The princess must not have thought that Maxi would so publicly take Riftan’s side. She looked a little surprised before giving Maxi a resolute nod. “You needn’t worry about that. If the king does not take action, I will take it upon myself to stop him.”
Maxi grew solemn. “Th-Then it’s true…that His Majesty is more partial…to the Duke of Croyso than to Riftan.”
The princess faltered before admitting, “If I’m being honest, then yes, that is the case. His Majesty wishes to keep Riftan close, but only so he can flaunt his reincarnation of Rosem Wigrew to the other kingdoms. Since war is currently prohibited by the Armistice of the Seven Kingdoms,the power of the Remdragon Knights serves no purpose other than exterminating monsters and settling disputes.”
Maxi’s face fell at the princess’s impersonal statement. Before she could say anything, however, Princess Agnes began speaking again.
“But the tables will turn in a couple of years. Anatol has expanded so much since last spring that it’s practically unrecognizable. If it continues to flourish at this rate, it will soon be the biggest trade city connecting the Western Continent to the south. Even the Duke of Croyso or the royal family would have to think twice before offending Anatol.”
“B-Be that as it may…you’re saying th-that is not the case at present.”
A bitter smile formed on the princess’s lips at Maxi’s barbed retort. “His Majesty will change his opinion. As soon as I return to Drachium Palace, I shall inform him of how valuable Anatol has become.”
Maxi suppressed a sigh. It would be useless to expect anything more from the princess. She was, after all, a member of the royal family. She could turn her back on Riftan at any moment if he were ever to threaten their interests.
An odd sense of disappointment engulfed her as she watched the delegation leave. Though she was relieved that war had been averted, thinking of what was to come made it difficult to be completely at ease.
Maxi trudged into the great hall and crossed paths with Rodrigo, who was descending the stairs with an armful of linen. He rushed over as soon as he spotted her.
“You mustn’t move around so much, my lady. You have only just regained your health. His lordship has made it clearthat I am to immediately escort you back to your room upon your return.”
Unable to argue against the steward’s insistence, Maxi made her way toward the staircase and glanced about. “I-Is Riftan…in our chambers?”
Rodrigo shook his head. “His lordship has gone to the training grounds with the knights.”
Maxi peered out the window. Even though Riftan had rescinded his declaration of war, there would still be countless matters that required his attention. Maxi returned to her room and anxiously waited for him to return.
As she paced about, she could not stop thinking about what Rosetta had said to her. It was possible that her sister had meant those words for herself. Had she also felt the despair of not being able to trust anyone, no matter how much she wanted to? The thought made Maxi anxious. Could she truly change when someone as beautiful and clever as Rosetta had failed?
Maxi walked over to the mirror and gazed into her own gray eyes. Even she had to admit, she did not hold much hope for the anxious woman standing before her. She absentmindedly touched her cheek before going to lie on her bed, exhausted.
The room was dark when she sluggishly opened her eyes again. She must have fallen asleep. Rubbing her face, Maxi glanced at the empty spot next to her. There was no sign that Riftan had come back.
Maxi frowned. Had he ever left her alone this long since they had been back at Calypse Castle? Gnawing her lip, she got out of bed and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. Servants were lighting the sconces in the corridor just outside.
She ran over to them. “H-His lordship is not back yet…. Is he still at the training grounds?”
One of the servants respectfully bowed his head and said, “His lordship is currently in the council room, my lady. He informed us that he would be retiring in the adjacent chambers tonight as he was busy. I have just come back from stocking the room with firewood.”
Maxi glanced around uneasily. Even when they had been busy preparing for battle, Riftan had always returned to their bedchamber at night. Had calling off this war been that difficult?
The servants nervously studied her face. Maxi offered them a weak smile and turned around. She did not want to return to her room, where she would have to stay up all night alone. After a moment’s hesitation, she made her way up the dark staircase. Two floors above, she saw light streaming from the room at the end of the corridor.
She hovered near the door for a while before tentatively pushing it open. Inside, she found Riftan sitting on a bed sipping a goblet of wine.
“Why are you still up?” he demanded, his gaze fierce.
Slightly intimidated by his surliness, Maxi mumbled, “I-I was waiting for you….”
Riftan took a gulp from the goblet in silence.
Maxi slowly closed the door behind her and walked over. “A-Are you…quite busy?”
“I had to send messengers across the kingdom to explain the change of circumstances to the mercenaries we hired. Quite the exhausting endeavor.”
He filled his goblet again and continued, “We can’t let our guard down just yet, so I’ve decided to maintain ourmilitary organization. You’ll see mercenaries entering and leaving the castle for a while. I’ll make it so that they avoid the great hall as much as possible, but you might end up encountering some. They’re crude company, so try not to interact with them. And I don’t want you roaming about the castle on your own like this.”
“I-I’ll be careful,” Maxi replied meekly.
