The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 412: A Discordant Exchange (I)

Chapter 412: A Discordant Exchange (I)

The warhorse gradually slowed its pace and came to a halt in the courtyard as Noah pulled on the reins. The knight dismounted and extended his hands to assist her in alighting. Observing the couple’s arrival, the servants emerged from the foyer, eager to greet and offer their welcome.

Emily placed her foot in the stirrup, swung her other leg over the horse’s back, and grasped the knight’s neck for stability as her husband carefully guided her down. Their bodies briefly collided, but Noah carefully supported her, ensuring her balance as her feet touched the ground.

Their intimate moment drew the attention of onlookers, leading to hushed whispers and disapproving glances, as such behaviour between a maiden and a bachelor was deemed inappropriate.

Noah remained composed despite the scrutiny. It was anticipated that their relationship would provoke such reactions, as their marriage was unknown to the others.

However, despite their thoughts, the bystanders greeted him and the young woman respectfully, recognising his status as a knight of Gerhard and Emily’s connection to Lady Raychard.

Although wary of Noah’s notorious reputation, none dared to question his conduct or inquire about his whereabouts. Yet, one discreetly slipped away to inform Anryr and Eric, aware that the couple were under pursuit.

"Welcome back, Sir Brooks and Miss Baker!" a stableman swiftly approached.

Noah handed over the reins of his warhorse to him.

"Please feed and groom my horse. He’s been on a long journey and deserves proper care," Noah instructed the stableman.

"Yes, Sir."

The stableman led the warhorse away, and the knight beckoned a servant who welcomed him and Emily.

"Is Sir Navin available?" Noah inquired.

"I believe so. I overheard Mr Foster mentioning to Sir Jarr that he’s in His Highness the Grand Duke’s office," the servant replied.

"Sir Jarr has returned?" Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, he and Lady Meredith Jarr arrived recently, less than an hour ago," the servant informed him.

"Thank you for letting me know. We’ll head to His Highness’s office immediately," Noah said, guiding Emily with his arm around her back.

Anryr suddenly emerged from the foyer, alerted by the servant who witnessed Noah and Emily’s return.

"Sir Brooks! Miss Baker! You’re back!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, Mr Foster," the knight replied.

"Where have you been? Everyone was looking for you! Sir Navin particularly thought you’d done something terrible!" the steward exclaimed. His grey eyes then shifted to the young woman. "Are you all right, Miss Baker? Did anything happen to you?"

Anryr’s eyes blinked several times, silently urging Emily to speak up. Despite Noah’s intimidating presence, the steward stood prepared to confront him if any harm had befallen her due to the knight.

However, with decorum and respect, he refrained from hastily accusing Noah as Eric had suspected.

Emily chuckled softly before offering a reassuring smile. "I’m fine, Mr. Foster. Nothing bad happened to me," she replied.

Anryr turned his gaze to Noah, inquiring, "May I know where you have taken this young lady? You were absent for about two days. ’Sightseeing’ won’t suffice as an excuse! It’s improper to whisk a maiden away without a chaperone and spend the night elsewhere."

This time, his tone grew firmer as he pressed the knight for an explanation. Undaunted by the chastising tone, Noah was prepared to face the consequences within the mansion for eloping with Emily.

"Mr. Foster," he began, "Despite my higher rank, I hold you in high regard as one of His Highness’s trusted men. Therefore, I will be forthright with you. The truth is, something significant has occurred between Emily and me," he paused, intertwining his hand with hers as they exchanged glances before continuing.

"What do you mean by something significant?" Anryr asked, his gaze shifting between them, puzzled. His eyes then fell on their clasped hands. "Release her hand immediately! You have no right to touch her!"

"Please don’t be upset, Mr Foster. It’s not inappropriate for him to hold my hand. He has every right to touch me since Noah and I are married," Emily disclosed.

The revelation elicited shock among the onlookers. A hushed murmur swept through the gathered crowd. The steward, in particular, was so taken aback that his mouth hung agape before he collected himself.

"You are married? That can’t be! Sir Navin opposes your union! How could you marry without his consent?" Anryr questioned in disbelief.

Calmly, Noah produced an envelope from his jacket and handed it to the steward.

"This is our marriage certificate. Emily and I tied the knot at the registry office in Oldmie," he revealed.

Struggling to comprehend, the steward opened the envelope and examined the document inside.

As Noah had claimed, the certificate was valid, bearing the signature of the registry officer and the seal of the Oldmie registry office.

Anryr’s old hands trembled slightly as he absorbed the news. He raised his head to look at the couple, still visibly surprised.

"You... you got married without His Highness’s representative’s approval! How could you do this? This goes against the rules, Sir Brooks!" he exclaimed.

"We had no choice! Sir Navin left us no alternative!" Emily interjected.

Anryr closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Oh, my God! The mansion will be in uproar once he learns of this!" he expressed.

"I understand he’ll be upset, but we are prepared to confront him. That’s why we’ve returned to seek his forgiveness. Despite our differences, he remains the appointed representative of His Highness the Grand Duke, and we should respect his authority. We will go and see him now," Noah stated, starting to move with Emily.

Sensing the impending chaos, Anryr swiftly blocked their path.

"Wait! Just wait a moment! Let’s calm down and think before you proceed. If you approach him like this, there’s no guarantee of forgiveness," the steward advised.

"Does this mean you’re on our side?" Emily inquired, her eyes widening hopefully.

Anryr sighed once more.

"Not entirely. I prefer not to meddle in personal matters or take sides. I understand your feelings for each other, but I didn’t anticipate you would take such a drastic step. You could have waited for His Highness’s return and sought his approval, especially since Sir Navin rejected your request. Eloping shouldn’t have been your solution," he explained.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t delay any longer. My feelings for Emily are genuine, and I want her by my side, legally as my wife. Repeated denials have deeply affected me, and I see no point in waiting, as His Highness would likely disapprove as well. Forgive me, Mr. Foster. Let us face Sir Navin and resolve this with him now," Noah insisted.

Anryr stood his ground, blocking their path.

"Why are you stopping us, Mr. Foster?" Emily asked, puzzled.

"I cannot allow you to see him! He has been furious all morning due to your disappearance, and your sudden return in this manner would further enrage him. He will scold you severely, and you, Sir Brooks, will clash intensely with him! The tranquillity of the mansion will be disrupted, especially when Lady Raychard is still unwell and needs rest to recover!" the steward reasoned.

"Mr. Foster, whether we like it or not, I must confront him and reveal the truth. He already harbours hatred towards me. I’m doing this solely for Emily’s sake and out of respect for him," Noah insisted.

"Just what d*mn respect are you emphasising about, huh?" Eric’s voice erupted from behind them.

They all turned towards the sound, seeing the figures of Eric and the rest of the knights descending the stairs with stern expressions.

"Dear Lord!" Anryr gasped, his heart sinking at the sight of the knights’ arrival.

He moved aside, approaching one of the servants. Recognising the situation was about to get worse, he whispered urgently.

"Do whatever is necessary, but get Lady Raychard down here immediately!"

The servant creased his brow.

"But, Mr. Foster, the lady is unwell. How can I disturb her at a time like this?" he asked.

Anryr’s gaze hardened as he leaned in closer. "If you don’t want to see bloodshed, she must come down immediately! Only she can stop this disaster! Now, go!"

Fearing the consequences of disobeying the steward’s directive, the servant hurried off, taking a different route to Anna’s chamber. Before he could turn back, a sudden scream pierced the air, accompanied by the sickening thud of a blow landing.

Whipping around, Anryr witnessed the distressing sight of Noah sprawled on the ground, blood seeping from his nose.

The steward shook his head, his expression grave.

"Oh dear, this is going to be terrible," he muttered under his breath.

***

"Oh, my lady! Why didn’t you mention your condition earlier? No wonder I felt uneasy the last time we met," Meredith began to fret as she perched on the edge of the bed where Anna was resting.

Her gaze fell upon the princess, filled with solemnity as she took in her pale countenance. Anna chuckled. Hearing her friend address her so formally tickled her ears.

"Mer, drop the formalities, please! It’s not like anyone else is around! I’m all right, just a bit tired," Anna replied.

"But with Madam Collins and Sylvia around, how can I address you so informally? I am your lady-in-waiting, after all," the noble lady gently insisted.

"Oh, come on! Jessy wouldn’t bat an eye, and Sylvia doesn’t count. Isn’t she our friend, too?" Anna protested.

Sylvia approached with a damp towel, hanging it by the basin.

"I can vouch for that. She hardly sees me as a person anymore. I’m more like her ’mop’ these days. She vomits every morning, even before you arrive. God knows when she’ll throw up again," Sylvia said jokingly, taking a seat on the other side of the bed.

Meredith chuckled, familiar with her friend’s light-hearted banter that always lifted spirits. Having Sylvia around was always delightful, as she was the one who could lighten up any situation.

"Sir Navin told me everything," Meredith began, lowering her tone as she addressed the main matter. "Seriously, Anna, I’m quite worried about you."

She took the princess’s hand, her face looking grave.

"Don’t be." Anna patted the back of Meredith’s hand with her other hand. "I’m all right. The Bargesians weren’t targeting me. It was Callis they aimed for, and it happened due to a silly mistake," she explained.

"Still, they are your enemies. They should be eliminated for what they did! I hope the Sunik tribesmen catch them soon!" Meredith said, her words laced with a vengeance.

Anna paused for a moment before responding. "I hate violence and never want to seek revenge. But, as you once said, kindness and submission aren’t always the answers. They had attempted to harm those dear to me, so they deserve to be dealt with for the sake of others’ safety."

"Aww... you remember!" Meredith exclaimed, reminiscing the advice she had given the princess before the duel agreement between Kiev and Kyren.

Sylvia also smiled.

"Our friend here has grown up to be a cunning and more mature person. You wouldn’t believe your eyes had you seen how she fought against the knights during her possession! She was like an extremely skilled warrior!" she stated.

"You saw it?" Meredith asked, turning to Sylvia.

The noble lady nodded enthusiastically.

"I saw it all. She even confronted Prince Kiev in a fierce duel. Although he initially managed to subdue her, she slipped into the forest. Thankfully, everything has been resolved now," Sylvia explained.

Meredith breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness nothing worse occurred. But seeing you in this state breaks my heart, Anna. Why aren’t you feeling better yet?"

"That’s the weird thing. Mr. Amares has been treating her and given various medicines and concoctions, but she still hasn’t improved much. Vomiting would be her daily routine, not to mention her lack of appetite and sensitivity. Even a certain whiff of a smell would trigger her nausea right away," Sylvia added.

"Nausea?" Meredith echoed, a sudden thought striking her as she pieced together Anna’s unusual symptoms. "Anna... could it be that you’re pregnant?"

Jessy, arranging clean linens on the table, paused, a nervous feeling creeping in as Meredith’s sharp intuition hit the mark.

"I wish that were true, Mer," Sylvia interjected, visibly solemn. "Mr Amares ran some quick tests on her blood, but it didn’t indicate pregnancy."

Anna smiled faintly. The idea of carrying Kyren’s child was enticing, but she remembered how firmly her husband had insisted they wouldn’t have children.

With her fragile health, bearing an heir seemed impossible, bringing a wave of sadness. Furthermore, she had agreed to her husband’s wishes to focus solely on each other.

A knock sounded at the door, and a servant entered after receiving permission.

"My lady, I apologise for interrupting, but something urgent needs your attention. Mr. Foster asked me to bring you to the courtyard!" he said with anxiety.

"How dare you! Can’t you see the lady isn’t well?" Meredith raised her voice, making the servant flinch.

"I’m truly sorry, Lady Jarr! I was just following orders! He said there would be bloodshed if you didn’t come!"

"Why? What’s happening?" Anna asked, sitting up straight.

"Sir Brooks and Miss Baker have returned after being missing since Sir and Lady Jarr’s wedding. Sir Navin is furious! I heard they eloped and married elsewhere. By the time I left, Sir Navin and Sir Brooks were already fighting!" the servant explained.

"What?? Why didn’t anyone tell me?" Anna exclaimed in surprise, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, determined to stand.

"Anna, please calm down! Let me handle this for you!" Meredith urged. "You’re not well. We didn’t tell you because we didn’t want this news to affect your health."

"No! If Mr. Foster is asking for me, this is too important for you to manage alone. I need to go down there! If I don’t, those two might seriously hurt each other!" Anna insisted.

Seeing the resolute look in her eyes, Meredith relented. Sylvia helped the princess dress while the lady-in-waiting held her hand, with Jessy trailing behind.

As they reached the door, Damon and Eli, who were on duty, looked confused when they saw their lady rushing out. They had no idea what was going on, as the servant had insisted on speaking to Anna first before revealing anything.

Meredith quickly filled them in on the situation, and at the princess’s insistence, they immediately headed toward the courtyard.

When they arrived at the scene, they found the two knights on the ground, grappling with each other in a fierce brawl. Emily stood nearby, crying while the other knights watched in silence.

"Stop it, both of you!" Anna shouted at the top of her lungs, instantly halting the fight.

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