An Eventful Mission

21- Denial

The knight wept, his heart aching with each sob. His back was against a tree, and his tear-filled eyes blurred his vision as he stared into the snowy scenery in front of him. Though on patrol, there he was, sobbing somewhere outside the walls of the kingdom.

It felt like his beautiful world was crumbling down around him. 'Knights don't cry,' one of his aunts used to say to him when he was younger, so it was certainly a rare sight, seeing the strong Knight Commander reduced to sobs.

"Madeleine Cookie?"

The unexpected voice startled Madeleine, making him turn his head immediately. He saw the face of the voice's owner, and reached for his sword.

"Stop, I don't want to fight you." Red Velvet assured him.

Madeleine slowly sheathed his sword, and watched him cautiously as he approached. Red Velvet stepped closer and took in his weak and tearful expression. "Wait...are you crying?"

"What do you think?" Madeleine scornfully responded to his question along with an eye roll, turning his gaze back to the outside view. He then felt a presence right beside him.

Red Velvet gently sat beside the emotional knight, looking over with sympathy for his past opponent. "So..."

"I'm not going to talk to you about it, I don't even know why you're here." Madeleine scoffed, trying to act tough and fighting back his tears.

Red Velvet gave a comforting side hug, trying to show empathy.
"You know," he said with a laugh, "You still haven't apologized for mutilating my cake hound."

"I'm sorry." Madeleine replied instantly. "I'm so-" He let out a choked sob, continuing his cry from earlier, "-I'm so sorry."

"Wait! no, no- shh- hey, it's okay! Stop crying." He panicked as he frantically tried to calm down the crying Madeleine.

"I-" Madeleine whimpered. "I can't..."

Red Velvet's expression saddened at the sight of the distressed knight beside him.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Madeleine sighed deeply as he remembered every harsh word he and Espresso exchanged. "A lot."

"So?"

Madeleine thought for a moment about the argument that left his mind and heart in turmoil. "Big argument with a loved one."

"Talk to me." Red Velvet said, concern in his words.

Madeleine flushed slightly in embarrassment and averted his gaze, looking away with a guilty look. "Um... It's complicated." He mumbled.
"...Espresso?"

Red Velvet's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Oh... Anyways, I forgive you for the cake hound thing. I understand that it was an accident and that I shouldn't have been so hung up on it."

Madeleine smiled at his friendliness. "More than just hung up on it, you tried to kill me." He laughed. His earlier crying session not evident on his face anymore. "So does that mean we're good now?"

Red Velvet helped Madeleine off the ground "Of course."

Red Velvet grinned and chuckled lightly. "Want to spar? It'll surely take your mind off things."