The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 389: The Rescue Mission

Chapter 389: The Rescue Mission

Noah strode swiftly towards the mansion’s backyard, where the other knights had gathered.

"Noah, wait up!" Emily called out from behind.

The knight abruptly halted his steps and turned to see the young woman rushing towards him.

"Emily, you’ve awakened," Noah responded.

Emily panted, catching her breath after the brief jog. She had been at the knight’s side in the treatment room throughout the night, falling asleep by the bedside.

The landslide caused by the heavy downpour the previous night had resulted in minor injuries to Noah. The knight had been thrown from his warhorse, dislocating his shoulder and bruising his hip.

Concerned about the possibility of internal injuries, Drystan adamantly decided to return despite Noah’s insistence on continuing the mission. The uncooperative weather had impaired their visibility and erased the Bargesians’ tracks, leaving them no choice but to head back.

Ayden had assisted in treating Noah. To ensure a smooth realignment of the dislocated shoulder, he had first administered dwale to put the knight into an unconscious state.

The assistant healer had been adamant about this approach, wary of being accidentally punched in the face by a conscious Noah.

"Why did you suddenly leave, not waking me up?" Emily asked.

"Sir Skyler came after I woke up. He told me the knights were gathering in the backyard. Dame Verns is going to help us track His Highness Prince Kiev and Lady Raychard using the eagles," Noah explained.

"But, you’re hurt! Shouldn’t you be resting now?" Emily interjected with concern.

"It’s just a slight injury and not life-threatening. Besides, I wouldn’t want to miss this," Noah replied determinedly.

"You still need someone to take care of you. Please let me come with you!" Emily begged.

"Emily..."

"Please!" she insisted.

Noah sighed.

"Fine. But let’s hurry up!" he relented.

Emily nodded in relief, and the couple continued their brisk pace towards the backyard.

Upon reaching the gathering, they found Clara and the other knights. The backyard had been chosen to initiate the search and rescue plan, away from the prying eyes of the royal guards.

"Have you summoned the eagles?" Noah asked Clara, seated in her wheelchair.

Staying a little behind, Emily remained silent in the background, not wishing to interrupt.

"I did. They would be here soon," the knightess replied.

Just then, Rafe and Callis arrived on the scene.

"Mrs Amares! You’re here. Shouldn’t you be in your bedchamber resting?" asked Luke.

"I’m fine now. Anryr told me that you all gathered here for the search and rescue. My brother and Anna haven’t returned, have they?" Callis asked worriedly.

"Not yet. He was supposed to come back today, as promised. But since he hasn’t made it, we will begin the search," Eric decided.

Callis’s face fell, a cloud of gloom settling over her features.

"Brother isn’t like this. He wouldn’t promise so if he were not confident. He never goes back on his word," she said. "Something must’ve happened!"

"Yes, I believe so. Last night, the grand duke’s warhorse and the horse taken by His Highness returned amid the rain. We assumed they got stranded somewhere and were separated from the horses," the second-in-command knight continued.

Callis gasped in alarm.

"Let me use my search magic to find them!" she said, raising her hand to initiate the earth-bound search spell.

However, Rafe quickly caught her arm.

"No, Callis! You’ve strained yourself last night and almost depleted your mana. You told me once that excessive usage of magic would be dangerous! Your energy is still replenishing!" he reminded her.

"But, brother and Anna are in danger! I can’t just sit still and do nothing!" Callis countered with desperation.

"Fret not, Mrs Amares. We have another fast and effective method to trace them," Eli voiced out.

"How?" asked Callis.

"The eagles of Dame Verns. They should be able to trace them quickly," Drystan interjected.

The Mederian Princess’s eyes alight with hope.

"Yes! Why didn’t I think of that? Brother did mention that you have that special ability!" she exclaimed, turning to Clara.

Just then, a kettle of eagles soared through the morning atmosphere, swirling above them.

’Ker... ker... kwit... kwit... ker..." Their voices pierced the sky.

"They are here!" Clara exclaimed.

The group looked up at the majestic birds flying in a circular pattern above their heads.

The knightess began to whistle in a specific tone, instructing the eagles.

The birds of prey responded with their high-pitched screams. They began to split, flying off in different directions.

"Now we have to wait. This might take a while, but the result would come back much sooner than land trailing," said Clara.

"All right. Oh, I really hope they would find brother and Anna," Callis implored.

Rafe gently rubbed the small of his wife’s back in a comforting gesture.

"Don’t worry. They will come back safely. I trust Kiev," the healer reassured her.

The Mederian Princess nodded, anticipating a good outcome from the search initiation.

Half an hour passed by, and they waited patiently.

"The eagles are back!" Garin suddenly exclaimed, his keen eyes spotting the birds in the distance.

The eagles’ cries filled the air as they reached the backyard. Clara creased her forehead as she listened to their vocalisations.

"What did they say?" asked Luke.

"This is strange. Their voice indicated that Lady Raychard and His Highness were not in the vicinity. They couldn’t trace them," said the knightess, her brow curved in confusion.

"What??" Drystan exclaimed in disbelief.

"I’m afraid it is. All the eagles were giving the same response," Clara confirmed after deciphering the birds’ tone.

"That’s it! We should go after them with the horses!" Eric decided. "Let’s go!"

"I have the horses ready! They are lined up just right over there!" A loud voice disrupted them from behind.

Armel suddenly appeared before them, pointing to where the horses were tied up.

"Just, what the h*ll is this kid doing here? Eavesdropping?" Noah growled, holding his waist as he looked sternly at the teenager.

"No, I’m not! I arrived just in time when I heard Sir Navin say that!" Armel replied defensively.

"Hey, don’t get too worked up. He helped too. Last night, it was he who saw Maximillian and the other horse return. He went to fetch them, took them back to the stable and treated them before highlighting the news to me," Damon interjected, defusing the situation.

Noah turned his attention to the teenager.

"You went out in the middle of the rain?" he asked. "Why?"

"I wanted to help! Actually... I didn’t hide in the mansion after the alarm was raised yesterday," Armel responded with a hesitant look.

"You didn’t? Why not?" asked Eric.

"I was taking my puppy to play in the garden. I wasn’t aware of what was happening when the alarm sounded. By the time it stopped, the mansion was already closed. So, not knowing what to do, I hid behind a tree near the training ground," Armel explained.

"Did you see everything?" Garin asked, his eyes narrowing at the teenager.

Armel slowly nodded, eliciting a collective grunt from the knights, except Damon.

"I knew what happened. Lady Raychard is a friend of mine. I feel obligated to help, so I did my best to accommodate whatever I could."

"Why are you only telling us now?" asked Eli.

The teenager looked down. A sense of guilt was apparent on his face.

"He was afraid. He confessed everything to me last night, and I wanted to tell you. But everyone was restless already with yesterday’s incident. So I don’t want to raise more anxiety. I thought of telling it today, but Armel suggested it would be better for him to help prepare the horses first as a redemption, just in case we needed them," Damon explained.

"Then only you want to let us know?" sneered Eric.

"Well... That was the plan," Damon admitted, wearing the same guilty expression. However, he braced himself and firmly stated, "We can’t entirely blame him since he is not the mansion’s servant. He wasn’t trained about the alarm."

Eric shook his head in dismay.

"I don’t have time for this!" he told the teenager, "You... I’ll deal with you when we get back!"

"Let me come with you, please!" Armel implored instead.

"We’re in a hurry! Don’t get in our way!" Garin scolded him.

"I’ll be handy to you! Listen! I am used to foraging, so traversing in the forest is my thing. You don’t have a trace to track due to the rain last night. Even if you know this area, the surroundings in a forest can differ according to many factors. My skills would be useful to you!" Armel argued persuasively.

The knights glanced at each other, contemplating. The teenager’s words did make sense. While they were experienced, Armel’s knowledge of foraging and terrain navigation could prove invaluable in their search, given the lack of leads.

"Fine! You can come with us. But remember! If I hear a single comment or whining, you will walk back to this mansion on your own feet! Got it?" warned Eric.

Armel smiled and nodded fervently, eager to join the search party.

"I’m coming too!" Callis suddenly interjected.

"No. It would be best for you to stay. I need someone to be here in case His Highness and Lady Raychard return while we search for them. So, Rafael, Miss Baker, Dame Verns and Mrs Amares, can you all wait here and be on alert?" the second-in-command knight requested.

"Sir Navin is right, Callis. We should wait for them," Rafe said, gently persuading his wife.

Callis turned to her husband, her red-ruby eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

"I’m worried, Rafe! What if something bad really happened to them?" she said.

Seeing the anxiety in the Mederian Princess’s eyes, the healer quickly pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"Don’t worry! Everything’s going to be all right. Have faith in Kiev and the knights," Rafe reassured her.

Eric felt pity for Callis, but he knew they could not afford to delay.

"Go now, Sir Navin. We’ll be on standby," Clara said to the second-in-command knight, noticing his solemn expression.

Eric nodded in acknowledgement.

Soon, the group of knights, accompanied by Armel, left the mansion, using the secured back path guarded by the gatekeepers at Anryr’s arrangement, unbeknownst to the royal guards.

The rescue mission had begun.

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