The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 65: Her Past Trauma

Chapter 65: Her Past Trauma

Upon reaching the jetty, two boats awaited their arrival; one for the passengers and the other for the horses and goods. The boat provider’s workers were on standby to assist them.

Upon stopping, Eric immediately instructed the workers and knights to organise the horses and their belongings.

They worked efficiently, unloading the luggage and leading the horses down the ramp onto the waiting boats with precision and coordination.

Once everything was in place, the second-in-command knight signalled Kyren to open the carriage door and informed him that the work was complete and they were ready to proceed.

"Tell everyone to board the boats now. We shall depart immediately," ordered Kyren.

The knight nodded and informed the boat operator to prepare for the voyage.

"Come, Anna. Let’s get on the boat," Kyren told Anna at his side.

After a brief pause, the princess appeared uncertain about disembarking from the carriage, her forehead creasing with hesitation. The commander noticed her expression and made a guess.

"What’s on your mind? Have you never been on a boat before?" he asked.

The princess swallowed her nerves and responded, "No, it’s just been a while since I’ve been on one."

The commander reassured her, "Hold my hand. We’ll board a larger vessel at Carlan Wharf in two days. You can rest and be calm until then."

Anna hesitated before nodding in agreement.

The couple exited the carriage, and Eric generously rewarded the mute carriage driver for a smooth ride to the jetty. The man bowed gratefully and approached Kyren and Anna to show his respect before departing.

However, as he looked at the commander’s wife, his previously cheerful countenance turned severe. His eyes widened in shock as he gazed into her emerald eyes, and he seemed at a loss for words, emitting only unintelligible whimpers.

"Uhhh.... Uhh... Uhh..."

"Why is he staring at me like that?" Anna asked, glancing at her husband and the knight with curved brows.

Kyren was intrigued by the driver’s odd behaviour and turned to Eric for an explanation.

"What’s wrong with him?"

The knight stepped forward and attempted to interpret the carriage driver’s hand gestures.

"Can’t you write down what you want to say?" requested the knight in frustration after failing to understand his signs.

The man responded with a shake, indicating that he was illiterate.

"Then, can you draw? At least I can guess," said Eric, hoping to gain some insight into the situation.

Anna and Kyren were both puzzled by his sudden actions and unsure of what he was trying to communicate.

Then, the carriage driver took a small branch and started sketching on the sand. He drew a pair of eyes and an animal on the ground.

Eric squinted his eyes, trying to understand the sketch.

"Eyes? What is this animal? An octopus?" he asked the carriage driver.

The man vigorously shook his head, indicating that the knight’s guess was incorrect. He then walked over to the nearest tree, picked up a green leaf, and returned. He pointed to the leaf, the eyes, and the animal he drew, all while gesturing towards Anna.

"Leaf... a pair of eyes... and an animal... I don’t get it." Eric shook his head.

Then, the man drew another sketch. The knight bent down to have a better view.

"What is this now? It looks like... a crown," he said.

The carriage driver nodded fervently.

"What is he saying?" asked Kyren.

"I’m not sure..." the knight pondered for a moment. He glanced at the leaf, Anna, and the sketches as he stroked his bearded chin.

"Green eyes! Is that what you mean?" he asked the carriage driver again. This time, the man nodded earnestly.

"Green eyes... animal... crown..." Kyren muttered to himself.

Anna’s throat went dry as she listened to the commander’s words. Until now, she had kept her true identity as the Princess of Ardel a secret from him. She had often tried to reveal herself, but the matter was interrupted on various occasions.

The princess was taken aback when the driver mentioned her identity through the sketch, and she had no idea how he knew. Additionally, she was puzzled by the significance of the octopus drawing that the man had shown them.

"Kyren..." She was just about to spill out her secret when suddenly Luke cried out, calling them.

"Commander!"

The red-haired knight rushed over to the group to deliver a message from the boat operator, causing all eyes to turn towards him.

"I apologise for interrupting, but the boat operator advises that we depart now. The wind is beginning to pick up," he explained.

Kyren ordered them to move on, stating, "Let’s go. We can’t afford to waste any more time here."

The knight respectfully bowed before hurrying back to the boat while the commander held Anna’s hand and led her aboard.

Eric, the last to leave the shore, turned to the carriage driver and instructed him to leave, stating that he had already been paid.

To his surprise, the mute driver grabbed his arm and gestured for him to pay attention. With some difficulty, the man used a branch to form a few letters, which were written in a sloppy and illegible manner.

Clearly, the man had limited knowledge of the characters and struggled with writing.

Despite this, the second-in-command knight could read and understand the message, even though the letter "R" was written backwards and the other letters were poorly formed.

"Ro’an."

When the word came out of his mouth, the carriage driver nodded fervently.

"It can’t be!" Eric muttered to himself.

He shook his head confidently.

"You got it wrong. She’s not a descendant of the Ro’an Emperor," countered Eric.

The knight sternly warned the man, "Don’t tell of such nonsense to anyone. If any rumours spread, I will personally come after you. Do you understand?"

Meanwhile, Damon called out for him as the workers were getting ready to untie the rope from the jetty bitts, "Sir Navin, hurry up!"

"Coming!" the knight replied as he quickly approached.

The boats sailed away, leaving the jetty behind.

The carriage driver watched them disappear along the river path from a distance.

***

Anna lay in the small cabin, her body tense and eyes wide open. The creaking of the boat and the sloshing of the waves against the hull filled her ears, and every time it tilted slightly, she felt a surge of panic rising in her chest.

Kyren lay beside her, his arm around her, whispering words of reassurance. But even his gentle touch and soothing voice were not enough to calm her nerves.

She tried to focus on her breathing, taking slow, deep breaths in and out. But every time the boat jolted or a wave crashed against the side, she tensed up again, her heart racing.

She knew that her fear was irrational. The boat was sturdy, and the crew experienced, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that disaster was imminent.

As the boat approached the estuary, the fear of her past trauma intensified. When the night wore on, Anna’s exhaustion began to catch up with her.

Her eyes were red, and swelling started to form underneath them, along with darkened shades. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to drift off into a peaceful sleep.

The following day, Kyren finally left Anna’s side when she fell asleep due to her tiredness. He went up to the deck to check on the crew, and, noticing his worried expression, Ayden approached him.

"Is everything all right?" the assistant healer asked, his concern evident.

Kyren shook his head. "Anna’s not doing well," he said. "She’s been anxious and unable to sleep since we set sail."

Rafe, who saw them, quickly joined.

"Is the lady sick again?" he asked the commander.

"Seems like you already know," Kyren flung back a statement to him.

"You have that look whenever she’s not well," replied Rafe.

"She’s been trembling constantly and struggling to eat or sleep well. It appears she’s anxious about something, but I’m unsure of what," said the commander.

"Have you asked her?" Rafe queried.

"Yes, but she was too nervous and scared to speak. I can’t leave her alone even for a second. Fortunately, she’s finally asleep now." Kyren replied affirmatively.

"She must’ve been afraid of something. No wonder she cried when we left for the jetty," said the assistant healer.

"She’s showing traumatic symptoms. It includes nervousness, inability to sleep, loss of appetite, nightmares, panic attacks and so on. It’s like the one she had before when we passed the path between the high cliffs," the healer explained.

"I thought she was afraid of riding in the carriage," Ayden speculated.

"That’s what she told me initially. But now, I doubt it. There must be another reason that she’s not telling," Kyren responded.

"The journey will be more difficult for her if we leave her like that. We need to know what’s causing her fear," added Rafe with concern. "Could it be that she’s afraid of water?" the healer guessed.

"I don’t think so. She went to the lake several times with her escorts when we were in the camp. She didn’t show any fear back then," countered Ayden.

"Then, I would suggest you ask her again. You’re the closest to her. However, be patient and don’t force her. A traumatic experience isn’t easily told to others," said Rafe.

"I’ll do it when we reach Carlan Wharf. The situation is uncomfortable for her now. Probably, she’ll open up when we get on land," said Kyren.

"Yes. We should reach there in a few hours. I’ve already asked the boat operator," said Ayden.

"If she’s afraid of water transport, we shall change route and mode of transportation. I don’t want to see her in that state. It’s rather disturbing not only to her but to me. I can’t let her be in fear continuously," Kyren decided.

"Commander, if I may suggest, perhaps it would be more beneficial for her to confront and overcome her fear rather than avoid it. Although it may not be an easy task, with our assistance in coping with her trauma, we can alleviate her distress and improve her mental well-being in the long term," proposed Rafe.

"Didn’t you say it is better to avoid it?" asked Kyren.

"In the short term, yes. However, after evaluating her current condition, I believe she requires treatment," replied the healer.

"I couldn’t agree more. Given the lady’s character, she is someone who wouldn’t simply run away from a problem. Rather, she would confront it and do her best to find a solution. That’s how she handled the fight between Sir Navin and Sir Brooks and the Laradie case. Therefore, she would also strive to overcome the trauma she faced," Ayden continued.

"Then, what do you want me to do?" asked Kyren.

"Have a conversation with her and encourage her to share her emotions. It’s clear that she has already developed a strong attachment to you, which demonstrates her trust in your ability to provide comfort," advised Rafe carefully. "Take the time to soothe her and reassure her that you will always be there for her, and remember to exercise patience. She may require some time to make progress at her own pace."

"She really needs our support during this time, especially from you, Commander," added Ayden.

Kyren nodded briefly, sharing their wish for his wife’s relief from pain. The only thing he longed for was to witness Anna’s radiant smile once more.