Madeleine groaned as his consciousness slowly returned to him, mind fogged. He could just barely make out the ropes around his wrists, let alone the room around him. He was tied to a wooden chair, the silhouettes of four cookies standing in front of him just barely registering in his mind.
"What... Where am I?" he asked softly, squinting as he allowed his vision to adjust. One of the cookies before him spoke up, "Well, you're in the throne room, duh." Madeleine grimaced. He could easily recognize that voice as the one that belonged to the cookie who gave him dinner each night. The insufferable one, Licorice Cookie. The knight tried to move his arms, but they were kept tightly bound and he was left immobile, the throbbing sensation of pain on his forehead just beginning to make itself apparent.
"You had quite the fall when you passed out. Left an ugly cut on your forehead. It really takes away from what little beauty you already had to begin with," Red Velvet said with a hint of distaste to his voice, flicking the wrist of his monstrous arm. Madeleine frowned, opening his mouth so he could speak, but he was stopped by a hand placing itself over it, forcing him silent. Only a muffled insult could be heard from the knight.
"Watch your tongue," Pomegranate Cookie crooned from next to Poison Mushroom, lightly fanning herself. "If you don't, your death might just be a little more painful than it has to be." Madeleine's eyes shot wide. He couldn't help but begin to struggle in the hold of the cookie behind him. "I want to see this," a feminine voice filled with authority echoed from further back in the room, where the throne was. The four cookies stepped aside to reveal a slim cookie sat on the throne, two horns curving above her head; Madeleine recognized her immediately. Dark Enchantress Cookie.
She grinned. "Show us you're worth our time, Espresso! We'll forever be indebted to you if you do." Madeleine's breath caught in his throat, his eyes raising so he could finally take a glimpse of the cookie keeping him quiet. Oh, the Divine... Espresso showed no hint of emotion in his gaze. He raised a knife to Madeleine's throat, the blade of it just barely pressing into his skin.
The cookie of light trembled, forcing his head back as far as possible from the knife. He wouldn't do this. Espresso can be grumpy and mean, but he wouldn't do this. He looked up at the coffee cookie again, his eyes pleading. They were glossed over with tears, yet, even then, Espresso didn't even twitch. "Go on, Espresso. We're all dying to see this. You've proven yourself quite loyal these past few days." The coffee mage narrowed his eyes at what the Enchantress said.
He pulled Madeleine's head back, exposing more of his throat so they could all see the jamblood that would spill from his veins when he ended him. That was when their eyes made contact. Madeleine was crying. Espresso raised a brow at this foolish cookie. "Hold your breath," he whispered to the knight.
Without another word being spoken, Espresso swiftly moved his hand away from Madeleine's lips and reached inside his cloak, pulling out a green muzzled gun. A smirk broke out on his face when all the cookies in the room jumped in shock, and he pulled the trigger, a bullet firing from it and impacting against the floor, a heavy cloud of gas filling the room.
Espresso didn't waste a moment to cut Madeleine loose, his hand entangling with that of the cookie of light's. The coffee cookie hauled him out of the room at full speed, keeping his lungs filled with the air he had taken in before gassing the chamber so he wouldn't pass out on the way. They ran past underpaid sleeping guards and down the winding hall's of the palace they were in until they broke out into the night, Espresso's quick strides never breaking until they were deep within the woods.
Once Espresso was sure they were safe, he released Madeleine's hand and plopped himself onto a nearby log. Madeleine was panting, hands on his knees and sweat rolling down his face. He looked at Espresso, who was looking tuckered out, as if he hadn't managed a wink of sleep since the both of them had arrived at that wretched place. "You didn't leave me behind..."
"Of course I didn't, you gullible fucking knight!" Espresso snapped, pushing his glasses up his nose and throwing his hands up in emphasis.
"Do you know how shitty my already not-so-great reputation would be in the kingdom if I had murdered you and taken their side?" Espresso raised the knife and threw it at the tree behind Madeleine, just barely missing his head. The knight froze at that action, his jaw clenching. "I didn't know you used knives-"
"I needed some way to defend myself before I could properly control my abilities. Knives were just the easiest things I could get my hands on at home," Espresso said blankly. He removed his cloak and set it on the log beside him, feeling much too hot in the outfit they had provided for him.
"Those idiots don't seem to understand that just because I'm a hot-beverage cookie doesn't mean I like dressing as if I'm going to be walking through the icy plateau of Antarctica. Christ, this thing is unbearable," he growled, pulling at the white collar of his shirt. Madeleine inhaled deeply, turning his full attention to the shorter cookie. "Espresso... I... Thank you. For helping me, I mean," he said softly and averted his eyes, the coffee mage's lips drawing back in mild disgust.
"Yeah, well, you're pretty fucking useless without me. You would be bleeding out in the throne room if I hadn't thought of a plan." Espresso crossed his arms and glared at the knight of the republic. "Honestly, I was kind of tempted to plant that knife in your throat. You annoy me beyond belief." Madeleine stepped back from Espresso with a look of shock and worry etched to his face, the coffee mage simply raising one of his hands.
"But," he said in a low voice, "the kingdom wouldn't be the same without you. I hate to admit it, but my life would be boring if you weren't around." He stood from the log, brushing bits of moss from his pants. "That doesn't mean I want to talk to you. We still have days to go in these woods. From what Pomegranate told me, they twist and turn as they please, and you have to be quite used to them in order to navigate without issue." Madeleine sighed and leaned back against a tree, his head drooping.
"We should probably start moving then, no?" the knight stated and raised a brow. Espresso shook his head. "You're tired. Get your rest. I'll keep watch."
"But you must be tired too."
"I'll be fine."
"You should be the one sleeping first, we'll take turns!"
"I said I'll be fine," Espresso insisted and sat down next to where Madeleine had settled, shooting the cookie a glare that could kill a Red Velvet dragon. "Just get your own sleep. I'll sleep when we get home." Madeleine sighed, understanding that there was going to be no winning this argument, and simply deciding to give in to the cookie's orders.
"Alright, Ess. But if you're feeling too tired, just wake me," Madeleine explained as he began to remove his armor and set it aside for the evening. Espresso didn't respond. He just turned his gaze off in the opposite direction, leaving Madeleine slightly wounded. But he thought best to ignore it.
"Goodnight, darling."
Espresso didn't respond.
