Chapter 9 #4
Maxi gasped, delighted by its elegance. Linda spread out the lustrous skirt for Maxi to see it better, then lifted a second dress, and a third—one green with gold embroidery and the other a stunning ivory that sparkled as if studded with countless tiny jewels.
“Are they to your liking, my lady?” Linda asked. “My husband and I spared no effort to make them.”
“Th-They’re lovely,” Maxi murmured, unable to tear her eyes away.
“My lady! You should try them on!” Isinda, one of the maidservants, urged her. “Everyone at the banquet will be mesmerized.”
“Which would you like to try on first?” Linda asked.
“I think this green one will complement the color of your hair,” Isinda said, holding it out to her.
Maxi obligingly put on the green-and-gold dress and, just as the maidservant predicted, it flattered her auburn hair.
The long, flowing skirt was graceful, and the gold vine embroidery was breathtakingly beautiful against the green fabric.
Maxi twirled in front of the mirror, letting the skirt swish around her.
After examining Maxi carefully, Linda nodded approvingly and passed her the next dress. With the maidservants’ assistance, Maxi tried on all of the dresses, sighing happily every time soft fabric grazed her skin. For each new dress, the maidservants eagerly selected jewelry and hennins to match.
Now Maxi wore a white dress and Linda clasped a gold belt around her waist.
“I think this dress suits you best, my lady,” she said.
Maxi studied her reflection. A noblewoman stood before her, elegant and modest, dressed in flowing white.
A golden chemise peeked out from under her skirt and sleeves, and a web of diamonds adorned her neck.
From her finger, a topaz ring glinted in the firelight.
Even to her own eyes, she looked as regal as any princess, and the thought made her breathless with excitement.
“I l-like this one t-too.”
“Then please allow me to arrange your hair, my lady,” said Ludis. “I think braiding your hair back would suit the dress better than a coronet. Perhaps the pearl hairnet?”
“I suggest a small braid on either side, with hair ornaments,” Linda offered.
Ludis nodded agreement and began combing Maxi’s hair.
Starting above her temples, she skillfully wove two braids and pinned them back, leaving the rest of Maxi’s voluminous hair to cascade down her back.
To finish the style, Ludis slid amber pins, each about the size of a walnut, into Maxi’s hair, just above her ears.
Amazed, Maxi stared into the mirror. Ludis had worked magic on her unruly curls, and her red hair looked elegant against the white dress.
Nearly in unison, the maidservants gave her admiring compliments.
“You look marvelous, my lady!”
“You look just like the nymphs of the light! His lordship will be astonished.”
“He most certainly will. You look more magnificent than we’ve ever seen you!”
“Th-Thank you,” Maxi said softly.
“Is there anything you’d like adjusted?” Linda asked.
“N-No, this will d-do nicely.”
Linda nodded, then draped a wine-colored velvet cloak over Maxi’s shoulders. Maxi turned this way and that, inspecting herself. Once satisfied with her appearance, she entrusted the kittens to the maidservants and left the room.
The night cast long shadows in the corridor.
Diligent servants had lit the torches, and Maxi followed their light with Ludis trailing behind her.
Since Riftan’s return, the castle seemed to have awoken from hibernation.
Faint voices echoed through the halls, and the smell of rich food and fragrant wine permeated the cold winter air.
Maxi walked past a handful of servants, who were going about their duties with kerosene lamps in their hands, and headed downstairs.
When she arrived at the dining hall, the room was alive with activity.
Young attendants and maidservants flitted around the table, serving the knights as they ate, drank, and chattered boisterously.
Hovering in the doorway, Maxi watched them all, their faces lit by the flicker of candlelight. Riftan had promised a feast, and it was nothing short of one. The table legs seemed to buckle under the hearty servings of food.
“My lady!” Ulyseon, clad in a charming white tunic, noticed her by the door and paused in slicing a piece of boar meat to wave his hand in greeting. He set down the knife and rushed toward her, smiling brightly.
Maxi smiled back awkwardly, unable to look him in the eye as she recalled Riftan’s brazen display of affection in front of the knights the day before. Ulyseon, on the other hand, seemed to have no memory of the incident and began to babble excitedly at her.
“Have you been well, my lady? You must already know, but I went on my first raid with Sir Riftan! It was the most meaningful ten days of my life!”
Ulyseon spoke as if he had just returned from a pleasant excursion rather than a monster raid. Unsure of how to react, Maxi laughed, the sound as awkward as the smile on her face.
“I-I hope you w-weren’t hurt.”
“Just a little bruised is all, my lady.” Ulyseon smiled bashfully and pointed to his knee.
“It’s embarrassing to admit, but I tripped over a tree root and took a tumble down a hill.
Fortunately, I was able to avoid inconveniencing the party by using an ointment Mage Ruth provided.
But Sir Hebaron mocked my clumsiness for the rest of the raid. ”
From the table, one of the knights glanced over his shoulder, looking as if the squire’s chatter irked him.
“Ulyseon Rovar,” he called loudly. “Escort her ladyship to her seat. Plenty of time for your nattering later.”
Ulyseon scratched his head sheepishly and offered her his arm. “Pardon my manners, my lady. I was just thrilled to see you again. Please allow me to show you where the best food is.”
Maxi placed her hand on Ulyseon’s arm, and he led her to a seat at the center of the table. With surprising grace, he pulled out the chair for her.
“Oh! And allow me to take your cloak,” he said, holding his hand out.
Maxi gripped the ties of her cloak, hesitating. She felt self-conscious standing in front of so many people.
“My lady?” Ulyseon gave her a quizzical look.
She clenched her eyes shut, removed her cloak, and handed it to the squire before she could hesitate any longer.
A disconcerting silence fell inside the dining hall.
Maxi drew in her shoulders, shrinking in on herself as the knights stopped drinking and talking all at once to stare at her with wide-eyed surprise.
Maxi’s fragile confidence evaporated, and her face burned red. Had it been presumptuous to think that such a splendid dress suited her? Perhaps the knights saw only the pathetic attempts of an ugly woman to appear beautiful.
Then Ulyseon’s loud voice cut through the silence. “Heavens, my lady! You look magnificent.”
“I d-do?” Maxi looked up at him uncertainly.
Ulyseon nodded vigorously, his large purple eyes sparkling in earnest. “You are the spitting image of the elves of old! White becomes you, my lady. You have always been lovely, but tonight, you are breathtaking!”
His extravagant praise made Maxi’s blush deepen. Before she could thank him, he continued with even greater fervor.
“You had me spellbound for a moment there! That’s only to be expected from the wife of the greatest knight in the realm. Even the proudest nymph would envy your beauty.”
The heat in Maxi’s cheeks spread to her neck and ears.
Though she looked more elegant than usual, she knew she was no peerless beauty.
Suppressing the urge to clap her hand over Ulyseon’s mouth, she quickly took her seat.
But the squire was oblivious to her discomfort, taking the seat next to her and continuing his grandiose praise.
“It’s a shame, my lady,” Ulyseon said. “We’re the only ones who get to admire your beauty, but if this were a royal ball, the entire court would have been captivated by you! The knights of the royal capital would be fighting over themselves to swear their geas to you!”
“Th-Thank you…”
Maxi stared fixedly at her plate, unable to process such high praise. The idea of knights fighting to swear their oaths to her was absurd. As the silence from the rest of the knights around them became unbearable, Maxi imagined them sneering inwardly at Ulyseon’s exaggerated praise and trembled.
“Allow me to serve you,” Ulyseon said, heaping food onto her plate as he spoke. “Is there anything you fancy? All of these dishes are delectable, but the smoked duck is exceptionally good today.”
“Th-Thank you.” Relieved by the change of subject, Maxi took a moment to regain her composure and glanced around the room. “Do you h-happen to know w-where his lordship is?”
“Sir Riftan is still in the council room discussing the recent monster migrations with a few of the knights.”
“M-Monster migrations?”
Before Ulyseon could answer, another voice spoke from behind her. “Monsters in the west have suddenly started moving south.”
Maxi twisted in her seat to find Sir Hebaron standing there, dressed in casual attire. He looked her over with an odd expression, then sat down next to her.
“There are signs that trolls are migrating into Anatolium,” he said. “The commander is discussing countermeasures with the sorcerer. It wasn’t clear when the discussions were going to end, so he told the rest of us to dine first.”
Maxi’s face fell. Did that mean Riftan wasn’t coming?
Hebaron filled his goblet with wine and continued. “That’s why the goblin raid lasted longer than expected. We observed changes in the monsters’ habitats, so we combed through the northern mountains.”
“D-Do you mean t-to say that a p-pack of monsters is m-making their way t-to Anatol?”