He released a sigh he had clearly been holding in. “Damn it. After all that time restraining myself…I truly did not intend for this to happen. I lost control….”
“You have been…r-restraining yourself?” Maxi asked in surprise.
Silence fell over them. Riftan, who had been sitting motionless in the dark, pinched her cheek playfully without warning. “How could you be so oblivious to a man going through torture right in front of you?”
Maxi’s mouth flew open at his accusation. She had always considered herself to be the keen and perceptive one between the two of them, while Riftan tended to be obtuse to women’s feelings. Rubbing her stinging cheek, Maxi glowered at him.
“It is you…wh-who has been strange! Wh-Who could have imagined that such a thing would be on your mind…after such an exhausting d-day? Moreover…I have n-not been…looking my best.”
Not looking her best was a delicate way of putting it. Herwind-blown hair was disheveled, her clothes were filthy, and her face was streaked with sweat. Who would have thought that he would feel desire at such an appalling sight?
Nonetheless, Riftan’s perspective was evidently different. He rubbed his forehead with his palm. “Your face was flushed, your eyes sparkled, and your clothes clung to you, drenched in sweat. And your tousled hair…” He groaned and stared at the ceiling. “This is the hardest campaign I have ever been on in my life.”
“I-I did not know that it was…so hard on you,” Maxi mumbled weakly after a brief silence. She was no stranger to his virility, but she was stunned that he could feel such strong desire even in the middle of an exhausting march. Was that the reason he had been sleeping outside their tent? When she looked back up at him, Riftan sighed and pulled the blanket over her.
“I was going to restrain myself until the end. I know that it is hard for you to keep up with us, so I should have just let you rest….” He swore under his breath. “I must have lost my mind.”
“I-I did not…dislike it. I-I was surprised…but…I-I still liked it.” Maxi’s face turned crimson at her own words. They were not empty reassurance. The idea that he was so taken with her that he could not hold back made her happy. She would never forget the way he looked at her in the rain as long as she lived.
For the first time in her life, Maxi felt like a stunning beauty. It was a scary but thrilling moment she knew she would never experience again. She reached out and caressed his forearm, and Riftan lay down beside her. He pulled her into his arms.
“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 letup 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.
