Chapter Twelve #4
Maxi followed the princess’s gaze over the wall. A violent gust blew over the steep slopes and sharp peaks of the snow-topped mountains. The princess swept her untamed hair out of her face as it twirled in the buffeting wind, never taking her eyes off the horizon.
“Everyone always said that Anatol was infested with monsters. I guess I was expecting grimmer scenery, a land of demons.” When she began strolling the length of the wall, Maxi followed beside her. “But the village is peaceful, and your markets are flourishing. I must admit, I’m quite surprised.”
“Mercenaries and…merchants flock to Anatol…during the spring,” Maxi mumbled, knowing she was not truly knowledgeable, just repeating what she’d heard.
The princess stroked her chin, seeming deep in thought. “I can see why Riftan is so attached to it. It must have taken enormous effort to bring prosperity to a land that’s been neglected for so long.”
Something ugly twisted in the pit of Maxi’s stomach.
It was as if the princess were flaunting her closeness with Riftan.
The sudden urge to yell at her—to tell her to stop acting so familiar with her husband—momentarily overcame Maxi.
Surprised by her own viciousness, Maxi bit her lip to contain her impulse.
A burning flush of shame crept to the tips of her ears for her pettiness.
“R-Riftan…has been working…d-day and night without rest…for the sake of Anatol.”
“It was the same during the campaign. No one ever saw the man rest. We all called him Mago. Some days it was hard to know whether the men feared him or worshipped him. Or both.”
“Ma…go?”
“A mythical creature that never sleeps, never tires, believed to have a hundred lives.” Agnes’s smile turned bitter. “The Temple Knights of Osiriya gave him the name after watching him rush headlong into danger time and time again, as if he were invincible.”
Ruth had already told her of Riftan’s recklessness, but Maxi’s heartstrings still knotted at the thought. She hunched her shoulders to fight off the biting cold.
Princess Agnes studied her with calm blue eyes. “I’ve always wondered what the Mago’s wife would be like. Who exactly it was that he threw himself into the dragon’s fire to return to…”
At a loss for words, Maxi wet her parched lips.
The statement hadn’t been a criticism, yet she could not help but feel she was being judged.
She knew she didn’t deserve to be the wife of such a lauded knight.
The princess undoubtedly knew it, too. Maxi could not bear to see her own pathetic reflection in the princess’s sapphire eyes and turned abruptly away, knowing rudeness would now be added to the tally of her faults.
“Th-The wind…is cold. We should…return to the castle, Your Highness. Th-There are also matters I must attend to….”
“Of course.”
Princess Agnes gazed over the Anatolium Mountains one more time before descending the stone stairs. Maxi watched her for a moment, then hurried after her, eager to be free of the storm of anxiety raging in her heart.
—
At sundown, the servants climbed ladders to light the chandelier inside the banquet hall. Braziers replenished with fresh coals burned around the room, and the tables were laden with a sumptuous feast.
Maxi sat next to Riftan at the head of one of the tables. The princess and her retinue sat across from them, while the royal knights took up the rest of the seats. Once the pages had served each guest with fragrant wine, Riftan raised his golden goblet.
“We welcome you to Anatol.”
Everyone raised their drinks in unison.
The princess lifted hers, full to the brim, and gave Riftan an elegant smile. “We thank you for your warm welcome.”
“You must be tired from your long journey, Your Highness,” bellowed an old knight. “Please enjoy the feast.”
The princess laughed and brought the goblet to her lips, cuing the rest of the party to begin the feast. Maxi took a bite of bread and glanced around the crowded table.
The royal knights who had accompanied the princess appeared to be well acquainted with the Remdragon Knights, judging by their amicable banter.
Even the princess forwent formalities when addressing the knights whom Maxi had taken months to get to know.
It seemed that Princess Agnes paid little to no mind to any of the etiquette and decorum expected of a noblewoman.
It took Maxi aback, even after spending all afternoon with her.
Even sitting amongst men much bigger than her, the princess held her own, not seeming intimidated in the slightest. She laughed loudly, smacking the shoulders of the knights as they jibed each other, her voice boisterous and provocative just like theirs.
What surprised Maxi most of all was how little it seemed to faze the knights.
The princess was in the middle of a lively conversation with her neighbor when she abruptly turned to Riftan. “I would like to inspect Anatol as soon as possible. Could I trouble you for a tour tomorrow, Sir Riftan?”
Riftan took a sip of wine and replied coolly, “I will have Sir Ursuline show you around, Your Highness.”
“Tch. Ever so stonehearted, I see. Don’t think you can cast me aside so easily just because you are lord here. I have traveled to the end of the earth to come see you.”
“I do not recall making such a request of you.”
The royal knights’ expressions darkened at Riftan’s impertinence, and Maxi nervously studied the princess’s face.
Such discourtesy toward the royal family would not be tolerated, even from a knight famed across the continent.
Instead of being outraged, however, Princess Agnes burst into hearty laughter.
“You haven’t changed a bit, Mago.” She turned her beguiling smile to Maxi instead. “Then could I trouble you to be my guide, Lady Calypse?”
The cut of lamb on Riftan’s plate jerked as he paused from sawing mid-cut to glare at the princess. Maxi, blindsided by her sudden inclusion in the conversation, only blinked in response.
Unperturbed by her reaction, the princess continued. “I’ve been eager to get to know you better.”
Riftan lowered his knife with a clatter, and when he spoke, his voice was chillingly low. “Your Highness,” he said through gritted teeth. “If you do not mind waking early, I shall be your personal guide.”
“My, how kind of you,” the princess quipped, not at all intimidated by his menacing tone. “You have my sincerest gratitude.”
Maxi stiffened at their easy banter. Just imagining the pair of them taking a pleasant ride around Anatol together was enough to make her stomach turn.
“Please…a-allow me…the honor, Your Highness,” Maxi blurted out impulsively. Wetting her dry lips, she added calmly, “Since you are busy, husband…let me show Her—”
Riftan’s usually impassive face showed surprise. “How could you hope to escort Her Highness when you only arrived last autumn yourself?”
A deep flush colored Maxi’s cheeks. “E-Even so. I think I am c-capable…of showing Her Highness around. I’ve been…to the m-market with Ruth…and…I’ve also been to the outskirts….”
“The outskirts?” Riftan’s voice suddenly sounded grave.
Flustered, Maxi looked up and saw his eyes glinting dangerously.
Come to think of it, she’d never told him of her trip to aid the wounded after the werewolf attack.
It had been while he was away on the goblin raid.
Maxi glanced around at the knights seated around the table.
At the far end, she saw Sir Elliot vigorously shaking his head, signaling to her to keep quiet.
She swallowed thickly, her throat dry. She had only been doing her duty as the lady of the castle, but she knew Riftan might not see it that way.
Recalling his fury when he discovered that she was learning magic, she quickly changed the subject.
“W-What I wish to say…is that…I also know Anatol…well enough…to guide Her Highness.”
“Enough. Sending you outside the castle unprotected is out of the—”
“Oh my,” Princess Agnes deftly interjected. “And it’s all right for me to leave the castle unprotected?”
Riftan shot her an annoyed look. “You are capable of protecting yourself, Your Highness, but that is not the case for my wife. All she has ever known are the walls of Croyso Castle!”
“E-Even I am…capable of sh-showing our guests…around our land!” Maxi glared at him.
Being treated like an incompetent child in front of the princess was a blow to her pride.
Her face flushed as she retorted, “And…I-I’ve seen…
other places. If you recall…I had to t-travel to reach Anatol… from the Duchy of Croyso.”
Hebaron was quick to take her side. “Her ladyship is right, Commander. What harm could come to her with the king’s knights in attendance? If it still worries you, I will accompany them.”
Riftan’s expression grew darker and darker at the persistent rebuttals. Inwardly, Maxi was terrified at his barely contained anger, but she could not back down. She needed to prevent him from spending time with such a captivating woman at all costs.
“Riftan…you b-barely have time…to rest. Please…let me help.”
He stared at her for a long moment, clearly unsure how to approach this uncharacteristic stubbornness of hers. Finally, he relented. “Fine. I shall leave it to you.” Riftan met the princess’s smirk with a stony expression. “Would that be to your satisfaction, Your Highness?”
“As a mere guest—unwanted, no less—I wouldn’t think of complaining. In fact, I am nothing but grateful that you would allow your cherished wife to accompany me.” Placing a hand on her chest, the princess postured as though she had just received the highest of honors.
Maxi’s blush deepened. Riftan had expressed concern only for his wife’s safety, blatantly disregarding that of the princess. No one would have been surprised had the princess taken offense, but instead, Agnes seemed to find the reaction amusing.