"Come, Anna," Kyren said as he led his hand to his wife.
Anna responded by putting her delicate fingers on his calloused palm.
As they stepped out of the tent, she asked, "Where are we going?"
"We're going to take a walk outside the campsite," he replied.
"Outside the campsite? Into the forest?" she raised her eyebrows, giving him a questioning look.
"There's a marigold field nearby, just before the campsite."
His voice was deep, rich, and cheerful when he mentioned the place. A smile etched on his lips as he continued.
"We're going there for a stroll. Will it be fine for you?"
"Sure, that will be great!" Anna responded with a smile.
The princess was delighted to take a walk with her husband. Clasping their hands together, they looked like lovers going on a date.
As they started walking towards the campsite entrance, the knights' eyes began to stare at them. They bowed respectfully to the couple who walked side by side, holding hands as they passed along the way.
The knights started whispering among themselves while looking at the pair. It was no longer a secret that the commander had much affection for his wife.
Having the opportunity to spend time with Kyren was already exciting for Anna. When they reached the area, the princess's eyes glimmered in awe.
The scenery was breathtaking, as a vibrant display of field marigolds covered the ground. The flowers thrived under the sun, attracting various insects and birds.
A refreshing summer breeze blew and fluttered Anna's loose hair. In the distance, they could see the verdant array of coniferous trees that filled Dartrey Forest.
"It's beautiful!" Anna excitedly exclaimed.
Suddenly, she felt a cloak draped over her shoulders.
"It's windy. I don't want you to get sick," said Kyren as he adjusted the cloak properly and tied the knot to prevent it from falling.
"Thank you," she uttered brightly.
The commander's eyes stilled momentarily at this sight. Her smile amid the serene view captivated him.
"You have a beautiful smile," he said as his piercing blue eyes stared deeply into her face.
Anna looked away bashfully. This was the first time Kyren praised her as such.
"Your hair is nice too. Let it down like this when you're with me. I like to see it fluttering this way," he said, looking at her auburn hair tousled by the breeze.
"All right," she replied shyly.
The gust of wind hit Anna's face. Her husband quickly held her shoulders with his arm as if he was steadying her from it.
"We can go out like this whenever I'm free and not on duty," he said as he looked over the field.
"When will you be on duty again?" she asked, brushing her flying hair behind her ear.
"I don't have a fixed schedule like my subordinates. As you know, I must respond to aid requests, reinforcements, or incidents at the border fence," he replied.
"That means you might need to leave the camp anytime, depending on the case," she guessed.
"You're right."
The conversation continued as they walked through the field, enjoying the scenery.
"I knew about the campaign from Rafe and Ayden. Won't there be an end to it?" she asked curiously.
"It will end. When the slave market in the City of Tarnova is closed permanently," he replied.
"It will only be closed if slavery is ceased in Dracor. That seems to imply the impossible to happen." Anna's expression was grim.
"You're quick to assess," the commander responded, stealing a glance at her.
"There must be numerous related crime cases for His Majesty to initiate the campaign," she assumed.
"How do you relate?" asked Kyren, who wanted to test his wife's wisdom.
"Traded slaves are usually mistreated, and they will easily become disabled or, worse, die. When that happens, the traders will quickly replace the slaves for their businesses. The settlement within the Cassian border will be an easy target as it was out of Dracor's jurisdiction," she explained.
The answer drew a subtle smirk on Kyren's lips. Again, his wife had given him a bizarre reply. She was indeed an intelligent lady with extraordinary talent.
"You never cease to amaze me whenever you say your opinion, Anna."
A flutter of flattery coursed through her.
"Thank you."
"Honestly, I want to know more about you. Since we got married, we haven't properly introduced ourselves and gotten to know each other," Kyren revealed his purpose for the outing.
His remarks were greeted by a moment of silence. The princess's eyes shook as her heart wavered like an erratic tide.
'Should I reveal myself to him?'
Question after question hit her mind as soon as she thought about it.
Would Kyren accept an incompetent princess like her after learning her background?
Would he look down on her like her father and stepmother once did?
Would he think of her as a burden like them?
Anna was scared to think of the answers. All she knew was that she was happy now. Even without any luxury, title and power, she was already content with what she had. She did not want her current life to change.
The princess's previous life was not as enjoyable as people think. She was trapped in the castle, hidden from the world and treated as insignificant.
"Nothing is interesting about me," she reluctantly replied.
"You could at least introduce yourself to me. Don't I deserve the right to know who my wife is?"
It was not even a strange question that was out of the norm. Nevertheless, it was hard for Anna to give a proper answer.
The princess inhaled deeply before asking, "What do you want to know about me?"
"Why don't we start with your name? By that, I mean your maiden name."
It was a fair request. He had already told her his full name on the first day of their marriage, and at that time, out of hesitancy and uncertainty, she took his surname when introducing herself to him.
Clenching her fists, Anna opened her mouth.
"Anna Varryn."
"Varryn? That's your family name?" he asked to reaffirm.
The princess looked down and answered in a quiet voice, "Yes."
Kyren smiled. By now, he understood that his wife was trying to conceal her true identity.
Unbeknownst to the princess, the Grand Duke of Gerhard, who had been the Crown Prince of Cassian, had extensive knowledge of the kings' names of the five kingdoms; 'Varryn' was the alias name of King Adhemar IV of Ardel.
"It's a nice name. Sounds like a king's name." He paused, letting his words sink into her ears. "And you are as pretty as a princess."
Kyren intentionally provoked her with the remarks to see her reaction. Anna stopped walking, and his matching steps also halted simultaneously.
She turned to him and asked, "What did you call me?"
Her face was solemn.
"A princess. Why?" He shot back his gaze to her.
"Please don't call me that! I'm not a princess."
"Oh... So you're commoner?" Another question slid in.
"Does it matter to you which class I am in?" A trepidation jutted through her asking tone.
"No," he replied curtly.
"I'm just nobody and unimportant... My family has passed away. My father, stepmother and younger brother... all died two years ago," she said with a gloomy face.
"I'm sorry to hear that. My condolence to you," he said, noticing her saddened face.
"It's all in the past."
They continued walking. This time, he held her hand again.
"So, you've been living alone then?" Kyren continued to ask.
"I lived with my friends."
"No relatives?" Anna shook her head.
"There were some who claimed so after my family died. But, I don't know them at all."
She remembered those faces who came to see her and professed themselves as part of the royal families. However, all of them were just distant relatives who had no right to inherit the throne. They flocked to her like bees to honey, eager to gain any benefit they could from the demise.
"Sounds like they were trying to take advantage of you."
She nodded.
"It was obvious. They never appeared before."
"How old were you when this happened?" he asked further.
"Seventeen."
"Ah... That means you're nineteen now. We've got quite a gap. I'm twenty-six." Kyren smirked.
"No wonder you look so mature. However, ascending as the Knight Commander at this age is quite young. In Ardel, the Knight Commander of a knighthood that I knew was way older than you."
"How did you know him?" he asked.
"My friend was a knightess. So, I knew a little bit," she said, reminiscing when the whole army of Ardel was presented before her.
"You're right. It is considered young for my age to be in this position. But I wouldn't be if it weren't for my skills and experiences. I've trained since I was a kid."
"What about yourself, then? I don't know much about you too," she asked in return.
"There's not much to tell about me. I've been serving His Majesty since three years ago and the previous king before that. Most of my time is spent on the battlefields, frontier, commotions, riots, and so on. If I'm not dispatched for duty, I'll be training my knights in the training ground," he replied.
They both walked towards a shady tree at the edge of the field as they continued the chat.
"And your family?" she asked.
"My parents have passed away. My only sibling is my younger brother. He's staying in Gantz, the capital of Cassian. He's married and has two daughters," he continued.
"You're lucky. You still got a sibling," Anna spoke up.
There was sadness in her voice.
The princess was reminded of her brother, the brown-eyed and brown-haired Crown Prince Ryan. He was the only member of her family who was kind to her. His sweet laugh and teasing had always comforted the lonely Anna.
"You had only one sibling?" She nodded to his question.
"Yes. He was my half-brother. We had different mothers," she explained.
"What about your real mother?"
"She passed away when I was born," she replied.
"I see. My father passed away three years ago. My mother followed after a few months. She was heartbroken and couldn't bear the grieving."
Kyren looked ahead, recalling the bitter memories.
"It hurts when we lose a loved one. No one wants to be left alone," Anna muttered to herself, but loud enough to be heard by her husband.
'No one wants to be left alone.'
The words instilled a throb in Kyren's heart.
He understood the meaning of being lonely. He knew the emptiness one felt when destined to be alone and had no one to love. That feeling had been enveloping his heart for a long time.
For some reason, when Anna came, the emptiness seemed to dissipate. The warmth from the small hand in his grasp had raised a new emotion.
As they walked together, he gripped her hand relentlessly, unwilling to let go.