“There will be nothing amiss if we have the knights escort us.”
The princess sounded confident. Maxi, however, was skeptical.
“I-I am grateful for the invitation, Your Highness, but…I cannot leave the castle without my husband’s…” Maxi trailed off, unsure if the princess, who freely traveled all over the continent, would understand her situation.
Agnes’s face grew serious. “All right. Let us go ask him now. You do wish to go, don’t you?”
After a moment of hesitation, Maxi slowly nodded. She truly was curious about the Spring Festival. The princess’sblue eyes glinted mischievously, and she grabbed Maxi’s arm and bustled into the room.
“Then you should get ready now. I will talk to Riftan, so don’t fret about that.”
Flustered by the princess treating her like a younger sibling, Maxi obediently changed into a white dress and tied the red girdle around her waist. When she finally slipped on a robe and returned to Agnes’s side, the princess took her hand and began striding down the corridor.
“Riftan should be at the training grounds. I heard that he wasn’t going to the construction site today.”
“The site is not p-protected?”
“Since we stamped out the wyverns, no other monsters have appeared there. Though more might show up to attack the workers, I’ve been told that Ruth has set up magical detection devices all over the camp, so they will be dealt with before they are able to cause any problems.” The princess’s lips twisted into a sour frown. “He might not be a decent man, but Ruth’s talent for invention is exceptional. If he says all is well, then it should be. There is no need for Riftan to stand guard all day.”
“Th-That is good news,” Maxi said, smiling brightly for the first time in a while.
She had been so worried about Riftan exhausting himself that it was a relief to hear he no longer had to leave the estate as often.
—
They went straight tothe training grounds. Maxi had expected to see another intense sparring match, but the area was empty when they arrived. When she looked around inconfusion, the princess explained that the knights’ schedules had changed at the construction site with Ruth’s new security measures now in place. Maxi smiled bitterly as she realized that a guest of Anatol knew the operations of the Remdragon Knights better than the lady of the castle.
“They should be gathered in the council room.”
The princess greeted the sentinel with a nod, then strode in the direction of the knights’ quarters located next to the grounds. Maxi stayed close behind her as they walked. Although it had been months since Maxi had come to Anatol, she had yet to set foot inside the guardhouse or the knights’ quarters. Her heart raced as they ventured into what she considered forbidden territory.
“Forgive the intrusion,” Agnes announced as she swung the door open without hesitation. Maxi poked her head out from behind the princess to peer into the room. It was a dim space lined with wooden chairs, tables, lances, and armor stands. Riftan and five other knights were in the middle of a discussion, and they looked up in unison as the two women entered.
“Your Highness. What brings you here? Didn’t you say you wished to rest today?” Riftan asked with a frown, clearly unhappy about the interruption.
The princess shrugged, unfazed by the cold reception, and strode over. She said confidently, “I had something to ask you. I would like to enjoy the Spring Festival with Maximilian. You don’t mind, do you?”
Riftan’s impassive expression grew icy. He looked back and forth between Agnes and Maxi, who still hovered behind the princess.
“My wife has only recently regained her health. I’ll havethe knights escort you, but you will have to enjoy the festival on your own.”
His tone left no room for argument, but that did not deter Agnes.
“But your wife looks perfectly fine,” the princess said, narrowing her eyes and turning to Maxi. The gazes of the other men sitting around the council room turned to her at the same time, and she felt a knot in her stomach as everyone’s attention landed on her.
—
It was a dayof firsts for Maxi. She played a dice game, drank ale while watching street performers, and sampled a thin-crusted pie with an unfamiliar filling. When she could eat no more, the princess cajoled her into joining a pole-throwing competition.
“Holding it at the end will make it fly farther. Imagine that you’re throwing it in a high arc,” explained Agnes. The princess had already effortlessly thrown her own pole, earning a high score.
Maxi awkwardly climbed onto the podium and gulped. A few feet away, Riftan watched her with his arms crossed. If she did well, maybe he would relax a little.
With a look of determination, Maxi threw the long pole with all her might.
Not only did the pole fail to reach any of the flags, it barely flew five kevettes before clattering to the ground. Maxi’s face burned with embarrassment. The twelve-year-old who had gone before her had done better.
“Miss! You have to throw the pole so it goes up!”
