Chapter 52: Getting Them Back Together
The red flame of the bonfire flared up within the ring of stones around it. As it gnawed the piling dried wood and branches, it made a crackling sound and burst the heat into the surroundings. The sparks of the ember flew into the air.
The end-of-summer wind slapped her face with its chill. Luckily, the warmth from the blazing fire defeated it.
Crouching alone before the bonfire, her drooping shoulders shook, and a brittle sobbing escaped her mouth. She could not count how many times she had shed her tears, enduring the ordeal of her altercation with him.
In just a day, Kyren had successfully tormented her heart deeply. His fierce face and loud shouts were still reflected in her eyes and rang in her ears.
The commander had turned out to be someone she did not know. It was as if he were neither the gentle husband who embraced her in his sleep nor the one who took her hand to the marigold field and kissed her passionately under the Elm tree.
Beneath the blanket of stars stretched high in the night sky, she could only weep over herself. Her escorts were hurt at the end of the argument, and she was thrown out of the tent for not submitting to her husband’s demand.
Things were getting out of hand as Kyren’s anger was not appeased. At this point, there could be a chance that he would abandon her. She wished she could undo everything. However, it was too late. She could not withdraw her objection or make a sincere apology for it.
The thought of having a reclusive life again anguished Anna. For years, since she was born, she had been kept away from the knowledge of most Ardelians as if she had never existed. Her own family treated her like an outcast—all except the sweet Crown Prince Ryan.
Anna endured those years of isolation in despair. She was not allowed to have friends and roam freely at will. The depression worsened her frail body, and she was bedridden many times.
Her only consolation was the library, the only place she could go and her younger brother’s affection. The books were like her good companions, allowing her to escape her dreary life.
Little Ryan would stealthily approach to spend time with her, as they were not permitted to be close to each other openly.