"We'll have the post-mortem meeting now. Gather in the main tent," Kyren ordered his men as he held the rein of his warhorse and loped slowly into the entrance.
Fifteen men returned with him. Ten of them were the previously dispatched knights on duty, and five were his escorts and the healer. The clip-clop of the warhorses slowed and finally halted, allowing the squires on standby to approach the team and welcome them.
The commander's sharp blue eyes gazed upon the camp. The atmosphere was calm, with the summer breeze blowing slowly. It seemed everything was in order as he had left it.
Then, something peculiar caught his sight. In the distance, in the middle of the path leading to his tent, a woman stood, hesitantly looking at him. His eyes stared at her for a moment before his pupils began to dilate.
Like being punched in the chest, his heart started to pound hard with an ache at the figure he saw. As quick as a flash, he jumped down from the warhorse, hastily disarming his gauntlets and throwing them to the ground. The squire quickly picked it up.
Anna's breathing quickened, trying to appease her need for the air. Her hand was on her chest as she saw him right before her watery eyes.
'It's him! He's truly back!'
The princess felt the surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins as her heart almost burst out of her chest. In the corner of her eyes, everything seemed to be a blur. The tears that she had been holding back steadfastly were flowing endlessly.
At that moment, she lost her self-control. Unheeding the stares of the armies, Anna thrust her bare calves to the ground and sprinted to him.
Her body bumped into the tall, muscular Knight Commander armed with his armour. Her two little hands caught Kyren's waist and enveloped it. Her wet face landed on the hard breastplate.
The bizarre union of the couple drew the attention of the onlookers. It was a sight to behold.
The whole ground was in complete silence as all eyes darted to them, wide and large, bewildered by the sight. Only Anna's sobbing was heard.
The commander's large arms, freed from the gauntlets, now embraced the princess closely but carefully so as not to crush her as her tears fell. The iron steel of the armour felt cold on her cheeks and wafted the smell of fresh grass mixed with dirt and a hint of fishy blood.
"It's fine now. I'm right here."
The low masculine voice that had faded three weeks ago rang in Anna's ears. She conquered him further with her embrace as if not wanting to let go.
Kyren's big hand rubbed the back of her head gently, feeling the shiny and wavy auburn hair flowing over the princess's shoulders while the other held her waist. Once very thin, her petite figure now felt fuller in his arms.
"Let me look at you," Kyren whispered to her ear and broke the hug after a while.
Still in her sobs, Anna moved slightly to retreat, holding his hand. The commander lifted her chin and stared at her bright face.
Her once hollowed cheeks were now plump and rosy. Her emerald eyes glistened with tears, and her pink lips were full, looking so sweet and tender, even in her cries.
A thin smile spread on the prince's lips when he saw her glowing face. She was totally unlike the image in his memory.
"You look... different. In a good way," he said. He wanted to say 'pretty', but the word was stuck in his throat.
"I... I... I want to look presentable for you. So, I... I...," Anna's quavering voice shook between her cries, making her unable to finish.
Kyren smirked at her reply and slowly wiped her tears with his calloused fingers. The skin of her face felt so soft at his touch.
"You really are a crybaby," he teased her.
His arm pulled her back into his embrace, causing Anna to burst into tears again.
"Stop crying, Anna," Kyren coaxed her.
"I'm sorry... I don't intend to...," she replied, sobbing.
"Did anything happen when I was gone?" asked the commander in concern.
"No."
"Then, why are you crying so much?"
Kyren held Anna's shoulders and pushed her gently to see her face again. Anna sniffled her nose.
"You were gone for so long. You didn't even say goodbye when you left," she replied.
By now, her cries had slowly subsided, leaving traces of dampness in her face, along with a reddened nose and cheeks.
"It was an emergency. I must fulfil my duty."
Kyren wiped her remaining tears gently.
"I was worried about you. I thought something had happened. Are you hurt?" she asked as she looked him in the face with round eyes.
"I'm fine. You shouldn't be out here. You should have waited in the tent," he reminded her.
"I did! I waited for you just like you told me to. But there was no news about you. I was scared!" she replied with a creased forehead.
"You could've just waited."
The princess could not argue with his reply, so she remained docile.
Kyren suddenly frowned his fine brows as he saw something unpleasing to his eyes when he looked down.
"Did you run here without wearing anything on your feet?" He threw the question with a tight voice.
His gaze turned up, and he stared at her without a blink. Anna inclined her head and saw her toes covered in dirt. She just realised that she was barefooted.
"I forgot about them." The commander let out a sigh.
In an instant, Anna felt her body seized by her husband and floated in the air. Before she knew it, she was carried in his arms, bridal style. The princess yelped from the sudden movement and flailed her hands. Reaching for support, she quickly held his neck firmly.
When she was lifted in his arms, Anna saw the gazing eyes of the men behind her husband's back. The returning knights, still on their horses, looked at the couple in astonishment.
Some even had their jaws wide open as if it was the strangest scene they had ever seen. Then, only the princess noticed that everybody was looking at them.
Her warm blood flowed to her face in a rush.
"Kyren, it's all right. I can walk on my own," she said in a quiet voice.
"You could've hurt your feet again. You have just recovered."
"But, everyone is looking," she whispered to his ears in embarrassment.
As much as she could, Anna tried to hide herself in her husband's broad chest from the watching eyes.
"I know," he replied in a stern voice without even looking at her, displaying an uneased look on his face.
"You know?"
"You should've thought about that before you came running to me barefooted," he spoke coldly.
Anna was speechless at his words.
Kyren's gaze turned left and right. It stopped when the two guards supposed to look after his wife were caught in his sight, looking nervous.
"Disband the group. Get the guards on duty and punish them with ten floggings each for failing to watch over my wife." The commander's voice resounded in the air.
Anna's body shook upon hearing the order.
"No! Please don't hurt them! I'm the one who asked them to let me go!" she implored.
"Received order from an unauthorised person. Add more ten floggings!" he declared.
Anna's mouth pursed.
In a flash, the man who had been gentle and attentive to her had become so intimidating and exuded a strong, dominating, and dangerous aura. The knights quickly responded and haled the two guards to be punished. They begged for forgiveness, but the knights ignored them.
"Kyren, please —" her voice dwindled.
"Do you want me to add more, Anna?" he asked her in a low deep voice.
Her head shook vigorously. The commander was obviously intolerant of rules and orders. His question just now was a clear warning to her not to interfere in his decision.
"What about the post-mortem meeting, commander?"
A voice came from among the returning knights. Drystan was the one who asked.
"Postpone it!" he ordered.
"Yes, commander," the knight replied, obeying his order.
Carrying Anna in his arms, Kyren strode to his tent, leaving the onlookers. The knights from the returning team watched as the couple moved away from them.
"I think Sir Henderson's jaw is already dislocated. You better punch him in the face to mend it," Drystan told Luke, another knight on his left while glancing at Eli, whose mouth was agape with incredulity.
"Who would have thought our commander is so infatuated with his wife? I was already getting goosebumps," replied Luke as he wriggled his shoulders.
"Yeah, I thought I was hallucinating, and he had become someone else. But, when he ordered the punishment, I realised it was really him," another knight named Damon, beside Drystan, agreed.
"Hallucinating? It's more like a romantic play. I've never anticipated that a celibate could turn into an adoring husband. He must be so delightful to receive such a warm welcome from his wife," Rafe, who was among them, spoke up.
"We would rather see him in his usual behaviour than what we saw just now. No one has seen him like that. I swear!" Eli finally voiced out.
He had a flabbergasted expression written all over his face.
Rafe chuckled at the young knight.
Looking at Anna's appearance, it seemed his assistant had done a great job of recovering their patient quickly. He could not be more than thankful for Ayden's diligence.
"So, Sir Navin, when would the post-mortem meeting be held? The commander had never postponed it before. Is it going to be tonight?" Garin asked Eric, the commander's right-hand man, changing the subject.
"Naah…. The commander won't be out of his tent tonight. Trust me!"
Eric grinned, leapt down from his warhorse, and handed the rein to one of the squires, leaving the knights to exchange glances in surprise.