The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 501: The Two Princes Reconciliation

Chapter 501: The Two Princes Reconciliation

Callis paced anxiously, her eyes swollen and streaked with tears, full of worry. Her dainty and delicate nose was red, evidence of her relentless crying.

"Please, sit down, Princess," Jessy urged. "The trial will take some time."

Callis sighed in frustration.

"How can I sit still and stay calm in this situation, Jessy?" Her words made the nanny feel guilty. "I wish I could do something!"

Though the Mederian Princess’s heart urged her to leave the chamber and enter the royal court, she knew she had to obey Anna’s orders—and her husband’s.

"Why don’t you have a cup of tea? It might help you relax," Helen suggested, pouring hot tea into a beautifully adorned porcelain cup.

She approached Callis and handed her the beverage.

Finally, the Mederian Princess sat down on the settee at the persuasion. In this moment of need, Helen was indeed a comforting presence, clearly deserving of Queen Emelda’s trust.

"It’s been quite a while," Jessy said after Callis had regained her composure. "Given the seriousness of the case, I doubt the verdict will come soon."

"I agree. I hope Mr Norman can help," said Helen.

Just a while ago, Ayden rushed into the chamber, panting and holding a scroll. His flushed face showed his anxiety when he learned that Adam and his knights had taken the princess for trial.

Despite his dishevelled appearance, he hurried toward the royal court, shouting, "I’m coming for you, my lady!"

Callis and the two women sensed that Ayden had crucial information about Anna’s case, but there was no time to ask—he was already gone.

As they wondered about the situation in the royal court, the main door swung open.

Kyren entered, carrying a crying Anna wrapped in his cloak. The three women stood up in surprise. Recognising the grand duke and his wife, Jessy and Helen quickly curtsied and bowed their heads in respect to the couple.

"What happened?" Callis asked, bewildered.

Fear gripped her heart, worried that Kyren might have harmed Anna like he tried to do the day before. Before she could voice her concerns, Kiev stepped forward from behind the imperial couple.

"Brother!" the Mederian Princess exclaimed, surprised to see him with them. Behind the Mederian Prince were the knights, the healer, and the assistant healer.

She rushed to him, hugging the Mederian Prince, crying, "You’re safe! Oh, thank God!"

They were locked in a sibling hug momentarily, savouring the relief of their reunion.

Pulling back, Callis began bombarding him with questions.

"What is going on? How did you escape? Did Ayden save you all?"

"We’ll explain later. We have something more urgent to do right now," Kiev replied.

Turning to Kyren, who was momentarily taken aback by the act, he said, "Take her into the bedroom, Your Imperial Majesty."

Callis, Helen, and Jessy exchanged surprised glances at how the Mederian Prince addressed the grand duke. The Mederian Princess then noticed the ring on Kyren’s finger, gasping in shock.

"Th-the emperor’s ring!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "How on earth...?"

Kyren brushed past her without responding, focused on getting Anna treated. Swiftly, Rafe approached Callis and gently squeezed her hand to ease her shock.

"Wait here. Talk to the knights. They’ll inform you of everything. Right now, I need to attend to Her Imperial Majesty," he said.

Callis was left speechless, still reeling from the news. The healer moved toward the bedroom, but suddenly stopped and turned to Ayden.

"Get my medical bag from my chamber, Ayden!" he instructed.

"Right away, Mr Amares!" Ayden nodded and rushed out of the chamber.

The bedroom door closed quickly behind Kyren, Anna, Kiev, and Rafe, leaving the living area quiet again. The Knights of Gerhard stood still, like sentinels guarding the place.

Turning to Eric, Callis’s expression turned serious.

"Tell me everything, Sir Navin! If you leave anything out, I swear I’ll blow you up worse than I did to the barbecue pit!"

***

"Tell me where it hurts," Kyren asked Anna gently as he embraced her on the bed.

Initially, he tried to lay her down, following Rafe’s advice, but the princess cried out, unwilling to let him go.

In response, the caring grand duke lay beside her, wrapping his arms around her and gently patting her back.

"My heart! My feelings are hurt!" Anna cried.

Rafe and Kiev exchanged relieved glances at her response. They understood her emotions were tumultuous, but at least she was not suffering any physical pain.

The princess raised her tear-streaked face to look at her husband. As the grand duke rubbed her cheek with his knuckles, she noticed the emperor’s ring on his finger. A wave of sadness filled her eyes.

"I don’t want this power, Kyren! I don’t want to be part of the Ro’an lineage! Gaining this strength has turned me into someone I despise!" she exclaimed. "I was a bully, using my power against the weak. I’ve become even worse than her and did terrible things!"

"You didn’t mean it. She was clearly challenging you in front of everyone. She tried to harm you and our child, so she deserved the punishment," Kyren replied, trying to comfort his wife.

"But I can’t control my anger! I don’t want to be that kind of person! It scares me!" Anna said, her voice trembling.

"I understand. You don’t have to be someone you don’t want to be. I won’t force you," he reassured her.

Anna rested her head against Kyren’s chest, tears still streaming down her cheeks as she wallowed in regret.

"I should have held back! I was so mean! I beat her to a pulp!"

"Well... you were a bit mean back then," Kyren said playfully.

"Kyren!" Anna slammed her hand on his chest.

A whimper escaped her lips, angry to be acknowledged as a bad person.

The grand duke chuckled softly.

"All right, all right! I take that back. My sweet wife is not a mean person. If you were, you wouldn’t be regretting like this, would you?"

Once her cries subsided, only faint sobs persisted. Noticing her composure, Rafe approached and began cleaning the blood from Anna’s hand. After finishing, he asked for her permission.

"Your Imperial Majesty, if you don’t mind, I’d like to examine you. You exerted so much strength back in the royal court hall just now. It’s best to ensure the baby is stable," he said.

Anna turned to the healer, noticing that Kiev was also standing nearby, carefully observing her. She felt embarrassed to be seen in such a state.

"Please don’t call me that, Rafe. I’m not comfortable," she implored. "Just call me what you used to. I want to be the same person I was. That title feels like a burden."

Rafe glanced at Kyren, then at Kiev, unsure whether to honour her request. The grand duke gave a slight nod, granting his permission.

"Just address us as usual. My Anna shouldn’t feel pressured to accept what she doesn’t want," he said.

"Very well, Your Highness, my lady," Rafe replied.

Just then, the door received a soft knock, and Ayden entered upon permission.

"Your Imperial—"

"Lady Raychard!" Rafe suddenly interrupted the assistant healer’s greeting, surprising Ayden, who was about to bow.

"Address her as ’our lady’ and His Highness as he is, without the imperial title," the healer instructed.

Ayden raised an eyebrow, silently asking why.

"It’s your lady’s request. She feels more comfortable being addressed that way," Kiev explained.

"Ah... yes!" the assistant healer nodded, understanding. Anna was sensitive right now, and such drastic changes overwhelmed her.

"Your Highness, my lady!" the assistant healer bowed, addressing them as desired. He then turned to Rafe and continued, "I brought your bag, Mr Amares."

Ayden approached the healer and handed over the bag. Rafe nodded and placed it on the side table. After receiving permission to examine Anna, he took out his auscultation device to check the baby’s heart rate.

"Wait! I have an idea!" Kiev said, noticing the medical device.

Rafe and Ayden looked at him, intrigued.

"Are you going to suggest using magic to check on the baby?" Rafe asked.

Kiev smiled. "You read my mind."

"But I thought you were still recovering from the mana loss and have no magic for now," Rafe countered.

"Yes, so I suggest we call Jessy. Her expertise is in life magic. She could better sense the baby’s condition," said the Mederian Prince.

Rafe pondered for a moment before nodding.

"Since we have that advantage, why shouldn’t we use it? If my lady is fine with that," he added, looking at Anna.

"I’m sure Princess Anna would agree. It’s for the best of the child," Kiev said, then paused. "Oh, wait... should I call you that or Lady Raychard too?" He rubbed his chin, considering the best way to address her.

Anna smiled.

"Just call me the usual, Prince Kiev."

Kiev turned to the grand duke, contemplating. Though he would continue calling Anna as he used to, it involved addressing her with her first name, something he learned from Cassian culture, which implies an important connection between a man and a woman.

That had also made him realise why Kyren always seemed uncomfortable when he called her that.

"You wouldn’t mind, would you?" he asked.

Kyren smirked.

"I wouldn’t mind at all, as long as Anna is happy. You are the saviour of my wife and my child. That alone shows how significant you are to us. I know now you have no other intention than to protect her. I also fully agree with your suggestion to have Jessy look at my wife. My child should have the best treatment."

With their dispute finally settled, she anticipated an end to the discord that had plagued their relationship.

The two princes had now found peace with each other.