As you might've noticed, I haven't really put out chapters once a week. But if you're wondering, no, I'm not thinking of going on hiatus or something like that. Only had a couple of hectic weeks, so almost no time to write.

I've also changed the tenses of when they talk. From past tense: She said. To present tense: She says, etc. Nothing major, but still had to say it. Though I hope I changed all of them. Oh well. :>

Anyways, I've taken enough of your time.

Hopefully, you'll enjoy their meeting. :D

The Sister's Conviction

“Oh, dear Divine Queens! I beg your pardon, Lady Madelyn! I had no idea that you would be here!” the woman startlingly shouts with a bowing upper body. A woman who’s the same woman who helped bathe Xe’Reth the night before, and witnessed when Cerinn came through the corridor to be taken to the Sanctuary to be shamed. Neither the fainting one nor the quiet one, it’s the most spoken of the three, though, also, the one who favor Xe’Reth the most as Malinda’s partner.

Madelyn however, doesn’t reply. Instead, she jerks her head to have her whole body turned away from them, so Xe’Reth can’t gaze upon her splendidness which isn’t so splendid at the moment, for her hands are covered with various dyes that she has gotten from all the painting she has done. And her face too hasn’t been prettied up with makeup.

‘Why is he here…?! Why is Xe’Reth here?! What should I do?!’ Madelyn thinks, biting her secreted lower lip frantically. But, the sudden idea of meeting him here, in a secluded area strike her. Maybe she can get rid of the past happening? But he knows her personality, her cruelness of what she did to Cerinn, and to him.

That single time of a regretful event by the Ebon Wall.

She didn’t want to bully him, only—She doesn’t even know how it turned out that way. Her emotions got the better of her. But now, here, she can make a new impression of herself to him.

Though as she grimaces, she troublingly thinks of her swollen cheek which pulsates still. Will he laugh at her? Will he act like a whole different person now that he has Malinda? She must play this correctly. An act of her lifetime. But her cheek emanates back in her mind as furrowed brows descend in complete fretfulness, ‘Okay, calm down, breathe… I can do this… Yes, I can do this!’

Her eyes widen intently for a single moment as she turns around to smile at the two people standing there while one remain bowed, and the other with his oblivion eyes, staring directly at her. Total indifference. Yet it isn’t a gaze of someone who’s arrogant nor angry. More of a gentle peer as his own smiling curve displays on his mouth.

It takes all of Madelyn’s mental power to stay downright calm, but her acting skills, null. She doesn’t have any. Only a spoiled girl. But this spoiled girl desires to make this work. Otherwise, he will never be hers.

Ah, his stare connects to hers, which causes Madelyn’s eyes to flicker in bewilderment since no hate at the time by the payment stall at the Ebon Wall shows on his attractive expression.

Then a curtsy form as Xe’Reth’s upper body bends as he elegantly utters without an ounce of embarrassment in his tone, “Good morning, Honored Commander Madelyn. I’m Xe’Reth Quinery, your sister’s lover if you remember me. But please, do forgive me. My curiosity got the better of me. Because I wanted to explore the Citadel as per your sister’s request. And, well, I couldn’t help but want to see the place where a woman such as yourself spend your time. Do forgive my boldness in stepping into your place of serenity.”

Madelyn stunned, but a delightful astonishment nonetheless because his words flow out of his mouth with such fluidity. An air of nobility at that with those clothes of blackened dye that’s the highest quality of material.

‘This is indeed a pleasant surprise…’ Xe’Reth stares in joy, yet hidden behind his masked smile of calmness. His eyes travel to the painting that’s erected behind Madelyn, but he doesn’t catch it because her whole body cover it thoroughly. Only the edges of the frame peek out. ‘So she can paint, huh? Though, is she any good at it?’

As he waits for Madelyn to respond, he tilts his body slightly to the side to catch a glimpse of the painting, but Madelyn, too, angles for she especially doesn’t want him, the person who she drew, to stare at it in shock. Because Xe’Reth without a doubt is the black-haired man on the canvas, with herself as the woman.

“I do not show unfinished paintings… Xe’Reth. And yes, I do remember you, rather clear I might add,” Madelyn smilingly says, gaining a new ambiance about her. Her voice, entirely straight with no blunders of mispronunciation. But the way her tone sounds, it’s as if she has become the Honored Lady that she is. “Both of you, turn around.”

Both Xe’Reth and the bath guide does turn their bodies, but the image of Madelyn’s cheek burn into their minds since it’s clear as day, because the mist has almost vanished after being guided around the Citadel.

First, when they had eaten their breakfast, the bath servant came to introduce herself to Xe’Reth, but since they knew each other from before, their acquaintanceship was already established.

Yesterday after leaving Xe’Reth’s room with her fellow bath colleagues, she and they had spread the fantastic news of his compassion in saving Cerinn, while gossiping about a particular thing that they had seen for their first time. They, however, didn’t have any bad opinions of him, only good, so of course, everyone who listened to their juicy speech of titter tatter, got to know that he’s someone who’s neither cruel nor arrogant. A person who’s easy to talk to, which made the servants joyous.

The servers, too, who spoke to Xe’Reth right before he carried the drunken Malinda away, spread gossip around the Sanctuary like a wildfire. And since some of them were much younger than those three bath servants, the fledglings got in on it too.

Second, when Malinda had to finally leave all dressed up in her plate armor of brilliance, she escorted Xe’Reth to the Citadel’s main entrance where Taryna waited cross-armed by the golden carriage.

Her anxiety while staring at the creature of her woes didn’t bother staring back, he only followed Malinda out to the courtyard to say goodbye, though Malinda wanted a smooch before treading in to leave for the DLO’s headquarter, which he gave as a pair of eyes traveled to Taryna with mock.

Taryna had gazed away from them in sorrow since it was apparent that he hadn’t spoken about what he knew of her fixation toward Malinda. But as they unlocked their lips, Malinda stroked Xe’Reth’s cheek with a turn of her body, to go inside the carriage while smiling happily. And because of Taryna’s troubled mind, she hurriedly went to sit in the driver’s seat, to then whip her hands for the monsters to gallop onward toward the Innermost Gate of the Citadel.

Third, the bath servant had guided Xe’Reth around the Citadel, though surprisingly, they hadn’t met anyone of importance. Only the hundreds of servants going about with their business as the various expressions gawked at the well-dressed man striding proudly next to the bath servant who somehow had gotten a new way of walking about her. Since being next to the upcoming Lord of Malinda’s faction had her giddy as if she reverted to her teenage years.

The grand ballroom. The hundreds of painted family member of the Tertin line. The numerous hallways of extravagance. The trophy chamber on the first floor. The giant worship hall that Xe’Reth had seen from the balcony. He was guided by her, but certain places were off limit since it belonged to the Madam, Lord, and Merissa. Though, the first floor did have an abundance of space. Probably because festivities would be held there.

He hadn’t bothered to go up to the second floor. Instead, they went outside to the stables on the southwest side of the Citadel to visit the horse-master, but he was on business at that particular time. So Xe’Reth didn’t get to meet him, though, the servants who tended to the horses of different breeds did gaze at him in a rather peering way. Peering enough for the guide to shoo them away.

They had continued towards the Citadel’s graveyard.

Yet, upon coming to the healer’s house which was located on their left side of the boulevard walkway leading to the main garden, Xe’Reth’s eyes went to an individual who came out of the wooden household with a sorrowful ambiance exuding from her red swollen eyes and the scarlet cheek that she rubbed. While two nostrils had been clogged to indicate a nosebleed. She also had a split lip that oozed with a little blood. But as that individual went right across the walkway to go over a small bridge, situated over a built-in stream, she went to the Citadel’s back entrance to the kitchen where Xe’Reth lost sight of her.

Then last, Xe’Reth and the bath servant finally came to the entry of the labyrinth, which she knew too well to be true. And through Xe’Reth’s curiosity from the servant’s words in saying while pointing with a finger, “That leads to Lady Madelyn’s garden.” He wanted to check what kind of garden she has, so he urged to witness it for himself, and the servant apprehensively obliged.

Now, here, in Madelyn’s garden stands Xe’Reth and the servant with their backs turned against the Honored Lady, while she quickly spins around, too, to move the painting by turning it away from them so it doesn’t show. And as she collects herself with a shuddering breath, her words flow out calmly, “You two may turn again, for I’m finished.”

They do turn, but the bath servant has still a bending upper body to show her grave mistake in bringing Xe’Reth here. Because she honestly dislikes Madelyn for the cruelness, though, she cannot display even one bit of her real emotions.

Xe’Reth, however, has his posture straight and proud, since he will act as if nothing happened between them. Only a new meeting for the first time. A chance to make an impression on her other than being an underling, for she’s indeed his Commander… But, does he need to continue with his work in the army now that he has Malinda? No, he does not. However, he won’t try to make a bad impression on her even though she’s a vile, a spoiled, and a cruel girl.

“Honored Commander, I didn’t know you have a taste for art. But since it’s you, it must be a fantastic piece,” Xe’Reth praises smilingly with closed eyes, totally trying to suck up to the second lady of the house. But as his eyes open, slowly, to peer into Madelyn’s, he says as a hand gesture erect, “And I do apologize for disturbing you. I made her guide me here, so do forgive her.”

Madelyn sprouts forth a gentle smile, “As you wish, Xe’Reth. But where is my… sister? She isn’t with you?”

“No, she’s not… fortunately, heh,” Xe’Reth says, chuckling at her casual way of talking as if she doesn’t mind speaking to him, a mere commoner. “Because your sister is rather angry with you. You know… about the servant who you wanted to throw out.”

Madelyn’s eye twitch, trying to keep a straight and gentle face from that comment. But her now narrow eyes travel to the bath servant as she orders, “Leave us. Xe’Reth and I have private matters to discuss.”

The servant flickers her eyelids in surprise, directing her head to Xe’Reth for an answer, which he gives as he says, “It’s all right. Go wait outside the entrance, I’ll come when we’ve finished talking. After all, she’s the Commander of the squad that I belong to.”

‘What, he already knows Lady Madelyn? And he’s a soldier of the Ebon Wall? Oh… I can’t wait to tell everyone, they’ll be so—Wait, what kind of matters to discuss…?’ the servant wonders with wrinkling brows, but as she curtsies obediently, she responds, “As you wish, Sir Xe’Reth. I’ll be waiting further down by the entrance. Until then.”

She turns to leave, though as she’s about to go out of Madelyn’s sanctuary, she suspiciously glances back at the two people standing there. None speaking, only gazing at each other. She treads on, out into the high hedges of emerald, to leave them be, for now…

“Honored Commander…?” Xe’Reth asks politely, tilting his head while raising a scarred brow, because Madelyn peers towards the entrance, not even minding his imposing presence. However, with her eyes connecting with his, she steps forward, and another step, then yet one more, to stand right in front of him. Rather close for Xe’Reth’s tastes. He doesn’t enjoy being near this big minded girl, but the current situation demands his complete focus in keeping his emotions in check.

But her sudden peering azure orbs make him highly uncomfortable. Even without makeup, her skin complexion, flawless as her sister’s, even more so since she has such pale, pure skin. And her flowing blond hair stream with the calm breeze that circulates inside the labyrinth. Yet the brooding clouds above doesn’t bold well, not at all; rain clouds, though it hasn’t started dropping the tears of the Divine Queens.

She’s such an exquisite beauty indeed, and it’s not ruined by the pulsating red cheek, but for Xe’Reth’s eyes, she’s nothing special. Only a noble, an Honored One. His idea of beauty isn’t so easily understood. Sure, he fancies beautiful women as any other man. Nevertheless, he isn’t swayed by that emotion called love. He does love his mom, but that’s his mother. His one and only precious one that he genuinely cares for. Real love between a man and a woman? Why would he need that, when people succumb so readily to his mind, his alluring words of speech.

However, he’s a man, and as a man, he can’t help but relish his current position. He’s treading on a dangerous path. A road that can spell his and his mother’s total doom. A single mistake, only one false move. Always a plan, he needs to be ready for whatever might come to vault the ladder that he’s climbing on.

Madelyn, who stares intently at Xe’Reth, sighs out in dismay with a shake of her blond-haired head as she surprisingly apologizes, “Forgive me, Xe’Reth. I wronged you by the Ebon Wall’s payment stall. But I couldn’t help myself, for you’re one particular young man who had always been in the shadow. To never try to exert yourself to make friends, to not join the several groups in my Squad.”

She crosses her arms under her bulging bosoms, then take yet another step but to the left, to begin walking around Xe’Reth. To inspect him thoroughly without him saying anything. He lets her do what she wants because her personality is entirely unknown to him, other than from what he has heard.

He hasn’t ever paid attention to her when he trains with the squad. He never tries to make eye contact, only his averting abyssal globes that observe his surroundings. Though that made it so, Madelyn had all the time in the world to gaze desirously at him over these three years.

“I have always found it odd,” Madelyn admitted, angling her head to stare at Xe’Reth’s body, up and down. Her tongue protrude slightly from her mouth to water her rosy lips, ‘He fits in black as always…’

“Heh,” Xe’Reth chuckles, “Honored Commander, I’ve just tried to keep myself from trouble, that’s all. As you might know, nobles can be highly arrogant to the lower public…” He smiles for good measure to show he means no harm.

But she scowls, stopping dead in her tracks with a response, “Is that supposed to be directed at me…?”

“Honored Commander… Are you saying you aren’t arrogant?” Xe’Reth replies as if in shock, raising his natural but scarred brow while still having smiling curves going upward.

“…” Madelyn, no words, just a stare, though not a baleful gaze but a flickering gawk of bafflement. Tightening her arms under her bosoms.

“Honored Comm—May I call you Madelyn instead? Having formalities between upcoming family members is… well… taxing to say the least. So…? Can I?” Xe’Reth asks all of a sudden, breaking the worrisome atmosphere between them as she gives a half approving nod, “Good! Though I always thought you were someone who was challenging to talk to. But look at us! Chatting all casually… Don’t you think so, too, Madelyn?”

She keeps flickering her eyes in confusion, standing on his right side, while his head has also turned to his right, to gently smile at her as if he’s an entirely transformed man. A man she has never seen before. Could he always talk so openly and without any restraint? She’s an Honored One, for the Divine Queens’ sake.

“Uhm… Yes… Yes, why of course!” She blurts with a puff of air escaping her lips, raising her head to stride onwards, around him to position herself on his left side. While his head turn yet again to gently smile, to peer with his dreamy eyes. All the past happenings between them, as if nothing had occurred. “…I guess, I’m… a little selfish, I do admit that…”

Xe’Reth snorts a laugh, “A-A little? Madelyn, do you even know what you did to that servant…? You sent her away with only rags. To be thrown out into the cruel world. A place she doesn't know anything about. And for what?” He raises his palms, a gesture for seeking an answer. “For spreading pure gossip?”

Her eyes widen in shock. Becoming utterly petrified by his statement. While Xe’Reth has deep staring eyes directing intently into hers, resounding a gulp from her, too, as she screams inside her head, ‘He knows… That little whore told him…!’

“I…” Madelyn utters but breaks off, turning her head away from him in humiliation. Why should she feel so guilty all of a sudden…? She tightens her lips as she clenches her teeth together, grinding them while staring at the tiles of the garden. The growing grass between the cracks, the countless ripples in the tiles themselves.

“Oh, by the way, I made her my handmaiden since I felt sorry for her, I hope you understand, and won’t do anything rash, otherwise, your sister will probably retaliate,” Xe’Reth says, his eyes growing extremely dark. “Madelyn…” he closes his eyes, then opens them to glare in an unexpected anger, “Your personality is outright disgusting. Revolting is what it is. And now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, you have a good day today. Goodbye for now… Madelyn…”

He turns without waiting for her reply.

‘Too bad she has already someone that she’s in love with. Because she must have if she masturbates… I could’ve secretly wooed her if my act with Malinda doesn’t work. Though, is she like her sister, I wonder?’ Xe’Reth thinks, raising his eyebrow as he takes his first step forward to test the waters, then a gripping hand stops him in his movements.

“Do you honestly believe you can walk away from me after saying such insolent words?” Madelyn growled, tightening her hand further to show that she means business, digging her finely polished nails into his clothes; who is he to talk to her in such a condescending way? He’s absolutely no one, and she’s an Honored One! Though as she pulls his shoulder to spin him around, she grimaces. He doesn’t move an inch. Her other hand aid to tug, but still, he stands solidly like a statue. “T-Turn… a-around… you bru-brute!”

Her face reddens in fury as she tries and tries, furrowing her brows while her clenching teeth display in its whitened state, yet no matter how much she uses her little strength that she’s got, she can’t even move his stationary body, since he’s currently flexing his muscles to degrade her further.

‘Has she always been this weak?’ Xe’Reth wonders, relaxing his body because of her little strength. He doesn’t turn, only stand there to wait for more hissing sentences to escape from the Honored Lady behind him, tugging him, trying with all her might to get Xe’Reth to face her. ‘But I do wonder if I can gain some favor within her heart… Ah, but that would be unfortunate for the one she loves… Heh, time to show how much I so care about people’s relationships…’ He rolls his eyes in amusement.

“Insolent words…?” Xe’Reth begins, whipping his whole body while grabbing ahold of Madelyn’s wrists rather forcefully too, which widen her eyes in bewilderment. “You play with people’s lives as if it’s a game. Insolent…? You don’t know the meaning of it because you are the arrogant one, you spoiled overgrown adolescent…”

“Ah…” she gasps feebly, trying to take a step back, but this time, he’s the one to pull her. To grab both of her wrists with only one hand. Holding them up above her head, while the other one position itself on her chin, to drag her anxiety-filled face extremely close to his.

“People like you shouldn’t exist. All that you bring is your disgusting arrogance over the lesser folk, and that, that is something I can never forgive. …Hear me… you will never be as pure hearted as your perfect sister because you can’t ever match her in anything at all…” Xe’Reth says, bringing down his total hatred for the nobles. To try to make her jealous of Malinda, not for him obviously, but for her sister’s clear superiority. “Beauty? She’s a Goddess compared to you, a gluttonous woman who has absolutely nothing but your wealth and status… Oh, right, you owe me ten silver coins for cruelly taking them from me. To try to make my life harder than it already was… You… You attempted to refuse me of my due, my payment that I needed to pay for my ill mother’s care…”

Madelyn’s face pale in horror as his menacing expression scream inside her mind, telling her to run. She needs to escape. But as his muscles contort, he raises Madelyn’s arms even further up in the air, making her fur sleeves run down her arms to display her flawless skin and to make her feet dangle while her dress breezes with the sudden gust of wind blowing into her sanctuary.

Such strength to lift her without so much as a facial movement from him, just his manifest of dark orbs that pierce into her own eyes to turn her into a meek frightened child as if she doesn’t even recognize him anymore. Has he always been as such? She can’t know, she never actually talked to him for real, only from afar she watched.

“But alas, you’re Malinda’s sister,” Xe’Reth sighs in disappointment. He puts her down on the tile ground. Letting go of her, to turn around once more. “She and I won’t put up with that personality of yours, so you better clean yourself up before Malinda comes into the fray. Your cruelness, your small value of a human life must end. Do you understand?”

He stares back at Madelyn, who’s utterly stunned with fiddling fingers and a slightly shaking body, for his dread seeped in, to make her afraid. But, as her azure eyes peer at him, she, for some strange thrill in her mind, gain a curve of a smile, which raises Xe’Reth’s scarred brow in bafflement.

“I understand…” Madelyn answers beamingly. Flickering with her eyes too. Then she raises her wrists to stare at them; slightly reddened from his grip, but that curve her smile even more. “You… You’re right… I’m cruel to those lower than me… But… I don’t know how to act any other way…”

‘What in the…’ Xe’Reth thinks as he’s too puzzled by her unexpected mood swing as if she’s admitting all of her faults.

“I-I’m arrogant… and I’m selfish… *Sniff* I… I am a terrible person…!” Madelyn wailed, falling to her knees while covering her grief-stricken face with her hands. Xe’Reth, stunned, with his head turning to the entrance to suspiciously stare at it, but he turns to Madelyn’s crying call for aid. “I need help… I do need help, Xe’Reth. Because you’re completely right… I’ll never be as good as my sister… I am just a lazy sloth of a woman. I don’t care about anyone other than myself. So please…Xe’Reth. Tell me what I can do to gain my sister’s forgiveness! I beg of you, I don’t want to be hated by big… *Sniff* …sis. I love her, and I want her to love me back too.”

She gasps, “I know! You came from the slums, didn’t you?!”

“I-I did,” Xe’Reth said frowningly, gazing down at her raised head of glimmering hope.

“Then you must know how regular caring people are?! Please, can you teach me of how to… to become more compassionate, please…? I promise to be better. To not be cruel, but I don’t want my sister to be angry at me, she is my only real friend!” Madelyn begged, tears running down her face, but this entire makeover of her emotions tug at Xe’Reth. Is she serious? They don’t know each other well, yet she asks for help? From the man who just a moment ago held her up in the air? “Ah, yes! I’ll also forgive you for what you did and said to me, as… as a penance of becoming a nobler person!”

‘Yes… if I stay close to my sister, I’ll be able to get closer to Xe’Reth… And when she isn’t with him, having her mind at ease… I’ll take him for myself. To crush your little relationship of love…’ Madelyn contemplates madly with moisture still flowing from her eyes. Giving a sniff of her nose to act believably sad and remorseful. She’s performing with everything at her disposal, for she does know how to cry at least.

“It… It’s like you said: We’re going to become family members, so we should get along. Yes, yes! You’ll be my Brother-In-Law, won’t you?” Madelyn joyously declares. Sluggishly standing up to move extremely close to Xe’Reth, while grabbing ahold of his hands, to squeeze them. “I… I’ve always wanted a younger brother! It all fits in place! Hahaha!”

Her sorrow vanished. Replaced by an immense joy of kinship that wrinkles Xe’Reth’s eyebrows in miscalculation.

“You… you don’t like it?” Madelyn asked while lowering her eyebrows as her mouth curve down.

“I don’t, and I won’t help you. Goodbye,” Xe’Reth answers bluntly, turning to walk away as his hands jerk to escape Madelyn’s clutching grip.

“Nooo! Wait, please!” Madelyn shouts, flowing her arms around from his back to hug him. While also breathe in through her nose. His aroma-filled clothes. Her first time scenting him, and she enjoys it thoroughly as she caresses with one side of her head against his broad back. “I won’t let go until you say that you’ll help me! Otherwise, if you don’t, I’ll scream louder for help!”

‘What is the matter with her?! She casually touches a man as if it’s nothing? Has she experience with men…? Perhaps she has… since she’s much braver and headstrong than her sister,’ Xe’Reth thinks, grimacing his face as he swiftly spins his body, but it only tosses Madelyn with his momentum; her shoe-covered feet dragging on the tiles in a circle.

“Comm—Madelyn! Let go, now!” Xe’Reth groans, but with hands placing on her wrists, he forcibly tears her off of him, to twist as he lets go of her. Though as his chest direct at her, he grabs ahold of her shoulders to scowl deeply. “It is enough, I don’t have time to teach a person who doesn’t want to change her ways. And I don’t know you. So why should I help you with such a simple act that’s called compassion? Because you aren’t kind, it’s rooted deep in your personali—Mm!”

Madelyn pushes her body forward, to lock her rosy lips with his while Xe’Reth loses his grip on her. However, she, in turn, strikes forth to tightly drag his recoiling head so they keep their mouths pressed.

Her breathing flutter with sucking noises escaping her wet lips, while Xe’Reth’s eyes stand ajar, completely baffled by this encounter. Why is he kissing with Malinda’s sister? Why is she kissing him? Someone who she just met for real, and not under some pretense of Commander and subordinate?

Though as he peers into Madelyn’s wild arousing eyes, he grasps onto a thought, an incident between them, by the payment stalls. It wallops him with stupidity, how could he be so utterly blind. For over these three years of being in the archery squad, he has sensed a peer longing for him. But for every time he turned around, no one was looking, only sometimes Madelyn would hastily direct away her azure globes all nonchalantly as if she was inspecting everyone’s effort, which didn’t catch his awareness, until now.

He tears her from him once more, to push her away with force, because he’s the one that’s flustered this time. And with a yelping moan, Madelyn crashes on the tiles with her rear first.

“Aah, that hurt, Xe’Reth… But... Did I surprise you…? Hehe, how innocent you are, truly,” Madelyn muses, licking her moist lips while standing up. Acting as if she expected the push from him. Then she flickers her eyes in delight as she spins to gaze at her painting. “From that kiss, you must know, I like you a lot. The moment I saw you those three years ago, Xe’Reth. I fell in love instantly with your uniqueness. Your hair and eyes. None has that beautiful shade…”

She strides quickly to her painting with a smile, to remove it from its fastenings, then as she turns it away from Xe’Reth, she walks up to him secretively. And when she’s in front of him, she with her reddened cheek but yet beautiful face says while rotating the painting, “This is me and you. Beautiful, isn’t it? But I never paint your face, because I want you to display your real self to me. Only then will I paint your expression. …Finally, we’re together, together at last… hehe.”

“I’m sorry…” Xe’Reth says, closing his eyes while shaking his head in pity. “I’m sorry that I didn’t notice it before… so I could stop your flawed thought process. Do you even think of your dear sister when you utter such garbage?”

“What did you… s-say…?” Madelyn says with a grimace as she throws away the now irrelevant painting, to take a step forward, but it causes Xe’Reth to step backward so he avoids her flailing arms that try to grab him.

“Stop it, I’m together your sister…—!”

She sprints forward, not caring for his words, she then lunges at him with open arms, which he doesn’t avoid.

While stumbling a little, he catches her in his arms. However, he has spent too much time here, he needs to leave, now, before anything happens between them. And he’s worried about the servant hearing or coming back to witness their embrace.

“Who cares about my sister…? I don’t. She is nothing but a traitor to me, and I’ll betray her too, by stealing you away from her, hehe,” Madelyn laughingly says, grinning as she closes in, to go for another kiss, but, Xe’Reth won’t have anything to do with this young lady. He presses his fingers on her lips, with Madelyn going wide-eyed.

“Madelyn… Please stop whatever you're trying to do… I love your sister, and not you—!”

This time, she presses her slender fingers on his lips by removing his from her mouth, to brush off his comment, “It’s okay. I know it’s hard to choose, but, I also know in my heart that you’ll choose the right one…” She gasps, “Ah, time for me to get going! I have just gotten new plans it seems, hehe… Hehe…”

With that, she sticks one clean finger into his mouth as she gives it a swirl, then she seductively puts it in her own mouth to taste his saliva. “Mmm, I’ll be seeing you… And I’ll give you two days to make up your mind. But oh, you’ll be seeing me around that treacherous whore, because I have a sudden urge to bond with my dear sister…”

They stand there gazing at each other, one smiling and one dumbfounded for not expecting this kind of situation.

The hedges of emerald foliage surrounding them breeze with the calm wind.

The clouds, dark and broody, readying for a downpour of water as the day before.

“Oh, by the way, when you choose… Do think about your dear mother… Xe’Reth… Because I’ll not forgive you if you select the wrong one…” Madelyn grins sinisterly as she bends down to pick up her slightly dried up painting, to then strut away with a pleasant mood. And as she passes the entrance, a little bit further away stand the bath servant who gazes up into the beyond, not noticing Madelyn coming up right beside her.

“You there, I’m finished with Xe’Reth. You can go to him now. Goodbye…” Madelyn quickly says as she waves while holding her painting, to prepare for a meeting with her sister when she returns from her errands by the DLO headquarter. But she doesn’t know where Madelyn is.

She shakes her head to stride onwards, to pretty herself up, to be representable to beg for her sister’s forgiveness for her cruelty. A ploy to watch her, to interrupt their little union of hands.

……

…

“Sir Xe’Reth? Everything all right? She didn’t do anything to you?” the servant asks incessantly as Xe’Reth stands motionless in place on the tile ground, gazing yonder at the supplies of different colors.

‘I shouldn’t have met her alone like this… Dammit…why did I urge her to show me this place,’ Xe’Reth sighs as he lets out his worries.

He raises his hand to open and close it as he peers into it. But with a tightened fist forming, he closes his eyes, to then open them with a transformed aura exuding from him as he turns to the servant, “We were just discussing squad duties and her painting. It was a rather beautiful piece of art, though, if I do say so myself, I’m terrible at such hobbies. Now, where to next, hmm? Any other open area inside the labyrinth like this one?”

“…Well… Mistress does have her own garden in here, shall we go take a look at it?” she asks, completely forgetting his recent frozen stance. Only to now stare at his calm expression of a smile.

“Please, do show the way,” Xe’Reth gestures with an arm stretching forward toward the entrance, and she eagerly curtsies as she begins to stride while he follows. ‘Oh well, better to have her love than her hate I guess, heh. Though, now that I think about it, it’s somewhat perfect to have those two around my fingers—If only I could… hmm… maybe…’

He shakes his clouded head as he goes into the labyrinth, to disappear. Leaving Madelyn’s garden alone. Only the supplies and the shimmering hand mirror remains…

………

……

…

By the Citadel’s courtyard, Maldoran clanks with his plate boots down the front staircase with a man next to him. They’re fully armored to the bone. Their garments are wholly exaggerated with those bulging shoulder pads that protrude spikes backward but slightly angled to point away from their heads; even if they make rotating movements. While their pitch black and crimson red coloring represent the Kingdom’s flag.

“Reconon, is everything in order, for the inspection of the city guard and its members?” Maldoran asks, treading with his clanking steps toward the prepared horses at the end of the stairs.

“Yes, Honored Lord. I’ve sent out instructions to gather them by our training field while also sending a request to the DLO to take care of the city’s gates and to keep order inside the city too.” Reconon answers, climbing down the steps with his clanking boots also, but his unemotional expression reveals his strictness of his appointed tasks. “It will take about two or three hours to gather up the city guard’s members, so do expect to lounge awhile before we begin. For it’ll be a long day ahead of us.”

“Ugh, and here I thought I could gain some relaxation today, but what dear sister and Xe’Reth said… It scorches inside me. Reconon, answer truthfully. Have I been irresponsible with my rule of the city?” Maldoran sighingly asks, stopping his movements, making Reconon, too, cease his down climbing of the stairs.

With Maldoran’s peering azure eyes, Reconon scratches his chin while he ponders. As he nods in shame, he answers without restraining himself, “Yes, Honored Lord. Since your Honored parents died, a lot have degraded in the city. I’ve been keeping track of the ins and outs, and honestly, it’s a dishonor to your ancestors, how you’ve simply given over your seat of power to your wife without even noticing it. You’ve always been a soldier and not a ruler. But I’m your loyal subject. It’s not my duty to question, only to obey.”

“You don’t have to be so blunt about it…” Maldoran mutters as he continues down the stairs. With his loyal subject closely behind him. “Either way, from henceforth I need to exert myself for my city. If someone like that boy who comes from the slums says it’s bad, I both have to be suspicious and have an opened heart, for he’s my dear sister’s lover.”

“Indeed, a resourceful lad there. If I might add, Honored Lord, what we spoke of yesterday night, about that idea of his. I think if it were constructed, we would have fewer casualties down by the gates, on all three of them,” Reconon praised, stepping down the last staircase. Planting his feet on the cobblestoned courtyard. But as his eyes travel to the horses, they go wide in surprise, for Recina emerges behind the mounts, having her thick armor on as usual. “Daughter, what’re you doing here…?”

“Father. Honored Lord Maldoran,” Recina curtseys but a brief curtsy nonetheless, since her only allegiance, Malinda, and none other. She’s unmoved by Maldoran’s high status, rather having an uninterested expression. “I’m here on the behalf of my Honored Mistress, to watch over the investigation while bringing along a few of my Battle-Maidens as support.”

“What is the meaning of this…?” Reconon demandingly asks, his eye catching two reinforced women riding toward them on monsters, which are clad in brilliant horse armor. And as their arrival doesn’t come unnoticed, they clash on the ground with their plate boots while their suits of armor cover their entire bodies, heads, too.

With two breast-bulging torsos, they pay their respect to their Lord of the Household, but no words escape, only their posture of reverence yet rigorousness.

“You’ve gotten my answer, father, or do I need to repeat myself…?” Recina replies, frowning. Which causes the air between them to rise in density. For their peering eyes that direct at each other, cold, full of hatred.

“Girl… You’re in front of the Lor—.”

“Enough with your constant quarrel! Dear Divine Queens, you’re father and daughter, put your differences behind you, and focus on the task at hand,” Maldoran interrupts as he sighs out in exhaustion. For ever since the former Battle-Mistress died, they’ve grown distant. No longer father and daughter, but strangers who hate one another. Because Recina’s mother died to save Reconon from a certain demise. And Recina who loved her role model dearly couldn’t forgive her father, who should’ve been the one to protect his wife. Not the other way around.

“I apologize… for my daughter’s disrespectful behavior as always, Honored Lord,” Reconon shakes his head in shame, while Recina does the same, to completely resonate her “Humph,” coming out from her mouth.

“Haaa… well, we should get going then,” Maldoran casually sighs, walking up to his own armored horse with its red and black colored plate. And with one foot sliding into the stirrup, he heaves himself onto his stallion, which causes Reconon to do the same as Recina, too, follow their movements in readying themselves to charge out the Citadel’s innermost portcullis. To gallop on the downsloping road in between the DLO headquarter and the city guard’s base of operation.

Recina has her own expensive black mare of the purest breed, being also armored in the Kingdom’s color while scarlet plumages erect from the horse’s helmet, to show off what her Mistress had purchased for her.

As everyone is on their horses, Maldoran raises his arm to sweep it forward as he shouts, “Toward the army’s training ground! Ride!”

They whip and clank their hands and feet to make the horses gallop!

Onward they go, to root out the evil in Tertinum City…

Thanks for reading!

Anyway, I think I won't stay on a fixed schedule from now on. But don't worry, I'll try to stay within a week/8-9 days.

Don't forget to voice your thoughts in the comments!

Until... Next Time...

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