Eric clenched his fists; the anger had consud him. His lips, already busted and swollen from previous injuries, only added to the intensity of his anger.
Drystan’s eyes were also fixed on the healer, along with the others. They were all determined to uncover the long-kept secret.
Rafe closed his eyes, caught in a storm of emotions. He realised he could no longer disclose the matter, not just because the knights were pressuring him but because he, too, wanted to resolve this matter to save Anna and Kiev. Both of them were dear to him.
"Because she’s not his soulmate!" the healer finally revealed, his voice heavy with sorrow as he glanced at the unconscious grand duke lying on the bed.
"His Highness is bound by magic with the Ro’an Princess, born on Seta Island. It’s a powerful spell cast by her mother, daughter of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Regina, that restrained him from loving any woman nor having an heir with others than her child, a new Princess of Ro’an."
Shock swept across the faces of the knights as they processed the revelation.
"What? Magic? Princess of Ro’an?" Noah asked, wide-eyed in amazent.
"This can’t be true! His Highness the Grand Duke is in love with Lady Raychard!" said Drystan confidently.
"I believe the sa too! It’s so obvious that he loves her!" Damon added.
Feeling the weight of their expectations, Rafe replied, "I know. I also feel the sa way. But whenever I asked His Highness the Grand Duke, he insisted he wasn’t in love with her. He said he only cared for Lady Raychard because she was his responsibility. The magic must have caused it."
"That’s absurd!" Eric exclaid. "He can deny it all he wants, but he can’t deceive ! I know when a man is in love, and he is definitely head over heels for our lady!"
The knights rallied behind his assertion, agreeing in unison.
"The spell indicated that he couldn’t, and it ca from the direct descendant of the Ro’an Emperor! His Highness survived his predicant because of the magic! How could I not believe in its power?" Rafe added earnestly.
"What predicant?" Luke asked.
"Do you rember the incident when His Highness was seven? The one that nearly took his life? The entire kingdom thought he wouldn’t last, and we were counting the days until his demise," the healer replied.
"Yes! The kidnapping case! I rember!" Eric exclaid, the mories flooding back.
"Didn’t you notice how he suddenly changed after he recovered? He got stronger than ever, hardly got sick afterwards, and even has the ability to sense magic around him, though he couldn’t use any," Rafe said, his tone serious.
"Yes! Yes! I noticed that, too!" Garin interjected, leaning forward with interest.
Eager for more details, the knights gathered around the healer, hanging on his every word.
"Her Majesty, the previous queen, took him to Seta to et with the Ro’an Princess, daughter of Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, and pleaded with her to revive our grand duke..." the healer continued.
As Rafe wove his tale, the knights’ jaws nearly dropped at the shocking revelations.
"So, our grand duke is bounded by the spell... forever?" asked Damon.
"It’s likely so," said Rafe solemnly.
The knights fell into contemplative silence, exchanging glances as they considered what they had just learned.
"You said you made an oath to keep this secret before Their Majesties, the previous king and queen. Why you? And why only you and His Majesty King Kyden know about it?" Eric probed further.
"Because I was tasked by Their Majesties, the previous king and queen, to find a way to break the spell. That’s why I was sent to the University of Engarth in Ardel. It wasn’t solely to further my studies. But I failed..." Rafe’s voice dwindled.
Eric sighed, feeling a sense of betrayal.
"Wow! You kept so many secrets from , Rafael! I’m your best friend, yet you never had the urge to tell ... not even a word about it!"
"Look, I’m sorry! I didn’t an to!" Rafe replied with guilt.
Eric dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand. He understood the healer’s obligations under the previous king’s demands. Disappointnt lingered, but he knew things had occurred beyond his friend’s control.
Rafe could only look down, shoulders slumped under the heavy burden of the truth.
"To be honest, His Majesty and I are also baffled as to why His Highness could love Lady Raychard," Rafe continued. "From my observation, it isn’t just typical love between a husband and wife. He’s madly in love with her. Sotis, it feels like he’s obsessing over her."
"I agree with that. There’s no doubt about it!" Alex added, his expression serious. "The way he talks about her, how he watches her... it’s as if she’s his everything."
"So, His Majesty knows about our grand duke’s feelings. Were you reporting everything to him? He didn’t seem surprised when His Highness Prince Kiev ntioned that she was partly derian," Eric said, his curiosity unyielding.
Rafe nodded solemnly.
"Arl and I were assigned to update him whenever we found any information about the derian siblings. I reported everything... except for the possession incident," he confessed reluctantly.
"No wonder His Majesty seed so surprised about it," Damon mused aloud.
"Hah! I thought that kid’s loyalty was only for His Highness Prince Kiev! Didn’t know he turned out to be a two-faced person!" Garin scoffed, crossing his arms.
"It’s not his fault! He found out that Elis is Kiev’s soulmate in Rivendelle and was threatened by him to keep his mouth shut," Rafe defended the teenager.
"Forget about Arl. He was just a young boy scared for his life. What else could he do in that state of pressure? After all, it’s an order from His Majesty the King, and even we can’t disobey that!" Eric said understandingly. He turned back to Rafe and said, "At least you still used your brain and thought about us by not reporting the incident. If not, it could’ve been a worse catastrophe much earlier, and I swear I would beat you up!"
Rafe winced slightly from the scolding. Despite his friends’ frustration, he was grateful that Eric and the knights had cald down sowhat after he opened up about the secret.
"But why would His Highness Prince Kiev want to conceal that? And why did it take him so long to admit that she’s his soulmate?" Drystan asked, curious.
"Probably because he didn’t want to stir a conflict. He has been focusing on Her Highness Princess Elisabeth, but initially, he is here to reclaim Lady Raychard as his betrothed. I suppose, over ti, his feelings for his woman have grown, and he wanted to protect her. That’s why he revealed it and married her today," Noah offered his insights, which resonated with the group.
His assumption brought a new perspective to the knights, and they all agreed with him.
"Could it be that Lady Raychard is the Ro’an Princess since she was able to make His Highness love her?" Eric suddenly suggested after montarily contemplating the issue they faced.
"Yes! She’s partly derian! You told us that after she t with His Highness Prince Kiev and your wife’s nanny! She could be!" Luke insisted, his voice brewing with a new excitent.
Rafe shook his head.
"She’s not. His Highness told himself that after the binding spell ritual, he was awoken, and the Empress’s daughter suddenly ca into labour. Unfortunately, the new Ro’an Princess died imdiately after she was born. She didn’t even cry."
Silence fell over the bedroom again as the knights absorbed this heavy news. However, Eli then broke the silence, his voice hopeful.
"Could it be there was a twin? Maybe another one was born afterwards, and that is Lady Raychard?" he asked, his anticipation evident on such a possibility.
Rafe shook his head again with a grave expression.
"No, the daughter of Her Imperial Majesty the Empress died in labour, and there was no other child."
"What if the baby didn’t die? What if it took a while before she could respond?" Drystan interjected, trying to instil hope in his comrades. "My nephew experienced the sa! When he was born, he didn’t cry and turned all blue. The midwife turned him downward and smacked his back a few tis, and then he finally took his first breath!"
Rafe’s voice remained steady, filled with conviction.
"No, Sir Mills. His Highness has confird this to . His magic-sensing ability couldn’t find anything of such from Lady Raychard. She has no open mana line. Thus, it’s impossible for her to have any magical attributes. Moreover, Jessy has confird the sa. Lady Raychard has no magical specialities. How could she be the Ro’an Princess?"
The healer’s reply plunged the knights back into devastation, their expressions reflecting their dismay.
"But she held Ramios when the dark magic possessed her! Her combat skills and strength were so powerful, like a master when she fought against us all! None of us could defeat her, and His Highness Prince Kiev, who managed to subdue her in the end!" Eli asserted, recalling their fierce encounter with Lady Raychard during her possession.
"You are right!" Eric added. "The emperor’s sword can only be wielded by soone formidable. It is imbued with magic, and it won’t yield to just anyone! If our Lady Raychard is not special, then how did she manage to hold it?"
"A strong dark magic possessed her. Callis said such sorcery would turn a person into a devilish, powerful slaughterer, killing anyone on sight. Even the last Ro’an emperor fell victim to it. That might explain why she could subdue Ramios," Rafe responded.
Such speculation felt agreeable with the situation that they had experienced as no one could give other plausible reasoning.
"Still, Lady Raychard couldn’t have had an affair with His Highness Prince Kiev! We all know how much she rejects him! They were never together, and we watched over her constantly! It just doesn’t make any sense that she’s carrying his child! They aren’t even close!" Damon argued, frustrated with the dead ends.
"It doesn’t. Unless..." Noah, who was deep in thought, suddenly paused after voicing out.
"Unless what?" Rafe prompted.
All eyes were on the dark-eyed knight, urging him to elaborate. Noah’s expression was heavy, and he wanted to dismiss the thought but couldn’t shake it off.
Noting the dark look in his gaze, brilliant Eric quickly caught on.
"Unless His Highness Prince Kiev r*ped Lady Raychard!" he concluded.
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