Under the Oak Tree - Riftan's POV - Multiverse

Chapter 46: Breaking Chains

The Etherias sun filtered through the tall, narrow windows of the Duke's drawing room, casting pale light across the polished floors. Maximilian sat with her hands folded tightly on her lap, her knuckles white against the fabric of her dress. The silence of the room felt heavy, oppressive, like the weight of her own resignation pressing down upon her shoulders.

She had long since stopped entertaining dreams of love or happiness with Kuehl. In the beginning, she had tried—tried to see in him a partner, tried to give his earnest smiles and polite gestures a chance. But every moment of jealousy, every stifling command disguised as concern, had steadily eroded whatever fragile hope she had clung to. Now there was nothing left but quiet surrender.

Her engagement was no longer a question. It was an inevitability.

When Princess Agnes entered the room, her confident steps cut through the stagnant air like a blade. She was resplendent as always, dressed in a riding habit that suited her fiery temperament. Upon seeing Maxi's desolate expression, her brow furrowed in a mix of irritation and concern.

"By the heavens, Maximillian," she said sharply, taking a seat across from her. "You look as though you've been condemned."

Maximilian lowered her gaze, fingers twisting together nervously. "I... I have accepted it. This marriage... it is w-what my father desires. Kuehl will be a dutiful husband. I s-should be grateful."

Agnes's eyes narrowed. "Grateful? To live as a shadow beneath a man who cannot stomach the mere mention of another's name? Is that truly the life you want?"

Maximilian flinched at the steel in the princess's voice. Agnes leaned forward, her voice low but fierce.

"Your world did not begin with Riftan Calypse, nor will it end with him," Agnes said. "You were destined for more than this gilded cage. Do not chain yourself to a man simply because you cannot imagine life beyond what you've known."

Maxi's throat tightened. "But... w-what choice do I have? Without my father's consent, I—"

"You once had a choice," Agnes cut in. "Do you remember Nornui? The plans we made before all of this? You were to study magic, free yourself from your father's control. That dream was yours before Riftan, before Kuehl. Why should it die now?"

The words struck Maxi like a sudden gust of wind, stirring something long dormant inside her. She had tried to bury that yearning, convincing herself that it was childish folly. But hearing it from Agnes's lips reignited the embers.

"If Kuehl refuses to let you go," Agnes continued, "then you must do what we planned before. You escape."

The firmness in the princess's tone left no room for doubt.

Later that week, when Kuehl came to visit, Maximilian mustered every shred of courage she possessed to speak to him. They sat in the solar as servants discreetly withdrew, and she, with trembling hands, told him of her decision—her wish to study in Nornui, to forge a path of her own.

"Before the engagement... o-or even after. I would l-like to go to Nouri. It is my wish to b-become a mage"

Kuehl's reaction was immediate and explosive. His face darkened, his voice rising like a storm.

"You will not," he had thundered, slamming his palm against the table. "You are to be my wife. I will not have you running to some distant island to play at sorcery like a foolish girl. You know well enough the relationship between the church and the Mage Tower. I won't have a mage for a wife! " His words cut deep, yet they brought with them a strange clarity. This was not love. It was possession.

Kuehl reached out and took Maxi's hands gently, his thumbs brushing over her knuckles with practiced ease. "Why do you insist on holding on to this... fantasy?" he said in a smooth, coaxing voice. "Nornui, magic—these things aren't for you. They never were."

Before she could answer, he lifted one of her hands to his lips and kissed it softly, smiling as if indulging a stubborn child. "You don't need to run off to some distant island to prove your worth. Your place is here. With me."

Maxi's throat tightened. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kuehl stepped closer, his presence crowding out the air around her. He cupped her cheek, tilting her head up, and pressed a lingering kiss against her lips. It was gentle, but there was a quiet insistence in it—as if he meant to erase her doubts one kiss at a time.

As he pulled back, his voice dropped to a soft murmur against her skin. "The Church will never support you studying there. They'll never trust anything beyond healing magic. And without their blessing... what future would you have in Nornui? None."

He lowered his head to kiss the side of her neck, just below her ear, his breath warm against her skin. "I only want what's best for you," he whispered. "Here, with me, you won't have to fight. You'll be respected. Safe."

Maxi stood rigid, her heart pounding. His words wrapped around her like silk, smooth and deliberate, while his lips trailed light kisses meant to distract rather than comfort. For a brief moment, she almost let herself lean into the warmth—but then a sharp thought sliced through the haze: His lips aren't comforting me... they're chaining me.

She drew a shaky breath. "I-it is my dream," she managed to whisper, though her voice trembled. "Not y-yours to take away."

Kuehl's smile faltered, the softness fading into a colder certainty. He held her a little closer, his fingers pressing against her back. "Dreams can be dangerous," he said quietly, almost like a warning. "And I won't let yours take you away from me." Maximilian returned to her chambers that evening with her heart pounding, uncertainty gnawing at her resolve. But Agnes was waiting.

"I took the liberty of placing a listening device in the drawing room," the princess whispered conspiratorially, motioning her closer. "Come. There is something you must hear."

Together they pressed their ears to the enchanted crystal. Through its faint glow came the unmistakable voices of the Duke and Kuehl.

"Do not let her set foot in Nornui," the Duke commanded, his tone hard and cold. "I only entertained the notion to keep Agnes pacified. She belongs in Osiria—by your side. That is her duty."

Kuehl's response was swift and compliant. "Of course, my lord. I will take her to Osiria as planned. She will not study. She will do as she is told."

Maximilian's breath hitched. There was no hesitation, no consideration of her wishes. Her dreams were dismissed like a trivial inconvenience between two men who held her fate in their hands.

The crystal's glow dimmed, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. Maxi slowly turned to Agnes, her heart pounding with a mixture of fury and resolve.

"It's time to plan my escape," she whispered.

A fierce smile spread across Agnes's face. "That's the spirit I've been waiting to see."

Writers Note: 

Full disclosure here... When I started to write this story/fan fiction.... I just have read Book 1 and this weekend I  finally read Book 2... Now I feel bad for making The Holy Sword like this... However I will see this story end. Thank you for reading!