Chapter Text
‘The Duke of Croix is a fucking liar”
Riftan’s brow further furrowed in on itself as he observed the sight before him- hands clenched tightly.
Maximilian Croix, the girl supposedly too frail to even have a coming of age ceremony, was hanging halfway out of a second-floor window, an old tattered dress bunching up under her hips as she wiggled herself down the trellis. Without even scanning her surroundings, she landed softly on the grass beneath her and began threading her way around columns, ducking behind planters and oversized pots, before disappearing straight through a wall covered in ivy.
Riftan followed at a safe distance, running his fingers through the dense foliage that covered a half-open old door in the stone wall. He poked his head slightly out of the crack to check if she was in earshot, before bracing his shoulder against the door and carefully- quietly shoving the door open just enough for his broad frame to slip through. Despite his best efforts, the rusty door creaked and moaned, and he quickly stepped through the door and behind a tree.
Turning his head, he watched her settle a few meters away on the grass next to a cluster of rocks, and pull something out of her apron, tucking the locks of hair that had escaped her once-elegant hairstyle behind her ears. From his vantage point, he could see a good quarter of her face light up with happiness as a few kittens crawled out of a space between the rocks and began pawing their way into her lap, nosing at her pockets.
Her face that had been ashen pale and covered in a sheen of sweat at the party was flushed with exertion and glowing now, mostly cleansed of the heavy makeup her maids must have used to cover her freckles and a scar or two on her lip. She was smiling and giggling as she broke off bits of the fish that had been on her dinner plate and placed it around the grass for the kittens to chase after.
They were chubby, he noted, not a quality he’d grown to see in the stray, emancipated cats he’d seen around the streets of where he used to live.
‘She must come here often. She knows the route here like the back of her hand and barely seems worried about being caught. Plus these strays are plump and docile as anything.’
He quickly moved his head back behind the tree trunk as the noise of birds taking off from a nearby nest startled her and made her look in his direction. He closed his eyes and let his head quietly thunk back against the wood, trying to calm his racing heart.
Re-opening his eyes, he stared at the massive castle he’d just escaped from and wondered how she felt living there.
Her clothes at the ball had been far too big for her and clearly second-hand, as he doubted any reputable tailor would give a noble redhead girl a muted yellow dress with embellishments that looked almost older than her. Compared to the other lavishly dressed woman at the event, she looked more like a pitiable servant girl than the first daughter of the richest Duke in the land.
Instead of trying to market her off to a suitor like a decent father, the Duke seemed hellbent to keep her from speaking to anyone, placing her far away from the center of the room and stationing maids there to dissuade anyone from approaching her. Instead, he carted his youngest daughter around the room, introducing her to anyone with eyes and playing up her accomplishments and talents. Rosetta Croix was sparkling in an expensive dress with slashed billowing sleeves and her hair was carefully woven with delicate ribbons and pearls. She smiled prettily and spoke clearly, with the confidence of an only child, spoiled and cherished.
Even when speaking to him, a ‘barbarian’, she still curtsied politely and expressed interest in learning more about his fief before being carefully shuffled away from him by her father who’d barely spoken a word to him besides his name.
He’d tried to speak to Maximillian once and was met with terrified watery gray eyes as she struggled to say something. He’d thought her scared of him until he saw her eyes dart to a space behind him and saw true fear in her expression. A cold bony hand clasped itself onto his shoulder and he turned slightly to see the Duke smiling at him with cold eyes, recommending he move his attention onto the other woman at the ball- his daughter was far too shy to speak to anyone.
Riftan glanced one more time at Maximillian, being tugged up by her arm and pulled out of the room by a maid and a knight, locking eyes with her before a door slammed in her face. None of the attendees even seemed to notice the treatment of the eldest daughter and continued drinking and schmoozing as if they were blind.
So absorbed in his thoughts that he was, it took him a minute to realize that the church bells had begun to ring, and he hurriedly snapped his eyes back to the spot where Maximillian was- both kicking himself for taking his eyes off of her and for being such a creep.
She had started to doze off leaning against the tree trunk, red hair turning shades of gold and orange in the fading dappled sunlight as her head rose and fell as she tried to stay awake. When she heard the church bells, her head snapped up, and in a panic, she began corralling the kittens back into their little alcove, emptying her pockets of the rest of their food and racing back to the door.
So pretty did she look, bare feet crunching against the dewy grass and pink mouth sucking in huge breaths of air, did he forget to move from the very obvious hiding spot he’d parked himself in. His eyes met hers for the second time that day, and as she opened her mouth to scream, he reacted faster than his brain could think, clasping a calloused hand over her mouth and tugging her close to him.
“Don’t yell. Your father's guards are patrolling the garden as we speak.” He whispered, unable to come up with any more comforting or apologetic words for clearly terrifying her and grabbing her like a brute. Still, he couldn't just let her mouth go- if she screamed and got herself caught, she’d likely be in far more trouble than him.
Shaking in his arms like a leaf, she stood otherwise completely still, eyes still locked on his as multiple expressions crossed her face. Fear as her body took the time to realize she was unmarried and pressed against a strange man, confusion as she processed his words and the fact he wasn't hurting her, realization when she heard the knights on the other side of the wall bark orders to look for her, and acceptance as she let her hands fall down and she relaxed her body slightly.
Understanding her body language, Riftan quickly released her and stepped away, bowing his head apologetically and squeezing his eyes shut.
“I.. didn’t mean to scare you. I apologize for grabbing you so suddenly.” He whispered, lifting his head slightly to observe her reaction. She stood there, hands clasped together in front of her body, opening and closing her mouth.
“I-I unders-stand.” She whispered and motioned for him to straighten his back once more, shifting her eyes away from his after just a few seconds of eye contact. An awkward silence settled over them as they stood in place, unsure of how to proceed.
Realizing the knights weren’t planning to leave anytime soon, RIftan motioned with a tilt of his head for them to quietly walk away from the door in case the men found it and walked in. Her eyes grew in surprise and then fear as he led them back to the stump she’d been sitting at, carefully sitting down in the spot next to the rock formation.
“Y-you were watching m-me?” He heard and cursed himself internally at her once again frightened expression. His mind raced with possible ways to explain his behavior that wouldn't have him coming off as a stalker or a man looking to take advantage of her.
‘I was here first? I saw you leaving the castle and thought you needed an escort? I’m hiding from the overly aggressive drunk noble women who keep flirting with me? This castle and your father piss me off and if I stayed in there any longer I’d probably end up going crazy?’
“I’ve thought you were beautiful ever since I met you as a child and I followed you here because I wanted to talk to you but wasn't able to at the party because of your shitty excuse of a father”. He finally decided on, immediately regretting telling her the truth as her eyes widened even further and her expression went from frightened to shocked.
As she struggled to respond, he reached out and scooped up a kitten that had been poking its head out of the alcove, happy to see Maximillian again. He held the kitten carefully and held its squirming body in front of his face and carefully wiggled its little arms around to hopefully make her laugh- or make her not as afraid of him.
After a few moments of feeling foolish and half expecting her to run away, she spoke quietly.
“F-flounder,” she said quietly, keeping her eyes trained on the other kittens crawling around the two of them.
“Flounder? Riftan questioned, carefully lowering the cat back into his lap and watching her delicate hands run through the downy fur on a gray kitten's belly.
“H-he likes f-f-flounder the m-most” She explained, searching her pockets for any extra flakes of fish she hadn't given the kittens earlier.
Her eyes lit up with alarm as Riftan suddenly laughed, immediately covering his mouth with an elbow to muffle the sound as she stared at him confused.
I just told her that I’d basically been stalking her and that I knew her as a child.. and the first thing she does is tell me the name of one of her cats.
“You never fail to surprise me, Maximillian Croix.” He says, laughter ebbing away and being replaced with genuine interest, ears blushing as he realized how forward he was being.
…
As the afternoon turned to evening and the kittens fell asleep curled between their legs, the pair talked about everything and anything. It was at first shy and subdued, with her giving short responses while fiddling with something, a blade of grass, her fingers, the hem of her dress.
He did most of the leg work, trying his best to make conversation after decades of talking only when talked to, when getting paid, or when giving instructions. For years he’d sat on the sidelines and just observed other people going about their lives, to the point where he barely felt human anymore. All he did was eat, work and sleep, and despite having a fief to manage, he felt unable to form any solid connections to any of the people he’d sworn to protect and develop. The only times in his life where he’d felt any kind of emotion was when this girl- woman now was around.
He trailed off in the middle of a sentence, realizing that in his twenty-something years of life he’d only really felt anything other than apathy twice. As he thought this, he looked at Maximillian, who’d stopped talking in concern and just stared at her.
What is it about this woman that makes me feel like this?
“You never asked me about how I knew you as a child.” He eventually said quietly, reaching out to her side of the stump to finger the hem of her dress, poking his fingers through the holes and tears.
“O-oh. I just.. didn’t know how to r-respond..” She said, voice trailing off as she shifted her weight off her legs and pulled her knees up to her chest.
“...I d-don't remember much. I was s-so scared and in p-pain, all I remember i-is someone s-strong carrying me. I t-thought you w-were an angel..” Maxi admitted, face blushing in embarrassment as she tucked her chin into her knees and let her thick hair hang over her face.
“D-don't laugh!” She admonished, playfully poking Riftan in the ribs, pouting at his mirth.
“I had been watching you for a while before that. I used to sneak away from my job to place pretty gems or glass bits from the smithy in the area where you used to play. It made me so happy to see you collecting them. It was like… I was earning your favor.” Riftan said, face tilted towards the sunset, eyes closed as he basked in the last of the sunlight.
“I-I..” She started but was cut off by a sudden cold wind causing her to shudder violently, her thin dress providing little protection against the cold of the evening.
“Oh, I’m an idiot. Here.” Riftan said, shrugging off his coat and reaching to drape it over her shoulders before pausing.
‘Idiot, you can’t just throw your coat over a noblewoman, they have weird customs.’
“I uh. I just washed this. And I bought it just for this ball, I never really bother with fancy clothes. You just look cold and-” he cut off suddenly as she leaned into the coat, and smiling softly he draped it over her, and held out the sleeves for her to slide her arms into, being careful not to touch her skin.
She shivered one last time before submerging herself almost entirely in the coat, only visible from her eyes up.
“T-thank you.” She mumbled into the fabric and took a not-so-subtle sniff of the collar, eyes closing in what seemed like bliss as she rubbed her face against the soft material.
Riftan suddenly had the urge to thank Ruth for nagging him into buying the more expensive coat at the tailors.
They lapsed into a comfortable silence, both of them trying to act unaware that the other had been slowly inching towards the other. As the torches of the castle were slowly lit by servants, and the sound of music began floating through the air from the evening dance, one last gust of wind caused Maxi to squeak, and the last of his patience exerted- Riftan gently put his arm around Maxi’s shoulder and tugged her flush against his side, feeling as her cold limbs immediately draped themselves on his as close as she could without entirely throwing away her pride. She sucked in a short steadying breath and turned her head to rest against his shoulder, face burning with shame.
Riftan was trying very very hard to remain a stoic pillar of strength and warmth, but the feel of her soft curves and breath against his neck had him.. reacting. Their eyes were both well adjusted enough to the dark to see the growing tent in his pants much to his internal panic but Maximillian- likely too sheltered to understand what it meant, just sat there, hands slowly winding their way around his arm, greedy for any ounce of spare warmth he had to offer.
Crossing his legs, he tilted his head to the side to further tuck her head into the crook of his neck, hoping she couldn't feel the thundering of his pulse or the unusual heat of his neck and face.
“So.. you stutter..?” Riftan stupidly blurted out, trying desperately to get his mind off of his growing problem and back into safe waters- not realizing he’d fallen headfirst into shark-infested waters. He realized his mistake as her previously soft and relaxed body suddenly tensed, and the comfortable atmosphere grew strained.
“I didn’t mean to offend, I've just never heard you talk before…” He explained awkwardly, ruffling the hair at the back of his neck with a free hand, glancing at her indecipherable expression.
A moment passed with no response, and Riftan was convinced she would get up and walk away, finally realizing how dangerous it was to spend time with him alone. She stayed put though, head still tucked into his neck, fingers brushing against his knee, sending tingles of warmth through his body.
“I-I can’t control it. M-Many teachers tried to help b-but it won’t go away..” She said, further sliding his hand over his knee, fingers prodding at the hard muscle hers lacked.
“I-It mostly happens when I-I’m nervous... Or when I t-talk too fast.” Maxi admitted, looking towards the castle dominating the skyline in front of them, gray eyes melting in the torch light.
“Is that why your father treats you like shit? Oh, excuse my language.” Maxi stifled a snort of laughter at his words, the hand that was once on his knee shooting up to cover her smiling mouth.
“I-It’s a long story Sir Calypse… but thank you for being so.. accommodating of my problem.”
“What problem? I think it’s adorable.”
Squeaking, Maxi stiffened once more, face blooming with red, as her body began to heat up against her will, catching even Riftan’s notice. As she struggled to respond, they heard the sound of the knights arriving again, but this time mentioning her.
“Finding the Lady is your top priority, but if you find Riftan Calypse, immediately report his whereabouts to a squad commander. His Grace believes the barbarian has set eyes on his daughter.” The head knight barked out, and the formation broke apart, lantern lights suddenly blinking into existence as the groups began to spread out in their search of the eldest Croix daughter.
“W-W-What time is it?” Maxi whispered, already halfway between sitting and standing, terrified eyes already scanning their environment for possible escape routes.
“Did you have a curfew or something? It’s about to turn 11.” He whispered back, helping Maxi to stand, and listening to the footsteps of the knights outside.
“I don’t think we have a chance of getting back to the castle the way we came in. The guards must know you frequent this area of the grounds because they’re not moving from the courtyard. Does anyone besides you know of the hidden door?”
“N-no. N-not even my maids know. I s-snuck out w-when I knew there w-was an opening in the g-guard r-r-rotations because of the ball, but I s-stayed too long.”
They retreated farther into the grove, hiding behind a thicket of bushes, and pondered their next move.
“If you let yourself get caught by the guards and taken back home, what would happen?”
Her face paled even further, and she began to look faint as she thought about the situation. Her mouth moved like she was mumbling something but no audible sound came out and she just tightened her grip on his forearm. Riftan sighed, understanding the insinuation of her body language. Whatever would be waiting for her at home would be ten times worse than the result of any shitty plan he could come up with...
“Hey, I could always just kidnap you and take you back to my fief,” He said, hoping a lighthearted joke would ease her mind and get her to relax the painful grip she had on his arm. He wasn't expecting her to fully turn towards him, unbridled hope swimming in her eyes, as she responded.
“Y-you’d really do that for m-me?” She whispered, body leaning in closer to him as she stared into the depths of his soul, nearly causing him to agree blindly and spirit her away in the night.
“I-I.. well. I was joking but-” He stammered out, faltering as the luster of her eyes faded and she began to retreat back in on herself.
“-maybe I can kidnap you for a night?”
………..