’Prangg!’
The sound of falling glasses rended the air. The two knights, Alex and Drystan, whose eyes were swollen, red and marked with dark circles from exhaustion, exchanged weary glances.
Having completed their punishnt, the two knights made a beeline for the kitchen, their stomachs growling from hunger.
Since the disciplinary action, they had been deprived of food and left only to quench their thirst from the water fountain at the training ground.
"I suppose they haven’t reconciled yet," Drystan remarked, his voice tinged with resignation.
"Just hurry up and eat!" Alex retorted, his impatience seeping through.
Stuffing bread into their mouths, the two knights could hear the echoes of Kyren’s angry shouts emanating from the dining room.
The grand duke’s frustration peaked as the glass shattered upon impact with the floor, filling the room with shards and tension.
"I don’t want this! It tastes terrible!" Kyren declared, placing his fork and knife down before forcefully tossing the napkin onto the table.
"But, Your Highness, it’s prepared just as you usually like it," Anryr replied, attempting to reason with him.
The freshly roasted venison had long been Kyren’s favourite dish. The cook had prepared it upon the steward’s request, knowing that their grand duke had been lacking appetite recently and hardly eaten anything.
Despite their hopes that the delicious dish would soothe his anger, their efforts proved to be in vain. The aroma of the carefully prepared al filled the air, tempting the senses and evoking mories of happier tis.
But alas, it was not enough to quell the storm brewing within him.
"I said I don’t want it!" Kyren shouted, hurling his plate away in frustration before storming from the table.
The steward flinched at the outburst, sensing that their lord’s mood had deteriorated further that day.
The sombre and icy atmosphere enveloping the couple had beco a concern for all the mansion’s occupants. Since their fight, there had been no visible attempt at reconciliation, leaving an unsettling tension between them.
Kyren’s deanour grew increasingly fierce and irritable each day as his wife continued to ignore him. The steward and servants struggled to appease the angered grand duke, treading carefully to avoid provoking his volatile temper.
Even the knights, healer & assistant had to exercise extre caution as if walking on eggshells, fearing the imminent eruption of the grand duke’s wrath.
Anryr sighed in defeat, feeling the weight of the seemingly endless two days of strife between the couple. The prolonged conflict had resulted in ten shattered vases, five ruined sculptures, a damaged door handle, and nurous broken plates and glasses.
With a face filled with fury, the steward marched determinedly to find Rafe, his eyes glaring with urgency. As he spotted the healer, words of frustration spilt from his lips.
"Mr Amares! I can’t bear it any longer! If this continues, the entire mansion will be reduced to ruins! Please, you must do sothing!"
"I’ve tried my best! Do you have any idea how much they’ve berated ? His Highness keeps scolding while the lady refuses to even look at my face!" said Rafe with frustration.
The steward’s anger flared. Ignoring the excuse, he grabbed the collar of the healer, shaking him with desperation.
"I don’t care what it takes! Find a way to reconcile them before all the precious items under my care are destroyed!"
The urgency in the steward’s voice was notable.
Rafe felt tears welling up within him. He had beco the target of constant admonishnt, longing to escape and hide. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, the grand duke and the steward always managed to track him down, unleashing their anger upon him.
To make matters worse, even the servants and knights joined in. Their accusatory glares made him feel as though everything was his fault. Their collective bla bore heavily on his shoulders, suffocating him with a sense of undeserved guilt.
The healer had attempted to reach out to Anna and persuade her, but all his efforts had failed. Given the circumstances, Rafe felt he had no other choice but to try again.
This ti, he decided to bring Ayden along, hoping that the presence of another familiar face might aid in persuading the lady to reconsider.
***
In the cosy parlour, Anna sat alongside Rosalie, a basket of colourful yarn balls resting nearby. The two won sat serenely in their chairs, engrossed in a knitting lesson led by the chief maid.
"Like this?" Anna inquired, her gaze fixed on the knitting needles as she attempted the knitting, showing the stitches she knitted to Rosalie.
"Yes, my lady," replied the chief maid, a smile adorning her face.
It was evident that she had found herself a talented and quick learner.
"You’re catching on to the technique quite well," she said.
"Thank you," Anna responded with a grateful grin, refocusing her attention on her knitting.
Rosalie offered her assistance, sensing Anna’s fatigue. "I can help you finish it if you feel tired."
But Anna declined, determined to complete the task herself. "It’s all right, Rosalie. I want to do it on my own. A gift is more aningful when it cos from our own hands."
Curiosity flickered in Rosalie’s eyes as she recalled Anna’s sudden request to learn knitting. She was then told it was a gift for Eric’s newborn.
As her thoughts returned, Rosalie couldn’t help but suddenly ask, "Don’t you feel angry with the knight for what happened?"
Anna nodded, acknowledging her furiousness.
"I do feel angry. However, Sir Navin’s son is not involved. There’s no reason to direct that anger towards the baby."
Her words carried a sense of understanding, revealing a thoughtful side to the princess.
Rosalie nodded, her appreciation for Anna’s compassionate nature growing as they spent ti together. The lady possessed a depth of kindness that touched her deeply.
Rafe and Ayden suddenly entered the room as they imrsed themselves in their knitting. Rosalie promptly stood up, bowing respectfully to them, and they reciprocated with a nod.
"My lady, I apologise for interrupting, but we need to talk," the healer said, his tone filled with urgency.
Anna shifted her seated position, facing away from Rafe, and issued a command to the chief maid.
"Rosalie, please inform Mr Amares that he should leave. I have nothing to say to him."
Rosalie swiftly relayed the ssage to the healer, her expression reflecting a pityness towards the healer.
Sensing the tension in the air, Ayden stepped in. His voice filled with anxiety.
"My lady, I understand your anger towards us. But please believe when I say we did not intend to deceive you. I only learned about all this yesterday," Ayden pleaded earnestly, his voice filled with sincerity.
Anna glanced to the side, noticing the vivid bruises on Ayden’s face. mories of the pirate attack resurfaced, evoking a sense of sympathy within her.
Softening her stance, she responded, "Very well, Ayden. You are forgiven. If you wish, you may join for a chat."
Rafe’s eyes widened in disbelief. He had been desperately trying to engage Anna in a conversation since the beginning of her conflict with the grand duke but had been t with continuous silence.
Now, Ayden seed to be forgiven with just a few sentences. The unfairness of the situation weighed heavily on Rafe’s mind.
Unable to contain his frustration, he blurted, "My lady, how could you! Why do you readily accept Ayden’s apology but not mine?"
Anna turned to Ayden, her eyes filled with tolerance.
"Ayden, please inform Mr Amares that I will only accept an apology from soone truly sincere. Additionally, considering the injuries you’ve endured, I find it difficult to harbour anger towards you. So, my forgiveness is not a compromise when it cos to those who deceive."
Rafe’s mouth ford an ’O’ shape as he pointed to himself, seeking confirmation whether he was the one referred to as the deceiver. Ayden shrugged his shoulders, unsure of how to respond.
"Are you accusing of being a liar? I’ve never lied to you! Actually, I’m the one who persuaded His Highness to reveal himself to you in the first place. But he kept on delaying!" explained the healer earnestly.
"Ayden, please convey to Mr Amares that concealing a secret is akin to lying," Anna instructed firmly.
"Mr Amares, the lady said—" Ayden began, but Rafe interrupted him grumpily.
"I know what she said!" the healer responded with a hint of annoyance.
Feeling the weight of the situation, Rafe turned to his assistant and whispered urgently, "Talk to her and persuade her. Do whatever it takes to resolve this issue!"
"But... but Mr Amares..." the assistant healer hesitated.
Rafe shot a glare at his assistant, the ssage clear in his eyes.
"They are eting His Majesty the King tomorrow! Do you want him to see them wearing sour faces during the audience?" he said between his breath in a quiet voice.
Ayden’s shoulders drooped, and he let out a sigh. The burden was now passed onto him. He walked over and sat beside Anna while Rafe resigned from the situation, having no choice but to leave.
As the assistant healer settled down, he opened his mouth, ready to address the pressing matter.
"My lady, the thing is—" Ayden began, only to be interrupted by Anna’s firm statent.
"If you want to discuss the matter concerning His Highness, please refrain from doing so. I do not wish to speak about it," Anna asserted.
Ayden found himself at a loss for words, his response silenced by the princess’s request. The weight of the situation and the depth of her emotions left him speechless, unsure of how to proceed.
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