CHAPTER 497: RETURN OF THE KHASIF

The heads and representatives of the Four Pillar Families swiftly stood up upon the revelation that Anna was the direct descendant of the Ro’an emperor.

"Is this really the truth, Your Highness Prince Kiev? Please don’t make up a story! This is a serious matter!" said Matthew earnestly.

Kiev turned towards them with glaring eyes.

"Do I look like I’m creating a fairytale? I risked my life by admitting to a crime I didn’t commit to protect Princess Anna! Would anyone in their right mind do this casually?" he berated them.

The Marquess of Roland downcast his eyes, feeling guilty. However, doubts still lingered among them and the rest.

King Kyden, still baffled by the story, asked Kiev, "You said your people had no choice but to surrender Anna to her father. As far as I know, the Mederians are skilled in combat and possess magical abilities. Why didn’t you fight back? Her father was just an ordinary man with no power."

"We did... and that resulted in the death of our previous king, queen, and others. We may have the abilities you mentioned, but our clan has sworn to protect the Ro’an emperor, his lineage, and their soulmates. Any attack we launched on him would backfire on us, and our magical abilities would cease immediately at the attempt. Now I understand why the grand duke had the golden barrier when I duelled him at the arena," Kiev explained.

His words brought back memories of the said duel, witnessed by the king, queen, and a few others. It was then that Callis mentioned a golden barrier protecting Kyren, which none of them had seen except for the Mederians.

"Your hands were burned after you attacked him with the lightning bolt!" King Kyden recalled.

The Mederian Prince nodded.

"That was the result of trying to harm the grand duke, the soulmate of the Ro’an princess. If I had struck harder, I would have faced my death immediately. The truth is, I lost my power after that. That’s why I agreed to postpone the duel. I only regained it when the grand duke and I chased the Bargesians in the forest with the Knights of Gerhard, since I protected him from a magic practitioner’s attack. I’ve never experienced such a power loss, so it didn’t occur to me that he is her soulmate. I thought I was exhausted from my journey," Kiev explained.

This revelation also reminded Anna of when Kiev first spoke about her parents.

Now, it made sense why the soulmate bond between her mother and father was so powerful that none of the Mederians could overcome it.

The princess’s mind was still processing this, trying to accept who she was.

All these years, she felt nothing for a person called ’mother’ as she had no maternal bond with anyone, not even Queen Clarice, her stepmother.

At the same time, the princess yearned for her father’s love, but he saw her as nothing more than a burden after realising she had no power, thus distancing himself from her.

Anna was unaware that her abilities had been taken away at birth. Callis’s fabricated story — claiming she inherited no magical powers from her mother — was intended to conceal the truth and protect her.

She remembered Nessy as the closest mother figure she could think of, but the nanny had always been stern, ensuring she didn’t make mistakes that could result in reprimand from her father and stepmother. It never occurred to her that Nessy was forced to act that way due to her father’s demands.

When Kiev revealed that her mother was a great warrior and his mentor in combat, Anna felt alienated and distant.

She had nothing remarkable compared to her mother; she wasn’t even half as impressive. Despite her efforts, her weakness led to repeated failures, making her afraid to ask about her mother, whom Kiev admired and respected.

Even thinking about asking her mother’s name and appearance was painful, as it constantly reminded her of her own inadequacy. She blamed herself for many people’s deaths, including her mother’s.

But now, everything changed.

"That is the truth, Your Majesty!" Noah stood up impatiently. "Everything is making sense now!"

The knight, who held high respect for the Mederian Prince, was convinced by the story as it aligned with Kyren’s experiences.

Eric nodded fervently.

The second-in-command knight recalled the mute driver who had taken them to the jetty on their journey back from Datrey Forest to the capital.

The man had tried to convince him that Anna was a descendant of the Ro’an Emperor by drawing on the ground and struggling to spell the few words he knew. The kraken he depicted was mistaken for an octopus, which even made Eric laugh.

He also remembered the event on the cog ship—when the superstitious seamen thought Anna was a descendant of a Ro’an Emperor based on her emerald eyes.

This belief caused the crew to bow to her and address her with imperial titles. The princess had employed the same superstition to deceive the pirates who had attacked them. Why had he been so blind?

Damon, too, was speechless. The Marquess of Sylvere had once explained that the emerald eye colour symbolised the first emperor’s power.

It was so unique and rare that no magic could create such an eye colour. If only he had paid more attention to this detail, he would have known.

Instead, his focus was drawn to the marquess’s condition, which was affected by black magic, leading him to dismiss the notion as mere rambling.

"No wonder she could drive the wolves away..." muttered Ayden, now convinced that what he witnessed during that journey had more significance.

"Do you remember when we were surrounded and attacked by wolves on our way to the capital? I told you the alpha bowed to her, but no one believed me!" he exclaimed to the knights.

The story about the wolf attack resurfaced, along with Anna’s stunning fluency in the Ro’an language, which she had learned in just two years.

There had been so many hints, yet they had failed to recognise that she was a Ro’an Princess, seeing only her perceived powerlessness.

"I disagree!" Lord James’s voice rang out suddenly. "What a well-orchestrated drama you’ve performed to show that Lady Raychard is innocent!" he mocked the grand duke.

"This is not a drama!" Kyren shouted.

"I don’t believe you!" sneered the minister. "We’ve seen how far you’re willing to go for the woman you desire, even to the extent of abandoning your own family and kingdom!"

"That is my decision! It has not been influenced by anyone else! The story of the binding spell and my soulmate is true! His Majesty is aware of it!" Kyren pressed.

"The grand duke is right, Lord James. I didn’t reveal this to you and the others to prevent you from blaming him for the deaths of the Ro’an Emperor’s descendants. We thought none of them survived. It never crossed my mind that the newborn princess was still alive and turned out to be Lady Raychard herself," King Kyden added.

"Part of the story could be true, but it’s hard to verify the lady’s link to it just based on claims. Your stories might align, but they don’t prove her lineage! Not without solid evidence! His Highness Prince Kiev might have manipulated the facts and exploited this chance to save himself and Lady Raychard!" Lord James speculated, casting doubt among the group.

Kyren faced the minister with a scowl, feeling ready to strike Lord James with multiple blows. It didn’t matter to him if that old man’s jaw broke today. The minister’s sharp tongue had repeatedly insulted and mocked Anna.

"I do have proof!" Kiev suddenly declared, halting the grand duke’s impulse just in time.

The Mederian Prince looked at King Kyden and said, "It’s in my inner pocket on the right side! I’ve always kept it with me! Please, reach for it!"

Kiev couldn’t retrieve the said item himself, as he was handcuffed and chained, so he pleaded with the king to assist him.

"Search him!" ordered the king instantly.

A royal guard stepped forward to check the Mederian Prince’s attire.

Meanwhile, Ayden was ordered to join the Knights and the healer of Gerhard. The search began as the royal guard fumbled through Kiev’s clothing.

As Kiev claimed, beneath his attire, a pouch containing a hard object was retrieved from a hidden pocket of his surcoat. The royal guard presented the pouch directly to the king without opening it.

King Kyden quickly untangled the pouch’s tie. The crowd was anxious to see what it contained, but remained respectfully in their places.

The king’s finger dipped into the pouch and gripped the hardened object, sure it was made of metal. As he pulled it out, confusion washed over him.

In his hand was an old silver ring, decorated with an intricate and distinctive pattern, featuring an emerald stone. It didn’t seem valuable, nor did it feel familiar to him.

"What is this?" asked the king.

"This is the emperor’s ring! It was bestowed upon our father by grandfather! The empress gave this to our family when our grandfather was appointed king!" Kyren exclaimed upon recognising the ring.

"But I’ve never seen it," said King Kyden. "Of course, I did hear about the story of the emperor’s ring, but I cannot affirm whether this is the same."

"It is the same ring! This is the one mother took to bring me to Semeta! You never got to see it because you weren’t the Crown Prince then," the grand duke explained.

Before the incident that befell him, Kyren had seen the ring and, when he woke up from the coma, he saw it too on the table, right next to him.

It was a family heirloom of the Raychards, cherished despite its worn appearance. The ring had been lost that night in Semeta when he and his mother escaped the island.

"Jessy handed it to my father after that night. Apparently, your mother left it behind while escaping. When I came on this mission to bring Princess Anna home, I brought it with me," Kiev explained.

A melancholic look filled the Mederian Prince’s crimson eyes as he gazed at Anna. Relief and sorrow mixed in his heart. If only Angel could be here to witness this moment.

Kiev steeled himself, knowing there was more duty ahead.

"Let her wear it. She’s the master of the ring," he insisted.

King Kyden hesitated.

"Based on what I know, the emperor’s ring can’t simply be worn by anyone. My father and grandfather were unable to wear it. Historically, not all of the Ro’an emperor’s lineage could wear it. Only those destined to inherit the throne could," he said.

Kiev smiled confidently.

"Princess Anna is more than capable of wearing it. She is not just a direct descendant of the emperor, but also the Great Khasif."

"Khasif?" a voice from the attendees spoke out in disbelief.

Murmurs filled the royal court as everyone, already overwhelmed by the revelation of who the princess was, became confused.

"That’s the name of the first emperor!" exclaimed the same person who happened to be a nobleman.

"That is not his name," Kiev corrected him. "Rather, it’s his alias name. I guess the long history got mixed up, confusing you all. ’Khasif’ in the Ro’an language means ’the person with green eyes’. Like the first emperor, her emerald eyes indicated her power and abilities."

Kiev turned to the king again.

"You knew the story behind the ring. I’m sure you want to see for yourself whether this ring truly belongs to the emperor. It has been so long since it had an owner. It should return to whom it belongs," he said.

The Mederian Prince’s worry about the impact of Anna wearing the ring had ceased, knowing her soulmate was there with them.

Kyren’s destiny as the princess’s guardian would allow him to protect her since the binding spell had bound them.

King Kyden looked at the ring once more. Though Kiev had explained the whole story, the doubts still lingered.

Was this really the emperor’s ring, and would Anna be able to wear it?

Those who attempted to wear it but were not accepted by the ring would feel the rejection. His father did, and so did his grandfather.

Nevertheless, Kiev’s words ran true. He, too, would like to see whether the claim was right and who could wear the ring in the end. Moreover, the ring appeared bigger for the princess’s delicate and small fingers. So, the truth was yet to be proven.

King Kyden extended his hand, offering the ring to the grand duke, and said, "Place this ring on Anna, Kyren. You are meant to be her soulmate. If it fits her finger without rejection and can prove she is the Khasif, then it will confirm what Prince Kiev told us is true," the king commanded.

Kyren carefully took the ring, eager to present the ultimate proof of his wife’s origin. His excitement was clearly evident.

However, Anna trembled as she looked at the item. All kinds of emotions were mingling within her. Such a destiny felt too overwhelming and hard to bear.

She didn’t feel she deserved such recognition, being who she was—a once helpless and forgotten princess who lived in solitude.

"Don’t worry. I’m right here with you!" said Kyren, assuring her as he saw her hesitation. "This will prove that we are destined for each other."

The last sentences send courage to the princess’s heart. More than anything, she wanted to prove herself innocent, and no one would question her worthiness in standing by Kyren’s side as his partner.

The princess nodded. A new determination swept across her features. It wasn’t the power or title she wanted, but the recognition and acknowledgement of her love for him.

Anna lifted her right hand but then realised her wedding ring was already on that finger.

Kyren smiled.

"The left hand, my dear. The wedding ring is already in place. We don’t want to change that."

"Ah, yes!" Anna blushed, quickly shifting her hand to the left.

As the ring slid onto her finger, all eyes were fixed on her, waiting for the moment of truth. The large ring suddenly shrank, fitting perfectly on the end of her finger.

As Kyren withdrew his hand, Anna felt a surge of energy coursing through her from where the ring had been placed. It flowed within her, mending something that felt broken and severed.

Her mind began to swirl, and she closed her eyes. Her usual weakened and hollow self was replaced by a craving—a desire for power.

The urge was overwhelming, and she felt an undeniable attraction to Kyren, the energy source coming toward her. When she opened her eyes, an extraordinary sight greeted her; a golden cord swirling around him, one end stretching toward and wrapping around her. It was the binding spell that connected them.

Kyren froze in astonishment. He had expected the impact solely on Anna, but his vision transformed as the ring settled into place. It was as if a curtain had been lifted, revealing the magic surrounding him that he had never seen.

He looked at himself and saw the golden cord shimmering with glorious light. He reached out to touch it; it didn’t hurt.

Instead, it felt comforting and reassuring, as if it were there to support them rather than constrain them. It was a feeling he struggled to explain.

"The binding spell..." Kyren murmured, gently touching the cord as he understood what it was.

This was more than just magic; it symbolised protection and a mother’s sacrifice for her daughter—and for him as well.

Kiev smiled, witnessing the couple’s connection to the binding spell. He sensed that Kyren was now channelling the power to Anna’s restored manaline through the cord linking him to her, the source of her strength.

Soon, the Ro’an princess could reclaim her long-lost powers fully.

Wikaam bessi, Khasif Majesté!" he declared.

(Welcome back, Your Imperial Majesty Khasif!)