Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 218: Redemption

Chapter 218: Redemption

Yanad nodded, which only heightened Aideen’s bewilderment. "But I thought... I thought she––"

"I had to do this to help her. It wasn’t the best way to handle things, but I did it for her protection. I know it’s a lot to ask, especially after everything my family has put you through, but I’m not asking for myself. Can you please... help her?"

"Of course. I would never deny my help to someone in need." Aideen turned to her knights. "Sir Derek, please take care of the horse. Sir Lucas, please call Safie and ask her to bring hot food, lots of hot water, and towels to my bedroom. Thank you."

Turning back to the Crown Prince, she added, "Let’s go. The castle is protected by my spell, so we should be safe in my room."

***

As they entered Aideen and Tillian’s bedroom, Yanad carefully placed Melania’s almost lifeless body on the bed and removed the cloak that had been covering her.

Aideen gasped. The princess’ body was trembling; she was pale as a sheet and covered in sweat. It was clear she had a high fever.

"What happened to her?" Aideen asked, her voice filled with concern.

Yanad sighed. "We’ve been on the road for weeks now. The moment we escaped the capital, we had to keep moving. We had no choice but to stay in very unpleasant places, surviving on the food I managed to take with us from the palace while hiding from the royal scouts. During one of the nights, we had to stay in a very cold cave. Melania caught a cold and has been suffering since then."

When Safie entered the room with food, hot water, and fresh towels, Aideen offered the Crown Prince some of Tillian’s clothes and instructed, "Use the water to clean yourself, then get into these, and have some food. I will take care of the princess first."

The man hesitated again. Holding the duke’s clothes in his hands, he fixed his dull eyes on Lady Valentine and whispered, "Thank you, Aideen. I am... I am very grateful."

Aideen nodded and turned back to Melania. "Don’t mention it, Yanad. You made the right decision by coming here."

***

"Her condition is stable now," Aideen said as she walked up to Yanad, who was sitting next to the fire in her bedroom with his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. He was still cold. The princess took a seat on the fluffy rug next to him and continued, "I put a sleeping spell on her. She will recover completely once she wakes up, so you don’t have to worry about her health anymore. She will be fine."

"Thank you, Aideen," the Crown Prince replied, a brighter smile appearing on his pale face.

"What happened? How is she here, alive, while the rest of the world thinks she is dead?"

Yanad’s smile turned somewhat bitter. "This whole thing was something I never thought I would do... I found out about King Yuraon of Davoor. She had been exchanging letters with him in secret, though I had suspected it for quite some time. I just had no idea who that person was."

After what happened to that artist, she was sick and very depressed. When I finally learned about the royal family’s plans, I knew I had to do something to help her. I rushed to her room, but she was no longer there.

All I found on her messy bed was a pile of letters from King Yuraon and... a suicide note. I was overcome with fear and panic. But I didn’t want to give up on her just yet."

"So she was indeed prepared to take her life..." Aideen shifted her eyes to the flickering flames in the fireplace, her heart contracting with sadness. Yanad continued,

"I was lucky, Aideen. In her note, Melania wrote that she would say her final goodbyes in the place where all her hopes and dreams were buried in flames forever. She called it her rightful grave; she said that her life was not worth even a fraction of what was destroyed by the blind greed of others.

I knew it right away. I knew she was referring to the studio, so I rushed there without a second thought, praying I would make it on time. That I wouldn’t be too late.

Thankfully, I wasn’t. When I arrived at the building, I found her body hanging from the branch of an apple tree. She had made the noose from the torn fabric of her gown. I chopped the branch with my sword and brought her down... She was still breathing. She was alive."

"Goodness..." Lady Valentine threw a careful glance at the sleeping Melania and silently thanked all that was sacred for keeping her alive.

"I didn’t know what else to do. I had to get her out of there as soon as possible. I stole one of Valon’s old dolls that he used for his alchemy practice and wrapped it in silk, pretending it was Melania’s body. I pronounced her dead by suicide, and nobody even batted an eye. I guess such cruel indifference worked in our favor.

Since I knew she was involved with the King of Davoor, I realized declaring her dead would make him join forces with Lafad and help Kassian in this war. It was a brutal decision, but I had to act fast.

There was nowhere else I could think of going but the North. Since King Yuraon had a good relationship with Duke Valentine, I knew you wouldn’t turn her away. Here... She will be safe. And I... will gladly accept any punishment any of you would find fitting. I’m done hiding behind the royal mask. I want to lead a proper life now, Aideen. And if it means abdicating all my privilege and being punished like a criminal first, then so be it."

Aideen couldn’t help but sigh. Although the Crown Prince was just as guilty as the rest of the royal family, she pitied Yanad. He was a coward and a helpless marionette, but at the same time, he didn’t really have any other life in store for him. From the moment he was born, he had no choice.

Yanad was right; he deserved to be punished too. But it wasn’t up to Aideen to decide.

"The proper life you seek, Your Highness, is the redemption you will find once you are forgiven by those whom you wronged. Perhaps I am your stepping stone in this long process."

Curling her lips into a sincere, yet still somewhat cold smile, she added, "I forgive you, Yanad. May the future you desire be yours eventually."

Yanad was touched by her generous gesture. Indeed, her forgiveness was what he craved the most.

"Thank you, Aideen. From the bottom of my heart."

Then, his face turned serious again as he remembered another important matter he still had to relay. "There is something else about this war that you must know."