The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 485: The Grand Duke’s Bold Rescue

Chapter 485: The Grand Duke’s Bold Rescue

The sound of Kyren’s heavy boots striking the hardened floor echoed through the royal court hall. Eyes of the spectators gathered at the threshold of the opened main door followed him as he boldly stepped toward the monarch and Anna.

Silence enveloped the place; not even the doorkeeper knew whether to close the door again. It was as if time itself had paused, leaving only the grand duke’s movements to disrupt the stillness.

Kyren finally halted before the king. Unlike his usual demeanour, there were no formal greetings—only a stern, challenging gaze. It was clear that he was ready to confront his brother head-on.

King Kyden gathered his composure, wary of the encounter. He knew he had to tread carefully; despite Kyren’s current state, he was still the finest knight in Cassian.

Defeating him if he went berserk wouldn’t be an easy task. Even the grand duke’s legendary reputation as the northern warrior sent shivers down the spines of the other knights.

The grand duke’s blue eyes narrowed, scowling at both the king and Anna. Seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, his silence casting a heavy uncertainty over everyone waiting for his response.

Finally, after what felt like ages, Kyren broke the tension.

"Give her to me!" he demanded.

"No can do!" King Kyden countered, anxiety creeping in as he feared for Anna’s safety. "She is an offender under Cassian’s law and is currently held in custody until her trial begins!"

"I said, give her to me! I am her husband! If anyone has the right to hold her, it is me!" Kyren insisted again, his voice rising.

"I can’t allow you to take matters into your own hands and hurt her! She must be tried according to the law!" the king replied firmly.

"Who says I’m going to hurt her?" the grand duke shot back. "I’m not foolish enough to confuse right and wrong!"

"Your past actions have not convinced me otherwise. Retreat, Grand Duke," King Kyden ordered, his tone brokering no argument.

"No!" came Kyren’s adamant protest. "Hand her to me, Kyden!"

The king’s blue eyes locked onto his brother’s. The grand duke had just addressed him by his first name, stripping away the respect due to a king. It was a clear sign that the situation was escalating dangerously.

"Are you challenging me?" King Kyden asked, his voice low and intense.

"Do you want me to? You know I can defeat you any time!" Kyren asserted. "Give her to me while I ask nicely."

"You’ll hurt her!" King Kyden retorted.

"I said I won’t!"

"She needs to stand trial!"

"Not now!"

Kyren’s eyes had landed on Anna’s worn state as he entered. He then realised that he had to take her from the king; otherwise, there would be no telling what would happen to her.

Undoubtedly, he was angry with her and disappointed by her wrongdoing—so many conflicting emotions swirled within him.

Yet, despite his feelings, his heart screamed for him to protect her, a reaction he couldn’t fully understand. The instinct to shield her surged within him, as if he were destined to protect the princess, regardless of her mistakes.

"For the last time... give her to me!" Kyren demanded, his voice low and dangerous, dark intensity radiating from him. "Don’t make me recount everything I’ve done to support your reign! If you refuse, my sword will taste blood again today!"

King Kyden swallowed hard. He could summon the royal knights and guards to confront his brother, but that would lead to a bloodbath—something he desperately wanted to avoid.

"Promise me you won’t hurt her!" the king demanded, as he began to relent to the grand duke’s wish.

"You have my word!" Kyren replied.

"What about the trial?" King Kyden pressed on.

"You can have her for that tomorrow," Kyren decided. "Tonight, she’ll be with me!"

Without waiting for a response, the grand duke seized Anna’s bound hands and turned, striding away from the king as he hauled her.

Anna’s heart raced with doubts at her husband’s rough demeanour. Why was he suddenly so insistent on taking her?

She glanced back at the king, but he only watched solemnly. His silence affirmed he wouldn’t stop Kyren from taking her.

The grand duke’s strides were long and quick, forcing Anna to rush her small steps to keep up.

"Kyren, please! It hurts!" she cried, her body swaying from his grip.

He abruptly halted, and she almost fell, but his strong arm caught her just in time. Before she could process what was happening, he swept her up into his arms, cradling her against his broad chest.

Though fear still lingered, Anna felt an overwhelming sense of safety in his embrace, more than she had ever felt elsewhere.

As they reached the threshold where everyone else stood waiting, Lord James suddenly stepped in front of Kyren, declaring, "You shouldn’t take her with you, Your Highness! She must receive her punishment for escaping!"

"That’s right! I’m in charge of her, so you should leave her to me!" Sarah chimed in.

Kyren’s lips curled into an eerie smirk.

"Ten lashes, right?" he asked, his tone sounding mocking.

Anna’s heart raced. Didn’t Kyren promise the king he wouldn’t harm her? Was he really going to agree with the minister?

"Exactly!" Lord James replied.

His eyes gleaming with false triumph, convinced the grand duke was siding with him and his daughter.

"Then impose that on the person responsible for her confinement, first! Your daughter deserves triple the punishment for failing in her duty!" Kyren ordered, his voice cold and commanding.

Sarah’s mouth fell open in shock, and she glanced back at her father, who expressed disbelief.

"Your Highness!" Lord James exclaimed, incredulous.

The grand duke shot a sharp side-glance at Sarah.

"If you finish punishing her and she’s still alive, then you can come to me to ask for Anna to be punished. If not, don’t even think about demanding it!"

With that firm warning, Kyren moved forward, his shoulder colliding with Lord James’s and pushing the minister aside roughly.

Seeing this, the Knights of Gerhard and Adam followed the grand duke, leaving the father and daughter behind.

Lord James’s face flushed red as he gritted his teeth, struggling to contain his rage. Yet he knew that Kyren’s order was just and by the rules. Challenging the grand duke more would only lead to further trouble for himself and his daughter.

"Father!" Sarah protested, dissatisfied with the outcome.

"Don’t, or you’ll get in trouble!" he snapped.

"We can’t just let him do this!" the chief lady-in-waiting insisted, dissatisfied that Kyren still took his wife’s side after everything that had happened.

She had expected this would be her moment, yet the grand duke didn’t even glance her way for consolation.

"Be patient!" Lord James said, his eyes narrowing as he watched the group fade into the distance. "We’ll have our chance tomorrow!"

***

As Kyren reached the threshold of Anna’s chamber, he paused, tilting his head to the side. The knights and the admiral trailing behind him came to an abrupt halt.

"You all are not allowed to enter!" he ordered. "If you dare defy me, someone will get hurt!" he warned.

Without another word, the grand duke opened the door and slammed it shut by kicking with his leg. The loud bang echoed in the hallway, stunning the group into momentary silence.

As the door closed, the air thickened with tension. The knights exchanged worried glances, dread etched on their faces, sharing the same concern—would Kyren truly keep his promise to the king and not harm Anna?

"You! How could you do this?!" Damon suddenly exploded with anger, grabbing Adam by the collar.

The knight had been holding back his emotions since the moment he and the others waited outside the royal court. Now, he could no longer contain himself.

The admiral pushed him back firmly.

"I did only what she asked me for! She wanted to return to the palace!" Adam defended himself.

An altercation quickly erupted.

"You’re lying! You must have done this on purpose!" Damon accused, his voice rising.

"Stop it, you two!" Eric warned, but Damon ignored him.

In a fit of rage, the knight lunged at Adam, attempting to throw a punch, but the admiral deftly evaded the attack. Frustrated by his failure, he tried again, but the other knights restrained him, preventing further violence.

"Let me go! I won’t stop until I get my hands on him!" Damon shouted as he trashed.

On the other hand, Adam remained calm, unfazed by the threat.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the hallway.

"Sir McQuinn! Stop it!"

A woman rushed toward them, having spotted the commotion.

"Admiral James didn’t do anything wrong!" Helen, the governess, exclaimed as she approached, her breath ragged from running.

She had heard the ruckus from a distance and hurried to intervene.

"How do you know? He could have hidden motives! His father and sister insisted on having Lady Raychard punished!" Damon retorted.

"I was with him and the lady, remember?" Helen replied. "Lady Raychard insisted on returning to the palace despite our pleas!"

"You could have carried her by force! Now she won’t be able to escape the trial, which will likely happen tomorrow!" Damon said to the admiral in frustration.

"You think I didn’t consider that?" Adam replied sharply. "She said she was done running and wouldn’t escape again! She has something worth fighting for now, even if it’s just the slightest chance! If I forced her, she would flee from me and put herself in even greater danger. Do you want that to happen?"

Damon pressed his lips together to contain his emotions. The thought of Anna facing punishment was unbearable, and his eyes burned with unshed tears.

However, he stopped struggling and stood frozen. The knights let him go at once at Eric’s order.

"Ease yourself, kid," Garin urged, patting Damon’s shoulder. "Lady Raychard has always made wise decisions in critical situations. She may seem meek, but she has a strength we’ve seen time and again. No matter how dire things appear, have faith in her."

"Sir Skyler is right. We shouldn’t lose hope. Our lady is brave enough to fight for herself, so we must believe in her," Drystan added.

"Where is Lady Raychard right now?" Helen asked, concerned.

"In there," Luke said, pointing to the chamber door. "...with His Highness the Grand Duke. No one is allowed to enter."

The governess looked alarmed. She had been trailing the group from a distance to avoid suspicion, unaware that Kyren had taken Anna in his arms.

"Oh, my! Will she be all right?" Helen gasped, pressing her hands to her chest.

No one could provide a definite answer. As the knights exchanged anxious glances, Eric proposed an idea.

"Sir Brooks, you have the sharpest hearing among us. Could you eavesdrop on them?" he suggested to Noah.

"Eavesdropping? Is that even permitted?" Drystan asked, frowning.

"Well, His Highness only said we couldn’t enter. He didn’t mention anything about listening," the second-in-command knight replied.

"All right, Sir Navin. I’ll do it. But I need everyone to be silent. This wall is thick, so it won’t be easy to hear them," Noah agreed.

The knights, admiral, and governess complied and closed their mouths, allowing Noah to continue. The knight found a suitable spot against the wall, pressed his ear to it, and began to listen.

The hallway fell quiet as the group waited anxiously.

Suddenly, Noah’s eyes widened in alarm.

"Lady Raychard is screaming!"

Noah raised his hand, signalling for silence as he listened further intently. His forehead creased in concentration.

"What is it?" Eric asked, sensing there was more to hear.

"I’m not sure anymore. I thought she was screaming... but now I doubt it," Noah replied.

"Doubt? What exactly are you hearing?" the second-in-command knight asked.

"It sounded like... like..." Noah hesitated, leaving the group on edge.

"Just what is it?" Eric pressed impatiently.

"She sounds like she is moaning!" Noah blurted out, his cheeks reddening.

"What?? You’ve got to be kidding!" Luke exclaimed. "They can’t be doing that! Not now!"

"Hear for yourself!" Noah challenged.

The knights latched their ears to the wall, while Adam joined out of curiosity. Damon couldn’t hear anything, but the higher-ranking knights and the admiral sensed a faint sound like moaning from within.

Unable to contain himself, Damon shouted, "That’s it! I’m going in!"

He rushed forward, but Garin caught him, halting his advance.

"Are you out of your mind? Do you wish to die?" the knight warned.

"I won’t let His Highness hurt Lady Raychard!" Damon insisted.

"Wait! We don’t know what’s happening in there! You can’t just charge in! You could endanger yourself!" Drystan warned.

"He’s right. Besides, Lady Raychard and His Highness could be in an indecent situation," Adam added.

"You mean... they really are doing that?" Damon’s voice trailed off.

"I’m not sure. But it does sound like moaning," the admiral replied.

Damon shook his head, struggling to accept the response. It didn’t make sense that Kyren and Anna would be intimate given their current discord.

"Could it be His Highness is forcing himself on Lady Raychard?" Helen suggested. "If that’s the case, it could be dangerous! She’s in the early stage of pregnancy!"

Worry gnawed at them all.

"We can’t go in to confirm this. If we storm in, His Highness would be furious, and our lady could be harmed," Eric stated.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Damon asked.

The second-in-command knight looked around the group and said decisively, "Let’s get someone who can enter."

"Who?" they all asked in unison.