Isolde put her white little hand on her father's chest. The old Archbishop was dead. The girl slowly raised and went straight to the prince, made a reverence and said with a calm voice:
"If your Highness has nothing against it, I will remain here for a while to pray for my father and then I'll wait for your orders."
The prince was under the sway of passion.
"You are free to do whatever you want", he said and stepped out of the room.
Isolde inclined her head with a cold grace and returned near the bed.
"He uttered a name...," she thought."Another name...A name which wasn't mine...I wonder...what means that name?"
Eunice was keeping a lighted candle. She brought herself near and taking out of her bosom a stamped letter, she whispered:
"Milady, here is the key!"
Lady Isolde gave a jump.
"The key? Give it to me!"
She opened the letter.
"This is your father's will", said Eunice.
Isolde opened it and kissed the writing. Something fell in her hand.
"And this is the key", concluded the lovely girl showing her mistress an old golden key with precious stones. Lady Isolde split the key and asked:
"What is it for?"
Eunice made no reply; she put the candle on the little night stand and removing the carpet, she heaved a flagstone and pulled out a small wooden chest adorned like the key with jewels and gold. Lady Isolde opened the chest with a trembling hand and picked out a turned yellow leaf.
"What is this?" she asked.
"I don't know", said the maid-servant."Perhaps a letter written many years ago..."
Isolde read the dedication:"To my adoptive daughter, Isolde de la Ryanmondo." She remained still and quiet.
"Why am I so careless? After all, I have just found out that the only man I know and I love as my father, is nothing more but a stranger who probably took care of me only out of pity. Somehow I felt this all the time, but he seemed to love me so much that I couldn't ask him...", she thought.
Lady Isolde burst into tears.
"How perfidious I am! I love him so much! Maybe he isn't my father, but what do I owe to my parents?"
Eunice was looking at her with an unhidden wonder.
"Did you know, milady, that the lord was not your real father?"
"No, Eunice."
"Then I think you should read this letter."
"I will, but first I'll thank my father for his precious love for an abandoned child."
With these words, Isolde brought herself near the bed and said:
"Thank you, father. I'll always be grateful to you."
The she fell on her knees and did not move any more. Eunice put the stone back and inclining forward as to speak, she said:
"I will never leave you, milady!"
Then she left the room. After almost two hours of crying and praying, Lady Isolde kissed the Archbishop's hands and went to her room. She sat dawn on her bed and looked at the old letter, wrapped up in thoughts. When she wanted to start reading, Eunice opened the door and said:
"Milady, a massager from Prince John is here!"
Philip de Malvoisin entered the room.
"Milady, the regent decided that the burial will take place tomorrow morning."
"So early?" exclaimed Eunice.
"Orders are orders. And one more thing: his Royal Highness will attend himself at the divine service", said the massager and bowing dawn, he got out of the room.
The two girls glanced over one to another and sighed.
"Go and find someone to help us with the funeral preparations", said Isolde putting the letter into her bosom, and then she went to pray for the last time near the dead body of her adoptive father.
Meanwhile, an armed clad in black young man was sailing across, drumming his fingers on the parapet of the ship, the stormy English Channel.