CHAPTER 531: A GATHERING OF GRUMBLES

[A few moments earlier... at the other end of the mansion]

Kiev’s eyes rolled at the pitiful sobs ringing beside him. Not only did his ears have to suffer through the wailing, but his right arm was now seized as a crutch for the miserable offender.

"Huuu... she doesn’t want me anymore! Huuu!" Rafe bawled, his tears dripping freely onto the Mederian Prince’s shoulder.

"Why must I listen to this?" Kiev grumbled, his voice flat with irritation. "I already have enough troubles of my own."

Garin, who had been the one to drag him here, looked away in regret. Perhaps bringing the Mederian Prince to the Knights’ quarters hadn’t been such a wise decision after all.

At first, he thought it was a good idea—Alex, Luke, and Noah were already gathered around the stone table in the courtyard, sharing a quiet moment. Surely, Kiev could use the same.

But the peace didn’t last. Rafe had burst out of his room in tears, latching onto them with his woeful tale of Callis’s wrath. Soon, the atmosphere turned into a den of complaints.

Noah propped his chin on his fist, his elbow resting heavily on the table as he sighed.

"I don’t understand. The further along Emily is, the shorter her temper gets. Just last night, she woke me up in the middle of the night, yelling about my snoring. So, I left the bed to let her rest, but then she scolded me again for ignoring her and said she couldn’t sleep without me! What am I supposed to do? Stop breathing in my sleep?"

He flung his hands up, palms open in utter helplessness.

"Meredith is no better," Alex muttered gloomily. "These days, she looks at me like I’m the bane of her existence. She won’t even let me smile at her! Every time I try to care for her health and the child, she accuses me of smothering her. It’s as if every single thing I do is wrong!"

"Hah! And where’s the rational, thoughtful wife you always boasted about?" Luke teased.

The jab darkened Alex’s mood further. Once, he had spoken of Meredith with nothing but pride—his beloved wife, his greatest blessing, and the very centre of his joy. Now, his shoulders slumped with defeat.

"I never thought it would come to this. Sir Navin warned me, but I didn’t believe him..."

"I suppose there’s still much we men don’t understand," Noah sighed, "I only pray it doesn’t get worse as the pregnancy goes on."

Garin could only pity them. He had no advice to offer; his own life was hardly brighter.

Memories of his late wife and child haunted him—wounds that had taken years to scar over—and his second attempt at love had ended in disaster as well. Better to keep his lips sealed than speak of matters he himself had failed at.

"Pregnant or not, once they’ve made up their minds, they’ll toss you aside without hesitation! Women are cruel!" Rafe wailed again, his misery weighing down the already bleak air.

Kiev turned his head to regard the sobbing man still clutching his arm. His crimson eyes then slid toward Luke, wordlessly demanding an explanation.

The knight only flicked his hand dismissively.

"Mr Amares is always like this. He looks for someone to lean on whenever he can’t carry his burdens. Usually it’s Sir Navin, but since he’s not around... well, I suppose you’re the next best choice to soothe his heart. He’s a softy at his core."

"No, I am not!" Rafe shot Luke a watery glare, though his grip on Kiev refused to loosen. "You don’t understand! She said it right to my face that she doesn’t want me anymore! Do you know what that means?"

Luke crossed his arms, unimpressed.

"Then tell us clearly... What were you fighting about with your wife? You barged in here bawling and mumbling half-stories, yet we don’t even know the cause of your misery."

Rafe sniffled, freeing one hand to pull a handkerchief from his coat. He blew his reddened nose noisily, earning cringes all around the table.

"Callis came to my office yesterday after returning from the palace," he began at last. "She asked about our plans to move in together. But I was buried in work, and I told her not to disturb me. She looked uneasy, but I assumed it shouldn’t bother her much..."

"And then?" Luke prompted.

Even Garin turned fully toward Rafe now, intrigued. The knights and the Mederian Prince are already waiting for the healer’s confession.

"Some time after dinner, she came to me and brought it up again," Rafe sniffled. "I told her we should wait until we’re back in Gerhard so that I could find a proper place for us. But she disagreed."

"Why not?" Alex asked, curious.

"She wants to move in right away. How am I supposed to arrange everything in just a short moment? I asked her to give me more time, but she said she couldn’t wait and just wanted to stay together. She even suggested moving into my room."

"And what’s wrong with that?" Noah raised a brow.

"She’s a princess, Sir Brooks! She already gave up her royal title by marrying me. How could I make her stay in that tiny room? It’s not worthy of her!" Rafe cried.

"Then move to the married quarters," Kiev said bluntly. "Or, if that’s not good enough, take her chamber instead. Problem solved."

The men nodded in agreement. To them, it seemed like a trivial matter hardly worth a quarrel.

But Rafe shook his head, distraught.

"We agreed we’d have our own place! That was the plan! I promised I’d provide the best for her. Now she’s changing her mind! Even if we used the married quarters, I’d want to decorate it and arrange it to her liking. That would take time, but she won’t wait! Not even a day!" His voice cracked. "When I reminded her of our agreement, she sulked. Then she said, right to my face, that she didn’t want me anymore! I tried to explain, but she shut me out completely. She won’t even look at me!"

Rafe’s tears spilt again.

"I think you’ve missed the whole point here, Mr Amares," Noah said dryly. "It’s not about the place or the room. It’s about you."

Alex nodded in agreement.

Rafe blinked, baffled. "What do you mean?"

Kiev closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as if steadying himself. How could a man wise in medicine and skilled in treatment fail so miserably at his own marriage? He was even a good mediator...

"Don’t you get it?" he said at last in a sharp tone. "She wants to be with you as husband and wife. Properly. Intimately. You were wed before these two," he gestured at Alex and Noah, "and yet their wives are already expecting. Don’t you think Callis longs for something meaningful in her marriage, too?"

His crimson eyes burned as he looked at the healer.

"While I struggle to bed my wife, you’ve been tossing my sister’s feelings to the ground. How much longer do you expect her to wait?"

His words struck hard, leaving Rafe gaping.

"I never said I didn’t want to be intimate with her!" he protested quickly. "You were the one who forbade us in the beginning!"

"That was before!" Kiev shot back. "I gave my consent long ago!"

"You should go to her and apologise, Mr Amares. Just honour her request," Noah said firmly. "You’ve kept her waiting for months. You may have your own idea of how married life should be, but you must consider her heart. I’m sure Sir Navin warned you about this. If he were here, he’d give you that ’I told you so’ look."

"Couldn’t agree more," Alex added, raising a hand. "It’s not just about feelings. It’s about respect and responsibility as a husband."

"Better exercise your conjugal rights before she loses her patience and annuls the marriage," Luke remarked dryly. "Without consummation, she has grounds to take it to court, and you’d lose her for good."

Rafe’s head snapped up, eyes wide.

"A-annulment?!" He stammered, aghast. "But—but—I’m her soulmate! She wouldn’t do that to me!"

"You’ve hurt her by holding a boundary too long," Kiev cut in. "Soulmate or not, she has needs. She wants children, Rafe. She dreams of a big family, just like I do. It’s time you step forward in your marriage."

The healer’s shoulders sagged. Slowly, he loosened his grip on Kiev’s arm, leaving damp streaks of tears on the Mederian Prince’s sleeve.

For the first time, he seemed to understand. He had made Callis wait for him too long, denying her the affection she craved.

"I’ll go to her," he murmured, gathering resolve. "I don’t know how, but I’ll try to reconcile."

"Not now," Kiev stopped him. "Give her some time. She’s in the parlour with my wife and Lady Athillia. The three of them joined the other ladies for a party."

"Party?" Alex’s voice rose in disbelief. His face darkened instantly. "Meredith forced me out of our chamber and threatened me so that she could run off to some party? In her condition?!"

"Calm yourself," Kiev said, exhaling. "Not that kind of party... a Snow Apple party."

"A... what?" Alex blinked.

Kiev rubbed the back of his neck.

"I quarrelled with Elis earlier and left her at the foyer upon arrival. When I turned back, I saw Callis and Lady Athillia with her, coaxing her to join them. They went together to the parlour. That’s where they are now."

"Ah, yes. His Highness the Grand Duke arranged for the apples to be delivered because Lady Raychard has been craving them," Garin finally explained. "No doubt they’re savouring them together now."

At that, Alex let out a sigh of relief. His heart eased as having apples posed no threat to Meredith and their child.

Kiev then turned to Rafe and continued his advice, "As for Callis, in her temper, she won’t spare you a glance. If you want her to listen, use the commanding tone I taught you. I heard you managed it once when she blew up the barbecue pit. She still remembers her place when you do that. But don’t be harsh. Persuade her gently and she’ll melt. She may act stern, but she’ll give in soon enough. You’ve got an advantage most of us don’t. Appreciate it."

"I will," Rafe murmured, nodding remorsefully.

His tears finally subsided. Turning to Kiev, he sniffled once more and asked, "What about you and Elis? You said you fought with her? Over what?"

Kiev sighed.

"She’s angry about my plan to go to Dracor. She disagrees with it entirely."

"She has a soft and fragile heart," Garin observed quietly. "From what I see, she just doesn’t want to be away from you."

Kiev’s expression tightened.

"She still hasn’t fully opened up to me. At times, I don’t know how to handle her... like she’s a porcelain doll that could shatter at the slightest touch."

"Have you tried the approaches Eric taught you?" Rafe asked cautiously.

"I have," Kiev admitted with a nod. "We’ve made some progress. She no longer fears me when I flaunt my n*ked body before her. And when I hold her or kiss her at night, she accepts it. But that’s as far as it goes."

"So you’re tired of waiting?" Noah asked, curious.

Kiev shook his head.

"Not tired. Just worried. Her hesitation tells me her fear still lingers."

"Then just say it outright that you want to sleep with her," Alex suggested bluntly. "Sometimes being direct works better than dancing around the subject."

Kiev’s crimson eyes snapped to him.

"That would make me look like a pervert!" he countered hotly.

"There’s no such thing as a pervert when it comes to a husband and wife’s relationship. Pervert is when your eyes wander to other women who aren’t your wife," Noah countered.

Kiev furrowed his brow.

"Would that even work?"

"No one can say for sure. Kinship is hard to navigate. There’s no manual for it. It’s all built on experience. But with instinct, you can usually sense what’s right or wrong. Honestly, I think you both need to finally share your first night with your wives. That would resolve more than you think. As Sir Navin said in his class, intimacy isn’t only about the body, it’s about emotion and trust too," Noah explained.

Kiev and Rafe exchanged a glance, the same thought flickering between them.

Just then, Damon rushed into the courtyard. Spotting Kiev, he bowed hastily before speaking in a breathless, urgent tone.

"Sir Navin has ordered everyone to gather at the training ground at once."

"Has something happened?" Garin asked, his expression growing sterner.

The knight’s face darkened as he conveyed the message.

"Sir Henderson had concealed an incident... a near-drowning involving Lady Athillia. Sir Navin only learned of it now, and the situation is not good."

"Oh, no!" Alex exclaimed.

The knights scrambled to their feet, urgency propelling them. Without another word, they sprinted toward the training ground.

"We’d better go too," Rafe urged the Mederian Prince.

Kiev nodded sharply, and together they followed the others.