Kade turned around and left the study, closing the heavy wooden door securely behind him.

Damon sat alone in the quiet, warm study. He let out a slow breath. He turned his head to the side.

Resting on a small wooden table near the bookshelves was a framed painting. It was an old family portrait. It showed a very young Damon standing proudly between his mother and his father. His parents looked strong and happy. It was painted before the terrible carriage accident took them away.

Damon stared at the painting. He thought about his past, and then he thought about his present. He thought about the woman currently eating dinner in his house.

He remembered the old Camilla. The woman who cried constantly. The woman who was weak and annoying.

Then, he thought about the new Camilla. The woman who had just lied straight to his face with a completely calm heartbeat.

"She seems to have changed," Damon spoke to himself softly. His deep voice echoed in the empty study.

It was an understatement. She had not just changed. She was a completely different person entirely.

Damon turned back to his desk. He picked up his feather quill. He quickly finished writing his final military report. He folded the paper and placed it neatly in a leather folder.

He stood up from his chair. He was very tired. His leg ached slightly from the long horse ride to the camp and back. He blew out the oil lamps in the study, leaving the room in darkness.

He walked down the quiet hallway and went upstairs to his bedroom.

He opened the door and stepped inside. The bedroom was completely dark. The thick velvet curtains were drawn tightly over the windows, blocking out the moonlight.

Damon did not bother to light a candle. He knew every single inch of his room perfectly. He had lived in this house his entire life. He liked the dark. It felt very quiet.

He walked to the center of the room. He took off the heavy jacket and draped it over a wooden chair. He pulled his shirt over his head, leaving his broad, muscular chest completely bare. He took off his boots and his trousers.

He walked into the attached washroom. He stepped into the tub filled with water and sat down.

The warm water felt incredibly good on his tired muscles. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the edge of the copper tub. He took a deep breath, letting the tension of the long day melt away. He scrubbed the dust of the road off his skin.

As he was sitting quietly inside the tub, a small sound caught his sharp attention.

Click.

It was the sound of the iron latch on his main bedroom door.

Damon opened his eyes in the dark washroom. He listened very carefully.

Squeeeeak.

The door of his bedroom slowly pushed open. Then, he heard the soft thud of the door being pushed closed again.

Someone had just entered his bedroom.

Damon frowned deeply. He did not reach for his sword. He assumed it was just his aide returning.

"What is Kade still doing here?" Damon mumbled to himself quietly, splashing a little water over his chest. He thought Kade must have forgotten to give him a piece of paper or a minor message. "I told him to go rest."

Damon finished his bath quickly. He stood up from the warm water. He grabbed a large, soft white towel and dried his skin thoroughly. He dried his dark hair, leaving it slightly damp and messy.

He reached out in the dark and grabbed his comfortable sleeping clothes. He pulled on a pair of loose, dark grey cotton sleeping trousers. He tied the string tightly around his waist. He did not put a shirt on. He preferred to sleep bare-chested.

He dropped the wet towel on a wooden bench. He opened the washroom door and entered back into his main bedroom.

The room was still completely dark. He could not see Kade anywhere. He could not hear anyone breathing.

Damon sighed. He walked over to the small wooden table near the center of the room. He reached out and found the box of matches. He pulled one out and struck it against the rough side of the box.

Fsssh.

A small, bright flame sparked to life.

Damon touched the match to the wick of the oil lamp sitting on the table.

Instantly, the dark room was flooded with warm, bright orange and yellow light. The shadows danced against the stone walls.

Damon shook the match out and tossed it into a small metal tray. He turned around to face the room.

The moment he turned, his entire body flinched violently.

He physically jumped backward, hitting his lower back against the edge of the wooden table. A short, sharp gasp escaped his lips.

He stared across the room in absolute, total shock.

Lying right in the middle of his large bed was a person. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

It was Camilla.

She was lying completely comfortably on top of his dark blankets. She was wearing her nightwear. It was a thin, soft, white silk nightgown. The delicate fabric rested smoothly over her shoulders and fell gracefully around her legs. Her beautiful red curly hair tumbled wildly over her back.

Damon’s heart pounded wildly in his chest. Finding a woman in his bed without any warning was enough to startle any man.

"What are you doing here?" Damon said. His voice was usually deep and calm, but right now, his voice was tight and still carried his clear shock.

Camilla did not look scared of him. She did not look embarrassed to be caught in his room.

Instead, she was completely relaxed. She shifted slightly, resting her weight on her hands behind her on the mattress.

She did not answer his question immediately.

Camilla slowly lowered her eyes. She looked directly at his broad, exposed chest. She studied him openly. She looked at his thick, powerful muscles. She looked at the small, faded white scars scattered across his skin from years of intense training and brutal military battles. She looked at his well built abs and the loose grey sleeping trousers sitting low on his hips.

She took her time, letting her eyes drag slowly from his waist all the way back up to his handsome face.

She clearly liked what she saw. A slow, highly satisfied, almost hungry smile curled the edges of her pink lips.

She slowly stuck out her tongue. She licked her lips, making a soft, quiet sound in the quiet room.

She lifted her right hand from the bed. She wiggled her fingers playfully at him in a casual, highly confident greeting.

"Hi, My Lord " Camilla said simply, her voice smooth and sweet.