“Elliot, enough with the talking,” said Ursuline, drawing his sword. He had clearly reached the end of his patience.“Croyso and Anatol are now enemies. That being the case, we can simply dispose of them and leave.”
Apparently deciding that they would not be able to subdue Riftan and his men without further reinforcements, the commanding knight bitterly motioned with his head for the guards to let them through.
Riftan strode past them with Elliot and Ursuline on either side, their swords drawn. Outside the castle, a chilly wind stung Maxi’s tearstained cheeks. She pressed her face against Riftan’s cold, armored chest and curled herself in his arms.
Talon was tied to a nearby tree. Riftan helped Maxi into the saddle and mounted behind her, his arms circling around her like a fortress wall. It was not until she heard hooves against the ground that the sobbing began, racking her whole body.
As she silently wept, she could not tell if the feeling tearing through her chest was relief or despair.
—
No one spoke of theevents that had occurred in Croyso Castle. The rest of the knights waiting outside did not ask any questions, as if they could sense the tension enveloping the returning party. They traveled across the darkened plain without rest until the village of Zeno came into view.
Maxi blinked her swollen eyes at the dim lights glowing in the dark. Raising her head, she could vaguely make out Riftan’s tense jaw. Riftan did not spare her a glance as he spurred his horse into a gallop down the hill.
When they reached Zeno, Riftan and the knights booked out a large inn at the southern end of the village. Moving asone, the knights dismounted, left their horses to the stables, and organized the luggage in no time at all.
Riftan carried Maxi up the stairs. After gently lowering her onto the bed in one of the rooms, he walked over to light the lamp by the window.
Maxi hugged her knees as she sat as still as a rock. Riftan’s face had been shrouded in darkness up until now. As he lit the lamp, the flickering light revealed his stoic expression.
Maxi’s eyes fluttered shut as she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with his scent. His robes smelled of horses and the metallic tang of iron armor. With both hands resting on the windowsill, Riftan stared out the window at the night sky illuminated by a crescent moon. Maxi could feel the tension exuding from him even through his armor.
She did not know what to say. She stared at his motionless figure before lowering her gaze to her knees. A knock interrupted the silence.
“Sir Riftan, I’ve brought some hot water.”
It was Ruth. Riftan slowly turned around and opened the door. Light streamed in from the hallway, and Maxi crawled to the corner of the bed to avoid it. She caught a glimpse of Ruth trying to peer past Riftan’s broad shoulder with a concerned look.
“I also have some clean linen and a change of clothes,” the mage said. “As for your meal…”
“Bring it in an hour.”
Riftan’s bulky frame blocked the doorway, barring Ruth’s entry. After taking the basin, towels, and clothes, he closed the door in Ruth’s face before the sorcerer could say anything else.
Maxi nervously watched Riftan approach the bed. Heplaced the basin on the bedside table and soaked a towel in steaming water. After wringing it out, he brought the hot towel to her face.
When Maxi reflexively shrank back, his lips grew stiff. His voice strangely tense, he muttered, “Let me help you wipe off the blood.”
“Oh…”
Riftan gently wiped her forehead, temples, and cheeks. It was only when she saw the dark bloodstains on the linen that Maxi realized she had been bleeding. Ruth had healed the wounds, but the blood must have remained.
When her face was clean, Riftan pulled off her robe and began to wipe her pale shoulders and back. Maxi silently surrendered to his care, feeling pathetic. Each time the warm towel swept down her back, it felt as though it were peeling away her skin to expose more of her shame. It made her face burn, and she desperately wanted to hide.
Riftan paid no heed to her discomfort and relentlessly wiped away the dried blood crusted on her back. Feeling the slight tremor of his fingers against her skin, she anxiously gnawed her lip. Riftan continued washing her, changing the towel several times, before he finally spoke.
“How often did this happen?”
Maxi flinched and looked away. Realizing that she had no way to escape, she forced a stiff smile. “Wh-What…do you mean?”
She heard him take in a sharp breath. Feigning ignorance, she fiddled with her tangled hair with shaking hands. Riftan did not relent, his persistent silence demanding an answer.
Maxi tried and failed to ignore the pressure. She said awkwardly, “I-It didn’t…h-happen that often. Myfather…w-was greatly angered today…. That’s why…he p-punished me. Th-This usually…doesn’t…”
Riftan impassively observed her desperate attempt to preserve what little pride she had left. His penetrating gaze made Maxi’s face flush.
She cleared her throat, but her voice still came out in a strained croak. “M-My father is a s-stern man…. O-On the rare occasions he got angry, he—”
