Rafe stood still, watching the back of the commander leaving him.
Just then, Eric, Garin and Ayden approached from behind to his side. The three men had been stalking the healer and Kyren, having their conversation from a distance.
"So, how's my student, Rafael? Did he 'graduate'?" Eric piped up a question, elbowing Rafe's arm.
The healer didn't answer as he was irritated by the name 'Rafael'. It was his real name, which had not been used for a long time. No one called him that except for the knight.
Garin raised his head as he narrowed his eyes at Kyren's figure, who was getting farther away from them.
"Why does the commander look so upset?" Ayden wondered.
"He argued with his wife this morning. Better not bother him for now. He's not in a good mood," answered Rafe.
"Finally, he's no longer a virgin! Oh, how proud I am! He did what I taught him."
Eric smiled big. He was thrilled with his success in making the grand duke a real man.
"What kind of lesson did you teach him?"
The healer turned his eyes to Eric, who was still smiling, frowning.
Last night, the knight took over the lesson to the grand duke and communicated with him privately. The healer had no idea what the 'Love Coach' did that made the virgin prince willing to proceed with the consummation bravely.
"That, Rafael, if you want to know, I shall whisper it to your ear on your wedding day. I promise that!" Eric laughed out loud.
Rafe pouted. The knight's behaviour always annoyed him.
"No, thank you! I think I can handle my wedding night on my own. And please stop calling me Rafael. For the love of God, it's Rafe! R-A-F-E! Rafe!"
The healer curled his lips. Stomping his feet, he walked away, leaving the three men baffled.
"Sir Navin, I suggest you quit before he puts a laxative in your food. He's been blabbing about it quite frequently lately," Ayden, the assistant healer, advised as he looked straight into the knight's eyes with a solemn face.
"Oh, come on! Don't be so sensitive! It's his real name. I'm not teasing him or anything," Eric replied, defending himself.
"I don't know why he hates it, but I'm sure you do since you have known each other for so long. Don't say I didn't warn you," Ayden reminded him.
"I didn't know that Rafe is sensitive," Garin interrupted with a wondering face. He stroked his stubbled chin as his eyebrows were drawn up together.
"Let him be… We have another exciting drama coming on." Eric's lips curved up. His grey eyes shone as the thought emerged in his mind. He had been thinking about it for a while.
"What drama?" Garin enquired with a frown as he turned to the knight.
"The newlywed couple, of course. The whole kingdom will be in an uproar when this marriage news gets to His Majesty," said Eric with a smirk.
The knight's remarks made sense. Both Ayden and Garin nodded simultaneously. Then, they glanced at each other in worry.
They recalled the day when Kyren, the Crown Prince of Cassian, announced that he would give up his entitlement as the rightful heir to the throne and swore allegiance to his brother, Prince Kyden Raychard.
The people were surprised.
However, the most shocking news was his proclamation that he would become celibate. The gathered fans of the crown prince could not accept the fact and caused a riot in the courtyard.
The entire ceremony had to be stopped immediately, and to prevent the maidens from crushing the crown prince on stage, the knights and guards became a barricade against them.
The knights were not severely hurt due to their high resilience from years of strenuous training, but some guards suffered broken ribs and were wounded. The healers and their assistants had a long, endless day treating the casualties.
It was a nightmare to remember.
Ayden and Garin were apprehensive about the possibility of the same occurrence happening again. With the current updates, the commotion could be worse.
At this point, they could only pray that the fans of the Grand Duke of Gerhard would spare their lives once, knowing that he was already married.
***
The sobbing voice resonated in the tent.
Crouching on the bed, Anna wept continuously. Her eyes and nose were red, and her cheeks were wet with tears. Her shoulders drooped, and she felt hopeless.
She had lost everything she had. Even her last pride as a maiden was gone.
Anna could not take it anymore. She wanted to end this pain and sorrow. What was the purpose of living if it only brought her grief and suffering?
'Promise me that you'll survive no matter what it takes.'
The words of Clara, her escort who perished in the blazing flame, pierced her heart like a shard of glass.
Her tears trickled down. Why did she make such a promise?
She felt so unworthy of living. She had always thought that she was irrelevant. She was just a princess by title and never raised as one. No one felt that she was important until the whole royal family of Ardel perished.
'What should I do? Where should I go?'
She curled up her fingers tightly. Her hands trembled when a thought came to her mind. What if the stout man returned and r*ped her again?
The fear made Anna's heart pump harder.
She must escape from this place before he comes back. She started to move from the bed despite the soaring pain and soreness all over her body. She tried to stand up with her wobbly feet but only managed to take a step before she flopped helplessly to the floor. Her feet were severely injured.
Just then, the jumbling memories from last night came rushing through her head like a flood. It took a while for her to process.
Anna wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks. Her memories had returned. The man who claimed to be her husband did not lie. He was telling the truth. She recalled everything except for her wedding night.
"Oh, God!"
Anna's face turned red as she recollected her wild acts from last night. Her hands covered her mouth, and her eyes widened from the shock.
Then, she heard the rustling of the tent flap being flipped and saw the man entering.
Kyren looked at his bride, who had stopped crying and sat helplessly on the floor. He approached her with his long stride.
Anna glanced at him for a moment before averting her gaze. Her face reddened as the man stood before her and asked,
"Now, do you remember everything?"
The princess nodded timidly. She could not lift her head to face him.
"I'm sorry." The words came out of her bruised lips slowly.
"Forget about it. You didn't remember," he replied coldly. There was a moment of silence between them.
"You shouldn't be on the floor. Can you get up?" he asked again.
Anna tried to stand up with her shaky legs. Seeing that she was having difficulty, Kyren helped to hold her shoulders and sat her on the edge of the bed.
"Thank you, Sir," said Anna.
"Not Sir. It's Kyren. Kyren Raychard. I'm your husband, remember?" he told her.
"Yes, Sir... I mean, Ky... Kyren," she stammered hesitantly.
She wondered if calling him by his first name was appropriate since they were unfamiliar with each other. It seemed too much of an endearment.
The man looked at his bride's figure, which was still wrapped in the blanket. She looked pitiful, like a lost kitten in distress.
"What's your name?" he asked. This time, his tone of voice was softer than before.
"Anna," she replied curtly.
"I mean your full name," he continued.
The princess looked up.
Her pitiful eyes stared at the man towering over her. He was a fine-figured man with captivating looks. Yet somehow, he emanated an intimidating aura when she faced him.
Anna wanted to tell him who she was. However, she hesitated at the thought. She didn't know anything about this man, and she was uncertain it was the right thing to do.
Would he believe her if she told him that she was the Princess of Ardel?
"Anna Raychard," she answered nervously.
Kyren chuckled at her reply. This woman got the nerve to introduce herself like this.
"Fine, Anna Raychard. So tell me. Since you're already using my surname, does this mean you will stay?" he asked.
Anna blinked a few times before asking back, "Stay? Here?"
"I'm asking whether you're going to stay as my wife. Because if you don't want to, you can leave, or I can send you back to where you come from," Kyren explained.
The princess was silent.
She looked down with cloudy eyes. Her chest fell tight, and the sadness pervading her heart was trying to overtake her, but she steadfastly held her tears at the brim of her eyes.
"I don't have anywhere else to go."
Anna's voice was faint and full of sorrow. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of the blanket covering her body.
"What about your family and friends?" The princess shook her head at the question. Tears began to flow from her eyes.
"I've nobody. They all have died. I'm the only one left."
Kyren's lips closed.
She was an orphan. A girl who was about to be sold as a slave and nearly r*ped by the slave trader. Knowing the fact, she looked even more pitiful than before.
"If you choose to stay, I will treat you fairly," said Kyren.
"You won't abandon me, would you?"
Her soft voice reached his ears. Her emerald eyes glistened with tears, and her bruised lips quivered when she asked the question.
"There is no reason for me to do that. You're my responsibility," he replied.
Anna felt relieved.
Finally, she was able to escape from the grip of the slave traders. She had a place to stay and a person to rely on. Although she was scared of this stranger, she had no better option.
"Thank you."
"Since you've decided so, I expect you'll perform your duty as my wife," Kyren demanded.
It was a fair request that she could not deny.
"Yes, I understand," she replied and obediently nodded.