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park. Her
champagne-colored, satin gown slid down on her left shoulder
showing her velvety skin. When she heard Amrita stop behind her,
she turned around and looked into her eyes. The girl immediately
saw in her look that the nectar brought the desired effect, and the
night did not pass pointlessly. She did not say anything just
smiled and nodded.
    “ Say it, I want to hear!” Catherine was stretching
contently.
    “ The future heir was conceived.”
    “ I would like to believe you, but after ten years of futile
wait and hope, my faith is in ruins,” the princess’ face clouded
over.
    “ All you need is a little patience, and soon you will feel the
signs of pregnancy,” Amrita encouraged her, but she saw that the
additional waiting did not sound promising for her
mistress.
    “ You know what?” Catherine’s face lit up again. “Doctor
Nostradame arrived at the court again yesterday to report about the
measures against the plague in Marseilles. They say he is not only
skilled at healing, but he also has prophetic abilities, and for
him, the future is an open book.”
    Hearing the name, Amrita trembled. That moment, three weeks
ago, came to her mind when she thought that she would be
immediately revealed. Michel de Nostradame, how could she have
forgotten this name? It’s true that she has not seen Michel for
fifteen years, who just disappeared from her life one day, never
providing an explanation for his nonattendance. But no matter how
many years have passed so far, and that he is now a forty-year-old
man instead of a twenty-five-year-old boy; Amrita immediately
recognized him. She took it for granted that Michel recognized her
too, because she has not changed, even the slightest, over the
years. The man was gazing at her speechlessly for a long time, but
finally, he broke into a polite smile, stepped up to her and
greeted her as someone who has seen her for the first time. Amrita
could not decide whether Nostradame’s memories in connection with
her, really faded over the past one and a half decades, nor was he
well aware who was standing in front of him, but rather kept it to
himself. After the short visit, the doctor traveled south on that
day to manage and control the efforts made for restraining the
plague. Amrita tried not to think about him, but by mentioning the
name, all the controversial feelings piled up again that Michel
evoked in her.
    “ I would like you to speak with the doctor,” Catherine said,
and sat down in front of the dressing mirror. “The case has to be
handled confidentially. I don’t want the news of pregnancy to get
around before it becomes certain. Tell him the situation, and that
I would like him to come to me secretly behind Henri’s and Diane’s
back.”
    “ As you wish,” nodded Amrita, concealing her unwillingness.
“Shall I look for him right now?”
    “ Yes, that would be the best. I don’t want him to leave again
before we ask him. But don’t come immediately, I’m going to get
dressed and have breakfast first. Then, I can receive
him.”
    “ All right,” she said and left Catherine alone.
    Her heart pounded in her throat while she was heading towards
the doctor’s suite. She wanted to stay in the background, maybe
Michel really has not recognized her yet, but if she spends time in
his company, sooner or later the beneficial veil will fall, behind
which the man’s mind hid their story. She was also afraid that the
doctor remembered her very well, and the reason why he has not
asked embarrassing questions was that they were not left alone.
However, now there will be nothing to hold him back from asking
those questions…
    For a second, her hand stopped in the air, then she took a
deep breath and knocked on the door. Nothing happened for a while,
and she was about to knock again when the door opened. There stood
Michel as real as possible, and she forgot to lower her hand raised
for knocking. She came to herself again only when the doctor
greeted her and ushered