Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 12: Chapter 12

“Come, let us go.”

Maxi blushed and nodded as Riftan helped her into a pair of ankle-high leather shoes. Hand in hand, they stepped out and walked down a wooden staircase. Downstairs, armored knights were milling around a tavern crammed so full of tables and chairs that it was difficult to move.

One of the knights crossed his arms. “I thought we were going to spend the whole day here, Commander. Are we leaving now?”

Riftan ignored him and ushered Maxi out.

Another knight approached them from the door and complained loudly. “Come now, Commander. We’re not going to gobble the lady up. No need to shield her so-”

“Shut your mouth. Have I not told you to watch your tongue?”

Maxi looked at the knight with a bewildered expression. He was a curly-haired young man, tall and well built. His sharp gaze was disapproving, without a shred of friendliness. She hid herself behind Riftan, earning herself a loud snort from the blond man who was standing behind the curly-haired knight.

“It’s ludicrous! All this just for the daughter of the Duke of Croyso…”

“I told you to shut up!” growled Riftan.

Seeing that he meant this as a warning, the men held their tongues. Riftan turned toward Maxi and thrust her into the carriage.

“Don’t mind them.”

After reassuring her, he slammed the carriage door closed.

“They have no love for your father, but you are no longer a Croyso. You are now Lady Calypse – my wife. And I’ll make sure they never disrespect you again after today.”

Croyso’s daughter. Those two words were a stark reminder of how their relationship had come to be. Unable to think of a suitable reply, she kept her eyes fixed on her knees.

“Have my men hurt your feelings?”

Riftan’s voice was tinted with concern. With a jolt, she looked up in disbelief. No one had ever bothered to ask about her feelings, yet he was walking on eggshells before her – the tail was wagging the dog. She smiled in spite of herself.

“You know…” began Riftan, gazing at her with an inscrutable expression on his face.

“P-Pardon?”

“This is the first time you’ve smiled at me.”

As he reached to caress her cheek, she felt her breath catch in her throat. His lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but instead he withdrew his hand and bellowed through the carriage window as if nothing had happened.

“What are you all waiting for? You said we were in a hurry!”

Someone outside grumbled, and the carriage began to move. In the awkward silence, Maxi stole glances at Riftan. He was leaning his head against the window with his eyes closed as if he had forgotten about her presence. Seeing this, she felt her nerves calm, and she presently found herself leaning her head against the wall.

Weary from days of being tense with fear, Maxi barely noticed the violent rattling of the carriage. She drifted into sleep, feeling as if she was being gently rocked in a cradle.

***

The carriage left the village and passed through vast farmlands, moving slowly on the unpaved dirt roads. It was dark when they reached a small village near Eudychal Forest. Maxi had never traveled so far by carriage, and she was drained. Riftan, who had disembarked to identify himself at the village entrance, returned to retrieve a bedroll and lamp.

“We’re staying the night here. It’s cold outside, so bundle up.”

Maxi fastened the straps of her cloak and pulled the hood over her head before stepping out of the carriage. Riftan put an arm around her shoulders and strode toward his men. The knight who had been talking with the village guard turned around at Riftan’s footsteps.

“There are no suitable lodgings here, Commander.”

Riftan lifted the lamp in his hand and quickly scanned the area. Four or five unlit cottages lay clustered at the end of a winding dirt path. Following Riftan’s gaze, the knight hastily added an explanation.

“Those five cottages are all occupied by farmers who were sent for the harvest, but there is an empty barn.” The knight glanced at Maxi, his voice trailing off. “Perhaps we could stay there for the night…”

Riftan frowned and turned to speak to the guard. “Is there no suitable lodging for the lady?”

“Only cottages to house the farmers during the harvest season, sir. We could have two emptied at your command, but I’m afraid they’re no place for your lady.”

“Still, better than a barn. You will be rewarded handsomely if you can arrange one.”

Maxi clung to Riftan’s arm in surprise. “I-I’m all r-right…”

She did not feel right forcing out serfs who had been slaving away all day under the sun. Nor did she wish to spend the night alone in a dark, spooky cottage.

She squinted into the darkness and tugged at Riftan’s sleeve. “I d-don’t want to b-be alone…”

In the uncomfortable quiet that ensued, Maxi realized how her words had been received. She let go of Riftan’s sleeve as if it were on fire, blood rushing up her neck. Riftan gave no answer, perhaps struck dumb by her shamelessness. She clutched at her dress, not daring to look him in the eye. The knights exchanged awkward looks but, much to her relief, they soon changed the subject.

“Is it decided, then? I’m starving. Let’s get some rest!”

“You there! Where can we find some water? We should look after the horses first.”

“There’s a brook by the mill. This way.”

Only after the men had dispersed did Riftan take Maxi’s hand into his.

“We should go as well.”

“Y-Yes…”

She almost had to run to keep up with Riftan’s long strides. If it were not for Riftan’s quick reaction, she would have tripped over the bumpy ground countless times. They followed the ditch and came to a stop before a large wooden structure that emerged in the dark.

A few knights entered first and hung their lamps up. Maxi followed Riftan inside and studied her surroundings. Everywhere the light reached, silken cobwebs gleamed like the tangled white hair of a specter. She would not have been surprised if a ghost suddenly appeared. The wooden floorboards creaked under a thick layer of dust.

Maxi tiptoed across the floor lest she step on bugs or a rat. The men, however, set down their bedrolls nonchalantly and shed their unwieldy armor piece by piece. Riftan was no exception. He spread an ample amount of hay in the corner of the room to cushion his bedroll.

“Over here.”

But Maxi could not bring herself to lie down. Certain that the makeshift bed was infested with bedbugs, she managed only to perch on the edge. The barn was by no means small, but with eighteen people inside, it felt cramped.

Riftah took off his breastplate and greaves. After pushing the discarded armor into a corner, he stretched and cracked his neck.

“We won’t find a comfortable bed for days. You must bear it until we reach Anatol.”

Maxi nodded, hugging her knees. She had never been in the same room as so many men, and she was nervous. The knights, however, were too busy lighting the brazier and preparing food to pay her any attention.

One of the knights who had returned from watering the horses stuck his head into the barn.

“Commander! There isn’t enough fodder for the horses!”

“Then ask the guard where we can buy some grain,” Riftan replied in a matter-of-fact tone while unclasping his leather belt.

“We tried negotiating already, but he says the grain isn’t his to sell. The granaries in these parts all belong to the Duke of Croyso.”

Maxi flinched at the unexpected mention of her father’s name. Riftan pushed his hair back and clicked his tongue.

“Seems he wants us to pay more.”

“Your orders, Commander?”

“Just pay him what he wants.”

“Perhaps we can give him a good scare so we won’t have to-”

But the knight’s voice trailed off when he noticed Maxi.

“On second thought, we shouldn’t give the duke cause to find fault with us. Very well, I shall negotiate as per your order. Just don’t scold me later when you find our purse has lightened.”

With that, the knight left. Maxi withered, realizing that the knights were far more hostile to her father than she had imagined. Perhaps that explained their indifferent attitude toward her.

Had she been born with Rosetta’s charming features, would things have been different? Maxi wilted further at the thought of her half-sister delighting in the gifts and love letters brought by the knights who regularly visited Croyso Castle. She was only brought out of her self-torment when Riftan left the fireside and approached her. She raised her head to see a bowl full of hot potatoes, burnt brown here and there from roasting in the fire.

“Careful. They’re still hot.”

Riftan ignored his own warning. He grabbed a steaming potato with a large, calloused hand and took a bite. Maxi followed suit, gingerly wrapping a scalding hot potato in her sleeve before peeling off the burnt skin to reveal soft yellow flesh.

As she took a small bite, she was overcome by a wave of hunger that anxiety had been keeping at bay. The roof of her mouth burned, but she continued to chew and swallow bite after bite of steaming hot potato. Even the chewy, half-cooked pieces tasted like a rare treat. She found that she had devoured a fist-sized potato in no time.

Riftan, who had been watching her eat, had a peeled potato ready for her. Maxi frantically waved her hands.

“I’ve had m-my share. You sh-should have it, R-Riftan…”

“Just take it.”

He pressed the potato into her hands, then snatched another one from the bowl. Without even peeling it properly, he bit off a large mouthful. After staring at her own potato, which had been peeled smooth, she brought it to her mouth and began to eat with gusto, blowing every now and then.

With her stomach full, she felt sleepy. Her fear of bedbugs forgotten, she laid her head on the bedroll. The flame of the brazier in the center of the barn cast a dim light on the walls and ceiling. One by one, the knights finished eating and arranged their bedding.

It was she who had refused the privacy of the cottage, but she was still embarrassed by the idea of sleeping among so many men. She pulled her blanket up to her chin. Seeing her stir, Riftan set aside the sword he had been polishing and lay down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her tightly, but Maxi pushed it away.

“R-Riftan… Th-There are other p-people here…”

“No one gives a damn, so stay still. You’re cold, aren’t you?”