Chapter 7 #7
“Then tell me about yourself. I want to know what you like and dislike, and what you think about every day.”
“Why d-don’t you g-go first? Y-You don’t t-talk much about y-yourself either.”
“I’m certain I’ve shared more than you have,” he said, but then immediately shrugged.
“Very well. Allow me to show you some chivalry.” He knit his brows, as if combing through his memories.
“I like horses, wine, and rich food. Honestly, I like anything that fills the belly and pleases the tongue. I also like gold, jewels, honor, and powerful weapons. Nothing out of the ordinary or particularly interesting.”
“W-What do you dislike?”
Riftan snapped off a branch that blocked their path and tossed it to the ground. “Liars and incompetent fools. I’ve seen enough pompous lords flaunting their unearned power to last a lifetime. They’re only outnumbered by the scum who deceive others for profit.”
Though she knew his words were not directed at her, Maxi became uneasy.
“Now it’s your turn,” said Riftan, oblivious to her agitation.
Maxi tried to mask her anxiety. “I-I like what m-most people like.”
“That’s not a fair answer. Give me a proper one.”
Maxi thought for a moment. “A-As I’ve said before, I like a-animals. Dogs, c-cats, horses…ch-chicks and rabbits too.”
“What else?”
“I l-like to read. At C-Croyso Castle, I spent m-most of my time in the l-library.”
“Rodrigo did mention that you spend much of your time in the library here.”
Maxi nodded. “Th-There are so many r-rare books in your library. Th-Though Ruth tends to use them as b-blankets…”
“Shall I drive that rascal out for you?”
“I would n-never h-hear the end of it if you d-did,” Maxi said, horrified by the thought.
Riftan frowned and gave her a cryptic look. “It seems you two have been getting along well.”
“H-He helped me g-greatly with the r-refurbishments. H-He’s fussy and he nags, b-but he’s a g-good person.”
Riftan turned away from her, irritated. “You’re right. Ruth is fussy and talks too much, but he’s an honest man.”
For a while, they rode in silence.
“What do you hate, then?” Riftan eventually asked. “It’s not a fair exchange if you don’t answer the same questions I did.”
Maxi hesitated over her answer. Lashings, shouting, and beatings were the first things that came to mind, but she could not reveal that part of her past. Still, she did not want to lie to a man who said he detested liars.
“M-Myself.” Maxi blurted the truth softly.
Riftan blinked.
Worried he hadn’t understood her, Maxi repeated her answer. “I-I hate myself the m-most.”
They reached the end of the path, and a vast golden meadow came into view, illuminated by the winter sun. She spotted a single large tree at the top of a gently sloping hill and spurred her horse into a gallop before Riftan could press her further.
—
To her surprise, Maxi was enjoying herself. Riding through an open field was far easier than navigating a winding mountain path, and as she rode up the hill, her posture naturally improved. When she reached the top, she stopped to rest and realized she was sitting properly in the saddle at last.
“I brought some wine,” Riftan said, dismounting next to the large tree on the hilltop. He grabbed Maxi’s waist in both hands and lifted her off her horse as if she weighed little more than a feather.
“Your body feels hot.” He smiled as he set her on her feet. “And your heart is pounding like a drum.”
Maxi wiped sweat from her forehead and tried to catch her breath. Just as Riftan had said, her entire body seemed to pulse with her heartbeat.
“It d-does feel like a t-tiny drum is b-beating inside me.”
“That’s an endearing way to put it.” He planted a kiss on her flushed cheek, then spread his cloak under the tree and sat down.
The winter breeze chilled Maxi as she sat down beside Riftan, and she wrapped her arms around herself. A village sat on the other side of the hill, surrounded by golden fields that rippled in the wind.
“Th-This place is b-beautiful.”
“It’s even more beautiful in the spring, when the wildflowers bloom.”
Maxi’s heart grew eager, imagining the view in spring. It was such a new feeling; She had never dared to hope for anything before arriving in Anatol.
“Come closer,” Riftan said and shifted to lean against the tree trunk. “You’re cold.”
As she sat on his lap, Riftan wrapped his cloak around her and handed her the small wine flask. She took a drink, completely content.
“Let me have a sip.” Riftan locked an arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.
Maxi brought the flask to his lips and carefully tilted it back. After taking a few swallows, he leaned back again.
“Why don’t you like yourself?”
Maxi shifted uneasily and stared out at the village below. It was sweet that he continued to feign ignorance, but the answer was obvious. She could not speak without tripping over her words like an utter fool.
“H-Have you n-never disliked yourself?”
“I have, countless times.” He seemed to relax a little. “But I’ve never disliked myself so much that it would be the first thing I think of when someone asked me what I hate.”
“Th-That’s because th-there isn’t much to d-dislike about you.”
Riftan looked amused. “Is that so?”
“I-I’m sure y-you’re well aware.”
“I can’t say that I am. Do enlighten me.”
Maxi looked up at him, incredulous. “Y-You’re one of the b-best knights in the realm. Y-You’re strong and tall and c-clever…”
“No one’s ever called me clever before,” Riftan said lightly. “Though many have called me a lumbering oaf.”
Maxi frowned. It was true that Riftan’s manner and way of speaking were unrefined, but he was not an oaf. His eyes were always sharp, and his words, though direct, often revealed a keen insight. Maxi sometimes felt that he could see right through her.
“If you r-really were an o-oaf, you w-wouldn’t be s-so well respected.”
Riftan’s lips twisted into a cynical smile, but he did not argue with her. He leaned his head back against the tree. “What else?” he asked coolly.
“Y-You are honorable, you’re a great l-leader, and y-you’re…h-handsome.”
“You think I’m handsome?”
“Y-You know I d-do.”
“How would I know that?”
Maxi blinked in disbelief. “I-I have an eye for b-beauty, just like e-everyone else.”
“Every time I visited Croyso Castle, you shuddered at the sight of me, as if I were an ogre. You certainly didn’t look at me with admiration. Even the wrinkled face of a goblin wouldn’t have elicited such a horrified look.”
“I’ve n-never even seen a g-goblin before.”
“You know that’s not my point.” Riftan tilted her chin up so that she looked at him. “Whenever I came close to you, you looked as if you might flee.”
His accusatory tone unnerved her. She had been oblivious to his attempts to approach her before their wedding day. To learn that he had been so intent on her that he noticed and remembered her unconscious reactions to him was surprising.
“I-I was…a-afraid of you. Y-You were b-big and intimidating, a-and you always wore th-this icy expression. Y-You always s-seemed to be angry.”
Riftan remained silent, and Maxi shifted uncomfortably in his arms.
“Do you still find me frightening?” he asked.
Maxi shook her head. Riftan studied her face for a moment, then slowly lowered his lips to hers. A tingle ran down her spine, and her nipples hardened as he cupped her breast with one hand.
Maxi moaned softly. “R-Riftan…W-We’re outdoors.”
“It’s all right,” he whispered against her mouth. “It’s just you and me here. If anyone approaches, I’ll hear them.”
He slid one hand under her dress. Warmth emanated from his body, and she shuddered with pleasure. His arousal surprised her and, unsure of what to do, Maxi tried to push him away.
Riftan kissed her forehead. “Don’t be afraid. I would never hurt you.”
Maxi’s breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him. He kissed her again, sliding his hand up between her thighs and beginning to gently stroke her. Maxi clutched at his soft hair.
He would never hurt me. She repeated those words over and over in her head as she clung to him.
“You smell like winter,” he moaned against her neck, burying his face in her scent.
Riftan also smelled like the crisp winter breeze, mingled with the pungent musk of tree bark and the faint scent of horses.
“Damn it. I want to kiss every part of you, but it’s too cold to strip you naked out here.” Riftan impatiently ran his free hand along her body, his palm whispering over the fabric of her dress.
A fire burned inside Maxi. She was not cold at all, but she did not tell Riftan. She was not bold enough to lie naked in an open field. They were already doing something they should not be doing out here, but she could not bring herself to pull away from him.
Riftan sucked and nibbled on her neck as he swiftly undid the straps of his trousers. Sitting inside his cloak, Maxi pulled her dress up and shifted to straddle him. He entered her slowly, stretching her to her limit, and she let out a soft cry.
“I’ll never hurt you again, Maxi,” Riftan soothed, kissing her neck and lightly stroking her hips with his fingertips. “It’s all right.”
Maxi could not recall him ever hurting her, or the reason why she had been afraid of him in the first place. It felt as if Riftan Calypse had always been a part of her. She clung to his neck like a drowning woman.
Riftan took hold of her hips and pushed himself deeper.
As their bodies merged, Maxi’s entire being quivered.
She began to move atop him, mimicking the motions of riding a horse.
She took him to his hilt, tightening around him before reluctantly letting him go, again and again.
Her heart hammered ecstatically, and her mind dissolved under his kisses.