The vessel sailed steadily across the open sea, its sails billowing in the morning wind as it carried Kyren and his men towards Semeta.
Elis stood near the railing, gazing out at the endless stretch of blue before her.
The sea breeze brushed against her face, sending a few loose strands of hair fluttering from the bun at the back of her head. She lifted one hand to tuck them away, only for the wind to pull them loose again.
For a while, she simply stood there, quietly taking in the view.
Then the vessel dipped gently with the waves.
Elis blinked.
Another subtle sway followed, and the world beneath her feet suddenly seemed to shift. Her stomach tightened as dizziness washed over her.
She instinctively reached out for something to steady herself.
Before her hand could find the railing, another hand caught it.
Athillia stepped closer and firmly held her arm, preventing her from losing her balance.
"Careful," she said. "Perhaps you’d better sit down inside."
Elis shook her head.
"We’ll arrive soon. Don’t worry about me."
The Bargesian Princess sighed. "Captain will be angry with me if I don’t look after you properly," she muttered, looking out at the sea with a guilty expression.
Elis only chuckled.
"He wouldn’t. And if he really does, I’ll deal with him," she said.
"Elis!"
The princess consort turned as her name was called. Several heavy footsteps approached across the wooden deck, and within seconds, the towering Grand Duke stood before her.
"You shouldn’t be standing here. You don’t look well," he said, concern evident on his face as his deep blue eyes fell upon her, studying her fragile figure.
"I told her the same thing," Athillia added.
"I’m fine. Both of you need not worry," Elis said again.
The Bargesian Princess merely shrugged, as if to say that her suggestion had been dismissed as well.
"We’re here!" A shout rang out from one of the officers accompanying them aboard the vessel.
"Where’s Semeta? I don’t see any land!" Eric stepped forward, craning his neck as he looked around at the empty sea, where not even a distant island could be seen.
"Wait up," the officer replied, a subtle smirk forming on his face.
The rest of the knights exchanged confused looks before turning their gazes toward the horizon. One by one, they searched the vast stretch of the sea, but there was still no sign of Semeta anywhere.
Eric frowned and glanced around once more before approaching Kyren.
"They’re not fooling us and intending to throw us into the sea, are they?" he whispered.
"There’s a barrier ahead of us. The sense of magic is overwhelming here," Kyren replied quietly.
Eric let out a small chuckle.
"Of course. That tingling feeling must be bothering you all the time, doesn’t it? The main island and this place are filled with magic," he remarked.
Kyren glanced back at him and responded calmly, "I’m used to it by now."
Meanwhile, the officer who had made the announcement stepped toward the foredeck, raised his hand and began reciting a spell in the Ro’an language.
A moment later, a vast silver barrier shimmered into view before them, stretching like an enormous dome. Then, what lay beyond it came into sight.
Semeta.
The island emerged from behind the magical barrier, vast and magnificent against the blue sea.
Along its shores stood rows of white stone buildings, their rooftops gleaming beneath the sunlight. Further inland, the grand palace rose above the rest, its towering spires and magnificent walls overlooking the whole island.
The sight left the knights momentarily speechless. After their long journey, they had finally arrived at the destination.
The officer continued his incantation, and an opening slowly formed in the barrier, allowing their vessel to pass through. But just as the ship approached the opening, the silver barrier suddenly vanished.
Panic erupted among the Mederian officers aboard the vessel.
"What’s going on? What did you do?" one of the officers demanded, turning toward the one who had cast the spell.
The latter officer was equally dumbfounded.
"I did nothing beyond the usual! Do you think I’m powerful enough to deactivate the entire barrier?" he protested.
A confused silence settled over them, as none could offer a plausible explanation for the extraordinary phenomenon.
Only the Knights of Gerhard kept their lips tightly sealed, holding back their laughter. They all knew the truth—the barrier had given way to Rafe, who had cast the soulmate magic upon setting sail for the Mederians’ territory.
"Love is indeed the most powerful magic," Noah whispered.
"Indeed it is," Alex replied, crossing his arms over his chest as he gazed at the healer, who stood anxiously at the front of the vessel. "That man hasn’t been able to sit still or calm down ever since we departed."
Meanwhile, Rafe’s grey eyes widened at the sight of Semeta. His gaze fixed upon the extraordinary towers of the palace rising beyond the shoreline.
"Perhaps someone from the royal family deactivated it," one of the officers suggested as the conversation continued among the Mederian officers.
"For what? Just to welcome these men?" another asked. "That wouldn’t make any sense! As far as I know, the barrier has never been turned off!"
"Just let it be! This is beyond our control. Whoever did it can answer to the king. We should focus on getting the vessel through safely."
"That’s the palace, isn’t it?" Rafe asked, ignoring the little commotion beside him.
"Yes, it is," an officer replied.
Rafe’s eyes gleamed as he gazed at the towering palace. Hope surged within him.
’This is where Callis is!’ his heart told him.
At the same time, Kyren’s eyes remained fixed on the palace. Somewhere beyond those walls was the woman he had spent so long searching for.
His fist slowly clenched at his side, emotion flooding his heart as the reality of their arrival finally settled within him. After everything that had happened, after all the distance and uncertainty, he was finally this close to her.
Yet Kyren did not allow his emotions to overwhelm him.
He lifted his head, his eyes fixed ahead with renewed determination. Whatever awaited him within those walls, he would face it. He had come this far, and he would not leave Semeta without finding Anna.
"I’d be darned! Why does it feel like you’re all excited to come here rather than intimidated? Aren’t you aware that you’ll be subjected to an investigation and put on trial?" the officer asked, staring at the healer before turning his gaze toward the rest of the group.
"Ehem!" Eric cleared his throat. "Of course we’re nervous! Our healer, especially, deserves a spanking or two," he joked.
The Mederian officers continued to wear dark, confused expressions, unable to tell that Eric was joking.
Drystan, however, chuckled and covered his mouth with the back of his hand.
"A spanking... right," he muttered. "Or maybe several slaps?"
"We might need Luke’s wife’s help if we want to see that scene," Noah said with a quiet laugh.
"Cut it off!" Luke growled. "I’m not married!"
Noah glanced back at the grouchy knight behind him.
"You can deny it all you want, my friend. The official document says otherwise. So does the ceremony we had. I wonder how you’ll navigate your married life once all this is sorted out."
"I told you, it was nothing!" Luke nearly yelled, gritting his teeth. "Oof! I’m not talking to you anymore. You and your teasing will never end!"
The knight turned away from his comrades, leaving them watching him as Noah continued to grin.
I’d smooth the transitions and make Kyren’s instructions feel more natural and authoritative, while keeping Eli’s enthusiasm and Elis’s gentle response.
"Well... I guess we’ll see how things go later," Eli remarked, already knowing the situation that had befallen Luke. "Come to think of it... we once joked about him having a wife from some faraway island. I never thought it would actually come true."
The vessel passed through the opening where the barrier had once stood. As soon as they were through, the silver barrier reformed behind them, returning to its original state as if it had never vanished.
The Mederian officers looked up in utter astonishment. Then, as the vessel approached the dock, their leader called out, "Get ready to land!"
Kyren immediately turned and summoned one of his knights.
"Eli, escort Elis."
Eli stepped forward at once.
"Ensure her safety and keep her within your sight. We don’t know what awaits us once we set foot on the island," the Grand Duke reminded him.
"Yes, Captain!" Eli bowed before offering his gloved hand to Elis. "Take my hand, my lady."
Elis hesitated for a moment. But after seeing Kyren’s determined gaze and Athillia’s reassuring smile, she relented and linked her arm with the young knight’s.
"Do take care of me, Eli," she said gently.
"Of course I will," Eli replied enthusiastically.
Rafe approached them, excitement gleaming in his eyes. But before he could say anything, Eric spoke first.
"Yes, yes... we know. Once we sort this out, your chance will come, and you’ll finally get what you desire. However, I need to remind you... we don’t know how she’ll react. You’ll have to be prepared for that."
The healer paused, worry slowly creeping into his mind.
What if Callis refused to see him once she learned he had come? What if she hated him to the core? Worse still, what if she had forgotten about him and now had another man?
"Relax!"
A hand landed on Rafe’s shoulder from behind. He turned and saw that the knights had gathered around him.
"We’ve come this far. Now is not the time to let fear get the better of you. Face it like a man, whatever may come. Success will be yours. I believe in you," Noah said encouragingly, continuing to pat his shoulder.
"I’m not trying to scare him. I’m just stating the facts. I have confidence that he’ll overcome his situation. He just needs to plan the meeting carefully to ensure everything goes smoothly," Eric interjected.
"I know. You’ve been coaching him so well these past few days. He’ll definitely pass with flying colours... after he receives his punishment."
Noah laughed again.
Rafe pushed the knight’s hand away from his shoulder, his lips forming a pout. However, he did not retort. Instead, his mind began to work.
The healer’s eyes shifted as he processed the thoughts racing through his head. Then, suddenly, he turned towards Luke, who stood further behind the group.
"Luke, pass me your wife’s seal!" he demanded.
"What?"
All eyes darted towards the knight.
"The seal!" Rafe held out his hand. "Give it to me! I need it!"
"You want to see Agnes? But we don’t know if she’s already back," Luke said.
"Just give it to me! I have a plan," Rafe insisted.
"What plan?" Eric asked as Luke strode forward and handed the healer the seal, which he retrieved from inside his surcoat.
Rafe looked down at the seal resting in his palm, determination filling his eyes.
"This is something I need to do on my own. Once I’ve done it, I’ll let you all know."
"Very well."
Eric simply shrugged, deciding not to pry any further.
The vessel slowly approached the dock before its sails were lowered and the crew secured it to the mooring posts.
A wooden gangplank was then lowered into place, connecting the vessel to the dock.
"Disembark now and follow us," instructed one of the Mederian officers.
Kyren nodded and moved at once. His stride was firm as he crossed the gangplank, leading the entourage, with Rafe following closely behind and the rest of the group bringing up the rear.
The moment his feet touched the soil of the island, Kyren stopped and looked ahead.
"Semeta... I’ve come," he whispered.
There were countless things he wanted to say: that he had searched for Anna. That he had missed her. That he had finally come to take her home.
But the words remained trapped within his heart, and only those few escaped his lips.
A gentle yet swift wind swept across his face, as though the island itself were welcoming him.
The breeze continued onward, rising into the air before flowing toward the distant palace, carrying with it a silent message—the arrival of the man who had crossed the sea to find the woman he loved.
A building came into view where the wind arrived, bustling with activity as people moved about, preparing food for the upcoming tea time and dinner.
Behind them, at a corner, near a cooking station, a petite lady could be seen humming softly as she stirred a pot with a ladle.
The wind brushed past her, and at that very moment, the ladle, which she was about to place on the saucer, slipped from her hand and clattered onto the floor.
She froze, as if something had suddenly struck her.
Slowly, she turned her head, her hair flipping with the movement as she gazed towards the distant shoreline beyond the main palace.
"What’s the matter, Princess?" Jessy, who was standing beside her, asked. "Is everything all right?"
"Someone... someone has arrived," Anna muttered, her green eyes widening.
A strange sensation stirred within her chest—something warm yet unfamiliar, a feeling she could neither understand nor explain. Her heart began to beat faster, as though it had recognised something her mind had yet to comprehend.
She slowly walked toward the entrance overlooking the field. Jessy watched her quietly from behind, choosing to give her some space.
Another gentle breeze swept past Anna, stirring her hair and sending that strange sensation through her heart once more.
’What is this strange feeling?’
’Who has come for me?’
The answers would come soon enough. And perhaps, after all the distance and time that had kept two hearts apart, the love that bound them together had finally found its way home.