The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 54: The Awaited Announcement

Chapter 54: The Awaited Announcement

The night air was chillier when the sun went down. As the daylight became shorter with the incoming change of season, the nighttime grew longer and colder.

Elongated shadows of the couple were cast on the tent canvas as they stood together against the light.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked her.

A wrinkle formed between his eyebrows.

"Oh, please! I’ve been cooped up in the tent for so long!" her soft, clear voice reached his ears. Her hands wrapped his arm and shook it as she begged his permission.

"It’s cold outside. What if you get sick again?"

She pouted when she listened to his raised concern. His reluctance to let her out made her feel dejected.

"Are you bored of looking at me every day?" he guessed as he looked at her glum face wonderingly.

"No, I’m not! It’s just that... well... I want to go out. Eating together with the knights would be fun," she responded.

"So now you’re saying watching other men is amusing?" he teased her.

"Kyren! Stop! I didn’t say that." She smacked his forearm with her little hands and turned around, sulking.

Folding her arms on her chest, the princess pulled a long face.

The commander smirked at his wife’s antics.

"I was just making fun of you. Fine. I’ll let the men know that we’ll be joining the dinner. Let’s put on a thicker robe tonight, shall we?"

Anna grinned from ear to ear, hearing the suggestion. Finally, after three days of recuperating, she was allowed to go out and have dinner with the men.

Kyren still displayed the same controlling behaviour towards his wife.

However, having learned his lesson, he knew excessively constraining her freedom would only lead to her rebellion.

Therefore, he compromised as much as possible by making minor concessions to her. At the same time, Anna, too, began to gain a deeper understanding of her husband’s intention in every decision and action he made.

After the fight, both felt a stronger connection and closeness to each other and tried to strengthen their bond. A new sense of harmony sprouted and grew in their affectionate relationship.

***

The couple walked hand-in-hand towards the central bonfire where the dinner would be held. Unlike the first time, her steps were confident, and she had a dazzling smile etched on her lips as she saw the knights busily serving the feast on the table.

"Is there anything special tonight?" asked Anna as she noticed the cheerful faces of the knights and soldiers.

"A letter from His Majesty has arrived. They’re expecting an announcement from me," replied Kyren calmly.

Anna recalled the day the carrier came to the camp—three days ago, right before the flower-smashing incident.

"Oh, so the important message from the carrier is a letter from His Majesty. What is it all about? Can I know, or is it something discreet?" she looked up at him with interest.

A half-smile spread on his lips.

"You’ll know soon," he said.

The knights welcomed the commander and his wife as they arrived. Drystan came and served a plate of boneless fish on the table.

"My lady, this is grilled trout. We prepared this especially for you."

"That’s very thoughtful of you, Sir Mills. Thank you." Anna smacked her lips as she looked at the cuisine.

"This is my first time having fish! Ummm... the smell is so good!" she added as her eyes sparked with excitement when the savoury scent of the food tickled the tip of her nose.

"You’ve never had fish before?" asked Kyren.

She shook her head.

"If you don’t like it, you can put it aside."

"No! I want to taste it. Besides, they have prepared this special dish for me," she replied.

"I didn’t know my knights had so much free time that they could go fishing," said Kyren, leering his eyes at Drystan.

The knight smiled wistfully as he raised his hands and waved in denial.

"It wasn’t me. It’s Sir McQuinn. He fished it."

He pointed to Damon.

The commander’s eyes darted at the tanned-skin knight who sat not far away from them.

Receiving the stare, Damon answered restlessly, "Sir Parker said fish is good for women’s health as it’s less greasy and fatty. He told me to catch the fish so he could cook it for my lady."

"Really? You caught the fish, and Sir Parker cooked it for me?" asked Anna in surprise.

The knight nodded.

"Wow! I’m flattered! Thank you so much! I’ll make sure to finish it!" she replied with a grin.

"You don’t have to force yourself if you don’t like the taste. Besides, you said it yourself that you’ve never had a fish before," stated Kyren.

From the look on his face, it seemed that he did not favour the dish.

"Oh, it’s fine, Kyren. I’m sure it will taste good."

"All right then."

The bustling noises and chatters of the crowd died down when Kyren, who sat on the chair, stood up firmly before his men.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," he began.

Kyren’s eyes darted around, looking at his men, who had their gazes fixed on him, full of anticipation.

"His Majesty has approved the rest interval. So, we shall return to Gerhard tomorrow."

"Hurray!"

A sudden, deafening cheer erupted into the air, gleeful and energetic. The energy raised with the crowd’s happiness was palpable. The men’s faces lit up with excitement as their voices carried throughout the celebration.

Anna’s eyes widened upon hearing the announcement. The commander raised his hand, signalling the men to calm down for more information.

"All knights and assisting soldiers are given a break for a month and an extra allowance of ten thousand Dazs per person."

The crowd let out another cacophony of joyful shouts. The men were swept away by the sheer thrill of the reward bestowed on them.

"What about us?" asked Rafe, referring to him and his assistant when the cheering came to a lull. Ayden, who sat beside the healer, fervently nodded, wanting to know.

"His Majesty awarded both of you twenty thousand Dazs."

The two men cheered happily with shimmering eyes.

"Boo! Not fair!" shouted Garin, giving thumbs down to them with a dissenting expression.

Rafe and Ayden turned to him in puzzlement.

"How come they got more than us when we are the ones who busted our buts to kick the bad people," he complained.

"Someone seems to be jealous! Then, who do you think are the ones who soothe your red buts after the fight, huh?" the healer jeered at him.

"Yeah... to think how many buts they must care for, His Majesty surely recognises their capabilities!" Eric threw a sarcastic joke.

The knights and soldiers laughed at the witty remarks, making the healer and his assistant’s lips curve down.

"Silent! I haven’t finished!" Kyren’s voice rended the air, stopping the mockery from prolonging.

The men’s attention returned to him immediately at the order.

"Though the interval rest has been announced, there’s another task coming. For this, I will call some of you to give a separate briefing after the meal," he said.

"Yes, commander!" all of them answered in unison.

"That shall be the end of the announcement. You may all return to dinner."

The men began to eat as their chatter filled the atmosphere.

"Are you going for another duty again?" Anna turned to Kyren and asked.

"No, I’m not."

The curt reply sent relief to the princess.

"Then, are we going home to Gerhard?"

Anna’s face flashed with excitement as she asked. Holding the cutlery, Kyren’s hand stopped moving as he took a moment to reply.

"We will," he paused, then continued, "Eat first before your meal gets cold."

Happily, she began to cut the fish and feed them to her mouth.

"Umm.... This is so good!" Anna exclaimed once she tasted a chunk of the flesh. The soft meat, glazed in a sweet brownish sauce, smoothly melted in her mouth. Her eyes widened in amazement at its flavour.

"You like it?" Kyren could not help but ask.

"I like it so much! I didn’t know that fish could taste so good! Do you want to have a bite?"

"No, I’m good. Carry on." He grinned as he saw his wife enjoying the dish.

"I’m glad my lady likes it. In future, if you’re craving any fish, just let me know. I’ll make sure to catch them for you," said Damon.

"Really? Then I guess I’ll be bothering you a lot!" She happily accepted the offer.

"We won’t mind at all, my lady. I, too, am ready to serve you anytime!" Eli patted his chest proudly.

"Just make sure you don’t cause any trouble to the lady. If you do, I’ll kick your *ss myself," said Eric to the young knight.

"Good Sir Navin! Strike them hard until their buts get swollen. Then we can send them to the infirmary for the ’soothing’."

Garin turned Eric’s stern warning into a joke. The other men, except for Ayden, Rafe, Eli, and Damon, laughed out loud.

A faint blush emerged on Anna’s cheeks as she heard the men nonchalantly mention the backside in their conversation.

"Idi*t!" hissed the healer in a lower voice with scornful eyes. Ayden also gave a stern look at the laughing knights.

Anna whispered to Kyren, watching the fray, "Why’re they quarrelling?"

"These men are always like this. They’re not really quarrelling per se. It’s just their way of appreciating each other," he told her, completely ignoring the men’s actions.

Anna strained her eyes, unable to grasp the relationship between the knights’ behaviour and the explanation given. From her perspective, they were hostile rather than respectful.

The princess’s confused face made Kyren smirk.

"You’ll get used to it."

"Just ignore them, Ayden. After this, let’s innovate better medicine, sell it, and get rich. By that time, we no longer need to poultice these stinky knights’ wounds or treat them anymore," said Rafe with an abhorring expression.

"Yeah! Now, we have the lady as our support. She can help us properly translate other medical books in Ro’an into the common language. The previous medicine we brewed proved to have far better effect thanks to the accuracy of my lady’s translation," praised Ayden.

"You’re right! Most of the great medical books come from the old Ro’an empire. They do contain extensive information on medicine and treatment. However, most healers have issues practising the good method in the books as they cannot decipher them well." He nodded several times.

"You can become our translator and share partner. Or, better, you can start teaching the language and earn fees for it. How about that, my lady?" Ayden promptly asked Anna, who was busy stuffing the delicious fish in her mouth.

The princess quickly swallowed the food.

"If Kyren allows it, why not?" she answered. The thought of being able to work and generate her own income piqued her interest. She had never had the opportunity before.

"The Ro’an language is meant for the kings. It’s not for everyone. Scholars and healers can only study it to meet their field of work. Even if you teach them, it’ll take years for them to grasp it. It’s not that easy," the commander suddenly interrupted.

"Yeah, I forgot. The language is so difficult to learn! I hardly remember the alphabet and the phonetics. I really don’t know how my lady did it! You must have spent your entire life studying it," said Ayden, feeling down.

"Oh, no! Actually, I just started to learn it around two years ago. It’s quite simple and easy. I don’t know why people keep saying it’s hard," Anna replied, unrealising that her subtle answer drew the attention of the men.

"Tw-two years?!" Rafe almost dropped his spoon to the ground.

Kyren inclined his head to his wife at his side.

"Are you serious?"

Anna looked around as their gazes fixed on her.

"Yes. Why?" she asked them back with a questioning expression, unable to interpret the meaning from their brooding look.

Rafe slowly opened his mouth and said without blinking his eyes, "No one can do that unless... you’re the direct descendant of the Ro’an Emperor."

______________

*Currency in Cassian - Doras, Dazs and Durrham. Read Chapter 101 to know more about the exchange rate between these coins.