I wrote this fanfiction during a very difficult period of my life. Back then, it was one of the ways to distract myself from the horror happening around me, which was perceived as the norm.
when I saw the movie for the first time, I had this idea, which I developed. This part is the first one.
All the Disney characters belong to Disney.
Lesaro: Victims of the Inquisition
1665 year.
Spanish roads have never been distinguished by civility and cleanliness, especially those that passed through the streets of villages or were folk trails. The houses of this settlement did not look typically Spanish, standing out with their white walls smeared with clay and thatched roofs, some were made of thick treated logs and had tiles, decorated with carved architraves and painted patterns. All these houses stood around a wooden log church and were surrounded by a palisade, pine forests and a river.
The sun has long since risen and the village, which woke up at dawn, began its life. Five girls in white embroidered shirts and various skirts came to the river with huge baskets.
-Girls, just let's not do it like last time, my uncle almost dragged me out by my braids.
-Come on, Zlatka, let's not throw water at you anymore. One of them, a light-haired girl with big earrings, lifted her skirt, tucking the hem into her belt.
-I know your "we won't", Eva. — the second of them did the same thing to everyone's laughter — Oh, if only Nikola had invited me to the dance.
-He'll invite you, and not just to the dance. — said one of the friends.
-Oh, come on. — the girl playfully poured liquid over her friend, dripping from her wet shirt.
The river gurgled along the rapids, leading its course around the village, supplying water to its inhabitants. After finishing the laundry, the young ladies went home, promising to meet again in the evening.
On the edge of the village stood one of the rich log houses, from the annex of which came the clink of iron and the smell of burning coal.
-Father, I'll put cabbage soup in the stove. — standing in the annex, a large man with a forelock in a leather apron drew attention to his daughter, nodding.
She set the basket on the threshold, going into the building and using a flat wooden shovel, pushing a clay pot and an iron tray with dough deep into the oven. Leaving the door unlocked, she continued her business, carrying the basket to the back of the house, where logs with coarse ropes wound on them stood rooted in the ground, hanging the laundry. When the last canvas took its place, a hunched man in the uniform of an imperial soldier appeared from the forest, sitting on a horse. The horse walked a few steps, approaching her, offering his nose and begging for food.
-Senor?
The man did not react at all to the appeals in Spanish, continuing to sit on the mare. His hat hid his downcast face.
-Senor?" - She tugged at the man's sleeve and barely managed to jump away when he fell off the saddle.
The girl screamed when she saw through the open tunic huge bloodstains on the white shirt under the doublet. A man who had stopped working with a hammer at the ready ran out from behind the wall of the annex, quickly rushing through the backyard in the direction of his daughter, and when he saw the cause of her fright, he dropped the hammer to the ground and shook her by the shoulders, bringing her out of a state of panic.
-Eva, run to Svyatka, he'll die! - That was all he could say before pushing her.
The girl, lifting her skirts, hurried to the house of an old acquaintance, and the blacksmith picked up the soldier in his arms and carried him into the house.
***
It was hot in the hut because of the melted stove, where a tense blacksmith was standing, waiting for a bosom friend to finish his work, Eva was setting the table in the corner. There was no sound from the room where his daughter usually lived and where he put the uninvited guest. The girl finished her work and approached her father, gesturing for him to sit at the table. The man was just grabbing a spoon when his friend came out from behind the embroidered curtain and, after washing his hands in the sink, sat down on the bench opposite.
-He will live. He leaned his elbows on the table—he had lost a lot of blood, but nothing. He wakes up, feed him a few days with a wiggle, give him water to drink, and he'll go away.
-Thank you, Svyatka. I've got a bottle.
-Come on, Yaroslav. A wooden bowl with soup sat down in front of him, and the blacksmith handed him a cut piece of rye bread. — Eva, did you run before Juan?
I was running, he said to call me when he wakes up.
— Okay.
The men were eating their food, talking slowly. After Svyatoslav left, the blacksmith entered the room, removing the soldier's bloodstained clothes and sending his daughter to do the laundry again. The evening was spent at work, Eva, apologizing to her friends, stayed at home.
Before dawn, the Spaniard deigned to wake up from a semi-fainting fit, wheezing with a parched throat and awakening the household with a cough. The blacksmith ran after the priest, and the girl, having drained the previously heated water into a bowl, took a clean linen piece from the cupboard, folding it several times and wetting it. A wet cloth ran over his bloodstained face, wiping away the red crust, road dust and sweat. The rich brown eyes opened, passing a misty gaze over the young lady bending over him, and the cough reverberated like thunder through the hut. At that moment, a man returned to the house with a still sleepy young theologian on his arm, who, seeing the soldier, began to recite prayers, and Eva brought a drink of herbs to his lips, holding his head and helping to moisten his dried throat.
The priest placed his palm on the man's forehead, continuing to whisper sacred texts about the forgiveness of past sins. The soldier closed his eyes, falling back into oblivion and relaxing on the bed. After some rituals, the holy father departed, leaving the wounded man in the care of the household. The blacksmith left the house, following the priest, while Eva remained in the company of the wounded man.
The sun has not yet begun its journey across the sky, the roosters have just stopped crowing. — the woman's voice trembled slightly, her eyes did not stop watching the soldier, whose skin glistened slightly in the light of the splinter
— Why are you so restless?
She sighed heavily and returned to the bench, laying down on the hastily assembled bed.
The day began with sunrise, just like every previous one. After feeding her father porridge and sending him to the forge, Eva began her homework — sweeping and mopping the floors in the house, replenishing the woodpile, and cooking. Everything that her late mother did before her death, but with one condition — the work was often interrupted in the name of watching the sleeper. The soldier deigned to open his eyes only towards sunset, when rays of light spread across the floor like a sheet. The girl, who was busy sewing, did not immediately realize that she was being watched, so he could admire her for a while.
He was strangely attracted by the blonde's atypical appearance — sharply defined lips, a slightly upturned hooked nose, high cheekbones and a pointed chin, but the combination of blonde hair and blue eyes seemed to him the most attractive. She was sitting on a chest sewing a sleeve to her shirt and jumped up abruptly when she noticed his awakening, running out of the room for a second and returning with a mug of water.
-Thank you. My throat, soaked in water, no longer hurt or rattled with dry walls.
She nodded, holding out a second cup of cloudy liquid, which she did not want to pour into herself.
-What is it?
-Flour mixture on the water. The doctor strictly forbade you to eat solid food during the first days.
He screwed up his face, but still drank the whitish mess, handing the cup to the hostess. The liquid passed through the esophagus, leaving nasty mucus and warmth.
-I'm sorry, but it's terrible.
-Tomorrow I'll boil it in milk and add honey, it'll be better that way.
The soldier nodded his head, trying to sit up. The stitched wounds hurt, but army drill and family upbringing made it impossible to show unpleasant feelings. His body ached, his head felt like lead, his throat felt bruised, as if he had eaten broken glass, and even the sticky substance that had passed through his esophagus did not calm him down.
The next three days passed in a blur, he just drank the nasty stuff and slept except for the moments of changing the bandages. On Sunday, the blacksmith helped him out of bed. He leaned on his broad shoulders, trying to calm the trembling in his knees and the dizziness, which was not working well. The man took him to a small house on stilts with wooden walls and a floor and helped him to wash. He was already dining at a table and with more human food than in the past few days. Compared to the boltanka, bean porridge with quail meat seemed to him like a dish worthy of kings. By the fifth hour of the day, the priest looked into the house, who immediately began to interrogate him.
The sleeves of his cassock fluttered over the table, miraculously not touching everything that stood there.
-So, my son, let's begin. He dipped his pen into the ink and stroked the paper of the huge book with his hand. What kind will you be?
-My name is Carlos Lesaro, an aristocrat by birth. I am a corporal in the artillery of the Imperial army, I was sent by the command to the capital and attacked by bandits near Barcelona.
Juan wrote down his words in a sharp handwriting while the drink, called "ivan tea" by the owner of the house, was poured into cups on the table. Out of the corner of his eye, Carlos saw the blacksmith's daughter stealing glances at him, embarrassed and slightly blushing.
-Do you know where you are?
-I have no idea. - The soldier shook his head, almost whispering the words.
-You're closer to Madrid than you think, my son. Barcelona is far behind.
The churchman sipped his tea, pushed the book aside and began to write something on the loose sheets on the table. Eva, my daughter, tell Niko to saddle the horse and wait for me at the door.
The girl nodded and left the house, followed by Carlos' gaze.
-I will write a message about your misfortune and it, along with the documents, will go to your superiors' desk. - The priest fished out of his bag a scroll with the seal of the commander of his unit unopened, showing him that Yaroslav was not the most hospitable of hosts, and indeed the inhabitants of the Region did not like Spaniards.
This strained the young man.
-Who are they? What is it? - he asked softly.
-Russians who fled the church reform some time ago. Incredible people who changed their faith because they couldn't follow their own. — the priest put the report aside and leaned his elbows on the table — Before they are affected by the waves of the Inquisition, and I hope that they will not be here.
The soldier nodded thoughtfully, paying attention to how the grass was slowly floating in a circle in what was called tea here. Juan continued to scribble on the paper, and when he was done, he handed the spotted pen to the guest of the house, demanding to leave a signature on the document. When all this was done, the men went out of the hut into the courtyard, where the envoy with the black horse was already standing. Eva was talking to him about something, but moved to the threshold when she saw the wounded man in the doorway of the house. Carlos was still not sure of his ability to keep his balance, so he did not go down the threshold, slowly sitting down on the bench by the door.
-Father will call the doctor, you need to change the bandages and examine the wounds.
The corporal nodded, the reminder making his wounds ache. I wanted to pull the coarse linen threads that bind the edges in order to scratch the sore spots. Eva went inside the house and returned with a shirt in her hands.
-I finished it today. I think you will be pleased to put on a new one after the bath.
-Thank you.
The examination by Svyatoslav did not bring pleasant sensations, the positive doctor promised to remove the stitches by the end of the sixth day. After feeding the uninvited guest dinner, the blacksmith helped Carlos go to the sauna and handle the water heated in the oven.
The Spaniard, after performing all the manipulations with water, soap and clothes, went back to bed, feeling the bliss and fatigue that comes after warm water. At night, he was awakened by the snoring of the owner of the house. The sound was really loud, one might say heroic, it made the glass in the window of the room rattle softly. Unaccustomed to it, Lesaro could not close his eyes until dawn, wondering at the depth of his sleep in the first days, because you need to be dead not to react.
The next two weeks dragged by slowly because of the waiting for an answer, and the stitches were also slowly tightening. The fused muscles were no longer a lump of pain and suffering, and the arm was functioning perfectly. In order to repay the kindness, Carlos undertook to help the blacksmith, sharing with him his short experience working at his father's factory. In general, this "institution" was more like a guild under the command of one person than a huge colossus with tall chimneys, although the small ones that were available smoked so that you could suffocate even on the street. Yaroslav was excellent at forging swords and armor, but he was not so easy to meet in terms of sharing experiences, clearly considering curly to be narrow-minded. The answer came on the seventeenth day, when a familiar man stopped at the gate. The messenger looked alarmed, he jumped off his horse and ran into the house, the door of which was wide open. Svyatoslav, who was sitting at a party, loudly put a cup of honey tincture on the table when a guy ran in and sat down opposite
The paper bore the royal coat of arms, the signature of the general, the captain and their seals. The blacksmith handed the sheet to the soldier, leaning his elbow on the table and stroking his beard.
-Now you can go home, Mr. Officer.
A huge hand covered her chin completely, passing the hairs through her fingers. Glasses were quietly knocked in front of the seated men, into which a honey drink from an earthenware jug gurgled softly. Lesaro reread the text, again feeling a sense of relief — he was not considered missing and the documents were delivered in complete safety.
-If you don't mind, I'll leave tomorrow.
The girl, upon hearing this, dropped the jug from her hands, not carrying it to the stove. The clay splintered on the floor, and the contents spilled into a small puddle.
-Eve!
She was startled by her father's voice, like thunder.
-I'll clean it up, Father.
The blacksmith nodded, frowning, turning his attention back to the guest.
-I'll come on my next vacation, write me what you need to bring. It's the least I can do to thank you. The paper in his hands folded up again, the owner's daughter quietly picked up the pieces and covered the puddle with a rag, leaving the house.
The girl sat down on the porch, throwing the remnants of ceramics under it. The realization of Carlos' imminent departure made her feel bitter and hard, and in a short time the young officer had sunk into her soul. She had already had to take care of him while he was unconscious after being injured, and for several days after, it gave off some sediment, warm and soft like river sand warmed by the sun.
Yaroslav nodded to the guest, not noticing his daughter's departure.
-The horseshoe Spark is fine, but I'll look again in the morning, in case it drops.
-Don't worry, Yaroslav, I'll leave at first light.
-As you wish.
Nikolai left the house, dusk fell on the ground, a splinter and several candles were lit in the house. The men made a list, coordinating everything so that Lesaro
could bring all the goods alone, while Eva was sewing in her corner finishing another shirt.
Carlos glanced briefly at the girl, admiring her profile while the blacksmith checked the list. He was surprised by the exotic appearance of the Slavic woman for the Spaniards, her meekness and quietness.
He managed to turn away from her exactly a moment before Yaroslav looked up from reading. He folded the small paper in half and handed it to the soldier, who
He hid the list in the inside pocket of his uniform, hanging on a nail by the door.
Lesaro did not sleep a wink that night. The warm and clear weather did not calm down, the speedy journey was just as disturbing as the parting from the Edge. He tossed and turned in bed for several hours, got up and went out onto the porch. The moon and stars illuminated everything around, penetrated through the windows into the house, deepening the shadows. He sat down on the bottom step, breathing in the slightly cool air, and looked up at the stars. Forest animals raced near the house, an owl flew over his head, wolves howled nearby. The floor creaked softly behind him, the door banged against the jamb, and a female figure landed next to him.
-Why aren't you sleeping?- Eve asked quietly.
Carlos turned his head slightly and rested his chin on his crossed arms, resting his elbows on his knees.
-It's too pleasant a night to sleep.- He turned away again and looked up at the stars.
-You want to leave as soon as possible, don't you?
He sighed.
-It would be insulting for you to deny it, I can only justify my departure with a service that cannot be postponed.
There was silence for a few moments, and the girl adjusted the handkerchief that was sliding down her shoulders, covering the wide collar of her shirt. A light wind blew, blowing the air through the small clearing where the village stood.
-You said that you live in Cadiz, tell me what it is like?
-It is a port city on a small island, if you have been to Madrid, I can tell you that they are radically different — houses in Cadiz are often whitewashed, but they are not the same as here. Our houses don't have such huge stoves as in your house, the stove in the kitchen of my house is smaller, and in other rooms we have fireplaces where food is not cooked. There are shops with various things in the city, several squares and a lot of people.
Eva listened to him, realizing that there was none of this in her native village.
-I haven't seen Madrid, I've never been anywhere but the village. Usually only Nikolai and Ermola go to the city, the rest do not go outside the forest, for fear of attracting the attention of the Inquisition.
-How did you learn Spanish?
-Juan came to us when we were just building a village in the old place. Four years later, there was an attack by bandits and they killed many people, including my mother. Then the villagers went deeper into the forest, found this clearing, dismantled it and moved the village here. I was surprised how Iskra brought you here, because there are no major roads to the village.
-Iskra is a unique horse, she is very social and constantly hungry, she can find even such a distant settlement.
Eve laughed.
-That's right.
Carlos smiled, touched by this small gesture of modesty.
-I have never seen villages like Krajevina.
-She shrugged her shoulders. Silence reigned again, the girl sighed loudly, folded her arms on her chest and said:
-I'm afraid I need to go to bed. Good night.
-He nodded.
-Good night, senorita.
The Slav woman gave him a look full of warmth, nodded, got up from the steps and walked inside the house, her bare feet slapping on the wooden floor.
After a while, the dark sky began to lighten and Carlos went inside, passing into the room where Eva was sleeping on her bed. He took his boots from the door frame and slowly walked closer to the bed. The officer knelt on the floor at the head of the bed. Barely touching the skin, he ran his index finger along the girl's cheekbone, restraining the urge to bite into soft lips, took his hand away and bowed his head, running a span into his curly hair. Lesaro sat like that for a few more moments, got up and went into the upper room, where the rest of his belongings lay on the bench. After getting dressed and solving some problems with the horse, he got into the saddle and headed towards the road that Juan had pointed out to him a few days ago. The dust from the road accompanied him all the time he spent on Iskra's back.
Two and a half months later, Kraevina appeared before him again in all its beauty and tranquility - the forest village lived its life during his absence, the inhabitants were engaged in sowing work at the edge of the forest when he entered the village. On the threshold of a familiar house standing on the edge of the village sat a familiar figure in a blue sundress with a brown apron. Eva was holding embroidery in her hands and sometimes glanced at the church standing higher up the street. The ringing of the church bell here reverberated through the village in a completely different way than in the streets of Cadiz. The girl returned to her embroidery, from which she looked up at the approaching sound of hooves.
Carlos stopped the Spark right by the path leading to the steps of the threshold and approached the frozen Eva, who got up from her seat. There was joy in her eyes, with a hint of embarrassment. Carlos fussily took off his cocked hat and continued to hold the horse by his side.
-Hello Eva.
-Hello, senor. - she lowered her eyes - You have arrived, as promised.
He nodded back.
-Can you take me to Yaroslav?
-of course.
My heart was beating its rhythm furiously, sending its force into my carotid arteries, causing tremors to spread throughout my body. Iskra became interested in the greenery and snorted with displeasure when the owner pulled the animal towards the forge in the backyard. The sound of iron tickled in her ears, Eva stopped at the open doors and the Spaniard entered a familiar building, where a blacksmith stood against the background of glowing coals.
-Hello, Yaroslav.
A burly man in a leather apron stopped his work, silently nodded to the guest and turned away, dipping the product into a barrel of oil.
-It's been a long time since you've been here, Carlos.
-Two months.
The blacksmith nodded again.
-Eve! - the girl looked inside - Warm the lunch, feed the guest.
-Let's go to the senor's house, Father will join us later.
The officer bowed briefly to the owner of the house and allowed himself to follow the girl.
A linen tablecloth fell on the wooden plank table, followed by several wooden stands, a kettle and a clay pot went into the oven. Wooden cups were lowered onto the flax-covered surface, into which a brown liquid, called kvass by the locals, poured a little later. He sat down on a bench next to the table, dropping his bag on the floor next to it.
-Thank you.
The girl sat down on a bench against the wall, continuing to do embroidery, taken from the porch. Carlos took a sip of his bread drink without taking his eyes off her. She looked at him timidly, tightening a knot on a thread of scarlet linen. The gunner brushed a thin curly dark lock from his forehead. There were no topics for conversation, and the young people looked at each other in complete silence, smiling shyly.
The smell of heated food wafted from the oven, Eva put down her needlework, put the utensils in front of the guest, and after a few moments a deep bowl of stewed meat and vegetables landed in front of him, along with two more bowls with the same contents. A flat plate with round rye bread landed in the middle of the table at the same moment when Yaroslav and Svyatoslav entered the house. The officer stood up, shaking hands with the men. The host sat down in his usual place, grabbed a large knife, rested the bread on his chest, cutting off the edge with a movement towards himself and spreading the sliced slices to the guests.
The meal was consumed in silence, and when he was done, Carlos reached for the bulky bag he had brought. The ordered items went to the new owners and, extremely pleased, Svyatoslav slung the bag over his back and smilingly said goodbye to the household. Carlos stayed at the table with Yaroslav, and Eva took one of the baskets loaded with laundry from the stove.
-Father, I'm going to the girls, we agreed to do the laundry together.
Yaroslav nodded, the girl, followed by the officer's gaze, went out the door, her father looked at him unkindly.
-I am glad to see you as a guest, but not as a groom. - The Spaniard turned his head in surprise - She has a fiance, Nikolai, but they don't get along.
The blacksmith sighed loudly and heavily, pouring kvass into the cup. Lesaro turned his gaze back to the empty doorway, drained the rest of the liquid, reached to his left side, removing his rapier from its sheath and leaving the engraved pistol in the holster behind his back.
-This rapier was forged by one of the best blacksmiths of my father's factory, I remember that you were interested in our products.
The blade lay on the table, and then ended up in the hands of a Slav. The blacksmith examined it with great interest, stroking the light surface with his fingers. After agreeing on follow-up actions with weapons, they dispersed. The guest sat on the porch reading Dorothea, one of the books from his grandfather's library, Yaroslav, inspired by his own curiosity, went to his workplace with a rapier.
The time spent alone passed quickly, interrupted by a loud female scream that swept over the forest village. Dropping the book, the gunner ran as fast as he could through the trees to a place where several girls' voices could already be heard. Running out into a clearing downstream where the girls were doing laundry, Lesaro quickly took a pistol out of his holster, aiming at the wolf beast, which was foaming at the mouth and pinning the guy who had run in earlier to the ground - the growling, salivating beast was attacked by the girls, whose weapons were cones and sticks, they threw "guns" sitting on the branches of young firs and pines. The sound of a shot rang out and the wolf fell dead with all its weight pinned down the screaming young man.
-Nikolka!
One of the girls screamed, some of whom jumped down from the low trees. With the last of his strength, Nikolai threw off the heavy carcass and, with the help of Carlos, got to his feet. His appearance was a terrible sight - the wolf had torn his left shoulder so that it was impossible to understand what he was seeing, there were also wounds on his arms and face. The beast miraculously missed the carotid arteries. The guy was pale, trembling, and his badly injured left arm was shaking convulsively. At that moment, men from the village came running with the first weapons they could lay their hands on - axes, knives, shovels, pitchforks. Yaroslav, red from the heat of the furnace, held a blacksmith's hammer in his hand. Svyatoslav ran up to the victim, and a bearded man with an axe and a dark long sleeveless shirt ran out from the other side of the crowd, pushed the Spaniard away and grabbed Nikola by the right arm, wailing. The assistants almost dragged the guy away towards the village.
All the terrified girls returned to earth, Eva hugged her crying friend, who literally choked in tears. Yaroslav's daughter nodded gratefully to curly, the rest of her friends did not want to stay in this terrible place, approaching their parents and going home under their protection. The shocked villagers slowly left the ill-fated clearing, leaving baskets of forgotten laundry there.
Unfortunately for all the villagers, three days later, a healthy guy died trying to breathe and moaning from convulsions. On the morning of the fourth day, all the residents gathered at the door of the church, waiting for Juan to complete the necessary religious rites, after which the pine box with the body of the deceased was placed on the shoulders of his elders. The young guys carrying the coffin quietly sang a sad, mournful song, saying goodbye to a friend. The man who had pushed Carlos away earlier had his hand on the shoulder of the sobbing woman. And without words, it was clear that the grief of the parents who lost their son was boundless. After giving the body to the earth, the Russians took the tables out of the houses onto the main street.
Despite the village's distance from the big cities, the tribulation for the deceased was of considerable proportions in terms of the abundance of food - the local housewives did not sleep at night in order to feed the village and spend the deceased with dignity. Lesaro noticed the same girl next to Eva, whom she comforted after the wolf attack. She slowly devoured a single flatbread the entire time that the feast lasted.
By evening, the officer began packing his simple belongings into a bag returned by Svyatoslav. There was no mood for conversation, and the house, immersed in silence, quietly lived its life. The blacksmith, who had drunk a lot, immediately collapsed on the stove, making it clear to the inhabitants of the dwelling who was in charge of the family with loud snoring. At midnight, wolves howled across the river, and Lesaro lay awake on a bench covered with a thick blanket, watching as the owner's daughter woke up convulsively.
Eva did not light the kindling, she walked through the central room, went behind the stove, opened a wooden vat of water, drank a little from a deep ladle, and forgetting about where the guest was sleeping, sat on Carlos's ankle, who did not utter a sound, but pulled his leg under himself.
-I'm sorry, senor, I forgot that your bed is here.
She jumped up, saying her speech in fright, Lesaro immediately sat down on the spot, pulling the linen blanket over his shoulders.
-Don't worry, senorita, I didn't sleep. You can sit down if you want.
She slowly took three steps and sat on the edge of the bench. Yaroslav's heroic snoring interrupted any sounds for him, so he did not hear the conversation of the young people.
-Nikolai's death was sudden, Zlata will never recover from his demise.
-Did they love each other?
-Nikola only turned his attention to her a few months ago, although Zlata loved him very much, she did not look at other guys.
-It's sad. - Eva nodded affirmatively in response - What about you? Yaroslav said that Nikolai is your fiance.
She shook her head.
-My father really wanted this marriage, but Nikola and I couldn't stand each other. He was too restless.
-I understand.
-Do you have the same attack?
-Fortunately not, senorita. - Carlos chuckled softly - I'm free to live my life.
-Did your parents not take care of you?
-My mother died, and my father never cared about us.
-How so?"
-He was completely absorbed in his work at the factory, however, even now he doesn't care much about his children.
-It's not good.
-Don't worry, senorita, I don't suffer from it.
She shook her head again, moved a little closer to him and put her open palm on his shoulder blade.
-You'd better go to bed.
-Only on condition that you return to your bed." Carlos spoke slowly, removing a slender hand from his back and gallantly kissing the back of her hand.
Eva's red cheeks were visible even in the dim moonlight. She slowly withdrew her hand, got up from her seat and, closing the curtain behind her, disappeared into her small room. Carlos lay back down, having only fallen asleep for a few hours. At dawn, Lesaro was ready to leave the hospitable region once again. He put on his artillery uniform again, looking at the highly polished iron tray. The tie tied the last knot and hid the ends under the coat. The girl lighting the fire in the stove glanced at him periodically, coming up behind him at the last moment.
Curly hair gathered in a low ponytail covered his neck, after leaving the house, a hat with a cockade of a subject of the Spanish royal house would cover the top of his head, and a green caftan, worn by imperial artillerymen, lay on top of a black coat. The young man seemed to Eve to be a bulwark of masculinity and strength in this form, catching herself on such thoughts, she blushed - looking at men was completely unusual for her. Especially the Spaniards, whom the locals did not particularly like, and those who were particularly offended even hated and cursed them. From the moment of his appearance, Lesaro caused her bouts of infatuation and atypical behavior, embarrassing and forcing her to scold herself.
Yaroslav's daughter came out onto the porch. The coolness of the morning did not help to remove the obsession at all, and it had to be done, because Carlos most likely would not return to this God-forsaken place. The officer left the house, stopping a step behind.
-Eve, I'm going home. Thank you for your hospitality. He spoke in a half-whisper, the sounds making her heart skip a beat, gradually losing its steady rhythm. Carlos took her left hand, pulling it to his lips. - Give my thanks and wishes for happiness to my father. Goodbye.
Her slightly chapped, dry lips touched the back of her hand, leaving a barely perceptible kiss there, which baked her skin with furnace heat.
-Goodbye, Mr. Officer.
Eva turned around, standing half-sideways to him, Carlos put his hand to his heart, bowed and put on his hat. After taking one last look at the cute image, he got into the saddle and turned the Spark towards the exit path from the village.
He stopped at one of the roadside inns in the evening. His mind protested against leaving, his heart had a premonition of trouble, and in general the man was uneasy. After feeding the horse with oats and drinking water from the well, he sat down at a wide table where other guests gathered. A plate of kashido and a bowl with its contents separately, a piece of dried bread and a large mug of sour beer fell in front of him. No matter how you look at it, such establishments did not differ in the quality of their products, and it was a sin to complain when meat was served once a fortnight in the barracks and aristocratic officers spent most of their time on beans and bread. Ordinary recruits had to live on animal feed and what was brought from home. Some of the recruits were orphans, and they were especially pitied.
After finishing his meal and finishing the nasty liquid, he sank into himself, thinking about the upcoming days of the journey. The noise around him brought him out of this state, the tenants were crowding at the door trying to go out into the courtyard, Lesaro went up to the tiny room that the owner had allocated to him and stared out the dirty window. Behind the glass, he saw six horses and a black carriage with the symbols of the Inquisition on the door. Carlos heard the innkeeper come out of the building, a broad-faced, round-shaped man with light brown curly hair and a long mustache, he loudly greeted the inquisitor who got out of the carriage, who did the same with reciprocal gestures. A further loud story addressed to the gathered crowd forced the officer to jump out of the building, quickly run behind the crowd, briskly ride Iskra and fly away towards the village he had recently left:
-The delegation of His Holiness the Pope has arrived to cleanse these lands from the taint of heresy. All those who provided all possible assistance to the fugitives will be equated with heretics and put to death!
An hour before dawn, a guest who had recently left the house burst into the house on the edge of the village. The small bolt holding the door could not withstand the pressure of the young body and it fell into the building, where the evil owner was already standing by the stove, clearly just jumped out of bed but already holding a knife ready.
Carlos got up from the wooden floor:
-Yaroslav! Yaroslav, wake up the village!
Eva came out from behind the curtain, and the blacksmith dropped the knife, picking up the soldier who was barely standing on his feet.
-The Inquisitor is here, they will be in Krajevina soon! They're going to kill everyone!
Irritated, Yaroslav grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, restoring his sensitivity to what was happening. Carlos took a deep breath and fell silent.
-Did you really see the Inquisitor?
-Their motorcade stopped at a campsite on the highway, the inquisitor was talking about the cleansing of these lands from heretics. Wake up the residents, let them take their families away from here, you will be safer!
The blacksmith stared intently into Carlos' eyes, making sure that he wasn't lying.
-Eva, pack the bundle, and we'll go to Juan.
The girl nodded to her father, coming back in. Yaroslav took the soldier by the shoulder, leading him out of the house. Juan lived in a small wooden hut next to the church, and despite the early hour, the lights were on inside. The big man knocked loudly on the door with his fist, and a few moments later the priest himself appeared in the doorway in full robes.
-Juan, we have some unpleasant news. He pushed Carlos under the shoulder blade.
-Holy Father, an inquisitor stopped on the highway not far from here, he threatened to cleanse this land of heresy. The region is in trouble.
The priest rushed to the church and, going upstairs, rang the bell as if he were striking a ship's market. The awakened residents slowly flocked to the threshold of the church, when most of them gathered together, Juan raised his hands to the top:
-Friends, brothers and sisters, an attack has risen over our village again! The Holy Inquisition has invaded our lands. I will ask all the men who will be able to defend themselves in case of arrests to stay here, sending women and children to the care of Svyatoslav.
It was quite clear from the healer's face that he was unhappy, but he just nodded and went to collect ointments and herbs that could be useful during their forced exile.
When the men returned to the house, they found Eva gathering supplies in the form of a round loaf of bread and nuts.
-Eve, you're going with him. -Yaroslav took a deep breath and turned to the Spaniard. -Now, senor, you will take my daughter outside the village. The further you go, the better. I entrust her completely to your care.
Carlos nodded slowly, barely breathing. Yaroslav climbed onto the stove, pulling out three small thick volumes, he shook the dust off the cover of the first one from the stack with his palm and handed them to his daughter.
-Save them.
Eva took the books, hiding them in a large handkerchief and among other important things for her. Carlos had already brought the slightly rested mare to the very threshold of the house, so that it would be easier for the girl to climb into the saddle. Yaroslav squeezed his daughter's hand in farewell.:
-Godspeed.
The horse sped away from the settlement, carrying two riders on its back.
Half an hour later, at a leisurely trot, they left the forest and walked several kilometers across the rocky steppe, up one of the hills. In the middle of the forest, where the village was located, a tall column of black smoke rose. The riders stopped and a few seconds later Carlos heard sobbing from behind, girlish arms wrapped around his waist and a face wet with tears was buried in his shoulder. He could well understand Eve's feelings about losing everything in one moment.
-We're going to Cadiz - he tried to shout over the sound of the steppe wind in his ears - I won't leave you here.
Lesaro spurred the mare into a gallop.
It was after midnight when they stopped at the very inn where the officer had stayed earlier and from where he had run away when he saw the inquisitor's carriage. He rented a spacious room with two beds, one of which was currently occupied by the blacksmith's daughter.
-Tomorrow we will go to Madrid, we will need to find you another dress so that you will not be seen as a refugee. The Inquisitor and his dogs can be very prescient.
The girl just shivered, pulling her shawl closer around her. She looked depressed and broken.
The night passed quietly, a rested Spark was trotting, carrying two horsemen on her back. The sun illuminated their path with its first rays when they were far from the inn. By evening, they reached the outskirts of the capital, finding a place to spend the night there. After leaving the lady in the room and walking through the streets with the workshop finishing its work, Carlos returned with two linen bags at the ready.
Lesaro threw the burden on the bed, pulling out the purchased goods in the form of various women's accessories.
-I hope you can figure this out on your own, senorita. I'll be waiting for you downstairs.
With these words, Caballero walked out the door, leaving the young lady to tighten herself into the corset and bodice of the dress. Her belongings taken from home went into one of the empty bags, and the other bag was filled with the underwear she had left the village in. The undershirt was shocking with its huge collar, in fact, it was held only by a tight corset, which took some time to lace up. The petticoat disappeared under the top dress, which was very embarrassing with its neckline, barely covering the edge of the corset, exposing small breasts for all to see. The unusual cut made me blush, but I had no choice and I had to get used to it so as not to stand out too much from the general background. For the same reason, I had to cover my head with a thin shawl that I inherited from my mother.
Eva went downstairs, and there were only a few guests in the hall, among them her companion, among the tables and smoking candles. She timidly approached the table, the young man looked up from the book, stood up and motioned for her to sit down, immediately standing behind the chair. The girl sat down and gasped in surprise when the piece of furniture moved under the force of the man's hands. He nodded to the woman at the bar and returned to his seat. After a while, several plates with different dishes appeared on the table, ranging from baked meat with vegetables to a whole round loaf of wheat soft bread. As soon as the woman left their table, the officer leaned over, saying the words softly:
-We'll be on our way at dawn, and Cadiz is still five days away. We will stop in the vicinity of Ciudad Real and drive home through Cordoba and Seville. As for your place of residence, I will be happy to provide you with a room in my house. The time of your stay doesn't really matter.
This made Eva more embarrassed, because she had been told all her life that living with a strange man under the same roof without marriage was one of the gravest sins.
-But it's not Christian, we're not married.
Carlos, who was breaking bread, froze, thought for a few seconds and shrugged his shoulders.
-If it's important to you, then we can get married. I would be very happy about that.
There were no words to answer, she sighed heavily. Undoubtedly, Carlos was incredibly pleasant and likeable to her. So much so that these feelings developed into a previously unknown form of falling in love. The man sitting opposite has already proved himself to be a caring representative of his sex, possessing strength and considerable knowledge.
A dinner of baked vegetables, meat and bread settled in their stomachs, but the conversation about the girl's future did not end, continuing behind the closed doors of the rented room. Lesaro took her hands and sat her down on the bed.
-I will not hide that I have become very attached to you in the short time that I have spent in Yaroslav's house, and I am not going to lie about my feelings. If it pleases you, then we can really marry. The choice is yours, Eva.
The officer kissed the backs of her hands, got up, picked up his bag, and stopped walking out of the room.
-There's a bathtub here, if you like, and I left a bar of soap on the table.
The door closed behind him. Later it turned out that there really was a huge barrel cut off around the corner in a narrow room, in which it was quite possible to swim in its entirety. At dawn, Caballero saddled his mare, helped her into the saddle, climbed in himself and spurred the animal. They entered Cadiz exactly five days later.
She was sitting in the saddle, a tired Spark barely moving her legs, led by her master by the bridle. The narrow street was illuminated by the moon and the light from the windows of neighboring houses, all this light reflected from the whitewashed walls. A two-story mansion with a stone fence greeted the owner and guest with lighted lamps and a man standing in the doorway at the same moment when they entered the narrow gate.
-Silveo, prepare a room and a bath for the senorita, I'll handle the Spark myself.
A rather gray-haired brown-haired man nodded to the owner of the house coming closer.
-Eva, this is my butler Silveo, who will show you to your quarters.- Lesaro helped her down, taking her by the arms, -I can join you later for dinner. The whole house is at your disposal.
-Come in, senorita.- The butler made a gentle gesture with his left hand, inviting her to enter the building.
The light wood paneling and floral patterns on the railings caught her eye, and after her father's hut, the small house that looked like a royal palace from the street. A polite man led her into one of the wings and stopped right at one of the doors, opening the sash and taking one of the candlesticks, he went inside, lighting candles.
-I'll get you a bath later. Unfortunately, we don't have clean women's underwear here, if you have a change of clothes, I can give it to Inna and you will receive it back tomorrow afternoon.
-Monsieur Lesaro has my clothes.
Silveo bowed, left the room and closed the door, while Eva remained looking at the apartments assigned to her. The walls, painted a pastel blue, were cold despite the hot summer. The candlelight was reflected in the panes of the tall arched windows, and they worked like mirrors. The bed with a heavy blue velvet canopy was the largest piece of furniture in the room, there was also a large mirror, three bedside tables, two armchairs and one sofa in blue and blue colors. Behind the door was a small square room with a porcelain bathtub in the middle, screened from the window by a whitewashed wooden screen.
A little later, the butler came running with large metal buckets containing steaming water. He left them next to the bathroom, pulling a piece of linen from his pocket and covering the still cold surface with it. Hot water poured out of the buckets, cooling slightly.
After spending a pleasant time in hot water and getting dressed, Eva, accompanied by a brown-haired man, went to the library, where the windows were wide open, and a faint breeze stirred the candlelight. Lesaro was sitting on one of the sofas, reading one of the books with a beautiful cover decorated with flowers. He looked up at the sound of footsteps, closed the folio, and stood up, nodding to his guest.
-Good evening, Eva.
-Good evening, senor.
Carlos stretched out his hand, encircling her hand with his two and sinking back onto the sofa with the guest, the butler bowed to the gentlemen who were not paying attention to him and went out the door.
-Three days ago, you promised to think about my proposal. I want to assure you that my promise about your stay here will not be changed by your response.
It was true, she promised to answer, although there was no point in thinking about it-she couldn't live alone in Spain, where patriarchy reigned and women weren't considered human, and she had incredibly warm feelings for Carlos. The Spaniard pulled her hands to his lips, but she did not give him the opportunity to leave kisses on them. Slender feminine fingers rested on thin cheeks covered with stubble, she timidly left a kiss on the tip of her nose, missing her lips. This misunderstanding was not regarded as such, and the officer took a deep and agitated breath.
-I cannot refuse you, Carlos, you have done too much to save my life, while risking your own. My gratitude knows no bounds.
A wide smile graced Lesaro's face, and he took her hands again and showered them with kisses. His joy seemed to overflow from the cup of self-control, it could almost be touched with his hands. At that moment, Silveo returned to the library, announcing that a late dinner was ready.
After eating some simple food and escorting the bride to her room, Carlos returned to the library, writing a letter for a former colleague who could easily help him with his request.
Three days later, three men appeared on Lesaro's doorstep, one of whom was dressed in a cassock and the other two were wearing the uniform of a junior officer. The butler let them into their house and led the guests into the living room, where two young men were already sitting.
Carlos had put all the necessary things on a small table in advance, he told Eva to kneel next to him, the priest walked around them, poured holy water from a bottle he had brought with him into a prepared bowl, opened a battered bible lying on the table and began to chant prayers in a monotone. To the sound of his deep voice, they performed simple traditional manipulations for marriage. In these actions, an hour passed, during which a small table was set for the guests, which differed little from an ordinary dinner. Three men who lived nearby briefly left the modest celebration of life to bring their own companions.
The small gatherings continued until nine in the evening. The guests who gathered to go home were satisfied with the reception, and the newlyweds received gifts, company, and their own small celebration.
Carlos said a warm goodbye to his colleagues, closing the door of the house as soon as they moved slightly away from the gate. The warm evening gave a little relief after the heat of the day, the young people went out into the old garden, laid out during the life of the officer's grandmother, who died early of consumption, no matter how much effort his grandfather made, left with his only son in his arms. The backyard clearly wanted more attention, but at the same time, getting out into the fresh air was incredibly pleasant. Leading his wife by the arm, the Spaniard felt incredibly pleased, Eva did not look particularly happy, looking at the beaded embroidery on the skirt of her plum dress.
-When we go to Madrid to visit my brother, the reception will be more casual.
-I didn't think it would be so difficult - she replied after a long pause.
Curly lightly squeezed her hand, which was resting on his forearm.
-I know, Eva. - they stopped and his voice changed to a low voice, bordering on a whisper - I don't want to scare, but it will be more difficult. Secular life is a test that not everyone passes.
He kissed his wife's hand and they walked along the overgrown stone paths again. The girl had to get used to the shoes sliding on the stones.
-Today is not over yet, but I admit that I am dreading tomorrow.
Eva shifted her gaze from her husband's face to her feet - yes, he was talking about the paperwork that followed after the wedding, because she had no documents before. The newly married husband suggested one of the most difficult, but at the same time the most logical operations - to register her as a bride discharged from abroad. There have never been any questions about Catholic foreigners, especially from the Inquisition.
-I can't imagine that, unfortunately, my father never did anything like that.
-And Juan?
In response, she just shook her head sadly, thinking about the fate of the villagers, and again she couldn't hold back her tears. Carlos stopped again, wrapping his wife in his arms and scolding himself for reminding her of a deceased acquaintance. A man's hands rested on her waist, one of them gently stroked up her back. The sobs subsided, but the ring of hands did not let go of the woman's body. The officer was well aware that they were in a part of the garden that was not visible from the windows of neighboring houses, so he was not too worried that they would be seen.
-I think it's time for us to go back inside, it's too dark.
During the embrace, pitch darkness really descended on the earth, in the depths of which only the glowing windows of houses and moonlight were visible, obscured by heavy low clouds, which made the white disk seem like a milky-gray blob on the blue-black canvas of the sky.
The marital bed was already ready, the newlyweds took a bath one at a time and changed their outfits for nightgowns. Eva couldn't suppress the embarrassment that made her clutch the heavy tapestry fabric that covered the bed against her chest. The Spaniard lying next to him threw a pillow on the floor, stretching out to his full height and straightening his back. He was well aware that his young wife did not feel comfortable because of the awareness of his further actions, so he looked closely at her profile, his hand went up her thin shoulder, gathering the sleeve into folds. He tried to calm his wife down in this way, but it didn't have much effect - she sighed heavily and covered his hand with hers. The officer sat down hugging her and whispering:
-It's going to happen, you know.
She nodded, trying to hide herself completely in his arms.
-It's still scary.
-I know.
He held her closer, running his hands over her body. The kisses and caresses that followed moved from the romantic stage to the red-hot passionate stage. The shirts flew to the floor and the passion, hot as magma, came out. The sea-colored eyes burned with adoration, the body clung to him with obvious impatience and thirst for touch, the heat of the bodies, affectionate and greedy hands, sharp and smooth movements, all this merged into a single cacophony that sounded all night along with moans, screams and whispers. Sunrise put an end to all this, they lay on the rumpled bed in each other's arms in silence.
The long-extinguished fireplace and candles were slightly depressing in their appearance, Carlos felt the skin under his palms covered with goosebumps, he left a kiss on her lips and opened his arms, leaving the bed. He pushed the bloody sheet away from the bed, reached for the heavy bedspread and covered the naked female body with it. The shirt lying on the floor returned to its place, hiding the man's nakedness. The officer picked up an iron dustpan, raking the ashes to one of the fireplace walls and cleaning the surface for burning a new batch of logs. Gorenje The Spaniard did not take long to ensure that the fire, which was gaining strength, began to devour the wood, releasing heat and heating the air around.
The sun had already risen quite high when he realized that the young wife, wrinkled by the heat of the night, had fallen asleep. The officer did not become tired, got dressed and sat on a pouf by the bed, watching the flames dance. His thoughts were far beyond the boundaries of the estate, in the north, in his native home. Soon they will leave the mansions that once belonged to their grandfather and go there for the sake of Eva's acquaintance with his father. The man understood perfectly well that the grumpy old man would be unhappy with literally everything, would swear and swear loudly at him, but Carlos had already taken his position - he deeply did not care about the opinion of his parent. Juan had never been known for his love for his own children, so his possible anger was quite expected, but the opinion of Marcos, his older brother, was quite weighty for him.
The door opened a crack and Silveo looked inside. When he saw that the manor's master was awake, he nodded at him.
-Would you like breakfast?
Lesaro nodded and the butler closed the door with a soft slam, heading to the kitchen. The owner of the house was once again left in the company of his sleeping wife.
Eva woke up later in the afternoon and was horrified by the realization that if her father had been here, he would have dragged her by the braids long ago because of the unfinished work. The young woman did not wait for the maid to come to help her tighten the corset, having handled the lacing herself, taking the clothes she had moved yesterday from the closet.
The top dress, the color of golden coastal sand, covered the lower layers, and she had almost finished lacing the bodice when a girl looked inside - fifteen-year-old Astra, Inna's daughter, who worked as a maid in this house and helped her mother.
-Senora, I'll help you. - she came into the room - you could say that you need help.
-I'm sorry, Astra, you know that I'm used to doing everything on my own.
She nodded:
-Life here will change a lot for you soon, the city is very different from the village.
The last sentence was said with concealed irritation - the girl was clearly experiencing bouts of envy and anger from the realization that Eve was her equal in status yesterday, and today she already has the right to command her. Yaroslav's daughter understood this perfectly well and hoped that the young maid would not come up with thoughts of harming her and her husband.
-The senor is in the library, and lunch will be served shortly.
-thanks.
The maid curtsied slightly, and then almost viciously yanked the linen off the bed. The Slav hurried away so as not to annoy the girl even more. The officer was indeed found in the library, he was sitting in a green armchair with a high back and dozing, on a low table at his feet lay a stack of carelessly folded papers. He woke up when a woman's hand rested on his shoulder, took it away and pulled it to his lips for a kiss.
-I have received approval for registration of documents for you from the city administration. - his voice sounded low and a little raspy because of his dry throat - Tomorrow we will go to Madrid, where we can finish this.
-OK.
Eva hugged her husband from behind, kissing his right cheek. The past week had left no barriers in her mind for the free expression of her feelings in front of him, and the night spent in seemingly endless caresses had leveled her embarrassment. Now this man was her mainstay in everything.
-You wanted to talk about the changes in the house, what's on your mind?
-I think we can change the fence and arrange a small vineyard.
He thought for a few moments and, grinning, kissed her hand again.
-We'll look into it when we get back.
She walked around the chair, sitting on the floor at his feet.
-You agreed so easily... This is surprising.
Carlos smiled, cupping her cheekbones in his hands.:
-You're my wife, Eva. You are the mistress of the house, and if you have a desire to improve it, then why should I resist it?
Their lips met in a long kiss.
A week and three days later, the newlyweds crossed the outskirts of Madrid, heading to one of the houses in the city. The capital was the exact opposite of Cadiz, which Eve admired. Neat houses with high roofs, decorated with stucco or carvings, painted in different colors, made an impression on her. A modest carriage stopped at one of these houses.
Two men got out of the building, one of whom stopped at the door, the other went down to the carriage and opened the door letting Carlos out. Her husband held out his hand, helping her out. Holding on to his strong hand, she reached the owner of the house, despite her legs that were stiff from sitting for a long time.
-Hello Carlos!
-It's good to see you, Marcos.
The brothers, who looked very similar to each other, shook hands and Marcos' attention shifted to her. Her husband squeezed her hand harder.
-I wrote to you about my wife, remember?
Marcos was looking at her so intently that he caused not only a feeling of embarrassment, but also a desire to hide in a corner so that they would not find her.
-of course. Nice to meet you, Eva.
-Likewise, sir.
Marcos turned his attention back to his younger brother.
-Constance will join us this evening, it will be useful for her to leave the house.
Carlos nodded, seeing the logic in his brother's words. My sister was grieving over the recent premature death of her second husband and blamed herself for it, although she had nothing to do with his fall from a horse.
The relatives entered the house, the servants took care of the things of the arrivals while the owner of the house entertained them, having conversations with his brother that were not entirely clear to the girl about the family business - the casting of cannonballs, cannons, supplies and his desire to expand his capabilities.
-Can't Father do that?
-Recently, my father suffered from paralysis, if Pablo delivers him alive, Constance and I will take care of him.
They stopped when climbing the stairs, Carlos fell into a short stupor and came out of it, feeling gentle strokes on the back of his hand.
-They will arrive the day after tomorrow or the next day.
The officer nodded, continuing to follow his brother. Excitement got the better of him and he squeezed his wife's hand. Marcos led them into the office, sat down on a chair at the table and motioned for the guests to sit on a small sofa opposite.
-so… Eva, tell me about yourself.
The girl shuddered, remembering what had been discussed in the carriage on the way here. According to Carlos, the family had an obligation to know the truth about her. The elder Lesaro looked doubtfully at his brother when the story was over.
-You understand that Constance and I will accept this, but my father will be furious even when lying down.
-I don't care what he thinks about it.
The owner of the house shrugged his shoulders. At that moment, the butler who had helped them out of the carriage earlier knocked on the door.
-Sir, Senora Lesaro has arrived. - The owner of the house nodded - Would you like to serve dinner?
He nodded again, the butler moved away from the door and a dark-haired curly-haired woman in a black dress entered the office. Unlike Marcos and Carlos, who looked like two drops of water, she had a narrow face, was shorter and had a large, even obese figure. Everyone who was sitting in the office stood up.
-Hello, sister. Marcos nodded, receiving the same mute response.
The woman turned her head, extending her arms to her younger brother, who hugged her, stroking her back, trying to express his regret and sorrow in this way.
-Carlos. Her voice was weak, and she sounded like she was about to cry.
When he finished hugging Carlos, he took a step back, giving her the opportunity to see his wife.
-Constance, this is Eva, my wife.
The Slav woman curtsied. The woman took two steps closer to her, big fingers lightly cupping her chin. Surprise and delight could be seen in the dark blue eyes.
-I am glad that our family has been replenished with such a beauty. I will be very glad to make friends.
-Likewise, senora.
The two women smiled at each other, and Marcos was hopeful of his sister's speedy recovery.
The evening was spent chatting, and the next morning Carlos took it upon himself to accompany the ladies to the needlework shop, where they spent a lot of time choosing what to do for the evening. They were not interested in the preparations for tomorrow's reception at the Marcos house, as well as the fact that a few minutes later the man who accompanied them changed, leaving the money to his wife. Marcos wished his younger brother good luck in the difficult task of dealing with the bureaucracy.
On the morning of the holiday, there was a strange mixture of relief and tension in the house. Carlos, who spent the whole day and evening beating off the thresholds of the offices of officials, was incredibly happy when the messenger delivered the finished papers at the crack of dawn. While the servants were running around intensely, preparing the house for the reception of guests, the family of the owner of the manor celebrated this small victory in the study. Now not a single living soul could object to them, because according to the documents, the younger brother married a foreigner from a far corner of the northern empire.
The next few hours passed in an atmosphere of joy and some carelessness, which evaporated with the arrival of the first guests. At the reception, Eva couldn't hold back the urge to leave the gathering faster. The envious glances of women and lustful men did not make her want to let go of her husband's hand. Fortunately, closer to nine in the evening, they were able to retire and Carlos's gentle hands relieved the tension accumulated during the day.
The hot night was replaced by the coolness of the morning when the father-in-law arrived at the estate. Marcos gathered the family in the room allocated to his father.
Eva followed her husband, who was loudly stamping his heels on the wooden parquet of the corridor. In the room, a completely gray-haired man was lying on the bed, he looked emaciated and incredibly decrepit. She could almost see the life slowly leaving his body. Marcos was sitting on a chair at the head of the bed, Constance was sitting next to her father on the bed, a woman was talking to him in a half-voice, holding his hands.
The officer's voice was harsh, as if he intended to argue with his parent.
Huang groaned something, unable to turn his head, he shifted his gaze to the right as much as he could in an attempt to see his younger son and daughter-in-law, whom the older children had told him about. Carlos came closer to the bed and knelt with his wife at the edge of the bed. The old man's voice sounded raspy and strained, but there was a sneer in the intonation.
-I know that I won't change anything, especially your willfulness and stubbornness, Carlos. - he chuckled - To marry a rootless girl… I thought Marcos would suffer from this, but not you.
Eva easily turned her head, seeing how tense, almost angry, her husband's face was. He seemed to be torn apart by rage, but he stubbornly remained silent. She squeezed his fingers a little harder in an attempt to calm him down. Juan made a few raucous noises, something between coughing and laughing, and continued to speak, already addressing her.:
-Never indulge his desires, girl, otherwise he will explode like a powder keg. Give him two boyfriends, that will be enough for you.
The newlyweds did not touch on the topic of children, and the husband did not think about it at all, since the curly-haired man's face relaxed so much and slightly stretched out in surprise. Constance laughed softly, and Marcos remained sitting like a living statue to himself, his mind clearly far away from here.
-I know that my lot is hopelessness, so all I can do is wish you happiness.
Tears welled up in his eyes and Carlos let go of her hand, taking his father's hand from his sister and kissing her gratefully. The news was an incredibly pleasant surprise.
Lesaro's vacation was coming to an end, so after spending two more days with his family and ten days on the road, they returned home. The young lady had been feeling terrible for the past few days, and it seemed that the plague had caught up with her and decided to slowly torture her on the road.
Having arrived and calmed down a bit, they enjoyed simple caresses in each other's company. The officer felt the heat of his wife's body, but instead of arousal, he caused regret, anxiety and a desire to help, to ease her fate. Eva was in a state of semi-drowsiness from a severe illness and gentle fingers, one of which had a thin strand of brown hair wrapped around it. Worried, Silveo entered the room with a tray, leaving it on a small table. A teapot on a wooden stand was emitting steam, filling the air with the scent of orange and coriander. The Spaniard gently turned his wife, laying her on her back, which made her barely open her eyes.
-Silveo made you tea, it will make you feel better.
He filled a cup with a steaming liquid, bringing it to his wife, who slowly sat up in bed, knowing full well that despite a difficult day at work, he would not be able to sleep. When the liquid was drunk and the woman went to the realm of Morpheus, he partially dressed and left the room, heading towards the library. The next few hours were spent in the company of a pot of tea and a book telling about the deeds of Cortez in the new world, a little later he fell asleep sitting in an armchair. The butler woke up early in the morning and woke the officer.
Eva, who woke up in the afternoon, was in no hurry to leave the bed, not trusting her own body, it seemed that her legs were buzzing and shaking. Her condition improved slightly after a while, allowing her to take some food. Carlos, who had returned for lunch, joined her. The agitated husband began to worry more when she almost ran away in the direction of the bathroom. Later, when she returned to her husband, the lady looked pale, almost green. Lesaro sat down at the table and tried to look calm, she picked up the cutlery again and tried to fill her stomach a little.
-Eva - she looked up at her husband - Tomorrow Senora Claudia will come to us, she will be your governess, if it gets worse, I will call a doctor.
She nodded, knowing that it was impossible to argue with him, and studying with a governess could help her learn manners and new habits.
-Your well-being worries me more than anything in the world, if I am absent and the servants are busy, she will be able to help you.
-OK.
It seemed to her that the room was stuffy, nausea was rising in her throat again and a piece of delicious-smelling baked meat could not get into her throat.
Leaving the house for the second time that day, Lesaro again ordered the servants to monitor her condition. He did not return home for the night because he was on daily duty. When he returned early in the morning, he found his wife in the living room doing her usual thing - embroidery had become an outlet for her lately. After Silveo, Inna and Astra stopped her attempts to cook and clean, needlework became the only activity other than reading books and walking, which could so captivate a girl that time could literally fly by with incredible speed.
For the next three months, the life of the small estate was filled with joyful routine after the news and the imminent replenishment. Carlos literally glowed with happiness, realizing that he would soon become a father. This news quickly spread among family, friends and acquaintances. Soon, the whole of Cadiz was buzzing, discussing it and wishing them happiness. By the fifth month of pregnancy, Constance arrived at the house, deciding to leave Madrid after the sale of her late husband's estate and the death of her father. She volunteered to help the young parents as a babysitter for her nephew.
Despite everyone's joy and impatience, Eve was restless. The same anxiety that visits all women shortly before giving birth, her behavior became more nervous and distant, which the people around her did not like. For the sake of his wife's peace of mind, Carlos took one day off to spend it with her. The couple went out into the recently transformed garden - despite her position, Yaroslav's daughter was digging in the ground as much as she could, and now, at the end of December, the roses were pleasing the eye with green foliage despite the cold.
The Spaniard led his wife by the arm, inhaling the coolness of the morning, in which he could relax a little, watching as his wife pulled the hem of the woolen cape a little tighter on her shoulders, covering her bulging stomach. In the evening, she complained of agitation, which he could well understand, because he himself felt fear about every occasion, many things could go wrong during childbirth. He understood where all these fears came from and was angry at his own uselessness and the fact that this nasty feeling did not leave him.
-Did Constance say anything about her plans for this week?
-Yes, she's going to go to Seville. Despite her protests, Marcos still marries her off again.
The officer shook his head in displeasure. He did not like the attitude of his father and brother towards his sister, whom he sincerely loved and pitied. He took a deep breath, covering the hand on his forearm with his palm.
-I hope that at least in this marriage she will be happy. - he stopped, and I'm really looking forward to our happiness.
Fingers in a thin glove stroked the roundness of her stomach under her breasts, lightly tickling this place.
-We will meet very soon, my dear.
This made Eva laugh from the sensations. They continued their walk, walking along the paved paths to the house. After getting rid of their outerwear, they settled down in the living room by the blazing fireplace. This room had been largely transformed in the short time that the new mistress had been in charge of the house, which was invaded at three o'clock in the afternoon by uninvited guests in dark robes.
Carlos was expecting the inquisitor much earlier, at least in the first month after the wedding. The two men were escorted by Silveo to the owners of the house, while his face turned white - he in no way wished harm to the young lady, despite her background. The guests entered the living room and the butler closed the doors, then leaned his forehead against the doors and prayed that they would be in a good mood.
The Inquisitors went inside, both turned their attention to the bulging belly of the woman sitting on the sofa, whose soul they had come to. The officer got up from the chair in which he was sitting, greeting them with a bow, one of them made a hand gesture, stopping the senorita from getting up from the sofa.
-Sit down, my child. The Inquisitor's voice was pleasant, but it still sent shivers down my spine.
Silveo, ready for such a visit, entered the room with a folder, handing it to the owner of the estate, and immediately left. Lesaro handed over the documents to the uninvited guests.
The next forty-five minutes seemed like moral torture to Eva - she was asked about every little thing in her life. Some of the answers were true, some were lies. The gentlemen in cassocks seemed to ask her everything in the world, even asking her to recite a passage from the Holy Scriptures by heart, which she did without hesitation. Realizing that she was clean before the Inquisition, the men said goodbye and left the manor, forcing the owner to kneel in the middle of the living room. The worried wife sat down next to him, her gentle hands lay over his cheekbones, lifting his face so that she could see his eyes.
-Carlos?- Her voice couldn't have been more than a half-whisper of excitement.
Lesaro jerked his wife into an embrace, feeling the gentle fingers take their place in his long curls.
The officer realized that they had twice escaped from the most terrible thing in their lives. Relief filled my body with buzzing and tingling in my fingers.
Now that they had nothing to fear anymore, they could build their future without fear of the Inquisitors' bloody hands reaching out to them. They could live in peace, together with their future children, and have the opportunity to be happy.
