"Can I…?"
Those doe eyes lifted toward the commander, filled with quiet hope.
Kyren pressed his lips together. This was the first time Anna had ever made such a request of him.
"Are you sure you're already well?" he asked, a slight frown creasing his brow.
"I'm perfectly fine. I told you—I wasn't hurt," she replied earnestly.
The commander fell silent, considering.
Her request wasn't strange at all. In fact, it was simple—something anyone would want.
Just the freedom to walk around.
Kyren knew his wife had remained quietly in his tent and never wandered at will.
Nearly a month confined to the same space, she ventured out only when necessary, without complaint or restlessness. She was far too compliant, far too calm for someone kept inside for so long.
Even he would have grown irritated in her place. Yet Anna endured it with remarkable patience, spending her days buried in books, page after page, sometimes rereading them without a hint of boredom.
Where did such composure come from?
More astonishing still was the fact that she had stayed so unassumingly in a camp filled with men without stirring attention or trouble of any kind, especially during his absence.
That, more than anything else, left him quietly amazed.
Judging by all this, perhaps he had been too rigid with her.
She deserved more than restraint and silent watchfulness. He should treat her less like someone to be contained and more like a woman to be trusted.
"…Fine. You can go."
Anna's eyes lit up instantly.
"Thank you so much!"
A bright smile curved her lips, radiant enough to draw the commander's attention at once.
For some reason, an ominous feeling tightened his chest.
What if the knights saw her smiling like this?
They had been without women for months.
Kyren knew his men well—their conversations rarely strayed from the campaign, their combat prowess, their achievements… and, inevitably, women.
Letting them indulge in wild thoughts about his wife was something he would never allow.
"But you won't walk alone," he added at once. "I'll assign an escort."
"An escort?" she blinked. "You won't be accompanying me?"
"I have work to do," he replied. "You'd only waste time waiting for me."
"Is an escort really necessary?" Anna asked softly. "I'm not going far—just within the camp."
"This place is full of men," Kyren said calmly. "My subordinates won't harm you, but you don't know them. An escort would be prudent."
She nodded, accepting his reasoning.
Soon after, a knight arrived at the tent at the commander's summons.
He had obsidian eyes and jet-black hair, his build solid and well-trained, though slightly shorter than Kyren.
His face was stern, his steps firm—everything about him spoke of experience.
"This is Noah Brooks," Kyren introduced. "One of my best knights. He'll be your escort for the next few days."
"My lady." Noah bowed respectfully.
"Hello, Sir Brooks," Anna replied, nodding a little hesitantly.
Her eyes lingered on him for a moment.
There was something similar about him and her husband—an intimidating, overbearing presence.
Though if she had to compare the two, Kyren still felt far more imposing.
"Go on," the commander said. "I'll be busy the whole day. Don't wait for me at lunch."
Anna hesitated. "Are you leaving the camp?"
"No. Only meetings and other duties. Go ahead and do as you wish," he replied, nodding toward the tent flap.
"When will you be free?" she asked.
"Late afternoon. I'll find you."
She nodded again, visibly pleased.
Anna and her escort stepped out of the tent, and for a moment she simply paused, taking it all in—the open air, the movement of soldiers, the sounds of a living camp. It felt strangely liberating now that she was free to move at will.
"Where does my lady wish to go first?" Noah asked, standing at her right.
"To the infirmary," she answered brightly. "I want to see Ayden."
"Very well."
***
As they approached, voices rose in protest from within.
"It's 'kallar', not 'kaller'! It means to dissolve it in water!" Ayden argued.
"No, it doesn't," Rafe countered. "It means to transform it into liquid form."
The disagreement dragged on, with neither man refusing to give way.
Anna peeked in from the entrance.
"Pardon me, may I come in?"
Both men froze mid-argument.
"My lady?" Ayden exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to look for you. I haven't seen you for days," she replied.
She stepped inside with Noah following behind.
Both men were startled when they noticed the knight.
"You?" Rafe frowned. "Why are you with the lady?"
"Oh—he's my escort," Anna answered quickly. "Kyren said I could walk around as long as someone accompanied me."
"He's your escort?" Ayden repeated, disbelief written all over his face.
"Temporarily," she added. "My husband has just assigned him."
The two shared a brief, cautious look. Something about the knight sat wrong with them, but neither pressed the issue since the order came from the commander himself.
"Please," the healer said warmly, "have a seat and make yourself comfortable."
His assistant promptly brought a chair for the lady, while her escort stood off to the side, observant. The princess thanked them and sat.
"Are you feeling better now?" Rafe asked after a brief pause.
"Yes. I'm well," Anna replied with a bright smile. "Thank you for the treatment."
She kept her shawl drawn snugly around her neck and chest. That 'small incident' was known only to the healer and his assistant.
Most of the marks and bruises had faded, though faint traces still lingered if one looked closely. It was better to keep them hidden, lest they draw unwanted attention.
Both men nodded, visibly relieved. It seemed the commander had kept his word after all.
"What is it you need my assistance with?" Ayden asked.
"Not assistance, really," Anna replied lightly. "I was permitted to walk around, so I thought I'd stop by. I'm not interrupting, am I?"
"Not at all!" Ayden answered at once. "It's a pleasure to have you here. A change of scenery is always good for clearing the mind—and fresh eyes often catch what we miss."
"That's true," she said, clearly content.
Then, she continued, curiosity softening her voice. "If you don't mind me asking… earlier, I overheard you discussing a translation. The word sounded like Ro'an."
Ayden's eyes lit up.
"Ah—yes!" Ayden brightened at once. "You've come at exactly the right time. We were debating the meaning of a particular word."
He tapped the open page beside him.
"It appears in an old Ro'an text. Great reference, but the phrasing here is quite troublesome."
He grabbed the book from the table and handed it to her, showing the content.
"Which translation is correct for this word? Dissolve in water or transform to liquid?"
Anna read aloud the whole line.
"Mittrar ré kallar en salven andani…"
Both men looked at her, surprised by how effortlessly the old language slipped from her lips. Even Noah's gaze grew sharper.
"Literally, it means 'to transform into liquid,'" she explained.
"Yes!"
Rafe struck his fist lightly against his palm in satisfaction, while Ayden's mouth twisted into an unmistakable pout.
"But within the full context, it implies dissolving the ingredients in water. So… both of you are partially right." Anna added.
Ayden grinned triumphantly. "I told you she's proficient in Ro'an!"
Rafe nodded in agreement. "That language isn't easy to master. Where did you learn it?"
"My teacher… and books in Constance," she replied softly.
He smiled. "I see. So you have received a formal education."
"Well… sort of," she said, clearly not wanting to elaborate.
She looked down at the book in her hands, trying to divert the conversation. However, as her eyes briefly skimmed the page, recognition suddenly dawned.
"This looks like a medical formula… for an injury remedy," she said, her attention drawn fully to the text.
"Exactly," Ayden replied with a weary sigh. "Thanks to our healer's ambitious ideas, I've been buried in translating it properly. That's why I couldn't come visit you."
The healer smirked, unmistakably pleased.
"Didn't you say you were learning?" he teased. "And that you had the best teacher, no less."
"I'm an amateur, Mr Amares! Do spare me!" Ayden groaned. "At least I got it half right just now!"
Anna didn't interrupt their exchange. Her eyes were still fixed on the text.
"Are you developing a new potion?" she asked at last, curiosity threading her voice.
"We're trying to improve the remedy we already use," Rafe explained. "This is from an old Ro'an medical text. The formula itself is ancient, but Ro'an medicine is the foundation of many modern treatments. Understanding its original principles helps us refine what we have now and make it more effective, more stable."
"I see…" She nodded lightly.
Anna's eyes lingered on the page, her interest quietly building.
The symbols were very much familiar to her, patterns she recognised, and easily understood. Almost without thinking, she spoke again.
"If you'd like," she offered, unable to hide the spark in her expression, "I could help with the translation."
Both men stared at her.
"You would?" Ayden asked, eyes lighting up at once.
"I've nothing much to do anyway," Anna replied lightly. "It would help pass the time, and if it benefits the camp as well, then all the better, wouldn't it?"
The suggestion settled pleasantly in the air.
For the princess, it brought relief from the quiet, monotonous routine—something meaningful to occupy her mind.
For the healers, it was an unexpected gift: someone fluent in an old tongue they struggled with daily.
Rafe studied her in silence. From what he had already seen, Anna's command of Ro'an was not merely passable—it was precise, confident, and scholarly, far beyond what one might expect.
It was undeniably useful. Yet, one thing was a concern.
"Does the commander mind?" the healer asked carefully.
"He said I could spend the day as I wished."
"That would help immensely," Ayden said at once.
The princess smiled—quietly proud of having a new purpose.
***
As Anna worked alongside Ayden, Rafe quietly stepped away and approached Noah.
"I want a word with you."
"I'm on duty," the knight replied flatly, his gaze flicking towards the princess, who was engrossed in her work. "I can't let her out of my sight."
"She's not going to vanish into thin air," the healer said sharply. "It will only take a moment."
Noah's jaw tightened. "…Fine."
Outside the tent, the knight crossed his arms. "What is it?"
"Why are you her escort?" Rafe asked without preamble. "You don't take assignments without reason."
"You heard her yourself. The commander appointed me."
"I don't believe you accepted it willingly."
Noah's eyes hardened. "And what business is that of yours?"
"You dig into people's secrets for profit," Rafe snapped. "If you're up to something—"
"Don't you dare bring up my past!" Noah hissed. "You've no right."
"Past or present," Rafe shot back, "you never change! That's who you are!"
"Screw you!"
Their voices sharpened, the air between them tightening.
"If I find you causing trouble for her," Rafe warned, "I won't let it go."
Before Noah could respond—
"What's going on?"
Anna stood at the entrance, brows drawn together in confusion.
Both men cleared their throats at once, turning away from each other. The rising tension dissipated instantly under her gaze.
"Nothing, my lady," Rafe said smoothly. "We're just discussing work."
Noah neither confirmed nor denied it, standing stiff and expressionless as usual.
Anna looked between them, unconvinced, but she did not press the matter.
She had heard enough to know it wasn't a friendly exchange—yet some things were better left untouched, mainly when they did not concern her directly.
"Were you looking for me?" Rafe asked, redirecting the moment.
"Yes…" she hesitated, then continued, "The translation may take some time. I was wondering—would it be all right if my escort and I had lunch here?"
"Of course," the healer replied with a polite smile. "I'll have the squires informed."
Anna nodded and returned inside.
The moment she was gone, Rafe cast a sidelong glance at Noah who trailed her.
Worry crept into his chest. He could only hope that the knight's presence would not bring harm to the lady.