The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 401: The Most Anticipated Arrival

Chapter 401: The Most Anticipated Arrival

Meredith gazed out the window. Despite the excitement of her impending nuptials, a palpable sense of anticipation lingered within her.

The pristine white chamber was beautifully adorned, befitting the grand celebration of her wedding. Tonight would mark the day Meredith officially became Alex’s wife.

After consulting the officiant, it was deemed that nightfall would be the most auspicious time to hold the ceremony. With both families’ consent, the event was scheduled to take place as the sun dipped below the horizon.

"Why do you keep looking out, Mer?" inquired one of her friends, who were mostly the grand duke’s fan club members.

"Anna has not arrived yet," Meredith replied, a hint of solemnity in her tone.

"By Anna, you mean... the Grand Duke’s concubine?" her friend asked again.

Sylvia, who was among them, approached the bride and discreetly adjusted a loose ornament in Meredith’s hair, ensuring it was neatly in place.

"Don’t worry, she’ll be here soon," the noble lady reassured.

"I understand you’ve become her lady-in-waiting, but we don’t know her well. She seldom attends events and was last seen at the mid-autumn festival, surrounded by the Knights of Gerhard. Before that, it was during the commotion at the mansion’s gate. She doesn’t seem very friendly, and I’ve heard she can be obnoxious," another friend commented.

Meredith’s eyes narrowed, and she sharply rebuked her friend.

"How dare you speak of her that way! Anna is not only the lady I serve but also my saviour. Have you forgotten that our entire fan club was spared punishment because of her intervention? I would have been rotting in the dungeon without her!"

The chamber fell silent at Meredith’s impassioned reprimand. Sylvia swiftly placed a comforting hand on her friend’s back.

"Don’t be upset, Mer. She simply doesn’t know Anna as we do."

Glancing sidelong at the friend who had spoken ill of Anna, the noble lady remarked, "It’s no surprise that any woman would be envious of our Anna, being the sole person of the Grand Duke’s affections."

The friend looked down sheepishly.

"I’m so sorry, Mer. I let the rumours get the better of me. Please forgive me."

Meredith sighed.

"Rumours again?"

This was not the first time such malicious gossip about Anna had circulated among the ladies. Though they wouldn’t dare voice their opinions openly, the whispers continued to grow behind closed doors.

The renowned concubine’s seclusion only heightened curiosity about her, leading to a proliferation of speculations.

"Don’t bother. People will continue talking no matter how much you try to silence them," Sylvia remarked.

Another friend, speaking on behalf of the group, said, "Forgive us, we’re just curious. There’s not much information about her except that she’s said to be the illegitimate daughter of King Adhemar IV and that His Highness the Grand Duke rescued her from slave traders."

Sylvia’s eyes widened. "Lady Raychard is not an illegitimate daughter!" she exclaimed.

"She’s not?" the friend asked. "But I heard her admit to it during the banquet celebrating her appointment as the royal concubine."

Sylvia glanced at Meredith, who gently squeezed her hand, silently imploring her not to reveal Anna’s true identity as the rightful heir to the throne of Ardel. The noble lady sighed, reluctantly conceding to keep the truth hidden, as Anna had requested.

"I was mistaken," Sylvia admitted, clearly displeased at having to acknowledge the princess’ presumed low status.

"Still, there’s one positive aspect about her. Her outstanding proficiency in the Ro’an language, which is a rarity, even acknowledged by Lord Winston, the chief scholar," another friend added.

"Ouuu... ouuu... I heard something else about her. The umm... what’s his name? Ahh! The Mederian Prince..." said another lady from the group, trying to remember Kiev’s name.

"His Highness Prince Kiev Naver!" Meredith interjected.

"Yes, that’s the one!" the lady exclaimed. "I heard he came to challenge His Highness the Grand Duke to a duel over Lady Raychard, as he was supposedly betrothed to her before she married His Highness."

This piqued the interest of the other ladies.

"I’ve heard that too! The palace servants say he’s just as handsome as His Highness, the Grand Duke, and it would be hard to choose between the two if they were side by side!"

The group erupted in an amazed murmur, save for Sylvia and Meredith, who remained silent, unwilling to delve further into the gossip.

"Is His Highness Prince Kiev coming to your wedding, Mer?" one of the ladies asked. "You know his full name, so obviously, you knew him from somewhere. So, did you invite him?"

All eyes immediately turned to Meredith, gleaming with anticipation to catch a glimpse of this rumoured charming Mederian Prince.

"I sent him an invitation, but I’m unsure if he’ll attend. He didn’t come to my betrothal ceremony, though," Meredith revealed.

"How do you know him, then?" one of the ladies asked.

"He’s an honoured guest of His Majesty the King and is currently staying at Gerhard’s mansion," Meredith explained.

Though she had been away preparing for her wedding, she had been kept informed of the occurrences at the mansion by the appointed servant, as she was Anna’s lady-in-waiting.

"Is he truly as handsome as they say?" came an eager question.

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Meredith again, awaiting her response.

"He is indeed quite good-looking and captivating to behold," Meredith admitted.

Excited, flirtatious squeals erupted from the ladies again, eager to meet with this new, handsome figure.

Sylvia scoffed.

"Dream on, all of you! Even if he comes, he won’t look at any of you. He already has a woman."

"He’s married?" one of the ladies asked, surprised.

"Not exactly," Sylvia replied. "All I know is that he challenged His Majesty to a duel and won, and the King then... bestowed a woman on him."

The ladies erupted in shocked murmurs.

"Bestowing a woman? Does that mean... giving him a mistress? But Cassian has never allowed such unwed relationships! How could the King suddenly do that?"

"I don’t know the details," Sylvia admitted. "All I’ve gathered is that she’s a maid from Gerhard’s household, and His Highness Prince Kiev was saving her from punishment."

"A maid?" The ladies gasped loudly. "But there’s only one maid in Gerhard’s mansion, and that is Mrs Foster! And she’s married to the steward! How could he go after someone’s wife?!"

"Are you crazy? Why would His Highness Prince Kiev want somebody else’s wife?" Sylvia corrected. "The maid is a new appointment and came from Gerhard’s castle."

"But he did want His Highness the Grand Duke’s concubine. That much is certain!" another lady chimed in. "And the matter is not yet resolved!"

Meredith sighed, exasperated. "Oh, can’t you all just stop gossiping for once when we’re gathered together? You’re giving me a headache!"

Sylvia interjected, "Everyone, please show Mer some respect and consider her feelings. Today is her wedding day, not an occasion for you all to indulge in gossip. Let this be a joyous moment for her and her future husband."

One of the ladies spoke up, "Forgive us again, Mer. We got carried away, as it’s been a while since we’ve all been together. Sylvia is right. We should be honouring your wedding day."

Meredith breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Sylvia had stepped in to remedy the situation before it escalated. If not for the noble lady, she might have lost her temper listening to the ladies speak ill of Anna.

Suddenly, a servant knocked on the door and entered, conveying a message that they were to assemble before the mansion. The solemnisation ceremony would occur in the small temple within the Jarr family’s estate.

"Come now, Mer. We should go," Sylvia said, linking her arm with the bride as the maid of honour.

Meredith turned to Sylvia with a troubled expression. "But Anna hasn’t arrived yet. Why wouldn’t she come?"

"Of course she’ll come! She’s probably gone straight to the temple," Sylvia reassured her.

"Shouldn’t she at least meet me before the ceremony?" Meredith pressed.

Sylvia’s heart ached as she could not reveal Anna’s current condition to Meredith. After the recent incident that had affected Anna, she had been coming to Gerhard’s mansion on a daily basis. When she was permitted to assist the princess, she did so, alternating with Callis and Jessy in attending to her.

The possession had tremendously impacted Anna. Not only did she vomit every morning, but she had also become too weak and constantly sleepy. Even Rafe’s medication didn’t help much to improve her condition. The prolonged side effects had been worrying everyone.

Thankfully, the princess’s health seemed much better in the last two days. However, the knights and mansion occupants remained cautious about her attending the wedding, not wanting to risk the secret leaking to the king with so many guests present. Sylvia knew Anna would come, but her condition might delay her arrival.

"Like I told you, she’s just had a bad case of the flu these past few days, so she might be delayed. But you know she won’t miss seeing you on your special day. You’re her first female friend in Cassian. She wouldn’t forget about you," Sylvia said, trying to reassure the bride.

Meredith nodded slowly, then proceeded to the door, escorted by Sylvia and followed by the other ladies. There, outside the bridal chamber, stood Valerie, the Duchess of Sanad, who greeted Meredith with a warm smile as the ladies curtsied before her.

Valerie gently held the bride’s hands.

"Mer, I know it should be your mother who walks you to the temple and hands you to your father for the ceremony. If you’d prefer to have another elderly female from your family do this instead, I wouldn’t mind. It’s understandable if you have second thoughts at the last moment."

Meredith shook her head. In the weeks she spent with Valerie, the duchess showed her tremendous care and affection, filling the void of a mother’s love that Meredith had long lost.

"I want it to be you more than anyone else, mother. My father would have agreed wholeheartedly," she replied.

Valerie’s smile widened, and tears of happiness glistened in her eyes. As she did not have a daughter of her own, this would be a rare opportunity for her to fulfil the Cassian tradition of escorting the bride to the temple.

Quickly wiping her eyes to prevent ruining her makeup, Valerie then squeezed Meredith’s hands, excitement evident.

"Let’s be on our way then! Their Majesties will be arriving soon, and we should be at the front of the temple to greet them," she said.

Meredith nodded, a smile on her lips. The soon-to-be mother and daughter led the way, followed by Sylvia and their friends. Soon, the other female family members from both sides joined the procession as they set out towards the beautifully decorated temple outside the mansion.

Awaiting the temple’s entrance, Alex stood tall and handsome in his bridegroom attire, accompanied by his best man, his eldest brother Sebastian, his male family members and the rest of the knights.

Nervousness was apparent on his face, but as he caught sight of his betrothed approaching entourage, his hazel eyes were transfixed on Meredith’s captivating figure.

Leaning towards Sebastian, Alex asked, "Am I looking good? I didn’t ruin my appearance, did I?"

"Of course not, brother! You look amazingly handsome. Your bride will surely be smitten," Sebastian reassured him with a warm smile.

Jeremiah grinned, teasing, "Just make sure you don’t sweat too much, or the temple will stink! The bride wouldn’t want a smelly husband!"

The group chuckled at the jest while Alex’s face flushed with embarrassment. He quickly cleared his throat, shifting the topic.

"Where is Sir Navin? I don’t see him."

"Come on, Alex. You’ve asked the same question three times already," Luke said, addressing him casually. "I told you, Sir Navin will be escorting Lady Raychard as the representative of the duchy. Now you’re making me as nervous as you are!" he teased.

"Ah, right!" Alex said, closing his eyes as he recalled. He had grown so anxious that he had forgotten he had been asking the same question repeatedly.

Feeling this nervous was unusual for Alex. Eric, the wisest of the knights, was usually the one who could calm him down with sound advice. That was why the bridegroom kept searching for his "Love Coach".

The bride’s entourage arrived at the temple. The women took their places on the right side of the walkway to the main entrance while the men stood on the left. Whispers and giggles filled the air as the couple stole shy glances at each other, blushing.

Suddenly, the announcer’s voice rang out, "Announcing the arrival of His Majesty, King Kyden Raychard, and Her Majesty, Queen Emelda Raychard!"

King Kyden and the queen walked in regal steps down the walkway, followed by the lords and ladies-in-waiting, including Sarah. The subjects paid their respects, the men kneeling and the women curtseying.

"Greetings to the Sun and Moon of Cassian!"

The king and queen acknowledged the protocol with nods, then gestured for the people to rise.

"Next, the arrival of Sir Eric Navin, representative of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Gerhard, and the Royal Concubine of Gerhard, Lady Anna Raychard," the announcer continued.

Meredith’s lips formed a smile upon hearing that Anna had arrived. The other attendees also looked toward the walkway, eager to see the guests of honour.

Gasps soon erupted as they noticed an unfamiliar pair following Sir Navin and the princess, the man’s face becoming increasingly visible in the light.

"Next, the arrival of His Highness Prince Kiev Naver of Sabel Island and his lady, Miss Elisabeth Canton."

The most anticipated figure had arrived at the wedding ceremony, presenting himself publicly without restraint, and all eyes immediately fixed upon him.

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