Under the Oak Tree

Chapter 78 – One Head for Every Scratch (1)

Frightened she had stepped out of line, Max had immediately cowered in fright, fearing she had made him angry with her. She’d been around angry men, her experiences far too many to keep track of. It was almost second nature for her to begin feeling faint whenever a bigger man would step towards her, threaten her.

But it wasn’t just the violence that frightened her right now. It was the fact that someone who treated her so well, cared for her greatly, had now begun to bear his fangs at her. She felt like a dog punished by their owner for their insolence.

She wanted to beg him not to hurt her, hate her. She knew she messed up, but her voice refused to come out, so instead, she only clung tightly onto his cloak in her desperation.

“Come on down,” Riftan told her, shaking her out of her treacherous thoughts, and she realized they finally made it into the castle. He reached out to her, offering her his hand to help her dismount the horse, and Max hesitantly grabbed it.

She slid down gently, until Riftan pulled her close, her body flush to his, hefting her up in his arms and carrying her through the garden. A rush of servants came, bowing in greeting, but Riftan paid them no mind, preoccupied with only one thing.

“Put Talon in the stables,” he quickly ordered them as he finally entered the Great Hall.

Max meekly looked up, watching his expression and studying the details of his face. He barely even spared a glance around the hall that she had gone through extreme lengths to redecorate in weeks’ time. Max feels her body tremble more, the fear growing inside her…<center></center>

‘He’s angry, really angry,’ she cried silently in her mind, before she gulped down the fear and spoke up, “Ri-Riftan,” she began softly, “I-I’ll walk by my-myself.”

“Don’t talk,” he quickly told her, as he sprints up the stairs, the carpet cushioning his steps as Max flinches at his harsh tone.

Despite the added weight of his armor, and her in his arms, along with running up two flights of stairs, Riftan barely broke a sweat. He quickly entered their room, letting her down finally, and closed the door behind them.

Max was left in the middle of the room, standing idly awkwardly as she waited for her punishment, when Riftan gave her an intense gaze after locking the door.

‘Is this where it starts?’ she fretted, ‘What if, what if he hurts me physically? Why is he so angry? I only tried to fix things like a lord’s wife would do!’

Her knuckles turn white as her grip on her skirt tightened up. When she finally found her voice again, and opened her mouth to speak, something was already covering her mouth.

“Mmph!” she muffled, her eyes widening in surprise.<center></center>

His hand, still in iron gloves, came up to her face, firmly clasping her head in place as he held her at the back of her head. His chapped lips move against hers, tongue prodding her lips open to enter her mouth.

Max hands came up, resting at his firm hands, gripping it to steady herself.

Her body was painfully pressing up against his armor, her pulled flush towards his, as his stubble rubbed her smooth chin. She let out surprised gasps from time to time, eyes wavering as she glanced at him. When he finally pulls away, his gaze hardened as he looked down on her in his arms…

“What would you have done had I not gotten there on time?” he asked her, his frustration leaking out of his voice, as he cradled her cheeks carefully. Max flinched when the cold metal came into contact, but she eventually relaxed against it.

“I wa-wasn’t ex-expecting they’d be a-able to break through the ga-gates,” she answered him truthfully.<center></center>

“You shouldn’t have been there in the first place!” he hissed at her, “No matter what happens, you never. Ever. Go out there! Especially when it’s dangerous for you!” he exclaimed in frustration before lowering his tone of voice, “Alright? Do you understand?” he asked her, his concern shining out as he stared into her eyes.

So taken with him, she quickly nodded in assent and relief quickly fills him, the tension rolling off his shoulders and he gave out a deep sigh as he finally calmed down.

After a moment’s hesitation, Max finally reached out to him, her hand resting against his chin, rubbing soothing circles. Worn out, Riftan leaned into her touch, dipping his head as he pulls her face closer, resting their foreheads against each other.

At this proximity, the grassy scent of his hair tickled Max’s nose. She wondered if he had slept on the verdant fields last night instead of a cot or bed.

“When I saw you,” he began, his voice quaking as he spoke, “On the ground, I felt like I was about to lose it, darn it!” he cursed, his arms tightening around her, as if to keep her close to him, “I came as fast as I could, not even to rest, and when I saw you like that-”

“I-I’m so-sorry.” Max whispeeds to him, but Riftan’s eyes turn grave as he gets lost in his thoughts…

“Had I not been quicker, had arrived a second longer… things would’ve been so much worse, f*ck it…”

“I’m so-sorry I scared you. I’m re-really so-sorry.” She winced a little bit, pulling at his arm, softly telling him he was beginning to get rough as he rubbed her chin. Remembering he still had his armor on, Riftan finally released her, and proceeded to remove the metal constraining him.

When his gauntlets were gone, and vambraces off, he neared Max and pulled her flush to him once more in an embrace.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No.”

“Let me check.” he tolf her, quickly pulling away. Max felt like a moth to flame, her eyes mesmerized by his black orbs as he looks over her with concern, “Let me see for myself you aren’t hurt,” he added as Max could feel her heart throbbing painfully against her chest, her breathing echoing in her ears.

She remembered the lonely nights, the endless worry of when he’d return. The cold nights of when she curls around in on herself, hugging herself to sleep in a wide bed all alone, waiting desperately for him to come home.

His calloused hands flitted everywhere on her body. From her tousled hair, to her face, resting on her shoulders, and grabbed her robe, pulling it down abruptly. Max choked back her surprise, her body jolting as the air hit her skin. She could feel the sweat trickle down her neck as he proceeded to examine her body.

As his hands continued roaming, she felt a rush of heat begin pooling, replacing the ice-cold sensation of fear from before. Her eyes followed his hands, watching the way his skin touched hers…

His hands soon went up once more, clasping the pin in her hair, pulling it off and throwing it to the ground in haste. He grabs the back of her hair once more and pulls her close to him.

“One scratch, one head,” Riftan suddenly whispered in her ear.

Long awaited reunion of our <del>yandere</del> Riftan and Maxi…

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Ying and Livy’s current translations (from left to right)

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Under the Oak Tree

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