The Grand Duke's Soulmate-Chapter 563: A Grieving Loss

The mansion stood firm, appearing majestic from afar amidst the falling snow. But within its walls, grief seeped into every corner.

A full day had passed since the disaster that struck them. The once–lively hallways had fallen deathly silent in the aftermath.

Curtains remained drawn, footsteps were scarce, and the entire household seemed to hold its breath, quietly mourning their fate.

Even the repair work for the burned quarters had been halted, forcing their occupants to relocate to other chambers within the main building temporarily.

That heavy silence, however, was short-lived.

A carriage bearing the royal emblem of the Firebird rolled into the mansion’s compound, its presence stirring the still ground.

King Kyden stepped out at once, striding toward the main entrance with his chamberlain and escorts close behind.

From inside the mansion, Anryr, Eric, the chief of the royal knights, and his men, along with several servants, hurried to welcome him.

"Greetings to the Sun—"

"Save the greetings, Anryr," King Kyden cut in sharply. "How’s Lady Raychard?"

The steward’s expression darkened as he met the king’s stern blue gaze. He bowed his head, unwilling to meet it for long.

"Well?" King Kyden pressed when no one found the courage to speak.

His eyes swept over their tense faces. There was more hidden behind their tight lips. He could sense it right away upon looking.

The king let out a slow sigh.

"I’m not here to reprimand anyone. I only want a clear understanding of what transpired. My knight briefed me, but I prefer to hear it directly from you, since you were involved in the chaos and know more details."

King Kyden had travelled to Galicia days earlier to discuss the proposed marriage alliance.

The moment he received news of the incident involving the mansion and Anna, he immediately suspended the talks, turned back without delay, and rushed straight to Gerhard’s estate.

Dark shadows had settled beneath King Kyden’s eyes from the gruelling journey home. He and his men had ridden without proper rest, pausing only for the bare necessities before pushing on again.

A terrible worry drove him forward—an unthinkable message that made every hour feel like a blade at his throat.

The urgency clawed at him without pause; he knew the Gerhards’ household had faced grave danger. But above all, it was Anna, the Khasif, whose safety had been thrown into jeopardy.

"I’ll take it from here, Mr Foster," Eric said as he stepped forward. "You are dismissed."

The steward bowed with respect.

"Very well, Sir Navin."

Anryr withdrew at once with the servants following behind him in silent formation.

The second-in-command knight’s grey eyes trailed after them until they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

Only then did he return his attention to the matter at hand, his expression sharpening as the conversation continued.

"Lady Raychard is still being treated in her chamber, Your Majesty," he answered in a low and heavy voice.

"Who is treating her? How severe is her condition? Have you summoned the Arch Healer?" the king demanded, questions firing one after another in rapid succession.

Silence followed again.

A flicker of irritation flared into anger.

"What is this nonsense?" the king thundered. "I asked you questions!" 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The men lowered their gazes, shoulders rigid with dread. Then, a soft, fragile, utterly out of place in the cold foyer—a small, broken sound slipped out of Eli, the youngest of them.

A trembling sniffle. Not the noise of a knight delivering grim news... but of a boy trying, and failing, to keep his world from crumbling.

The king’s brows drew together, suspicion rooting in his tightening chest.

"Speak," he commanded.

But his voice cracked—just faintly—as if some part of him already knew.

Eli’s lips parted... but no words came. Instead, tears spilt down his cheeks, trembling at his jaw before falling. He shook his head, barely able to breathe, much less speak.

That alone made the king’s heart stutter.

"We don’t call the Arch Healer since Lady Raychard has been healed by His Highness Prince Kiev," Eric responded, though even he couldn’t keep the tremor out of his voice.

"And?" the king asked again, sensing there was more behind the solemn expression.

"My lady.... she... she lost her baby, Your Majesty."

Everything stopped.

"What...?" The word fell from the king’s lips like something dying.

The breath fled his lungs in a violent gasp. The corridor blurred, tilting for a heartbeat as though the stone floor had given way beneath him.

Something inside him tore, aching so deeply. His hands flew to his chest, fingers curling in the fabric of his coat as if trying to steady a heart that suddenly had no rhythm.

Noah, eyes brimming with tears, forced himself to continue.

"We... w-we’ve kept it quiet, Your Majesty. My lady hasn’t woken yet. She doesn’t... she doesn’t even know..."

That broke something in King Kyden.

He drew in a ragged and uneven breath, shuddering so hard it looked painful. His hands trembled violently, the weight of the news crushing him with every second.

His voice, when it finally returned, was fractured, completely stripped of the man he had been moments ago.

"Where..." He swallowed hard, tears burning in his eyes despite his attempt to hold them back. "...where is the grand duke?"

"His Highness is still unconscious, Your Majesty," the chief of the royal knights responded.

King Kyden closed his eyes, a long, shaking breath leaving him.

So it was true.

His knight, who delivered the news, had called it a catastrophe, but some foolish part or perhaps hopeful of him had thought it might have been an exaggeration.

But no. He was so terribly wrong.

"His Highness is not hurt. He’s only under a spell," Eric added quickly when he noticed the king’s brows tighten in alarm.

King Kyden’s lids lifted, his gaze sharp.

"What spell?"

"According to Admiral James, Lady Raychard put him under a sleeping spell before her battle with Brone. We haven’t been able to wake him since," Luke answered solemnly.

"So he doesn’t know about the baby loss either..." the king murmured, grief carving deeper lines across his features.

"Not yet," Eric said.

He didn’t dare voice the rest, that they feared what would happen when Kyren learned of the deceased baby.

The entire mansion prayed the grand duke wouldn’t fall into madness. The knights had already witnessed Kiev lose himself... and it had been like hell bursting open.

"Only His Highness, Prince Kiev, can undo the magic," Noah added. "But none of us dared approach him. He hasn’t spoken to anyone. He healed the admiral and the others today, then went straight back to Lady Raychard’s chamber."

"He healed all of you?" King Kyden asked.

A suffocating silence returned.

"Most of us... Sir McQuinn... he..." Eli’s voice broke, a lump rising in his throat. "He’s beyond healing..."

The words felt weighty, evoking the memory they all shared. The time of Kiev’s arrival replayed like a nightmare from which none of them could wake.

The Mederian Prince, who charged onto the plains, let out a scream unlike the composed man they knew upon seeing Callis, unconscious and limp in Rafe’s arms. He wailed as if his world was falling apart.

It was a heartbreaking sight. Rage burned within him, and for a moment, he could have lashed out at anyone, especially Rafe, for failing to protect his sister.

But then Noah’s words pierced through his fury, grounding him in the harsh reality of the situation.

Anna had sacrificed herself for them. The knights were not only Kyren’s—they were hers as well, and she had cherished each of them deeply. And that forced his mind to snap back into place, giving him the reason to help them.

"Prince Kiev couldn’t save him?" the king asked again, breaking through their thoughts.

Noah shook his head, while the others exchanged solemn glances.

"Sir McQuinn was hit directly by dark magic," the knight said gravely. "His Highness Prince Kiev couldn’t fully heal him. He infused mana to stabilise Sir McQuinn and extend his life, but now it all depends on Sir McQuinn’s own strength. There’s nothing more we can do."

King Kyden’s gaze fell.

The words held a subtle terror—the fear of losing a Knight of Gerhard.

Damon might not have been among the top ranks, but he was intelligent, sharp, and full of promise. Kyren had placed complete trust in him, and the idea of losing him deeply troubled the king.

"Even the Arch Healer cannot heal him if the injury was caused by magic. It requires a holy spell to counter dark witchcraft," King Kyden said in a low, measured tone, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

"Let his family know about his condition," he continued, his voice calm yet heavy, "so they can be with him in his final moments, should it happen."

"Sir McQuinn has no family, Your Majesty. He’s an orphan, taken in by Sir Skyler when he was still a boy. Right now, Sir Mills, Sir Skyler and Miss Helen Reed are with him in the treatment room," Eric explained solemnly.

King Kyden exhaled, a mix of sorrow and determination pressing against his chest.

"I’ll see him afterwards. But now... I need to see Anna first."

Emotions were tangled within him, but duty took precedence. The Khasif had survived, yet the miscarriage had inflicted a wound that deeply tore the king. They had lost a precious family member.

"His Highness Prince Kiev strictly forbids anyone from approaching the master suite. Lady Raychard is attended only by him, his wife, and Madam Collins. Even the chamber is guarded by his escorts," Eric revealed.

"Why?" the king asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Perhaps... he doesn’t trust us anymore," Eli said quietly, guilt choking his words as a sniffling broke through. "We let the Bargesians deceive us and take her away. If we had been more vigilant, none of this would have happened..."

"How many times have I told you not to blame yourself!" Eric snapped, though his tone carried concern rather than anger. "The enemies were using dark magic! No matter how strong we are, this is beyond our control."

King Kyden’s gaze hardened, yet his voice softened with empathy.

"Your second-in-command is right. Don’t think I’m not regretting the incident. I wish I could have prevented all of this, but you must understand the magnitude of the forces we faced. Even the bravest among you could not have overcome them."

"It’s all my fault. Mrs Amares warned me of the consequences, but I still pressed on," Noah admitted, shoulders heavy with guilt.

"Did you have any other option back then?" the king asked, raising his voice with controlled intensity. "If you had done nothing, what would have happened? None of us can foresee the future, but you all fought with everything you had. If Prince Kiev seeks someone to blame, let it be me. I am the king, and I allowed the security breach to happen, despite the number of royal knights dispatched. The responsibility is mine alone."

The chief of the royal knights bowed. Though the king publicly accepted the blame, he also felt the deep-seated burden of guilt.

Honestly, we’re at a loss as to how to face His Highness, Your Majesty. He’s not speaking to us, we are denied access to Lady Raychard, and Mr Amares is also barred from his wife’s chamber," Luke added.

King Kyden paused, thinking of Kiev’s wrath and the depth of his grief. No doubt the Mederian Prince was furious, but matters needed to be resolved for the good of everyone.

"I understand how difficult this must be for him," the king said. "Anna is severely injured, and his sister too. Now that the Bargesians are gone, I will talk to him and do my best to console him."

"Be careful, Your Majesty," Eric warned. "I doubt he’s already fine."

"What do you mean?" the king looked at the knight.

"Yesterday on the plains, I chased after him as he rushed to rescue Lady Raychard. When I finally caught up, he was already confronting the magic practitioner, attempting to run away. His anger was intense... I didn’t dare intervene. By the time he halted, the Bargesian was already lifeless and completely unrecognisable," Eric recounted.

The memory sent a shiver down the knight’s spine. Despite Derek’s desperate pleas, Kiev did not stop.

He punched the mage, kicked him, and slammed his head into the ground, shouting curses wildly, his rage driving every blow. Even as Derek’s breathing grew ragged, the assault persisted.

The Mederian Prince unleashed every ounce of his wrath upon the man.

Eric feared that if Kiev could lose control so completely, Rafe might face the same merciless rage—yet, strangely, the Mederian Prince had shown no such reaction toward him thus far.

Meanwhile, King Kyden’s expression grew hard. Kiev could become fiercely unstoppable when someone he cared for was hurt, much like Kyren. The intensity of their fury was not something easily divided or appeased.

Anna’s anger was similar. Once the sweetest of people, her rage could be uncontrollable when her power surged under a threatening situation.

It was no wonder Brone had met a terrible end at her hands. Even in her pregnant, compromised state, the Khasif had proven she could be terrifyingly dangerous.

"Even so, I still need to attempt speaking with him. If he tries to hit me, I will allow it. I am a Raychard, and I will not be intimidated by him," the king muttered, his voice firm despite the tension.

Just then, a hurried voice called out.

"Sir Navin! Oh, gosh, I’ve been looking for you! Please come quickly! I need your assistance immediately!"

Jessy came rushing in, her skirts tangling as she nearly tripped over her own feet. She skidded to a halt—then froze when she finally registered the figure before her.

It was the king. She hadn’t noticed him at first, having come through the side corridor.

"Y–Your Majesty!" she gasped, bowing so quickly.

She was breathless, clearly shaken, and her hands trembled as she clasped them before her.

"P–pardon me...," she blurted, face paling. "I didn’t know you were here."

"What’s the matter?" King Kyden stepped toward her urgently, followed by the knights. "Has something happened to Anna?"

"N-no, Your Majesty!" the nanny shook her head rapidly. "It’s... It’s Mr Amares and His Highness Prince Kiev. They—they’re fighting upstairs!" Her fingers twisted in her apron, trembling. "I’m afraid it’s getting worse. Please... please help stop them."

King Kyden’s jaw clenched, a shadow passing through his eyes before he turned to the knights. They looked just as alarmed, exchanging troubled glances.

"Let’s go," he commanded.

Without hesitation, the group hurried ahead, their steps echoing on the wooden floor as they moved toward the upper level—drawn by the escalating noise of a fierce disturbance.