The night was calm as the knights enjoyed their off-time before the bonfire. Eric gulped his drink as they chattered about various topics in the warm atmosphere.
"If His Majesty doesn't sort out this Tarnova matter with the Dracor King, we will be dispatched repeatedly. The outlaws and villains will continue to come," he said after putting down the mug.
The knights' eyes darted at him at the statement. The main issue of the campaign was once again brought up in the conversation. It was a topic they frequented as it had been years since the campaign started, showing no possibility of a definite end.
"We all know what the root cause is. The commander should have talked to His Majesty sooner about this," Eli, one of the knights, grumbled.
The light skin of his face complemented his fresh blue eyes and short blonde hair. He sounded like he knew a lot about the matter when in fact, he was just a newly ordained knight embarking on his first mission.
"Maybe the commander was waiting for the right time to wage war. Now, we all know how capable the Cassian's knights are," another knight named Garin interrupted.
The rough skin and fine lines that stood out on his face clearly defined his big age gap from Eli.
"His Majesty won't approve it without a valid reason. If only the commander had become king, it would be easier to wipe them off once and for all, including that smelly city," Eli commented.
His biased opinion of the king showed his admiration for the commander, whom he believed was an exemplary model as a leader.
"Watch your mouth, kid! He would have slit off your tongue without hesitation if he had heard what you said. He has pledged his loyalty towards His Majesty, and so must we! Never question his decision on that," warned Eric to Eli.
His admonition to the young knight silenced Eli. Though everyone knew about the sudden succession change, no one had ever questioned why Kyren, the first-born prince of Cassian, refused to take over the throne and passed it to his younger brother, Kyden.
"You're lucky he's not here. Otherwise, you would've become mute instantly," Garin sneered at his fellow knight.
Eli pursed his lips in rebellion.
"Where did the commander go?"
Uninterested in continuing the topic of discussion, Eric changed the subject and asked Garin their leader's whereabouts.
"Ayden said he wanted to swim at the lake," he replied. About half an hour ago, he heard the assistant healer tell the squires so.
"Taking a swim, eay? Did he hunt too?" Eric suddenly threw an awkward question.
The man stared intently at a gallant figure rushing towards the camp carrying something in his arms. Despite the distance, the knight's alert eyes made him quickly identify the man.
"Why would the commander hunt in the middle of the night? Did he bring his weapon too while taking a swim?" Turning to Eric, Eli flung back another question with a clueless look, unaware of the incoming commander.
The knight's lips clamped shut as he was still busy identifying what the commander was carrying. It was a rare sight that piqued his interest.
"Is that a deer in his arm?" Garin, the experienced knight with sharp eyes, noticed the same and squinted at the approaching grand duke.
Eric's eyes widened as he realised by now what was being carried by the commander.
It was indeed surprising.
Like once in a blue moon, something that had never occurred was happening before his eyes.
"A woman! The commander is holding a woman!" he exclaimed and pointed.
The groups of knights turned in amazement. All eyes were darting in his direction. Their eyebrows curved, eyes gawked, and jaws dropped at the scene.
The half-n*ked commander was carrying a woman in his arms.
As Kyren entered the campground, he ordered loudly.
"Men! Halt and lower your gaze!"
The demand reached their ears, making the men of the camp cease their movements and look down immediately. It was a sudden order that made everyone curious. Nevertheless, no one dared to raise their heads.
The Knight Commander's command was absolute and not to be defied, as he was the highest-ranking officer in the camp. His rushing steps went straight to his tent.
"Call up Rafe, now!" Kyren shouted to the squire who was standing nearby.
"But commander, you ordered us to halt just now," replied the squire, confused by his order.
"Order dismissed! Now get me the healer!" sneered the commander in annoyance.
The squire bowed and ran to the infirmary, not wanting to provoke his anger.
Kyren laid down the girl on his bed. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her hands languidly flailed on the sheets. She sweated profusely as her face turned red.
"Yes, commander!" Rafe, who hurriedly entered the tent without even bothering to ask for permission, was startled when he saw Kyren sitting at his bedside, looking at an unknown woman.
"What happened? Who's she?" he asked.
"I found her in the forest. Check her up," ordered the commander.
The healer began to examine the patient. Minor cuts, wounds, and lacerations were apparent as he inspected her limbs and abdomen. Her physical stature, which was already on the petite side, was greatly diminished by malnourishment.
New injuries and scratches were visible around her neck and hands. Some reddish marks that would soon bruise her skin were also spotted. Her clothes were torn apart, and the only thing covering her decency was Kyren's tunic.
"It looks like she has been mistreated and underfed," Rafe reported his early diagnosis.
"Someone tried to r*pe her. I was able to save her just in time," replied the commander.
"Oh… That man must have a death wish. He dared to commit such a crime on our land." Rafe felt disgusted upon hearing his reply.
The assault was considered one of the worst in Cassian, with the punishment for the perpetrator being genital mutilation.
In other words, the convict was as good as dead when the judgment was passed. Therefore, such an offence was rarely heard of in the kingdom.
"He's gone for good now. What's causing her fever?" The commander questioned his healer.
"I'm not sure. It could be a disease, an infection, or poisoning. I need to take some blood and check further at my lab to determine it. For now, I will use a fever reducer and apply hemostatic powder to the wounds," said Rafe as he examined her symptoms.
From the look of it, it did not appear like a normal fever. Kyren agreed with the healer's plan of treatment.
After administering the medication, Rafe withdrew the patient's blood and inserted it into a container.
The sample will be analysed to identify the underlying cause of her sickness. The lab established in the infirmary could facilitate the investigation by using the available drugs and potions.
Rafe wiped Anna's face with a clean, damp cloth. He patted her face briskly, and the woman began to move after a moment.
She groaned in pain and turned her head to the left and right before finally opening her eyes, looking confused and disoriented.
The commander approached her and asked, "Are you all right, Lady Anna?" Rafe watched Kyren's interaction with her and blinked in surprise. It seemed that the commander knew the woman somehow.
"I only know her first name," Kyren told the healer when he noticed the awkward look on the healer's face. Rafe acknowledged his reply with a nod.
Anna freaked out when she saw two men staring at her. She wanted to run away, but her body was too weak to move.
"It's me. We've met in the forest just now. Don't be scared," Kyren said when he saw her anxious expression.
Hearing the man, Anna felt a little relieved. It was the voice of her saviour. Nevertheless, she was still nervous as she did not know whether they were good or bad people.
Rafe opened his mouth and introduced himself. "Lady, my name is Rafe Amares, and I'm a healer. Can you hear me?" he asked as he studied Anna's emerald pupils, ensuring she had fully regained consciousness and understood his speech.
The princess nodded to him hesitantly.
"Where am I?" she asked them, looking so dazed and scared.
"You're in the knight's camp. This is the kingdom of Cassian," Kyren briefly told her.
"Cassian?"
"Yes. You fainted. So, I brought you here," the commander explained to her.
It seemed that she had yet to reach Dracor, the destination determined by the slave traders and ended up in a foreign kingdom instead. She looked at them with fear in her eyes.
"Please don't hurt me!" she begged them.
"No one is going to hurt you. I promise that. I saved you, didn't I?" said Kyren, trying to convince her.
Anna nodded again. To be honest, she was not sure whether she could trust them. However, she had no one to rely on, which gave her no further choice.
"Are you all right?" the healer asked.
"It hurts so much…" she complained after a moment.
"Have you been bitten by a poisonous animal or have any disease? Perhaps, did you eat something unusual?" asked Rafe again.
"The slave trader gave me something... I felt strange after that," she told him.
"Like what? Can you describe it?" Rafe asked for more details.
He needed to get further information to determine the diagnosis.
"Burning…. heart rushing," she answered in a brittle voice.
"Are you experiencing any shortness of breath?" Anna nodded at his question.
Her body began to tremble again as the hot flashes resurfaced, and she groaned.
"All right. Take a few deep breaths and calm down. We'll take care of you," said Rafe.
"Am I going to die?" The princess's voice was heard between her breath, holding back the surging agony.
The fear could be seen in her cloudy face, and tears were brimming in her eyes.
"Don't think about dying first. For now, you need to rest," replied the healer.
He needed a proper investigation before giving a definite answer.
"Help me, please! It hurts badly!" Her tears trickled down with the plea of desperation from the soaring pain.
"I understand. I'll do my best." Rafe gave a consoling reply.
It was the duty of healers to do whatever they could to bring their patients back to health.
After reassuring Anna, Rafe turned to Kyren and gestured to him. Both men moved out of the tent to speak in private.
"So, how?" Kyren asked in concern.
"From the look of it, I suspect she has been given a drug, probably an aphrodisiac. It'll take some time to confirm. If it is, she might change her behaviour soon," Rafe explained.
"What a b*stard! I should've made him suffer more!"
Kyren gritted his teeth and flared his nostrils. He bunched his fingers into a fist as he recalled the slave trader who tried to hurt her.
"I'll prepare the antidote as soon as I have the result," Rafe continued.
The commander nodded with a solemn face. The healer then hurried to the infirmary. Fearing the worst, he needed to act quickly to save his patient.