Chapter 3 #7
The maidservants had left a kettle near the tub, and Riftan lifted it and added hot water to the tub.
The knots in Maxi’s muscles softened like jelly.
Shoulder-deep in the steaming water, she began to doze off.
Tension had held her exhaustion at bay, but her fatigue now became an all-consuming haze.
In this state of half-sleep, Riftan’s touch was deeply soothing.
“Maxi…” He purred in her ear and pulled her against his chest.
A sweet, tingling sensation coursed through her, and she sank into him, the steady beat of his heart lulling her to sleep. Her eyelids became so heavy they closed without her willing them to.
“Maxi? Are you…asleep?”
She tried to open her eyes, but they were too heavy and she was so tired.
“Are you actually asleep?”
The gentle stroking on her back turned into insistent shaking. She tried to say something, but all she could manage were unintelligible mumbles. Her vision began to fade. Soon, she was snoring lightly, her nose buried in his shoulders.
Riftan looked down at her, completely at a loss. “I don’t believe it….”
—
A blinding ray of sunlight pried open Maxi’s eyelids.
Her limbs ached, and her head throbbed. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up in bed, only to be instantly chilled by the morning air.
She looked down to find herself completely naked under the blanket, and she hastily covered herself again.
Disoriented, Maxi tried to recall what had happened.
Yesterday, she and Riftan had arrived in Anatol with the Remdragon Knights and…she had fallen asleep while bathing with Riftan.
Maxi’s head snapped up and she quickly scanned the room, but she was alone. Riftan’s robe lay next to the fireplace, where a few stubborn embers still glowed brightly. Where had he gone?
From the bed, she searched the room for something to wear. A neatly folded chemise lay on the window-side shelf. Wrapping the blanket around herself, she scrambled to her feet. As she reached for the chemise, a knock sounded at the door.
“Y-Yes?” she said, too sharply.
“I beg your pardon for disturbing your sleep, my lady,” a gentle voice answered her. “But it’s time to rekindle the fireplace.”
“I-It’s all right. I’ve h-had enough s-sleep. Y-You may enter.”
A tall maidservant entered the room and curtsied. She looked to be about thirty years old. “My name is Ludis Ain,” she said. “I will be serving you beginning today.”
“I’m M-Maximilian C-Calypse. P-Pleased to meet you.”
“You retired to bed without dinner last night,” Ludis responded courteously, showing no signs of surprise at Maxi’s stutter. “Shall I send for your breakfast now?”
“I-I would like to ch-change first….”
“One moment. I shall help you get dressed after I tend the fire.”
Ludis took out a few logs of firewood from her basket and fed the embers, occasionally stirring them with a poker until flames crackled to life again.
When she was done, she brought Maxi a stack of folded clothes.
Maxi quickly slipped on a linen undergarment and a thin chemise while Ludis filled a small washbasin with warm water and a few drops of scented oil.
She soaked a clean towel in the fragrant water and dabbed Maxi’s face, neck, and arms before helping her into an elegant, ankle-length golden dress.
Once the dress was on, Maxi gasped at its intricate embroidery. The long hanging sleeves looked like butterfly wings. It was as lovely as anything from Rosetta’s wardrobe.
“Please tell me if it’s too tight,” Ludis said, tying a red ribbon just beneath Maxi’s bust.
Maxi shook her head. She hardly recognized the woman in the mirror. Her pale face was radiant, perhaps due to her good mood, and her unruly auburn hair elegantly complemented the gold of her dress.
“Would you like me to braid your hair and put it up, my lady?”
“Y-Yes, please.” Maxi nodded and sat down in a chair by the window.
Ludis adjusted the mirror and began to gently comb. Listening to the ivory comb slide through her hair, Maxi looked outside. Beyond the window, a palisade of gray cliffs dominated the view and towering conifers pointed toward the sky like spears.
“Do you wish to eat in here, my lady?”
Maxi shook her head, hoping to explore the castle some more. Here, there were no scowling half-sisters or fathers who could fly into a violent rage over the mere sight of her. She was free to roam wherever she liked.
“I’ll e-eat in the d-dining hall. P-Please help me f-finish getting r-ready.”
“Yes, my lady.”
In the blink of an eye, Ludis braided her hair into a bun, and then fetched a pair of fashionable long-toed shoes.
Maxi slid her feet into them and examined her reflection in the mirror.
After days of travel, a change of clothes and freshly styled hair had done wonders for her appearance.
Her cheeks flushed with excitement. Would Riftan be pleased to see her?
“W-Where’s R-Riftan—I-I mean, Lord C-Calypse?”
“I’m told the lord went to the training hall at dawn,” Ludis answered, looking concerned. “My lady, do you feel unwell?”
“N-No…” Maxi cocked her head, unsure how Ludis had gotten that impression.
Blood rushed to her face in sudden realization. Was it because of her stutter? A torrential wave of shame swept away her excitement.
“I-I…I’m a-all right.” Her shaky voice sounded awful even to her own ears. Unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, Maxi made straight for the door.
“My lady!” Ludis ran after her, her expression troubled. “Please allow me to guide you through the castle.”
Maxi had darted into the hallway with almost no knowledge of the lay of the castle. She slowed and nodded slightly, grateful that Ludis continued to treat her with respect.
“This way,” said Ludis when she reached Maxi’s side.
As Ludis led her toward the stairs, Maxi peered into corners of the castle that she had missed the previous day.
The gray stone walls, though coarse, had a natural beauty to them.
Sunlight streamed in through the arched windows, casting intricate shadows on the floor.
She squinted in the blinding light as she followed Ludis.
Calypse Castle looked different in daylight. It was still just as bleak and as empty, but now it radiated an antique charm.
It’s the perfect castle for a knight….
“Are there any foods you dislike, my lady?” Ludis asked as they walked. “Or any favorites you would like me to request for you?”
“N-Not really…” Maxi trailed off, uncertain how to answer the unfamiliar question.
A long-suffering look flashed across Ludis’s face. Perhaps she was lamenting her misfortune to have received a difficult mistress.
Maxi shook her head to clear the self-disparaging thoughts and followed Ludis into the spacious dining hall.
A long cherrywood dining table stood in the center of the room, and a row of servants waited by the wall.
One of them, the old man who had been on the receiving end of Riftan’s ire yesterday, pulled a chair out for her.
“I trust you had a good night’s rest, my lady?”
“Y-Yes, I did.”
“Forgive me for not introducing myself yesterday. My name is Rodrigo Ceric. I oversee all the servants in this castle.”
“P-Pleasure to meet you,” Maxi said, trying her best to remain calm.
Rodrigo bowed. “At your service, my lady. Please do not hesitate to let me know if there is anything you need.”
“Th-There is s-something,” Maxi said hesitantly.
Rodrigo waited politely for her to continue.
“The l-lord told m-me that I c-could decorate the c-castle…”
“Indeed, my lady. The lord made it clear this morning that I am to assist you in any way I can. I was planning to summon the merchants to the castle soon. Would you like to look around before then?”
“Y-Yes, I w-would.”
Maxi examined the steward’s face, searching for signs that he scorned her stuttering.
But Rodrigo betrayed no such emotion as he placed a set of silver cutlery and cup on the table.
Relieved, she began eating the food that the attendant served her.
She fell asleep without eating dinner the previous night, and partaking in little more than coarse bread during the journey from Croyso Castle had made her ravenous.
She started with a spoonful of rich soup before proceeding to the soft, freshly baked bread, spreading generous dollops of butter and jam over the fluffy surface.
Though she usually ate like a bird, the sight of such mouthwatering fare after days without a proper meal had given her a voracious appetite.
After she finished the thick soup and a slice of meat pie with relish, she cleansed her palate with sweet apple cider.
Even if she had not been so hungry, the food would have tasted exceptional.
“Would you care for some more, my lady?” Rodrigo asked.
“I-I’ve had plenty, th-thank you.”
She dabbed her mouth with a napkin and rose from her seat. When she left the dining hall, Rodrigo guided her through the castle and recounted Anatol’s history.
“Calypse Castle was built one hundred fifty years ago by Sir Anatol, a Roemian knight.
After the empire fell, monster attacks became more frequent in this area, and the Seven Kingdoms gradually lost control of Anatol.
Forty years ago, when the region was incorporated into Wedon, the land was barely populated.
It was an untamed place where monsters roamed free.
“But ten years ago, Sir Riftan Calypse, age eighteen and freshly knighted, became the new lord of Anatol. The first thing he did as lord was order a thorough renovation of the castle, and the walls around the village were rebuilt. Because of Lord Calypse, the population in Anatol has since tripled.”
Rodrigo’s voice swelled with pride and respect as he spoke of Riftan’s achievements. It appeared the previous day’s scolding hadn’t diminished his loyalty at all.