The red sunset slowly sank behind the foot of the Dartrey Forest mountains.
Birds returned to their nests as dusk deepened, the sky fading into shades of violet and black.
One by one, stars shimmered into view, and the thin crescent moon emerged shyly overhead.
Lanterns were lit, and bonfires crackled to life.
The troops assigned to patrol had already departed earlier in the day, while the rest remained in camp on rotation. Should any emergency arise, they would be summoned at once.
Tonight was quiet. Only the soft chorus of nocturnal creatures accompanied the stillness of the forest.
At Rafe's firm insistence, the proposal to send Anna to Gerhard was ultimately discarded. The healer had strongly advised against travel—her body was still weak, and the journey would only worsen her condition.
More importantly, she needed emotional stability now. Forcing her away would only deepen her distress.
Aware that he was her only remaining kin and that her welfare was his responsibility, the commander did not refuse outright. The reasoning was solid, though he initially harboured some reservations.
The decision came later that evening, when Kyren finally returned to the tent after a long day of urgent matters, even with Eric's assistance.
"I won't send you to Gerhard," he said. "You'll stay here."
The princess had been sitting on the edge of the bed when he delivered the news.
Her eyes lit up instantly, relief flooding her expression.
"Thank you, Kyren! Thank you so much!"
"But," he added sternly, "don't complain later. This is a military camp, not a place of comfort. You follow the rules and endure the hardships. Understood?"
She nodded quickly.
"I promise! I won't be a burden to you!"
She even raised one hand to her chest as if swearing an oath.
Kyren allowed himself a faint smirk at her earnest gesture. Something about her stirred his heart in a way he couldn't quite name.
Though she had been left alone in the tent for half the day, she hadn't sulked or complained once. No nagging. No tears. Only quiet patience.
She endured with a tolerance and obedience unlike most women he had known. And strangely… even bruised and pale, she still greeted him with a soft smile when he returned, as though his presence alone was enough to brighten her.
Still, it was too early to judge.
He would continue to observe her. And for that, she needed to understand exactly who he was—and the weight of the position he carried.
"There's something else you should know," he said.
Anna looked up.
"What is it?"
"I'm the Knight Commander of Gerhard," he revealed.
Her eyes widened.
"A Knight Commander…?"
Her gaze travelled over him, sweeping from head to toe.
The tall frame. The commanding posture. The natural authority in his voice. The way others obeyed without hesitation.
It fit.
Though she had guessed he was a knight, she hadn't expected such a high rank. No wonder Rafe had spoken of 'the commander' earlier when asking about the salve—he had been referring to her husband all along. She simply hadn't realised it then.
"Yes," Kyren continued. "With that position comes responsibility. When duty calls, I must go… without excuse."
His gaze lingered on her frail figure as he emphasised the words. He had already said it once, and this was the second time.
It was not because he enjoyed repeating himself or boasting of his rank, but because he wanted her to understand what staying by his side truly meant.
There would be times when duty would pull him away without warning. Would she manage then, left alone for long stretches? How would she endure the rigid conditions of the camp, bound by drills, orders, and hardship?
She was small, delicate—too light in his arms, too easily shaken; the sort who winced at wounds and paled at the sight of blood, while he spent his days wading through both, cutting down foes without hesitation.
His world was steel, mud, and violence. Hers was softness and quiet fragility—timid, delicate, wholly unsuited for such hardship. In that sense, they felt impossibly far apart.
But Anna seemed to understand immediately.
"I'll recover quickly," she said. "I won't distract you from your duties, and… and I can take care of myself."
He nodded. Though he doubted she could truly manage as she claimed, her determination was clear enough.
"Good. Then let's rest. I've had a long day."
Following his words, the commander moved and extinguished the lanterns, dimming the tent.
"Could you… leave one on?" she asked softly. "I'm afraid of the dark."
He paused, his hand resting on the last lantern.
Afraid of the dark… and yet she insisted on staying in a knight's camp. How ironic.
The thought lingered, but he swallowed the comment and left the light burning.
When he returned to the bed, Anna instinctively shuffled away, curling herself at the far edge as though an invisible cliff separated them.
Kyren stopped short, one brow lifting.
"Why are you hiding over there?" he asked dryly. "Don't want me here? You do realise this is my bed."
"No! That's not it!" she replied at once.
She fidgeted with the blanket, twisting the fabric in her fingers as warmth crept up her neck.
"I-I've just… never slept beside a man before."
A low chuckle escaped him, deep and faintly amused.
"We did more than sleep last night," he reminded her.
The princess's face flushed an even deeper crimson.
Last night had been their wedding night. She knew what must have happened… but—
"I don't remember…" she admitted, voice small.
Kyren raised a brow. "You don't remember any of it?"
She shook her head faintly.
"The last thing I remember… was you saying everything would be all right."
Strange. Rafe had said her memories would return in full. Perhaps this part hadn't caught up yet.
He let her be.
Not long after, a wolf's long howl drifted through the night—thin, sharp, and distant in the darkness.
Anna flinched, shrinking into herself.
The sound pulled her back to the forest—to running blindly through the dark, to the burning barracks behind her, to that crushing, endless fear of being alone.
"Kyren… are you asleep?" she whispered.
"I'm awake."
"Can I… come closer?"
"I thought you didn't like being near me," he teased.
"I wouldn't dare! You're my husband!"
He didn't need more words to sense her fear. She was too simple to hide it.
"Come here."
She edged closer, hoping the nearness might ease the tight knot of anxiety in her chest.
Before she could settle, a firm arm suddenly circled her waist and pulled her in. She nearly shrieked at the abrupt movement, clapping a hand over her mouth at the last second.
Nevertheless, he was her husband. He had every right to have her.
Heat rushed to the princess's face. For a fleeting second, her thoughts ran wild—thinking he might want something… something more intimate from her.
But he didn't.
Instead, he rested her head against his chest and secured an arm around her figure, holding her in place as though shielding her.
She stiffened at first—then slowly relaxed.
His warmth… his scent of musk and leather… the steady rhythm of his heartbeat…
It felt safe. Strangely safe… As if nothing in the world could reach her while he held her.
His hand patted her shoulder absentmindedly.
Before long, her breathing evened, and sleep claimed her quietly.
Kyren stared at the tent ceiling for a while.
Marriage had never been in his plans. Women had never interested him. Yet somehow… this fragile girl had slipped past every wall he'd built.
He exhaled.
Whatever this feeling was, he didn't understand it.
But for tonight, he didn't mind holding her.
***
Five days passed quietly.
Little by little, Anna adjusted to her new life as the commander's wife. Just as the unfamiliar began to feel almost normal, something unexpected occurred.
One morning, she woke to an empty space beside her.
Kyren—who had always been there—was gone.