"What are you doing here? I thought you went back to see your wife?" Alex asked in surprise.
"I was about to. But then, a few matters ca to mind on my way to et her, and I halted midway," said the derian Prince with a solemn expression. "I need to see the grand duke. May I co in?"
"Please do."
Kyren swiftly stood upon hearing the request. Alex quickly opened the door wider and stepped aside, allowing Kiev to enter.
"Thank you," the derian Prince said, nodding politely toward the knight.
"Would you like so privacy? We’re already finished here anyway," said Eric, already rising to his feet.
"No need. It would be better to have you here," said Kiev. "After all, what I’m about to request concerns the grand duke and all of you."
The knights exchanged glances, and so did Rafe, wondering what it might be.
"Have a seat. We can spare so ti," Kyren invited, gesturing to the settee. He even ca over himself to attend to the prince—a gesture of respect.
"Thank you again."
They settled onto the settee and began the discussion.
"As you all know, I have married Elis, and she is now officially my princess consort," Kiev began.
The n nodded in acknowledgent.
"Before our marriage, I promised her I would take revenge on those who hurt her. One part of that vow has been fulfilled, that is, resolving the case of her sister’s murder, which was tied to Sir Brooks’s accusation. But there’s more. Frustratingly, the cowardly Count of Abinair got away!" The derian Prince’s voice was laced with fury.
"Tell us what you want to do," said the grand duke.
Kiev’s eyes burned with vengeance.
"I want to burn the slave market, the count’s mansion, and the houses of those who hurt her in her own hotown! They should pay for what they did to her!"
Silence filled the room as all eyes fixed on the derian Prince.
Sensing their hesitation, Kiev went on.
"I know I shouldn’t harbour such feelings right now, but I can’t get them out of my mind. I could give Elis a wedding ring and all the gifts in the world, but none of it would be as aningful as making those n feel the pain she endured. I only want what’s fair."
"I will give you my full support in this!" said the grand duke without hesitation.
He took out his insignia badge and handed it to Eric.
"Lead Prince Kiev to Gerhard’s palace and gather the knights. He will need aid to fulfil his course and be guided to those places. Serve him accordingly and take Garin with you," Kyren ordered. "Whenever Prince Kiev wishes to depart, you are to follow his lead."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Eric bowed, accepting the badge without question.
Kiev’s determination faltered montarily, interrupted by the grand duke’s swift support. He had been prepared to argue, expecting disagreent.
"You would help ? I thought you might have a different idea!" he admitted.
"Elis is your soulmate. You have not only sacrificed much for my Anna, but you also had to set aside your feelings and affairs for her sake," said the grand duke. "It is ti for you to prioritise your own life and your wife. Elis once confided in about the cruel treatnt she endured from her townsfolk after we sent her back to Glandon. Even Garin ca to personally, telling how terrible her condition was when she arrived at Gerhard’s palace. So, I will not question your desire, Prince Kiev."
Relief washed over the derian Prince, lightening his expression.
"I’m so grateful for your understanding! All I have ever wanted is to free her from the misery of her past. I wish I could erase her dark mories, but..." Kiev lowered his gaze to his palms. "My magic hasn’t returned yet. Even my physical strength has been weakened from the constant mana drainage. The excessive use has backfired on greatly. I may need so ti to regain my energy before I go."
A look of disappointnt crossed his face.
"Take all the ti you need, Your Highness. There’s no need to rush," said Eric.
Kyren pondered montarily, propping his chin on both hands, his gaze distant and brooding as he considered sothing.
"Eric told that you restored Elis’s chastity physically, and that the royal midwives examined her. If I’m not mistaken, this was connected to the murder case of her sister, correct?" Kyren asked.
"Yes, but that was only to mislead the count into thinking she had never been his slave. The restoration magic was done long before that," the derian Prince explained.
Kyren saw the eagerness in Kiev’s crimson eyes for further explanation and gave a slight nod, permitting him to continue. The other n listened closely.
"The night after I won her in the duel against His Majesty, she was so vulnerable... so afraid of . I was shocked when I saw her physical condition. I knew she’d been hurt, but I didn’t expect it to be that severe. She even told she’d been poisoned so heavily with aphrodisiac that she’d beco barren. I couldn’t let her live in despair. So, I used my magic to ease her pain and help her value herself again," Kiev confided. "I swear, it was never for physical pleasure! To this day, I’ve never even touched her."
"I know. You are the most thoughtful and patient man I’ve ever t. You’ve had her in your bed all this ti, yet you’ve never made love to her. You’re truly a saint!" Kyren praised.
Kiev’s ears turned slightly red.
"I’m not that abstinent! I’m a normal man and have desires too! It’s just..." His expression clouded again, the sa concern he’d shown when entering the room.
"Just what?" Eric prompted, intrigued.
"I’m worried she might see as those n who assaulted her. I don’t want her trauma to resurface when we’re together. I want her to feel loved... not afraid," Kiev admitted. "So, this is another matter I need your help with, and by that, I an you, Sir Navin. I’ve heard you’re the best advisor when it cos to intimate relationships between n and won. I could use your guidance."
The second-in-command knight’s eyes widened.
"Are you saying... You want to teach you about s*x?"
Kiev’s face deepened in colour, but he remained composed.
"Yes. Elis and I haven’t had our first night together. I was arrested right after our wedding. I think it may happen soon... not necessarily tonight, of course! I won’t force her. I’ll wait until she’s ready. But when it does happen, I want to be certain I don’t hurt her... or frighten her. So please, teach the right way."
"Trauma isn’t easy to erase," Rafe remarked. "Whether you like it or not, she may relive those mories in that mont. Even if you removed them from her mind with magic, her body would still rember. It could affect your relationship."
"At least, it would be better than nothing. If only I could have my mana back quickly. But it needed ti to regenerate. Given the excessive usage, it won’t happen so soon," said the derian Prince somberly.
"How about taking my mana? Would that help in restoring yours?" Kyren suddenly suggested.
Kiev returned his look towards the grand duke with surprise.
"Your mana? But that’s a Ro’an mana! I know mana is transferable from one person to another, but I don’t know whether my body can absorb it," he said hesitatingly.
"You said you went to the mountains to cultivate your mana to beco stronger. I’m sure you would be compatible with the absorption. Why don’t we give it a try now?" the grand duke proposed.
"Wait... now?" asked the derian Prince again.
"Of course! Why wait? You would need at least your physical energy to march to Dracor to take your revenge," said Kyren.
"Are you sure?" Kiev asked in disbelief.
"Better take what is offered. After all, energy is definitely required for a man to face his first night," Noah said, a bit teasing but still the truth.
The derian Prince looked at the knight.
"Really? Is it that important?"
"It sure is. You need stamina to please your woman. You wouldn’t want to have a bad impression on the first ti. After all, it’s the most special mont between a husband and wife," the knight replied. Then, he glanced sideways. "Don’t you think so, Sir Jarr?"
Alex let out a cough, clearly embarrassed. But as Kiev’s clueless eyes turned to him for affirmation, he couldn’t help but respond quietly.
"Well... it is... quite important."
The derian Prince was now determined, and at the sa ti excited. On the other hand, Damon, being the only unmarried man in the room, turned away in embarrassnt.
This wasn’t one of the conversations he was ready to get involved with... at least not now.
"Let’s do this. I know it’s doable, but since I’m unfamiliar with magic, you should guide ," said Kyren.
Kiev nodded. Under his instructions, the two princes moved to a double settee, sitting close enough for their arms to brush. They clasped hands, skin against skin.
The other knights and Rafe watched with quiet anticipation. This was the first ti they would witness such a thing.
Kiev began to murmur a mantra in the Ro’an tongue, invoking a plea to receive mana. Kyren responded in the sa language, agreeing to give.
Slowly, the derian Prince felt the energy flow, slipping from Kyren’s blood vessels and seeping through his palm like warm currents of life.
The strength of the mana surged within him.
"Oh, my!" he exclaid suddenly.
"What’s the matter? Is it too much for you?" asked the grand duke, concerned.
He didn’t want Kiev hard in the process.
"This mana... It’s a combination of yours and Princess Anna’s. They are intertwined and inseparable!" Kiev said, astonished.
"Really? But I’m only the guardian of her mana," Kyren replied.
"No! I can feel them! They belong to you both. It’s not just hers. Her mana was developed and nourished by yours. That’s why you can control it, and your own is amplified in strength. The mana you hold is the equivalent of two Ro’ans!"
"Amazing! I thought I was just a vessel," said the grand duke.
"Definitely not! You’re more than that. And because of its richness, I only need half to rejuvenate fully!"
Kyren smiled. "Then keep absorbing. Take as much as you need."
The ritual continued. The others, unable to see the actual power transfer, still felt the charged aura in the air.
Kiev’s pale complexion began to flush with colour, and the dullness in his eyes sharpened.
Gradually, his whole presence seed to brighten—radiant, almost glowing, his striking features more vivid than before.
In less than ten minutes, it was done. The princes unclasped their hands, and Kiev offered Kyren his sincere thanks.
"How do you feel right now?" asked the grand duke.
Kiev smiled and snapped his fingers. A small fireball blood at his fingertip, proof that his magic had returned.
"Never felt better."
"Lucky you. Now you can use your power as you wish," said the grand duke.
"Oh, you’ll be better than . This is just a little trick. Wait until you learn how to use yours," the derian Prince replied.
"I can use magic, too?" Kyren asked in surprise.
"Of course you can! You’re the guardian of the Great Khasif. Your magic will be far superior to mine. You just don’t know it yet!" Kiev grinned. "Once we get to Seta, there will be a ton of magic for you to learn."
"Seta? What do you an by that? Why would I go there?" Kyren asked, frowning.
"Well... that’s ho. My purpose here is to bring Princess Anna back to where she belongs. And now that we’ve found you, of course you’re coming too."
"I never agreed to that. Cassian is my kingdom. My castle is in Gerhard, and I’ll take my wife there once she’s fit to travel."
Kiev’s cheerful expression darkened.
"It’s too dangerous for her to stay here on the continent. She’s had two near-miscarriages in a row, and her life has been in danger more tis than I can count. I made an oath to bring her back, and I swore it on her mother’s tomb. I also promised my king."
"I understand the first incident was caused by ," Eric interjected gravely. "If I’d been more cautious, I would have known. I failed to notice."
"I should take the bla," Rafe spoke next. "I am Lady Raychard’s healer. I had so many hints, yet I failed to recognise the signs of pregnancy."
"No one is blaming you," Kyren said, defending his n. "You didn’t intend it, and Anna didn’t even expect she was pregnant. Looking back, I do feel so anger, but both of you acted with the best intentions. Things simply happened."
"I’m not blaming anyone," Kiev said firmly. "Jessy was also part of the deception, which complicated things at my order. My concern is her safety. Like I said, I swore on her mother’s grave, Angel."
"Angel..." Kyren murmured the na.
He recalled the face of the beautiful woman in his dream, the night he was asleep on the ship after Athillia saved him from Kaizer. It was the sa face as the woman who had lain lifeless on the bed after giving birth—the sa night he awoke from his coma in Seta.
"I rember her. I saw her on my way to Ardel," said the grand duke.
"How co?" the derian Prince asked in surprise.
"There was a ti I suddenly lost my power on the Agathe Islands. I was in the middle of a duel with Kaizer Ronan, the previous regent of the Ardel Dynasty, when I was struck by an ethereal light and lost consciousness completely. It felt as if my life was being sucked out of ," the grand duke explained. "My strong suspicion is that this incident was connected to Anna regaining her powers during the possession."
"Without a doubt," Kiev replied, affirming. "That’s exactly how it feels when your mana is taken by force."
Kyren nodded.
"Athillia was the one who saved that ti, and she killed the scoundrel. Later, when we set out for Ardel, the luminescent light struck again, and she ca to in a dream, telling to protect soone. She said that person was destined for . After that, I regained my usual strength. I didn’t speak of it to anyone because it was hard to believe, not even Athillia or the admiral."
"So, you don’t have anything with that girl?" asked the derian Prince again.
"Definitely not! She’s more like a sister to . She’s here for a different reason, which has nothing to do with marriage or anything like it. But I have to settle her matter separately before revealing it to all of you. It concerns her safety, and I promised I’d protect her."
"I believe you," said Kiev.
"Since we have co to this discussion, can we say the duel agreent between you both is over? We haven’t decided yet, and as the diator, I’d like us to wrap this up properly," Rafe interjected.
Kyren was ready, but Kiev humd, still contemplating.
"Co on! Are you still going to claim my wife? You’re married to your soulmate already!" said the grand duke when he saw the derian Prince hesitating.
"An oath is sacred for a derian royal. I can’t rescind it so carelessly," Kiev said, his fingers fidgeting.
"You can’t be serious!" Kyren exclaid.
Kiev looked up at the grand duke. He knew Kyren was Anna’s assigned protector, chosen by Angel. Naturally, the responsibility of guarding the Khasif fell upon him. But an oath couldn’t be simply revoked, unless...
"Make a vow with , Grand Duke," the derian Prince said.
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