I Will Be the Greatest Knight-Chapter 464: Unable to Hide
Their budding relationship couldn’t go on forever in secret, could it? 1
Every spare chance Irene and Henry were getting was spent in the grasp of the other.
The Duke had been overseeing construction of a wall deeper in the valley—his plan to future-proof this area and make it safer from monsters and easy to settle into—and Irene had been busy running with the apprentices and a couple of knights through the forests, searching for monsters. Yet they always seemed to wind up the same way each evening.
The hour would get a bit later, and the Commander would linger at her door, finding it impossible to leave behind the object of his desire and affection. This situation caused him to reason more that he ought to see her earlier in the day.
For once, they got into a misunderstanding.
Irene had caught him requesting that the butler send a gift to the Princess. But she had missed the part where Henry had said it was a response to the wedding invitation that he had declined.
Princess Marie would one day be Duchess Sadiv—she was marrying the older brother of Sir Alix Sadiv in Hydrogia and the heir in line for the largest duchy in all of the kingdom. It was hardly an afterthought to Henry. There was someone taking up the entirety of his heart.
He apologized to her in the most affectionate of ways despite her cornering him and demanding answers while he was getting dressed. The shirt discarded on the floor was evidence enough of that.
Irene was looking outside, and he stepped behind her, nuzzling into her neck, pleased to see her head move to give him full access. This woman being moldable in his hands was his greatest achievement in life, he felt.
When she finally smiled after their misunderstanding was solved, he couldn’t help kissing her.
But it never could end at just once kiss.
He turned her towards him and her backside was against the windowsill as he pressed himself against her fully, being sure to corner this woman the way she had done to him before. He held her tightly, feeling truly sorry for their misunderstanding. He would never allow this beautiful woman to believe that there was even a hint of anyone else in his mind or heart.
With their lips against each other was the exact time Ingrid, the head maid, entered the room. It was a time of day when she expected no one to be in the Duke’s room at all.
"My apologies!" she called.
That was how they were forced to announce to at least the staff that there was something between the two of them. Many had already caught wind of something happening, but now that the specifics were in front of them, the gaps in their knowledge were filled.
"I feel that many have already caught on," Henry had said. "Lady Irene and I have been getting well acquainted with one another for the past month. There’s no use in denying the affection I hold for her anymore. Please treat her with the same respect you treat me with."
That was one of their problems solved. Now that the castle staff knew, there wasn’t much use in sneaking around in the Duke’s Tower during the evening. Most of the knights avoided that place at night unless they were returning from night watch which happened only at certain hours of the day.
A short while later, a meeting was called with the knights about their plans for the summer.
That was where Irene found it more difficult to contain herself. While the duties to knighthood weren’t hard to ignore, simply having to be at Henry’s side and pretend they didn’t have something to do with one another felt a little bit impossible.
She couldn’t openly admire him and especially not touch him.
As Irene glanced across the table where Felix sat at Henry’s right, she couldn’t help feeling guilty. She felt they talked less because of the secrets she was holding onto. What was more was that it seemed he was aware that something had changed because he was more suspicious than normal about her, but he was also her friend enough not to push her if she was uncomfortable.
She would decide how to tell him the truth after asking permission from Henry first. This was something she likely should consult with him so they were on the same page. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
For now...
When all the knights were seated at the long, oval meeting table in the meeting room next to the library, and even Siverly and Stanley at the back where they preferred to be, the Commander got to business rather quickly.
He had a stack of papers in front of him. No doubt, some of the wax seals still connected to them were from affluent nobles all across the duchy.
Henry began, "After much discussion with my advisors, I have been told that I need to embark on a journey across the duchy in a couple of weeks to not only meet with the advisors but to ensure that those living in these lands can retain trust that I am as I promised to be: an active Commander and Duke. Someone who will ensure that we won’t fall to war as Chemois has done in the past and that our people will remain safe."
Most were accepting of this. The table was full of people nodding and saying quiet words of understanding.
"I won’t need to take everyone," Henry admitted. "Six knights and two apprentices will be enough. I will allow you to decide who should go and who would rather stay. For those who stay, I need to be sure that those working on the wall are safe in my absence and..." He paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "Sylaron has been bothering the construction site a lot. I will try to remind her that they’re afraid of her, but I would be appreciative if others remind her in my absence if she does appear there."
"As usual, I would like to stay with the apprentices," Gunnar expressed first.
"I would as well," Sven decided. "They’ve been doing well with their bow practice. It would be best to keep up the momentum."
"I appreciate it," Henry responded to the two. "Admittedly, I would like my first and second in command to go with us, but if you have prior duties, I understand if not."
Most wouldn’t know it, but Irene felt the significance in Henry’s gaze as he looked towards her. He was pressing against her soft spot for him. It was a game she was going to have to lose.
Author’s note: If it feels like I’m rushing through some of their early relationship development, I am admittedly. It’s explored much more in depth in "I Want To Be a Romance Novel’s Love Interest"
