"You’re quite a bit shorter than I realized," the Commander observed as he looked at the young woman.
At that, Irene instantly shot him a disapproving look, and she regretted it rather quickly, feeling that she was getting too comfortable with soone who was ant to be her superior.
"Not the first ti I’ve heard that," she stated as she sat back down, deciding to take weight off of her aching foot.
After attacking the dire wolf, it had been hurting a bit worse, but it was necessary to ensure the Commander wasn’t hurt.
"The others give you trouble for your height?" he wondered.
"Not as much since I was an apprentice," she admitted. "But that was because the others continued to keep growing while I seed to stop early in comparison. I was perhaps sixteen. n seem to grow forever."
"Then shouldn’t they be understanding?" he wondered. "It’s just the difference between won and n."
Even though he likely knew this fact already, Irene didn’t want to talk about how she had hidden herself as a girl for a long ti, which was why it was so surprising when the others grew while she stayed the sa. She decided to change the subject.
"Well, when my father is as large as a mountain, it’s a surprise that one of his children remains small," she admitted. "Unlike my brother, who will undoubtedly be as large as my father. I, unfortunately, take more from my mother’s appearance than I would like to."
"I suppose I would have to et them to see for myself," the Commander decided, but he silently realized her mother must have been quite beautiful if Irene could still bear such a pleasing appearance if her father was that severe a man.
He had to push useless thoughts away that the woman wouldn’t appreciate. She was one of his knights, after all.
As Irene settled into her blanket roll, she nodded and added, "I’m sure you will soti in the near future. My father doesn’t seem to leave this place for long, and he’s considered one of your advisors, isn’t he?"
"Yes, and I’ve exchanged letters with him before," Henry admitted. "Best to keep him in the loop regarding all things to do with the duchy. Actually, the way he runs his lands, I rarely have to worry about that area. It’s a wonder he didn’t want the title I currently hold."
Irene grimaced slightly. "Actually, it’s a wonder you wanted the title at all, Commander. Even as prestigious as the title is, no one wanted to take on the ss that is these lands. We’re fresh off of a war, and our supplies get depleted in winterti if the people aren’t responsible in their winterization." She felt nervous complinting him, but pressed on as she added, "Despite the challenges, you’ve done a good job."
Her face felt hot, especially when she felt his eyes go to her.
He had settled as well and was gazing at the fire before her complint reached him, and he couldn’t help glancing at the woman.
It was the most they had talked after being forced together that entire day and night, yet the more she spoke, the more he realized he liked her. They got along well, at least in terms of conversation partners. He was glad that she was trusting him enough to spill her thoughts.
"Thank you for saying so," he admitted. "I hope that the average Chemoian person believes the sa. Although people in the south tend to believe that the seat of the Duchess is forever cursed because of the last one who was in that place."
The Commander let out a slow, even sigh at that before he rolled his shoulders backwards and sat up a bit straighter. His body was tired of the armor he wore, but because of the dire wolf attack, he didn’t dare take it off when Irene was devoid of her armor.
At the topic of a future Duchess, Irene couldn’t help feeling a bit prickly and protective. After witnessing the way the Princess talked to him, even through a letter, she hoped dearly that Princess Marie would never be the one to fill the seat.
She was dying to know if he was still connected with her, but was trying to convince herself it was none of her business.
"As long as you choose a Duchess who is good for the duchy, we will all support you, sir," she responded softer than before.
Her response seed to quiet the Commander down for a few monts as he let out a quiet ’hmm’ and stared into the fire once more. She could see the exhaustion in his eyes.
Irene had to admit she was getting a bit tired and, as she lifted her hand towards her face to stifle a yawn, she could sll the sleeve that covered most of her hand, and she was taken back to when she woke up in the Commander’s bed after drinking far too much.
Her head suddenly felt hot, and she scooted away from the fire.
"It’s a bit warm now," she muttered.
At that, she decided she should braid her hair to distract herself and get it off of her neck. For the first ti since reaching that highest plateau on the top of the mountain, she was welcoming the cold air. She had blushed far too much like a girl with a crush. What she needed to be for the journey down tomorrow was a tough knight.
However, as she brushed her fingers through her hair, Irene realized that the shoulder bandage was inhibiting her movents, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the Commander shift towards her and insist, "Let help you. I’m good at braiding."
That was how she wound up between his legs with her back towards him while his fingers brushed through her hair.
"Though I have to wonder why a duke is good at braiding," Irene admitted, breaking the silence.
Each ti his fingers tickled her skin, she had to resist shivering. He was making her nervous again, and it was best to fill the space with words than silence so she wouldn’t have to obsess over her own ridiculous thoughts.
Was this just how she would be from now on? It was like a switch turned on in her head, and she was the very type of person she never wanted to be. Never did she expect to have a crush on anyone. Would there be others in her life who caught her off guard in such a way?
Whenever she looked at the n around her, all she saw were her brothers in knights. How very strange it was to be so much different from what she expected of herself.
"For years before I was an apprentice for Sir Trenton, I was a stablehand in the peasant village," he explained. "Being able to tie a thick string into reins or a bridle is a useful skill to pick up."
"Very useful, indeed," Irene responded weakly as his fingers tickled her neck.
However, the mont he was finished with her hair, Irene escaped as quickly as she could, and despite her thanks, she kept a distance between them.
It was all becoming too much, and she felt too eager to be close to him.
A short ti later, it was decided that Irene would try to sleep instead after the Commander insisted he was too awake to catch any more sleep.
Normally, the fire’s warmth and the fur surrounding her would have been enough, but with a lack of words between them, Irene’s mind continued to go on.
"Commander," she uttered, unable to hold back. "I noticed you’re more comfortable with now. I like it better this way."
"Was it obvious that I was thrown off when we t?" he wondered. "In my defense, they gave no warnings about you."
"I just an that I’m happy that you’ve given an equal chance as the others. Not everyone does."
The Commander settled further into the pack he had been using as a backrest, and his eyes went to the sky as he explained, "I admit that I was hesitant at first. It’s just that you’re so capable, and I’ve only spent ti around defenseless won like my mother. I’ve escorted noble ladies... the Princess..."
However, he seed to stop as his posture beca rigid, and, before Irene could help herself, a question that had been plaguing her ca forth.
"Please forgive , Commander. Are you in love with the Princess?"
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