Ressa cried a little bit more before she finally controlled herself and pushed Thom away. "Thank you. I appreciate it but... How will the troops trust me now? They've all told me their darkest secrets and such while I did not tell them mine! They cannot look up to a woman who has heard their crushes on other women. And besides that, Henderson will get me strung up if it's the last thing he does. He will also demote me." She put her head on Bolt's neck.

Thom looked at her. "No it wont happen. I'll make sure that it wont happen." Thom said.

"Fine I will not demote her." Henderson said looking at Dante.

Ressa sighed. "Thanks Thom." She dried her tears. "I suppose I should go back and sotr out this mess then?"

"Your welcome." Thom said.

"Good. I think that she should be a Knight." Dante said.

"If that is what you wish Sir." Henderson.

Ressa rode back in companionable silence with Thom, but her knuckles went white as they reached the camp. Her lips tightened as the men who would previously follow her to the ends of the earth looked up at her with horror, unbelieving of their own eyes. Whispers swept through the camp- theories why she had hidden her gender. From what she could hear, none of them were even close to the truth that she joined the army at a time when girls were not permitted. The most common one she could hear almost sent her into tears.

Everyone was also looking at Thom. 'He's a prince, and so is Sir Leon.' They were saying. Thom gently rubbed Ressa's shoulder. "It's okay they are drunk." He whispered. But the one that got him mad was about his sister- in -law. 'I hear that Sir Hart married Sir Leon, and now she is knocked up, the king should have never let her in. Though she be good at being a knight.'

"But most of them aren't drunk..." Ressa whispered to him. Of course, the very fact that she was whispering sent conspiracy theories all over the place.
Ressa was very nearly in tears by the time she entered Henderson's tent.

"They will get over it." Thom said.

Henderson was not in a great mood. He looked at Ressa, and Thom as they walked in. His gaze wander over to Dante and the now awake Abby, who was eating some ham. " 'Bout time you came back, to get your punishment." Henderson said.

Ressa froze instantly. "Yes Sir," she said blankly, the hopelessness in her eyes as someone being sent to their inevitable death.

As soon as Marie saw Resson's-no Ressa's-stricken face she felt a wave of guilt,This immdiatly made her scold herself, after all Ressa had clearly told her she was a woman,and how was she to know to lie about it.Even so she felt a sudden urge to leave before she was blamed, so she edged carefully toward the entrance.

"You are Sir Ressa. Sir Leon, want's you to be a knight and not to be punished." Henderson said.

Even in her shock, Ressa noticed Rea. She reached out slightly, and brushed Rea's arm with the smallest shake of her head, telling her not to go. Ressa swallowed. "A knight?" She half-choked.

Abby nodded.
"Yes. " Dante said.

"Sir..." She took a deep breath. "It is an honour."

Dante stood up. "Please get on to one knee?" Asked Dante. He pulled out his sword ready to knight Ressa

Ressa pulled in a deep breath. She almost couldn't get over her disbelief as she kneeled. She came back expecting to die for deception. And now... she was being knighted? And for what? Being friends with the prince. Ressa jolted to her sense and rose again. "I'm sorry. I can't. I do not believe I have earned this. I have been second-in-command for years and we have still not found the Brigands and villages are still being ransacked, the people being killed. I deserve no honour until these crimes are stopped."

Dante nodded "then so be it. You are still second in command then till the end of this war." Dante said. With that he picked Abby up and walked out.

"Ressa we should go so that Henderson can finish his talk with that gilr." Thom said.

Ressa nodded curtly, and walked straight from the tent. Once she was outside, she let go of her pent-up breath and abruptly fainted.

Thom picked Ressa up. He carried her to his brother's tent. "Dante I need help here." Thom said as he walked through the flap. Dante gently lied Abby down.

"Put her next to Abby." Dante said as Thom pit her down. Dante looked her over. "She just passed out do to the stress."

*I'm going to leave it for a while to let Rea's interview get on the way.*