Chapter 4 #6
Maxi stared at the flowers, surprised. Blue petals no larger than her pinky nail sat atop thin stalks. Raindrops still clung to the petals, sparkling in the light. Her eyes darted between Riftan and the flowers. He had picked them himself?
Riftan scowled. “They looked so pretty in the fields, but now that I take a closer look, they seem ragged.” He hesitated, then thrust the bouquet at her. “Just throw them away if you don’t like them.”
“I-I’d n-never.” She quickly took the flowers from him and touched the wet petals. They gave off a faint scent of rain and grass. “They’re s-so p-pretty,” she whispered.
Riftan’s expression shifted subtly. Perhaps he thought she was only being polite?
Maxi opened her mouth and closed it again, not knowing how to express the emotions welling up inside her.
Instead, she buried her face in the wet flowers and inhaled their scent.
In that moment, nothing was lovelier to her than the sight of those flowers, drooping from the weight of the rainwater.
Knowing that Riftan had braved the heavy rain to pick them for her, a lump formed in her throat.
“Th-Thank you.”
A faint blush tinted Riftan’s cheeks. He turned away and trudged down the corridor. “Let’s go back to our room. I need a bath.”
She trailed after him and cradled the flowers lightly, afraid of damaging them.
—
Aderon returned the next day with two servants and several bags of samples in tow.
Maxi sat with him in the drawing room and listened to his lengthy explanations of her options for the windows.
The emerald-hued glass was affordable but had an irregular surface, while the smooth, transparent glass was more expensive.
There was also a rough glass that glowed a beautiful silver.
After describing the pros and cons of each type of glass, Aderon spread out a dozen brilliantly colored fabrics before her.
“Banquet halls require thick curtains, my lady,” he said.
“What do you think of this mahogany-colored fabric? It would certainly befit a lord’s banquet hall.
And here is another of our very best—gold silk!
Its elegance and splendor could not be outdone by even the most eminent residences of the royal capital. ”
As Maxi inspected the fabric samples, Ludis set down a cup of tea, then cautiously began to browse with her. After hesitating for a long while, Maxi decided to ask her opinion.
“L-Ludis, what d-do you think?”
“I beg your pardon, my lady, but I lack the eye for such things.”
Ludis looked so bewildered by the question that Maxi could not bring herself to inquire further. She returned her gaze to the table, deliberated alone, then eventually settled on a costly rose-colored curtain with gold tassels and elaborate embroidery along the edges.
With the color for the curtains set, the next decisions were easier to make. For the banquet hall, Maxi opted for a red carpet and a tapestry depicting the legendary knight, Wigrew, riding a white dragon.
“And for the floor, my lady?” Aderon asked. “Marble, perhaps?”
“Th-That would involve c-complex construction w-work.” Maxi hesitated. “But I’ll th-think about it.”
“Very well, my lady. In any case, it will take some time to have the materials brought from the capital. Please think it over in the meantime.”
Maxi nodded.
Next, Aderon presented her with a silver miniature of a chandelier.
As she exclaimed in delight at the palm-sized replica, the merchant quickly brought out more models, this time made of marble.
There was a rearing unicorn, a dragon with its wings spread wide, a roaring lion’s head, and a fully armored knight.
Maxi marveled at the intricate figures until a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” she said, looking up from the display of miniatures.
Rodrigo entered and spoke from the doorway. “My lady, the tailor is here.”
“The t-tailor…?” She tilted her head, only now remembering that Riftan had promised her new clothes. She turned back to Aderon, who was already tactfully packing up the samples.
“I can come back another day, my lady,” he said. “And I will leave these figurines for you to examine at your leisure. You can decide which one suits your fancy before our next meeting.”
“You c-came all the w-way here….I’m s-sorry.”
“It’s no trouble at all, my lady. I shall return whenever you need me.”
After Aderon’s departure, Maxi went to the dressing room with the maidservants, where a gaunt, well-dressed man in his forties and a woman in her thirties awaited her arrival. The spacious room was filled with exquisite fabrics, a loom, and colorful skeins.
“Greetings, my lady,” said the man, bowing respectfully. “My name is Roanne Selous, and this is my wife, Linda Selous. It will be an honor to make your gowns for you.”
“A p-pleasure…”
“Lord Calypse instructed us to make you dresses of the finest quality regardless of cost. Is there a style you prefer, my lady?”
“I have n-nothing specific in m-mind.”
“Then allow me to show you what is fashionable right now.”
Roanne pulled out a scroll of yellow parchment and spread it before her.
As Maxi studied the sketches, it all began to feel like a dream.
Though she was not entirely sure what the pictures represented, she grew excited by the prospect of an elegant wardrobe.
Rosetta was often surrounded by tailors, and though Maxi had often looked on, she was never the recipient of such attention.
Maxi’s measurements were taken as she browsed fabrics and listened to the tailor’s explanations.
She tried on a headdress, veil, and belt and was surprised by her own reflection.
An unfamiliar woman stared back at her, adorned like a peacock.
The cone-shaped headdress was tall enough to graze the doorway if she passed through it.
That, combined with the mass of jewelry the tailor’s wife piled on her, made her feel absurd.
“I th-think a smaller h-headdress might be b-better….”
Roanne nodded and scribbled a few notes. In the end, Maxi placed orders for three new dresses before thanking and dismissing the tailor.
Outside the window, the sky was already dark.
Time had passed without her noticing, and she promptly returned to her room.
Maxi was unaccustomed to managing so many tasks in one day, and she was utterly exhausted.
She sat on a chair and massaged her aching shoulders, tense from the stress of dealing with the merchant and tailor.
As she stretched her neck left and right, as she had seen Riftan do, the small vase by the window caught her attention. The wildflowers had bloomed overnight, and she was reminded of Riftan’s awkward expression when he gave them to her.
What a strange man….
When they first met, she’d had no idea that a kind soul lay beneath his intimidating exterior. In the great hall at Croyso Castle, he had appeared aloof and disapproving, more like a conqueror preparing to lay siege than a guest. Who could have expected such a man to pick flowers for his wife?
Maxi’s face clouded over. Flowers and dresses, people who treated her with respect, a kind husband—her life had changed so quickly that she could not help but doubt its authenticity.
Riftan is too good to me. This must be a dream.
“My lady,” Ludis called to her from where she waited by the door. “The lord has returned and plans to dine with the knights in the dining hall. Do you wish to join them?”
After hesitating briefly, Maxi nodded. She was not exactly comfortable around the knights, but she did not want to forgo dinner with Riftan.
Ludis stepped up to her. “Then allow me to arrange your hair again, my lady.”
With a comb and hairpin, the maidservant tamed and twisted Maxi’s disheveled hair into a neat bun. Once Ludis finished with her hair, Maxi inspected her appearance in the mirror and then left the room.
In the hallway, servants were busy lighting lamps along the corridor.
As she passed them and descended the stairs, she heard angry voices coming from below.
She paused, then slowly continued down the stairs and toward the dining hall.
Through the half-open door, she glimpsed Riftan engaged in a heated argument with three knights.
“We must leave for the royal capital tomorrow!” one of the knights pressed. Maxi recognized Ricaydo’s blond hair and arrogant tone.
“I already told you we’re leaving in three days,” said Riftan, his voice unsettlingly low. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“But you must attend the ceremony,” Ricaydo insisted. “How much longer will you test His Majesty’s goodwill?”
“For once, I agree with Ricaydo,” said the light, familiar voice of Hebaron Nirtha. “With the rain subsiding, we’ll have no problem making the journey.”
Maxi hovered by the door, unsure if she should enter.
The knights’ words froze her in place, and she recalled similar remarks being made during the journey from Croyso Castle.
As the hero of the Dragon Campaign, Riftan should have returned to the royal capital as soon as Sektor was slain.
Given the distance between Anatol and the capital city of Drachium, making the journey to Anatol first meant that Riftan would be late reporting to the king by at least a fortnight—maybe even a month.
“I’ve sent a carrier pigeon to the capital,” Riftan said. “I haven’t been home in three years. King Reuben will understand.”
“Commander,” the third knight chimed in. He stood the farthest away from the door, and Maxi did not recognize him. “I know you’re trying to distance yourself from the king, but if you make it too obvious, you could lose his favor.”
“Distance himself?” Ricaydo asked sharply, turning toward the unfamiliar knight.
“King Reuben is anxious to have the commander in the capital.” The knight ignored Ricaydo and addressed Riftan. “Sir, could it be that you’re wary of becoming shackled by the royal family after they rewarded you for your contributions?”