Callis, who had been downcasting her eyes, lifted her head and straightened up when Sarah erged from the chamber.
The derian Princess was curious about what had transpired inside and wanted to ask, but the chief lady-in-waiting completely ignored her presence.
Naise and Bridgette left imdiately after Sarah whispered to them, while the royal healers were dismissed, leaving only Callis, Sarah, and Charles. It wasn’t long before a group of royal knights appeared on the scene.
"What is going on? Are you taking Anna sowhere else?" Callis asked anxiously as she spotted the approaching knights.
Sarah looked at the derian Princess with a sarcastic smile.
"Your beloved friend is currently being detained in this chamber. I would prefer her to suffer more in the prison, but it seems that Their Majesties still care for her sohow and want her to remain here instead. Oh, well... Perhaps I should just let her enjoy her last days of luxury before her demise."
"You scheming b*tch! You will pay for what you did!" Callis shouted, balling her fists in outrage.
She swore she would have punched the chief lady-in-waiting in the face, but the sheer number of knights forced her to hold back. If she were to be arrested for assaulting the noble woman, no one would be there for Anna.
The Knights of Gerhard had not returned after escorting the grand duke to his chamber, and there was no telling when they would co back. It was too much of a risk to take.
Sarah smiled arrogantly at the derian Princess, fully aware that Callis wouldn’t dare to touch her with the knights around.
While the derian Princess might possess magical abilities and strong combat skills, taking on a large group of opponents simultaneously was impossible.
The royal knights took their positions to guard the chamber just as the king and queen exited through the door. The group bowed to the monarch in respect.
"The Knights of Neblim will arrive soon to heighten the security. We will ensure that the concubine is confined here accordingly, and no one can take her elsewhere," Sarah announced.
"Why would your family’s knighthood be required? There are already so many knights here, and you want to add more? You are making Anna seem like a criminal!" Callis sneered.
"She committed a serious offence! Of course she needs to be properly guarded! After all, His Majesty agrees with this," Sarah replied boldly, glancing at the king.
"Your Majesty!" Callis turned to King Kyden, dissatisfied with the decision.
"You both better stop now! I’ve heard enough argunts today and don’t want to listen to them anymore! Anna shall stay here until I get a confession from your brother! If you dare complain again, don’t bla for retracting the rcy I’ve given her!" warned King Kyden.
Sarah’s lips curled up in satisfaction as the king reprimanded the derian Princess, while Callis could do nothing about the decision being made.
Silence filled the hallway, heavy and tense. Even Queen Elda didn’t open her mouth, unwilling to interject during the king’s cautionary remark.
As King Kyden prepared to move, Charles stepped forward and said, "Forgive , Your Majesty. I understand that you are in a state of displeasure, but Admiral Adam Jas and the guests who returned with him, along with His Highness the Grand Duke, are still waiting. A servant inford that they ca for an audience. As of now, they are still unaware of the current situation. What should I tell them?"
"Tell Admiral Jas to return ho! I’m not in the mood to see anyone!" the king replied, feeling irritated.
The events of the day had been nothing short of frantic. He had been preoccupied with judging the case of the Knights of Abinair brought by their count, clearing Noah and the Knighthood of Gerhard’s na, and proclaiming Elis’s marriage to Kiev.
Now, he was grappling with the scandal of Anna’s alleged infidelity with the derian Prince, coupled with his brother’s unexpected return and his chaotic deanour due to the affair. It was all too exhausting.
"Understood. But what about the two guests? Should I place them at the guest chambers for now?" asked the chamberlain, looking for confirmation.
"Two guests?" King Kyden raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Yes, Your Majesty. A man and a young lady. According to the servant, the man appeared to be a high-ranking army officer, while the young lady exuded a sense of nobility," Charles explained.
The king recalled Kyren ntioning Sir Ashburne, the commander of Ardel’s battalion, during the commotion in the chamber. Based on the description, it seed likely that the man was indeed him. But who was the young lady accompanying him?
"Did Admiral Jas introduce them?" the king asked, seeking more details.
"No, Your Majesty. He hasn’t ntioned anything about their identities, only that they are the guests of His Highness the Grand Duke," Charles replied.
The king pondered this montarily while Queen Elda remained silent beside him, deep in thought, wondering the sa.
"Since they were brought here by the grand duke, then the Gerhard mansion should be accommodating them. Are the Knights of Gerhard still here?" King Kyden inquired after deciding.
"Yes. They are currently in His Highness the Grand Duke’s chamber," the chamberlain confird.
King Kyden still felt a surge of anger toward the knights for failing to report the incident at the Gerhard mansion and their negligence in guarding Anna, which had led to the current ordeal.
Yet, recalling how he had previously judged Noah hastily and reprimanded him and the knights only to discover their innocence much later, he hesitated to repeat the sa mistake. Such a misstep would damage his credibility as a king and lead to further embarrassnt.
Therefore, he decided to wait until all the evidence and confessions were gathered before imposing any sentences. The Knights of Gerhard had shown their loyalty and pride in their dignity. Any punishnt imposed by him or the grand duke would be accepted without their resistance.
"Inform Sir Navin that he and the knights should bring the guests back to Gerhard’s mansion and attend to them. I will et them only after the grand duke has returned to his senses," the king decided firmly.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Charles replied, bowing slightly before moving to carry out the order.
King Kyden’s blue eyes then darted to Callis with a stern expression.
"If you wish to stay here to watch over Anna, suit yourself. But the palace will not accommodate you."
The derian Princess gritted her teeth in annoyance. Though frustration bubbled within her, she knew better than to voice her complaints or show any disagreent with the king’s decision. His authority was absolute in this matter.
anwhile, Sarah maintained her bold appearance, her head held high, and a sense of pride swelled within her.
In a matter of monts, the table had turned in her favour with minimal effort. With the pieces of her plan falling into place, all she had to do now was wait for the desired outco.
"Are you still going to be here?" Queen Elda asked, directing her question to her chief lady-in-waiting.
A sense of displeasure erged in the queen’s heart as she looked at Sarah. Despite the chief lady-in-waiting’s brilliant ability to mask her true emotions, the queen could sense the underlying joy radiating from her.
"I will wait until the Knights of Neblim arrive, Your Majesty," Sarah replied with a slight smile.
"Fine. His Majesty and I will take a rest for the day. You don’t need to attend to us," the queen said, dismissing her.
Sarah acknowledged the queen’s words with a nod. The lady-in-waiting and the derian Princess both curtsied as the monarch departed, followed closely by the chamberlain.
Ti passed slowly as the two won remained in the hallway, surrounded by silence. There were no further argunts, but the tension between them was evident by the clash of their eyes.
Resentnt simred beneath the surface, waiting for the right mont to erupt. Only ti would tell what would happen next...
***
Garin and Drystan carefully laid Kyren onto the expansive and cosy bed. The other knights quickly reacted; removing the grand duke’s boots and unnecessary garnts, while Rafe focused on assessing his injury.
"Get the clean cloth and a basin of water!" the healer instructed briskly.
Damon moved swiftly, rummaging through the dresser for the cloth, while Eli darted to the adjacent bathroom to fetch the basin.
anwhile, Luke took Kyren’s cloak and hung it neatly on the stand, and Noah placed the grand duke’s boots at the foot of the bed. Alex and Eric stood nearby, their faces drawn tight with concern, reflecting the gravity of the situation.
No one initiated unnecessary conversation as Rafe ticulously cleaned Kyren’s wounds and treated him, applying the topical salves that were readily available. After a while, the healer broke the silence.
"He’s fine," Rafe said. "Only so minor wounds on his face. He has fainted not only from the assault but also from exhaustion. The long journey likely took a toll on him. Let him rest for a while."
With that, he stepped back from the bed.
"I need to go to my wife now," Rafe added, trying to leave. "She’s waiting for at Lady Raychard’s chamber."
"Not so fast, Rafael!" Eric exclaid in a serious tone, stepping forward to block the healer’s path. "You have an explanation to give to all of us!"
Rafe was well aware of what his best friend ant, but he stood his ground.
"I don’t owe you any explanation. Let pass through."
"You are not going anywhere yet, Mr Amares!" Alex chid in, supporting Eric’s stance. "Sir Navin is right. You do need to explain it to us! What is the secret that you and the king have kept about His Highness the Grand Duke all this ti? What has happened to cause his infertility?"
"I cannot say anything about it! I made an oath!" the healer replied adamantly, his voice firm.
"Oath to who?! Didn’t you see how dangerous the situation was?" Garin interjected. "Sir Navin suffered an assault from His Highness, and Sir Mills nearly got beaten up, too, in the chaos! You must explain this to us!"
"I said I can’t! It’s an oath to Their Majesties, the previous king and queen!" Rafe shouted in response.
Angered, Eric lunged forward and grabbed the healer’s tunic collar, his grip tight.
"Listen to ! The previous king and queen are dead! Dead, I say! They won’t rise from their graves to save us or Lady Raychard! We’re facing accusations, and now His Highness Prince Kiev’s life is in jeopardy! Just because His Majesty hasn’t arrested us all doesn’t an we won’t be held accountable for this!" Eric yelled, his face flushed with emotion.
The second-in-command knight struggled to keep his composure. If Rafe kept refusing to answer, he couldn’t guarantee that his fist wouldn’t fly towards the healer’s delicate face.
"Just tell us, d*mn it! His Majesty already spilt part of the secret, and we want to know all of it! We’ve just regained our reputation! Are you really going to ignore us over a st*pid oath?!" Noah sneered, his frustration mirroring that of his comrades.
Rafe hesitated. He then noticed Damon and Eli had already positioned themselves at the door, guarding it firmly. This made him understand that none of the knights would let him leave until he revealed the truth.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Luke scrutinised Rafe like a hawk.
"Choose your response wisely, Mr Amares! Do you truly believe your brother-in-law would have an affair with our lady? Our lady... who would do everything for His Highness, even to the extent of sacrificing herself? We all know how much she loves her husband and how sincere she is! There’s no way she would betray him and beco pregnant by another man!"
Rafe sighed, feeling the burden on his shoulders.
"I don’t know! I can’t believe they would have an affair too! And I have no idea how she suddenly got pregnant! But it can’t be from His Highness’s seed! It just can’t!" he exclaid in frustration.
"Why not?" Eric pressed. "You once told he was fine and could have as many children as he wanted! We talked about this on the cog ship, rember? But you also said he has a condition and refused to reveal the details to ! Now, His Majesty claims our grand duke can’t bear an heir! Which one is the truth? Talk, Rafael!"
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