An Eventful Mission

20- Injured Feelings

The night sky above was illuminated by a pale moonlight, the stars sparkling against the deep, dark shadows of the ocean.

Below, the surface of the water was calm and peaceful, the gentle sound of the waves against the side of the boat providing a soothing background noise as they slowly but surely made their way back to the kingdom.

Espresso rowed the boat calmly, his gaze fixed on the silent ocean ahead. Slowly, his thoughts turned back to the kiss he and Madeleine had shared, and the questions he wanted to ask about it.

Before he took another stroke of the oars, he gently nudged Madeleine and bluntly whispered, "Madeleine, we still haven't talked about last night."

However, Madeleine's eyes seemed to be shut and no sounds were heard from him, just the soft sounds of his breathing. Espresso sighed in exasperation and frustration.

The air became colder and colder as they neared the kingdom.
"I give up," he murmured, and continued to row in silence.

After a couple hours, Madeleine finally heard a familiar sound. It took him a moment to realize, but he soon recognized it as the sound of the village outside of the kingdom's walls.
"We're home," Espresso said quietly.

"Hm?" Madeleine stirred and opened his eyes after hearing the sound of Espresso's voice. "Oh, thank you."

Espresso nodded and gently helped Madeleine out of the boat, and they immediately got hit with the immense cold of the early winter weather.

Madeleine walked beside Espresso as they approached the Kingdom. "Are you heading home?" He asked.

Espresso nodded and gently helped Madeleine out of the boat. As they stepped onto land, they immediately felt the intense cold of winter and shivered from the sudden change in temperature.

The two of them started walking towards the kingdom together. "Are you heading home?" Madeleine asked.

Espresso didn't immediately respond to his question, but instead walked along beside him in silence for a few moments before replying.

"Yes." Espresso replied in a slightly distant tone.

"Well, may I... take you somewhere first?" Madeleine asked hesitately.

Espresso's skepticism shifted just slightly. "Where?"

Madeleine's laughter was soft and slightly nervous, "Please?" he pleaded.

Espresso rolled his eyes slightly. "Nothing ever goes well when you plan something..."

The soft snow-covered ground crunched softly under their feet, the chilly night air swirling around them as they walked. Espresso's eyes widened when he realized where they were headed. They were walking closer and closer to the forest of tall trees, so familiar and filled with the memory of the days before the expedition.

"This is where I took you to pick flowers for that weird festival or whatever Alchemist Cookie was talking about..."

Espresso's face lit up as he remembered the day they had spent together in the forest. "Yeah, I remember..." he said, remembering back to the time they'd shared before they embarked on their mission together.

As they walked deeper into the forest, the soft crunch of snow-covered leaves beneath their feet added to the atmosphere. The trees and other plants had long-since shed their red, orange, and yellow leaves, and a light coat of snow covered everything.

The moonlight washed over the forest, illuminating the area and casting a soft glow on everything around them.

As Espresso looked into Madeleine's genuine eyes, a warm atmosphere filled the air.