The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 350: The Beginning Of The Training

Chapter 350: The Beginning Of The Training

The Knights of Gerhard lined up on the training ground, forming a single row with their hands clasped behind their backs, legs spaced apart, chests held high, and heads facing forward.

’Drup! Drup! Drup!’

The sound of Eric’s heavy boots echoed, crunching on the ground. The second-in-command knight took his place before the other knights, scanning his subordinates with a glance from left and right.

"Now, where is the star of the show?" he inquired, referring to Anna.

"Wait for me!" A voice shouted from afar before anyone could respond. All eyes turned towards the source of the voice.

Anna came sprinting towards them and quickly joined the group. The knights exchanged glances as they observed her. The training hadn’t even started yet, but she was already panting from her short run.

"You’re late!" Eric’s voice carried a stern tone.

"I’m sorry! I thought I was early! I didn’t know I had to be on the training ground an hour before the designated time!" Anna apologised.

"Since this is your first mistake, I’ll let it slide. Join the line," the second-in-command knight ordered.

Anna nodded and turned, unsure of her place among the sturdy knights standing in a straight line. Eventually, she found a spot next to Eli, positioned at the end of the line on the right side.

"Very well. Before we begin, I will provide a briefing. This training is specifically designed for Lady Raychard. However, as I don’t conduct individual training, it will be conducted as a group, meaning all of you will train together," Eric explained.

"All of them? With me?" Anna expressed her surprise.

Eric cleared his throat.

"Trainees are not allowed to interrupt when the trainer is speaking!" he raised his voice, reminding her to remain silent.

The princess quickly sealed her lips, realising her mistake. She understood that an apology was unnecessary at that moment.

"During the training, you will be paired with your peers, whom I have already selected. Sir Skyler will partner with Sir Brooks, Sir McQuinn with Sir Parker, and Sir Henderson with Lady Raychard. Sir Jarr is on leave for his wedding preparations, and Sir Mills is on duty at the Count of Medhir’s mansion, so they will not be joining us. Any questions?" Eric asked.

Eli promptly raised his hand.

"Why am I paired with Lady Raychard?" he inquired.

"Why not?" Eric responded, leaving the question unanswered.

The young knight wore a crestfallen expression, having grown accustomed to receiving the response.

"I’m not saying no or complaining, but shouldn’t a higher-ranking knight be a better partner for her? I tend to be a bit clumsy, and I fear I might unintentionally harm our lady, especially when weapons are involved," he expressed, his self-doubt evident.

"This is a training, Sir Henderson! I’m not asking you to babysit her. Lady Raychard should be well aware of the risks," Eric retorted.

Eli cast her gaze downward and quickly apologised, feeling chastised for his comments.

Anna raised her hand, a look of hesitation on her face.

"Yes, my lady?"

"In this training... will weapons be involved?" she inquired.

"Most certainly. That’s what training is for," replied the second-in-command knight.

"But... I thought we would begin with some light exercises first, something more suitable for me," Anna voiced her concerns.

"Exercise will be part of it, but weapon training is also included. You expressed a desire to learn how to defend yourself, so you must understand how to evade strikes from weapons. Rest assured, we will only use wooden blades for training purposes, which won’t happen today," the second-in-command knight explained.

"But... wouldn’t that still be dangerous? I mean... I’m not skilled in handling weapons. I might swing them incorrectly and accidentally hurt someone," Anna added, her worry apparent.

The knights stifled their laughter and averted their eyes. It was inconceivable for the petite and seemingly weak princess to pose any real threat to them.

"Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that at all. If you injured any of these men, I would send them for further rigorous training," Eric assured her, causing a brief silence to fall over the group.

"Any more questions before we begin?" he asked.

No one raised their hand.

"Very well, then. Remove your shirts and give me ten laps," the second-in-command knight ordered.

The knights started untying their wristbands and removing their shirts. Panicked, Anna quickly raised her hand once again.

"Yes, my lady?" Eric acknowledged her.

"Do... do I have to remove my clothes as well?" she asked, a look of worry etched on her face.

"Of course not! You’re a woman! Why would I ask you to do that!" Eric exclaimed.

"But... just now..."

The second-in-command knight slapped his forehead.

"Forgive me, my lady! I’m so accustomed to training the boys that I completely forgot you’re an exception. Just remove the gambeson," he corrected himself, realising his mistake.

Anna looked relieved. However, Noah, wearing a severe expression, suddenly interjected, "The weather is a bit cold, Sir Navin. Just let her wear it," he suggested.

"It’s not that cold. She can manage," Eric insisted.

"She might get sick!" Noah argued.

"She’ll be all right!"

"You’re not listening..."

"I’m the one conducting the training, so I know better than you," the second-in-command knight asserted sternly.

"But..."

"It’s fine, Sir Brooks! It’s not that cold. I can endure it. It’ll get warmer soon. So please, let us continue," Anna intervened, attempting to defuse the escalating tension between the two knights.

"Fine!" Noah grunted, conceding and withdrawing from the argument.

Although Eric was irritated by Noah’s remarks, he too ceased to argue as he saw the knight relent. Noah had removed his outer tunic and was now covered with a thin linen undershirt.

"You don’t have to remove your shirt. You can continue wearing that," Eric said in a solemn tone, knowing about the numerous scars that marred Noah’s back from the lashings he had endured as a punishment for his past crimes.

Despite his disdain for Noah, Eric understood that the knight still had dignity to keep, and he didn’t want to embarrass and remind everyone of the past.

Just then, from the training ground’s audience seating, the knights noticed Emily wheeling Clara in. The two women had come to watch the training, as Eric had informed them beforehand.

"You don’t need to make an exception for me. I’ll follow your rules, fair and square, just like everyone else. Just give me a moment so I can pass my attire to someone to keep it for me," Noah stated.

"Suit yourself," Eric responded nonchalantly.

The knight with obsidian eyes and black hair walked over to Emily. The young woman smiled as Noah approached her. The other knights and Anna also dispersed to set aside their attire.

"The training is about to start, and we must remove our shirts. Could you keep my clothes with you?" Noah asked as he handed his attire to Emily.

"Yes, of course. I’ll keep them safely," she replied, grinning as she received the clothes and placed them on the empty chair beside her.

"Oh, and this one, too," Noah added, pulling his linen shirt over his head, revealing his chiselled chest and muscular upper torso. He handed the shirt to her.

Emily’s jaw dropped as she beheld the knight’s robust physique. The shirt almost fell to the ground if not for Clara, who swiftly caught it from Emily’s side.

"What’s the matter? Is something wrong?" Noah inquired, noticing her shocked expression.

Snapping back to reality, Emily responded, "No! Nothing! Nothing at all!"

"Are you... surprised or scared of my body? I thought you wouldn’t be since you’ve seen it before," he teased.

"Of course not! It’s just that... it’s a little uncommon," she stammered, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

"You seem shy. That surprises me, considering you daringly declared me as sexy and wanted to squeeze and taste every inch of my muscles," he jested.

Emily’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. She covered her face with her palms, only hearing Noah’s chuckles. The knight then retreated and joined the others who had gathered at the corner of the training ground to begin their run.

Meanwhile, Clara burst into laughter. Emily turned her body around, not wanting Noah to see her in this state.

"Oh, my God! He heard me! That’s exactly what I told you about him when we were in the forest that night on our way to Cassian!" Emily exclaimed, thoroughly embarrassed.

"I told you that some knights have excellent hearing! You didn’t believe me," Clara remarked, chuckling.

"How am I ever going to face him again? This is so embarrassing!" Emily said, cupping her warm, red cheeks with her hands.

"Calm down! Sit down first, and let’s watch this," Clara suggested, amusement evident in her voice.

Emily turned back and took a seat. Her eyes gazed at the shirtless knights facing her and Clara. Though a little far away, she could still appreciate their well-built figures, a result of their rigorous training.

A wide smile gradually formed on Emily’s face, and her embarrassment was quickly replaced by excitement as she admired the sight before her.

"I think I’m going to enjoy this! What a sight to behold! Oh, their gorgeous bodies! I’m in heaven!" Emily exclaimed.

Clara sighed and shook her head.

"Wipe your drool, Emily! You’re embarrassing me."

The young woman smacked her lips playfully.

"They all look delicious, especially Sir Brooks! I’ve decided, Dame! Let’s watch this training every day! Oh, I can’t wait to see them covered in sweat!"

Clara patted her forehead and shook her head again. Emily’s taste in men was undoubtedly different from hers, with a noticeable gap, and now she was revealing her more perverted side.

Just then, Ayden entered the training ground area, catching Clara’s eye. Both of their expressions quickly turned sombre. They hadn’t reconciled since their conversation the other day, and the knightess was still rejecting the assistant healer.

Rafe had asked Ayden to come first to monitor the training. He didn’t want to disturb them, so he took a seat further away from the two women to watch the training.

"All right! Eli and Lady Raychard! Take the spot in the middle! The rest can position themselves on both sides," Eric commanded.

Anna felt anxious being among the half-n*ked men. She felt small and vulnerable. She hadn’t anticipated that the knights would train without their upper garments, especially considering the season. However, it was too late to withdraw now.

"Are you ready? Start running!" Eric shouted.

The knights began to move, leaving Anna behind. She tried her best to keep up with the team. Though the men were running at a moderate pace, she still struggled to catch up.

As the knights made their turn for the first lap in front of Clara and Emily, the young woman noticed something she hadn’t seen before.

Emily turned to the knightess and asked, "Why are there so many scars on Sir Brooks’s back?"

"Didn’t you see his body before?" Clara replied.

"I did, but only the front part. I didn’t notice his back because it was dark. I knew he had scars, but the ones on his back don’t look ordinary. They seem quite severe, like whip marks," she said, expressing her concern.

The knightess closed her lips, realising that Emily wasn’t aware of Noah’s past crime and punishment.

"You can ask him after the training if it bothers you. He would be the best person to answer it," Clara suggested, trying to ease Emily’s worries.

Emily nodded slowly, concern in her eyes. She decided to wait until the training was over to approach Noah with her questions.

Meanwhile, Anna had just completed three laps of her run while the others were almost finished. Her feet began to slow down, and she felt slight pain in her lower belly. Placing her palm on her abdomen, she continued running.

"My lady, are you alright?" Eli, who was in his final lap, approached her.

"Oh, I’m fine," Anna replied, trying to brush off her discomfort.

"Are you sure? Because you look like you’re in pain," he said, concerned.

"It’s just stomach butterflies, nothing to worry about. Keep on running! I’ll catch up," she assured him, mustering a smile.

Eli nodded, completing his laps with ease, and joined the other knights who had finished their run. They gathered with Eric, waiting for Anna to complete hers.

"I don’t think she’ll be able to make it. It’s pitiful to see her in that state," Garin commented as he observed their lady. "Just call it a day, Sir Navin."

"Patience... Let her withdraw on her own," Eric responded. "Otherwise, she’ll keep bothering us and requesting the training again."

"I hope she won’t faint," Luke added.

"I’ll go and accompany her," Damon offered.

"No, I’ll go. I’m her partner," Eli insisted.

Just then, the sound of a blown horn resonated through the training ground. The knights, alerted and surprised, turned their heads towards the source.

"His Majesty is here! Put on your clothes! Quick, gather at the main entrance!" Eric, who recognised the sound, hastily ordered.

The knights rushed to put on their clothes while Eric, their leader, ran towards the main entrance to greet and welcome the king.

Anna halted her running, her breath laboured. At Clara’s insistence, Emily rushed to Anna’s side.

Concerned, she asked, "Are you alright, my lady?"

"I... I’m fine... Just... a bit... tired... Ouff! I need water! Water, please!" Anna replied, panting.

Emily quickly handed her the water she had brought, and the princess eagerly quenched her thirst.

"We need to go and welcome His Majesty!" said Damon, approaching her after putting on his clothes.

"You go on first! I’ll be there in a shirt while. Hurry!" ordered Anna, still catching her breath.

"I’ll escort you, my lady," he offered.

"It’s all right. Greet His Majesty first!"

"But..."

"I’ll accompany her, Sir McQuinn. You go ahead with the rest," proposed Emily.

The knight nodded and quickly joined the others, rushing towards the main entrance.

Once Anna had regained her energy, Emily held her hand.

"Take it easy, my lady. Walk slowly. You just had a run, so it must be tiring," the young woman said.

Anna nodded, grateful for her help. It seemed that the training, which had only just begun with running, was far more demanding than she had anticipated. At that moment, the princess contemplated whether she had made the right decision.

Clara could only watch from a distance when she felt someone coming from behind. She turned and saw Ayden approaching and then held the handles of her wheelchair.

"Let me wheel you to the main entrance. All occupants must greet His Majesty the King upon his arrival," he offered.

The knightess nodded silently, and the assistant healer gently pushed the wheelchair, following behind Anna and Emily.

As soon as the knights arrived at the main entrance, a bizarre situation awaited them—Elis was in the royal knights’ custody, her hands tied.