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’veseen…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.
“It seems you are still as brazen as ever, Your Highness.” Riftan shook his head. He spoke as if he wearied of her, buthis tone suggested a familiarity that made Maxi’s heart ache. The princess condoned Riftan’s insolence with good humor, as he had clearly expected she would. The bond they shared was one of easy understanding, forged between two people who had faced great danger together.
Maxi, on the other hand, felt like an outsider. She stared down at her goblet. Though she felt despondent, how could she begrudge them the camaraderie they shared? Princess Agnes had fought alongside Riftan during the hardest and bleakest time in his life. The Remdragon Knights, Ruth, Princess Agnes…They all deserved Riftan’s friendship and trust.
And what about Maxi? What had she done to earn his trust? His affection?
Seeing Maxi’s face darken, Riftan furrowed his brow and stroked her hair. “I already said you should do as you wish, so stop frowning.”
Maxi smiled lest he notice her petty jealousy, and Riftan looked relieved. He gave her a faint smile in return and refilled her goblet with wine.
Seeing the affectionate expression she had missed so much, Maxi was momentarily overwhelmed with the urge to shower him with kisses. She wanted to caress the sharp outlines of his face, to sit on his firm lap, to bury her face in his broad chest and breathe in his scent. What more could she possibly do to make this man hers completely?
She raised her goblet to her lips, shielding herself from discerning eyes that might recognize her possessive desires. Disoriented and lonely, she felt like a lost child in an unfamiliar place.
—
It seemed that Maxihad indulged in too much wine. In an attempt to drive out her gloomy thoughts, she had taken sip after sip, and in the next moment found herself lying in bed. Feeling groggy, Maxi blinked several times while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Riftan sat beside her, removing the ornaments from her hair and undoing the straps of her bedraggled dress.
