Chapter 8 #4
Despite his kind words, he immediately turned away from her again. His aloofness disappointed Maxi until she noticed him smiling to himself.
Riftan draped his cloak over his shoulders and even put a hand to his face, rubbing his chin as if to conceal his smile. But the flush that crept up to the tips of his ears did not escape Maxi’s notice. He was genuinely happy, and the realization made her heart swell with pride.
She suddenly felt angry with herself. It was a paltry gift, and one she had only thought to buy because of Sir Hebaron’s suggestion.
Though she did not have the means to buy Riftan gifts as expensive as the ones he had given her, she still could have bought him more than a cheap trinket.
Seeing him delight over a gift she had chosen on a whim—one bought on someone else’s coin and suggestion—made it all the more frustrating.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Riftan said, pulling Maxi close for a final embrace.
She burrowed her face against his chest and held back tears as she resolved to give him everything she could.
—
Riftan left for the raid with three knights, six soldiers, and three squires in his company. Though Maxi worried they were too few in number, Ruth assured her that smaller raids like this one typically called for a deployment of eight to fifteen men.
From the ramparts, Maxi watched the men’s figures disappear into the distance.
When she could no longer see them, she made her way to the weaving room to confirm that her order of fabrics had arrived.
Inside the spacious room, maidservants were busy sewing winter garments, and beyond their spinning wheels and looms, Maxi found a tall pile of the high-quality woolen fabric she had ordered.
With her task complete, Maxi watched the maidservants’ work with interest. Thick fabric was spread across an expansive table, where they traced patterns, cut pieces, and stuffed wool between two layers before sewing them closed.
They worked by candlelight and the light of the fire, despite the daylight hour.
Now that the weather had grown cold, most of the shutters were kept closed for insulation and only small slivers of sunlight seeped into the room.
But even in the dim, the maidservants worked nimbly.
Maxi could not help but admire their dexterity.
“W-When will e-everything be ready?” Maxi asked.
Ludis knitted her brows as she inspected the newly arrived fabrics. “Everything should be ready in three or four days’ time, my lady. The completed garments have already been distributed, and the men have agreed to share them until the rest are finished.”
Reassured, Maxi left the weaving room. After dark, there was something sinister about Calypse Castle that Maxi had never noticed before.
Since her arrival, it had bustled with activity—first with the renovations, then with the winter preparations.
Now that both were nearly completed, she found the stillness unsettling.
After inspecting the kitchen, stables, and annex with Ludis, Maxi returned to her room for the evening.
Melancholy crept in as she leafed through a book at her desk.
Now that the castle was nearly prepared for winter, there was little left for her to do.
She stared out the window, wondering whether the days had always felt so long.
Less than a day had passed since Riftan’s departure, but she was already lonely.
She had always been alone in the past, so the feeling surprised her and made her gloomy mood more painful.
“You look tired, my lady,” Ludis said tentatively. “Would you care for some tea?”
Maxi looked up, startled out of her dark reverie. For the lady of the castle to mope in her husband’s absence was undignified, so she smiled brightly and nodded.
A strong gust of wind shook the windows and worry gnawed at Maxi again. She watched bare branches shake violently outside the window while the eerie cries of migrating birds echoed in the distance.
Winter had arrived in Anatol.
—
The first snow came two days later. Maxi peered through her window and down into the garden, where a layer of white covered the ground like spilled flour. Her gaze shifted to the distant mountains, her concern for Riftan growing as the temperature dropped.
Ludis sighed from a nearby chair and put down her sewing. “This winter feels harsher than usual, my lady. It’s come early and frightfully cold.”
“I r-remember you telling me that w-winters here never got t-too cold.”
“Yes,” Ludis said, looking agitated. “Anatol is located within a basin, so winters here are milder than most other places on the continent. But this winter seems different. A thin layer of ice has already formed on the surface of the well.”
“I-Is there enough firewood t-to last us the winter?”
“We’ve prepared more than usual,” Ludis said with a reassuring smile.
Maxi smiled back and sat by the hearth to thaw her icy hands. Since it had become so cold, a stillness had fallen over Calypse Castle, as if all its residents had gone into hibernation.
Servants who ordinarily hurried about now huddled in front of the braziers, and few merchants braved the elements to sell their wares in Anatol.
The deathly chill had turned the gardens into a desolate wasteland, and no one went for walks anymore.
Maxi usually preferred peace and quiet, but the sudden change was dispiriting even to her.
“Shall I serve lunch, my lady?” Ludis asked brightly, chasing away Maxi’s despondent mood.
“W-What’s for lunch?”
“The cook has prepared cream stew with peas, smoked sausages, and pumpkin pie with treacle and cinnamon.”
Maxi’s mouth watered, and her hunger quickly overcame her melancholy. Seeing her perk up at the mention of food, Ludis carefully folded the garment she was mending and left the room.
While she waited, Maxi opened the poetry book she had taken from the library, but she barely read two pages before a loud rapping sounded at the door. Expecting Ludis, Maxi closed the book again and called for the maidservant to enter, but it was Rodrigo and Ruth who stepped into the room.
“My sincerest apologies for interrupting your rest, my lady,” Rodrigo said as they entered. “But the sorcerer has an urgent matter to discuss with you.”
Maxi rose from her seat. “I-Is something wrong?”
Ruth sighed. “Last night, monsters climbed over the walls. The sentries and knights on duty at the time were able to defeat them, but many were wounded in the process and assistance is needed to tend to them all. Could you spare a few servants to help?”
The blood drained from Maxi’s face. Just days after Riftan’s departure, and Anatol was already faced with a crisis.
“This is nothing unusual for this time of year,” Ruth explained. “With winter comes a scarcity of food, and it’s no different for the monsters. But they’ve never managed to infiltrate our walls before. As you can imagine, the sentries were taken by surprise.”
Ruth’s calm demeanor helped Maxi regain her composure.
“H-How many servants do they n-need?”
“At least a dozen. And ample supplies of clean cloth, wooden splints, and medicinal herbs, along with a cauldron to brew the herbs in, a pail, brass bowls, needle and thread, and basic provisions. The wounded are situated on the outskirts of the estate, which has made it difficult for them to procure these items from the village.”
After listening to Ruth’s hurried instructions, Maxi turned to look at Rodrigo.
“I’ll have everything prepared at once, my lady,” the steward said with a quick nod.
“And s-send word to the ch-church. A-Ask them—”
“There aren’t any clerics in Anatol capable of divine magic,” Ruth interrupted. “Anatol has been isolated for a long time, and clerics were only sent here after Sir Riftan rose to prominence. The central church would never spare a hierarch for such a rural region.”
Maxi grew anxious. If there were no clerics capable of performing divine magic, that left only Ruth to perform healing magic. If something worse happened, and more people were seriously injured, what then?
Ruth gently poked the worried crease between Maxi’s brows. “Now is not the time to fret, my lady. You must summon the servants, and I will prepare the herbs.”
“I-I understand.”
His news delivered, Ruth spun around and left the room.
Maxi threw on a thick cloak and set about ringing the bell to summon the servants to the great hall.
She could not leave the castle’s regular chores neglected, so she chose ten strong young men and five maidservants to accompany her.
After giving them their instructions, Maxi rushed to the training grounds, pulling her hood over her head to block the wind.
At the training ground, servants were already loading three wagons with the provisions she had requested. Maxi checked to ensure nothing was missed or forgotten, and soon they all climbed into a carriage headed for the castle outskirts and the injured sentries.
Just as they were about to depart, Ruth appeared with a weighty sack of herbs slung over his shoulder. He placed it on top of the other provisions in one of the wagons and walked toward the carriage. Maxi shifted to make room for him, and Ruth clambered in beside her.
“You’re joining us, my lady?” he asked, his brows raised in surprise.
A nervous prickle crept up Maxi’s spine. She had assumed that it was her duty to accompany them.
“W-Would I be in the w-way?”
“Not at all. I just didn’t expect you to come along. Your assistance would be helpful.” Ruth smiled at her and closed the carriage door.
With the passenger carriage leading, the three wagons passed through the castle gates. After crossing the drawbridge, the carriage began to rattle violently when they turned down a steep hill. Maxi gripped her seat, certain they might topple over as the carriage lurched forward.