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Maxi woke to a light knock on the door, she stretched her arms across the bed and felt the expected emptiness. Riftan was always up and gone before her.
"C-come in." She called, her voice laced with sleep. "Ludis!" She shouted in delight, happy to see the familiar face. "Are you f-feeling better?"
"Much, thank you." Ludis replied with a smile, she began picking up the clothes that Riftan had left on the floor and preparing everything needed to get Maxi ready for the day. "What would you like to wear today?" She asked.
"T-the p-purple one over there." Maxi answered, pointing one of her slender fingers to a dress hanging over the door of her wooden wardrobe. She only had about three dresses that were bearable in this heat.
Ludis helped Maxi from the bed and walked her over to the dressing table. She gently brushed out any knots from Maxi's hair and neatly braided it down her back.
"Would you like to wear any jewelery today?" Ludis asked, opening the jewelry box on the table and facing it towards Maxi.
"P-perhaps some earrings." Maxi answered, her hands moving to a small pair of drop pearls. Ludis removed them from the box and fastened them on Maxi. "I-i am glad y-you are better Ludis. I m-missed you."
"My Lady," Ludis began with a smile. "I missed you too."
"T-take it easy, o-okay?" Maxi told her, to which Ludis replied with a nod.
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Once Maxi was dressed, she left for breakfast in the dining hall. She saw Ruth at a table with Yuri and began walking towards them, but stopped in her tracks when she noticed Riftan. She never saw him in the morning.
Riftan made a 'come here' motion with his hand and pulled a chair out for Maxi. She walked over to him and sat.
"G-good morning." She greeted him.
"I ended training early, I thought we could spend the day together." Riftan said before shoving a large piece of meat in his mouth.
"Th-that would be v-very n-nice." Maxi replied, a large smile on her face. "W-what do you have p-planned?"
"I thought we would go into town, do some shopping for the baby." He answered, placing a hand on her belly.
"W-we d-do need some clothes and b-blankets and toys." Maxi spoke, thinking aloud, a hand on her chin. Riftan laughed and placed a kiss on her cheek.
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Once they finished their meals, the expecting couple loaded into a carriage and made the descent into town. The town had changed so much in the last few years, there seemed to be a new shop opening every few months. Anatol had become a booming and bustling place.
They walked around a few shops, placing a few orders for infant clothing and blankets to be made of soft fabrics. Maxi came across a stuffed black dog that made her think of one she use to know and purchased it for the baby along with a few other toys. They walked along the building to stay in the shade and talked about anything and everything that came to mind.
"I a-am getting a b-bit tired." Maxi informed him, her ankles were swelling and her back was killing her. The heat was not helping anything either. She tried to ignore it because she was having such a nice time, but couldn't any longer.
"The carriage is not too far, would you like me to carry you?" Riftan asked, concern on his face.
"N-no, I can w-walk back." She replied.
They continued to talk as they walked back to the carriage. They discussed a few baby names but were having a hard time finding one they both liked. They discussed how they wanted to decorate the nursery and how they needed to start interviewing for a nursemaid.
"S-something smells delicious." Maxi blurted out when a wonderful smell crossed their path, she could feel her mouth watering.
"Yes, My Lady! That wonderful smell is our delectable skewers!" A merchant shouted, seeming to appear from no where. "Our meat is smoked over applewood for 12 hours, making the meat tender and keeping it juicy! Here, have a sample!" The man insisted, pushing a stick of chicken and veggies at her.
"Th-this is a-amazing!" Maxi exclaimed with a mouthful of food and a sparkle in her eye.
"I'll take twenty." Riftan said, dropping a few coins into the man's hand.
"Right away My Lord! Just a few moments while I box them up for you!" The merchant excitedly responded, rushing back to his stall to prepare the order.
"I th-think I c-could eat all twenty by m-myself." Maxi joked, looking at the empty stick in her hand.
"Here you are My Lord! You paid too more for twenty, so I added another five. I packed a variety of meats. Five chicken, five lamb, five pork, five beef and five goat! Enjoy!" The merchant shouted, handing Riftan a warm box before running off to find more customers.
"Here, eat." Riftan said, handing her a new skewer.
