The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 458: Between Imposing And Protecting

Chapter 458: Between Imposing And Protecting

Blood smeared his face and splattered onto King Kyden’s fist. The knights felt a pang of guilt, but they understood that the king had resorted to this extreme measure to prevent even more disastrous consequences.

King Kyden rose to his feet, panting heavily, his hand trembling and stained with blood. The bedroom was cloaked in a heavy silence from the aftermath. The only sounds piercing the quiet were the cries of Anna, Elis, Callis, and Jessy.

Though Meredith did not cry, she appeared visibly shaken. The lady-in-waiting fought to maintain her composure, understanding that she had to be the strong pillar for those affected in this tumultuous moment.

Her heart ached for the pain and chaos surrounding her, but she knew that showing her own distress would only add to the already devastating situation.

"I didn’t want to do this, Kyren. But you left me no choice," the king said, looking down at his motionless brother with remorse. "Take him to his chamber," he commanded the Knights of Gerhard with a heavy heart.

The knights immediately obeyed. Garin and Drystan carefully lifted Kyren’s limp form and took him out of the chamber, followed by the other knights.

Seeing the condition of the grand duke, Rafe insisted on following along.

"I need to check on His Highness. I’ll get back to you, Callis. I promise! Wait for me here!" he said as he rushed to follow them.

Callis merely bowed her head, allowing her husband to go. It was true what Kiev had once said; no matter how compassionate Rafe could be, his loyalty lay with the grand duke, and there was nothing she could do to change that.

"Your Majesty, I plead with you! Please conduct a thorough investigation before reaching a conclusion! My husband is not the culprit! He has never touched me, let alone Lady Raychard! He’s is not a lustful person!" Elis fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "Lady James’s accusations are baseless! Just because they were in the forest one night doesn’t mean they did those things! He sacrificed himself to save her and nearly died because of it! The Knights of Gerhard know what truly happened! Please believe me!"

"As much as you and the knights want to convince me with your version of events, you must also realise that Prince Kiev has never withdrawn his claim on Anna. Did he ever tell you that he no longer desires her? Or did he make it clear he would not pursue her any longer?" King Kyden’s voice oozed with restrained anger, his teeth gritting as he spoke.

Elis felt a crushing weight of despair settle in her chest. She couldn’t find the words to counter the king’s assertions; the truth of Kiev’s actions spoke for itself.

His selfless rush to save Anna upon receiving news of her critical condition undoubtedly revealed the depth of his feelings for her. There was no denying that in the eyes of those present.

Tears poured down Elis’s face as silence enveloped her, a reflection of her helplessness.

"Leave, Princess Elisabeth. This is not a matter in which you should involve yourself," the king insisted with a resolute tone. "I also advise you to reconsider your marriage. It’s not too late for an annulment if you wish to avoid being tarnished by the sins of your husband!"

Elis looked up sharply, shaking her head fiercely.

"No! I will never leave Kiev! You can’t make me!" she cried.

"Suit yourself! But I strongly advise you to leave now," King Kyden replied, his patience waning.

"What are you going to do to my brother?" Callis interjected anxiously, her eyes wide with worry. "Are you planning to punish him just like that? There’s no concrete evidence, and everything is based merely on hearsay! No one witnessed the illicit intercourse firsthand! You can’t do this, Your Majesty! It’s not fair!"

"Callis raises a valid point, my king!" Queen Emelda added, shifting her position in support of the plea. "Simply saying that Prince Kiev and Anna spent a night in the forest doesn’t indicate any wrongdoing! You have always been fair-minded! Surely you wouldn’t rule out judgment without solid evidence!"

"In that case, I will interrogate Prince Kiev myself and hear his confession! If he’s not the father of the child, then I’ll find that man, whoever he is!" King Kyden declared fiercely.

"Kiev didn’t do it, Your Majesty! He didn’t!" Elis reiterated.

"Enough of your pleas! I don’t want to hear it anymore! Leave before I change my mind and have him executed right away!" King Kyden shouted, the sudden outburst shocking those remaining in the room.

Ayden, who had been quietly observing the turmoil due to his fear of the king’s wrath, cautiously approached Meredith. As the king continued to berate his anger towards Elis and the Mederian Princess, he beckoned for the lady-in-waiting.

Meredith stood, reluctantly leaving Anna, who was still sobbing heavily on the bed.

"I will go out and find evidence of this, but please help me," Ayden whispered urgently.

Meredith’s eyes widened in surprise, about to voice her shock, but the assistant healer quickly pressed a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to keep quiet.

"What evidence? Why haven’t you said anything before?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"I don’t have it yet, so I can’t claim it out loud until I retrieve it. Therefore, until I get back, please take Her Highness Princess Elisabeth and return to the mansion! I implore you! I don’t want His Majesty to have second thoughts and punish His Highness Prince Kiev and Lady Raychard before I can present it!" Ayden addressed Elis formally, recognising her new status as per the king did.

Meredith nodded, bracing herself as she stepped forward to hold Elis by the shoulders. "Come with me, Your Highness. We should get back now!"

"No! No! I won’t go!" Elis protested, her resistance was strong despite her tears.

"Listen to me. If you want what’s best for His Highness Prince Kiev, you will come with me. Please! I know you care for him, but crying like this won’t change anything!" Meredith urged, trying to reach the heart of the distraught princess consort.

Elis hesitated at first, but Callis, having noticed the king’s expression darkening due to her sister-in-law’s defiance, intervened urgently.

"Jessy, take her away! Return to the mansion first!" she commanded her nanny.

Elis turned to Callis, tears streaking her face as Jessy approached her.

"Go first! I’ll make sure no one will hurt brother," Callis reassured her.

At last, Elis relented, compelled by the Mederian Princess’s persuasion, and the three of them left, with the princess consort crying and supported by Jessy.

Seizing the moment, Ayden approached King Kyden.

"Your Majesty, do you need the royal healer to attend to you?" he inquired, glancing at the king’s bleeding hand.

The king merely shook his head, his face a mask of solemnity.

"Then, may I be excused?" Ayden asked, his voice respectful.

King Kyden nodded silently, and the assistant healer bowed before quickly exiting the chamber.

Meanwhile, outside the chamber, the gathering crowd was bewildered by the sight of Kyren being carried out unconscious. Yet, as their second-in-command knight instructed, they were to remain calm as everything would be revealed in due time. They received word that Anna was now safe and were instructed to return to the mansion.

The whole commotion had left the chamber in a gloomy state. But amidst the aftermath of the chaos, one figure stood out, seemingly delighted with the turn of events.

"Your Majesty..." Sarah approached the king.

"Not now!" King Kyden snapped, irritated by the interference.

"I’m sorry, but I must address this matter as it is crucial," the chief lady-in-waiting continued, disregarding the king’s dismissal.

"What is it?" King Kyden turned to her with a piercing gaze.

Sarah boldly voiced out, "You haven’t taken action on the royal concubine. She, too, needs to be arrested for her wrongdoing."

Anna’s eyes widened in shock at Sarah’s confrontational statement. Her heart raced as the accusation was brought back into the discussion.

Callis almost lunged towards Sarah in anger.

The Mederian Princess shouted, "You sneaky b*tch! You accused my brother, and now you want to hurt Anna, too?? You did this because you were envious of her and wanted the grand duke for yourself! I swear, I will rip that pretending face of yours off and show your true colours to everyone!"

"I didn’t do anything!" Sarah sneered, deflecting Callis’s anger with a twisted smile. "The one who got pregnant with someone else’s seed is her, not me! She has brought disgrace to the royal family!"

Anna felt her stomach drop at the harsh words, her voice tightly wound.

"I did not! This baby belongs to me and Kyren!" she countered. "I’m innocent!"

"Enough!" King Kyden shouted, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Do not start another commotion! Get out, Callis Amares, or I will also apprehend you!"

"I will not leave! You will harm Anna if I go!" Callis retorted.

"Are you challenging me?" King Kyden said, his gaze locking fiercely with the Mederian Princess.

Sensing the king’s unsettled emotion fluctuate again, Queen Emelda rushed to Callis’s side. "Just go! His Majesty is already tense now, and arguing with him won’t do you any good," she said quietly, trying to diffuse the conflict.

"What about Anna? I can’t leave her alone!" Callis protested, her eyes darting between the queen and the princess, troubled for Anna’s safety.

"I am still here! I’ll make sure she’s safe, and no harm will fall on her! Leave now, Callis, or you might drag Rafe into this as well. I can’t guarantee it if the king’s wrath gets on his nerves again. For you and your husband’s safety, please go!" Queen Emelda urged.

Callis hesitated, her brow furrowed as she carefully assessed the situation around her.

Just moments ago, she had witnessed the king’s overwhelming rage directed towards the grand duke. Queen Emelda’s words echoed in her mind, compelling her to consider her action. She couldn’t bear the thought of Rafe experiencing the same kind of wrath.

With a heavy heart, she made the difficult decision to step back and wait outside the chamber instead.

The room fell silent once more, the atmosphere thick with unresolved tension, broken only by Anna’s quiet sobs. But it didn’t take long for Sarah to seize the moment again.

"Your Majesty, action has to be taken! The concubine must be imposed accordingly! If you don’t, you and the whole royal family will be mocked by everyone!" she reminded the king, her scheming expression appearing slyly.

"Things haven’t been proven yet! Don’t dare to make your own assumptions, Lady James!" Queen Emelda shouted vehemently.

"What more needs to be proved?" Sarah shot back, her tone venomous. "His Majesty has indicated that the grand duke couldn’t produce an heir, and His Highness has admitted it himself too! We all heard it!"

"Your Majesty, please say that this is not true!" Queen Emelda turned to her husband, pleading desperately, but she was met with heavy silence.

Although the king and the grand duke were firm in their resolve, the queen still couldn’t accept the harsh reality that they had laid out. Deep in her heart, she was convinced that Anna loved Kyren sincerely and would never turn her affections towards Kiev.

She had seen the unmistakable signs of love reflected in the princess’s emerald eyes, which sparkled with warmth and genuine affection whenever Anna spoke Kyren’s name. There was an undeniable light in her gaze, a connection forged through trust and intimacy that couldn’t be easily shattered.

"I implore you, Your Majesty, my Queen. Please don’t take the concubine’s side and be deceived by her meek appearance! You may have favoured her all this while, but her actions... tainting the royal family and His Highness, the Grand Duke’s dignity, are unforgivable! According to the law, given her status, she should face much harsher punishment than the others! She should be sentenced to death!"

Anna froze, bewildered by the harsh declaration. An argument quickly erupted as she defended herself, vehemently denying any blame from the queen’s lady-in-waiting.

"Silence!" King Kyden yelled over the commotion. "This is a matter that I shall judge, and no one else can impose the sentence but me! Do not instruct me on how to handle this!"

His furious gaze locked onto Sarah, the chief lady-in-waiting.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, if I seem to overstep my bounds. However, it is my duty to advise the monarch should there be discrepancies in your actions regarding the stipulated law. My intention is to ensure that the order of the royal family remains intact, and there must be no room for negligence in your obligations as the ruling power. You must not condone such an act within your family. Once this matter reaches the nobles, there will be an uproar. So please, do not take it lightly," Sarah cautioned, a daring yet calculated tone in her voice.

Though Sarah’s words might have appeared to sound like advice from a palace servant advocating for the law, Anna and Queen Emelda could sense the underlying malice in her intentions, evident in the contempt that glimmered in her eyes as she cast a sidelong glance at them.

King Kyden sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him. He knew that news of Anna’s pregnancy and the incident in the chamber would soon reach the ears of the court, and there would be no way to contain the fallout.

He needed to take decisive action before everything got beyond control, threatening Anna’s safety—an outcome that was paramount to him.

Seeing the king lost in silent contemplation, the chief lady-in-waiting seized the moment to press her advantage.

"I see that you couldn’t make up your mind. You are still clouded by the sentiment that she is part of your family and didn’t expect things to unfold this way. So, I suggest you hand her over to me," Sarah said, a victorious smile barely concealed on her lips as she believed things were going according to her plan.

"No! She is not well!" the king responded forcefully. "For now, she will be detained here!"

"Your Majesty, you are being too soft on her! For someone who committed such a grave misdemeanour, she should be imprisoned in the dungeon!" Sarah insisted.

King Kyden closed his eyes, weary of the confrontation.

"She is pregnant! Regardless of her crime, the baby within her is innocent!" he said determinedly.

"Even so, her offence is too serious for you to keep her in this luxurious chamber!" Sarah countered.

"Don’t cross the line, Lady James! Until I have actual proof of her infidelity with Prince Kiev, she will stay here as it is!" the king declared firmly.

Sarah’s expression flattened, frustration brewing beneath the surface. She wanted Anna to suffer and rot in the dungeon, but King Kyden’s protective nature toward the princess proved to be a significant obstacle. Knowing the king, there must be a reason for his decision.

"Very well. But just to ensure safety, I will have the Knights of Neblim assist the royal knights in guarding this chamber so she won’t escape," Sarah proposed.

"What’s the need for the Knights of Neblim? Aren’t the royal knights enough?" Queen Emelda protested.

"As I said, Your Majesty, the concubine has committed a high offence. Given that she is a member of the royal family, safety measures must be taken to ensure adherence to the law. The ministers and nobles might perceive that Your Majesties have been too lenient by keeping her here. I need to reassure them that no favouritism has been shown until the sentence is carried out. Therefore, the Knights of Neblim are required to convince them of Your Majesties’ neutrality in this matter!" Sarah boldly stated. "I strongly suggest that you agree to this."

The remarks sounded more like a veiled threat now. The monarch understood Sarah’s jealousy toward Anna all too well. However, aware that the attention of the ministers and nobles was soon to be drawn to this incident, King Kyden knew he needed to tread carefully to protect the princess.

"Fine! But you will be responsible for her detainment! Should anything happen, it will be on your shoulders!" the king announced.

Sarah’s lips formed a winning smile as her true ambition would soon be accomplished.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I shall ensure it is managed accordingly," she replied, her voice silky as she bowed to the king before heading to the door to convey the message to her assistant, Naise.

In that brief moment, King Kyden leaned closer to Queen Emelda, urgency in his whisper.

"Take Anna away when you get the chance! Find someone you can trust and hide her. Do whatever you must to keep her safe!"

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.