[A few monts ago...]
Rafe and the two knights quickened their pace as they spotted a group of knights gathered outside Anna’s chamber. To their surprise, the assembly included not only the royal knights but also the Knights of Neblim, who served Lord Jas’ family.
Before them stood Callis, visibly tense and uneasy. Rafe rushed forward, and Eli and Damon followed closely behind.
"Callis!" the healer called out to his wife.
When the derian Princess turned to him, her distraught spirit swiftly lifted at the sight of her beloved.
"Rafe!" she cried, rushing into his arms.
Ignoring the onlookers, she hugged him tightly, her steeled heart lting in his embrace as tears stread down her cheeks.
The healer gently rubbed her back, concern etched on his face. He knew that while Callis often displayed stubbornness and pretended to be strong, she would bare her true heart to him. It was clear she was deeply affected by the situation at hand.
"What happened here, Callis?" Rafe asked, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes.
She took a mont to steady herself. Her eyes glistened with tears, and her cheeks were flushed when she lifted her face from his chest.
"His Majesty is restraining Anna. No one is allowed to see her! Not even ! She’s all alone, Rafe!" she cried out, her voice shaking.
"What?? His Majesty said so?" Rafe replied in disbelief.
Callis nodded, still trembling with grief.
"Why are the Knights of Neblim guarding the chamber, too?" Damon asked, his gaze darting to the knights.
"It’s because of that wretched chief lady-in-waiting! Lady Jas claid that Anna had committed a high offence and insisted that she must be watched closely by a huge number of knights! Please, you have to do sothing, Rafe!" Callis begged desperately.
The healer sighed, recognising that Sarah had used the situation to her advantage. He was all too familiar with the chief lady-in-waiting’s jealousy and resentnt towards Anna and the occupants of the Gerhard mansion.
Her motives had often been driven by personal grudges, and this was no exception. Rafe knew that the chief lady-in-waiting wouldn’t hesitate to exploit any opportunity to undermine Anna and further her own interests, making the current predicant all the more troubling.
"This isn’t good! If she’s already making such moves, it won’t be long before all the nobles get involved too!" Damon added, his concern growing.
"Oh no! Why would His Majesty agree to this?" Eli questioned, his dissatisfaction clear.
"Because there’s nothing he can do about it. Even though His Majesty is at the top of the hierarchy, this issue is beyond his control. An affair resulting in the pregnancy of a married woman is considered a major scandal, especially within the royal family," Rafe explained.
"True. The nobles would react to this without hesitation. Even if His Majesty attempted to cover up the situation and take Anna’s side, he would face serious backlash, as he would be seen as an incompetent ruler," Damon added.
"This is a wrong accusation, Rafe! My brother wouldn’t do this! He loves Elis! She’s his soulmate! He would never take advantage of Anna! You know that!" Callis cried out again.
Rafe remained silent. Beyond the imdiate matter, another concern nagged at him. His grey eyes darted to the knights nearby; although they pretended not to pay attention to the conversation, he was sure the unfolding drama had piqued their interest.
"Brace yourself, Callis. We’ll discuss this further. But first..." The healer turned to Eli and instructed, "Go to Sir Navin and inform him of the situation. It’s best that he knows."
"Yes, Mr Amares!" Eli replied, wasting no ti as he turned toward the antechamber, where Eric and Charles were likely present to et with the guests to convey the unsettling news.
Turning back to his anxious wife, Rafe took her hands in his.
"We need to talk, Callis," he said earnestly. "This is important."
Callis nodded, understanding the urgency of his words. Rafe was a cautious person who never pushed her to comply with his wishes without a valid reason, nor did he make light of serious matters. When he indicated sothing was important, she knew he truly ant it.
"Say it," she urged.
"Not here... There are too many eyes watching," he replied quietly, careful of their surroundings.
"I know a place where we can have a discreet conversation. Co with ," Damon, standing beside Rafe, suggested.
Both of them nodded, and the trio quickly left the scene to head to the designated spot.
After several turns down the hallway and exiting the main building, they arrived at another structure within the palace compound.
The place appeared relatively isolated, yet it was maintained properly, with well-kept and clean surroundings. However, no servants were in sight, and no one seed to be attending to it currently.
"What is this place?" Callis asked, looking around in awe and surprise.
She had never ventured into this part of the palace before. While residing there, her movents had been limited to certain quarters, as she was rely a guest.
Rafe looked up at the building, a lancholic expression in his eyes.
"This is the Crown Prince’s quarters, His Highness the Grand Duke’s initial residence when he was the Crown Prince of Cassian. Now, it’s empty," he explained.
The healer hadn’t expected Damon to bring them here but realised it was the right decision. Although well-preserved, the Crown Prince’s quarters had been vacant for so ti and lacked any attendants. It would provide the perfect setting for them to converse without interference or prying ears.
The trio entered through the main gate of the quarters, and Damon promptly closed the gate door behind them. Once inside the compound, Rafe halted and turned to face his wife.
"Tell , Callis... Why did you conceal Lady Raychard’s pregnancy from all of us? What are you hiding?" he asked.
Callis’s lips pressed together as concern filled her red-ruby eyes. She could see that Rafe was intrigued by the reason, especially after his reaction in the chamber when the secret was revealed.
The healer’s usual pale complexion had flushed red out of anger upon discovering that Jessy had tampered with the results of his examination on Anna using magic.
"Rafe... I..." Callis hesitated, swallowing hard.
"What are you hesitating for? Do you have any idea how perilous the situation is? Your brother and Lady Raychard’s lives are in danger right now!" Damon said, raising his voice.
He couldn’t tolerate the thought of the derian Princess withholding the information.
"It’s not that I don’t want to tell! I do! More than anything! But my brother made Jessy and I swear upon his life to keep it a secret until we return to Seta!" Callis admitted earnestly.
"Oh, f*ck the promise! I’m getting fed up with all this secret!" Damon exclaid, his anger seeping through.
"Sir McQuinn! Mind your language! This is my wife! Please show so respect!" Rafe shot a warning look at the knight.
Damon’s expression darkened, but he didn’t retaliate. Instead, he looked away and muttered an apology in a barely audible voice. Rafe turned back to Callis, speaking in a more composed yet firm tone.
"We need to know the truth. We’re at our wits’ end and need as much information as possible to resolve this issue. Right now, the Knights of Gerhard believe that Kiev had taken advantage of Lady Raychard without her knowledge on that day when they went missing," Rafe explained.
"What?? First, the affair... and now you’re accusing my brother of that heinous act? This is madness! I told you Anna was already pregnant when we saved her from the forest!" she insisted eagerly.
"Then why didn’t you speak of it to from the beginning? Why, Callis, why?" Rafe asked, frustration evident in his voice. "Am I not worth enough of your trust? For God’s sake, I’m your husband!"
His expression was filled with irritation while Damon crossed his arms over his chest, anxiously awaiting her response.
Callis looked between the two n, guilt etched on her face.
"I swear, I never wanted to keep this from you, but if I open up to you right now, my brother will die!" she exclaid, shocking both Rafe and Damon.
"You must be lying!" the knight accused.
"I’m not! The promise that Jessy and I made is laced with magic. If I break it, my brother will feel severe pain, and it will lead to his death!"
"Then how co your brother and nanny affird the pregnancy back in the chamber? If they could tell then, why are you refusing to speak a word about it now?" Rafe pressed further.
"Because brother and Anna are not part of the promise! He made it clear that we shouldn’t tell the Cassian directly! Jessy only responded to Anna since it was her obligation to answer her question!" Callis shot back.
"D*mn it!" Rafe cursed, his frustration making his cheeks flush with anger. "Why are you all making this so complicated? Don’t you see that I’m trying to help you with this matter?" His words cut through the air, causing Callis to flinch. "I thought you would give sothing I could use to defend Kiev and our lady, but this is useless!"
He turned away from her, disappointnt radiating from him. Damon wore a similar expression.
Callis had never seen her husband this angry, and the feeling of wrongdoing consud her. If only she hadn’t made that promise to Kiev, urged by the derian Prince, she could have revealed everything to Rafe without fear.
A wave of sadness and dismay washed over her, not just from the reprimand but more from the guilt of letting him down. Her emotions overwheld her, and tears stread down her cheeks again. She could muster the strength to hold back her cries before anyone else but not before Rafe.
"I’m sorry! I didn’t an to!" she apologised. "I also don’t know what to do!"
Her sobbing grew more intense, tugging at Rafe’s heartstrings. Blaming her alone didn’t seem right. He, too, had kept secrets from his comrades for years due to an oath, and he understood her troubled feelings completely. Secrets often arose from the desire to protect sothing precious.
"What now?" Damon asked in frustration. "We ca to her hoping she could provide us with so details, but all she said was the sa thing that offered no value. Isn’t it obvious now that she’s shielding the pregnancy from us because her brother r*ped Lady Raychard?" he accused.
"That’s not true! My brother did not do such a thing!" Callis shot back angrily.
"What else could be the explanation? Mr Amares already clarifies that His Highness the Grand Duke couldn’t impregnate her!" Damon exclaid impatiently.
"No! It can’t be! The baby is his child! I’m sure of it! Anna loves the Grand Duke!" Callis countered, her voice rising in agitation. "How could it be that he’s suddenly claiming to be infertile? It doesn’t make any sense! He’s a healthy and strong man!"
"That’s exactly the point!" Rafe snapped back. "You’re questioning His Highness’s condition without giving us a proper answer first! Well, since you refuse to explain your reasoning, I won’t justify mine either! You just need to accept the fact that he couldn’t have any children, just like he said!"
Suddenly, a loud clang shattered the tension in the compound as a lantern tal stand fell to the ground, having been knocked over by soone’s accidental touch.
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