Chapter Nineteen #3
“Do not say such things. Or do you really want to drive me mad?” He said it in a grumble but pleasantly rubbed his cheek on her shoulder as he did so.
Maxi giggled when his warm breath tickled her nape.
Though she was utterly spent, she had never been so sated and happy in her life.
Enveloped in his embrace, she listened to the rain until she drifted off to sleep once more.
—
The rain finally let up at dawn. By first light, the knights were already out of their tents busily preparing breakfast. None of them had been able to eat a decent meal the night before, so they took the time to prepare a more substantial meal before setting out.
Nothing mattered more during a brutal march than sufficient rest and food.
Maxi ate the bowl of potato stew Riftan brought her, then got dressed. As the sun rose, the party prepared to depart.
Maxi was about to mount Rem when Riftan appeared at her side.
He grabbed her arm. “Come with me.”
Maxi’s eyes widened in a silent question.
“Ride on this today,” he said, pointing to the cart, now free of the tar-coated cloth. Realizing that he was worried that she might still be feeling the effects of the previous night’s exertions, Maxi grew red.
“I-I am all right. I can…ride my horse.”
“Half of our supplies are gone, so you won’t be added weight. You should try to conserve your energy while we are traveling on even ground.”
“Do as the commander says, my lady,” said the knight leading the cart. “You must replenish what energy you can.”
Though Maxi was mortified that the knight might be agreeing with Riftan so wholeheartedly because he had caught on to what passed between them last night, she feigned ignorance and bobbed her head.
As soon as she had climbed onto the cart and settled, the knights swiftly fell in line and led their horses deeper into the lush forest. She had to admit, even with all its rattling, the cart was still more comfortable than horseback.
Maxi still kept an eye on Rem for a while.
Once she was confident that the mare was obediently following Ulyseon, she propped herself up on a bale of hay and began to nod off in earnest.
They made it through the rest of the Kardikil Forest safely with no monster attacks.
After a full day resting on the cart, Maxi’s physical condition was much improved by sunset.
Determined to contribute now that she felt rested, Maxi rolled up her sleeves and went to help the knights prepare their meal.
Riftan frowned disapprovingly but did not say anything to her bustling about.
Maxi helped the junior knights boil broad beans in a large cauldron and skewer four rabbits over the fire.
When the food was ready, the knights gathered in a circle to savor the humble yet satisfying meal.
Perhaps due to spending a day at ease, the next day’s travel felt significantly faster to Maxi. She felt the wind in her hair as they galloped across fields and hills covered in wildflowers.
At long last, the port came into view. Maxi’s eyes widened at the magnificent sight along the foothills.
The setting sun made the deep blue waters sparkle as though they had been sprinkled with gold.
The rim of the cape jutted out into the sea like a crescent moon, dotted with ships docked along the coast.
Maxi soaked it all in. The city lay behind a high wall. Judging by the multi-story buildings jammed together along intricate roads, it was easily two to three times more populated than Anatol. Hebaron bellowed a lively cheer as he, too, looked down at the city.
“We finally get to put our feet up! And I, for one, am in desperate need of ale.”
Riftan led the party down the hill, not pausing or speaking until they reached the gates. After going through a simple checkpoint to confirm their identities, they entered the city.
Maxi’s eyes roved about the road lit with torches.
Taverns lined the main road, and through their wide-open doors, Maxi could see drunken sailors and red-nosed mercenaries surrounded by women flaunting their bare, pale breasts.
Some of the women stuck their heads out the window and whistled loudly at the knights.
Startled by their drunken cackles, Maxi hunched her shoulders.
Gabel rode up to her and cautioned, “There are many unsavory people near the ports, my lady. Try not to look around, or you might see something unsightly.”
Maxi took the advice and kept her eyes forward.
Riftan rode through the square toward the pier with the confidence of someone who had been to the city before.
Maxi followed him down the wide road, and soon large ships came into view.
The campaign party came to a stop in front of a building near the dock.
“Edon, let them know we are here, and get the servants.”
Sir Edon dismounted and entered the building. In a few minutes, servants bearing lamps rushed outside to greet them.
As Maxi dismounted, she glanced up curiously at the three-story building. Riftan, who had approached without her noticing, placed his arm around her shoulder protectively and led her to the entrance.
“We will be sleeping here tonight.”
As she stepped inside, Maxi’s eyes passed over the smooth stone floor, the carpeted stairs, and the neatly plastered walls. Compared to the dingy inns she had seen so far, this place was luxurious.
“Wh-What…is this place?”
“It’s an inn owned by the Verden Merchants’ Guild,” Riftan explained as they climbed the stairs.
“It’s a prominent guild that manages several of the crown’s trading ships.
The head of the guild, Lord Verden, is a cousin of King Reuben’s on his maternal side, so he often offers funds for large campaigns like this.
He is who is supplying us with a ship tomorrow. ”
While the servants ushered the knights to their respective rooms, Maxi and Riftan were presented with a lavish suite furnished with a large bed. As the door closed behind the servants, Riftan pulled off his heavy armor piece by piece.
Maxi went straight to the open window and watched the sea as it swallowed the sun.
The briny smell pierced her nose, and she listened to the crashing waves.
An odd sense of wonder filled her heart as she gazed out at the seemingly endless horizon.
The sea was far more beautiful than she could ever have imagined just from reading stories.
“I’ve asked them to prepare a bath. Do you have anything to change into?
” Having cast off his heavy armor, Riftan walked over to her with light steps and brushed away a lock of hair sticking to her face.
Turning to him, Maxi shook her head. “Then I guess you will have to sleep with nothing on tonight.”
The anticipation in his eyes made Maxi’s cheeks flush. He cupped her face with his callused hands and gently planted a kiss on her lips.
“Are you tired?”
“I-I am all right.”
In truth, she was exhausted, but she knew he would leave the room and not return until late if she told him so.
Maxi wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her face against his sturdy chest. Riftan blinked, taken aback by her boldness, before a pleased smile pulled at his lips.
He hoisted her onto the windowsill and carefully loosened her tight braids.
Maxi relished the feeling of his long fingers painstakingly unraveling her tangled locks.
Riftan combed them through her hair for a long time, then massaged her stiff shoulders with great care.
By the time his touch was turning to gentle caresses, servants entered the room with towels and water for the bath.
Riftan and Maxi managed to wedge themselves into the cramped tub and began to wash each other.
She lathered his hair with soap while he gently wiped her back and shoulders with a towel.
Once they were clean, they dried themselves and lay side by side on the bed, their lips locked in a lingering kiss.
Perhaps it was because their march had ended safely, but Riftan was more relaxed and gentler than ever before.
He took his time caressing her before he entered her carefully and began to move as slowly as a gentle wave.
Maxi lost herself in his embrace. Touch after touch only heightened her pleasure.
She relished the feeling of his weight pressing onto her, the sensation of his hot lips on her skin, and his burning length quivering inside her as it stretched her to her limit.
They made love until they were spent. Then, lying on their fronts, they devoured the food a maidservant had left for them outside the door. After their stomachs were full of fresh fruit and richly seasoned dishes, the first time they had tasted spices in a while, they began to feel drowsy.
They fell asleep with their limbs tangled together like vines, as if they were of one body. It was the first sweet and languid moment they had shared in weeks.
—
The next day, the tranquility ended as soon as the sun rose. Riftan’s grave expression returned as he donned his armor, and it was as if the tension on his face had never eased. Maxi put on the clothes the servants had washed for her the night before and carefully packed her things.
It was hard to believe that the real journey had only just begun.
It would take them seven to ten days to reach Levan, the capital of Livadon, by ship.
After that, a long battle with the troll army awaited.
Maxi’s mood darkened as she thought about the party that had left before them.
There was no time for relief, not when they had only reached the port and a far more arduous journey still lay between them and their comrades.