Mary, who stood nearby, lowered her gaze. She had suspected it from the very beginning, as the signs of pregnancy grew more visible over ti.
After all, she had been the one attending to Elis when her cycle returned. With her knowledge of won’s health, it was only natural that she would notice such changes early.
By the ti the princess consort had confird it herself, she had already been carrying the child for more than a month.
Soon after, her body began to weaken gradually, and the blood vomiting started, just as it had with Anna.
The condition worsened as the child continued to develop without its father’s mana, draining Elis beyond what her fragile body could endure.
Kyren closed his eyes briefly, drawing in a slow breath. He understood the storm of emotions she must have been battling alone.
The separation had shattered her just as deeply as it had him, and with a child now growing within her, she had been torn between grief, fear, and the instinct to protect the new life.
Believing what was best for her and the baby, the Grand Duke ca up with the only solution that he and Rafe had both considered.
"You must go to Seta," he finally said, "And you must tell Kiev."
Elis shook her head at once.
"We separated by choice," she said quietly. "He wouldn’t want back."
"That is not for you to decide," Kyren replied. "He has the right to know."
Elis’s gaze fell instinctively to her abdon.
The change was not yet noticeable beneath her loose garnts, but it was undeniable. Her body was already shifting as she neared her second trister.
Kiev’s fervent desire for a child had borne fruit. Had he known that his intimacy with her had succeeded, he would never have left her—though, in truth, it had been she who first turned away.
"Your child needs Kiev’s mana to grow healthily," Kyren continued, his tone grave. "You know this better than anyone. You saw what Anna went through. If you persist in this, you are not only endangering your own life, but you are endangering the baby’s as well."
Silence answered him.
Tears spilt from Elis’s already-brimming eyes. Of course, she wanted to go to the derian Prince. She had always known this truth. But—
"He might already have married Lady Raychard... to protect her," she responded, lowering her eyelids.
"That would never happen," Kyren said at once. "Not then. Not now. Not in a million years."
Elis drew in a shaky breath.
"I know Kiev," Kyren went on, "As much as I resent him for taking Anna away from , I understand his motives. He would protect her, but he would never take her as his wife. That place has always been yours."
"He said he would go that far," the princess consort murmured.
"He was furious," the Grand Duke replied. "With everything that happened, he couldn’t bear it anymore."
His jaw clenched as painful mories flooded back. Each recollection reopened old wounds, but he endured them, understanding that ignoring this pain would be denying the truth he now bore.
"It took ti to realise his reasoning," he continued quietly, "but I see it clearly now. So, I don’t bla him."
The Grand Duke’s voice lowered, heavy with remorse.
"I failed to protect Anna and our child... and his sister nearly died because of it. If there is bla to be borne, it should fall on alone."
Rafe, standing silently at the side, showed an unreadable expression. The ntion of Callis caused a subtle, involuntary tightening in him. He briefly lowered his gaze, as if conceding defeat. Words didn’t need to be said aloud to describe how he felt.
anwhile, Elis looked at Kyren, her eyes glistening with a profound emotion too deep to hide. It was not rely fear that weighed on her, but sorrow layered upon grief.
"Is that why you stopped trying to reach Lady Raychard?" she asked softly. "The spell that blocked you... It shouldn’t have been enough to make you give up so easily, should it?"
Kyren did not answer at once.
His gaze drifted away, fixed on nothing at all, as though the surroundings themselves had faded.
His lips tightened, and for the first ti, the ironclad composure he maintained so diligently broke down. His eyes glistened, tears forming at their corners but unshed, held back rely by sheer force of will.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low, stripped of authority and rank.
"Guilt won’t sit well with hope, Elis. It eats you alive and destroys every ounce of will."
Elis looked down, understanding the aning. But Kyren steeled his heart and continued, wiping his tears away with the back of his arm.
"Forget about . We are focusing now on you. For the sake of your baby, you must go to him," said the Grand Duke.
"I’m not sure whether he would accept us," Elis said.
"Kiev is my sworn brother," Kyren responded. "He would have loved his child since he wanted it so much."
"He told that once, too," the princess consort replied quietly. "But things have changed, Your Highness. I wouldn’t even know what to say to him if we were to et again."
"Tell him the truth," the Grand Duke said without hesitation. "Tell him you are carrying his child, and that both of you need him."
His voice faltered for a fraction of a second before steadying again.
"He protected my child relentlessly... until the very end. I know him well enough to be certain he would do the sa for his own heir."
Kyren shifted completely to face Elis, grief still visible in his eyes, but determination burning brighter underneath.
"I don’t want you or him to suffer the sa loss that I did. So please," he said softly, almost in plea, "go to Seta."
Elis’s emotions rose until she found it hard to breathe.
The fragile life in her existed out of love, of longing, and of trials endured together. She loved this child as deeply as she loved Kiev.
After everything she had gone through, this baby was not rely a blessing but a hope she had once fought for through hardship and heartbreak alike.
Having experienced loss, her delicate desire for a family was reignited, fueling a deep, instinctive drive to protect her child. No matter the circumstances, she would never jeopardise its safety, even if it ant sacrificing her pride.
Slowly, Elis replied, "...I’ll go."
Kyren nodded, a visible wave of relief easing the tension in his shoulders.
"I’ll inform Eric and have him prepare for the voyage at once."
At the ntion of ’voyage’, sothing stirred uneasily in Rafe’s mind. He had remained quiet throughout the exchange, respecting the mont, but the thought that surfaced now would not let him stay that way.
"Forgive for interrupting," he said, stepping forward, "but I don’t think we’ve considered sothing critical."
Both of them turned towards him with a puzzled look.
Rafe imdiately explained, "Seta’s exact location is unknown. The crew that previously sailed there on the winter royal vessel stated they no longer rember how to get to the island. Clearly, the derians’ magic erased their mories," he said. "How do we intend to send Elis there?"
"Seta may not appear on any chart," Kyren replied, "but I’m certain it lies near Sabel Island since it falls under their clan’s jurisdiction. Our n can anchor on Sabel first, and we’ll have them question the locals. From there, they should be able to navigate to Seta."
Rafe’s brow remained furrowed. "Even so, there is another problem."
Kyren’s gaze sharpened. "What is it?"
"The child’s mana line is forming now," the healer said gravely. "It requires periodic mana feeding. At present, only you can provide it. Which ans you must accompany her on the journey. Without you, both their lives would be in danger."
Kyren exhaled slowly, forehead creasing. He knew the healer was right.
Elis showed the sa worried look. The pain she had suffered earlier, so intense it felt as if her life was slipping away, ca rushing back vividly in her mind.
The risk was indeed unavoidable. Without the grand duke, she won’t be able to survive the journey, let alone reach her husband.
"Then... we could send a letter by eagle to inform Kiev," the Grand Duke suggested after a mont of thinking. "This isn’t about . Surely the spell wouldn’t block sothing so simple."
Rafe shook his head, his expression darkening.
"No, Your Highness. The route for the eagle is completely sealed. The last letter Sir Brooks attempted to send contained nothing more than a greeting, and that failed to pass through. Even if we sent word by ship, it would take months, and unfortunately, given Elis’s condition, we don’t have that kind of ti. She must go there as soon as possible."
A silence swiftly filled the room, turning the atmosphere of hope into sothing more oppressive.
Disappointnt pressed down on everyone. Even Mary, standing on the other side, bowed her head, her heart heavy with the bleak deadlock before them.
Then suddenly... Elis’s expression shifted. Her eyes widened slightly as a distant mory surfaced.
"There might be another way..." she said, as her thoughts drifted backwards.
The mory returned to her—an old night steeped in wine and resentnt for Kiev, long before she and he had ever beco who they were.
It was the very night after Callis and Rafe were wed.
Both n turned sharply toward her, eager.
"Soulmate magic," Elis continued, her voice ca with dawning hope. "A soulmate will always find their way back to the other..."
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