Chapter 20 - Visiting Paris

I left the room with a fixed idea. I needed to try to save him. The marriage would be postponed because he was too weak. I slept comfortably in my room in his castle, but I woke up early, before the King. I needed a good excuse to go to Paris. He had to find Claus and the answers that Phillip needed to improve.

I took it to get documents in Phillip's office, I needed some address, some idea where to find Claus. I found letters. Perfect. I could hear Phillip passing orders to his servant, and I was afraid he would try to stop me. Did he know about my plans? Think he has an idea after our conversation the night before.

With Ane's help, I left early, carrying as little baggage as possible. I left a note for my father telling me that I would need to solve something about the stitching, and I would take advantage of the fact that the groom was sick for it. My father would believe; he would never think I had more dangerous plans.

My aunt and I pretended to be just two nobles on our way to Paris for shopping. We boarded a ship in the harbor without anyone suspecting I was royal. The trip was long and very tiring, I spent much of it nauseous and sleeping.

I was going through an adventure, but Ane thought I'd be punished for my madness. However, I assured her that I needed to help my fiancé. We arrived at the port of Nantes on a sunny morning. After a chariot journey through Rennes and other small villages, we arrived at our destination.

Ane and I were looking for a hostel to stay for a few days. I needed to find Claus, so I put our luggage in our room, rested for a while, changed clothes, and went on my quest.

The sun was setting at the time when Ane and I went out looking for Claus Deidrich. We finally got to know almost all of Paris, and we gathered a lot of information about Claus. It was very late when we decided to return to our lodging.

We had dinner at a restaurant near Ane and I talked about our findings:

- Your Highness needs to explain to me what the purpose of pursuing the story of this Claus Deidrich is? I'm worried.

Ane, that's a long story, but all you need to know is that Claus knows how to cure Prince Phillip. When it's ready, I'll tell you the details, but you need to trust me now.

- Right. Let's start with what that lady told us at the harbor. Apparently, Mr. Claus is an assiduous attendant of the Opera but is always away from the other spectators in the chamber.

- Then we have what that staff member of the theatre told me. - I spoke while I was making small notes in a little notebook that he brought with me. Claus is always accompanied by a boy, who, although apparently the same age as him, calls him son.

- There is also what has been said by the staff of the theater's box office, the two always stay in the same chamber, and leave the opera accompanied by some rich girl from the high society, but apparently they are furtive encounters and the relationships last not more than a week.

- We need to look over the cabin in front of his cabin and make us understand. I need Phillip's cure, and only he can give me that information.

The next morning, shortly after ten o'clock, we went out to the theater ticket office and booked the camel. And then I went to a stall store and bought a beautiful, satin red dress. It was the most exhausting day, as we spent much of it getting ready for the opera. We entered the theatre and sat in our chamber, but the chamber was empty.

Tension and fear passed through my spine. What if he didn't show up? What if Phillip didn't survive? I tried to keep my breathing regular. The stage lit up, and the audience's lights went out. After fifteen minutes of agonizing, I finally noticed a frighteningly beautiful figure in the chamber in front. Ane whispered in front of such beauty. Black hair, green eyes, and white skin. It looked like every trait of his was drawn.

I began to try to attract his attention by changing gazes and suddenly realized that I had succeeded, as he replied to me with a malicious smile on his face. Although she was a princess, I had never seen an opera and really liked what I watched.