Chapter 6
The refurbishments proceeded smoothly. In place of crude flagstones, gleaming marble tiles covered the floor of the banquet hall, and each of the old shutters framing the windows—which creaked in the slightest breeze—were replaced with smoothly oiled mahogany.
As Ruth had suggested, panes of the high-quality crystal glass were installed only in the banquet hall, great hall, eight of the largest guest rooms, and Maxi’s bedchamber.
The windows in the library, barracks, and dining hall were set instead with standard balt glass.
The remaining chambers and corridors were fitted with new greased parchment windows, complete with shutters.
These small changes were enough to brighten the gloomy castle, and the servants seemed pleased by the transformation.
They worked with cheerful faces, though the maids did have to work twice as hard to clean in the wake of the construction.
“Have you seen the new furniture? It’s magnificent!”
“And the curtains are beautiful too! I can’t wait to see the chandelier. We’ll soon have the most splendid banquet hall in all of Wedon.”
“The great hall finally lives up to its name. I heard that once the windows are complete, they’ll bring in new carpets for the floor!”
Three young maidservants carrying baskets full of laundry chatted animatedly, their cheeks flushed. Recognizing them as the new hires Aderon had recommended, Maxi paused in her hurried strides through the corridor.
“I’m certain the lord will be surprised when he returns,” said one of the maids excitedly.
“He most definitely will be! I heard he was furious at the state of the castle when he returned from his last campaign.”
The maidservants’ words made Maxi’s heart flutter in anticipation.
Would Riftan really be pleased by the changes?
Or would he perhaps think them too extravagant?
She quickly cast off her worries before they could consume her.
Ruth had assured her that the renovations were acceptable, though he did seem a little bothered by the expense.
Shaking off her anxiety, Maxi continued on her way downstairs to oversee preparations for the winter. In Riftan’s absence, it fell to her to ensure that there were sufficient reserves of food and water—for the servants, guards, and horses—as well as firewood and warm clothing for the coming months.
“My lady, the new wall lamps and braziers have arrived.” Rodrigo bowed his head to her as he and a few other servants carried wooden crates inside. “Would you like to see them?”
Maxi nodded, and Rodrigo set the crates down so he could pry one open with an iron poker. Inside rested nine elegant wall lamps.
“There are fifteen crates in total, my lady.”
“P-Please m-make sure the rest of the l-lamps are in g-good condition. I-I want them placed in the great h-hall, the b-banquet hall, and the c-corridors.”
“And the braziers?”
“Please put t-two in the k-kitchen. The r-rest can go in the b-barracks and the g-guardhouse.”
“As you wish, my lady.”
One by one, the servants carried the crates across the great hall, and Maxi turned on her heel to exit.
Winter was fast approaching, and the air had turned sharp with cold.
Maxi’s breath puffed in front of her lips as she made for the stables with quick, light steps.
She planned to visit the stable, annex, and forge to decide whether anything else needed to be purchased.
While leafing through old ledgers earlier in the day, she had discovered that her predecessors had made annual inspections of the castle.
Her focus on the renovations had caused her to neglect other areas of the estate.
The path led her around the garden to the southern end of the grounds, where the stables were located. Surprised by her presence, the stable hands dropped the fodder they had been transporting and hurriedly took off their hats.
“My lady! What brings you here?” Qenal Osban, the stablemaster, came out to meet her. “Were there no maidservants to accompany you?”
Maxi recognized him from her first day at Calypse Castle, and she took a deep breath, hoping to speak calmly. “They h-had their own duties to attend to. I came to…see if there is anything you…need for the w-winter. Since merchants will be l-less inclined to t-travel when the d-days grow c-colder…”
“Oh, thank you, my lady.” Qenal’s face brightened. “I was about to go meet with Rodrigo for that very purpose.”
He swung open the stable door and held up a lamp for her. The interior looked as though it had just been cleaned. Grimacing slightly at the stench, Maxi leaned forward without stepping inside, her eyes skimming over the twenty warhorses that were snorting and grazing on hay.
Qenal pointed to the end of the room, where one stall appeared to be on the verge of collapsing. “See there, my lady? We’ll need new partitions, but our tools are old, and we don’t have enough wood since all of the suitable trees have been cleared.”
“Is th-there anything else?”
“We’ll also need more hay to last us the winter, my lady.”
“V-Very well, I’ll p-put in an order.”
“Bless you, my lady! Thank you kindly.” The old man grinned.
Maxi smiled in response, letting out a breath of relief. Not long ago, the mere presence of other people had been enough to make her tremble in fear, but now, she was able to look them in the eyes while keeping her composure.
Though her tongue still refused to move as she willed, her stutter had improved a little, owing to the fact that she had far more opportunities to speak here than at Croyso Castle.
Proud of her progress, Maxi left the stables and stepped back into the spacious garden.
The high walls cast frigid shadows over her, and she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders more tightly.
The breeze carried the scent of grass, and loose strands of her hair danced in its wake, tickling her face. She brushed them away absentmindedly, only to stop in her tracks when she suddenly recalled Riftan likening her voluminous hair to cotton clouds.
Looking up, her eyes fell upon the distant mountains that Riftan had traversed to reach the capital. He should have arrived in Drachium by now.
She pictured the royal capital bustling with lively festivities.
Riftan, clad in silver armor, would stand tall and gallant before the nobles like a hero out of a legend, and none would dare look down on him for his humble background anymore.
Even the noblewomen who had once shunned him would fall for him.
Maxi’s heart plummeted at the thought, and her stomach began to turn as she imagined Riftan surrounded by poised and beautiful ladies in the ballroom of the royal palace. Basking in their admiration, Riftan would regret marrying her. He would realize his mistake and finally divorce her.
“What are you doing here all alone, my lady?”
The voice snapped Maxi out of her unpleasant reverie. She whirled around to see two youths in black tunics watching her with puzzled expressions. Recognizing them as two of the squires she had seen at the banquet, she straightened up.
The youths greeted her with their hands on their chests and bowed respectfully.
“No need to be alarmed, my lady,” one said. He was the handsome, silver-haired squire who had been eager for stories of Riftan’s adventures. “We just wanted to make sure that you were all right.”
“I-I am, thank you, um…” Unsure of what to call the squire, Maxi fell silent.
“Please pardon my late introduction, my lady,” he said quickly. “I am Ulyseon Rovar. I will be knighted next year.”
The taller youth standing awkwardly next to him followed suit. “Garrow Livakion, my lady. I am to be knighted on the same day as my friend here.”
“I-I am Maximilian C-Calypse.” As soon as she said it, her expression became sheepish, feeling silly at having introduced herself when they clearly already knew her.
Ulyseon, however, flashed her a reassuring smile. “Were you taking a stroll, my lady?”
“N-No. I was j-just inspecting the castle.”
Ulyseon’s face turned serious. “We may be inside the safety of the castle walls, but you still shouldn’t wander on your own for too long, my lady. We’ve had more visitors lately, and if an accident were to occur…”
“An a-accident?” Her voice wavered, which in turn sent Ulyseon into a fluster.
“Ah, apologies. It was not my intention to scare you. I was just concerned is all….” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck uncertainly before brightening again. “Would you, perhaps, allow me to escort you, my lady?”
“I-It’s all right. I don’t want to w-waste your t-time….”
“It is an honor for a knight to serve a lady, and though I may not be one yet, I’m fully prepared to protect you with my life!”
His fervor took Maxi by surprise, causing her to step back.
Garrow elbowed him in the ribs. “Stop exaggerating, Uly.”
“I assure you, I mean every word!” Ulyseon’s eyes flashed with a fiery determination, but only for a moment.
The sound of his own shout echoing through the courtyard seemed to help him realize he was getting carried away, and he cleared his throat before addressing Maxi in a calmer voice.
“In any case, you mustn’t walk around by yourself.
If you’d like, I can send for some of the guards to escort you. ”
“I’m just t-taking a walk,” Maxi said. “There’s n-no need to g-go that far…”
“These walls do not guarantee safety, my lady. If anything were to happen to you, I would never be able to face Lord Calypse.” Ulyseon blanched at his own words, shaken by the thought alone.
“If this w-worries you so, then I s-suppose I could use an e-escort.”
The squire’s face lit up at her assent. “Where shall I escort you, my lady?”
“I-I was on my w-way to the forge.”