175.

12. The Prophet

Around the time when the season changed from the night Johannes lost Inette.

It was still the dim hour of twilight. The retainers gathered in the courtyard, led by Duke Gustavus and his eldest son, silently watched the long procession leaving the fortress. The delegation carrying the Duke’s personal letter was crossing the drawbridge with the sound of hoofbeats. The two riders at the front held long red flags flowing like a river, and the leader following them was adorned in red ceremonial attire. From any angle, it was the appearance of a splendid friendly delegation. However, the way they spurred their horses as soon as they reached the other side of the moat rather reminded one of wartime lancers. Indeed. They were essentially military messengers.

This column of ten, like two giant snakes, headed towards the central royal capital at dawn. Rumbling, dust rises over the dry ground with the urgent sound. And on the day they return to Gustavus, the eldest daughter of the Valdemar family will also move her residence to the royal capital. That is to say.

They were envoys announcing the arrangement of a marriage to the royal family.

***

The princess’s marriage was decided in the middle of the night before the moon had even waned. It was truly a sudden conclusion, and clearly an early marriage. Although they say the princess will soon have her birthday in October, isn’t she just a girl who has barely finished her first menstruation?

While the delegation was being prepared without even waiting for daybreak, the ominous news spread like humidity. It flowed between the legs of the stable grooms, passed through the mouths of blacksmith apprentices, and thoroughly seeped into the ears of sentries standing on the watchtowers. By the time dawn broke, even the most lowly deaf laborer in the fortress knew about it.

Did you hear…? Did you hear? Now the royal family will be in-laws with the Valdemars. The central royal capital will be an ally of Gustavus…! Your Grace the Grand Duke, may you be victorious in all battles! It was the best news of all good news.

Among them, no one pointed out the fact that this marriage was an early one for the princess. Perhaps it was natural lack of consideration, since many vassals didn’t even know the face of the young lady they served, as she had grown up confined for a long time. They were just joyous.

However, among the court ladies, there were not a few who secretly sympathized with the princess’s situation. Particularly, four court ladies who had not yet reached the rank to watch the procession gathered in the empty rear garden and shared concerned whispers while lazily sweeping.

“If it weren’t for the war, she wouldn’t have had to meet a husband at such a young age…”

“That’s right…. What’s the point of an alliance? She’ll be bearing seeds before her flowers even bloom.”

“How will someone who hasn’t even experienced love manage her wedding night?”

Was she tidying the path, or scattering fallen leaves about? Among the four, the bright-eyed maid who was particularly halfhearted in her sweeping suddenly raised her head curiously.

“Is her body different from ours since she comes from a different background? Does she mature early?”

“What nonsense. All human bodies are the same, how could they be different?”

“But her appearance is so different!”

“You’ve never even seen her in person.”

The sharp-eyed one chided as if it were ridiculous. Though she too didn’t know the princess’s exact features.

“I’ve seen her standing by the window of the women’s quarters sometimes. Even from afar, doesn’t her noble aura just flow? Those slender arms and legs, and that beautifully colored hair…! If she would just cut off a handful and give it to me, I’d braid it into my own hair.”

“Why? To show your lover? Roland?”

“Huh? Who’s that?”

The bright-eyed maid giggled and played innocent. The sharp-eyed maid shook her head.

“…What noble aura. She looked like a swaying ghost from a distance.”

“Maybe you mistook the princess consort for the young lady.”

“Shh.”

Just as the quiet maid added a joke and smiled, the girl who seemed somewhat older among the four put her index finger to her lips. Eek. The three who were startled prematurely bowed their heads deeply as if greeting the empty air without a sound. The maid who had disciplined her colleagues for the sake of her age moved to face them. Then she lowered her own head and thrust it towards her colleagues’ faces. With a look that conveyed “gather around,” she gestured with her eyes towards the three girls. Though she knew it was a terrible thing to do, her expression showed she absolutely couldn’t resist the temptation to gossip, proving she was just as young. Eventually, four round heads gathered together in a conspiratorial circle around that maid.

“Have you… heard that rumor?”

“What?”

“They say the young lady was made to wear a chastity belt right after finishing her first menstruation.”

“A chastity belt? That ancient device?”

“How awful…”

“I know a lady’s chastity is important, but why a chastity belt for a virgin girl? It’s so barbaric.”

“That’s what I’m saying…. And apparently it’s no ordinary one.”

“If it’s not an ordinary chastity belt, then what is it?”

“Well, you see, it’s…”

The girl stopped mid-sentence and suddenly raised her head. She craned her neck to look around. In the early hours of the fortress’s rear garden, there was only the sound of summer petals falling. There were still no passersby. The sound of hoofbeats was far away. Soon, the girl’s reassured voice continued softly between her lips as she bent down again. Three pairs of ears perked up.

“You know how chastity belts usually have an opening…?”

“Huh?”

“The hole for urination. Like this. Shaped like this.”

The girl demonstrated by putting her index finger and thumb together to form a round circle. The maid who had been slow to understand nodded only after seeing that unsightly circle.

“Ah, that. Right. There would be.”

“Right? But the young lady’s chastity belt… apparently doesn’t have that…”

“…”

“…”

“Good… heavens…”

“Front and back?”

“What a cruel… thing to do.”

“Why? Why?”

“Do they mean for her to ask permission each time?”

“No, a chastity belt is supposed to just protect chastity, why go to such trouble?”

The maid who received a barrage of shrill questions on her face suddenly hardened her expression. She wiped her face from eyebrows to chin tip as if washing, then straightened her back. The eyes of the remaining three followed and stuck to her raised eyebrows.

“Don’t ask. How would I know the princess consort’s intentions? Perhaps she wanted to keep her precious daughter close to her bosom.”

This time, the eyes of all three focused on one point. As if it were too obvious to need saying, they exchanged gloomy glances in silence for a moment. Then, as if on cue, they let out long sighs.

“Haah…”

“Oh my…”

“The princess consort is, well, um…”

“…Hmm.”

“…”

“She’s taken too many blows to the head since she was young.”

“You girls!”

The last one to shout was Griselda with her eyes wide open. ‘Eek!’ Four bodies jumped simultaneously. The whispered gossip that was half sympathy, half boredom, finally ceased after Griselda’s stern rebuke. The maids, so young and reckless they didn’t know to value their lives, hastily left the rear garden while pretending to sweep. The sound of sweeping faded away like a winding tail.

The girls also knew well that they had narrowly escaped a beating thanks to Griselda not quite hearing the subject of their chatter. Not only that. It was fortunate that the retainer who burst into the rear garden was Griselda. Had it been someone else, they couldn’t have avoided having their mouths sewn shut on the spot even if they begged.

“Those wench girls…”

Winfrid clicked his tongue softly.

“Their bottoms are so heavy they’re lazy everywhere, but their mouths are endlessly light.”

The boy’s tone as he watched their retreating figures seemed more like needless grumbling than genuine disdain. Griselda said nothing in response. She just tilted her head to look at Winfrid and smiled gently.

Winfrid was nestled against Griselda’s arm, sitting on her forearm as if using her shoulder as an armrest. Though still thin, he was no longer small enough to be held completely. He had grown quite a bit.

“The fortress is noisy, so let’s start our walk from here.”

Griselda gently set Winfrid down. The feet of the noblest family’s most lowly boy lightly touched the grass. But soon he leaned against his nanny’s side, as if pressing his temples.

“It’s all annoying. I’m tired.”

“Even if your body feels heavy and breathing is somewhat difficult, you need to move around occasionally. That’s how you’ll be able to assist your elder brother in the future.”

She was a woman who knew that Winfrid, sensitive about everything else, was devoted when it came to his elder brother. The boy who was about to retort closed his mouth tightly. He sighed deeply, unlike a child, with his face pressed against his nanny’s skirt. Only at the end did he finally take a step. Of course, while firmly holding his nanny’s hand.

“I don’t understand why they’re making such a fuss over that measly war.”

“It’s a matter of the family’s survival, of course, Lord Winfrid.”

“You seem to understand? Even though I, of all people, am losing sleep every night.”

In reality, the reason he can’t sleep is due to his long-standing illness. No matter how young Winfrid was, he wasn’t unaware of that obvious fact. He was a clever child who had long since grasped the basic principles of the world. Griselda also didn’t bother to point it out. A child is still a child, even if worldly-wise.

“Of course, my heart aches. It’s very painful to think of you tossing and turning alone all night, Lord Winfrid. I should visit you more often, but circumstances aren’t…”

“My sister is getting married now.”

Winfrid cut off Griselda’s words, pulling her hand. He continued what he wanted to say brusquely.

“Tell her husband-to-be to take her away quickly. Then you’ll be free from the women’s quarters too. You’ll be able to stay in the sickroom. Don’t go to my brother’s room then, stay with me.”

His tone gave a sudden urgent impression. It was like the breathing of an angry person being chased. Griselda, who had suddenly stopped in place, pulled Winfrid’s hand and stood him in front of her. Winfrid, bewildered by the sudden situation, came along with a furrowed expression and stood properly. The nanny crouched down to lower her eyes to his level.

The blue eyes of the child, who was no different from her own offspring, came down from a span above and touched the bridge of her nose. Eyes that had grown taller. Young eyes that had lost confidence in an uncertain future and were endlessly lonely without anyone to give affection. Eyes that always shattered clearly like glass.

“How are you feeling today?”

“…Same as always.”

Winfrid frowned at the gentle question and even averted his gaze. Griselda released Winfrid’s hand and neatly folded her own hands on her thighs. She raised her head towards Winfrid, maintaining a posture as if in prayer.

“Ah, try it.”

“How stupid…”

An insult came out immediately. Winfrid knew this woman’s intentions right away. She was trying to seriously do something like wordplay again. It wasn’t the first or second time he had experienced this, nor had he only been subjected to it for a day or two. Moreover, given that he was no longer so young, did she think he would still fall for it? Winfrid shook his head irritably.

“If it could be seen just by looking, would that be an illness?”

“I can see it with my eyes.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Ah.”

“…”

“Ah.”

Despite Winfrid’s fierce refusal, Griselda’s attitude remained consistent.