Chapter 114: Chapter 1
News of the campaign was all that the knights talked about whenever they had the chance. A myriad of speculations circulated. Why had Balto and Livadon failed to notice such a massive troll army gathering in their highlands? How had the monsters learned such formidable teamwork?
Maxi listened to their discussions with a mix of interest and anxiety. The knights had been cautious with their words around her at first, but as she spent more time in the infirmary, they slowly lowered their guards.
Recently, they even informed her that Osiriya was likely to send more reinforcements and that Wedon may also do the same.
“Livadon sent soldiers to aid us during the Dragon Campaign. If Wedon does not repay the debt now, the rest of the Seven Kingdoms will refuse to send us military aid in the future no matter the adversity we might face.”
“But... have we not sent them e-enough soldiers already?”
“If the men we sent were enough, the situation should have been mitigated by now. But innocent people are still suffering in Livadon. This is a matter of a knight’s chivalry! Do you not think the rest of the Seven Kingdoms should do more to help?”
Maxi immediately realized that these men wanted to leave Anatol to join the brutal battle raging in Livadon. The young knights seemed eager for the danger they deemed as their duty to partake in.
Unable to agree nor disagree, Maxi gave them a vague smile. Could it be that Riftan wanted to leave for Livadon as well? Whenever such a thought came to her mind, she felt as though the ground were melting beneath her feet.
Through the infirmary window, Maxi gazed at the expansive training grounds bathed in the red light of dusk. Shadows now shrouded the castle walls.
The knights finishing up their demanding training all wore looks of determination. Above them, a flock of blackbirds let out mournful cries as they soared across the red sky.
Maxi wondered if a carrier bird flew among them. The turtle doves had never brought good news ever since the start of the campaign. Perhaps this time they would finally receive word that the tide was turning for the better. The mere sight of any bird flapping its wings turned Maxi’s insides into a mush of hope and anxiety.
“My lady, you should return to the great hall now. The lord would not be pleased if he learns that you were here until nightfall,” said Melric as he poured boiled salve into small jars.
The two young knights next to her stopped applying ointment on their bruised arms and promptly rose to their feet.
“Allow us to escort you, my lady.”
“Th-That won’t be necessary.”
“No matter how strictly we check people before allowing them into the castle, thieves or ruffians could still sneak their way inside. We would not be able to rest easy unless we escorted you safely to your chambers, my lady.”
Their enthusiasm made Maxi smile. The knights had stopped treating her like a guest who could leave at any moment and were no longer ill at ease around her. Some even actively expressed their goodwill. Each time they did so, she felt as if she had managed to become part of the net of trust that linked Riftan and his knights.
Maxi bashfully accepted their offer. “Then... I-I shall not refuse.”
They genially took the heavy books from her hands. Maxi told Melric not to work for too long before leaving the room. Since it was difficult for an old man with bad knees to manage a steep flight of stairs every day, the mage was currently using a small room prepared for him next to the infirmary. Maxi had even furnished it with a cabinet and sizable bookshelf. She intended to pay special attention to him to make sure the new addition to their family could settle into life at Calypse Castle.
As soon as she arrived at the great hall, she asked a maidservant to bring Melric a nutritious meal and to make sure he went to bed early. Though the old mage was hardworking and eager, it would be a stretch to say that he was healthy. Maxi was always worried that he might collapse after overexerting himself.
“Is that mage really doing his job properly?” Riftan asked when he returned to their chambers late that evening.
Maxi had taken his cloak, and she grew wide-eyed as she hung the garment on a rack.
“O-Of course. In fact, he worries me... b-by working too hard.”
“Then why are you spending more time there? I asked Rodrigo, and he informed me that you were in the infirmary from noon till nightfall...”
“I have been... a-asking Melric to teach me about herbs and magic. He does m-most of the work. There is nothing h-he does not know when it comes to... herbs or healing magic.”
Riftan looked pensive. “How is his health? Do you think he will be able to travel?”
“T-Travel?”
Maxi looked at him quizzically. Did he perhaps want to send Melric back to the earl? Maxi’s heart felt heavy as she thought of the old man who had been working so earnestly. From what he had told her, the Earl of Loverne had not been a good master. The earl had sent him to Anatol only because he had wanted to rid himself of the mage who had become weak in his old age.
Maxi’s face hardened as she shook her head. “Melric’s... knees are bad. So much so... that it is difficult for him to use the stairs. Yet, he still works tirelessly! He may not be young... but the breadth of his knowledge is extensive. Y-You must not send him back.”
“Calm down, I was merely asking. I have no intention of sending him back.”
Riftan sighed and waved a hand. Puzzled, Maxi studied his somber face. It seemed as though he was grappling with something.
“Is... something troubling you?”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” Riftan said, cutting the conversation short.
Unable to ask any more questions, Maxi pressed her lips shut. She was well aware that whenever he drew a line between them like this, it was impossible for her to cross it.
Feeling hurt and angry, Maxi looked away petulantly. Riftan, wiping his sweat-slicked torso with a wet towel, cocked an eyebrow when he saw her expression.
“What has gotten my lady sulking now?”
“I-I am not sulking.”
“Then why are you pouting like that?”
With a mischievous smile, he held her face in his hands and playfully rubbed his lips on hers. Maxi looked up at him with flushed cheeks.
Riftan left a trail of kisses from her ear down to her collarbone before cupping her breast. The sweet sensation as he stroked her melted away the hurt, and it frightened her a little that he could so easily change how she felt.
“Y-You should get dressed, or... you might catch a cold,” Maxi murmured, pushing his face away.
Riftan furrowed his brow. “It’s not me who should be getting dressed. It is you who should be getting undressed.”
His long fingers skillfully unlaced her gown, and his hand slid in through the gap of her thin bodice. After teasing the taut peak of her breast, he swiftly undressed her and laid her on the bed. His bronze torso perfectly covered her naked body. Maxi felt her pulse quickening as blood coursed through her veins, and her breath became ragged.
Caressing her smooth thigh, Riftan murmured, “Nothing good happened today, so let me at least end the day on a high.”
There were dark shadows in his eyes. Had he received bad news today? Her chest felt heavy.
She wanted to know what was going on inside his head, but she could not resent him for withholding some things. After all, she herself was unable to confide her innermost thoughts to him.
“Stop thinking about useless things and focus.”
Riftan’s discontent penetrated her thoughts that were entangled like a skein of yarn. He stared down at her with an alertness reminiscent of a wild animal before lowering his lips to hers. Their damp, heated breaths mingled, and all her worries scattered away like sand.
Clutching his chiseled shoulders, Maxi let out a feverish sigh.
***
Ten days later, Maxi learned the reason behind Riftan’s concern. It was an unusually hot day when three messengers arrived at Calypse Castle.
Maxi had been mixing herbs in the infirmary when she heard the loud voices outside. She stepped out to the training grounds to see what the commotion was and saw a messenger carrying the banner of the royal family.
“We have come bearing a message,” the messenger shouted from atop a large warhorse, “from His Majesty King Reuben to Sir Riftan Calypse, Lord of Anatol!”
...
Maxi’s heart sank. A messenger arriving at such a time could only be the bearer of bad news. While she stood at a loss for what to do, Sir Obaron, who had been overseeing the knights’ training in Riftan’s stead, went to greet the messengers.
“The lord is currently out of the castle. I, Sir Dominic Obaron, shall hear the message in the lord’s stead!”
The messenger finished his careful assessment of Sir Obaron’s face and pulled out a scroll from his cloak.
“The battle in Livadon has ended in great defeat, and the entirety of the allied knights has fallen.”
A chilly silence fell over the boisterous training grounds.
Sir Obaron, his face turning stony at the news, asked in a somber voice, “Have they all been lost?”
The messenger shook his head. “Half of the army are scattered and are still fighting the monsters, while the other half is trapped in Louivell Castle. We do not know what the situation is inside the castle as it is under siege by the troll army, but it is clear that they will not last if we do not send help as soon as possible.”
“Do you know what has become of the knights from Anatol?”
“The Remdragon Knights were stationed on the frontlines, so they are likely among those trapped inside Louivell Castle.”
Maxi staggered back. If Melric had not come out and caught her, she would have sunk to the ground. The faces of the men who had left for the campaign – Ruth, Sir Elliot, Sir Remus, Sir Ursuline – and of the knights who had been cordial to her, flashed before her eyes. If she was this shaken by the news, then how much worse must it be for their comrades? The faces of everyone gathered at the training grounds were grim.
The messenger continued reading the message with a somber expression.
...
“Pursuant to the Armistice of the Seven Kingdoms, calls for reinforcements have been sent to each of the regions. Thus, I, Elnuima Reuben III, hereby command Sir Riftan Calypse, the champion of Wedon, to lead his knights to Livadon!”
“Go and bring the lord back to the castle immediately!” Sir Obaron cried to the knights, then turned his imposing gaze back to the messenger. “I would like to hear a more detailed report of the situation. Please follow me to the castle.”
The messenger and his escorts dismounted from their horses. When the men disappeared into the council room in the knights’ quarters, Maxi began to pace about like a lost child. She wanted to know the details too, but it was clearly not a meeting she could barge in on.
Maxi paced up and down the infirmary until Melric managed to convince her to return to her chambers.
Not long after, Riftan returned with the knights and immediately joined the others in the council room. None of them left for a long time. Maxi was desperate to know what they were discussing. Chewing her lip, she swore that she would get Riftan to give her a thorough explanation no matter what.
She could not say so for the others, but Ruth was as important to her as he was to Riftan. He was her mentor and the first friend she ever had. Tears welled in her eyes as she recalled the sorcerer’s unreasonable anger at her ominous farewell.
But, more than anything, the thought of Riftan heading into such treacherous conditions tore at her heart.
How long would they have to be apart? Three months? Six?
What if they never saw each other again? No one knew what fate awaited the men joining the campaign. There was no guarantee that Riftan could avoid grave danger.
Maxi anxiously stared out the window. It was not long before she could not bear the suspense any further, and she raced out of the great hall.
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