The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 461: A Dangerous Suspicion (II)

Chapter 461: A Dangerous Suspicion (II)

"That’s ridiculous! His Highness Prince Kiev is not that kind of person! You all heard him in the throne hall before! He restored Elis’s body to a maiden again and hasn’t even touched her!" Garin countered, his voice filled with indignation as he disagreed with the accusation being tossed around the room. "How could such an honourable prince person do that?!"

"Then how do you explain the pregnancy?" Eric shot back, glaring at the knight. "I’m asking the same question that our grand duke has raised! Given the binding spell, he can’t get Lady Raychard to conceive! So, how does she become pregnant? She can’t be miraculously having a baby on her own!" he said, his words defeating any further objections.

The room fell into a contemplative silence, and one by one, the knights found themselves reaching an impasse. No one could come out with a reasonable refutation.

"If it’s not His Highness Prince Kiev, who could it be? His Majesty initially accused us since we were the only men around Lady Raychard. If we claim one of the servants at the mansion was involved, that would make even less sense. They hardly approached her," Noah pointed out, a fact that was already known by all.

"It could never be any of us or the servants! She was well-monitored constantly and chaperoned whenever she walked out of her chamber! We saw it with our own eyes!" Luke added, shaking his head in disbelief confidently.

"Even with that alibis, His Majesty’s trust in us surely wanes. We need to find the person who impregnated Lady Raychard!" Alex exclaimed.

Rafe’s expression turned cold at Eric’s accusation; something bothered the healer inside, making him ponder deeply.

"What are you thinking, Rafael?" Eric asked, noticing his friend’s severe countenance.

"Your accusation against Kiev... I don’t want to believe it either. But... it does sound plausible..." Rafe finally admitted, his voice low and tentative.

"What?? You really believe he did it?" Garin interjected, surprise etched across his face.

"I don’t know!" Rafe sighed, running a hand through his grey hair in exasperation. "But I remember when Lady Raychard was saved from the forest... She wasn’t wearing her training attire but was clothed in an old peasant dress. Kiev must have changed her. Even the armour she wore was gone."

"It was raining the whole day and night. They must have gotten caught in the rain and drenched! He told us they were stranded in an old cottage in the forest due to the weather and that the horses were lost when he pursued her. That’s why he couldn’t come back immediately! Surely he just did that to prevent Lady Raychard from falling ill!" Garin countered again, defending the prince.

However, these small details began to raise doubts among the other knights. When Anna was brought back unconscious from the forest, the situation was so critical that none of them had questioned her attire at that time.

"But we can’t deny that Jessy and Callis hid the fact that Lady Raychard is pregnant," Rafe said. "The nanny used her magic to conceal it from my investigation, and my wife, too, kept it a secret from me. Why did they do that?"

The room fell silent again as the knights considered Rafe’s words, their questions growing. The realisation that Jessy and Callis had been involved in the deception sparked their distrust of the Mederians.

Rafe felt conflicted. The idea that Kiev had taken advantage of Anna during that time filled him with dread, but he struggled to find another explanation.

Everything seemed to suggest that something terrible had happened to Anna on the night she spent in the forest with the Mederian Prince.

"I don’t think Lady Raychard knows what happened since she was deeply unconscious after the possession. She appeared truly surprised when His Highness Prince Kiev confirmed she was pregnant today," Drystan said.

"You’re right. If she had been assaulted and were aware of it, it would surely have shown in her behaviour. But aside from the effects of the dark magic and the symptoms of pregnancy, she hasn’t displayed any signs of distress or trauma," Damon agreed.

"His Highness Prince Kiev has already been detained, so it will be hard to get details from him. I believe the only person who can give us answers right now is Mrs Amares. She mentioned there was a reason for hiding the pregnancy, didn’t she? So, let’s go and ask her directly instead of making assumptions. We need to get to the bottom of this!" Alex urged.

Rafe nodded, then headed for the door with the knights following closely behind. Just as he reached for the door handle, there was a knock from the other side.

The door opened to reveal Charles. The chamberlain bowed respectfully to the knights and conveyed the king’s instructions regarding the two guests.

"You’re saying His Highness the Grand Duke brought them?" Eric asked.

"Yes. Admiral James confirmed it with one of the palace servants. Given the current situation, His Majesty ordered you and the knights to bring them to Gerhard’s mansion and attend to them first. He will only see those guests once His Highness the Grand Duke is in a more reasonable state," the chamberlain explained.

The second-in-command knight considered this momentarily, then nodded.

"Thinking about it, there’s no telling how His Highness will react when he wakes up. Therefore, I believe it would be best for all high-ranking knights to remain here to guard him as a precaution while I bring the guests home and attend to them. In the meantime, Sir Henderson and Sir McQuinn, go back to Lady Raychard’s chamber with Rafael to meet with his wife."

Eric then turned to the healer and added, "...I trust you know what to do. Come back to me and let me know her answer."

Rafe and the knights nodded in unison, agreeing with Eric’s decision. They knew there could be no more delays and quickly parted ways; Eric and Charles moved to the antechamber where the guests were waiting while Rafe, Damon, and Eli headed back to Anna’s chamber. The rest, who were the high-ranking Knights of Gerhard, remained in Kyren’s chamber.

Now was a crucial time for all of them to unravel this puzzle, for if they did not, the consequences could be dire.

One thought lingered in their minds, bringing an ominous feeling; Did Kiev really s*xually assault Anna?

***

"What took him so long, Admiral James? Why is Lord Kyren not here yet?" Athillia asked anxiously.

She had been pacing back and forth, waiting for Kyren’s return. The princess, together with the admiral and the Ardelian Commander, had been led to the antechamber upon their arrival, as the grand duke informed them to wait there while he went to meet his brother, the king, and request an audience.

It had been a while since Kyren left, but there was still no sign of him.

"It’s a sudden request for an audience. Perhaps His Majesty the King is occupied with other matters. We’ve just arrived and didn’t schedule this meeting, so he might need to address other important matters first before adjusting his time for us," said Adam calmly.

"Would Her Highness Princess Anna be available as well? I can’t wait to see her! It has been years, but I hope she still recognises me," said Sir Ashburne excitedly.

"I’m not sure. The last time I saw her before His Highness the Grand Duke and I departed, she was supposed to stay at the palace under the care of Their Majesties. His Highness entrusted her to them," said the admiral, recalling the day at Port Braska. "Maybe he went to see his wife as well. We all know how much he misses her."

Sir Ashburne smiled at the thought. He had heard tales about Anna from Kyren during their voyage to Cassian. Every time the grand duke spoke about his wife, his blue eyes would light up, and the commander could sense the grand duke’s excitement that came with the anticipation of returning to her.

Athillia, on the other hand, felt more apprehensive about meeting the king.

"What if His Majesty the King refuses to see us because of me?" she suddenly said.

"Why would he?" Sir Ashburne asked, confused.

At this moment, the Ardelian Commander was still unaware of the princess’s true identity. He believed Athillia was simply an informer who had infiltrated and spied on the Bargesian army in the Agathe Islands. Kyren and Adam had decided to reveal her true identity after meeting with the King of Cassian to avoid any scrutiny or suspicion.

The princess hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

"She might feel that way since she’s not a Cassian," Adam replied to Sir Ashburne, covering up on her behalf. The admiral then turned to Athillia and said reassuringly, "Don’t worry. His Majesty would not easily judge someone based on their origin. He’s a just and benevolent king. You have contributed greatly to our victory, so he will surely want to meet you and thank you for your help."

Athillia nodded slowly. Though her worry lingered, Adam’s comforting words restored her confidence. Furthermore, with Kyren being the king’s brother, the monarch wouldn’t easily refuse the request for the meeting.

Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. As the attending servant opened it, two men entered, both unfamiliar to Athillia and Sir Ashburne.

"Ah, Sir Navin and Lord Enos! It’s good to see you!" Adam exclaimed, visibly pleased to see the two men.

Both nodded in acknowledgement. Despite the grave situation, they maintained calm and composed demeanours. The admiral’s return was welcomed with warm smiles and handshakes.

"Let me introduce you. This is Sir Blake Ashburne, and this is Lady Athillia," said Adam, gesturing toward the two guests. Turning to the princess and commander, the admiral introduced the newcomers. "This is Sir Eric Navin, the second-in-command Knight of Gerhard and also His Highness the Grand Duke’s right-hand man, and this is Lord Charles Enos, the chamberlain of His Majesty King Kyden Raychard."

Eric’s gaze fell on the two individuals before him. Kyren had mentioned the male guest in the chamber before, but the young lady, who appeared to be more of a teenager, was someone he could not place.

"You must be the Ardelian Commander," said the second-in-command knight as he shook hands with Sir Ashburne.

Sir Ashburne smiled widely. "Yes, I am! How did you know?"

"His Highness, the Grand Duke mentioned you when I met him just now," Eric explained.

"I hope he said good things about me. We met at the Agathe Islands, and from there, we collaborated and became a formidable army to fight against the Bargesians. It’s all thanks to His Highness for opening our eyes to the true culprits who wanted to destroy us," Sir Ashburne said proudly.

"I’m aware. He wrote to us about what happened before departing to Ardel for the battle. I’m glad that your kingdom is safe now," Eric replied.

Athillia, feeling anxious due to Kyren’s absence, asked, "Where is Lord Kyren? Why hasn’t he come back yet?"

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