I Will Be the Greatest Knight-Chapter 465: A Quick Decline

"I will be starting night watch next week with a couple of apprentices," she admitted. "If I could have someone take over for me at least a couple of days before we’re set to leave, there shouldn’t be an issue."

She offered Henry the faintest smile before she broke her gaze.

He had been protective, even going so far as to voice his concern about her night duties or the times others burdened her a lot. They were working on getting through the sensitivities that were bound to pop up between them as they grew closer together.

There had been plenty of apologies and conversations about how the things she did currently were things she had always done. Night watch was one of those. Even at twelve years old, she participated in it without issue.

He knew well enough that if he caged her too much, she was bound to escape and never turn back to him.

It was a bit of give and take as they got used to the other person who kept growing and changing their expectations.

"One of us will take over," Gunnar assured her from the other side of the table. "It’s been a while since I participated in night watch with the apprentices, as it was. Brings back fond memories."

"I appreciate it," the redheaded knight responded. "Thank you, Gunnar."

Despite her words, Irene felt a tinge in her heart. She thought of Leif.

Even though she tried to offer Gunnar a smile, knowing that she was part of those memories, it faltered quickly, and she had to drop her gaze. Lately, she had been feeling a bit sensitive, and she knew what it meant.

The meeting adjourned after a bit more discussion and solidifying of plans.

Irene lingered even after the others left, but she decided she should also move on. However, there was one person left in the meeting hall who gently grabbed her wrist as she attempted to escape. She didn’t fight it as she was turned back around.

"Is something the matter?" the Commander, whom she had been waiting for, asked.

As usual, he could read her like a book. It was getting worse the closer they got, and sometimes she loved it while other times it made her feel so unbelievably exposed.

"No, it’s..." Irene trailed off, choosing her words carefully. "As you know, Gunnar was the knight I apprenticed for during the war. He has a way of reminding me of a few scars that still feel fresh from that time. It oftentimes feels as if the South was able to see the war as a completed event, while I still look around and see who’s missing and how our duchy is healing. I think others do as well."

"That’s why it is my ultimate goal to ensure that the people here feel safe and, while they won’t forget who has been lost, they can at least know something to that extent won’t happen again," he responded to her, also choosing his words carefully and hoping he wasn’t dismissive of her feelings. "You can talk to me if it ever feels too heavy."

Irene’s faint smile returned. She turned to kiss Henry on the cheek.

"I will be supporting you every step of the way," she assured him. "Shall we get something to eat? Somehow it’s getting close to summer, but I feel cold."

His eyebrows slightly lowered, but her face didn’t say anything else to him about what she could be saying. Normally, when someone was cold, it was because they were getting sick, but she didn’t look sick at all.

Perhaps those were his own scars, the worry that those around him were falling ill because of his time at the peasant village when no one could afford a healer.

"Let’s go eat," he responded. "No one will think anything if we walk down together."

"Then perhaps..."

Irene stepped closer. Instead of his cheek this time, she placed a light kiss on his lips.

He wasn’t entirely sure what she meant, but he still hugged her close for the few moments she allowed it, and then they both went to dinner, putting a bit of separation between the two of them so no one else would suspect a thing.

Irene ate her fill at dinner, still slightly worried about what she had been feeling earlier. Her emotions were unstable, and her physical self was bound to start hurting at some point. For now, all she felt was tired.

As usual, she and Henry lingered for a bit, even when most others had left the dining hall. Conversation was easy as they quietly kept to themselves. It seemed like a normal interaction between a Commander and his third in command.

However, soon Henry’s knee nudged Irene’s, and he lowered his voice even further.

"Would you like to go upstairs?" he asked.

His suggestion was vague enough. Would they go to his room or perhaps the library? Their nights seemed to turn out the same way, no matter how it started.

"Actually," Irene began, suddenly pulling her leg away. "I’m feeling exhausted. I think I will try to catch up on some sleep, if that’s alright."

Henry was admittedly a bit surprised by that, but he tried not to seem offended or disappointed. They had been burning the candle at both ends just to get a little more time with one another. It was bound to need to be caught up eventually.

"Of course it’s alright," he responded and straightened himself out. "Please rest well and don’t worry about me."

"I really appreciate it," she uttered. "Have a good night."

"Goodnight," he bid.

The Commander merely faced forward until Irene was exiting the dining hall. He then cast his gaze in her direction and couldn’t help wondering why she felt a bit cold that evening.

While it wasn’t the first time they hadn’t spent an evening together since deciding to act on their feelings for one another, normally the reasoning for that was a bit clearer to him. Irene wasn’t someone who easily admitted when she was tired. It must have been severe. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

What he didn’t see was Irene rushing out of the Duke’s Tower and towards Felix’s barrack. He had already excused himself for the evening, so she knew just where he would be.

When she made it to the older knight’s door, she looked down either end of the hallway and knocked a few times.

Moments later, the blonde knight opened his door about a foot and peered down at his friend, surprised to see her there at all.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"I’m feeling tired, Felix," Irene responded urgently. "I won’t be attending practice in the morning, if you know what I’m saying."

He nodded once in complete understanding. This scenario was rare, but it did happen every so often.

"I will cover for you," he assured her. "You don’t need to worry."

"Thank you," she responded a bit breathlessly as a weight on her shoulders disappeared.

Irene didn’t realize, however, that Felix had company that night, and as he shut his door to give his attention to Eira, who sat on his bed.

"May I ask what that was about?" The maid treaded carefully, never wanting to overstep the situation they had.

"We have an arrangement," Felix admitted. "If her monthly cycle is causing her pain, she asks for mornings off without question. She rarely asks for this, so I can’t help feeling a bit sorry..."

Eira stood at that. "Shouldn’t I go and see if she needs help?"

"I’ve tried in the past, and she’s adamant in refusing it," he admitted. "Says that there are methods from her family’s culture that will help her through."

"If you’re certain..." Eira responded lightly.

And that was the end of the conversation as they moved on to what the two of them normally got up to on warm evenings like that.

However, as the next day fell over them, Irene woke up with the pain she had expected before and bleeding to confirm her suspicions. Not every monthly cycle was this bad, but sometimes it was enough to take her out of the fight for a day or so.

Felix would bring her breakfast and didn’t expect her to uphold her duties if she didn’t feel up to it. It was truly the kindest thing anyone could offer her.

However, her presence was noticed as the Commander entered the practice yard as he sought seeing the one who carried his heart.

"Where is the dame?" he asked his second in command, quiet enough that it was a private inquiry between the two men.

"She’s feeling a bit under the weather," Felix explained, sure to keep her secrets as that. "She already informed me of this."

"Shouldn’t she inform her Commander?" Henry asked, a bit hurt. "I’m worried for her."

As the Duke turned on his heel and went towards the barracks, Felix tried to stop him with a few insistencies, but it was no use.

He didn’t know how to pacify the Commander without revealing too much. At least he knew the Commander was polite enough not to break down the door of a woman refusing his entry.