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Charles was the first to wake up and once again he found himself still stuck in the arms of Maxine. The large and muscular woman was still asleep and she still had the same expression on her face. In a way, he didn't want to wake her up as she looked peaceful and happy. However, they had a lot to do and he knew that she would likely be annoyed with him if she was to oversleep.

Carefully he began to poke her in the arm in the hopes that it would wake her up. She did react to this by groaning and at one point she did seem to be on the verge of waking up, only for her to fall back asleep again. Now it was his turn to be annoyed as although he felt safe in her embrace, he couldn't stay like that forever.

"Maxine," said Charles. His voice was soft but it did seem to resonate with her as he did get a reaction. "It's time to wake up now."

"Five more minutes Mom," replied Maxine almost subconsciously. It seemed like she still thought that she was at home and that Charles as her own mother. He decided to play along with this but he also felt the arms around him grow tighter.

"But you're not going to become a knight if you sleep all day. There's a nice, warm apple pie when you wake up."

"Apple pie?" This instantly made her open her eyes and she sat up with Charles still in her arms. The sudden movement caused him some surprise as he had been lying down but now, he was upright and with his face still looking at the chest of the large woman. "Where is it? Where is it?" She began to look around in the hopes of spotting the promised apple pie, only to see nothing of note.

"C-Can you please release me?" Immediately Maxine relaxed her arms and he was able to free himself quickly. He had a relieved look on his face but when he looked up at her, he could see a glare. It was one that sent a shiver down his spine as he could see that she was far from happy.

"Mr. Ingram." Her voice was flat and very matter of fact. "You stated that there was an apple pie here, you would not be foolish enough as to promise something that you don't have now do you?"

"O-Of course not." He realised that mentioning the apple pie was a big mistake on his part and he quickly got out of the bed and began to back towards the door. "I'll go downstairs and get you one right now."

He didn't care that he was simply in his undergarments. All Charles knew was that he needed to get that pie as soon as possible. He didn't even know whether there was any downstairs but he couldn't say no right now. He was sure that she wasn't going to hurt him, but it didn't mean that she couldn't take some manner of revenge in another way. This only motivated him to find what he was looking for.

A few minutes went by and Maxine found herself sitting in bed and eating a large apple pie to herself. Thankfully for Charles, he was able to find one downstairs and the Innkeeper allowed him to buy it. Under normal circumstances, it would be sold by the slice but he knew better than to get a mere slice. Instead he bought the entire pie and it had cost him more than he had expected. Then again, it was an important lesson, this was to never tempt Maxine with pie without backing it up.

Once the pie was consumed Maxine finally stepped out of bed and began to stretch herself. It seemed like she had a good rest but it was likely that she could have consumed more pies if they had been given to her. She looked over to Charles who had taken a moment just to write a couple of more things in his book. Odds were that he was recording the money that he had spent on the pie.

"A whole apple pie is the best way to start a morning," said Maxine as she finished stretching herself. She could only do this sitting down as it would have been impossible for her with such a low ceiling. "Although it would have been better if it had been warmed up beforehand."

"My apologies Maxine," replied Charles. He was just glad that her mood had picked up after eating her pie. "I'll remember that for next time." He hoped that there wouldn't be a next time but he still said it nonetheless. "Do you mind if I go over what we have planned for today?"

"Go on." By now she was getting up to her feet but was careful with how she did so. The last thing that she wanted to do was to hit her head on the ceiling.

"If we leave soon, we should be able to reach Lake Town at some point in the afternoon. Then you can sign up for the tournament and take part in the qualifiers the following day. You could always try to complete some kind of job in order to get yourself some extra money before signing up."

"Extra money, hmm that sounds pretty good for what I've had in mind. I haven't had a good time for a while, so if we earn some extra money then maybe we can visit the brothel." She gave a small sigh as she realised just how long since this itch had been scratched. "Maybe you can enjoy yourself there as well."

"I think I'll be alright."

"Oh, come on Charles, it's a good way to have a little fun. Those girls will know how to take care of you and they can cater to many tastes."

"Thank you for the offer but I'll still be alright, thank you." He was getting a little uncomfortable and this didn't seem to be picked up by Maxine all that much as she moved around a little in the room. She would have still preferred to be somewhere where she could stand up to her full height.

"Suit yourself." She couldn't help but think about spending time in the brothel and the numerous women that had satisfied her during her time away from her home. They satisfied certain needs for her and she would feel refreshed once she had visited one. Such a refreshment was needed in her mind before she entered the tournament. It would be like a pre-tournament session and she would likely go back again once she had qualified for the main rounds in Royal City. "Is there any place in this inn where I can bathe myself at all?" She couldn't help but push against the ceiling as she wanted to stand up straight but found herself unable to.

"I noticed a tub earlier, but I highly doubt that you'll be able to fit inside." He paused for a moment as he realised that he might have made a mistake. "No offense of course."

"None taken, I'm big and this world is too small for me. That's something I've been used to for a very long time. I'll just have to bathe in one of the lakes on the way. The only problem is that it's going to be cold. But I'm going to the brothel later, I'm going to have make sure I'm clean."

"To tell you the truth, I'd be more concerned about whether they're clean or not. They do say that they carry diseases and that you shouldn't trust them."

"Every brothel worker that I've met so far have been good and clean people. I think one of them even fell in love with me."

"I think she was paid to say that." This didn't get the reaction he expected as she didn't become angry and instead chuckled.

"You'd be quite surprised; I seem to have that effect on people after I've had my way with them so to speak. Anyway, have you eaten your breakfast yet?"

"I did pick up a little something while I was downstairs so I should be fine for a while." He had finished writing in his book and had now closed it as he had a good inkling about what was going to happen next.

"Then we shall go on our way now. Like you said, it shouldn't take us long to get to Lake Town. You wouldn't mind helping me put my armour back on, it's easier when you give me a hand."

"As you wish."

With that Charles got up to his feet and he watched as Maxine began to put the pieces of her armour on the bed. Before she fitted her armour onto her body, she changed back into her normal clothing and then with some care they got to work. Most of it she was able to do herself but there were some parts of placing the armour onto her that she found quite difficult. This included placing and securing it onto her back. Even though her arms were long, it was awkward to still reach that part of her back just like everyone else.

Thanks to Charles's help, Maxine was able to put her armour on in just a few minutes and this was the sight that he was used to seeing. Seeing her unarmoured was simply something that seemed abnormal to him. However, he still heard a small thud as her head struck the ceiling as she stood up. Since there wasn't much force behind it, there was no pain and she had been expecting it. But still she thought that if she were standing at her full height that her head would go right through the ceiling and only her shoulders and below would be able to be seen.

Once she stepped outside Maxine didn't have to worry about any ceilings. To her it was nice to be able to stand up straight for the first time since waking up. Now there was another problem that both she and Charles had to face.

Something that they hadn't noticed earlier was that there had been some black clouds in the sky and it seemed like as soon as they stepped outside, it began to rain heavily. The sound of the rain impacting on her armour could be heard and both of them were soaked through and through within minutes.

Normally they would consider going back into the inn and waiting until the rain subsided. However, this was something that they didn't particularly want to do as they needed to get to Lake Town. Not just that but they weren't sure exactly how long the rain was going to last so they could be waiting for hours. By the time the rain ended, it could be too dark to travel and their day would have been completely wasted.

Even so, trekking to Lake Town became more challenging as the road beneath them began to turn to mud in certain place. A nine-foot, heavily armoured woman was likely to get herself stuck or slip if she wasn't careful so she was sure to stay vigilant. If she were to fall and not be able to get back up to her feet, Charles wouldn't be able to help as she would simply be too heavy for him.

Charles was doing his best to stay dry and he noticed that the rain was pouring in a slightly crooked direction thanks to the wind. He used this to his advantage as he tried to manoeuvre himself around Maxine so that her large body would block most of the rain that was coming his way. He was still getting wet but it was better than what nothing.

This hadn't gone unnoticed by Maxine but she did nothing to stop it as there wasn't really much that she could do about it. The rain was more annoying than anything else for her and it did make her feel cold. The water was finding the spaces between her armour and going onto her actual body. Whenever she looked up, all she could see was grey and black clouds with raindrops falling into her eyes.

Eventually it got to the point where she felt that there was no choice but to stop and wait for the rain to subside. This was under a large oak tree that was right next to road, it looked as if it had been standing there for over a hundred years. The branches and leaves blocked most of the rain although a few drops were able to get by.

"Not exactly the weather for travelling is it?" stated Charles as he looked out across the road. The rain was still coming down hard and he felt cold. His clothes were completely soaked and he just wanted to have a hot bath.

"This is frustrating," replied Maxine with an annoyed tone. "If I knew that it was going to be this bad, I wouldn't have stopped at the inn last night."

"Well that's hindsight for you, there are many previous decisions I would have changed, if I knew what was going to happen. Like going after you and making a life debt to you." This got a glare from Maxine as she turned to look at him. It was somewhat intimidating but he still didn't fear her entirely.

"What was that Charles?" Her tone sounded like she was less than impressed with what he had just said.

"I'm only joking, don't worry." He chuckled quite nervously as he couldn't help but feel a little scared of the nine-foot woman.

"I'm in no mood for jokes." Even if she had been stuck at the inn, she would have been able to have a drink. Underneath this oak tree there was nothing that she could do but stand there and wait. For a moment, she did consider training Charles further but thought that it was unwise. The ground beneath them was too slippy and she didn't want either of them to suffer some kind of injury. A twisted ankle would be devastating if she wanted to enter into the tournament.

"Sorry, just trying to lighten up the mood. Lake Town still isn't far so it won't take us long to get there when the rain subsides."

"Even so, I still don't like just standing here and doing nothing. Plus, this rain just doesn't want to end." She then sneezed as it seemed the weather was getting the better of her. For someone of her size, Charles had expected a thunderous sneeze, but instead was fair quiet, high pitch and dare he say girly. There was a pause for a moment as he didn't know how to react to what he had just heard.

"W-Was that you just sneezing then?"

"Of course, it was, who else do you think it would be?" It seemed like her face was turning a little red with embarrassment.

"I have to admit that was probably the cutest sneeze I've ever heard." He chuckled to himself for a moment and this only seemed to make her more embarrassed.

"There are many words that describe things that I do, but cute is not one of them. Remember that next time you…" Before she could finish off her sentence, she sneezed again and like before it sounded quite girly and unbefitting of a woman of her stature. Her face began to turn redder than it had before.

"Next time I what?" He smiled up to her as he knew that he had gotten the better of her when it came to this matter.

"Never mind, just forget that you heard it and…" Suddenly there was another sneeze that was identical to the previous two. Both of them continued to stand there without either saying a word.

It was around half an hour later when the weather had subsided to the point where they thought that they could carry on their journey. The rain hadn't gone away completely but rather than the torrential downpour, it was much more like a light drizzle. It wasn't ideal for travelling but it was far better than it had been just a few moments ago.

All of this time, Maxine had continued to sneeze every now and again. They still had the same pitch and tone as her previous ones. Neither of them spoke about this although Charles couldn't help but chuckle once or twice. This always got a glare from her as she knew exactly why he was chuckling.

She couldn't help but remember when her mother told her that her sneezes were cute. This often led to a hug of some kind which only led to further embarrassment. It was similar to the one that she was experiencing right now and more than anything she simply wanted to forget about it.

Along the way, the pair were able to see other travellers make their way up or down the waterlogged road. Surprisingly enough, not many of them looked over to Maxine and instead just simply kept going towards their destination. They had been through the same weather as her and Charles also like them, they were soaked through. Some of them were even carrying wheat and barley and it was likely that by now that the water had gotten to them. All they could do was hope that it was still useable.

More hours passed by as they walked by one of the numerous lakes that gave Lake Town its name. Not just that but they could see the outskirts of Lake Town just over the horizon. It was only a short walk for them and this was something that they were both glad about. As they wanted to get there before the weather turned again, they had not stopped walking since leaving the safety of the oak tree. They hadn't even stopped to eat and because of that both hunger and fatigue was beginning to get the better of them.

The sight of Lake Town was a great relief for them and it even made them pick up the pace somewhat. The idea of bathing in one of the lakes or taking some kind of extra jobs to get more money was thrown out of the window for the time being. All they wanted at that moment in time was to find shelter and dry themselves off.

Rumbles could be heard from both the sky and the bellies of the two travellers. Charles was the one who was carrying his food in his satchel but he feared that the rainwater might have spoiled it. Even so, they would probably still eat it as when someone was truly hungry, they didn't normally care about the taste or quality of the food that they were given. As long as it was still safe to eat, that was all that really mattered.

With every step that they took, the entrance to Lake Town grew closer and closer. Maxine couldn't help but think about sitting down and eating a warm meat pie with a couple of barrels of ale by her side. There would be a fireplace right next to her and Charles would be sitting at the table just along where she was sitting. It was a nice little fantasy that she had in her mind for now.

Not just that but both of them would have taken their clothes off and would be wrapped in towels as their clothes would be hanging over the fire in order to dry off. Such a thing was only a dream at that moment in time as they continued to walk closer to their destination. Another of Maxine's sneezes could be heard but by now, Charles didn't even notice as he was tired, hungry and wet.

Much to their relief, they were able to reach the entrance to Lake Town which was guarded but many people were still coming and going as they pleased. At first, they thought that these guards would give them trouble but thankfully when they walked by them, neither of the guards moved and simply let them be on their way.

This made things a lot less complicated for the pair and they stepped into the closest tavern that they could find. After everything that they had been through, a rest and some food was just what they needed. Thankfully warm food and a decent drink was only a small price away and after everything that they had been through, they were more than willing to pay for such a comfort.

From the looks of it, Maxine wasn't the only armoured person who was enjoying the services of this tavern as there were at least half a dozen more who were present. As expected, all of them were men and only a couple of them were sitting together. The rest were all separate and if she had to guess, they were here too for the tournament.

None of them had noticed her as she was sitting down but since there were no pies available at the time, she instead was eating some fish. It was something that she normally would eat but with her limited options, she was more than happy to devour her food. Charles was in the same boat as her but he didn't mind eating the fish. Before he had met her, he was eating fish on a fairly regular basis.

There was one thing that he did notice and it made him chuckle for a moment. This was the fact that rather than having an ungodly amount of ale, she instead was drinking what was basically a large cup of tea. It seemed that even though she would have loved a drink of ale, after everything that she had been through, a drink of tea was actually more satisfying for her at this point in time.

Something else that they had noticed just across the street from the inn was a bathhouse. When they had first arrived, they hadn't really had an opportunity to be able to check out the prices but it was something that they were very tempted with. Charles was familiar with such bathhouses and they were normally consisted of two large baths. One would be allocated to men and the other for women. A large wall divided the two baths and ensured that the occupants of one side couldn't spy on the other.

Once both Charles and Maxine had eaten their fill at the inn, they quickly made their way over to the bathhouse. Much to their delight, the prices were reasonable and they would still have enough money for the entry to the tournament and for a bed along with food.

The person who was at the front desk of the bathhouse was more than surprised to see someone like Maxine walk through the door. Like some before them, they assumed that she was a man but once she took her helmet off, they could see clearly that she was a woman much to their shock.

This shock was quickly thrown to one side as Maxine and Charles both paid in order to use the baths inside. Unfortunately for them, they had to be separated at this moment in time as both made their way to the changing rooms. This would likely be the last that they saw each other until they had finished bathing.

Charles was a little nervous with going off by himself and upon entering the changing room, he was glad to see that he was the only person there for now. There were clothes and other personal effects so it was obvious that he wouldn't be alone in the bath itself. This he did find disappointing but not unexpected.

In her changing room, Maxine faced a similar situation as she too was alone. However, she had some more difficulties than him as she had to take her armour off by herself. It was a task that wasn't impossible but rather annoying for her. She wished that she had Charles with her but they were still divided up.

For the next several minutes, Maxine continued to take off her armour and once she had finished this task, she took off her normal clothing which thankfully was a much easier task. Once this had been done, she calmly walked out of the changing room and towards the bath itself.

The bath was pretty empty as there were only two other women there. They were sitting near the corner and talking to one another. Neither of them noticed Maxine entering and so gave her no fuss as she stepped into the water and the first thing that she noticed was just how warm the water was.

Since she normally bathed in bodies of water such as lakes and streams which typically had very cold water. Feeing warm water on her skin gave her a relaxing feeling, even though it seemed quite shallow to her. Once she sat down, an average woman would be up to their shoulders but when Maxine did this, it didn't even come up to her chest. Because of this, she leaned back so that more of her body could be submerged within the warm water.

The large woman couldn't help but groan as she felt completely relaxed within the water. Most her of body was submerged and only her head could really be seen. A part of her wanted to go to sleep but she kept herself away as she knew how dangerous it could be to do such a thing.

Instead she simply stayed awake and relaxed within the water. A part of her wished that she had done this sooner but she also thought about Charles. She hoped that he would be alright during his bathing session. She was somewhat worried but she also remained calm as she knew that he was an adult and that he could look after himself. Even though she might want to protect him all the time, she knew that this was impossible and there would be some situations that he where he would have to fend for himself.

 

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