This chapter is from Aeseaes - Lil' Red Riding Hood

Riftan didn't fully register the frustrated look on her face as she fumbled with her words. He tried to focus on the sound of her voice as his stepfather shouted out in his ears like it was alerting him to danger. Riftan wasn't quite sure how long he stayed silent after her question or the look he was giving her now, but it caused her head to drop as she clutched her hands together.

"F-f-f-forgi-"

"Yes."

Riftan wasn't sure how he gained the willpower to answer her, but he thanked God he did. Her head quickly shot up and a look of relief washed over her face.

"I didn't think you would remember." He whispered, his gaze never leaving her face as she started to play with her free-flowing hair.

"I w-wasn't s-sure...at f-first but I f-found your n-name...in the l-library."

Library? Why would-oh.

Riftan huffed as he ran his hand over his hair. Never in a million years would he think the Duke would have a stable boy or blacksmith's apprentice's name on record. For once he was thankful for the man.

"That still doesn't-"

Before he could answer, the clock tower went off interrupting him. He just noticed the small flinch in Maximilian's shoulders as she spun her head around and scanned the surrounding area.

Riftan watched as she brought her thumb up to her mouth before quickly bringing it back down with a wince. Turning back around she lowered her head and gave him a small curtsy.

"F-fo-forgive m-me, I must g-get...b-back."

Riftan stayed silent, scared to ruin any potential of speaking to her in the future and nodded. He was fully prepared to watch her leave without acting but something pushed him forward and just as Maximilian was about to fully turn from him Riftan reached out.

Her hand was so small compared to his own and felt as fragile as porcelain. It didn't belong in his hand. Riftan's dark eyes stayed fixated on hers as he brought her knuckles to his lips. Maximilian gifted him with a beautiful blush that could put her hair to shame. It made her freckles look like gold and her eyes seemed to glow. How could such a small thing cause his heart to warm up to the point it started to ache.

He couldn't say anything as he released her hand, only nodded once again and turned to walk away. He didn't even know if she was moving, all the sounds around him were being drowned out by the beating of his heart. When Riftan knew he was out of her sight he all but collapsed against a tree. He felt like a troll had just knocked him on his back, taking all the wind out of him.

Looking higher will only bring misfortune.

"Shut up." He breathed out in-between shallow breaths while clutching his eyes closed.

"Fuck."

With a shaking hand, Riftan slowly covered his eyes as he started to laugh. Riftan cursed himself for wearing gloves, missing a chance to feel her hand in his. His only saving grace was the ghost of her skin against his lips. How? Even after so many years.

She is going to leave me covered in scars.

Much to Triton's delight, Riftan didn't argue when asked to attend the many banquets and he never gave the Commander a reason why. Though he wouldn't be surprised if Triton was growing suspicious, his commander already commented on Riftan's lack of gloves.

While at the banquets Riftan would often ignore those who tried to converse with him and he grew increasingly irritated at the women who fawned over him. However, the irritation was worth it. Each time he was there he got an opportunity to glance at red hair from across the room, even if it was just for the short amount of time she stayed.

Even outside the banquets, Maximilian Croyso's presence was constant. It came to a point where he was able to locate her in the vast castle with little effort. He could pick up her footsteps and soft voice from a distance. It was as though his senses existed solely for her. Just a glimpse from afar was enough to set his nerves on fire. Though he knew his behavior was excessive, he felt completely helpless against this unfamiliar emotion.

He did not remember being this fixated as a boy. Back then, the thought of her would fill him with tender affection, and her smile would warm his heart. Now, with each shy glance and quiet voice she graced him with, it was like feeding an already roaring fire. He had also noticed how she stuttered around everyone, it gave him some selfish relief that he wasn't the cause of her stumbling over her words.

Riftan had even started a daily track around the gardens near the annex in the pathetic attempt of seeing her again where she wouldn't be surrounded by her maidservants. The women trailing her seemed to be always on guard whenever he was near Maximilian, as if he was some barbarian ready to steal her away. It set him on edge, acting as if he was doing something wrong when all he did was exchanging a passing greeting to the lady.

For the first couple days he never saw her, and doubt started to creep up his spine until the third time he tried.

She was sitting in the same spot as before, wearing a similar dress but in a deep faded shade of blue with her hair in a loose braid.

Why was she continuing to dress like that? Wouldn't she prefer to be dressed in fine silks and dripping with jewels? Riftan tilted his head to the side.

Perhaps she was more practical than most noble women.

He smiled a little at that, remembering her as a child with wild hair and dirt on her dress. Maybe that wasn't such an odd thing.

He stayed out of sight for a moment, hesitant to disturb her as she seemed to be looking over the area.

Are you waiting for me?

Riftan started to take a few steps forward but stopped as soon as her head turned towards him. With amazement Riftan watched as her eyes lit up and she quickly stood up and headed towards him. He really started to wonder when he had died and how the hells he deserved to go to heaven.

When Maximilian reached him, he gave her a small bow which she returned and began to play with the sleeve of her dress again.

Cute.

"G-good evening, S-sir R-Riftan. H-how...h-has y-your stay...been."

He had to bite the inside of his cheek from smiling. Hearing her say his name was too damn sweet for his ears.

"Good."

He finally replied after swallowing a few times. Not fully sure what else to say to her. He had never paid much attention when Triton or Ursulin tried to 'educate' him on how to act around nobility, let alone while alone someone like her.

Fuck. This was probably breaking enough rules to give the Commander a stroke.

"Th-that's...good."

She sighed and watched her own hands as they played with her sleeves before taking another step forward.

"I d-don't...believe I ever fo-formally...th-thanked y-you."

"Thanked me?"

"For s-saving me. If...if it w-wasn't for S-sir Riftan's...br-bravery I w-wouldn't...be st-standing h-here to-today."

"Ah."

Riftan moved a hand to push back his hair and looked away. No way in all ten hells could he tell her there was no need to thank him, that the memories he had of her were thanks enough.

"You're welcome."

He looked back at her, seeing relief in her eyes. He wanted to smile, but a nagging feeling he had for years came crawling back one he had ever since he saw her standing up against that sub-dragon.

"You really should have run away; it was foolish to charge at something like that." he chastised her with a serious look.

It wasn't his place to scold her and the look of shame on the ladies' face wasn't something he liked seeing; but still, Riftan had to know she knew it was reckless. That she knew to never willingly put herself in danger again.

"...m-my d-dog. I...w-wanted...wanted to s-save him." Maximilian whispered as she lowered her head even further. He stared at the crown of her head as guilt set in.

Might as well use this chance to apologies before I fuck this up even more.

"Sorry."

"N-no...it...w-was my f-fault that it ha-ha-happened."

Cursing himself out, he sighed at the sight of her hands starting to shake and her nervous speech worsening.

"I meant sorry for lying to you. I knew he was dead when I was helping you."

Her hands stopped shaking as she looked up at him with tears starting to gather in the corner of her eyes.

Fuck. Of course, I would end up making her cry.

"I buried him."

He blurted out. Not even sure if that would help her or not.

"Y-you did?"

She looked shocked by that and it made his stomach twisted in knots. Did she really believe the hound was left there to rot? Slowly, he lifted his arm out for her to take just like he had seen the other knights and nobles do for Ladies.

Maximilian stared at it for a few seconds, as if not sure what he was doing before gracefully looping her arm around his. Keeping his head down to try and hide any sign of a blush, Riftan started to lead her deeper into the woods. He knew for certain now that both were breaking all protocol, but she didn't seem bothered by it so neither did he.

Riftan tried to focus on remembering the path to where he buried the hound and not on the warmth of her touch seeping through his clothes onto this skin. They walked in silence that was oddly both peaceful and filled with tension, as if she wanted to speak up but refused to.

As they reached the clearing Riftan nodded over to the spot where he had buried the hound so long ago. He tried not to look disappointed as she removed her arm from his. Instead he silently relishing in the warmth left behind while keeping a respectable distance.

Staying silent, he watched as Maximilian made her way towards the grave and bow her head, causing some loose strands of hair to hide parts of her face. He suddenly pictured himself reaching out to brush her hair over her ear. The thought of it made his hand twitch. Riftan was quickly brought out of any fantasy at the tiny whisper of an Amen from her. Suddenly he felt a little awkward, he didn't realize she was taught that animals had souls.

Would you ever pray for me?

As soon as the thought hit him, he cringed at how pathetic that sounded. Was he really comparing himself to a dead dog?

After her prayer, Maximilian turned towards Riftan, still keeping her eyes down. "Th-thank you."

"It's nothing." He started to run his hands through his hair but stopped and shook it out quickly, hoping he didn't make a mess of it. Riftan wasn't quite sure how much he liked that she made him so self-cautions about something as trivial as hair.

"I...I will f-find a w-way t-to...to repay you." she started playing with her sleeves again while glancing up at him with a look he couldn't comprehend.

Before he could help himself, Riftan started to think of different ways she could repay him, each one more pathetic than the last. As an uncomfortable warmth started to grow in his stomach, he quickly held out his arm for her to take.

"You could tell me how you recognized me."

She blinked for a few moments, once again staring at his arm before gently taking it. The lady seemed to hesitate to tell him, looking everywhere but his face as she stopped herself from biting her nails.

"Y-your...eyes."

"My eyes?"

Glancing down the sleeve of her dress, Riftan noted that the fabric looked a little worn, possibly due to her constant pulling on it. His eyes traveled up to meet Maximilian's, though it was short lived as the lady quickly looked away. Sighing, he began to lead her back to the garden.

"Yes...th-they s-seemed...f-familiar." she finally replied with a whisper.

Riftan found that hard to believe, his eyes seemed unremarkable. Was she using that as a cover? The warmth in his stomach started to turn sour as he realized she most likely recognized him due to the color of his skin. Again, he was possibly the only half-breed she had ever met.

A grub should keep-

"And..." her small voice snapped him out of his dark thoughts. "I...I wasn't...s-surprised to l-learn y-you had l-left to become a kn-kn..." she frowned in frustration as she struggled with the last word.

"You're joking," he blurted out, interrupting her attempt. A scrawny fucking half-breed bastard? She pictured that as a knight?

"P-parden?" The look Maximilian gave him was that of surprise and hurt but he tried to ignore it and continued focusing on their path.

"You could picture that for me?"

Maximilian continued to look surprised, as if he had just declared that the sky was green. "Of c-course..." she swallowed. "Kn..knights...are very k-kind and...gallant."

"I'm...not that." he started to rub the back of his neck, possibly a little too hard. "I was just a stupid kid who got lucky."

From the corner of his eye, he watches the lady shake her head.

"To m-me...you ar...w-were my...kn-knight in sh-shining armor..." Her voice grew quiet as she finished speaking in almost a whisper, but Riftan heard it all. He couldn't explain why, but she made him feel as if he was shot by that lightning drake again. Every nerve set on fire and his heart started to race at an uncomfortable pace.

How in the hells could he respond to that. Thank you oh kind lady for seeing a mutt like me as something so...no. There was no doubt lady Maximilian Croyso, daughter of arguably the richest Duke, had met far more men who fit the bill of a shining knight like in those stories Ladies seem to fret over.

"F-forgive me, th-that w-w-was too b-bold" the silence between them seemed to be too much for her and his gut twisted at the mournful tone of her voice.

Licking his dry lips, Riftan tried to think of something, but his mind was still running wild with disbelief. Before he could land on something he felt her grip on him tighten for just a moment as she tripped on something hidden in the grass. Looking down he frowned at the thought of her getting hurt under his watch. Riftan released her arm and, without really thinking, scooped her up into his arms to carry her causing the lady to let out a rather adorable squeak of surprise.

"I'm f-f-fine you d-don't ne-need to-"

"Don't fuss." He mumbled, feeling his own cheeks start to warm up at the sensation of her hands wrapped around his neck.

Fuck, my sword weighs more than her.

Riftan started to take a step forward but stopped and closed his eyes. He had to try and force his heart to settle down as the soft smell of her perfume filled his senses. It was a soft sweet floral scent that had a bit of warmth hidden underneath. His face felt like it had been set on fire and having her hands wrapped around his neck didn't help. What made the situation worse was when she started to idly play with the collar of his tunic causing her fingers to occasionally graze against his skin. Suddenly, the idea of prolonging their walk to the garden popped into Riftan's head, just so he could hold her a little longer. He forced himself to shake away those thoughts, not currently in the mood to be accused of trying to kidnap the Duke's daughter.

As they neared the trees surrounding the garden Riftan glanced down and saw her freckled cheeks had turned that beautiful shade of red again. The fact she was looking down was probably a good thing, her being this close was starting to feel dangerous. With a bit of reluctance, he gently set her down just as the bells rang out.

"Th-thank –you, S-sir Riftan." Slipping out from his hold she turned to give him a respectful curtsy. But before she could, Riftan brought Maximilian's hand up to his lips. He allowed himself to linger a little longer this time as he was transfixed on both the feeling of her hand in his and on what he saw. Riftan had traveled to nearly every kingdom, seen sights that could make a man cry with their beauty but none of that compared to the smallest yet sweetest smile she was showing him. It was an image he would keep with him for the rest of his pathetic life.

I could get addicted to this.

Standing back up he slowly released her hand and nodded at her. "Rest well, my lady." the words slipped out rather awkwardly but her smile growing was worth making himself out to feel like a fool.

Riftan couldn't remember making his way back to his room, all he could focus on was the lingering warmth of her touch and the smell of her perfume that stayed around him. Against his better judgment, as soon as the door to his room closed, Riftan stripped off the tunic and held it against his face. Sure enough, it smelt faintly like her.

A grub should keep to the ground.

Huffing a sigh, he balled up the tunic to toss it in the corner but stopped.

Would it really be so bad to look up?

Sitting down on the bed he brought the tunic back up to his face before rubbing his eyes. Riftan couldn't help but smile at her confession. How long has she felt that way? A few days? Months? Since he saved her? Had Riftan been on her mind as much as she his? Kicking off his boots he chuckled while laying back in bed, still smiling like a fucking fool.

So, your knight in shining armor. I can be that if it makes you smile.