The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 307: A Joyous Decision

Chapter 307: A Joyous Decision

As three other men, two young and one older, rose from their seats, their attention was drawn to Alex, Meredith, and Eric’s arrival.

The older man wore a stern expression, while the two younger men appeared visibly delighted. He walked over and stood beside the elegant lady, likely his wife.

The lady who was the Duchess of Sanad initially wanted to move towards Alex and Meredith. Still, upon catching sight of Eric, she swiftly composed herself, understanding the importance of upholding decorum in such settings.

"Greetings, Your Graces, Duke and Duchess of Sanad. Welcome to Gerhard’s mansion," Eric respectfully addressed the noble couple, bowing in their presence. "Please accept our apologies for the delay in returning to greet you properly."

Benjamin Jarr, the Duke of Sanad, nodded in acknowledgement, his wife following suit.

"Thank you, Sir Eric Navin. We have received a warm welcome from Mr Anryr Foster and the attendants. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated," the duke expressed his gratitude. "I was unaware that all of you were on duty at the palace. I apologise if I have interrupted your busy schedules."

"Not at all, Your Grace," Eric assured him. "We operate on a shift rotation, and my subordinates are currently on duty escorting the Honourable Royal Concubine of Gerhard. His Highness, the Grand Duke, is currently away, and I have been appointed his representative. Welcoming you is part of my responsibility as the host."

"Yes, I’m grateful for that. I’ve heard about His Highness’s departure from Mr Foster to Agathe Island. Also, I apologise for not attending the banquet celebrating the entitlement of Lady Anna Raychard as the Honourable Royal Concubine, as I was away on duty during that time," Benjamin expressed.

"No worries, Your Grace. The event was organised on short notice to make the official proclamation, so many nobles outside Gantz could not attend. However, the grand ball for the celebration is intended to be held later. Now that His Highness is not around, we will await his return before proceeding," Eric clarified.

"It was surprising when we received the news that His Highness had finally taken a romantic interest in a woman, especially after his proclamation of celibacy. However, upon reading Her Majesty, the Queen’s letter, I gained a full understanding," Valerie, the Duchess of Sanad, shared her thoughts.

"None of us had the chance to read the letter, as it was explicitly addressed to Your Grace, the Duchess. May I inquire what else Her Majesty mentioned?" Eric asked, genuinely curious.

"She explained why Lady Anna Raychard was proclaimed the concubine instead of His Highness’s legal wife. Additionally, she mentioned two exceptional noble ladies who have become companions to Lady Raychard, disregarding societal perceptions," Valerie revealed, her eyes drifting towards Meredith, a smile gracing her lips.

"Furthermore, Her Majesty has requested our support, considering that many nobles are against His Highness’s and Lady Raychard’s union. As a distant family, we assure you that we will not abandon the royal family’s decision and go against it despite the sentiments of others. I have known His Majesty and His Highness for a long time, and I am aware that they would not make a decision that could jeopardise the stability of our kingdom. Therefore, the Dukedom of Sanad will provide our unwavering support and allegiance to them," the duke declared with conviction.

"Thank you, Your Grace. It is a relief to know that we have the backing of two of the Pillar Families of Cassian. The Marquess of Sylvere’s family has also shown their support to His Highness and Lady Raychard. However, we are yet to learn the opinions of the Duke of Greene and the Marquess of Roland," Eric relayed.

"They reside quite far away, but I am confident that the news has reached them by now. Given our blood relations, it will be easier for me to converse with the Duke of Greene. However, I am uncertain about the Marquess of Roland. His resentment towards the Adhemar family runs deep, as the treacherous lords brutally murdered his father," Benjamin explained, highlighting the complexities involved.

"I understand the challenges we face. It is indeed a surprising revelation, and we were initially perplexed when we discovered Lady Raychard’s background. However, rest assured, she is unlike anything you can imagine. She is humble, soft-spoken, loving, yet remarkably selfless and determined. Her character alone proves that she deserves to stand by His Highness’s side, regardless of her bloodline," Eric expressed, emphasising Anna’s exceptional qualities.

Benjamin nodded in understanding.

"She seems like an interesting person. I would like to meet her," he expressed his curiosity.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but our lady currently rests in the palace. His Majesty has requested her to stay there until His Highness’s return, and unfortunately, she is not feeling well due to the recent weather. That is why she did not come with us. But, she sends her greetings and sincerely welcomes you both," Eric explained, providing the reason for Anna’s absence.

The remarks raised Anryr’s concern, but he remained silent as a respectful steward, allowing the honourable guests to converse with Eric.

"Is her condition serious?" Valerie inquired, displaying her concern.

"Oh, no! It’s just a mild discomfort," Eric reassured them.

"In that case, I will visit her soon. But for now, there is a more important reason why we are here, isn’t it, my dear?" the Duchess interjected, glancing at her husband.

"Ah... yes. We are here to meet Lady Meredith Grey in person, the one highlighted in Her Majesty’s letter," the Duke of Sanad stated, his gaze falling upon Meredith.

As her name was mentioned, the noble lady felt a nervous flutter in her stomach. Her hand trembled slightly, but Alex noticed and tightened his grip, reassuring her. He looked at her and nodded, conveying his support.

"Yes, Your Grace. The lady in question is now here to meet you. I believe you are all aware that she is currently the lady-in-waiting of Lady Raychard, personally appointed by His Highness," Eric confirmed.

He stepped aside, gesturing for Alex to proceed. The knight took a step forward, holding Meredith’s hand.

"Father, mother, allow me to introduce Lady Meredith Grey, the lady whom I wish to marry," the knight announced with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Greetings, Your Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Sanad!" Meredith released Alex’s hand and held her skirt as she curtsied gracefully.

"Hello, my dear. What a beautiful lady you have become," Valerie greeted her warmly, offering a kind smile.

"Thank you, Your Grace," Meredith replied graciously.

Valerie’s warm greeting piqued her curiosity. Based on the duchess’s remarks, she couldn’t help but wonder if their paths had crossed before, but she remained confident that this was their first meeting.

The duchess then turned to Alex and embraced him tightly.

"I haven’t seen you in quite some time, Alexander! I have missed you dearly!"

"I miss you too, mother," the knight responded, returning the embrace.

Valerie released the hug, allowing Alex to have a moment with his father. Benjamin extended his hand for a handshake, addressing his son by his full name.

"Hello, Alexander. I hope you have been serving His Highness well. I was rather surprised you did not accompany him to Agathe Islands."

"His Highness has entrusted me, along with his most trusted knights, to safeguard Lady Anna Raychard, father. That is why I am here," Alex explained, shaking his father’s hand.

"Yes, I can see that. Even his second-in-command, Sir Eric Navin, is not accompanying him," the duke noted.

"His Highness holds our lady in high regard, which is why he has entrusted his best men to care for her. The royal knights and Admiral Adam James are accompanying him on the mission, along with the Knights of Neblim," Eric explained.

The duke paused for a moment, a smirk forming on his face.

"So, it is true..." he mused.

"What is it, father?" Alex inquired, intrigued by his father’s reaction.

"That His Highness, the Grand Duke of Gerhard, has fallen head over heels for his concubine just as the rumours said," Benjamin revealed.

"Well... that... is not entirely wrong," Alex admitted, realising the truth of his father’s words.

However, he decided to keep the extent of Kyren’s infatuation with Anna within the knowledge of the knighthood for now.

As Alex’s brothers approached with smiles on their faces, his elder brother playfully teased him.

"Hey, Alex! How’s it going? Didn’t know you had gotten yourself associated with a cute lady!"

Both Meredith and Alex blushed, feeling a tinge of shyness in response to the teasing.

"Well, aren’t you going to introduce us to her?" Alex’s younger brother chimed in.

"Ah... yes! Brothers, this is Lady Meredith Grey," the knight introduced. "Meredith, these are my brothers. This is Sebastian, the eldest, and Jeremiah, the youngest. I usually call them Seb and Jer."

"Greetings, my Lords. How do you do?" Meredith greeted them politely.

"We are fine. We are so excited to meet you!" Sebastian expressed his enthusiasm.

"Come, let us take a seat together and talk more," Valerie suggested, leading them to a comfortable settee.

Meredith sat beside Alex, with Eric by his side. The Duke and Duchess settled before them while the two brothers positioned themselves on the settee in between. Anryr respectfully left the room upon their request, granting them some privacy.

"How did you get to know our Alex? Do tell, please! We are eager to know," Jeremiah inquired.

"Well... we first met when Lady Anna Raychard arrived in Gantz at the plaza. There were several occasions where he saved me," Meredith explained, recounting the beginnings of their relationship.

"Hmm... a lady-in-waiting and a knight! Your feelings must have developed as you occasionally met during your duties," Sebastian playfully teased.

"That..."

Meredith hesitated and couldn’t continue her explanation. She realised that revealing the truth—that she had been the one who confessed her feelings first before the appointment of her duty—might alter their perception. She paused, contemplating how to proceed with her explanation.

"Boys, don’t get too excited. You might scare her!" warned Valerie as she noticed Meredith’s contemplating expression. "Please forgive my sons, Lady Grey. They are quite blunt when talking to women. As you can see, I have only sons and no daughters, not even a daughter-in-law yet."

"It’s fine, Your Grace. Please call me Meredith instead."

"It won’t be long now until you have one. I hope that would satisfy your long desire to have a daughter," Benjamin interjected.

Then, he shifted the conversation to the main agenda.

"Now that we have seen you in person, Meredith, we should go ahead and move forward with the next matter. Both Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Grand Duke of Gerhard have insisted that your marriage with our son should be expedited. Since we are already here, we want to inform you that we plan to hold the betrothal ceremony in the next five days, followed by your wedding in two weeks."

Alex couldn’t hide his disbelief.

"Wait... that fast?"

"Yes. As Her Majesty and His Highness requested, they wish for no delay. We will take care of all the preparations while we are here," Benjamin explained. "I believe two weeks is sufficient time to arrange a wedding here in Gantz. The celebration in the dukedom can take place after His Highness’s return."

"But... but... I thought..." Meredith stuttered, still trying to process the sudden turn of events.

"What is it, Meredith?" Valerie asked, noticing her hesitance.

"Don’t you have any questions about me instead, Your Graces? After all, this is our first meeting," Meredith asked cautiously, her confusion evident.

The Duke of Sanad smirked, seemingly amused by the situation.

"We don’t. When the letters from Her Majesty and His Highness reached us, we were confident that you were worthy enough to be with our Alexander. They spoke highly of you in their letters, and when Sir Eric Navin mentioned that you were personally appointed by His Highness the Grand Duke, we did not doubt that you are trustworthy. His Highness is known to be extremely selective with his people, and incidents have led him to dismiss all female servants under him, but you received an exception. That says something."

"But I thought you wanted to meet Meredith to get to know her," Alex interjected, seeking clarification.

"We have already come to know her. In fact, your mother has been eager to meet Meredith after all these years," Benjamin revealed.

"I... I don’t understand," Meredith expressed her confusion.

"We’ve met before, so this is not our first meeting. When your mother passed away when you were little, we attended her funeral as we happened to be in the capital at that time," Valerie began, her voice filled with warmth. "You were crying inconsolably, and your father had a difficult time comforting you. I took you in my arms and gently rocked you until you fell asleep. As I was about to leave, you opened your eyes and asked me to be your mother."

This revelation took Alex aback.

"You never told me about this, Meredith," he said, surprised.

"I don’t remember! I swear! Those times are a blur in my memory," Meredith admitted, feeling a mix of confusion and emotions.

"She was still very young. It’s understandable that she doesn’t recall," Benjamin interjected, offering an explanation. "Your mother was captivated by her warm chestnut hair and adorable chubby cheeks. She longed for a daughter and was overjoyed when we discovered she was pregnant again later, but fate had other plans, and we ended up with Jeremiah instead," he told Alex.

Jeremiah chuckled, adding, "I guess God heard the little girl’s wish, albeit slightly delayed. Soon, we’ll be family!"

Meredith’s eyes welled up with tears, touched by their acceptance.

"I was worried that you might have many questions about me, considering my lower noble status. I never anticipated that you would easily accept me."

"You are someone highly recommended for our son, both by Her Majesty and His Highness. It would be a significant matter if we defy their wishes," Benjamin assured her. "Just so you know, this is the second time the Grand Duke has nominated and commended a suitress following the great tale of Sir Eric Navin’s beloved. That means you are important to him."

Eric, who had been silent throughout, felt a pang of embarrassment as the duke mentioned his story. He hadn’t anticipated that Benjamin would be aware of how Kyren had persuaded his father, Baron Navin, to allow his marriage to Rachel.

"I appreciate your proposal for the betrothal and wedding, father. However, shouldn’t this matter be discussed with Lord Grey first?" Alex questioned, voicing his concern.

"Leave it to the elders, Alexander. Lord Grey will eventually agree to it," Benjamin replied confidently, dismissing any doubts.

The knight, aware of his father’s determination and track record of successful negotiations, knew that the duke’s words held weight. He had witnessed his father’s ability to sway situations in his favour time and again.

Meredith and Alex exchanged glances filled with happiness as they realised their wishes would be fulfilled without resistance.

Eric playfully nudged the knight’s side, whispering, "See, what did I say to you? I told you it’s going to be fine. Guess you didn’t need my help after all."

"I’m grateful for your support, Sir Navin. Your indication of Meredith’s appointment by His Highness has convinced my father’s trust in her. I can see it in his eyes," Alex acknowledged, a sense of gratitude in his voice.

"Don’t mention it! But remember, you owe me a toast on your wedding day, and I shall claim it," Eric replied cheerfully, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Definitely, Sir! We’ll celebrate to our heart’s content!" Alex affirmed with a smile.

"You said it! Don’t you forget!" Eric teased, enjoying the lighthearted banter.

A joyous atmosphere enveloped the hall as anticipation filled the air. The temple bell would soon ring, marking the beginning of a new Chapter in the couple’s lives.

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