Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Maxi turned around in surprise to see Riftan staring back at her. Just a moment ago, he had been standing some distance away. How had he approached her without her noticing?

“Were you going to leave without saying a word?”

“I d-didn’t want to d-disturb you…”

“You’re not disturbing us at all.”

He took hold of her arm and turned around to look at the squires. The young men, drenched in sweat and red in the face, were looking at them with curiosity.

“We’re taking a break!” Riftan bellowed. “We’ll start again in an hour. Go and rest in the annex.”

He then led Maxi away by the hand. Flustered, she turned to look at Rodrigo, but the steward stood with his hands politely clasped, making it clear that he did not intend to follow. Riftan did not look back as he led her along the path.

“Have you eaten?”

“I-I ate in the d-dining hall… The s-steward was g-giving me a t-tour of the c-castle…” She stammered without meeting his eyes. Remembering how she had fallen asleep while bathing with him, she felt her cheeks grow hot.

“F-Forgive me for t-troubling you l-last night.”

“Troubling me?” he asked, his pace slowing so he could look at her.

“I f-fell asleep j-just like th-that…”

“It’s fine. You’re not used to long journeys,” he answered brusquely before picking up his pace again.

Maxi studied his expression. Despite his words, he looked displeased.

“S-Still, you must have been t-tired too… But you had to t-take care of m-me …”

“I wasn’t tired,” Riftan replied coolly. “Quite the opposite.”

“P-Pardon?”

Her question drew a sharp look from him, making her flinch. Riftan let out a sigh.

“Never mind. You said you were looking around the castle? I’ll guide you.”

“All r-right…”

Though she wanted to ask if she had done something wrong, she decided it was best to keep quiet.

***

They crossed the gardens and climbed the stairs to the battlements. Atop the wall, Maxi could see rocky mountains and steep cliffs in the distance. The sloping hills were thick with verdant trees.

“Thirty to thirty-five sentries patrol the ramparts every day, keeping watch for monsters,” explained Riftan. “If they sight enemies, they sound the kopel. The sound of the horn is a cue for the knights to lead our forces into battle.”

Maxi beheld the fortress that stood steadfast against the raging winds. The structure of the castle was simple. It was surrounded by tall, sturdy walls, and in front of the outer gates were the knights’ quarters and training grounds. The main keep and the annex could be found within the inner gates. As a whole, the rustic castle resembled a kneeling giant. To its rear was a spacious garden, and in the center of that garden was a tall, slender tower that looked like an iron spike.

Noticing Maxi’s inquiring look, Riftan explained, “Ruth lives in that tower. It’s near the mountains, so it’s easier for him to use long-distance magic should the need arise.”

Riftan furrowed his brows in annoyance.

“But don’t get too close,” he continued. “He cast strange magic runes all over the tower in the name of research, and they can be a real pain to deal with.”

“M-Magic runes…?”

She glanced up at him, her curiosity piqued. He seemed to have little desire to explain further, leading her along the patrol route toward the castle’s rear.

“What you see over there is the stable. That’s the barn, and that structure there is the granary. We always keep the granary stocked in case we come under siege.”

Riftan’s monotonous voice faltered as he scanned her expression.

“I must be boring you. I’m not much of a storyteller. Especially around women…”

“N-No, I’m not b-bored.”

She gave him a half-smile. It was difficult to picture Riftan bantering or engaging ladies in conversation. Still, it was hard to believe that he was uninitiated in the art of courtship. Unless he had recently transformed into a good-looking man, Riftan had lived twenty-eight years as a handsome young lad. It was implausible that women would have left him in peace.

Every knight who had regularly visited Croyso Castle had been a master of courtship. Time and again, Maxi had heard the maidservants giggle as they whispered animatedly amongst themselves about the knights’ seductive skills. At some point, Riftan must have bedded a young maidservant, or perhaps even a beautiful noblewoman. Maxi recalled his mention of the northern custom of the host’s wife attending to guests while they bathed. How else would he have learned of such practices?

Maxi’s spirits plummeted. His past deeds were not her business.

“What’s wrong? You’re frowning.”

Maxi quickly thought of an excuse. “Oh, th-the wind is j-just a little c-cold.”

Riftan wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She held her breath at the overwhelming masculine scent emanating from his body.

“I should’ve told them to prepare warmer clothes.”

“It’s a-all right. It’s s-sunny. If th-the wind w-weren’t blowing, it w-would be w-warm…”

“Do you like the dress?”

She glanced down at her clothes. He would find it strange if she told him that she had never worn something so beautiful.

“Y-Yes, I do.”

“I’ll call the dressmaker to the castle so you can order anything you want. You can have dozens of dresses, hundreds even.”

Riftan raised her chin and looked at her with a penetrating gaze. Blood rushed to her face. Was this the act of a man who did not know the first thing about courtship? She averted her eyes.

“Is th-that a h-habit of yours?”

“What do you mean?”

“Always t-telling me you’ll g-get me anything I w-want.”

He frowned at her candor. “I mean it. I told you I wouldn’t give you any less than what you had at Croyso Castle.”

Maxi gulped. She had neither lived in luxury nor received the things she wanted. Would he still show her such kindness if he discovered that she was not the noble lady he imagined? She felt as if she had deceived him.

“I-I’d like to g-go back inside and r-rest now,” she mumbled, trying to avoid his eyes.

“Are you tired?”

Seeing her nod, Riftan took a step forward. A fierce wind whipped through the dense forest on the mountain. The trees themselves seemed to howl, making Maxi pause in her tracks. The wind brought with it an inexplicable scent of loneliness.

Will I be living with this scent for all the years to come?

Her eyes briefly rested on the bleak landscape before she turned to follow Riftan.

***

Maxi returned to her room alone, for Riftan had returned outside to supervise the squires’ training. As she sat beside the fireplace, Ludis brought a tray of ginger tea and biscuits flecked with dried fruit.

“Lord Calypse will hold a feast with the knights this evening,” said Ludis, pouring her another cup of tea. “Would you like a new outfit for the occasion, my lady?”

Maxi gave her a puzzled look. “N-New outfit?”

“Yes. This is your first appearance as Lord Calypse’s consort. I thought it might serve you well to dress for the occasion, my lady…”

Ludis trailed off, her face tensing. She bowed her head and continued.

“I-I spoke out of turn, my lady. Please forgive me.”

“N-No, it’s all right.”

Maxi peered into the mirror that stood against the wall. The elegant bun that Ludis had styled so carefully had become disheveled in the wind. She brushed back the loose strands and nodded.

“Th-Then p-please…”

Ludis rose and left the room with the teapot in her hand. She returned with a small box containing a comb, scented water, and jewelry. Maxi sat in front of the mirror as Ludis swiftly undid her hair and combed until it gleamed under the light. Maxi was accustomed to her nursemaid combing with a force that threatened to tear off her scalp. In contrast, Ludis’s hands seemed miraculously skilled.

“Would you like a hairpin, my lady? Or a circlet, perhaps?”

Ludis opened the box of jewelry. On the red satin lay brooches adorned with precious stones, pearl necklaces, gold rings, and silver hairpins. Maxi’s eyes went round with wonder.

As far as Maxi knew, Riftan had no mother, sisters, or other family members. Why, then, did he have all this jewelry? It was also strange, in fact, that he had had such an extravagant dress prepared within a day of her arrival. Could it have belonged to a former lover?

“My lady, are these not to your liking?”

“N-No, they’re lovely…”

Maxi focused her attention on the ornaments, trying to ignore the strange feeling.

“P-Please use th-this hairpin…”

“Yes, my lady.”

Ludis braided Maxi’s hair and rolled it into a thick bun, fixing it with a sparkling hairpin studded with flower-shaped jewels. Next, she hung a string of pearls around Maxi’s neck and slid a crystal ring on her finger. Maxi beheld her richly dressed self as she would a stranger. With her flushed cheeks, wavering eyes, and uncertain expression, she looked like a clumsy child who had stolen her mother’s jewels.

“Shall I bring other jewels if these are not to your liking?” Ludis asked cautiously. She studied Maxi’s expression while straightening the creases on her mistress’s skirt.

Maxi shook her head.

“I-It’s all right. Th-These are g-good enough.”

Ludis rose from her seat, visibly relieved. Maxi wrapped a thin shawl around her shoulders and left the room. Outside, the sun was already setting.