Under the oak tree, p.5
Under the Oak Tree, page 5
“That is a heavy punishment indeed, but…I cannot fathom why anyone would want to consume such things in the first place,” Sybil remarked as he made a small gagging noise into his sleeve.
“Anyhow, it is no easy feat to create a magical device in Drachium,” Agnes continued. “Not only do mages need a cleric’s permission to possess the items needed, but they must acquire them on the black market at an inflated price. This is why mages in the capital come to the southern regions of the kingdom where the Reformed Church has greater influence.”
“Does that mean…mages would flock…to Anatol as well?”
“I think a lot of them are already here. I saw quite a few doing business with the mercenaries. I would be willing to bet that more mages would come to Anatol if they were to find out how lax the church is here.”
If the princess were right, it would be a boon for Anatol that they desperately needed. Even three or four more mages meant that they would be prepared for the injury toll of another catastrophic monster attack.
But even if more mages do come to Anatol, they would likely leave once winter returned…not unless we could convince them to settle here permanently.
Maxi was deep in thought when the princess, who had been studying Maxi silently, asked in a cryptic tone, “Are you an adherent of the Reformed Church, Maximilian?”
“To my knowledge…the Duchy of Croyso…followed the Orthodox Church. Their doctrines…were always strictly observed in my father’s house,” Maxi replied. Then, not wanting the princess to misunderstand, quickly added, “But…that does not m-mean…that I consider magic…immoral. I consider magic…a talent…bestowed by God…. No different from swordsmanship…or cleverness.”
“How nice of you to say so,” the princess said with a gentle smile.
Telling Agnes of Maxi’s own magical studies would erase any doubt from the princess’s mind of Maxi’s views on magic, but Maxi chose to keep it to herself still. She was too embarrassed to call herself a mage in front of such a great sorceress. The mere thought of doing so made her blush. Clearing her throat, Maxi tapped the panel to signal the coachman to start moving.
“Where are we off to now?” Agnes asked, her eyes alight with excitement again.
“Back to the castle, Your Highness,” Sybil replied, trying to stretch his legs in the small cab. “We wasted so much time at the market that I’m afraid I am already exhausted and covered in dirt. I should like a nice bath and a good rest before the sun goes down.”
It was not just the attendant. All of the passengers, besides the princess, were exhausted. The sky blazed red from the setting sun as they left the outskirts of the village and made for the castle.
Disembarking from the carriage in front of Calypse Castle, Maxi looked up at the indigo clouds across an amber sky. She had been a bundle of nerves the whole trip, and now her shoulders and neck felt stiff. Wincing, she started toward the great hall, but felt an arm suddenly wrap around her waist, pulling her against a sturdy chest. Startled, she turned around as far as she could in the strong grip.
It was Riftan, in full armor, who had snuck up on her from behind. “You must have found it tiresome, being dragged around all day.”
The princess, stepping out of the carriage with Ursuline’s assistance, covered her mouth in mock indignation. “Heavens, what a mean thing to say. You make it sound as if I forced Maximilian to accompany me today.”
Ignoring the princess, Riftan looped an arm around Maxi’s shoulder and planted a kiss on the top of her head. It was the kind of affectionate gesture he had not shown in quite a while, and it made Maxi’s face flush. Although such public displays of intimacy still embarrassed her, her heart raced, and a tingling sensation made the fine hairs on her nape stand up. A shiver ran down her spine when he gently caressed her arm.
“Back so soon, Commander?” Hebaron asked, looking up from the luggage he was unloading from the carriage. “I thought the soil inspection for the road construction would take a while, so I assumed you would be returning late. I hope there were no problems.”
Riftan let out a sigh and released Maxi. “I’m afraid there were, which is why I’ve been waiting out here for you and Ursuline to return. Gather everyone in the council room. There’s something I wish to discuss.”
“God. At this hour?”
“Correct,” Riftan answered firmly.
Hebaron stuck his lip out like a duck. Maxi bit her lip as well, except in disappointment rather than irritation. It appeared she would spend the night alone again.
Oblivious to her discontent, Riftan turned to Maxi. “You must be tired. You should get some rest.” With that, he gently pushed her in the direction of the great hall.
Maxi reluctantly acquiesced, retreating slowly with Ludis trailing behind her. At the princess’s voice, she stopped in her tracks.
“Let me join you.”
However, when Maxi turned, she realized that Agnes had been speaking to the knights, not to her. The princess half-jogged to catch up to Riftan. “I do not know what this is about, but I will help if I can. You know, for old times’ sake.”
Riftan gave her a curt nod. “How kind of you.”
Maxi stared after them vacantly as they headed toward the knights’ quarters. Her chest felt tight, and an unpleasant feeling swelled in her stomach. Desperate to shake it off, Maxi hurried up the stairs.
* * *
—
Maxi dined alone in her chambers that night, whiling away the time by watching the kittens play. She wondered what deliberations were keeping the knights in the council room so late into the night. The servants told her that Riftan had asked for supper to be served there as well.
Despite her exhaustion, Maxi lit a candle and began reading an ancient text at the desk. She was determined to stay up until Riftan returned. After a while, she heard the door open, and Riftan quietly walked into the room.
“You are…back.”
Riftan froze in the middle of casting off his armor and turned to her. “I thought you would be asleep.” He threw off his robe and strode over. “Why are you awake? Today’s excursion must have tired you.”
“It was not…that tiring.”
Furrowing his brow, Riftan cupped her chin and brushed a callused thumb over the dark circle under her eye. “I know you have been busy with the garden and welcome preparations. You need not exert yourself so much.”
“I am…all right. It is you…who needs rest.”
His touch melted her, and she impulsively leaned her cheek into it, pressing her lips to his palm. She felt his hand twitch, and then, with a groan, Riftan crashed their lips into a kiss. His lips were slightly cold, and Maxi tasted traces of wine on his tongue.
“I have been frustrated with need lately,” he mumbled, a hint of self-deprecation in his somber tone. He cupped her cheek and swept away the curls covering her ear. Candlelight illuminated his face, making it look almost sinister. “But I do not wish to tire you. If you do not want to…”
“I-I…don’t mind.” Maxi cautiously reached for his arm. To say she did not mind was an understatement. She had missed him terribly.
Riftan’s eyes bored into hers. A beast-like growl rumbled in his throat, and he began sucking on her lips with fervor. Maxi responded by running her hand through his hair, heat simmering inside her.
Riftan quickly shed his clothes and began fondling her breasts. While he massaged them until they were tender, Maxi caressed his hard chest and neck. By then, he was like a frenzied hound freed from its leash. Nothing could have cooled his feverish desire.
He kissed her with a desperate hunger, as if he wanted to swallow her whole, all the while stroking the flesh between her legs. It was only when she was frantic with need that he finally entered her.
The sharp pleasure she had been denied for so long made her feel as though she were melting beneath him, and the shattering climax he brought her to was so intense that it burned away all thoughts.
But even in that moment of pleasure, a void lingered within her. Her eyes took on a faraway look as she lay in his arms, staring at the canopy above the bed. How could there be a hunger within her that was not sated by passion? Why could she not rid herself of this anxiety when he clearly cherished her more than she deserved? The loneliness felt like a stain that she could not scrub away.
“Did I tire you after all?” Riftan rubbed soothing circles into her sweat-slicked skin, his voice concerned.
Maxi buried her face in his shoulder and shook her head.
Unconvinced, he caressed her swollen, pink breast and peppered her shoulder with kisses. “Did Agnes say anything?”
“What…do you mean…by anything?”
Riftan propped his head up on one arm, a faint line creasing his forehead. “Are you being coy?”
“N-No…I really don’t know…what you mean.”
He sighed. “The princess has a temper, and she has a knack for speaking in a way that makes you reveal your inner thoughts. She is also quite skilled at riling people for the sake of it or manipulating them to do as she bids. I was concerned she might do the same to you.”
Riftan was speaking ill of the princess, and yet Maxi still felt upset. It baffled her. She placed her leg above his rock-hard thigh and wiggled her toes, pretending to be unconcerned. “You must get on with her…very well.”
“What?” Riftan’s eyes widened. Then he burst into laughter. “Have you not seen how I am with her? What in the devil makes you think we get along?”
“You also treat…Ruth, Sir Hebaron…and the other knights s-similarly…but you have a good relationship with them…do you not?”
Riftan studied her with a gaze so intense that a fierce flush broke out over Maxi’s face. She was mortified that her jealousy was so blatant.
Riftan’s lips twisted into a churlish smile. “If you put it like that, then I suppose I can’t say that we are on bad terms. She is a talented, albeit annoying, woman. And she’s not as arrogant as the rest of the royal family.”
Maxi hid her face against his shoulder again to conceal her disheartened expression.
Riftan pecked the top of her head and teased the taut and rosy tips of her breasts. “But that’s it. I may be on amicable terms with her, but I have never wanted her as a woman. I’m sure it is the same for the princess.”
“How…would you know that?”
“Near the end of the Dragon Campaign, she and I moved together as a team for almost a year, but she never once made any advances.”
Maxi wanted to ask him what he meant by advances, but she kept her mouth shut. The answer would only upset her more. She hated the fact that they had spent a year together. She knew she could not resent Riftan for it, but it bothered her greatly.
Sensing that her mood had not improved, Riftan frowned. After a moment, he brusquely blurted out, “You also get on well with Ruth, do you not?”
The unexpected mention of Ruth’s name startled her. Maxi’s head snapped up in shock.
Riftan studied her face as if seeking confirmation. “But that doesn’t mean you wish to lie with him, does it?” he said sharply.
“O-Of course not!”
The fact that he was even bringing up the notion offended her. Was he still bothered by her spending time with Ruth?
Her temper flared. “I-I…swear to you, I…have never entertained…such immoral thoughts! And…Ruth would n-never betray your trust—”
“I know,” he murmured in a low voice. “I’m just trying to explain to you how it is between me and the princess. I do not dislike her…. In fact, I would go so far as to say I regard her in a good light. But I have never once wanted to kiss her.”
Leaning back in, he gently nipped at her lower lip, his stubble brushing against her face. “It’s different from what I feel for you.”
Maxi glanced up at him nervously. As far as she could tell, the portion of his life that she could claim as hers was only as large as the bed they shared. “What…do you feel…for me?”
Riftan stared back at her before pulling her to his chest. His voice rumbled under her ear. “You are the only family I have.”
Her breath caught in her chest. She had not been expecting that. Against his chest, she silently mouthed the word. Family. She had never once thought of Riftan as her family, but he was right—they were a family. He was her husband, and she was his wife. Her heart ached, and a lump formed in her throat.
Breaking the silence, he brought a hand to her belly. “Though it would be three of us if you ever give me a child,” he said with a mischievous smirk.
When she finally found her voice, it was tight with emotion. “D-Do you…want a child?”
“It would be nice. A little nipper with red hair and big gray eyes crawling around. What’s not to love?”
“I-I…would like our child…to have…black hair,” Maxi murmured into his chest, quiet, like a prayer. Just imagining a baby that resembled Riftan filled her with a joy she had never felt.
Our child.
Ever since arriving in Anatol, she had been far too busy to even consider children. But thinking about it now, Riftan was right. It was time.
Maxi’s drowsy eyes sparkled. She imagined holding a soft baby in her arms and breathing in its milky scent as she ran her fingers through its thick, black hair. What would it feel like for a baby to suckle on her with its plump, rosy lips? Or the joy of her child running into her arms, calling her mother? Her heart fluttered with excitement.
Then, a sudden thought broke through her pleasant reverie.
It had been almost half a year since she had come to Anatol. Should she not be with child already? Her nursemaid had told her that her bleeding would stop once she was pregnant. If that were so, should it not have stopped already? While it was true that Riftan had been away a few times, they had not been negligent of their marital duties.
Remembering how her own mother had struggled to conceive, Maxi could feel that fluttering excitement change to anxiety. Not wanting Riftan to see her worry, she muttered, “Let us sleep.”
He put out the lamp and tucked the blanket up to her chin, prompting her to snuggle into his warm embrace. She tried to let his warmth melt away her terrifying premonition. It was still too early for such worries. There were couples who tried for years before finally conceiving. If she could just be patient…she would be able to give him good news one day.
Chapter Thirteen
The next day, Maxi once again woke up alone in the sunlit bedchamber. Her eyes still heavy with sleep, she gazed at the empty side of the bed and sighed. Her husband’s diligence was astonishing.
She rose and dressed herself. Despite her low spirits, she intended to tackle the tasks she had been unable to do due to her excursion with the princess, including checking on the gardens and their guests’ needs. It would be a busy day, but she tried to focus on the memory of Riftan’s warm arms holding her all night. There was a measure of reassurance in knowing that, at least for now, his passion for her had not waned.
When she stepped out of her chambers, the maidservants who had been cleaning the windows bowed and greeted her with bright smiles.
“Good morning, my lady.”
“Did you sleep well, my lady?”
“Yes,” she said brightly. “Did the guests…have a pleasant night?”
“Yes, my lady. They all said that they slept well. Everyone except the princess is currently resting in their rooms.”
“Where…is the princess?”
“Her Highness went to the training grounds with his lordship early this morning.”
“With…his lordship?”
At Maxi’s crestfallen expression, one maidservant quickly added, “The royal knights joined them, my lady. I heard that they planned to observe the sentries’ training session.”
“I-I see.”
Embarrassed that the maidservant had read her displeasure so plainly, Maxi swiftly returned to her errands. Riftan had made it clear last night that he felt nothing for the princess. So why did it still perturb her when the former comrades spent time together? Had she always been such a jealous woman?
As much as she tried to shake it, her unease lingered all through the morning. Even after she had dismissed Rodrigo from their inspection of the garden, she found herself pacing, unable to stop her thoughts from racing. Riftan and Agnes’s relationship was one of duty, not some secret tryst. So why did Maxi feel like she was being driven into a corner?
Finally, needing to calm her nerves, she made her way to the training grounds. Any awkwardness her presence might instigate would be worth regaining her peace of mind by seeing her husband in the flesh. Holding the thought of him in her mind, she walked briskly through the gate to the training grounds.
She stopped short, however, at a sudden cry from the pitch. Her attention was immediately drawn toward the spectacle below.
There were more than the usual number gathered on the grounds. Maxi spotted Princess Agnes and her attendants off to one side and even the squires on the opposite end. Everyone’s attention seemed to be on the two helmeted knights making their way to the center of the pitch.
Maxi’s eyes widened. Helmet or no, she would recognize her husband anywhere. From the armor, it was apparent that Riftan’s opponent was one of the princess’s royal knights.
Why would Riftan fight one of our guests? Has something happened?
The two knights drew their swords. Suddenly, the royal knight charged at Riftan with such speed that it was hard to believe he was wearing armor, like a weighted ball shooting through the air. Maxi shrieked and staggered back, but her voice was drowned out by the thunderous clashing of weapons.
Riftan deflected the blow so quickly it could have been a flash of light. The royal knight wasted no time in swinging his sword again. For the next few minutes, their blades clashed rapidly, their movements swift as hummingbird wings, and the metallic crack of their swords reverberated across the grounds.
