Darkness Desires the Purest of Souls

Water War

Riftan POV

It didn't make any sense. It was her but it wasn't. His wife had stood before him, a battle-hardened stranger.  

He wanted to demand that the Master tell him what the hell had happened to his wife, but the sneaky prick had slipped away. He had gone on a business trip before Riftan could confront him and he would not return for at least a month.

The Master's servants had provided the knights with lodging. Riftan had found his wife, at least part of her, and he wasn't leaving until she was better, and he had more answers from the Master. So, for now, it looked like they would be staying put, while trying to find out more about Maxi and her new personality.  

His head spun a little as he unsuccessfully tried to rationalize how she had advanced her combat skills so quickly or what spell could have backfired causing her to forget her life and create a whole new identity for herself. Ruth had begun his research immediately but so far, no progress on a diagnosis or cure had been found.  

Speaking of Ruth, the last time he had seen the wizard, which was a few days ago, he looked a little unhinged, like something had really spooked him. It was somewhat concerning to the Commander, but he shrugged it off as Ruth's typically over dramatic personality.  

Riftan had a few interactions with her since the feast in the banquet hall over a week ago but lately he had been avoiding her. It was too painful. He would see her from afar and he would have to fight the urge to run to her and pull her into his arms and kiss her deeply. He knew he couldn't because somehow, it wasn't really her. Her eyes were void of all color and her mood was uncaring, no trace of the bubbly but shy, stubborn woman who never failed to brighten his day. He wasn't sure what was more painful, not knowing where she was all those months or knowing she was just down the hall but out of reach.  

He needed a break, a change of scenery to clear his head. The Master had mentioned that there was a large lake just outside the castle grounds, that they were welcome to enjoy anytime. He quickly threw on some swimwear, grabbed a large towel, and headed out towards the lake. As he neared the lake he heard the sound of intense splashing, loud yelling, and even louder laughter. He smirked; the Remdragon Knights were probably engaged in some epic water war.  

As he drew closer to the lake, he heard a distinct laugh rise above the rest. He tensed as his heart raced and he could hardly hold back a genuine smile. He would know that laugh anywhere. His wife was shy and did not laugh as often as he would have liked. Her rare laughter was the sweetest music to his ears, a sound he could never forget.  

He walked faster now, wanting to know what had amused his wife to the point of near hysterics. There she was in the heat of battle against dozens of his knights, her back facing him. She splashed and dodged the waves around her. The water was up to her shoulders and her hair was soaked, becoming a shade or two darker than its natural color. Her sweet contagious laughter continued to fill the air and he could not help but smile.  

She turned and slowly exited the lake. His smile quickly turned into a dark scowl. He began breathing in short angry huffs and his body burned with rage. Her back had been turned to him while she was in the lake so he could not tell what she had on but now as she arose from the water, he could see exactly what she was wearing.  

She wore a strapless low-cut sea green one-piece swimsuit with a short skirt that stopped just below her bum, showing off her slim pale legs. The suit hugged her curves and because the fabric was wet it clung to her body like a second skin. Water droplets cascaded across her smooth skin, falling into the crevice between her breasts or slowly rolling down her toned legs.

FUCK! he thought as he felt his shorts tighten. He wanted more than anything to be that water. She was truly a siren in human form. The alluring black ensemble she had worn the night they had arrived had nearly brought him to his knees but wearing this, in front of his men, crossed the line. 

He stormed over to her. She had stretched out on her towel in the sand, allowing the warm sun to dry her off. She looked very relaxed with her eyes closed, a soft smile on her lips, her hands tucked behind her head as a cushion as she soaked up the warm sunshine. If Riftan wasn't so furious he would have happily stared at her all afternoon. He swiftly unrolled his towel and draped it over her, covering her from her toes all the way to her chin.  

Solid white, cold eyes snapped open.  

"Hey!" she whined in surprise.  

She tried to throw off the towel, but Riftan held it in place on either side of her shoulders.  

"You're not my dad! You cannot tell me what to do!" she yelled as she struggled against the towel.  

"No, I'm not your father," he replied in a soft voice. Maxi would have known that when Riftan's voice became quiet like this it meant he was livid but the woman fighting against him was none the wiser. "Only I am allowed to see this much of your bare skin. I am your husband-"

"No, you aren't!" she screeched.  

Riftan abruptly stopped fighting her. He was stunned, truly hurt by her words. She took his hesitation as an opportunity to break free and quickly fled from the sandy banks of the lake. He knew she had not recognized him when he had arrived a week before but to hear her say it aloud and verbally deny their marriage hit him harder than a punch to the gut.  

He started to leave, having not found the peace of mind he had hoped for but before he left, he looked over his shoulder at his knights. They bowed their heads, unable to meet his gaze.

"Get some rest. We start at dawn. If by the end of the day, any of you have survived tomorrow's training, I will kill you." 

Note: RIP Remdragon Knights. And yes, swimsuits were very modest in medieval times BUT remember this is the anti-Maxi ; )