“I-If the duke is not likely to retaliate…isn’t that more reason not to go to w-war?” Maxi blurted. “I will…t-try to persuade Riftan, so…p-please talk to the knights, Ruth. If Anatol w-withdraws its declaration, th-then my father will—”
“You should know better than any of us what kind of man the Duke of Croyso is, my lady,” Ruth said bitterly. “He might try to avoid an armed conflict, but he will never overlook such an offense completely. He’ll certainly find a way to retaliate. That being the case, it would be better to settle this in a manner that is more favorable to us. Going up against that man politically would be difficult.”
Maxi slumped in her seat. Cold sweat prickled her back as she recalled her father’s bloodied figure limp on the floor. Indeed, he would never overlook such an affront. After quietly gnawing her lip, Maxi nodded with a stiff expression.
“I understand wh-what you mean. Thank you…for explaining all this to me.”
Having ended the conversation so decidedly, Maxi rose from her seat. Ruth gave her a grim look.
“My lady, there is nothing you can do. Please don’t pursue any foolhardy endeavors.”
Stung, Maxi pretended not to understand. “Wh-Whatever do you mean?”
Ruth narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “I mean, give up the notion of writing to your father to sway him. Weboth know no amount of persuasion from you will change his mind; nor is Sir Riftan likely to change his. The blows have been dealt. It’s unlikely that any interference from you will convince the two lords to set aside their animosity. I’m afraid conflict is unavoidable.”
Maxi winced as Ruth saw right through her. Her face flushed crimson. “Wh-What’s the harm in trying? E-Even my father must know…th-that a conflict with the Remdragon Knights would be to his disadvantage. If we t-took a step back…and offered him terms h-he’d be willing to negotiate—”
“I’m afraid we are past the stage for negotiations now, my lady. You must be aware of this yourself,” Ruth said grimly.
Unable to muster a retort, Maxi bunched her skirt in her fists. The Duke of Croyso was a man who valued his reputation and the prestige of his family name above everything else. Never before had he experienced the humiliation of being beaten bloody and sent sprawling on the floor. Nothing they could offer would quell his outrage—Maxi was certain of this. She hugged her cold forearms as she trembled in the hopelessness of it all.
Ruth quietly regarded her for a moment. “Don’t you want to make the duke pay for what he did to you? He may be your father, but…that doesn’t pardon his atrocious actions.”
Maxi’s face blanched at the unexpected question. She looked at Ruth, shame etched across her features, before casting her eyes to the floor.
“I-I…do not care what happens to that man,” she muttered coldly. “I just…don’t want Riftan and the others…to go off to war again.”
Ruth shrugged. “Those men have lived all their lives onthe battlefield, and they will continue to do so. You will only torment yourself if you get worked up every time.”
Maxi clenched her jaw. Ruth’s gaze lingered on her before he heaved a sigh.
“I understand your sentiments, my lady, but I pray you will stand by Sir Riftan’s decision this once.”
Maxi begrudgingly nodded. No matter how much she racked her brain, she could not think of a way to get her father to change his mind, nor the words to persuade Riftan. She was dejectedly biting her lip when Ludis entered the room with a tray of steaming herbal tea. It was unfortunate that neither of them was in the mood forit.
Maxi excused herself and returned to her room. She had been so tense during the exchange that she felt drained the moment she sat on her bed. Flopping onto the sheets, she tried to recall the faces of her father’s vassal knights. None of them would be a match for Riftan. That was what she mumbled to herself in an attempt to assuage her fears, but it proved ineffective. Rubbing her throbbing temples, Maxi closed her eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The war preparations began inearnest. Maxi often saw mercenaries and knights doing drills together in the training grounds, and she occasionally spotted carts loaded with weapons and cannonballs rolling into the castle.
She was forced to turn a blind eye to it all. Though a torrent of words hounded her whenever she saw Riftan’s face, she could not find the right ones to say aloud.
Should I apologize for causing this war? Or do I insist that I have no desire for revenge?
With no idea of what to say, Maxi gave him the cold shoulder on more than one occasion. There was no doubt that Riftan could sense the anxiousness that shrouded her, but still he refused to tell her anything.
His behavior was the main reason for her despondence. He was always unduly courteous and cautious around her, and it made her fear that he no longer felt the passion he once had. And though he tended to her more attentively than ever, it felt closer to a father looking after a child than a husband caring for his wife.
What was more, Riftan had yet to tell her about the war himself. Was he afraid that she would collapse from shock? Lost in her thoughts, Maxi blankly stared out the window.
The garden bustled with laborers busily preparing for winter and sentries transporting provisions. Upon Maxi’s orders, Ludis had made inquiries and had found out that all the war preparations would be completed in three to four days’ time. After that, Riftan would advance on the Duke of Croyso with four hundred mounted troops.
Maxi forced herself to banish the horrors of war from her mind and turned away from the window. Ludis, who was sewing by the fireplace, saw Maxi’s dark expression and crinkled her face in concern.
“My lady, shall I bring you something to eat?” she asked.
Maxi shook her head. “N-No, I had too much at lunch. I have no appetite.”
