Work Text:
Everything’s tense…
There are men loading up supplies, gathering weapons and horses. But no matter where Maxi looks, they bear the same expressions on their faces.
Unease… Worry…
Dread.
Maxi feels the same, but one emotion trumps it all–
Fear.
She tries to stomach all those negative feelings as she scouts for her husband.
In a few days, they will be facing new enemies, monsters that might have risen in numbers since the attack on Monster City.
Who would have expected? They literally just finished a battle against them just a mere few weeks ago. Some of her comrades from the World Towers have already left to go back to their homes and lives at Nornui Island, assuming the shit show has finally been dealt with. But now they are about to engage in bloody war again.
She felt her blood run cold. She's anxious now as well. Part of her wants to retreat and hide, to admit how her husband was right. But she has to be strong. She is a deemed wizard of the Remdragon Knights now after all. She has to keep her head high up and prove she is truly worthy of wearing her Remdragon cape.
The thought of fighting alongside her husband… it gives her courage.
She finally spots Riftan speaking with Hebaron while holding Talon's reins. She only has a view of his back, but she will never stop being in awe at how her husband stands tall, unfaltering, and strong.
She proceeds to approach him, never minding the teasing look Hebaron flashes her.
Riftan turns to his back after noticing his second-in-command’s goofy grin. Hebaron pats his shoulder signaling his leave. Riftan plasters a smile but it falls upon seeing his wife's sullen face.
"Maxi?"
"I… Riftan…"
Riftan stays calm, but in his head, he is already constructing one hundred reasons what could be wrong, what could go wrong, and how he can send his wife back to Livadon the fastest.
"Riftan… When we get back to Anatol…"
"..."
"W-when we get back… Let us renew our vows…"
Riftan's eyes grow wide, clearly not expecting her request. His reaction was so obvious Maxi pursued on…
"Our vows… w-when we got married… They were just words. I d-don't know about you, b-but back then, I didn't take them to heart."
Maxi then takes both his hands in hers.
"'I swear before God, to take Riftan Calypse as my husband, and follow him for the rest of my life.'"
Maxi looks at their joint hands as she recites the wedding vows she said that night.
"I know w-what it means now," Maxi finally looks up to look Riftan in the eyes.
"I know what it m-means now, to follow you for the rest of my life… It's because I do not ever w-want to be without you."
"When we g-get back, I want to say them like I t-truly mean them this time. I want to tell y-you more of the promises I keep in my heart for you. I w-want to say them in f-front of the people who m-matter to us. I want… to say them right this time."
Riftan stares at his small wife taking in the breathtaking view of her eyes full of adoration, takes in her confession, her words… for him.
He stands there feeling his heart about to beat out of his chest.
"S-so stay alive… And I will too… And then, t-take me back to Anatol. And… Marry me again."
Riftan couldn't stop himself now. He takes Maxi's face in between his hands and kisses her so deeply and urgently she almost loses her balance, but she kisses him back with the same fervor.
Riftan cuts off the kiss to let them both breathe, then he places his forehead against hers.
"I promise. I will take you back to Anatol. I will marry you again at the church built inside the castle grounds. In front of the people who are most important to you, I will say my vows again to you, Maximilian Calypse, who is already my wife, to cherish and care for you for the rest of my life."
Maxi is crying now, tears of joy or from the anxiety about the upcoming event, she doesn't know. But she smiles at her husband and nods.
"Y-yes. Okay."
He hugs her tight for the last time before they start to move again.
"Stay alive for me. I will take you back home."
---
Maxi mounts Rem as Riftan signals everyone to move out. She follows behind him alongside the men who are loyal to him. The fear is still there, encompassing her entire being. But she has something to look forward to now after the war. She feels hope start to bubble in the center of her chest. And no matter how much dread she feels, she will keep this hope if it's the only thing to keep her alive.