Noah and the rest of the knights frowned when Eric revealed the purpose of the urgent council.
"Are you serious? Didn’t we fail the attempt last ti?" he asked.
The banquet at the temple yard had already concluded when a servant arrived with the ssage, instructing the knights to gather imdiately in the eting room. The urgency alone made it clear that this was no trivial summons.
Sensing sothing amiss, the bride and groom joined them, along with the ladies-in-waiting who insisted on attending—except for redith and Emily, who had excused themselves much earlier due to their condition.
Rachel did not co either, choosing to remain behind to attend to Ayden’s family as a proper host, fully aware of the nature of knighthood duties. Elis was also not present, having been advised to stay in bed.
And as they entered the eting room, what awaited them inside was even more startling.
The Grand Duke was already there.
And he looked... different.
Gone was the familiar shadow of restraint and quiet grief that usually clung to him.
His posture was upright and assured. His eyes shone with renewed brilliance, eager and alive with a faint trace of joy he did not attempt to conceal.
It was as though a long-burdened spirit had finally found sothing to cling to.
The change was striking enough to leave the others exchanging puzzled glances.
Eric turned to Kyren upon hearing the anticipated question, sharing the sa knowing smile that only heightened the room’s curiosity.
"Would you like to explain it to them, Your Highness?" the second-in-command knight asked respectfully.
To everyone’s surprise, Kyren shook his head.
"No. It should be you, Eric," he replied. "You’re the one who uncovered the solution. Therefore, it’s only right that you lead this eting. Besides..." He paused, a restrained smile tugging at his lips. "I’m still overwheld with excitent. My judgent may be clouded by emotion, and I would rather not let that ruin what we’re about to set in motion."
The second-in-command knight inclined his head in acknowledgent.
"If that is your order, I shall proceed accordingly. I also want to point out so issues I have foreseen that could affect this journey. We should be prepared for them," he added.
"Please do," Kyren agreed.
Eric returned to the centre of the gathering, drawing all attention as anticipation quietly mounted. Clearing his throat, he began.
"I’m well aware that our previous attempt failed miserably. Even our letters were returned when the eagles could not cross the barrier. We were unprepared and overwheld by emotion. But this ti will be different."
"How can you be sure?" Ayden asked.
"Because I have unravelled the secret that will allow us to go there," Eric said with quiet confidence, gesturing towards his friend beside him."Our healer, Rafael, will open the path and lead us to the island."
A wave of reaction swept through the room.
Murmurs surfaced. Brows furrowed in disbelief.
No one could fully comprehend the statent; all eyes turned to Rafe, filled with questions and uncertainty. The healer drew a slow breath to steady himself as he faced them.
Before anyone else could speak, Garin broke the silence.
"Tell us everything, Sir Navin."
"Of course," Eric nodded, and explained the matter in full.
He spoke of Elis’s condition—her pregnancy and the fragile life she carried—the urgency of mana feeding, the revelation of soulmate magic and what it demanded—piece by piece, the scattered truths aligned into a single, undeniable conclusion.
Astonishnt rippled through the knights.
Clara’s breath caught, her hand rising instinctively to her chest.Athillia sat frozen, eyes wide as recognition dawned on her.Even Sylvia’s composure wavered just enough to reveal the hope she tried to contain.
"I knew it!" Garin exclaid. "Every ti I visited her, she was unwell, always lying down. I thought it was the separation, but sothing never quite felt right."
"The urgency of Her Highness’s condition—and the child—has given us our answer," Sylvia said, delight shining in her eyes. "Because of it, we finally found a way."
"If the barrier yields, then His Highness can co with us," Luke added eagerly.
"Indeed," Eric replied firmly. "The child will require mana feeding throughout the journey. Which ans... His Highness must accompany us."A faint smile touched his lips. "With this voyage, our Grand Duke and Lady Raychard shall finally be reunited."
"Hurray!"
Cheers erupted across the chamber, bright and unrestrained.
Kyren sat amidst it all, overwheld.
For the first ti in months, the heaviness that had lingered in his chest felt lighter. The hope he had nearly lost flickered back to life.
When the excitent finally settled, Eli, the youngest among the knights, spoke up, a question suddenly surfacing in his mind.
"If Her Highness Princess Elisabeth knew about soulmate magic all along, why did she say nothing until now? We could have gone to Seta already!"
Though the revelation had lifted everyone’s spirits, a trace of doubt lingered.
Had this knowledge been shared earlier, much of the despair they had endured could have been avoided.
"Do not bla her," the Grand Duke interjected, noticing the curiosity on the young knight’s face. "She only understood how the soulmate bond functions, not how the magic itself is invoked. Even that much remained unclear until Eric pieced it together during our eting."
His voice softened.
"She was in no better condition than I was... and the pregnancy has taken a heavy toll on her. Please be considerate."
Eli stiffened at once and bowed deeply in apology. Around him, the others exchanged subdued glances, understanding replacing their earlier doubts.
"Then... if Mr Amares is reclaiming his wife, that ans..." Clara turned to the healer for confirmation. "...you’re taking her back as well, aren’t you?"
Rafe t the bride’s eyes and nodded. He caught the guarded look in her gaze and understood her concern completely.
"I know I treated her harshly before," he admitted. "Truly, I never ant to hurt her..."
His gaze fell, shoulders heavy with guilt.
"I believed that if I didn’t drive her away, she would never leave. At the ti... I thought sending her back to her holand was the only way to keep her safe."
"We understand, Mr Amares," Drystan said gently. "Sir Navin has already explained everything to us. This is your chance to make things right."
"I hope you truly cherish this opportunity," Alex added, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the healer. "Because if you fail her again, I won’t sit still."
The warning rang clear and sharp.
The knights present understood the weight behind his words. They owed the derian Princess more than they could ever repay.
Had it not been for her intervention on the battlefield, reinforcents would never have arrived in ti.
Alex himself had been among the gravely wounded, and Callis’s healing had allowed him to rise and continue fighting when he should have fallen.
That debt had forged his resolve. He wanted nothing more than to see her protected, loved, and finally at peace.
"I will," Rafe replied without hesitation. "Sir Jarr... I regret what I did beyond words."
He straightened and raised his hand solemnly.
"Before all of you, I swear this—I will never push Callis away again. I will face every hardship, every danger, and every challenge life places before us by her side, until the end of my days."
A mont of stunned silence followed.
Then the chamber filled with applause.
Not loud or celebratory—just firm and sincere.
Pride and respect shone across their faces, moved by his courage to admit his faults and his resolve to make ands.
"All right, everyone," Eric said, drawing their attention back. "Let us focus on the journey plan."
He paced slowly as he spoke.
"From what we learned from the crew who sailed there before, the voyage was far from easy. The sea was rough, and the directions unreliable. They depended heavily on His Highness Prince Kiev’s magic and guidance. Without him, they would never have succeeded."
He paused, his tone growing grave.
"And even now, we still do not know Seta’s exact location. We only assu it lies near Sabel Island."
"It can’t be, can it?" Clara frowned. "The eagles flew north-east when I sent the letters before, yet Sabel lies to the east."
"It could be deliberate misdirection," the second-in-command knight replied. "A deceptive route ant to convince outsiders that Seta and Sabel are nowhere near each other."
"I agree with Sir Navin," Rafe added. "If you recall, Da Verns, during the eting when Kiev introduced Jessy to Lady Raychard, Callis ntioned that Sabel Island lies within derian territory. It serves as the mainland for their subjects, while Seta is reserved exclusively for the royal family."
He continued steadily,
"She said they travelled between the islands from ti to ti for governance. If that’s the case, the distance between them cannot be great."
"Ah! I rember now!" the knightess exclaid, striking her fist lightly into her palm. "You’re right. The pieces fit when I think back on it."
"The path to the island won’t be the issue," Noah said thoughtfully. "You already ntioned that Mr Amares will guide us using soulmate magic."
"Yes," Eric replied. "But that alone will not suffice. We still require an experienced crew."
He added more calmly, "The good news is that sumr is approaching. The seas won’t be as harsh as they were in winter."
"You’re right," Garin said, folding his arms as his eyes narrowed in concentration.
His gaze drifted as though calculating every possibility.
"But we can’t predict what awaits us at sea—weather, the ship’s condition, speed, crew coordination, unforeseen mariti hazards... any one of these could jeopardise the voyage."
Eric nodded, acknowledging his third-in-command’s assessnt.
"Cassian’s warship is suited for such a journey," Kyren interjected. "And we have an excellent crew aboard. That should not be a concern."
"No, Your Highness."
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