He thought about his large bedroom at the mansion. He thought about the soft moonlight shining through the glass windows. And, against his own strict will, he thought about the small, beautiful woman with the red curly hair sleeping in the center of his bed.

He remembered her annoying, loud, mocking thoughts. He remembered how she smelled like sweet flowers.

He wanted to go back. He did not know exactly why, but a sudden, massive pull in his chest told him he needed to return to the mansion.

Damon quickly turned around.

"And..." Damon called out loudly.

Kade stopped his footsteps immediately and turned back around. "Yes, General?"

"Ready my horse," Damon commanded firmly. He walked toward Kade with fast, determined steps. "I’m going home."

Kade blinked his brown eyes. His jaw actually dropped open in pure shock. He stared at the General as if Damon had just spoken in a foreign language.

"Home?" Kade asked, his voice full of total disbelief. He raised his hand and pointed at the dark night sky. "But... My Lord... you sent a message to the mansion earlier today that you won’t be coming home tonight. You told Mr. Murry you were staying here."

Kade took a step closer, lowering his voice. "And it’s incredibly late. It is the middle of the night. The ride back to the city will take hours in the dark."

Kade was completely shocked. Damon never changed his strict plans. If he said he was staying at the camp, he stayed at the camp. He never rode back to the city in the middle of the night for no tactical reason.

Damon stood completely still. He looked at Kade’s shocked face.

Honestly, Damon too didn’t know exactly why he wanted to go home so badly. His logic told him to stay and sleep. But his heart, which had was suddenly aching with an irrational desire to just see her face again. He just wanted to hear her thoughts.

He could not explain this strange feeling to Kade. He could barely explain it to himself.

So, Damon relied on his authority. He made his face completely hard and cold.

"Just ready my horse, Kade," Damon replied. His voice left absolutely no room for any further questions or arguments.

Kade quickly snapped his mouth shut. He straightened his posture and saluted. "Right away, my lord. I will have your black horse saddled immediately."

~ ••••• ~

The night was freezing cold. The wind whipped past Damon’s face as he rode his fast black horse through the dark, empty roads leading back to the capital city.

He rode hard and fast. The only sound was the heavy, rhythmic thudding of the horse’s hooves against the dirt path.

As he rode, his mind was a chaotic mess. Why was he doing this? Why was he rushing back to a woman who thought he was a boring, grumpy rock? Who annoys him and invades his privacy at any given opportunity? Why did he care? He tried to push the thoughts away, focusing only on the dark road ahead.

It was very late when he finally reached the high stone walls of the Benson estate. The entire massive house was completely dark and quiet. Everyone was deeply asleep.

Damon rode quietly through the iron gates. He bypassed the main entrance and rode directly toward the large stables at the back of the property.

Inside the mansion, only one single person was still awake.

Mr. Murry.

He was the last person to sleep every single night. He was currently walking through the dark hallways of the ground floor with a small candle, making absolutely sure every window and door was securely locked and every fire was safely put out before he went to his own bed.

As Murry walked past a window looking out over the back gardens, he saw a dark shadow moving near the stables.

He stopped and looked closer. He saw a tall, broad man leading a massive black horse into a stall.

Murry’s eyes widened in the dark. He immediately recognized the broad shoulders and the dark clothes. It was the General.

Murry quickly walked to the back door of the mansion. He turned the iron lock and opened the door just as Damon was walking up the stone path from the stables.

"My Lord," Murry whispered loudly into the quiet night, stepping out slightly to greet him. Murry held his candle up. He looked genuinely surprised. "I wasn’t expecting you to be home. The messenger said you were staying at the camp."

Damon stopped walking. He looked at the older man. He was tired, dusty, and cold from the long ride.

Damon did not explain his sudden return. He did not say hello. He only had one specific thing on his mind.

"Where is Camilla?" Damon replied immediately, his voice low and urgent.

Murry smiled a very soft, very knowing smile. The older man’s romantic heart swelled with absolute joy. The General had ridden through the freezing night, exhausted from his military duties, just to come back to his wife. And the very first word out of his mouth was her name.

"She’s sleeping, my lord," Murry replied softly, keeping his voice quiet so he would not wake the rest of the house. "She had a warm bath and retired to the master bedroom several hours ago. She was very tired."

Damon let out a very small, quiet breath of relief. He stepped past Murry and entered the warm, quiet hallway of the mansion. He stopped and looked back at the older man.

"Don’t let her know I came home," Damon instructed strictly. His voice was serious. "Do not tell anyone. I will leave again early in the morning before she wakes up."

Murry blinked, but his wide smile did not fade at all. He nodded his grey head respectfully.

"Of course, My Lord," Murry agreed readily.

As Damon turned and began walking quietly up the back stairs, Murry watched him go.

Murry thought to himself, completely misunderstanding Damon’s actions once again.

"Oh, how incredibly sweet," Murry thought, clutching his candle happily. "The General missed her so much he rode all night just to look at her sleeping face. But he doesn’t want to disturb her sleep or make her worried about his exhausting schedule. He is such a selfless, quiet romantic."