The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 248: Regret And Guilt

Jessamyn couldn’t find a single trace of doubt on his face. He was worried, but he didn’t doubt her words, and it made her heart swell with a mix of relief and love. "I too hope what I saw was wrong..."

"Oh, but I trust you," Jerrick responded, his voice unwavering. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

He wasn’t doubting a single thing Jessamyn said. But for her vision to come true, something terrible had to happen at the borders. He was determined to prevent it, to safeguard their future.

"Will you tell me everything you saw about the siege?" Jerrick asked gently. "Do you think the games led them into the palace? The banquet played a part, didn’t it?"

Jessamyn hugged herself and closed her eyes, the dreadful images of the siege flashing through her mind, making her tremble with fright.

Seeing her distress, Jerrick quickly carried her out of the bathtub and gently wiped her down. He wrapped her in a warm embrace, trying to soothe her trembling body. "Have you calmed down, Mynah?" he asked softly, his voice filled with concern.

He hated himself for putting her through this, but he needed to know.

Jessamyn nodded, though her eyes were still filled with fear and uncertainty. "I don’t know if I can tell you, Jerrick. I don’t know if I should let it happen as it is... I know nothing..." Tears welled up in her eyes.

Jerrick kissed her forehead and held her closer, his embrace a fortress of warmth and security. "It’s fine... It’s fine if you tell me. We are a team, Jessamyn. You know that. Together, we could beat anything. This too... You don’t have to carry it all alone, Jessamyn. I am here..."

Jerrick’s words gave Jessamyn courage. She felt a spark of hope kindling within her. With a caring husband by her side, who was willing to do anything for her, why should she carry her burdens alone?

She wanted to be at peace. She didn’t have many days left, but she wanted to spend her time with him in tranquility. If revealing the prophecy to him could offer her support if it could give her more time with her son, then why shouldn’t she take it?

Jessamyn took a deep breath, her resolve strengthening. "The palace... was on fire," she began, her voice shaky but determined. "Altanian men had entered the palace grounds. Women from the royal court jumped from the tower to safeguard their chastity. The vestal virgins took poisons along with the noblewomen gathered in the tower..."

Jerrick listened intently, his heart aching for the pain she carried. The images she painted with her words were horrifying, a nightmare made real.

"You... Were you there with the women?" he asked, his voice filled with concern and fear. He needed to know if she had been among them, facing such terror.

"Yes, I was. I was..." Her hand reached her belly unconsciously, a gesture laden with sorrow. "I was about six or seven months pregnant... Cordelia was pregnant too. The Crown Prince... Aelius... He was there, and the vestal virgins forced us to take the poison before he tortured us. They threatened us, saying that he would tear our bellies while we were alive... take out our babies and..." Her hands started to shake, her breathing becoming erratic as she relived the horror.

That was around the time she lost her baby the last time. She couldn’t believe she had to go through that again in her visions.

Jerrick held her hands tightly, his voice rising to snap her out of the nightmare. "Jessamyn!" he called urgency and fear in his tone. "Nothing happened to you, did it?" he asked, his eyes searching hers for reassurance.

For the situation she described to happen, it had to be an ambush. It was hard to pull that off but not impossible. Yet, he didn’t care about the logistics at that moment.

"Jessamyn, look at me..." he held her hand firmly. "Heavens forbid I was not there, and you’re in danger... Run. Run and save your life. You don’t have to be a hero. If you’re caught, fight back as hard as you can. Do not die. You cannot die, do you hear me? My love for you won’t change a bit no matter what happens. You will not lose your allure in my eyes, my love for you won’t falter. Do you hear me?"

Jessamyn was still shaking, her eyes staring blankly at him. The trauma of her vision had a tight grip on her.

"Jessamyn, you shall not die, do you hear me?" he repeated, his voice firm and filled with love. "No matter what happens."

Jessamyn nodded slowly, her voice barely a whisper. "I won’t. I have to protect our son. I can’t die..."

Jerrick let out a deep breath, relief washing over him. Though a part of him felt a pang of hurt that she wasn’t doing it for him, he understood. If her resolve was fueled by the need to protect their child, it was enough for him.

"Good," he said softly, holding her close. "How did you escape? Did you see that?" he asked, his voice gentle but insistent.

Jessamyn had calmed down, and she felt a flicker of hope knowing their child would be brought into the world safely. That meant she had somehow escaped that horrifying incident. Maybe Jerrick had reached her in time.

"I’m not sure..." Jessamyn shook her head, a shadow of uncertainty clouding her features. "Cordelia and Prince Louis... They were killed in the siege. Elaine killed Prince Louis and Lady Celena killed Cordelia under your mother’s order... The Kaiser line was extinguished..." She clutched her chest, the weight of her words pressing down on her.

Jerrick’s heart fell to his stomach, his palms turning cold. It couldn’t happen! "You talked about their children, Jessamyn," Jerrick said, gripping her shoulders, his eyes wide with desperation.

Jessamyn could only cry, her tears flowing freely as she leaned on his shoulder. "That was my hope... I hoped..." She sobbed, the anguish in her voice tearing at his heart.

The weight of the prophecy was too much for Jessamyn to bear. The visions, the knowledge of what was to come, and her pregnancy all combined to crush her spirit. Elaine’s return had only heightened the tension, bringing the foreseen events closer to reality. Every time she saw Cordelia, she had to force herself to forget about the prophecy. If not for the strength her baby gave her, she would have sunk into depression by now.

"Why did you push me away then? If you didn’t, we would have had ten years to plan for this. Now we can do nothing..." She wept, her tears soaking his shoulder.

Jerrick held her closer, his own tears collecting in his eyes. He knew he had ruined everything, but knowing the extent of the damage hurt him more than he could bear. The regret and guilt were a heavy burden on his heart.

"No, Mynah... We can’t give up now. I’ll fix this," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "I refuse to give up."