Embarrassed that the maidservant had read her displeasure so plainly, Maxi swiftly returned to her errands. Riftan had made it clear last night that he felt nothing for the princess. So why did it still perturb her when the former comrades spent time together? Had she always been such a jealous woman?
As much as she tried to shake it, her unease lingered all through the morning. Even after she had dismissed Rodrigo from their inspection of the garden, she found herself pacing, unable to stop her thoughts from racing. Riftan and Agnes’s relationship was one of duty, not some secret tryst. So why did Maxi feel like she was being driven into a corner?
Finally, needing to calm her nerves, she made her way to the training grounds. Any awkwardness her presence might instigate would be worth regaining her peace of mind by seeing her husband in the flesh. Holding the thought of him in her mind, she walked briskly through the gate to the training grounds.
She stopped short, however, at a sudden cry from thepitch. Her attention was immediately drawn toward the spectacle below.
There were more than the usual number gathered on the grounds. Maxi spotted Princess Agnes and her attendants off to one side and even the squires on the opposite end. Everyone’s attention seemed to be on the two helmeted knights making their way to the center of the pitch.
Maxi’s eyes widened. Helmet or no, she would recognize her husband anywhere. From the armor, it was apparent that Riftan’s opponent was one of the princess’s royal knights.
Why would Riftan fight one of our guests? Has something happened?
The two knights drew their swords. Suddenly, the royal knight charged at Riftan with such speed that it was hard to believe he was wearing armor, like a weighted ball shooting through the air. Maxi shrieked and staggered back, but her voice was drowned out by the thunderous clashing of weapons.
Riftan deflected the blow so quickly it could have been a flash of light. The royal knight wasted no time in swinging his sword again. For the next few minutes, their blades clashed rapidly, their movements swift as hummingbird wings, and the metallic crack of their swords reverberated across the grounds.
Maxi watched in stunned silence. The two knights lashed out at each other with such force that their feet dug tracks into the ground, scattering dust around them like fog. The duel was so intense that it was surprising neither had sliced the other in half yet.
Unable to watch the frightening sight any longer, Maxiturned only to see Sir Elliot approaching her with a look of concern on his face. “Are you all right, my lady?”
“S-Sir Elliot…” Maxi instinctively clutched at his cape. “Wh-What is happening? Wh-Why is Riftan…”
“Rest assured, my lady, they are merely sparring with one another.”
She looked at him in disbelief. “S-Sparring?” She could still hear the thunderous clashing of their swords behind her. “H-How can this be considered sparring?! Wh-What if they get hurt?”
“I assure you, my lady, the Commander is merely humoring the competition.”
The swords met again, and Maxi’s heart pounded. How could everyone else look on with such seeming indifference to the violent display in front of them?
“If you do not feel well, my lady, please allow me to escort you back,” said Sir Elliot, regarding her ashen face with worry.
Maxi unwittingly leaned against him for support. At that moment, one final sharp clang rang out, followed by silence. Beside herself with worry, Maxi looked back to make sure Riftan had not been hurt. Much to her relief, he was standing as steady as a statue, the tip of his sword held to his opponent’s neck. After a long silence, the royal knight slowly raised his arms in a sign of defeat.
Maxi closed her eyes in relief. Neither warrior seemed injured. She took a moment to release the tension from her shoulders, but suddenly felt a familiar hot gaze on her. When she returned her eyes to the pitch, Riftan, having cast off his helmet, was staring at her with thunder in his eyes.Sheathing his sword, he strode up the embankment and pulled her away from Elliot.
“Explain to me what you are doing with my wife.”
Elliot took a step back, clearly flustered. “Just offering her ladyship assistance. She was shaken by the sparring.”
Riftan glared at him before turning his gaze to Maxi. “You should not be here. It’s no place for someone as faint-hearted as you.” With that, he grabbed her arm and turned her in the direction she had come from.
Maxi whimpered when his gauntlet dug into her skin, and he immediately released her as if he had been burned. Rubbing the pinched skin of her forearm, she looked up at him in confusion. She had been prepared for awkwardness, but she could not understand such displeasure at her presence.
“I-I am all right. I was…merely surprised…because I’ve never seen…knights sparring like that before.”
“Have you never attended a tournament, Maximilian?”
Startled by the new voice, Maxi almost flinched. It was Princess Agnes.
Not wanting to offend the princess, Maxi tried to slow her words and stay calm. “N-No…Your Highness.”
“Now that I think about it, you’ve never visited Drachium Palace, have you? I remember your sister visiting, but never you…. Do you not like the capital, Maximilian?”
Unsettled by the direction of the conversation, Maxi broke out in a cold sweat. “I-I was not…fond of traveling….”
“Even so, you must come visit the capital with Sir Riftan someday,” Agnes said with her typical unreadable brightness. “If you do, I would be glad to show you around.”
