Chapter Twelve #3
“It is…an honor, Your Highness…. I am Maximilian…Calypse.” Maxi’s greeting was slow, but free of stuttering thanks to the hours she had spent practicing in secret. “I hope that you will…enjoy your stay here i-in Anatol.”
Maxi spread her skirts in a curtsy, the maidservants following suit behind her with their heads bowed.
Princess Agnes remained the picture of refined grace, even as she gave Maxi a carefree smile. “Thank you for welcoming us so warmly at such short notice.”
Riftan stepped between the two women, his back to the princess and eyes on his wife. “I will show the knights to their quarters. I leave it to you to show Her Highness to her room.”
With his back to the light, his shadowed face looked graver than usual. His dark blue tunic and silver breastplate only magnified his imposing brawn.
“I…will.” Maxi met his intense gaze with a soft nod. She was hoping for a peck on the forehead or cheek, but Riftan merely looked down at her from a respectful distance before turning to the knights.
“Allow me to show you to your rooms.” He strode away toward the annex, the royal knights and their attendants following behind him.
Hiding her disappointment, Maxi ordered the maidservants to show the rest of the royal retinue to their rooms. The maidservants promptly began to move the luggage.
“I’ve prepared a room…o-on the second floor of the great hall…for you, Your Highness. Your attendants…will be on the s-same floor…. I hope that is to your satisfaction?”
“Of course. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
“Th-Then…allow me to show you the way.”
Maxi started up the carpeted staircase, the princess beside her. The princess’s eyes took in the castle’s halls, bright with interest.
“What a splendid home you have. I must say, I was surprised at how much bigger it is than I expected.”
Maxi glanced at her awkwardly, unsure how to respond to such affability.
Despite the long journey, the princess did not look tired in the slightest. She ascended the stairs with a bounce in her step as she took in the sight of Calypse Castle: the lavishly decorated banquet hall, the high arched ceiling, the rustic pillars, and the sunlight streaming through its classically vaulted windows.
“I heard that Calypse Castle is older than Drachium Palace. It looks very well maintained.”
“Th-Thank you, Your Highness.” Maxi unconsciously adopted a servile tone. Even dressed like a young man, the princess commanded an overwhelming air of royal authority.
Falling two steps behind the princess, Maxi watched her, transfixed by the princess’s confidence.
She was a tall woman, at least five kevettes and two henches, her arms and legs long and lean, reminding Maxi of a deer.
She was not at all the classic beauty Maxi had imagined.
Instead, Princess Agnes radiated a provocative charm that was entirely different from Rosetta’s delicate loveliness.
Full lips too large for her face; a thin, sharp face with a straight nose; and almond-shaped eyes that were slightly upturned, giving the impression of the cat who ate the canary. She was more handsome than beautiful.
“It feels as if I’ve traveled back to the Roem Dynasty,” the princess continued in a placid voice.
“Could I trouble you for a tour of the castle later? I would love to explore it further.” She turned to Maxi, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
Although her expression was friendly, her blue eyes were penetrating.
Maxi reflexively hunched her shoulders and nodded. “O-Of course.”
“Thank you. But first, I’d like nothing more than a bath and a change of clothes. Which way was it to my room?”
Ludis, who had been trailing behind them, stepped forward with a bow. “This way, Your Highness. Please follow me.”
Princess Agnes nodded toward Ludis in acknowledgment, then smiled again at Maxi. “Well, I shall see you later.” With that, she pivoted gracefully to follow nimbly after Ludis.
Maxi could only watch them go, her own legs rooted to the spot.
It was only their first encounter, and she already felt as if she had been swept off her feet.
She blinked several times until clarity returned, and she gestured for another maidservant.
“P-Prepare baths…for the guests…and be…especially attentive…w-when attending to Her Highness.”
“Yes, my lady.”
As the maids left to follow her instructions, Maxi went down to the kitchen.
Preparations for the welcome feast were well under way, and the place was buzzing with activity.
While Maxi oversaw the progress, her mind kept returning to the image of Riftan and the princess standing side by side.
It was a magnificent sight fit for any fairytale ballad: a golden-haired sorceress who was radiant as the sun, and the dashing knight next to her.
No wonder people wanted to see them wed.
Maxi anxiously bit her lip. Was there truly nothing between the princess and Riftan? Although the princess seemed to be eccentric, there was no doubt that she was extremely charming. If even Maxi found her attractive, then how much more alluring must she be to men?
“My lady?” A servant’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “We are about to slaughter a lamb for the feast. Will you be watching?”
Maxi had been blankly staring out of the doorway leading outside.
As her eyes focused, she finally noticed the lamb tied to a post and the man with a bushy black beard sharpening a knife.
Not having the heart to witness such a scene, Maxi gave the servant an awkward smile and spun on her heel to scurry out of the kitchen.
Out in the sunlit hall, maidservants bustled about with their arms full of linens. Others, their sleeves dripping wet, lugged pails of hot water from the steam room. The rhythmic chopping of firewood resonated from the rear gardens, and even the stable hands were busy tending the guests’ horses.
Maxi gave clear, methodical instructions to ensure that the guests had everything they needed before they gathered in the banquet hall.
First, she gave directions about drawing baths, providing soap, and gathering clean towels.
Then, she instructed the servants to bring out wine, biscuits, and preserved fruits should anyone need refreshments before the feast.
She had two long tables moved into the hall so she and Rodrigo could carefully select tablecloths, candleholders, and tableware. The gold, silver, and glassware were prone to theft, and it was her duty as lady of the castle to keep track of how many were laid out.
As costly gold candelabras and silver trays were brought out from the storage room, Maxi recorded every item in a ledger, careful not to miss a single plate or piece of cutlery.
She went over the count twice before moving on to confirm the quantities of candles, firewood, produce, and wine that they would need to last the night.
It was unheard of for a feast to run out of food or drink, but it would not do to waste good ingredients by preparing an excessive amount. The trick was to prepare just enough without going overboard….
“My lady.”
Maxi was busy taking stock of wine barrels when she saw Ludis approaching her with measured steps. “What…is it?”
“The princess wishes to know if you could show her around the castle. What shall I tell her?”
“R-Right now?”
Visitors usually rested once they arrived at a castle, but Princess Agnes was apparently still bursting with energy after traveling the length of Wedon.
Maxi quickly finished jotting down the numbers and handed the ledger to Rodrigo. When she stepped outside the banquet hall, she saw the princess gliding toward her, now having donned a deep blue dress.
“Thank you for preparing such a lovely room for me. The tapestry is especially nice.”
“I-I am glad it is to your liking, Your Highness,” Maxi answered timidly.
The princess flashed another dazzling smile. “You don’t have to be so formal. Please, call me Agnes. I would like to call you by your name, if that would be all right?”
Maxi’s lips parted as her brain raced to keep up with the flurry of requests. Dazed, all she could do was nod blankly at the princess’s satisfied smile.
“Wonderful. Now, let’s start outside.” Without waiting for an answer, the princess took Maxi’s arm and started pulling her down the stairs. Feeling like a buoy in a storm, Maxi followed behind her.
—
Never had Maxi imagined that the princess would treat her so favorably. It left her utterly confused. Had the princess not wanted to marry Riftan?
“I suppose Riftan is in the annex with the knights?” Agnes glanced at Maxi curiously.
Maxi’s expression hardened slightly at how easily her husband’s name fell from the princess’s lips.
“H-He may be…Your Highness.”
“Then I suppose I’ll have to wait to ask him for a tour of the training grounds. Can we go up the walls? I’d love a good view of the castle’s surroundings.”
Maxi hesitated for a moment before nodding and ushering the princess to a narrow path on their right that cut through the forest. It was a route normally trod by the sentries.
After following it for a time, they arrived at a stone stairway leading up onto the outer wall.
The patrolling sentries spotted them and immediately bowed in greeting.
Maxi explained her outing with the princess, and the sentries bowed them through to climb the steps.
It was still early spring, and although the weather had warmed, the wind blowing off the mountains was icy.
Agnes climbed up first and stood at the edge of the battlement, her long skirt fluttering behind her like a banner.
She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and stretched in the lashing wind, perfectly at ease.
“What a beautiful place.”