The assistant looked at her superior.

"I thought the general doesn’t like her coming here?" the assistant continued whispering, remembering the old camp gossip. "I thought he doesn’t like her?"

The physician kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, but she replied to her assistant under her breath. Her voice was completely cold and dripping with quiet, bitter judgment.

"She just keeps clinging to the general," the physician whispered harshly, glaring secretly at Camilla’s hand on his arm. "She won’t let go, even when he clearly isn’t interested in her at all. She is just a spoiled noble girl trying to mark her territory in a place where she does not belong. It is very shameless."

The physician completely believed the old rumors. She thought the General was just suffering his annoying wife in silence.

What the physician and her assistant absolutely did not know was that Camilla, despite her sweet smile, her hearing was incredibly sharp. Even over the loud sounds of the clashing swords on the training field, Camilla heard their quiet, bitter whispers perfectly clearly.

Camilla did not frown. She did not act offended.

Instead, a very slow, highly amused, slightly dangerous smile spread completely across Camilla’s beautiful face.

She turned her head away from the physician. She looked up at Damon, who was currently busy discussing a paper report with Kade.

"My lord," Camilla spoke out loud. Her voice was incredibly sweet, innocent, and completely conversational. She made sure her voice carried just enough so the physician could hear her clearly.

Damon paused his conversation with Kade and looked down at her.

"I didn’t know you were very popular at your camp," Camilla said brightly, smiling up at him like a completely devoted wife.

She slowly turned her head. She looked directly at the beautiful female physician standing a few feet away. She let her eyes rest completely on the woman’s face.

"This woman," Camilla thought to herself, her internal voice completely sharp and highly mocking.

"This woman is so entirely focused on watching you," Camilla’s internal voice mocked the physician mercilessly. "She is staring at your face so hard she has completely forgotten what she was actually employed to do. Saving lives. She looks like a hungry dog staring at a bone."

Damon heard her thoughts perfectly.

Camilla turned her face back to Damon. She smiled even sweeter. She reached out with her other hand and gently began tapping his strong arm in a slow, rhythmic, highly affectionate gesture.

"It’s so touching," Camilla smiled warmly, her voice dripping with pure, sugary sarcasm. "It is wonderful to see your staff so deeply... dedicated to you."

Damon stood perfectly still. He listened to her sweet, spoken words, and he heard the sharp, mocking insult in her mind. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Damon thought to himself, analyzing her completely contradictory behavior.

"Hearing the distinct hint of annoyance hiding behind her sweet voice," Damon noted in his mind. He looked down at her tapping fingers. "And hearing the sharp mockery in her thoughts..."

Damon frowned slightly, feeling a very sudden, very strange, tiny spark of hope blooming in his chest.

"Is she actually angry?" Damon wondered to himself. "Is she... jealous?"

The idea that his cold, sarcastic wife might actually be slightly jealous of another woman looking at him made Damon feel a highly unexpected, massive wave of satisfaction.

But Damon quickly shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He could not get distracted by complicated emotional games in the middle of his camp.

He pushed the hopeful thought aside roughly. He needed to focus on his work.

Damon turned his head away from Camilla. He looked directly at Kade, who was still holding the heavy stack of reports, waiting patiently for orders.

Kade saw the General look at him. Kade nodded his head sharply, understanding it was time to get back to business.

Damon turned his intense, commanding glare toward the female physician and her assistant, who were still standing nearby, listening to the conversation.

"What are you doing standing here?" Damon demanded coldly, his deep voice carrying authority. "There are injured men in the medical tents waiting for fresh bandages. Get back to work immediately."

The female physician flinched as if she had been slapped. The color drained from her beautiful face.

"Y-yes, General!" the physician stuttered nervously. She bowed very quickly, grabbed her young assistant by the arm, and practically ran back toward the white medical tents, completely terrified of the General’s sudden, cold anger.

Kade watched the physician run away. He turned back to Damon.

"My Lord," Kade spoke respectfully, pointing toward the large command tent in the center of the camp. "Everyone is waiting for you. The senior officers have gathered for the morning strategy meeting."

Damon nodded his head firmly. He turned his body back to Camilla. He looked down at her face. He spoke to her softly, but his voice still carried the tone of a commanding officer giving an order.

"I am going to a meeting," Damon informed her clearly. He pointed toward his own smaller, private sleeping tent located a short distance away from the busy training field. "It will take several hours. Stay in my tent. It is safe there. Do not wander around the camp alone."

He looked at her green riding dress, making sure she was warm enough in the morning air.

"Make yourself comfortable," Damon added softly, his eyes lingering on her face for a tiny second longer than necessary.

Camilla did not argue. She did not want to stand in the sun anyway.

Camilla nodded her head politely, offering him a small, obedient smile. "Yes, My Lord."

She finally uncurled her fingers and let go of his strong arm.

Kade stepped forward quickly, bowing slightly to Camilla.

"Please follow me, My Lady," Kade said politely, extending his hand toward the smaller white tent. "I will show you the way."

Camilla turned and followed the loyal aide across the dusty ground.

Damon stood still for a moment, watching her walk away. He watched the green fabric of her dress sway slightly as she moved. He let out a slow breath, turned around sharply, and marched directly toward the large command tent, his mind finally focusing completely on the upcoming meeting and the strategy to reclaim his lost land.