"Are you out of your mind?" Kyren roared. "That would mean violating her! She's a maiden, for God's sake!"
His jaw clenched as he shook his head, disbelief burning through him.
"This will not happen. Not in my camp. Never!" he shouted at the healer.
"Then she'll die," Rafe replied firmly.
The words struck harder than any blade.
An innocent woman might lose her life—not to illness, not to war, but to the consequences of a vile man's greed. If only there were a way to prevent this...
Rafe blinked, his gaze shifting back to the commander, brow deeply furrowed.
If she died here, that would be an another problem entirely. Her death would spark a scandal impossible to contain. Too many eyes had already noticed her presence, and even a handful was enough to fuel rumours.
The girl had become a whispered subject among the knights—who she was, and why the commander had brought her into the camp.
Their curiosity tested the healer's patience, and he did his best to withhold her identity out of discretion.
Still, it was only a matter of time before word reached the King of Cassian.
Kyren still held the princess firmly, his grip protective despite the frustration etched into his expression.
From a distance, they might have looked like lovers locked in an intimate embrace.
Then Rafe's eyes lit up.
An idea took hold—sudden, risky, but viable.
"I'm not suggesting she be violated," he said carefully after a brief silence. "There is another way to save her, without committing such an immoral act."
Kyren's piercing blue eyes snapped to him. "What way?"
"She's a maiden," the healer said. "Then we marry her."
"You mean… let her husband lie with her?" the commander asked, brow raised.
Rafe nodded.
"It is lawful. It violates neither our customs nor our laws. She lives, and there are no legal consequences."
"The words rekindled a hope. In this impossible situation, it was the only realistic solution.
Bringing a woman to camp for pleasure was a grave offence. Marriage, however, was permitted, even within an army. Yet one obstacle remained.
"We would need her consent," he said. "How do you expect to obtain it? She isn't in her right mind."
As he spoke, he felt her weight pressing into his arms. He turned, only to see her eyelids shutting and her body sagging.
"No! She's losing consciousness!" Rafe exclaimed, noticing the abrupt changes.
"Wake up!" Kyren shook her frantically. "Wake up!"
His rank, his name, his very order… everything was at stake now. Cassian law showed no mercy in this matter, and he, with his knighthood, would bear the brunt of the punishment.
In haste, the healer uncorked a small vial and poured its contents between her lips, lifting her jaw to force her to swallow.
He looked at the commander in desperation and said, "I'll get her consent!"
***
Darkness ebbed into haze, and then flickers of light shimmered behind her eyelids.
Anna stirred, her lashes fluttering as the world slowly returned. She felt the softness beneath her, the warmth of the air, and then saw faces.
Her pounding head interrupted the moment.
"It hurts," she whispered, closing her eyes again.
"Can you hear me?" Rafe asked gently. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
She nodded weakly and reopened her eyes.
As the headache eased, she asked, "What happened?"
"You lost consciousness," Kyren answered, concealing what came before.
The healer leaned closer with a grave expression.
"My lady, you're in danger. You've been poisoned."
"Poi-soned…?" Anna looked at the healer, eyes wide.
"You were given a strong aphrodisiac," he explained. "Its effects are overwhelming your body."
She lowered her gaze, her thoughts scattering. The hot flashes, if she remembered them at all, felt hazy, like a half-remembered dream.
"I… I don't recall," she murmured.
"That's expected," he said gently. "It's a symptom of consuming the potion."
Anna's mind spun, unable to fully grasp her situation. Rafe's worry surfaced. He couldn't wait any longer as time was running out.
"I know this is sudden," he said firmly, "but you won't survive without intervention."
"You mean… I'll die?" she asked, eyes wide with terror.
"If—only if no intervention is taken," Rafe clarified.
He wanted to convey the gravity without crushing hope entirely.
"What… what kind of intervention?" she asked, confusion clouding her expression.
Rafe hesitated for only a moment before speaking. "To save you… You must marry."
"Marry?" she echoed faintly. "Why?"
"The poison will kill you if left untreated," he said. "The only way to counter it… is to lie with a man."
Her breath caught. She clutched the blanket to her chest, heart pounding, eyes full of panic.
"Please… calm yourself," the healer urged. "I know this is terrifying, but it's the only way. In Cassian, no man is allowed to touch a woman before marriage—"
"No… I—I—" Her voice broke, trembling as emotion overtook her.
The healer continued to explain, but the words barely registered. It didn't add up to her until—
"Arghh!" Her scream tore through the tent.
Her body seized in white-hot pain, tearing through her veins. She cried out, convulsing as tears streamed down her face, the agony stealing her breath.
The screams sent a ripple of unease through the camp, reaching not only the commander and the healer but also the men stationed outside.
"Commander, is something wrong?" Eric's voice called from beyond the canvas.
"Don't come in!" Kyren barked at once.
"But, Commander—"
"This is an order," he snapped. "I'm not alone, and no one is being harmed. Rafe is with me."
Silence followed. Footsteps shifted, then retreated… For now, his knights didn't question him.
Inside the tent, Anna gasped for breath, her body trembling in the aftermath of the pain.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, her skin burning from the hot flash—stronger, fiercer than before.
"Pl‑please… save me," she sobbed. The agony was merciless, tearing at her as she fought to stay conscious.
A large hand grasped her arm, and she sensed him. His skin was rough and calloused, but his hold was steady and reassuring.
"You'll be all right," Kyren said firmly. "I swear it."
Her chest heaved, fingers clutching the blanket, eyes wide and darting—but somehow, his presence made the tremor in her limbs ease.
Anna knew she stood at the edge of death. The way to survive was as the healer advised, and her desire to live overcame any thoughts of giving up.
She would be married, spared from shame, and not left to suffer alone.
With that resolve, she finally yielded.
***
"Let's speak."
Rafe carefully led Kyren outside after securing Anna's consent. They moved away, leaving the princess to rest on the bed once the heat flowing through her subsided.
It was a brief pause, a small moment before the poison would affect her again.
The knights watched intently, unease flickering in their eyes, yet none dared step forward—hesitating, lingering at the edge of the awkward scene.
"What now?" the commander asked.
"About the marriage… please," Rafe said, his tone low but urgent. "You must marry her."
"What the h*ll are you saying?" Kyren hissed, keeping his voice low, but his eyes glaring at the healer.
"You heard me! Marry her tonight and consummate the union. That is the only way," the healer insisted. "You took her in, so you are responsible for her."
The commander immediately shook his head, stepping back slightly.
"No… find another man," he refused.
"Where do you expect me to find a bachelor in the middle of the night? And someone willing to marry a stranger on the spot?" Rafe shot back, his patience fraying.
"Anyone from the knighthood will do," Kyren replied, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance.
"That won't happen!" the healer snapped. "No one in this camp will touch her. They all saw her in your arms when you brought her here. In their eyes, she's already yours."
"You must be joking," the commander scoffed.
"Joking?" Rafe's voice turned sharp. "Do you even understand what you've done? What does it mean to bring a maiden into a man's bed? What consequences will she bear? Even your men would refuse if you tried to marry her off to someone else!"
Kyren's fists clenched at his sides, veins standing taut along his forearms.
"I'm celibate, and you know why," he growled.
"Enough excuses," Rafe said harshly, stepping closer. "This is a matter of life and death! If you truly didn't want her to live, you would have left her in the forest. But you didn't. That means you care!"
"Marriage is a matter of the heart," the commander retorted.
"It can also be a matter of responsibility," the healer countered. "You promised her safety, Commander. If you are truly a Cassian man, you will honour her dignity!"
Rafe didn't wait for an answer. A fresh groan rose from inside the tent—ragged, desperate—and he rushed back at once. The hot flashes were returning.
The commander remained where he stood, drawing in a heavy breath.
His healer's words echoed in his mind. Yet, something deep within him refused to let the girl perish.
Resolution dawned upon him. A promise had been made, and he would see it kept. This was not merely a matter of saving a life—it was also a matter of honour and compassion.
Kyren turned sharply and beckoned to Eric, who stood at the other end.
The knight hurried over at once. "Yes, Commander!"
"Announce the camp."
The knight blinked. "What kind?"
"An announcement of my marriage."