The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 40: A Determined Princess

Chapter 40: A Determined Princess

A huffing wind blew, stirring Anna’s long, wavy hair. The sky had now turned black up above them.

Expecting the muggy weather, the knights pitched several other temporary tents.

It had been almost an hour, but both men were still unconscious. However, Armel’s condition had significantly improved. He could eat and drink properly, and his high fever gradually reduced. Though his hands were still shaking from the sickness, his pale face had started to turn pink.

Anna was anxious about the patients’ slow progress. At first, she thought the cure did not work. Nevertheless, Armel’s recuperation proved otherwise, restoring her confidence.

"It’s going to rain. We need to move them to the tent," Anna voiced out as she looked up at the dark clouds.

"Would you be able to help me lift them?" she asked.

Knowing she was still unwell from her weariness, the princess turned to the teenager.

"I think I can."

Though he looked exhausted and weak, the adolescent had an unrelenting spirit to survive.

"That’s good to hear."

They began to lift Armel’s brother and supported him. His heavy body weighed them down as he was still fainting, making them almost succumb to the ground.

"My lady!" Damon’s shout reverberated in the air, and he almost rushed in when he saw Anna’s attempt to raise the unconscious man.

"Don’t!" Ayden quickly held him back from barging.

"She can’t lift him! She’s already weak!" The knight showed great concern on his face.

"The immunity hasn’t kicked in yet! If you go now, you’ll be sick too!" the assistant healer prevented him from going.

"I’ve taken my lady’s blood, didn’t I? Shouldn’t I eventually be healed in the end, anyway?" Damon asked disgruntledly.

"Yes, but if you get infected within this time, your symptoms will be worse than theirs," the assistant healer warned.

"I don’t care. I can’t let our lady suffer more. She has done so much for us!" The knight still insisted.

Hearing the knight’s commotion, Anna quickly shouted, "Don’t come here, Sir McQuinn! I forbid you!"

The knight turned to her with a restless look.

"But, my lady..."

"Just stay there! You promised to listen to me, didn’t you?" the princess cried out again.

"Yes..." Damon looked down as he sighed disappointedly.

He could not bear to look at the little lady moving a man way bigger than her in such a weakened state. Even the teenager was not in good shape.

Anna ignored the men and instructed Armel to hold his brother tightly. Together, they managed to move him to the tent erected for them. Then, they went again to pick up the teenager’s neighbour.

Their second attempt, however, was not as smooth as the first. The teenager’s neighbour was chubby and much heavier than his brother.

Anna and Armel grunted as they thrust their feet to the ground, pushing the man’s big body up. As they barely lifted a step, the first bead of water dropped from the sky.

They tried to quicken their pace towards the tent, but the rain splatter began to wet them halfway across the path.

Puddles began to plink as the droplets became intense. The whirring wind tormented their movements, and the smell of dirt permeated when the water washed it.

"Just a little bit more, Armel!"

Anna’s encouraging words writhed in the wet weather. Seeing the two little bodies drenched in the pelting rain as they supported a man almost twice their size upset the knight’s heart.

At last, with their esteemed determination, they finally made it to the shelter. Both flopped to the ground with drooped shoulders, panting heavily in cold wetness.

Anna took off her mask and inhaled heavily for air. While catching their breath and strength, a groan was heard from one of the lying patients.

Armel’s brother began to open his eyelids slowly. His hands, which were no longer shaking, started to move.

"Brother! You’re awake!"

Noticing his brother’s slight motion, Armel exclaimed cheerfully and crawled to him. The teenager hugged the man as tears began to stream down his face.

"Oh, thank goodness!"

Anna closed her eyes in relief, curving her lips, realising that the forager was now conscious. Her worries began to cease.

Not long after, Armel’s neighbour also woke up. Thanks to her effort, all the foragers were now saved from Laradie.

Amid the rain, Anna raised her hand from the tent, signalling that the patients were recovering. Ayden and all the knights were relieved with the result.

The rain lasted until nighttime, and they all crammed inside the tent, sheltering from the gloomy weather and the bleak darkness.

Luckily, the knights had provided a few blankets, food, water, lanterns, and a fire igniter, which enabled them to withstand the cold of the wet night.

The three foragers were grateful to the lady who had saved them and continuously expressed their gratitude to her.

When the rain ceased falling, Ayden and Damon called up the commander’s wife.

"How’re the patients so far?" asked Ayden.

"They’re getting better than before. The unconscious patients have woken up. The cure worked out as expected," replied Anna.

"We’ve erected another tent for you, my lady. You’d better change your soaked dress there and get some rest. Otherwise, you’ll catch a cold soon," said the assistant healer to her.

"Thank you."

After putting on the new clothes, Anna returned to the patient’s tent. Damon and Ayden stood outside at the permitted distance and were surprised, looking at the lady walking to the tent.

"My lady, aren’t you exhausted? It would be best if you took a break," Damon spoke up.

"The foragers are still weak. I need to nurse them," she told the two men.

"You need to take care of yourself, too. If you collapse, none of us can help you," Ayden said worriedly.

"I’m fine, Ayden. I still can manage," she replied.

Unsatisfied with the answer, Damon asked her, "When can we come close to you and the patients?"

"As I said, it’s a one-day period. Since you took the cure today in the late afternoon, it should be by tomorrow late afternoon. However, I would like to request an additional few hours as safety measures. So, you can take over tomorrow night," Anna explained.

"What? That long? My lady! You’re not in your best condition! You can’t attend to them until tomorrow night! You’ll get sick!" Damon raised his concern.

"Now is not the time to worry about me, Sir McQuinn. I will get plenty of rest once all this is over. Just be a little bit more patient. If we’re not careful, the plague could spread," the princess persuaded.

"Why add the waiting time?" Ayden questioned her.

"I noticed one of the patients took more than an hour to wake up compared to the other one. So, the period of effectiveness seems to vary depending on the patient. That’s why I think it would be better to add several hours to ensure everyone’s safety," she explained.

Ayden nodded while the knight pursed his lips. Although Damon was worried about the lady’s condition, Anna’s words were right. He had no choice but to adhere.

"How’re the villagers?" she asked the knight.

"The last update from Sir Henderson mentioned that none of them had any symptoms. Though some had left the village two days ago after the foragers returned, we managed to track them, and they, too, are not showing any sickness," Damon reported.

"People contracted with Laradie will show the symptoms after a day. So, since it’s already been a few days and they are still in good health, it means they didn’t get infected. We manage to control the plague, my lady!" said Ayden, relieved.

Anna grinned from ear to ear, hearing the news. Everyone was finally spared from the dreadful disease.

"Sir Parker and the army are still surrounding the village just to be sure. They said they would wait until tomorrow morning. Anyway, we told the villagers that no plague was going on. Instead, we told them that some dangerous criminals are lurking nearby, and we are protecting them," the knight added.

"Oh, why so?" asked Anna, wanting to know.

"It’s a smart idea from Sir McQuinn himself, my lady. If the villagers knew there was an outbreak, they would panic, like when they saw the foragers," the assistant healer told her excitedly.

"Wow! That’s great thinking. I’ve never thought about it at all. You have tricks on your sleeve, Sir McQuinn!" praised Anna.

"Please, I’ll be ashamed if you mention it. My lady’s contributions are a lot more than mine. You give out your own blood for us. We owe you our lives," said Damon thankfully.

Anna smiled at him.

"I need to get back to them. Please let me know if there’s anything," she said to both of them.

"You too, my lady. We’ll be outside here. Let us know if you require any help," Ayden reminded her.

Anna nodded and left for the patient’s tent.

The two men sat outside on a cold night, watching the princess from afar.

***

Morning came.

After confirming with Ayden, Luke commanded the team that besieged the village to return to the camp. The villagers were released from the temporary lockdown and returned to their usual daily routine.

The daytime slowly passed, and the three men were getting better. However, deprived of sleep and rest, Anna was exhausted and becoming paler. Dark circles began to form under her eyes.

"My lady, it’s already late afternoon. Let us take it from here. I’m sure we’ll be fine!" Eli, who had returned, urged her anxiously.

"Not yet, Sir Henderson! Please wait until nightfall!" she ordered him.

Damon could only shake his head at her refusal.

"Please rest first, my lady. I can take care of them," said Armel.

The young teenager, too, looked drowsy, and his eyelids drooped tiredly.

"You’re weaker than I am, Armel. You can’t take care of them by yourself!"

The princess looked at the teenager with weary eyes. Though the patients were improving, they were still too frail to fend for themselves, making her reluctant to leave them without assistance.

Anna continued nursing the sick patients until nightfall came, marking the end of the day.

As soon as the sun went down, Ayden and the knights rushed to the tent impatiently. By then, the commander’s wife was looking more drained than before.

"Take them to the infirmary," Ayden ordered the knights, who stood outside as he ushered Anna out of the tent.

Looking at the frail lady, Damon requested her permission.

"You’re too pale. Let me carry you instead."

"I’m fine. I still can walk," Anna insisted.

The other knights began to move the sick patients.

Anna’s legs weakened after taking a few wobbly steps and she nearly fell. Seeing that, Damon quickly caught and swooped her up in his arms.

"Sir McQuinn!" the commander’s wife yelped at his impulsive behaviour.

"Please excuse my action, my lady. I’m your escort and only performing my duty," the knight answered sternly, ignoring her little scream.

Damon had been staying nearby, drenched in the rain and stood up all day and night, constantly watching her. She knew how anxious he was about not being able to attend to her. As such, she could not argue with the knight’s determination.

All of them finally received better treatment in the infirmary.

As Anna was about to close her eyes, the loud sound of the blown horn filled the air. She lifted her head, feeling a fleeting impulse from the sign.

Kyren and his men had returned.

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