Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 48: Chapter 48

“Now it’s your turn,” said Riftan.

Maxi tried to mask her anxiety. Riftan seemed oblivious to her agitation.

“I-I like what m-most people like, too.”

“That’s not a fair answer. Give me a proper one.”

Maxi thought for a moment before speaking again. “A-As I’ve said before, I like a-animals. Dogs, c-cats, horses… ch-chicks and rabbits too.”

“What else?”

“I l-like to read. At C-Croyso Castle, I spent m-most of my time in the l-library.”

“Rodrigo did mention that you spend a good deal of your time here in the library.”

“Y-Yes. Th-There are so many r-rare books here. Th-Though Ruth tends to use them as his b-blanket…”

“Shall I drive the rascal out of there?”

“I would n-never h-hear the end of it i-if you did.”

A line creased Riftan’s forehead when he saw Maxi’s look of horror. He gave her a cryptic look.

“It seems you two have been getting along well.”

“H-He helped me g-greatly with the r-refurbishments. H-He’s fussy and he nags, b-but he’s a g-good person.”

Her response only seemed to irritate Riftan. He turned to face away from her.

“You’re right. He’s fussy and talks too much, but he’s an upright fellow.”

He rode in silence, lost in thought.

“What do you hate, then? You’ll need to answer that for this to be a fair exchange.”

Lashings, shouting, and beatings were the first things that came to mind, but Maxi could not reveal that. Still, she did not want to lie to a man who had said he most detested liars. She hesitated before blurting out an answer.

“M-Myself.”

Riftan blinked as if he had not understood.

“I-I hate myself the m-most,” Maxi repeated.

Just then, they reached the end of the path, and a vast meadow came into view. Before Riftan could press her further, Maxi spurred her horse into a gallop up the hill.

***

To her surprise, Maxi found that she was enjoying herself. Riding through an open field was far easier than navigating a winding mountain path. As she galloped through the golden meadow, illuminated by the winter sun, her posture improved naturally. When she stopped to rest at the top of the hill, she found that she was sitting upright.

“I brought some wine.”

Riftan dismounted next to a large tree at the hilltop. He then wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her off her horse as if she weighed little more than a feather.

“Your body feels hot. And I can feel your heart pounding like a drum.”

Maxi wiped off the beads of sweat on her forehead and tried to catch her breath. Just as Riftan had said, her whole body was pulsating.

“I-It does feel like a t-tiny drum is b-beating inside me.”

“That’s an endearing way to put it.”

He planted a kiss on her flushed cheek before lowering her to the ground. He then walked over to the large tree, spread his cloak under it, and sat down. Maxi went to join him. As the winter breeze cooled her body, she pulled her robe closer to her body. She watched as the wind rippled through the golden fields in the village at the bottom of the hill.

“Th-This place is b-beautiful.”

“It’s even more beautiful in the spring when the wildflowers bloom.”

Maxi felt her heart swell with anticipation. It was a new feeling; she had never thought the day would come when she could dare hope for something. She felt anxious and happy at the same time.

“Come closer. You’ll get cold if your sweat cools.”

Riftan leaned against the tree trunk and wrapped his cloak around her. Maxi drank from the small wine flask he had handed her. Though she was seated on his lap, she did not feel uncomfortable the way she had when he had teased her earlier. In fact, having his powerful arms around her felt natural.

“Let me have a sip.”

Riftan locked an arm around her waist and put his chin on her shoulder. Maxi brought the flask to his lips and carefully tilted the container. He took a few gulps before pulling away.

“Why don’t you like yourself?”

It seemed that Riftan did not intend to drop the matter. Maxi shifted her eyes uneasily. Was the reason not obvious to him? She spoke like a complete and utter fool. Still, she found amusement in the fact that he continued to feign ignorance.

“H-Have you n-never disliked yourself?”

“I have, countless times.”

He seemed to relax a little. As he pressed his lips to her forehead, she realized that her words must have troubled him the whole time that they were riding.

“But I’ve never disliked myself so much that it would be the first thing that came to mind.”

“Th-That’s because th-there isn’t much t-to dislike about you.”

Riftan looked amused. “Is that so?”

“I-I’m sure y-you’re well aware of it y-yourself.”

“I can’t say that I am. Do enlighten me.”

Maxi looked up at him, incredulous. “Y-You’re one of the b-best knights in the realm. Y-You’re strong, t-tall, and c-clever…”

“No one’s called me clever before, though I’ve been called a lumbering oaf by many.”

Maxi frowned. It was true that Riftan often lacked courtesy and was unrefined in speech, but he was far from being an oaf. His eyes always had a sharp look about them, and his words revealed keen insight. She sometimes had the feeling that he could see right through her.

“If you r-really were dull-witted, y-you wouldn’t be s-so well respected.”

Riftan’s lips twisted into a cynical smile as if he was not quite ready to agree. He leaned his head back against the tree.

“What else?” he asked coolly.

“Y-You have h-honor, you’re a great l-leader, and y-you’re… h-handsome.”

“You think I’m handsome?”

“Y-You know I d-do.”

“How would I know whether you find me attractive or not?”

Maxi blinked in disbelief. “I-I have an eye for b-beauty, just like e-everyone else.”

“Each time I visited Croyso Castle, you shuddered at the sight of me as if I were an ogre. It certainly wasn’t a look of admiration. Even the wrinkled face of a goblin wouldn’t have elicited such a look of horror.”

“I’ve n-never even seen a g-goblin before.”

“You know that’s not my point.”

Riftan tilted her chin up so that her eyes met his.

“Whenever I came close to you, you looked as if you might faint.”

His accusatory tone unnerved her. She had been oblivious to the fact that he had noticed her before their wedding, and she was surprised to learn that he had observed her reaction.

“I-I was… a-afraid of you. Y-You were intimidatingly b-big, a-and you always had th-this icy air a-about you. It seemed like y-you were a-always angry.”

Riftan remained silent. Maxi shifted uncomfortably in his arms.

“Do you still find me frightening?”

Maxi shook her head slowly. Riftan studied her face for a moment, then slowly lowered his lips to meet hers. The kiss had a different kind of warmth from the playful kisses he had teased her with earlier in the day. When she felt his soft tongue enter her mouth, Maxi let out a low moan.

With one hand cradling her neck, Riftan gently stroked her wind-blown hair as he sucked on her tongue. A tingle ran down Maxi’s spine. She felt her chest tighten. As Riftan cupped her breast with one hand and gently squeezed, heat began to simmer inside her.

“R-Riftan… W-We’re outdoors.”

“It’s all right. It’s just you and me here. If anyone approaches, I’ll be able to tell immediately.”

The warmth emanating from his body made her tremble. She had not noticed his arousal because of his calm expression. When Riftan pulled her closer and lifted up the hem of her dress, Maxi looked up at him, startled. His eyes were burning with desire.

“Don’t be afraid. I would never hurt you.”

Feeling his words echo inside her chest, Maxi held her breath as she gazed up at him. He put his forehead to hers and rubbed her nose with his before moving down to suck on her lips. A long finger slid under her dress and began to gently stroke her between her thighs. Maxi clutched at his soft hair.

He would never hurt me.

“You smell like winter,” he moaned, burying his face in her neck to breathe in her scent.

Maxi thought to herself that Riftan also smelled like the crisp winter breeze. The pungent musk of tree bark and the faint scent of horses filled her lungs.

“Damn it. I want to kiss every part of you, but if I strip you naked out here, you’ll get sick.”

Riftan impatiently stroked her body over her dress. Maxi did not feel cold because of the heat burning inside her, but she did not tell Riftan, unable to muster the nerve to lie nude in an open field. They were already doing something they ought not to be doing. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to pull away from him.

Riftan sucked and nibbled on her neck as he swiftly undid the straps of his trousers. Sitting inside his cloak, Maxi pulled her dress up to her waist. She felt him slowly enter her. When she felt him stretch her to her limit, she let out a cry. Riftan soothed her by gently stroking her hips and kissing her neck.

“I’ll never hurt you again, Maxi. It’s all right.”

Maxi could not recall him ever hurting her or the reason why she had ever been afraid of him. It felt as if Riftan Calypse had always been part of her. Maxi clung to his neck like a drowning woman.

Riftan took hold of her hips and pushed himself in deeper. As their bodies merged, her whole body throbbed, and the sound of wind became more distant. She began to move on top of him, mimicking her movements atop the horse. She took him to the hilt and tightened around him before releasing him reluctantly, repeating the motion again and again. Her heart hammered, and her mind dissolved ecstatically under his shower of kisses.