244: The hunt that changed everything (part 2)

The hunt that changed everything (part 2)

Observing the tense atmosphere around him, the Archduke of Lanark lifted his chin defiantly.1

"I am all right; a couple of scratches won't kill me."

Kaiser released his grip on Gustav and gathered his wife and daughters into a warm embrace. "Have the physicians tend to my knight inside the carriage promptly," he instructed Arkin, who nodded in acknowledgment.

Three physicians stepped forward, resolute in their duty, and made their way inside the carriage to tend to the injured knight, while their senior colleagues waited with composed concern for an opportunity to examine Kaiser de Lanark.

"Adelaide," Kaiser winced, gently pulling himself away from his wife's and daughters' embrace. He looked down at two frightened olive-green eyes, his tone stern but caring, "You would do well to enter the carriage behind."

Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, Adela finally allowed her feet to go where her heart wanted to be. Her attention shifted to the second carriage—the one surely carrying Egon. Her stomach was tied in a knot, aching to see her beloved safe and sound.

As she pulled the door of the second carriage open, her heart almost stopped.

Egon was inside, his head leaning back against the window, his posture somewhere between sitting and lying down. He was breathing heavily, his neck drenched in blood. As he finally lowered his head to look at her, she instinctively clutched the door for balance. Two huge cuts marred each of his cheeks, and she could see the pain in his eyes.

Without a second thought, Adela rushed to his side, her Healer instincts taking over. She gently cradled his face in her hands, her heart breaking at the sight of his injuries.

"Egon, are you alright?"

He managed a weak smile. "I'll be fine." 

A bead of sweat trickled down her back as she noticed his eyes welling up, and she berated herself for not rushing to him immediately when it was evident that his situation was dire.

She quickly crouched by his feet, holding his knees tightly while scanning his body with her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt as if she could faint any moment, still unable to detect any sense of life-threatening danger.

Then he spoke, and her world brightened again.

"I don't wish for more scars, Adelaide," he conveyed softly, his eyes revealing the depth of his feelings.

She pushed herself up, her hands shaking, and clutched his black armor, looking deep into his dark eyes.

"You don't have to worry about scars anymore. I will heal you, inside and out."

Closing her eyes, she leaned forward and pressed her quivering lips against his.

For everyone standing outside, it was like a burst of blinding white light, as if the sun itself had exploded inside the carriage. But there was a comforting aura to it, and nobody felt afraid.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips.

"Not as much as I love you," he replied, his voice full of tenderness.

"A miracle!"

"Lady Adelaide, our Healer is a saintess!"

The cheers from outside the carriage interrupted the moment Adelaide and Egon were having. He clenched his teeth loudly as the jubilation continued, with the term 'saintess' echoing around them.

"Let us go out. I want to take advantage of this situation," Egon suddenly said.

"What do you mean?" Adelaide asked, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"What I mean is that I want to hurry up and marry you."

Tears of relief welled up in her eyes this time as she embraced his fully healed face once more. He held her close, comforting her even in his bloodied state.

"We should leave this place," he insisted a moment later.

As Egon descended from the carriage, Adela attempted to support him, but he firmly wrapped his arm around her waist, possessively claiming her. He had every intention of glowering at the crowd before him, but his focus shifted as he turned his head away from his mate's face and encountered a remarkable sight.

The knights of the first and second orders stood in a solemn formation, with Gustav and Arkin leading them. The Archduke, accompanied by his wife and Larissa de Lanark, stood in the center.

"Attention!"

Gustav's commanding voice echoed through the air, and all the knights behind him stood tall and steadfast, not a single breath escaping their lips.

"In the name of Kaiser de Lanark, I, Baron Gustav Grosvenar, salute you, Sir Egon von Conradie, the descendant of the last Emperor to have ruled our continent."

With unwavering eyes fixed on Egon's, Baron Gustav reverently touched the tips of his fingers against his lips and then his forehead, bowing his head deeply, showing the same sign of respect Egon's own men showed him.

Adela couldn't help but gasp in awe as Arkin and the other knights of both orders mirrored the same salute. Her heart swelled with pride and love as she gazed up at Egon's handsome face, knowing that his noble heart and heroic deeds commanded respect wherever he went.

"At ease!"

Gustav called again, allowing his knights to breathe once more. He stepped forward and walked towards Egon, then clasped his hand firmly.

"You have our eternal gratitude, Sir Egon. Your bravery and quick thinking saved our Lord, my brother, Kaiser de Lanark."

Egon's face flushed slightly, but he nodded. "It was my duty to protect him."

The Archduchess approached with tearful eyes and curtsied deeply before Egon. "Sir Egon, I cannot find the words to express my gratitude."

Egon smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It was an honor to serve and protect Lady Adelaide's father, a man I will soon regard as my own."

Through her tears, the Archduchess managed to return his smile. "Right you are. We shall hold a farewell ceremony for Adela within a fortnight. After that, House von Conradie may proceed with the arrangements of a wedding ceremony, as you see fit."

Egon grasped Adela's trembling hand and squeezed it gently. Uttering words of love in front of everybody with an intended loud voice, he declared, "I will be with you every step of the way, Lady Adelaide. Our bond is unbreakable, and you will soon be my lawful wife."

A tonguetied Adela opened her mouth, trying to find the right words to express her feelings, but then closed it once more, overwhelmed by emotions. She simply smiled at him.

Egon's soft expression changed as his eyes were fixed on Kaiser de Lanark once more. "We must get to the bottom of what caused those creatures to transform. I have never seen anything like them."

Gustav turned back to face Arkin and the other knights, his expression grim. "Mutant hyenas, it seems. We've never encountered such creatures in these lands before. This is a whole new level of danger we're dealing with."

Arkin gave his father a reassuring nod. "The Second Order will handle this. Bastian and his platoon will be here soon, and we'll dispatch for scouting, but we won't engage unless we must."

Just then, a carriage that Adela wished to never see again came into view. Once the metallic vehicle came to a stop, the door opened for Bastian von Conradie, who stepped out with a pale face.

Relief washed over him upon laying eyes on Egon.

Adela knew all too well who was inside that one-of-a-kind Varinthian carriage. She glanced up at her father with questions in her eyes, for Kaiser de Lanark seemed to intentionally ignore the arrival of the young King.

The latter didn't bother to step foot outside.

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