The Knight's Mysterious Maid-Chapter 206: Rafael’s lover (3)

"Where are you going, Annalise? The first set of meat will soon be finished. You’ll have to wait in a long line if you go anywhere now," Cara said. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

"Even though we are having a feast, I still need to visit Rafael to see what he needs before I can enjoy myself with everyone. Go on and save a spot for me. Tell Jonah he needs to save me a piece of the rabbits I caught. It is only fair," Annalise said, carefully walking backward while she looked at Cara.

A promise was a promise so while the servants and knights were gathering in the yard to enjoy the feast Rafael prepared for them tonight, Annalise was sneaking off to see what gift he had for her now so she could take it to her room while that the manor would be somewhat empty.

Cara didn’t question any further and walked ahead to get them good seats near the fire going on right now.

Annalise turned around and increased her pace to Rafael’s room so she could get this done as fast as possible. It was true that she was supposed to check on what he needed. While everyone waited for most of the meat to be finished cooking, Rafael was already served his dinner.

Annalise slowed down when she neared the stairs and saw Edwin coming down, most likely coming from Rafael’s room or checking the halls to make sure there was nothing out of place.

Edwin only smiled and continued on his way.

When he was out of sight, Annalise rushed once more to get to Rafael’s room. She felt like she was doing something wrong, but there was nothing wrong since she was his maid. It wouldn’t be suspicious to anyone with a good head that she was coming to see him now. Only the maids who wanted something to gossip about would read too much into her being here.

Annalise stopped in front of his door and straightened out her dress before knocking to hide that she had rushed her. He would probably tease her for running to come here as if she thought something that was not suited to their current employer and maid relationship would happen there.

"Rafael," Annalise said, followed by two knocks on the door. She then waited to give him a chance to come to the door before she would knock again in case he had not heard her the first time.

The door opened not long after, revealing Rafael standing before her wearing pants that stopped at his knees and no shirt. She smelled the faint scent of the soap she filled his bathroom with and figured he had not long come from taking a bath.

"Come inside or do you plan to stand there all night?" Rafael asked, holding the door open for her to walk inside. Unlike in the past, she didn’t avert her eyes away from his body to not be rude as she liked to say. She looked at him dead in the eye.

"I am coming inside," Annalise answered, entering his room that was without much light once again. His food was on the table untouched and it led her to believe she was right that she came right after he had just finished bathing. "Weren’t you served your food a while ago? It might be warm and getting ready to go cold by now."

"It will still be warm enough for me to enjoy. How is the feast outside looking?" Rafael asked, closing the door behind her.

"From what little I saw before coming here, it seems to be going well. A look of drinking has started while they wait for the meat to be finished over the flames. I wouldn’t expect the knights to be in any shape to train tomorrow. Some of the maids might not want to enjoy the drinks you sent because we are to wake up early in the morning to clean," Annalise said.

She wouldn’t mind getting a cup of wine or rum and taking it back to her room to enjoy it there, but she couldn’t be late to serve Rafael in the morning. She also had to finish packing for the trip they would soon take, but before that, she needed to meet with Thomas to give him a special task.

"I’ve informed Edwin and Mavis that all of you will take the morning off tomorrow. Your work will start at noon so drink and eat as much as you want. Sit here," Rafael said, pulling out a seat at the table for Annalise. "I will get the gifts for you."

Annalise cautiously walked to the table, feeling like he had not eaten because she would be helping him eat his dinner. "Gifts? Isn’t it supposed to be one gift? I have not done anything- no that it is a lie. I have been quite good at my job so please bring them out. Or are they gifts to show your feelings?"

"Am I experiencing what it is like to be courted by the great Rafael Callahan?" Annalise asked, leaning onto the table to watch him get her gifts. "What an honour to experience this," she said, propping her head up with her right hand.

"Take it as you want as long as you take the gifts. I doubt you will leave my room without them," Rafael said, certain of it as he had gotten her gifts she would like.

"Is that so? You seem to think you know me well. I beg to differ, but I am always happy to be surprised," Annalise answered.

Rafael returned to the table and sat down in the seat opposite where Annalise sat. He placed the gifts he wrapped up in cloth on the table and pushed them to her for her to untie herself. He had paid attention to the things she liked to know what would make a good gift. He didn’t know a lot about her, but he was getting there.

Annalise first poked at it before attempting to open it. "Is it a dress? If it is, you do not know me well."

Annalise pulled it closer to herself and started to untie the knot. When the knot became loose and she pushed down the cloth, the first thing to catch her eyes was the metal helmet. "You are giving me a helmet?" Annalise asked, not believing that this was for her to keep.

She ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the helmet which matched the one he wore for the competition.

"I saw the way you wanted to kill me when I dropped mine and thought you would like one of your own to cherish. You shouldn’t wear it around the manor since you might make Mavis panic and the other servants won’t understand why you have it. I’m sure you don’t want to explain that it was given to you by me or that you didn’t take it from the storage," Rafael said.

"I am going to keep it hidden in my room. It looks perfectly made to fit my head," Annalise said, trying it on to confirm if it would fit and it did. "Would you like to grab a sword and go down to the river with me to test how good it is? You can try hitting me in the head with a sword."

"Not tonight or any other night. There is still something else in there for you to take a look at," Rafael said, searching around the cloth for the second gift that was wrapped up in more cloth.

Annalise didn’t think there needed to be anything else since the helmet had all her attention right now. "It is a dagger," she noted without having to open the cloth. "For someone who didn’t like seeing me toying with Olivia today, you got me a dagger and a helmet. These will encourage me to fight."

"I can’t deny that trouble does find a way to you. To not worry so much about you, I decided to give you a start on what you need to defend yourself. Continue to do well with your job and I will give you a sword."

Annalise smiled, finding that to be the motivation to become the best maid anyone had ever seen. "Thank you for the gifts. It turns out that I was wrong. You do seem to understand me. I have an important question. Am I receiving this for doing a good job as your maid or because I am the woman you are courting? I am still working at the moment, so I am your maid right now."

Annalise remembered that he said he wouldn’t court her when she was working.

"The servants are not working right now. I’ve made it clear that this is their time off to enjoy the feast," Rafael replied, taking a risk to push the strands of her hair that were slipping out of the helmet, over her shoulder to be out of the way. "Right now you are Annalise, the woman I care for."