almost stumbled; the two maids bowed dismayed asking forgiveness, but Ferio ignored them: find the Baron was his priority. After have slipped on the wet floor, invested three or four pages and have crashed into Lantis, Ferio was able to find the Baron: he spoke before a window with Duke Dessin, with them there was a young man of about twenty-five winters.

The Baron was an imposing man -he could be tall six feet and more, if he doesn't lean against his walking stick- and that aroused respect and awe: he was about fifty-five or sixty winters, his hair were white as the snow and light eyes -perhaps gray; a light filigree of wrinkles veiled the pale skin of his face. Like the stranger, he wore a dark suit, red like blood. Ferio moved the look on the stranger: he was not very different from the Baron -even if shorter, with silvered blond hair and hazelnut eyes. Ferio took a deep breath and approached the three of them pretending to don't have seen them. Was Dessin to see him for first and he recalled his attention: after a small bow, the Duke introduced to the Prince the Baron Hernst and Lord Innova. A look was enough, and Hernst knew that Ferio knew that he knew.

" I know dsat dsere art gorgeous gardens, Margot 'as often written in her letters about dsem. I would be... glad if /dsou/ s'ows me them."

The Baron said finding an excuse to be alone with the boy. Ferio looked doubtful at the man.

" Ma... Margot?"

" My daughter Fuu, Highness." Dessin explained," Hernst calls name with her second."

" Because "Fuu" is not a name for a Juc'er."

" Ah, I understand. Therefore, if want to follow me you I will show the gardens."

" Great! Duke, would dsou apologize us..."

" No Innova," Hernst interrupted the young man," Margot will be very sad- she 'as a heart so gentle! - it would be a very polite gesture from dsy side if dsou try to comfort 'er."

At those words, Ferio felt a pang of jealousy, but he smiled and he pretended sympathy," Since when she has received the news she goes out rarely from her rooms." he had told simulating compassion. And the face of Innova lit up at the perspective to comfort the Baroness. The four said goodbye and Ferio led the Baron of Acquaviva in the gardens.

The elderly and the young man came to a pond, on which the swans glided elegantly.

" Presea 'as told me everydsing."

" I know it, this morning she was desperate."

" Dsus, w'at do dsou tell in dsy defense?"

" The only thing that I could say is that I love Fuu. And that I feel guilt to have put her in trouble. But for each thing there is a remedy; only the death doesn't have remedy."

" It is not wids dse promises dsat dsou'll erase dsy guilt, the Counsel is never satisfied of only words. For w'at I know, dsou already 'ave a promise bride: Arosa Wasserfest-'ouojii!"

" Not for my choose! And until when the engagement will be official I am free to tell that swo... Arosa to go to hell. If thou want tangible proofs of my love for thy granddaughter -like public shows of affection and such things- I am sorry to disappoint thou, but it is very unwise: Alcyone has... she had spies hidden in the whole palace, people that now would report each my movement to Arosa and Owen. "

" Dsis is admirable, but Margot is my only granddaug'ter and my only source of joy after w'at 'as 'appened to Klelya: I won't allow to a... to a person like dsou to ruin 'er existence! Know dsat I will believe dsou only dse day in w'ic' dsou'll keep dsy word."

" And thou will see it come true as soon as possible: my sister wants to be present at Mysteries, and I will be with her. The death of Alcyone has been a stroke of luck: Arosa must be in mourning for eighteen moons, more than the necessary time to make valid Fuu's and my wedding."

Hernst smiled mocking.

" Not to upset dsy plans, but 'ow do dsou 'ope to be far from Sep'iro for dsirteen moons?"

Ferio reciprocated the smile.

" Well, I am the crown prince and a day I'll govern this country: thus what is better than a /long trip/ to know the bordering countries?"

" Dsou don't need know /only/ the uses and the customs of a foreign country, but also the laws: break dsese laws is like violate a friend's trust. We Juc'er 'as different laws from dsose of our bordering countries, and our laws -like our traditions- art dse only bond dsat we 'ave wids the land we 'as been forced to leave more dsan dsree 'undred winters ago. Dsou will agree on dsat - if dsis affair will be known in our country- dsou and Margot would go through a few unpleasant minutes: sure, for my granddaug'ter I could find an escamotage; but dsou would be condemned to dse capital punis'ment. We use tear dse 'eart to w'om takes advantage of a woman."

Ferio froze: turning his favor the Prince's answer, Hernst had threatened him openly. The expression of the elderly had not changed: his smirk was like printed on that pale face. The silence had lowered between the two men, broken by the swans' calla and their elegant glides' sounds on the water. Their breaths formed ephemeral clouds while a thread of smoke rose in the sky by a fire lighted by the guards, whom exchanged spicy anecdotes. Hernst mumbled something, but Ferio didn't ever understand what he said. Then the old man turned around and limping went back in the palace.

==================================== TO BE CONTINUED===============================

Sorry! I know that much time is pasts between the last chapter and this, but the appointments have limited the time that I could dedicate to my fanfics: however I'll try to finish the next chapter as soon as possible. I have noticed a notable decrease of reviews: very bad, don't you know that the review are /fundamental/ for my creativeness? Thus I must urge you to write them if you want to read this story's rest :P

And now some advertising ;) do you have read my new fic, "Following the Fate"? I hope that the next chapters have more success than the first -Thank you Pri for the review- and that you appreciate this new story. I must admit that the beginning is not at all encouraging, but since the second chapter things will be better.

To the next!

P-chan