The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 297: The Unexpected Request

Chapter 297: The Unexpected Request

"Definitely cannot! I’m afraid I have to disagree! Your body is not suitable for such strenuous training," Rafe exclaimed, his voice filled with alarm upon hearing Anna’s request.

"Rafael is right. Only those with strong bodies can endure the harsh training. It’s certainly not befitting for you, my lady," Eric responded, aligning himself with the healer’s concerns.

Rafe nodded fervently, supporting the knight’s remarks.

"After all, it takes years of training to become a knight. I’m sorry, but your request is completely out of the question," added Eric.

Taken aback by Anna’s unexpected request, Meredith exclaimed in surprise, "Is this what you’ve been thinking about?"

Ignoring her lady-in-waiting’s question, the princess persisted with her plea.

"I’m not asking you to turn me into a knight overnight! I’m simply requesting for a training in the ways of a knight. I don’t need to be officially ordained as one. I just want to acquire the skills necessary to protect myself and perhaps be more useful to Kyren," Anna explained, her determination shining through her earnest words.

The tense atmosphere filled the room as the princess’s request clashed with the concerns of her companions. Eric emphasised the support they already had.

"My lady, you have eight talented knights from the Knighthood of Gerhard, and we are the best, handpicked by His Highness to protect you. Furthermore, a hundred royal guards have been allocated by His Majesty to assist. If you still feel unsafe, I can summon the entire Knighthood of Gerhard from the duchy to come here," the knight proposed.

"No! There’s no need for that! That’s not what I want!" Anna exclaimed, rejecting the idea.

"You’re not in good health at the moment, my lady. You just vomited, and now you want to embark on training? I’m sorry, but this is absurd!" Meredith interjected, addressing Anna formally in front of Eric.

Anna sighed in frustration.

"I vomited because I forced myself to eat the chicken, even though I had no appetite. I mentioned this earlier. Please, listen to me before dismissing my request," she pleaded again.

"No, my lady! I cannot agree to this, no matter what the reason is. The physical demands of knight training are immense, and you are delicate! You can’t even withstand the cold wind outside. Remember what happened when we travelled from Dartrey Forest to Gantz? You barely endured that harsh journey, let alone knight’s training!" Rafe countered, his worry evident in his voice.

"That’s it! I’m tired and fed up with being called weak and fragile! My entire life, I’ve been portrayed as incapable of caring for myself! I refuse to be labelled as useless!" Anna’s frustration erupted in her words.

"No one is calling you weak or useless, my lady! If anyone dares to do so, tell me who it is, and I’ll swiftly deal with them. Their throat will be slit without hesitation, whoever they may be!" Eric declared, his determination apparent.

The knight’s hand instinctively gripped the handle of his sword hanging from his waist.

"Why are you letting what Lady James and her companions said affect you? You told me not to be bothered by them!" Meredith expressed, trying to understand Anna’s change in mindset.

Eric, filled with anger, responded vehemently, "That obnoxious lady said that? How dare she! I don’t care if she’s the sister of the admiral! I’ll go and teach her a lesson right away!" He turned his body, ready to storm out of the room.

Feeling overwhelmed, Anna exclaimed, "Stop! Please, for God’s sake! Can you all listen to me for once?"

Her frustration and annoyance were evident in her voice.

The room fell into a tense silence as they all observed Anna’s emotional state. Eric turned around, facing her solemnly, following her order. The air was filled with a stunned silence, the tension lingering.

Taking a deep breath to regain control, Anna composed herself. Her flushed face gradually returned to normal as she calmed her emotions.

"I want to learn to defend myself, not only for Kyren’s sake but for my own strength and independence," she explained carefully. "From the books I’ve read, I’ve learned that proper exercise can contribute to overall health. That’s why I sought Sir Navin’s help, as he has experience training other knights. He would know the best exercise regimen for me to start with, and we can gradually increase the intensity over time. I understand it’s unrealistic to become as skilled as you in just a month, but this is mainly for my personal growth."

Eric interjected, reminding Anna of her previous statement, "You mentioned wanting the skills of a knight."

Anna nodded, acknowledging his point.

"Yes, I do. However, I need to ensure my body is prepared for that level of training. I want to show Kyren that I’m capable and that I can become stronger and better. This is an opportunity I’ve never had before, so please... give me a chance to prove myself. If Kyren sees me in an improved state, I believe I can convince him to support further training upon his return."

Rafe shook his head in disagreement as he knew about the potential risks.

"My lady, I understand your determination, but as your appointed healer, I must strongly disagree," Rafe advised with concern. "Considering your condition and the current weather, engaging in training would be detrimental to your health. Even if the season was favourable, your body constitution is unsuitable for strenuous activities."

Meredith chimed in, sharing her own experience, "Mr Amares is right! I, too, tried training in the past, inspired by my father’s endeavours to protect the kingdom. I even had my own armour. However, the training proved to be incredibly challenging, and I could only endure it for a month. After that, I swore never to train again."

Eric added his voice to the conversation, "Lady Grey speaks from personal experience, and we all have your well-being at heart. We advise you to reconsider your decision. Our intentions are not to discourage you from becoming healthier but to ensure your safety."

Anna’s expression revealed her disappointment and frustration. Her lower lip trembled as she bit it, and her puffy cheeks mirrored the demeanour of a sulking child.

Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Sir Navin!" Her voice quivered with emotion.

The knight responded calmly, "Yes, my lady."

"The grand duke left a note for me," Anna revealed, retrieving a folded paper from the pocket of her robe. "According to the note, the Knights of Gerhard are to attend to my needs whenever I wish. So, whether you like it or not, you must obey my order!" Her determination filled her words.

Eric raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the claim.

"May I see the note?" he requested.

Anna handed the paper to the knight, who read it with a severe expression. The handwriting and signature undeniably belonged to Kyren. After reading the note, he returned it to the princess and took a deep breath, his face clouded with thought.

"I suppose you have no reason not to adhere to my request now," Anna adamantly said.

Rafe and Meredith exchanged frustrated glances, realising their attempts to persuade the princess had been in vain. Sensing their growing concern, Eric shifted his gaze between them, understanding the weight of their objections.

"Very well, then. If it’s His Highness’s order, I shall obey," the knight suddenly responded, his words causing Meredith and Rafe to shout in unison.

"What??"

Their eyes widened, their disbelief evident as they stared at the knight.

Anna’s face brightened with surprise and hope. She repeated her questions to reaffirm, unable to believe what she had heard.

"Are you really agreeing? You won’t take it back, will you?" Her voice trembled with excitement.

"A knight always keeps his word," Eric asserted firmly, his tone unwavering.

Rafe could no longer contain his frustration and stepped forward, glaring at the knight. However, before he could voice his objections, Eric quickly raised his hand, signalling him to pause and cut him off with his words.

"My lady, if you would excuse us, may I briefly discuss outside with Rafael and Lady Grey? I assure you it won’t take long," the knight requested unexpectedly.

Anna’s suspicion heightened, sensing a potential hidden agenda. She instinctively questioned Eric’s intentions, "You’re not planning anything, are you?"

Eric met her gaze directly, his expression earnest.

"Of course not! I just need to convince them. His Highness’s orders are not to be disregarded," Eric clarified, his voice confident and resolute.

The princess nodded, a smile spreading across her face. A sense of happiness enveloped her heart, knowing that she had achieved her first objective.

***

"Are you out of your mind? You’re going to get us all killed if anything happens to her!" Rafe exclaimed furiously, his voice filled with anger and concern.

"Shush! Lower your voice! Don’t let her hear us," Eric warned urgently as he closed the door, trying to maintain secrecy.

Frustration surged through the healer as he clenched his fists tightly and then bunched them.

He grunted in exasperation, "Urgh!! Why are you making this so difficult? We’re in serious trouble this time!"

"Calm down, Rafael!" Eric urged, his tone controlled as he tried to diffuse the situation.

Observing the tense exchange, Meredith interjected with a question. "What is your plan, Sir Navin? I sensed something when you readily agreed to our lady just now."

The knight’s lips curled into a smirk, acknowledging the noble lady’s keen scrutiny.

"How did you know?"

"You didn’t put up much resistance during the conversation. When she presented the note, you quickly relented and agreed. That’s not the behaviour I would expect from the second-in-command knight of Gerhard. You must have had something up your sleeve," Meredith deduced, her expression poised.

"A sharp observation indeed, Lady Grey. You truly are a capable lady-in-waiting for our lady," Eric acknowledged, impressed by her intuition.

Impatiently, Rafe interrupted, demanding answers, "What are you up to?"

Eric’s smile widened, his eyes gleaming with a mix of determination and mischievousness. "Nothing much, my friend. I will train her just as she wishes."

"You’re crazy!" the healer exclaimed, his frustration mounting.

"I haven’t finished," the knight continued. "I can’t refuse her request because she has a written order from His Highness."

Rafe turned to Meredith, a determined look in his eyes.

"Lady Grey, steal the note and burn it!"

Meredith’s gaze flickered with surprise, caught off guard by Rafe’s desperate attempt to prevent Anna from undergoing the training. Her mind raced, considering the implications of their actions and the potential consequences of defying the princess’s wishes.

"She can’t do that! Listen... we all saw how her emotions were unstable just now, and we don’t want her to get sick from being disheartened. So, I’ll pretend to train her like she wants. Give me a week... no, three days at the most, and I’ll ensure that she’ll quit on her own. Trust me!" Eric proposed.

"Three days? She won’t even last for an hour!" Rafe scolded.

"I said I would pretend to train her, didn’t I? Do you think I would subject our lady to real training?" Eric responded.

After contemplating the situation, Meredith spoke up in agreement. "Sir Navin is right. Our lady’s emotions have been all over the place lately, and she’s suddenly been unusually stubborn. If we keep arguing with her, she might seek someone else to train her, which would be even more dangerous."

"Don’t worry, I’ll make it as light as possible and have all the knights present to ensure precautions. Additionally, we should conduct this training at the mansion, away from the knowledge of Their Majesties," Eric suggested, considering the interference risk to his plan.

Rafe’s worry lingered.

"Can you guarantee her safety?" he voiced out with concern.

"I swear upon my life that I will keep her safe. I have promised His Highness that I will take care of her," Eric vowed solemnly.

"Fine... Your plan usually works. Let’s go for it," he relented.

The trio then reentered the chamber to face Anna once again.

"I managed to convince them both. So, we all agreed that you may proceed with the training," Eric announced decisively.

Anna’s smile widened as she realised her wish was being granted.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Sir Navin! This means a lot to me!" the princess exclaimed, her happiness palpable as she almost jumped in excitement.

The worry that had previously laced her face had transformed into eager anticipation. The trio exchanged glances, noting the sudden shift in the princess’s mood.

"But we need to conduct the training at the Gerhard mansion. If we do it here, there’s a risk that Their Majesties might become aware of it and may disagree with the arrangement. I won’t be able to defy their orders if they request the training to be aborted," Eric explained with caution.

"You’re right!" Anna agreed, her determination evident as she clenched her fist and bumped it on her palm. "Then let’s return to the mansion! I remember Kyren mentioning that I can go back anytime I want."

The trio nodded in agreement, aligning themselves with the princess’s plan.

"I’ll inform Callis and His Highness Prince Kiev that the trip to Rivendelle is cancelled. I need to be by your side during the training to ensure your well-being," Rafe stated, a tinge of disappointment evident on his face.

"You’re going to Rivendelle?" Anna asked, surprised by the revelation.

"Yes, it’s my hometown. Actually, I was planning to take my wife to meet my family. It’s customary for newlyweds to visit their parents after marriage. They weren’t present at the wedding, after all..." the healer’s voice trailed off, carrying a hint of sadness.

"Oh dear! Then you should go!" Anna responded, her expression filled with empathy.

"You’re taking His Highness Prince Kiev with you?" Meredith asked in disbelief. "I thought he objected to your wedding and was furious at you!"

"We talked this morning, and I tried to seek his consent for our marriage. That’s why he’s coming, to learn more about me and my family. I was hoping to gain his trust by taking him with me. That’s why I came to see you, my lady, to get your approval for one week’s leave," Rafe explained.

"That is important! You finally managed to talk to Prince Kiev, and he’s giving you a chance. You must go with them!" Anna urged. "Since we’ll return to the mansion, you don’t have to worry. Ayden is there, and he can look after me."

"I can’t do that, my lady! You are my responsibility!" Rafe emphasised.

"Then... I’ll wait for your return. A week won’t be long. I can’t be selfish and only think about what I want. Please go, Rafe. Besides, the armour also needs to be altered to fit my size," Anna said, understanding the importance of the healer’s journey.

"Armour? What armour?" Meredith asked, confused.

"Your armour, Mer! Didn’t you say you have it? I want to borrow. Since I’ll be undergoing training, I’ll need it. You don’t mind, do you?"

Anna looked at her friend with pleading eyes.

Meredith swallowed nervously, glancing at Eric for help. The knight blinked slowly, signalling for her to agree.

"Sure... I’ll have Rania send it to the mansion," the noble lady reluctantly agreed.

"Rosalie knows my measurements accurately. Since your stature is bigger and taller than me, the smith might need to adjust the breastplate and the rest of the armour," Anna said excitedly.

"Right..." Meredith responded slowly.

"When are you departing, Rafe?" Anna then asked.

"Supposedly, it should be tomorrow morning," Rafe answered.

"Then, please proceed. You have my permission. Don’t worry, we’ll wait for you and return to the mansion afterwards together," the princess reassured him.

Rafe nodded. The weight of worry persisted in his mind as he contemplated whether this was the right decision.