Chapter 93: Chapter
Maxi made an awkward attempt to stand up straight. As the princess had said, she was in perfect health. Her complexion was normal, her cheeks were rosy, and because Riftan had kept feeding her, her face had fleshed out again. Yet, Riftan still looked at her with eyes full of concern.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but my wife still needs rest. Moreover, the village is teeming with visitors nowadays and is not safe. I cannot put my wife in danger when she has yet to fully-”
“My dear Sir Riftan,” the princess shot back. “We are not asking you to send us to a battlefield. We only wish to attend a festival that all the innocent country maidens are said to attend. Do you not know that worrying too much is also a disease?”
Riftan scowled at her. It was the glower that made his knights break out in a cold sweat, but Princess Agnes merely snorted in response.
“Don’t give me that look. If you are so worried, you may accompany us.”
“I don’t have time to waste at such a useless-” said Riftan before cutting himself off when he saw Maxi’s face growing dark.
Maxi quickly put on a placid expression. “I do not wish to trouble you. I am all-”
Maxi stopped herself. Out of habit, she had been about to tell him that she was all right with not going, but she caught herself when she remembered that he did not like hearing her say so. An awkward silence fell over the room. The princess crossed her arms and glared imperiously at Riftan. Even the knights, who had not said a word so far, shot daggers at him.
“Come now, Commander. Why not let them attend? It’s just a village festival after all.”
“He’s right. Her ladyship also has the right to freely enjoy the festivities held in Anatol. You will only earn her scorn if you try to keep her cooped up, Commander.”
When Hebaron and Gabel spoke up for her, Riftan shot them a murderous glare. The knights made a show of shrinking back in their chairs and pressed their mouths shut.
Riftan remained silent for a long time, looking disgruntled, before finally rising from his seat with a sigh.
“Fine. Have a carriage ready. I’ll accompany you.”
He clicked his tongue as though he were displeased, then turned to study Maxi’s face with narrowed eyes.
“But if I notice you looking tired, we are to return to the castle immediately.”
Maxi nodded, her face flushing with joy. “I-I understand!”
Although she felt bad about taking his time when he was busy, she could not contain her excitement at the fact that they were going on an excursion together.
Riftan began grabbing a few items when Hebaron approached him with a roguish grin.
“Let me accompany you. It never hurts to have more escorts after all.”
“Are you sure it is not the village maidens you are going for, Sir Hebaron?” Gabel said, blocking the burly knight’s path. “You must allow me to escort them this time. In the name of the chivalric code, I shall protect the virtue of the excitable maidens of Anatol during the Spring Festival.”
“Look here, you’re no better than-”
“Elliot, you’re coming with us,” Riftan interjected, promptly putting an end to their bickering. “I don’t want these two anywhere near the village. I will not have the women of Anatol knocking on my door with their bastards.”
“Commander!”
Ignoring their objections, Riftan wrapped his arm around Maxi’s shoulder and walked out of the council room. The princess shrugged and followed after them.
***
They rode to the village in their most modest carriage to avoid unnecessary attention.
Riftan and Sir Elliot were lightly armed and dressed as inconspicuously as possible in hooded robes, while Maxi and the princess wore dark cloaks over their white dresses.
When they reached the village, however, Maxi noticed that many of the women were dressed up for the occasion. The princess swiftly took off her cloak.
“I don’t think we’ll stand out even if we get off the carriage without our cloaks.”
“I still think it would be safer for you to keep them on, Your Highness.”
“We would look more suspicious with them on,” she replied curtly, letting her lustrous golden hair tumble down. “Besides, it would be a pity for us to look so gloomy when everyone else is dressed to the teeth, don’t you agree?
“I... do not really...”
“Take off your cloak, Maximilian. Don’t be shy. You should never miss an opportunity to show off.”
When the princess pulled at her clothes, Maxi pretended to be unwilling before meekly removing her stuffy cloak. Riftan, who had been leaning back in his seat with a disgruntled look on his face the whole ride, watched her as she did so. His lips twitched, but soon he slumped his shoulders as if deflated.
“You may do as you please.”
“I fully intended to,” the princess quipped.
Maxi silently debated whether or not to put her cloak on again. Noticing this, the princess snatched the garment from her and sat on it.
Riftan furrowed his brows. The princess slipped on an innocent expression and paid no mind to the glare he shot her. Elliot kept his gaze out the window as if he wished to stay out of their battle of nerves. Caught between the two, Maxi observed them nervously before pretending to straighten her skirt.
This scene played out until the carriage finally came to a stop.
Maxi breathed a deep sigh of relief. The tension inside the carriage was suffocating.
“I see that the festival is held far from the village square,” Princess Agnes muttered as she stepped out of the carriage with Elliot’s assistance.
Elliot politely nodded with a gentle smile. “The square is not big enough for all the booths. Not to mention, there is no better place to enjoy spring than the green fields.
Filled with curiosity, Maxi looked around as she climbed out of the carriage after the princess. Tents of various colors stood at fixed intervals all over the glistening green field. The place bustled with vendors hawking their wares, card players crowded around tables, and attendees enjoying food and drinks at the stalls.
Fascinated, Maxi was busy taking it all in when Riftan pulled her to his side and tossed the coachman a coin. “Go get yourself a drink.”
The old coachman took off his hat and bowed in gratitude, then went to park the carriage in the allotted area. Many vendors evidently brought their goods on baggage wagons, for the space behind the tents was packed with them.
“There seems to be more visitors this year.”
“It must be because of the reputation of the Remdragon Knights. I’m sure more travelers have grown curious about the land protected by the greatest knightly order in the known world.”
The princess spoke proudly as if talking about her own achievement. Maxi listened to their conversation with only half an ear as she took in the lively scene before them.
There were more people here than when she had previously visited the market with the princess. The field was crowded with people dressed in the worn garbs of travelers, singing bards, frolicking maidens, and women selling food and drink. Now and again, Maxi also spotted patrolling sentries.
“Maximilian, it’s over there.”
Overwhelmed by the buzz of the festival, Maxi had been standing in a daze when the princess began pulling her by the arm. Still a little disoriented, Maxi scampered behind the princess until they reached a tent where young women were selling floral wreaths next to a stage decorated with colorful banners.
“Everyone was wearing one, so I knew someone would be selling them.”
After purchasing two wreaths, the princess put one on her head and placed the other on Maxi’s. Maxi ran her hand over the wreath with a bewildered look.
...
Although she did not like how the small stems sticking out of the wreath tangled in her bushy curls, she did not think it would be appropriate for her to reject such a gesture of goodwill. When she awkwardly smiled at the princess in thanks, Princess Agnes twirled around with a content look on her face.
“Dressed like this, I really do feel like I’ve become a dryad. Don’t you agree?”
“It truly... becomes you, Your Highness.”
“You look lovely as well, Maximilian,” she said happily, grabbing Maxi’s hand once more. “Now, shall we go over to that tent over there for a game of car-”
“Your Highness. You cannot just wander about.”
Riftan, who had promptly followed after them, blocked the princess’s path. He pulled Maxi to his side again and clenched his jaw.
“My wife is not someone you can drag along like a maidservant. You should raise a dog if you want something to yank around!”
“Heavens, what a mean thing to say.”
The princess pursed her lips, appearing offended. Maxi blanched. Had the princess not told her that the royal family had doubts about Riftan’s loyalty? The fear that the princess might speak ill of Riftan to the king because he had offended her was enough to make Maxi’s blood run cold.
“R-Riftan! How could you be so r-rude to Her Highness!”
“Hear, hear! What insolence indeed!”
...
Maxi became visibly paler at the princess’s response.
“Y-You mustn’t... speak like that to a lady. You are a knight. Please show some gallantry.”
“Well said!”
Riftan had been looking down at Maxi with a flustered expression. At the princess’s heckling, his face shifted to a murderous glare. Princess Agnes simply gave Riftan a smug smile and pulled at Maxi’s hand once more.
“We’ve come to have some fun. Let us ignore this boorish spoilsport and enjoy the festival to our heart’s content. You, sir, may stand around while we take our time perusing the stalls.”
Maxi threw Riftan a worried glance and tried to look unwilling as she trailed behind the princess. The truth was that she also wished to enjoy the festival freely. Besides that, she did not think the princess’s assertive behavior was all that bad.
Unlike Maxi, who was always hesitant and indecisive, Princess Agnes seemed to have no qualms about satisfying her curiosity. Whenever she spotted something fascinating, she would grab Maxi’s hand and rush to it, and she eagerly participated in all the different games.
The princess’s enthusiasm was infectious. Maxi began to enjoy the festival in earnest, and she found that even her anxiety was dissolving in the lively atmosphere.
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