Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 59: Chapter 59

Her curiosity piqued, Maxi followed Riftan past the stalls. Horses pricked up their ears as they passed. Soon, they reached the innermost stall, which housed Talon. Intimidated by the stallion’s bulk, Maxi stuck close to Riftan. He patted her on the back before approaching Talon. She followed suit.

As she drew closer, her eyes grew wide in surprise. Something was squirming on the pile of hay next to the warhorse.

“I found them when I came to see Talon this morning,” Riftan whispered.

Maxi stared, transfixed. Three kittens the size of her palm lay curled up on the hay, sound asleep. Riftan crouched down in front of them.

“I noticed Talon pacing around and found them after rummaging through the hay. No signs of the mother cat, though.”

“D-Do you think th-they were a-abandoned?”

“It seems like it. The stableboy said he hadn’t seen any cats around. A feral cat must have sneaked in to give birth. Must have been quite a shock for Talon to come home and find these trespassers.”

Riftan gently patted Talon’s back as the stallion scratched at the ground nervously. The great black warhorse looked immensely proud and ferocious, and Maxi was amazed that he had not immediately trampled the kittens. She eyed the horse dubiously, worried that he might change his mind, before crouching down by the kittens.

Each of them had a different coat: white with gray stripes, ink black, and pure white. Holding back the urge to cradle them in her arms, she looked up at Riftan.

“C-Can I t-touch them?”

“You can do as you please.”

Riftan’s lips curved into an easy smile as he leaned back against a column. Maxi reached out to gently stroke one of the young creatures. Feeling its delicate bones beneath the thin layer of skin and downy fur, she frowned. All three kittens looked malnourished.

“Th-They must have s-starved for days.”

“Shall we take them back and feed them milk?”

“C-Can we?”

Maxi looked up with hopeful eyes. Riftan grinned and lowered his head to kiss her cheek.

“You’re free to do as you wish. You don’t need my permission.”

“Th-Then I-I’d like to bring them b-back.”

Maxi’s voice shook as she cautiously picked up a kitten, afraid that the slightest pressure from her hands would crush the tiny creature’s bones. The kitten wriggled helplessly. Maxi carefully placed it inside her cloak, and Riftan picked up its two siblings.

“We’ll need to find a basket for them to sleep in.”

“L-Ludis will f-find us one i-if we ask.”

Maxi clutched the kittens to her chest to shield them from the biting wind as they left the stable. Seeing the kitten breathing softly in her arms, she felt pity grow in her heart.

“I-I’ve n-never had cats b-before.”

“Really?”

“M-My father w-wasn’t f-fond of animals. E-Even his hunting dogs w-weren’t allowed i-inside the castle, so I often s-sneaked out t-to the back garden t-to play with them.”

Riftan glanced at her, but she was too exhilarated to notice the subtle look in his eyes.

“Shall I get you a hunting dog as well?”

Maxi’s eyes widened. She shook her head.

“Th-These kittens are m-more than enough.”

“If there’s anything you want, you can tell me.”

There was an edge to his voice. Maxi studied his face, trying to determine what had displeased him.

Still staring ahead, he grumbled, “I told you I’d ensure that your life is just as lavish- no, more lavish than it was at Croyso Castle. Knowing that you lack anything here enrages me.”

Maxi laughed awkwardly. It seemed that Riftan’s animosity toward her father was greater than she had thought. She felt as if thorns were growing in her throat.

“I t-truly am c-content. If I w-want anything, I-I’ll be sure to t-tell you.”

Riftan raised an eyebrow before letting out a sigh and striding onward. Maxi followed after him, gently stroking the kitten, which had begun to dig its claws into her.

Ludis gasped audibly when she saw the delicate creatures and immediately set about creating a nest for them by lining a reed basket with a piece of cloth.

Maxi set the basket by the fire and placed the kittens inside, then watched as Riftan held a spoonful of warm goat milk to their mouths. The kittens began to frantically lap up the milk. With their stomachs full and their bodies warm, they purred and rubbed their heads against Riftan’s hand. He began to tickle one of the cats’ soft backs, and Maxi watched with envy as it stretched its legs in contentment.

“Have you thought of names for them?”

Maxi looked at him in surprise. “Y-You think I sh-should name them?”

“You’ll be spending more time with them than anyone else, so you should be the one to name them.”

Maxi mulled it over before speaking again.

“I’ll call th-the tabby Ron, th-the white one L-Laura, a-and the black one R-Roy.”

“Ron, Laura, and Roy?”

“Th-They’re the names of three fairy siblings f-from a tale I read as a child. I was s-suddenly reminded of th-the story…”

Riftan picked up Roy by the scruff, a faint smile forming on his lips.

“Aren’t they a little too mangy to be named after fairies?”

The kitten exposed his claws and began to thrash around as if in protest. Riftan laughed at its feeble attempt at an attack.

“This one’s a feisty one.”

“Y-You shouldn’t t-torment such h-helpless creatures.”

“You call this tormenting?”

Riftan lowered the cat, grumbling. Maxi moved the basket to a place that was neither too hot nor too cold, then gave the kittens a small ball of yarn to play with. The kittens tottered about chewing and scratching at the yarn before falling asleep.

Maxi watched the rise and fall of their soft bellies. She gingerly stretched out a hand to stroke one on the chin. The kitten purred and shook its long whiskers. As she was gazing down fondly at the creature, Riftan pulled at her arm, and she spun her head around to look at him. He reclined against a cushion and patted his lap.

“Come sit.”

Maxi blushed and hesitated. She knew only too well what that low voice meant. Though she enjoyed being intimate with him, she wondered whether they had been too indulgent. Seeing her pause, Riftan smirked and raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry. I just want to hold you.”

After another moment of hesitation, she slowly walked over to him. He placed her on his lap and leaned her head against his shoulder. Her toes curled in at the pleasant feeling of their bodies overlapping.

Riftan wrapped one arm around her knees and stroked her back with the other. She smiled, feeling like a chick nestled under the wings of a hen.

“Your laugh tickles.”

His voice sounded content. After gently caressing her back as he had done with the kitten, he brought his hand up and began to lightly rub the back of her neck.

Maxi swallowed a moan as a shiver ran through her body. Riftan put his hands on her cheek and stroked it, then kissed her forehead. An unusual sense of peace and comfort enveloped them by the pleasant warmth of the fire.

Maxi relaxed in his arms as she listened to the steady beat of his heart, the rattling of the windows in the wind, and the crackle of the fire. After starting into the fire in silence for some time, Riftan suddenly asked a question.

“Are you happy in Anatol?”

Hearing the unease in his voice, Maxi was shaken out of her reverie. She looked up at him in surprise. His face remained impassive, but she could see that he was anxious.

“Are you really comfortable here? Is there anything else I can-

Maxi shook her head vigorously.

“There’s n-nothing I lack for, t-truly.”

Her life in Anatol was perfect. She reveled in the knowledge that she had found a place where she could belong. She was not only needed, but also surrounded by kind people who listened to her with patience. Above all, she had a husband who was affectionate with her at every opportunity. There was nothing more she could have wished for.

Maxi curled up in Riftan’s arms like a newborn animal and buried herself in his chest.

“I-I’m h-happy here.”

Riftan drew in his breath, then wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. Though her ribs were being flattened and she could barely breathe, she did not think to complain. She would gladly have let him crush her in his arms. She adored everything about him, from the hand fervently rubbing her back and the pounding of his racing heart to the masculine scent filling her lungs.