The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 249: Glimmer of Hope

Jerrick stroked her back, trying to soothe her even as he grappled with his own feelings of failure. "I know I’ve made mistakes, and I’ve let you down. But we still have time. We still have each other. We can start planning now!"

Jessamyn clung to him, her sobs slowly subsiding as his words offered a glimmer of hope. "Do you really think we can change things? That we can stop this from happening?" she asked, her voice filled with desperation.

She wanted to change things too. She thought she was fine with the prophecy happening as it was, but she wanted to watch their son grow. She wanted to meet her grandchildren. If Jerrick was right, and if together they could accomplish the impossible, she wanted to take a chance.

Jerrick pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes with determination. "I believe we can. We have to try, Jessamyn."

She nodded, wiping her tears away. "You’re right. We can’t give up. We have to fight."

Jessamyn looked into Jerrick’s eyes, seeing the unwavering support and love reflected there. She calmed down as she felt a glimmer of hope. She regretted blaming Jerrick for what happened ten years back once more.

She didn’t know why she got so anxious lately. Was it the pregnancy or her nervousness concerning the future?

She gently placed her hand on her belly. She needed to keep her calm for the sake of her baby.

Jerrick kissed her forehead, a surge of love and resolve flooding his heart. "Tell me more of what you remember," he asked.

"You already thought of something, didn’t you?" Jessamyn asked, her eyes searching his face. Jerrick had a look of clarity, a resoluteness that signaled he had made a decision.

"If the Kaiser family is going to end in the hands of those women, I am going to make sure they can’t get anywhere near them in the future," Jerrick said, his voice steady and determined.

Jessamyn felt a small wave of relief wash over her. "That’s better..." she nodded. Preventive measures sounded like a safer plan. "The Altanian royal family carries the Kaiser name. Are they true descendants of Kaiser the Great?" she asked, hoping for some clarity.

"No!" Jerrick spat out, his lips curling in disgust. "The backstabbers stole the Kaiser name and by now they’ve propagandized they were a branch of the true Kaiser line."

"Oh..." Jessamyn’s mind raced. If so, Prince Louis was the last of the true Kaiser lineage. Even the Theodulf family had more descendants alive now. The thought of the Kaiser line ending was profoundly sad. No matter what, the Kaiser line must be protected.

"Wait!" Jessamyn grabbed his hand, her eyes wide with realization. "You’re not planning on killing those women, are you?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Jerrick’s casual mention of handling them made her heart race. The thought of killing someone to silence them was difficult for her to stomach, but she knew Jerrick wouldn’t hesitate if it meant protecting his loved ones.

Jerrick didn’t answer immediately, but the look on his face confirmed her worst fears.

"Now we know what’s going to happen and when. Why are you trying to change it? If Elaine dies, the council will send someone else. I might not be involved with that person anymore. And are you really willing to kill your mother? How will your brother take it?" she asked, her voice tinged with desperation.

Jerrick looked away, seriously contemplating her words. She made sense, and he knew it.

Jessamyn squeezed his hand, her grip firm and reassuring. "We need to be smart about this. We have to find another way..."

"What else do you remember from that day?" Jerrick asked, his voice gentle but insistent.

Jessamyn furrowed her brows, trying to piece together the fragments of her vision. "Tunnels!" she suddenly exclaimed, the memory flooding back. "Prince Aelius and his men got inside the tower through tunnels!"

Jerrick kissed her forehead, a tender gesture filled with gratitude. "Good girl... Now that you mention it, there are many secret passageways that connect the palace to the outside. My mother..." Jerrick scoffed, his mind racing.

"You think your mother will help Prince Aelius?" Jessamyn asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"She lived in the palace for ages. She would know it inside out..." Jerrick nodded, formulating a plan in his head. "We’ll have to recheck the tunnels and set a trap."

"You do that!" Jessamyn patted his arm with a smile. "Make sure to find more water and food sources inside Elodia. And control the trade of poisons. Women shouldn’t kill themselves during war. That’s stupid."

"It is stupid. My wife is the smartest," Jerrick said, kissing her forehead again. He could see the clarity returning to her eyes and felt a surge of relief.

Jessamyn felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Opening up to Jerrick had helped. Now, everything might still unfold as in the prophecy, but they wouldn’t be caught off guard. They’d be ready, waiting for the other side.

"Isadora," Jerrick suddenly asked, holding her shoulders and looking deeply into her eyes. "You didn’t mention Isadora..."

"Right!" Jessamyn’s face paled as she thought of her sister. "Isadora wasn’t with me... Did something happen to her?"

Jerrick shook his head. "She might be elsewhere... Did you see anything concerning the battlefield?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"No," Jessamyn shook her head slowly. "After the siege of Elodia, there wasn’t much until..."

There wasn’t much until the birth of her son. She had to leave her tiny son who was sticking to her bosom and enter the lair of the council. And that was where she died.

"Until?" Jerrick prompted gently, his heart aching for the pain she must have endured.

"The birth of our son... I couldn’t see how or where he was born... But I held him in my arms..." Jessamyn’s voice broke, tears welling up in her eyes again as she recalled the fragmented yet powerful vision of holding their child.

"So, it worked out well in the end," Jerrick hugged her. "That’s fine. We will save the Kaiser family, Jessamyn. And you will break the curse. Don’t worry."

"Shall we go there again? Maybe more will be revealed..." she asked Jerrick and he agreed.

Jessamyn was too tired that night and she fell asleep earlier. The next night, Jerrick brought her to the resting place of the Queen Mother.

The magical aura in that place was just as potent as when she had first visited. Jessamyn walked straight up to the ancient tree, its gnarled bark forming the knotted image of a woman.

She placed her palm over the carved woman’s hands with shaking hands, hoping for a sign, connection, anything.

But nothing happened.

She felt no warmth, no surge of energy, no whispered secrets. Her face fell in disappointment, and she turned to look at Jerrick, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"She already told you what you needed to know," Jerrick said gently, his voice steady and reassuring.

He made sense. The tree had imparted its wisdom before; perhaps there was nothing more to give. Jessamyn let out a deep breath, trying to find solace in his words.

She sat down under the tree, hoping to soak in its serenity, to find a moment of peace amid the chaos of her thoughts.

For a few precious minutes, she succeeded. The world around her faded into a gentle hum of nature, and she felt a sliver of calmness settle over her heart.

But the peace was short-lived.

In the distance, she saw it—a rising darkness, a foreboding shadow that crept across the horizon like a living nightmare. Her breath caught in her throat, and a chill ran down her spine.