They entered an opulent bedroom.
Maxi took off his dirty cloak, his eyes roaming the spacious bed and the rest of the luxurious furniture around the room.
Perhaps she had spent too much time wrapped in threadbare blankets on the floor of dirty tents, for the comfort around her felt strangely foreign.
“Come, sit down,” said Riftan, guiding her.
Maxi pulled up a chair near the fireplace and sank into it, letting out a contented sigh.
I had forgotten how wonderful it was to warm up in front of a blazing fire.
Taking off her gloves, she threw them into her lap and brought her hands closer to the flames.
Riftan watched her in silence for a moment before handing her a silver goblet filled with wine.
"Drink this.
It'll warm you up."
“T-Thank you.”
Maxi accepted the cup and took a sip.
True to his words, the potent drink soon warmed his body.
She emptied the chalice and held out the empty vessel.
“C-Could you give me some more?”
"It is not advisable to drink so much on an empty stomach.
You must wait until the food is served."
Riftan took the chalice from her hands and placed it out of reach.
Maxi looked at the bottle of wine longingly, but the memory of passing out after a night of heavy drinking nipped his desire in the bud.
I was determined to stay sober tonight.
She stole a glance at Riftan, determined to break down the wall between them.
He was now skillfully removing his armor piece by piece.
His heart sank when he noticed his face, devoid of any emotion.
If tonight was pleasant, they still had a mountain to overcome.
Suppressing a sigh, Maxi began to slowly remove her boots and socks to save time.
She threw them into a basket, still thinking about how to start a conversation.
At this moment, hurried footsteps came from outside the room.
“Sir, your bath is ready.”
“Come in.”
Six servants entered the room carrying a large tub of hot water, piles of clean linen, and colorful clothes.
Maxi pulled away and nervously smoothed her hair as they hurried about, adjusting the temperature of the bath water and organizing the clothes, soap, and towels.
Riftan finally broke the silence when they left the room.
"Are you going to stand there?
Come in before it gets cold."
Surprised, Maxi turned to look at him.
Now armorless, he was stoking the fire dressed only in a thin tunic and woolen pants.
Confused, Maxi stared at him without saying anything before asking: “A-Alone?”
The poker in his hand stopped.
Realizing too late how her words sounded, Maxi blushed.
“I-It was you who told me… t-that married couples take a shower together, I-I assumed…”
"Today you should take a shower first.
The bathtub is too small for both of us," he said coldly, adding more wood to the fireplace.
Maxi's eyes narrowed at his back before turning back to the steaming bathtub.
While it certainly couldn't be called spacious, they had happily squeezed into smaller bathtubs in the past.
She held back her point; the last thing she wanted was to beg him to join her.
Deliberately marching over to the bathtub, she threw off her knee-length robe, removed her thick socks, and tossed everything into the laundry basket.
Now wearing just socks, underwear and a thin nightgown, she turned to face her husband.
He was moving the bellows, his eyes still fixed on the fireplace.
The sight suddenly filled her with anxiety.
Maybe he wouldn't mind if she was undressed.
Playing with her worn sleeve, she coughed in a final attempt to get his attention.
"I'm sorry, but could you help me pour more hot water?
I'm afraid it's already cooled down a bit."
Riftan froze.
His eyes moved to the brass teapot the servants had hung over the fire.
He was silent for a moment, then lifted the teapot with the poker.
After slowly walking to the bathtub, he poured more water and turned around.
He didn't look at her once.
Maxi hurriedly grabbed it.
She searched his face, worry settling in.
“A-Are you still mad at me?” When he offered no response, she continued, "What I said that day...
was a little harsh.
I was irritated by your absurd suspicions."
She closed her mouth when she noticed his jaw clenching.
It wasn't his intention to start another pointless argument.Cautiously studying his face, she begged, "Please say something.
Anything.
If you would just tell me why you are“"
“I need you to… back away first.”
He sounded like he was being strangled.
Sharply twisting his arm out of his grip, he rushed to the table like a beast released from a trap.
Maxi watched, stunned, as he took the bottle of wine, filled a goblet, and emptied it in one go.
His eyes sparkled when they met hers.
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve before serving himself again, then drank as if putting out a fire in his throat.
“If you want to talk, cover yourself first,” he spat coldly, tilting his chin toward a blanket.
Maxi blinked vaguely, feeling his face burn.
She wrapped herself in the blanket while Riftan watched her with an uncomfortable expression.
“To answer your question,” he said, pouring himself more wine.
He paused to sigh.
"No, I'm not mad at you.
I'm just trying to control myself.
I didn't want to pounce on you right after a strenuous journey."
He took another sip of wine and added bitterly, “Though it appears my wife has no intention of aiding her husband’s chivalric efforts.”
Maxi's ears turned red.
Riftan looked at her for a moment before walking away to grab a new bottle of wine from the shelf.
There was desperation in the way he opened it, like a thirsty man in the desert.
"Also," he said, "you're the one who's still mad at me.
You haven't said a word to me after our argument."
“A-And neither do you!”
“Just because“”
He slammed the bottle on the table.
His eyes darkened as he turned to her, rubbing his mouth.
Then, in a restrained voice, "It seemed best to keep our distance until the campaign was over.
I had to stay vigilant until we were in safe territory, and you had your own responsibilities.
If we were in the same space, we'd end up yelling at each other like a pair of rabid cats."
Maxi was about to retort when he remembered all their arguments and the constant battle of wills since their reunification.
Riftan was right; they were circling each other like angry animals.
Perhaps he had grown tired of the situation.
Overcome with paralyzing anxiety, she blurted out, “But… that’s not true anymore.”
Riftan's gaze fell on her, and she couldn't tell if he was asking if she really thought this was true or if she was simply considering something.
His heart sank.
Had he built up her walls again while she stubbornly protected her pride?
After staring into his calm and threatening eyes, Maxi took his hand, which was resting on his thigh.
To her relief, he didn't let go this time.
“Do you still remember… what I told you three years ago?”
He stiffened a little.
She lifted her head to look into his cloudy eyes.
The look he gave her was that of a suspicious animal, and it broke her heart.
“I told you I would come back as soon as I could…” she said, stroking his calloused palm, “and that I would never leave you again.”
Riftan didn't respond, but Maxi was sure he remembered his words as clearly as the day he spoke them.
After all, she vividly remembered that moment as if it were yesterday; the silence in the dark room, his hoarse voice begging her not to leave, the light fading from his eyes.
She instinctively squeezed his hand.
“While I was in the Tower… I promised myself several times that I would never leave… that we would never again… be separated.”
She paused to control her trembling voice and forced a smile onto her trembling lips.
"If you allow...
I want to keep this promise.
I wish to be by your side, always.
I never want...
to be separated from you again."
Maxi heard her sharp sigh.
The moment he lifted his head to study his face, his large hand grabbed the back of his head.
A moan escaped her as she tilted her head back.
His rough lips crushed hers feverishly, and his strong arms tightened around her, eliminating all space between them.