The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 275: A Blessing To Cassian

Chapter 275: A Blessing To Cassian

As they awaited Kyren’s arrival, Sylvia confided in Anna about the intricate situation that trapped her and Drystan—a matchmaking scheme initiated by the Marquess of Sylvere, her grandfather, and her three uncles.

"Oh my goodness!" the princess exclaimed, unable to contain her surprise at the revelation.

"At least it’s not as shocking as Mr. Amares’s situation. We still have time to plan something before the betrothal takes place."

The princess shook her head, still trying to comprehend the whirlwind of occurrences that had transpired.

"So many things have happened today," she murmured, incredulous in her tone.

Meredith chimed in, reflecting on the unusual nature of this year’s festival, "Indeed! This year’s mid-autumn festival has been rather bizarre, full of unforeseen happenings. It has never been this unexpected!"

Sylvia couldn’t help but acknowledge Anna’s unintentional role in the day’s extraordinary events.

"Usually, it would just be the two of us, Meredith and me, visiting the festival together. But with you around, Anna, this year has become quite the adventure."

Anna asked back, genuinely surprised at the notion, "Me? What did I do? I’m not even an adventurous person!"

Sylvia voiced her realisation, highlighting the chain of events that had unfolded due to the princess’s marriage to the grand duke.

"Your marriage to His Highness the Grand Duke brought you and the Knights of Gerhard to Gantz following His Majesty’s royal decree. This, in turn, led my relatives to meet Sir Mills at the festival and became enamoured with his charm, which is how I ended up being paired with him."

Meredith shared her perspective, acknowledging Sylvia’s statement.

"Yes. On second thought, if it wasn’t for you, the Mederian royal siblings wouldn’t have come here, and Mr Amares wouldn’t be suddenly married to Princess Callis."

Anna agreed, seeing the connections between the events that were developing.

"I suppose one thing leads to another. I apologise if this has bothered you, Sylvia, or anybody else."

"Why should you apologise? Clearly, this has been arranged by God for a reason! Don’t worry about her and Sir Mills. We’ll think of something to save them. Furthermore, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet and fall in love with my handsome knight, Sir Jarr," Meredith added, her smile radiating a sense of affection.

"Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that all these happenings are your fault. I agree that one thing led to another, as you said. What I mean is, your presence here in Cassian impacts the people around you significantly," said Sylvia.

She exhaled and then sighed.

"I hope Sir Mills comes up with a solution soon. He mentioned he would meet me again to keep us from getting married."

The other two ladies nodded in understanding.

Sylvia then expressed her concern for Rafe, "I hope everything turns out well for Mr. Amares. Poor him!"

Anna interjected, offering a different perspective on the healer’s instant marriage, "I don’t think their marriage was a bad idea at all. His Majesty is known to be meticulous and reasonable. It’s possible he took action to proclaim their union immediately to save Rafe from Prince Kiev. We witnessed the extent of the prince’s anger due to his sister’s actions," she reasoned.

"But, what about Mr Amares’s feelings? Won’t it be a burden to be tied in a forced marriage?" stated Sylvia.

"I don’t know about that... But, Her Highness Princess Callis is lovely and elegant. Any man would want her as his wife," said Meredith confidently.

Sylvia, however, remained doubtful.

"Well... having good looks alone is not a guarantee for a happy marriage," she voiced, emphasising the importance of deeper compatibility and emotional connection.

Anna then said, "Honestly, based on experience, instant marriages are not necessarily bad if the couple understands their roles and takes responsibility accordingly. Take me, for example. In order to save my life from a lethal aphrodisiac, my marriage to Kyren was hurried. We didn’t even know each other then but got married anyway. Kyren has been very responsible and protective all this time. My understanding is that in Rafe’s instance, it was to prevent Prince Kiev from killing him."

Meredith expressed her agreement, placing her trust in Anna’s insights.

"I strongly believe Anna is right. Anyway, we’ll have to wait for His Highness, the Grand Duke, to confirm this."

Just as they discussed their thoughts, a knock echoed from the door. The grand duke entered, taking the opportunity to explain Rafe’s situation to them. Anna nodded, understanding the explanation provided.

"I had anticipated as much," she stated, her intuition aligning with the unfolding events.

"See, didn’t I say she’s right!" exclaimed Meredith.

"Indeed, you are so amazingly accurate about this, Lady Raychard! " said Sylvia, addressing Anna formally before Kyren.

The grand duke smiled.

"My wife is always smart and able to pick up fast."

"Thank you for explaining this to us, Your Highness. We’ve been worried about Mr. Amares, too. I guess this is for the best, just like you said. But, His Highness Prince Kiev seemed angry when he left the library. Won’t he be attempting to do something later?" inquired Sylvia, concerned.

The angered face of the Mederian Prince swirled in her mind.

"No, he won’t. He could have done it right then and there if he had wanted to. He got the chance to kill Rafe when His Majesty forbade me from interfering. However, he gave in to his sister’s insistence. The only challenge now is to get the Mederian siblings to reconcile and Prince Kiev to accept Rafe as his new brother-in-law. It won’t be easy to have the Mederian Prince give in, but I’ll leave that to my healer to sort out. He is a wise man who will undoubtedly find a way to overcome the estranged relationship."

"You’re absolutely right," Anna agreed. "Rafe is a remarkably responsible man. Although a royal decree dictated the circumstances of his marriage to Princess Callis, I believe he will not disregard her or treat their union in vain. Her love for him was evident during her heartfelt confession, and with time, I hope Rafe will also come to love her."

"Even without love, a couple can still find happiness as long as they care deeply for each other," Kyren remarked, referring to their own marriage.

Anna chose not to comment further, understanding that each individual’s love and relationship complexities were unique.

Sensing the couple’s need for a private moment, Meredith interjected, "I suppose it’s time for you to rest," she said. Will you be attending the prayer tonight, Lady Raychard? If so, I will come to the palace before your departure to escort you."

Anna gazed at Kyren, her eyes seeking his confirmation. The grand duke nodded, affirming her attendance.

"Yes, we will both be attending. Despite the unfinished duel, my wife’s title has not been revoked. So, it is her duty as part of the royal family to participate in the prayer. Please be prepared for the event," he replied.

Meredith acknowledged Kyren’s words.

"Yes, Your Highness, I will be ready. In that case, I will leave you both for now," she said, standing up and curtsying respectfully.

Sylvia followed suit, expressing her intentions.

"I, too, will be joining the prayer with my family. I will see you both tonight again. Thank you again for your time, Your Highness," she said before curtsying and leaving with Meredith.

With the two ladies’ departure, Kyren was left alone with Anna. They could now spend quality time together, cherishing their moments in each other’s company.

The grand duke held his wife closely as they sat together on the settee, his fingers gently toying with her long locks.

"Forgive me for all that happens. We’re supposed to have a good time together. Yet, so many things occurred today," he said, his arm crossing her waist as she rested her head on his chest.

"There’s nothing to forgive. We couldn’t have predicted what happened today. Rather, I think what Sylvia said is right," she responded.

"What did she say?" asked Kyren.

"Sylvia mentioned my presence impacted people around me significantly," said Anna, placing her hand on the grand duke’s, her eyes reflecting a multitude of thoughts.

The grand duke leaned in closer, his lips lightly brushing against Anna’s auburn hair.

"Your presence does affect me, but in the most wonderful way," he whispered tenderly.

"I just hope that my presence hasn’t brought any bad consequences to anyone’s lives," she said, her voice tinged with genuine concern. "Especially now that Sylvia and Sir Mills seem to be involved."

"Why would you worry about them? I learned how the Marquess met Drystan and expressed an interest in pairing him with your friend. From what I can see, there doesn’t appear to be any problem with that."

Anna’s eyes widened in surprise as she raised her head and looked at her husband.

"You knew?"

"Drystan came to me and explained everything on my way to meet you. He was considering asking for my help in persuading the Marquess to cancel the matchmaking," Kyren said, recounting the conversation.

"So, what did you tell him?" she asked, waiting for his answer.

"I told him that if he truly doesn’t want the marriage, he must find a way to convince the Marquess of Sylvere himself," Kyren explained.

"Why wouldn’t you support him?"

"It’s not that I don’t want to support him, but the Marquess holds a significant position. He was my grandfather’s second-in-command and the last remaining northern warrior from the era of the empire’s rule. Even my brother, His Majesty, wouldn’t dare to offend him."

Realising the weight of the Marquess’s influence, Anna nodded in understanding.

"That means his status carries a great deal of power within the kingdom. Why wouldn’t he and his family participate in the royal court?" she highlighted, seeking clarification.

"I was informed that the Marquess fell ill after the great war. Following his title and the march bestowed upon him, he chose to retire there. His sons decided to stay with him and took on the responsibility of protecting the border near their land, residing in the march as well."

Understanding the circumstances, Anna replied softly, "I see..."

Kyren held Anna tightly, cherishing their closeness. He reassured her not to worry about Drystan and Sylvia.

"Let them handle their affairs," he said.

"All right then."

"You know, having you here in Cassian has brought so much goodness. It’s as if you’re a blessing to us," said Kyren, returning to his calm tone.

Anna humbly responded, "Cassian is already a blessed land even without me."

Kyren shook his head, a smile playing on his lips.

"No, you have made it even better. You prevented a plague from happening with your blood and saved a ship from pirates. Hadn’t the pirate pursued us, and we had the admiral and his fleet trailed them back, we also wouldn’t have known that the enemies had breached the Agathe Islands," said the grand duke, seeing the positive outcome of Anna’s presence.

"I wish I could do more to support you," she expressed sincerely.

"You have already been an incredible support to me. Just your smile brightens my day."

"I hope you don’t mind, but I thought of something that could contribute to Cassian," Anna told him.

"What is it?"

"That day, when you had your duel with Prince Kiev and asked me to leave the arena, I went to the Crown Prince’s court with the ladies. We met Mr. Tony Lambert there," explained the princess.

"Ah... my former gardener. So you’ve met him," said Kyren. "What was he doing there? Is he still taking care of the garden? I told him to rest after retiring."

"He is still doing that for his love of gardening. Did you know that he managed to cultivate and grow the cotton seeds you bought? I examined it myself, and the quality is so great, finer than the Dracor’s cotton."

Kyren was genuinely amazed.

"I had no idea he succeeded. I had asked him to stop trying after numerous failures."

Anna continued, sharing her suggestion. Due to the cotton’s more extended maturing period, she had asked Tony to research expediting its growth. She believed that if successful, it could become a new source of economic prosperity for Cassian.

"What do you think?"

A smile spread across Kyren’s face.

"You have the same idea I had when I first brought those seeds to him. I had given up on it after the failures, never thinking it could be pursued again. Thank you for reinstating the idea," he said gratefully.

Anna expressed her hopes for its success, to which Kyren responded confidently.

"It will work out. I have faith in you," he assured her.

"Thank you, Kyren," Anna replied, grateful for his support.

"No, I should be thanking you instead," the grand duke countered. "Like I said before, you are truly a blessing to us all," he added, his appreciation for Anna shining through his words.