Kiev ran as fast as he could upon receiving the ssage of Anna’s critical condition from Anryr, heading to the west wing, her previous chamber in the palace.
Fearing that it would be too late, given the length of the journey, Jessy urged them to take the princess to the palace instead of fetching the derian Prince, and they did.
Kiev arrived first, followed closely by King Kyden, the knights, Charles, Rafe, and his wife. After instructing Sarah to call upon the royal healers, the Queen followed suit. Everyone was in dire panic at this unexpected predicant—all except for a few.
"You did well, Bridgette! I didn’t know you had taken such drastic asures and poisoned her instead of giving her the potion I ordered," the chief lady-in-waiting praised her subordinate.
Sarah felt a thrill upon hearing the shocking news of Anna’s deteriorating condition. Now that the concubine was dying, she wouldn’t have any rival on her path to becoming the Grand Duchess.
She felt a twisted glee when she saw Kiev letting go of Elis’s hand to rush to Anna. The derian Prince’s frantic escape to save his betrothed, leaving his newly wedded wife behind, revealed where his true affections lay.
Inside, Sarah laughed at Elis, thinking, ’What a poor maid, fooled by the sweet words of a prince! She deserves this for humiliating the ladies-in-waiting!’
anwhile, Naise widened her eyes at Sarah’s bold remarks. She glanced around, ensuring that no one could overhear their conversation. Luckily, no one did.
Sarah appeared unbothered by her assistant’s vigilance as if she already knew the path they took toward the royal healer’s office was secluded and rarely frequented by others.
Bridgette, on the other hand, looked surprised.
"But, my lady... I didn’t!" she confessed.
Sarah stopped in her tracks and turned to the lady-in-waiting.
"You didn’t? Then why did she suddenly vomit blood?" she questioned in a sharp tone.
"I don’t know!" Bridgette replied, clueless about the sudden commotion involving Anna. "I didn’t even get the chance to give her the potion you gave ."
"What? You never did?!" Sarah glared at Bridgette, making the lady-in-waiting wince in fear. "Then, what the h*ll were you doing at the mansion?!"
"I... I’m sorry! But Lady Jarr restricted my movent! I wasn’t allowed to roam in most parts of the mansion, and... and... Lady Raychard’s chamber is off-limits to !" Bridgette revealed, her voice trembling.
"I told you not to address that b*tch with that surna! You idi*t! I thought I could count on you, yet you did nothing for ! You’re so useless! You can’t even complete a simple task!" Sarah reprimanded her subordinate, her frustration rose.
"I know you would be angry... But please! Listen first! She was already sick when the maids started caring for her, and it got even worse from then on!" Bridgette reported.
The chief lady-in-waiting raised a brow. "You an she got sick by herself?"
Bridgette nodded vigorously.
"The healer of Gerhard gave her various kinds of dicine to treat her, but they didn’t alleviate her symptoms. She kept vomiting almost every day and beca fatigued. There were days she couldn’t even get up from bed or eat," she added.
"Vomiting?" Naise asked, her concern growing. "What are her other symptoms?"
"Loss of appetite, mood swings, and sotis, she would be feverish early in the morning. That’s what the maids reported to ," Bridgette explained.
Naise pondered montarily, considering the symptoms. "The potion was supposed to make her display indications of pregnancy, yet she is already showing even without taking it..." Her expression shifted to one of alarm as a thought crossed her mind. "Could it be that she’s really pregnant?!"
Sarah’s face turned bewildered, her eyes widening in shock.
’It can’t be!’ she scread internally.
"No, she’s not," Bridgette replied quickly. "Mr Amares has confird that she’s not pregnant from his investigation. Even now, he still doesn’t know the root cause of her condition. That’s what I heard when he reported to Her Majesty today."
"So, that’s why Her Majesty called you," said Sarah, relief washing over her.
With renewed feeling, Sarah continued her walk down the path, accompanied by the two ladies-in-waiting.
Instead of instructing a servant to call for the royal healers, Sarah decided to do it herself, with Naise and Bridgette. A satisfied smile etched on her lips as they threaded their way.
"I guess heaven does help in the end! Now I can watch that st*pid concubine die without even dirtying my hands!"
"But, my lady... I thought we were only getting rid of her, not causing her death," Bridgette said worriedly.
"Yes, my lady. Regardless of how much we dislike her, she’s still a royal family mber," Naise added, sharing the sa concern. "If we intended her to die... that would be a cri!"
Though they were on their superior’s side, neither of them wanted to be associated with murder. The consequences of colluding in such an offence were dire and could cost them their own lives.
"Shut up, you idi*t!" yelled Sarah. "Either she goes away or perishes, it wouldn’t make any difference! Besides, she’s dying because of her own sickness, not by our doing! The only thing I’ve done so far is have people watching over her. That’s not enough to convict of murder!"
"What about the potion you gave ?" Bridgette asked cautiously.
"Throw it away and ensure no one else knows about it!" Sarah ordered. "The potion is not a poison. It’s just ant to invoke the symptoms of a pregnant woman so I can slander that concubine for adultery with that numbskull prince. We won’t be needing that anymore since she’s already at death’s door."
An evil laugh escaped her lips, echoing through the hallway. Naise and Bridgette exchanged worried glances. There was a dangerous ambition brewing in Sarah that raised fear in them. Was this truly the right thing to do?
Doubt began to creep into their minds. They had started down a path from which they couldn’t easily turn back, and the consequences lood ominously ahead.
***
’Baam!’
The door burst open as Kiev stord into the chamber. His crimson eyes caught sight of Anna lying on the bed, barely conscious, with crimson vial fluid saring across her dress.
Ayden’s hands trembled, stained with blood from the cloth used to wipe the princess’s vomit, while redith and Jessy cried relentlessly at her side. Drystan, Damon and Eli stood a little further away, their faces grim.
"Move!" Kiev shouted at them, rushing to the bed.
The trio swiftly stepped aside, allowing the derian Prince to approach. King Kyden arrived monts later, followed by the knights, Charles, Callis, Rafe, Elis, and the queen.
"What happened?" Kiev asked Jessy in a panic voice.
"She... she’s at that stage, Your Highness!" the nanny cried out.
Kiev understood imdiately what she ant, though everyone else remained bewildered except for Callis.
"I must channel the mana to her now!" Kiev declared, pushing aside the blanket covering Anna’s body and placing his hand on her lower abdon as he sat beside her.
However, Callis suddenly exclaid, "Brother! You haven’t recovered! This could endanger you!"
"Their lives are more important than mine! Don’t stop , Callis!" Kiev yelled back, determination blazing in his eyes.
Bewildered by the statent, Rafe asked, "Their? Who do you an by ’their’?"
The rest shared the sa confusion, but Kiev ignored them completely. Now was not the ti for a long explanation. Anna groaned in pain, and suddenly...
"Uwekk!! Urgh! Urgh!"
More blood spilt from her mouth, staining her cheek, chin, and neck. Rafe quickly grabbed a fresh cloth near the bed and attended to Anna.
"She’s losing so much blood! Kiev, hurry!" the healer urged his brother-in-law.
Kiev was ready to perform his magic when Callis held his hand, preventing him. Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head.
"It could be fatal for you! Let do it!" she pleaded.
"No! You can’t! Your mana is foreign to it! It will reject you completely!" Kiev insisted.
"You might be rejected too! My mana pool is full! Give a chance!" the derian Princess implored.
"I stand a better chance than you! It accepted once, so it will recognise my mana! If you attempt and get rejected, it will harm both of them. We can’t take that risk!" Kiev said, pushing her hand away.
Standing at the back, Elis was struck with an indescribable feeling. Kiev had declared his love for her and married her only monts ago, yet upon hearing Anna’s condition, he rushed to the princess as if she held more value to him.
Jealousy crawled into her heart. Was Kiev’s love for Anna greater than what he felt for her that he was willing to risk his life for the princess repeatedly? Elis wanted to know, but now was not the ti to seek clarification.
"What are you saying, Prince Kiev?" asked King Kyden, equally confused by the siblings’ conversation. It seed like sothing else was involved in this predicant... or perhaps soone.
"No ti to explain! Everyone, keep still in your positions and don’t move!" Kiev ordered.
At his command, the crowd froze, allowing the derian Prince to take control of the situation. Callis, too, no longer resisted her brother, understanding that if she kept insisting, Anna and her baby might not be saved.
Kiev’s warning not to move was for their safety, as his mana, used to save the princess and her child, might flare and attack anyone who moved.
He spread his palm over Anna’s lower abdon and closed his eyes. A white light emanated from his touch and flowed into Anna’s body, but suddenly, the light flared out as if refusing to be absorbed.
No one uttered a word or made a move as they waited for the crucial mont to pass. Not a single sound arose; it felt like even a pin drop would disrupt the tense atmosphere.
Beads of sweat began to form on Kiev’s temple as he felt the rejection from the baby. At this stage, the decline was much stronger than before.
The baby had developed, and it was at the phase when it ford the mana line. This was the mont when the father’s mana was required, which wasn’t available.
As the substitute, Kiev felt a slight incompatibility, causing the rejection. But the derian Prince didn’t give up. He forced more mana to flow to the child, hoping it would be absorbed, but the result remained the sa—the baby refused.
Kiev’s palm began to tremble as he poured more mana in, draining his reserves. His face turned pale, and cold sweat soaked his back and forehead. There was no sign of acceptance, only fierce rejection. At this rate, both Anna and the baby’s lives hung by a thin thread.
Kiev’s lips quivered as he reached his wit’s end. Then, he rembered his first attempt to save the child in the forest—the baby had only responded after he coaxed it with his words.
Knowing this, the derian Prince opened his eyes and began to speak gently.
"Little one, you know . I promise that I will protect you and your mother. Please accept my magic this ti, too. Please, dear baby."
The child seed to recognise Kiev’s voice, even at such an early stage of developnt. His persuasive words began to make the baby accept his power.
Kiev felt the tiny life’s mana line intertwining with his, allowing the magic to be absorbed smoothly. With this, Anna’s pale face started to regain so colour, and her heartbeat grew stronger, as did her child.
A look of bewildernt washed over the crowd, their jaws nearly dropping. Their previous confusion lifted as the truth beca clear.
At that mont, Sylvia, Emily, Rosalie, Mary, and Scarlett, along with Luke, arrived at the chamber, but Anryr, who stood outside, told them to wait since the whole crowd was already inside.
The second party had departed in separate carriages, prioritising the needs of Anna, who was escorted by Drystan, Jessy, and redith, who had set out first due to the urgency of the princess’s condition earlier. They rushed through the palace grounds to ensure their lady received the care she needed.
Kiev finally moved his hand from Anna’s body when the healing was complete. His chest heaved as he panted from exhaustion. Looking at him anxiously, Rafe couldn’t wait to get the answer.
"Tell , Kiev! Is Her Highness Princess Anna pregnant?" he asked, alard.
Kiev looked back at the healer. Weary from his efforts, he still managed to confirm with a nod. The secret could no longer be hidden, as they had all witnessed him attending to the baby with his power.
"The baby... and Princess Anna... are safe now," Kiev responded, but his exhaustion almost made him faint.
Luckily, Callis caught her brother just in ti and hugged him to keep him from falling. The derian Prince could only lean on his sister’s shoulder as he succumbed to the aftereffects of expending such trendous mana from his body.
"But why is she vomiting blood?" asked the healer again.
"She’s partly... derian... The baby... needs mana... to grow," said Kiev with closed eyes.
Anna, who had regained her strength, was bewildered.
"Baby? There’s a baby in ?" she asked, shocked.
The princess nearly rose from the bed, but Jessy held her down gently. The queen was also surprised by the revelation. Now it made sense why Kiev was so eager to have the princess. redith however, remained calm as she already learned about this.
"Yes, princess. You are pregnant," the nanny affird.
"Oh, Lord! You really are pregnant! The symptoms were making sense now!" redith exclaid happily.
Anna’s hand swiftly touched her stomach. She had never known that all this ti, she had been carrying a baby inside her.
A swirl of ambivalent emotions filled her—joy, excitent, and an overwhelming wonder at having conceived despite the oddities.
Yet, anxiety lood over her. Would Kyren be happy, considering he insisted on having no children?
"My goodness! This is great news!" Queen Elda exclaid, breaking Anna’s train of thought. "Thank goodness Anna and the baby are safe!"
The knights bead happily, knowing their lady was bearing a child. As they all understood, the princess would soon beco the Grand Duchess of Gerhard as per Kyren’s letter, and if the child were a boy, he would be the heir to the throne. Excitent and joy filled the room instantly as the reason behind Anna’s ’sickness’ was finally revealed.
Elis was stunned by the revelation and rendered speechless, while Jessy and Callis appeared relieved that the critical mont had passed. Kiev’s fainting condition was the only worry gnawing at them, but they knew the derian Prince would only need rest to recover.
However, the King of Cassian wore a conflicted expression, and Rafe remained shocked, unable to process the news.
The healer had run several tests on the samples he took from Anna, yet none had indicated that she was pregnant. Rafe was confident he had followed all protocols. There couldn’t have been any mistakes in his investigation unless...
Rafe turned to Jessy.
"Did you use your magic to conceal Her Highness Princess Anna’s pregnancy?"
The nanny was bewildered by the question. Her eyes darted montarily to the derian siblings and then back to the healer, guilt evident on her face.
"Answer , Jessy!" Rafe pressed, his voice urgent.
"Don’t be angry at her, Rafe. She was just doing as brother told her," Callis interjected.
"You knew about this too, yet you didn’t tell !" Rafe exploded, feeling duped.
All this while, his wife had always shown her bubbly, cheerful, and sincere side. Yet beneath that façade lay deceit, keeping secrets from him. Perhaps her declaration of love was rely a ruse to get close to Anna and further the derian agenda.
"There is an explanation for this, Rafe! I swear!" Callis responded, noticing Rafe’s reddened face.
"What’s the matter, Rafael? Why do you look so alard?" asked Eric, who had noticed his best friend’s uneasy deanour.
"Silence!" King Kyden suddenly yelled, startling everyone in the room.
The king’s hand clenched into a fist, barely containing his anger.
"Dear, what’s the matter?" Queen Elda asked, confused as to why her husband was furious instead of celebrating the good news.
King Kyden’s eyes darted to the knights and Ayden, all muddled by his sudden outburst.
"Who is responsible for this?! Answer !!" he shouted.
Everyone was bewildered by his probing.
"What do you an, Your Majesty?" Eric asked, confused.
Shouldn’t the monarch be happy for the incoming arrival of the heir?
"Who the h*ll got Anna pregnant?! It must be one of you since you were the n around her all this while!" King Kyden yelled again.
Now, everyone fell silent at the accusation, shock lacing their expression. Anna couldn’t help but sit upright, her hands instinctively covering her belly, seeking to protect the life that had begun within her.
"What are you saying, Your Majesty? This baby... of course it’s mine and Kyren’s!" she declared.
"Don’t lie to , Anna! Who has touched you? Speak right now, or I’ll have everyone thrown into the dungeon!" the king’s voice bood with rage.
Anna’s feelings spiralled into chaos. Did the king, who had always been friendly, gentle, and caring, suddenly accuse her of infidelity?
"What do you an? I’ve never betrayed Kyren! You know how I feel for him! It’s my baby with him! Our child!" Anna exclaid emotionally.
"Your Majesty, my king! How could you accuse Anna of such a thing?!" Queen Elda asked in shock. "Who else would be the child’s father other than your brother?"
"No!" the king yelled. "That baby is definitely not his!"
"Why not, Your Majesty? Your accusations are severe! We respect Lady Raychard as our lady! None of us would lay a hand on her or commit such a terrible deed!" Eric defended his comrades, struggling to comprehend the king’s adamant stance.
Callis, equally surprised, glanced at her solemn husband, Rafe. She could feel that he knew sothing she didn’t. But before she could ask, the king made a shocking declaration.
"The Grand Duke is unable to have a child with any woman! No matter how he tried, no woman can bear his heir! That’s why he refused to beco king and stepped down! Rafe and I have been keeping this secret for a long ti, so none of you can lie to my face and tell the baby is his! Admit now who is the father of Anna’s child, or I swear I’ll kill you all!"
"What did you say?" A voice broke the heavy silence from the threshold of the door—a voice belonging to a figure that wasn’t supposed to be there... not at that mont.
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