Chapter 31 By the Order of the Church

Adith was still sleeping, serene like an angel yet  the spectrum of death manifested on her decayed countenance. Giving a sad look to his beloved, Edmund grieved and cried. He couldn't stand seeing her that way, so frail and sick, so different to that vivid and fair lady he fell in love with. Edmund stroke gently Ardith's hair and whispered, pleading to the dying woman to fight for her life. "My love, please wake up. When these men arrive to your chambers and notice your deplorable condition, they wouldn't hesitate to take you with them or kill you here if it's necessary. I can't allow that my dearest. I would certainly die in grief. Ardith, my love... wake up... wake up."

The softness in which Edmund spoke turned into sobs filled with despair and deep melancholy. Edmund raised Ardith's fragile body in his arms with a mixture of tenderness and desperation and embraced her as if his own life depended on that sole hug. The king's herald felt his hope had vanished away with the touch of her beloved cold skin and her feeble heartbeat, barely perceptible but still latent. Tears rolled down the man's face moistening Ardith's golden hair. Edmund repeated one time and another how much he loved her. He held her tight to his chest and implored to God above for a miracle. He reminded the Lord his own sacrifice and the time devoted in His favor fighting against the bloody vampires. Edmund rocked back and forth Ardith's body in his arms and kept praying, begging for that miracle to happen soon. Only that could save the duchess' life because the inquisitors would come through that door in any moment.

"Edmund." A soft weary whisper blew in his ear making his whole body shiver. It was Ardith's voice calling his name. He placed back Ardith on her bed and stared at her fixedly in silence and waited. He couldn't believe what he'd heard. On his face gestures of incredulity and hope were mixed. Ardith was still with her eyes closed, breathing slowly and Edmund waited to see if what he heard wasn't a product of his mind broke in pain and despondency. But after a moment, the young duchess lips moved slightly, and again uttered a faint murmur "Edmund".

"Oh my God, you have spoken!" Edmund was so excited his heart didn't fit inside his chest. Tears of joy rolled down his face this time and he hugged Ardith even tighter than before. "My lovely Ardith I am here! Yes, it's me Edmund! Please open your eyes. I need to know that you are fine. Look at me Ardith! Look at me, please!" Edmund shook Ardith gently to see if he could get a solid reaction that confirmed she was in fact better. He waited for a coherent human reflect to be sure she was still his Ardith and that she hadn't been contaminated by Leila.

And after a few seconds the desired reaction was produced. Ardith opened her eyes slowly, placing them in her beloved's face. "Edmund... oh, you are back." She whispered.

"My love, you woke up! Thank God you are alive!"

"In that precise moment, the door in Ardith's alcove were opened. The inquisitors, flanked by two legionaries, entered the room followed by Lord Aelderic who stared at Edmund implying that he couldn't do anymore to prevent them of coming in. The expression on the clergy men so severe and frivolous made Edmund react instinctively. The man stood up immediately and blocked with his body Ardith's bed.

"What are the inquisitors doing here? You have nothing to do in this place!" Edmund stood up straight, on guard with his hand opened facing the sword's grip, ready to unleash the weapon if it was needed to protect Ardith's life.

"Sir Edmund Wigheard, is this the way the Church's authorities should be addressed? Such a disrespectful behavior surprises me, even more if it comes from the king's herald. You are meant to be king. I thought you were a little bit more wise... and polite." Monsignor Bodicelli stared at Edmund with an expression of false indignation as he extended his hand to the herald to be greeted as it was supposed to be. Meanwhile in the back, Inquisitor Gui and Monsignor Fredrick remained stoic, studying Edmund's every single movement and gestures. In the same way they were staring at the woman resting on the bed.

Edmund hesitated. He turned to see Ardith first. The lady fluttered her eyelashes and made a great effort to keep her eyes opened. She tried to move her sapphire orbs in the direction the voices came from. The knight took a deep breath and walked to meet Monsignor Bodicelli, and placing a kiss on top of his cardinal's ring, Edmund greeted the highest priest in the room.

"Your excellence, I beg for your indulgency. You must forgive my erratic behavior. You know, more than any other person present in this room, all the difficult times I faced lately, speaking of course during the battle in the south of the empire. I think I feel a little disturbed and distressed. Please, I ask for your blessing and understanding."

"Yes I know and for the great deeds achieved and accomplished in the name of God and the Holy Germanic-Roman Empire, The Church and your country are in great debt with you. You, Sir Edmund Wigheard, fought bravely in the name of God against the herds of Satan and resulted victorious. You are a great man! Son, receive my blessing." Bodicelli drew the cross signal on Edmund's forehead and chest.

Meanwhile, Lord Aelderic noticed his daughter was awake. He looked at her tenderly and walked to her bed. Ardith stared to her father and spoke almost in a whisper. "Father."

The duke reacted with great joy and hugged his daughter. "Oh, Ardith, my beloved daughter! You have awakened!"

In the other side of the room someone cleared his throat. It was Inquisitor Gui, who had remained in silence for too long and had witnessed patiently, but he had a mission to accomplish. He walked amongst Edmund, Mosingnor Bodicelli straight to Ardith's bed.

"I'm afraid I must give you the order to stay away from your daughter. Move back! No one else is going to touch her until I revise her!" Gui spoke energetically.

Lord Aelderic released the fatherly grip and walk back hesitatigly, but he never lost eye contact with her daughter. He remained standing up besides the bed instead.

Edmund immediately followed the inquisitor and stood on guard between Ardith and the inquisitor, right next to Lord Aelderic. He looked at Gui with defiant eyes. He would not allow anybody else to put a hand on her fiancée. "Don't dare you to give another step inquisitor! Nobody will touch her!"

Gui stared at Edmund with haughty eyes. "What? You have no authority to impede my mission here. Lord Edmund, you might be the future king of Germany, but in this alcove, I am the maximum authority. I am Inquisitor Bernardo Gui, the direct emissary of God on Earth to seek and defeat the Enemy of the Souls. That one who come as a roaring lion, looking for whom to devour. Satan has come to this place and had left his mark in Harzburg. We already know that this woman here has been bitten by a vampire. Maybe you'd killed that demon named Leila Von Dorcha, but Beelzebub's wicked inheritance can be running through this woman's veins. And if it is the case you better than nobody in this room, know the consequences of being bitten by a vampire... and which will be her end."

Edmund's body tensed and clenched his fists in frustration and wrath. The king's herald advanced to block the inquisitor's path. Two soldiers quickly moved forward and flanked Gui with their swords unleashed ready to attack Edmund if it was necessary.

"What's going on, father? Who are these men?" Ardith spoke as she tried to sit up straight.

Lord Aelderic ran to help his daughter. "My girl, don't worry, it's nothing. No one is going to hurt you." Once the duke got closer to his daughter, one of the soldiers removed him abruptly.

"I said no one was going to touch her until I revise her." Gui stared at Lord Aelderic who tried to release in vane from the soldier's tight grip.

"Father!" Ardith reacted altered. Her strengths seemed to reappear when she saw her father captured by the soldier. She was terrified and confused for she didn't know what was going on. "Please, release my father! Edmund! What is happening?"Ardith then looked at the herald looking for answers.

Edmund looked at Ardith trying to sooth her. He didn't want her to exasperate so they could take that as if she was possessed. The young duchess was disconcerted but remained quiet and tranquil, waiting for the inquisitor to check her.

Gui inclined to revise Ardith. She was trembling, while the man revised her wrists, ankles and finally her collarbone. Once he noticed the bites on her neck he stepped back, a few steps away from the bed.

"In fact she has been bitten. We have to take her with us!" Gui gave the order and the soldiers grabbed Ardith right away.

"No! She's not one of them! You can't take her with you!" Edmund responded violently and pushed away the inquisitor first and then one of the soldiers, punching the latter in the face and knocking him down.

"Take me where? Father! Edmund!" Ardith cried frightened. Finally she understood why these men where there. They were going to kill her because she had been bitten by Leila. The duchess was been caught by a soldier and she had no strengths to fight.

Lord Aelderic had his hands tied. He tried to stop the soldier holding his daughter, throwing himself to push him away. But in the attempt, he stumbled with the frame of the bed and fell badly on the floor.

Edmund attacked the soldier. With the grip of his sword he hit the legionnaire on his head and this one plummeted on the wooden floor. Right when Edmund was about to rescue his fiancée, the rest of the legionnaires entered the room.

One of the soldiers cornered Lord Aelderic and another pair captured Edmund. A fourth guard caught Ardith. The poor duchess cried and sobbed inconsolably.

"Take her and get her in the cage! Arrest these men for rising against the Church's authorities!" The inquisitor ordered.

"Noooo!" Lord Aelderick cried impotent watching how the soldiers were taking away his beloved daughter.

Edmund couldn't allow these men to take Ardith with them. He knew that even though Ardith was not a vampire, the inquisitors would torture her until she confessed to be one. They had a mission to fulfill and it was to kill her no matter what. Ardith would be burnt alive for these men knew no mercy. Bernardo Gui was a bloody and wicked inquisitor and Ardith represented a trophy for him and for the Church. He needed to think about something... he should do something before it was too late.

The man threw himself on the floor. For a brief moment, the soldiers that were holding him lost contact with him. That brief time was enough for him to grab his dagger and stand up. The legionnaires reacted immediately, but before they trapped him once again, he took his dagger and buried it in his own side. Edmund plummeted on the floor, first on his knees and then his whole body met the wooden floor planks.

The soldiers stared at him thinking 'He must be crazy'.

Ardith couldn't believe what her eyes were witnessing. Her beloved was on the floor, bleeding to death. The red liquid gushed out of the self inflicted wound. "Noooooooo!" She cried.