Ch.2
Morning dawned to a clear sky. It did not mirror Alexandra's own heart, which was a raging storm of thoughts and feelings. She loved Nicolaus and would do anything for him.
"But will I be content with our life together? I'm not foolish. I know I wouldn't have the luxuries I have now." Alexandra debated with herself in her vanity mirror. "And I have always wanted to be a queen. Mother has always wanted me to be a queen, also. I would let her down. But Uncle Karl would be saddened if I gave up on Nicolaus for something so..material." A knock on her bedroom door startled her, and Alexandra flew to her bed to wrap herself in her robe. Fearing it to be Nicolaus, she held her breath.
"It's only Mary, miss," Mary called through the half-open door as she entered. Alexandra smiled in relief.
"Yes, of course, Mary." She draped the robe over her bed, and tried to untie her nightgown.
"Oh let me, Your Highness. They're so hard to reach if you-" Alexandra gave in reluctantly. She wanted to prove to herself that she didn't really need a servant. Her arms hung limply at her sides as Mary began to untie the strings.
"Mary. Where do you sleep?"
"Oh, miss, you needn't worry yourself over that."
"But I'm curious. Where does the staff stay?"
"Most everyone is bunked in the West Wing, ma'am. Down the corridor from the library, there's a corner, and the hall narrows."
"Yes, I'm familiar with it." Alexandra slipped out of her nightgown and into the undergarments that lay waiting on her bed.
"A door's at the end of the hall, ma'am. It leads to the servant quarters. But, Your Highness," Mary turned Alexandra around, "It's best that you don't go down there."
"Nonsense."
"Your mother-"
"My mother will mind her own business," Alexandra said tartly. She said it more bravely than she felt. A moment of silence passed as Alexandra dressed. She desperately searched to find a way to ask about the Professor's room without being obvious. She felt a sense of desperation as Mary exited the room.
"Oh, miss," Mary popped her head around the door and smiled at Alexandra, "the professor's room is the last on the left." Mary closed the door quickly. Alexandra laughed. After a moment, she sneaked out of the room and hurried down the hall as quietly as possible. Her brothers still slept, and her mother rarely came out of her room before eight. Alexandra leaned over the rail and checked the clock in the main hall. She still had a couple hours to go.
The servant's hall echoed her footsteps ominously. Alexandra feared that the noise might bring some out of their rooms, but no such luck. She glanced in one room left open and realized that all the staff was busy, working to make her day an easy one. With glee, she flew down to the Professor's room. The door was open, but it was obvious someone was still inside. Timidly, Alexandra knocked, then entered. Nicolaus glanced up as she entered the room. Alexandra closed the door behind her carefully, barely allowing the door to click in the lock.
"I've made my decision," she said, nervously wringing her hands. Nicolaus paused in his packing. He rose from his bent position from packing. His brown suit accentuated his dark, foreign features; the string tie knotted under his shirt collar matched the blue of the morning sky.
"I'm going with you." Alexandra moved to the opposite side of the bed, her back to the window. Nicolaus hesitated.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm never sure about anything. But I don't care what it means. I want to be with you." Nicolaus smiled, and came to stand beside her.
"I love you," he said gently taking her hand. Alexandra smiled.
"I love you, too." She rose and gently kissed him. Nicolaus gathered her in his arms, not letting go of her or the kiss. He felt her arms go around him, and her hands rose to caress his neck. Again, after a moment, they reluctantly parted.
"I have to pack, I'll only take a moment."
"Do so, but do not return here. I need to say farewell to your brothers." Alexandra felt a tear threaten to escape onto her cheek.
"Of course. I only wish I could." she bit her lip, and Nicolaus put a hand on her shoulder.
"I am not making you do anything."
"Of course not, I know. But I won't change my mind."
"Fine. Give your bag to Mary, and have her leave it by the back door. I'll pick it up on my way out. The Prince arranged for me to take a carriage, it will be ready in a moment or so. Try to sneak in while it's in the yard." Alexandra started for the door.
"I'm sorry to tell you to do all this."
"You said it yourself, I chose my path. I couldn't organize an escape out of here, I'm glad you can." Alexandra gave him an understanding smile, and left for her room. On her way back, Mary intercepted her.
"Oh, miss, I'm glad I found you. We've just had word that the Queen is coming!" she whispered urgently. Alexandra's eyes opened wide in shock.
"We haven't a moment to lose, come, Mary," she said, pulling the girl into her room.
"Your Highness?" Mary watched in amusement as Alexandra dragged a small travel bag out of her wardrobe closet. She smiled knowingly as she began to help Alexandra pack her more sensible things. A knock on the door startled them both, and Mary ran to the door.
"Yes, yes, she's up. I'll have her ready in a moment," she said, shooing away whoever was at the door.
"Who was that?" Alexandra asked, her voice rising in fear.
"Another servant, sent to wake you. Apparently, your mother has risen and is in the same frantic state as yourself," Mary chuckled. She sealed the bag. Alexandra gathered her wits again.
"Thank you, Mary. Take it to the back door. Nic-the Professor will take care of the rest." Mary smiled, and held out a hand to Alexandra. The Princess took it in her own and gave it a squeeze.
"Best of luck to you, miss," Mary whispered. Alexandra smiled, and gave the hand another squeeze.
"Thank you, Mary."
Nicolaus finished packing the rest of his things. The room remained just as bare as when he first saw it. Who knew then what waited in store for him? Two young boys and one beautiful lady.the lady of the hour. And hopefully the rest of his life, too, Nicolaus reminded himself as he started down the back steps. He nearly ran over Uncle Karl in his urgency.
"Whoa, man!" Karl laughed, and steadied himself.
"Oh, Karl. I'm sorry. I wished I could see you before I left."
"You're leaving?" Karl asked, his brows rising.
"Yes, yes. The Prince had it arranged last night. There was a servant waiting for me when I returned to my room." Karl nodded.
"Yes, I expected as much. What about your.swan?" Karl asked, carefully. He didn't want to risk any nosy servants overhearing. Nicolaus smiled at the codename Karl used for Alexandra.
"She will, of course, come with me. The other waterfowl here don't seem to bring her much pleasure." Karl nodded again, neither smiling nor scowling.
"Take care of her then," he clapped Nicolaus heartily on the shoulder. Now it was Nicolaus who nodded.
"I make my farewells to the boys, and then I leave." Karl continued up the stairs, fighting back tears. Alexandra was the only person in this house who seemed to appreciate him. My, he'd miss her. Nicolaus continued down the stairs, taking care not to trip in his excitement. He found the boys in their nursery, just as he thought he might.
"Professor!" they cried, running towards him.
Morning dawned to a clear sky. It did not mirror Alexandra's own heart, which was a raging storm of thoughts and feelings. She loved Nicolaus and would do anything for him.
"But will I be content with our life together? I'm not foolish. I know I wouldn't have the luxuries I have now." Alexandra debated with herself in her vanity mirror. "And I have always wanted to be a queen. Mother has always wanted me to be a queen, also. I would let her down. But Uncle Karl would be saddened if I gave up on Nicolaus for something so..material." A knock on her bedroom door startled her, and Alexandra flew to her bed to wrap herself in her robe. Fearing it to be Nicolaus, she held her breath.
"It's only Mary, miss," Mary called through the half-open door as she entered. Alexandra smiled in relief.
"Yes, of course, Mary." She draped the robe over her bed, and tried to untie her nightgown.
"Oh let me, Your Highness. They're so hard to reach if you-" Alexandra gave in reluctantly. She wanted to prove to herself that she didn't really need a servant. Her arms hung limply at her sides as Mary began to untie the strings.
"Mary. Where do you sleep?"
"Oh, miss, you needn't worry yourself over that."
"But I'm curious. Where does the staff stay?"
"Most everyone is bunked in the West Wing, ma'am. Down the corridor from the library, there's a corner, and the hall narrows."
"Yes, I'm familiar with it." Alexandra slipped out of her nightgown and into the undergarments that lay waiting on her bed.
"A door's at the end of the hall, ma'am. It leads to the servant quarters. But, Your Highness," Mary turned Alexandra around, "It's best that you don't go down there."
"Nonsense."
"Your mother-"
"My mother will mind her own business," Alexandra said tartly. She said it more bravely than she felt. A moment of silence passed as Alexandra dressed. She desperately searched to find a way to ask about the Professor's room without being obvious. She felt a sense of desperation as Mary exited the room.
"Oh, miss," Mary popped her head around the door and smiled at Alexandra, "the professor's room is the last on the left." Mary closed the door quickly. Alexandra laughed. After a moment, she sneaked out of the room and hurried down the hall as quietly as possible. Her brothers still slept, and her mother rarely came out of her room before eight. Alexandra leaned over the rail and checked the clock in the main hall. She still had a couple hours to go.
The servant's hall echoed her footsteps ominously. Alexandra feared that the noise might bring some out of their rooms, but no such luck. She glanced in one room left open and realized that all the staff was busy, working to make her day an easy one. With glee, she flew down to the Professor's room. The door was open, but it was obvious someone was still inside. Timidly, Alexandra knocked, then entered. Nicolaus glanced up as she entered the room. Alexandra closed the door behind her carefully, barely allowing the door to click in the lock.
"I've made my decision," she said, nervously wringing her hands. Nicolaus paused in his packing. He rose from his bent position from packing. His brown suit accentuated his dark, foreign features; the string tie knotted under his shirt collar matched the blue of the morning sky.
"I'm going with you." Alexandra moved to the opposite side of the bed, her back to the window. Nicolaus hesitated.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm never sure about anything. But I don't care what it means. I want to be with you." Nicolaus smiled, and came to stand beside her.
"I love you," he said gently taking her hand. Alexandra smiled.
"I love you, too." She rose and gently kissed him. Nicolaus gathered her in his arms, not letting go of her or the kiss. He felt her arms go around him, and her hands rose to caress his neck. Again, after a moment, they reluctantly parted.
"I have to pack, I'll only take a moment."
"Do so, but do not return here. I need to say farewell to your brothers." Alexandra felt a tear threaten to escape onto her cheek.
"Of course. I only wish I could." she bit her lip, and Nicolaus put a hand on her shoulder.
"I am not making you do anything."
"Of course not, I know. But I won't change my mind."
"Fine. Give your bag to Mary, and have her leave it by the back door. I'll pick it up on my way out. The Prince arranged for me to take a carriage, it will be ready in a moment or so. Try to sneak in while it's in the yard." Alexandra started for the door.
"I'm sorry to tell you to do all this."
"You said it yourself, I chose my path. I couldn't organize an escape out of here, I'm glad you can." Alexandra gave him an understanding smile, and left for her room. On her way back, Mary intercepted her.
"Oh, miss, I'm glad I found you. We've just had word that the Queen is coming!" she whispered urgently. Alexandra's eyes opened wide in shock.
"We haven't a moment to lose, come, Mary," she said, pulling the girl into her room.
"Your Highness?" Mary watched in amusement as Alexandra dragged a small travel bag out of her wardrobe closet. She smiled knowingly as she began to help Alexandra pack her more sensible things. A knock on the door startled them both, and Mary ran to the door.
"Yes, yes, she's up. I'll have her ready in a moment," she said, shooing away whoever was at the door.
"Who was that?" Alexandra asked, her voice rising in fear.
"Another servant, sent to wake you. Apparently, your mother has risen and is in the same frantic state as yourself," Mary chuckled. She sealed the bag. Alexandra gathered her wits again.
"Thank you, Mary. Take it to the back door. Nic-the Professor will take care of the rest." Mary smiled, and held out a hand to Alexandra. The Princess took it in her own and gave it a squeeze.
"Best of luck to you, miss," Mary whispered. Alexandra smiled, and gave the hand another squeeze.
"Thank you, Mary."
Nicolaus finished packing the rest of his things. The room remained just as bare as when he first saw it. Who knew then what waited in store for him? Two young boys and one beautiful lady.the lady of the hour. And hopefully the rest of his life, too, Nicolaus reminded himself as he started down the back steps. He nearly ran over Uncle Karl in his urgency.
"Whoa, man!" Karl laughed, and steadied himself.
"Oh, Karl. I'm sorry. I wished I could see you before I left."
"You're leaving?" Karl asked, his brows rising.
"Yes, yes. The Prince had it arranged last night. There was a servant waiting for me when I returned to my room." Karl nodded.
"Yes, I expected as much. What about your.swan?" Karl asked, carefully. He didn't want to risk any nosy servants overhearing. Nicolaus smiled at the codename Karl used for Alexandra.
"She will, of course, come with me. The other waterfowl here don't seem to bring her much pleasure." Karl nodded again, neither smiling nor scowling.
"Take care of her then," he clapped Nicolaus heartily on the shoulder. Now it was Nicolaus who nodded.
"I make my farewells to the boys, and then I leave." Karl continued up the stairs, fighting back tears. Alexandra was the only person in this house who seemed to appreciate him. My, he'd miss her. Nicolaus continued down the stairs, taking care not to trip in his excitement. He found the boys in their nursery, just as he thought he might.
"Professor!" they cried, running towards him.