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Within the dulcet halls of Madolche Chateau, Puddingcess, the eldest Madolche princess, was meticulously doing her hair. On this occasion, she had to look even more presentable. That meant, a freshly baked dress and a recreation of her usual hairdo. Every so often, the dessert heir glanced in the direction of her little sister, Petingcesseour. To the elder sister’s relief, Petingcesseour was sound asleep. The decorated princess loved her sister, but today, she did not want to deal with the little one’s seemingly endless reserves of energy. The elder pudding planned to spend the day with Chouxvailer, and she sure as heck wasn’t gonna pass that up for some playtime with her sister. Puddingcess ever-so-slowly nudged a door open and sneaked onto the balcony it connected to. In the corner, there was a small garden, and there Puddingcess would find the last part to complete her outfit. A bright red cherry was plucked and planted firmly into her hair. Puddingcess slowly creeped back into her room and looked at her mirror. Raise the cherry just a little, brush the hair a little behind the ears, apply some blush there aaaand perfect! The royal checked Petingcesseour’s bed once more. This time it was, vacant?
“Why that little rascal…”
*SLAM*
Puddingcess scanned the hallway, spotting her sister skipping towards their mom’s chambers.
“Get back here!”
Petingcesseour gave her older sibling an amused look and giggled. “Catch me if you can!” The little pudding mockingly patted her rump and scampered off. The elder princess took chase, rushing forwards as she tried to hold her hair in place. Puddingcess kept her head at an angle to keep her cherry attached. Muffled complaints were uttered as the princess struggled to keep pace with her sibling. Distance between the two grew shorter, shorter, shorter.
Puddingcess stretched out her hand. If she could just grasp her sister, she could put an end to this game, and with any luck, be free to rendezvous with Chouxvailer. All she needed was to grasp her shoulder and say something like “You’re it!” for good measure. Suddenly, Petingcesseour jumped towards the side. Puddingcess was too caught up in her task that she-
*THUD*
-collided with a door.
Petingcesseour’s chuckles were drowned out by concerned inquiries. “What’s going on out there? Am I needed so soon?” The voice came from within the room, with an unmistakable owner. It was Tiaramisu, the Madolches’ very own matriarch.
A glare was shot at the little heir before Puddingcess opened the door. “N-No Mom! Everything’s fine, Sis and I were just playing.” Puddingcess turned to her sister and forced a smile. “Isn’t that right?”
The younger pudding continued laughing, oblivious to the venom in her sister’s words. “Mhm. We were running down the halls like brrroooommmm! Then Big Sis went smoosh on the door.”
Color drained from the queen’s face. “Oh. That’s- are you alright?”
Puddingcess was reapplying makeup to her face, trying to fix any blemishes. She spared enough attention for an “I’m fine.”, before resuming her handiwork.
Tiaramisu sighed. “This is why Marmalmaide stresses the importance of caution when romping about.” The matriarch sat down on a nearby chair, beckoning her children to enter. Petingcesseour tugged the rim of Puddingcess’ dress before dashing into the room. The small girl firmly seated herself on her mother’s lap.
“Hee hee. Morning Mommy!” Petingcesseour pressed herself into her mom’s form, giving a big hug. Tiaramisu answered in kind by gently stroking her daughter’s hair.
“Good morning, Peting.”
Feeling satisfied with how much of her cosmetics she salvaged, Puddingcess accepted her mother’s invitation. “Good morning, Mom.”
“And a good morning to you as well.” The elder heir embraced Tiaramisu. Soon afterwards, Puddingcess broke away, only to be stuck in her mother’s vice-like grip. “How peculiar. You just spent an eternity and a half enhancing your beauty, yet can only spare a few moments on a hug? Is something the matter?”
“I-It’s just, I spent a lot of time working on my appearance today. I woke up extra early, baked a new hairdo, and grew the cherry on top! My dress, I… had a bit of help sewing. To have all that ruined in an instant, is unacceptable!”
“And it shows. Is there some sort of occasion you want to attend? A cute boy you wish to impress perhaps?”
The elder princess’ face was colored crimson. Petingcesseour’s gaze was focused on her sister, fascinated by the steaming delicacy before her. “MOM! Y-YOU CAN’T JUST SAY THINGS LIKE THAT!” Puddingcess obscured her face with her hands and turned away. “I-I wanna look good okay.”
Tiaramisu released her first child. “Fu fu fu, I’ll ease off.” The youngest noble tugged at Tiaramisu’s dress. Upon getting the matriarch’s attention, Petingcesseour started pointing at the crystals floating near Tiaramisu’s head. “You interested in these jewels?” A confirmation was given in the form of several nods. “These are psionic gems, specifically attuned to help me retain my mental facilities.”
The toddler grimaced. “Sigh-on-ic? Mental fa-sil-uh-tee?”
“Mom doesn’t want to have her mind controlled by another.”
“Huh? Mommy’s mind is in her own head. How would somebody control it?”
Puddingcess grimaced as memories crawled to the forefront of her mind. “Psychics can do some scary things with minds. Hopefully, you don’t end up on the receiving end of them.”
Tiaramisu interjected with a firm cough. “Yes, having your mind wrestled away from you is a scary prospect. I lack first-hand experience, but from what I hear about the incident at Leputa, mind control is a danger I should be aware of. The Madolche and Psychics have maintained an alliance going 7 years strong, and no mental attacks have gone my way yet. However, that does not mean I should let my guard down. Neither of you are ready to assume control of the throne in case I become… unavailable.”
Puddingcess balled her fists as she gave her mom a determined look. “That’s no issue! Miss Glassoufle has been commending my progress in my studies. Even the lessons from that book Marmalmaide carries around give me little pause. My classes will be done before you know it! And then, bam- Madolche Queen Puddingcess!”
“Do you desire my disposal so eagerly?”
“Wh- No, I didn’t mean it like that!” Worry dominated the pudding’s face. “I just meant that you could take it easy on your responsibilities.” Puddingcess looked away, as her earlier confidence faded. “Besides, you’re still leagues ahead of me with politics and having the trust of the other Madolches.”
“Worry not. Those deficiencies will be patched up with time and experience. Then, the time will come when I can step down and crown you as my successor.”
“Thanks Mom.”
“You’re welcome.”
*knock* *knock* *knock*
“Ah, it seems my escort is here.” Tiaramisu stood up as her youngest daughter leaped onto the floor. “Run along you two, I have a busy day full of meetings ahead of me.”
Puddingcess nudged her sister and wordlessly dragged her out of the room. As the royals moved down the hallway, Petingcesseour skipped around.
“What game are we gonna play next huh? Tag? Hide and Seek? Pattycake? Magical Chairs?” Myriad suggestions spewed from the girl’s mouth. All of them were rebuffed without even a word to acknowledge them. Puddingcess was occupied brushing her hair, meticulously removing any errors in her hairdo. “Come on, come on, come on! I wanna play! I wanna play!”
“We have toys in our room, you can play with those.”
“It ain’t the same! I wanna play with you! You have twisty bits of hair in front, I wanna pull them!”
“Absolutely not!” Petingcesseour began to tear up at her sibling’s harsh words. With a groan, Puddingcess continued. “Let’s just get to the front door, I’m sure I can think of something once we make it there.”
“Race ya! Last one there is a rotten… gumdrop!” With that the younger princess was off. Puddingcess grumbled to herself as she ran after the younger pudding.
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When Puddingcess finally made her way to the foyer, she spotted her sister hiding behind a pillar. The princess walked over and asked, “Why are you over here? You’re not thinking about becoming a rotten gumdrop are you?”
Petingcesseour shook her head. “A weird girl is at the front. Mommy told me not to talk to strangers.”
“Good girl. Let’s to see who this stranger is.” The elder sibling squinted her eyes for a better look. Between the goofy smile and muffin dress, it was clearly Maffin. “False alarm, sis. The girl is alright… if a bit accident-prone. Come on, I’ll introduce you to her.” Once Petingcesseour crept behind her sister, Puddingcess approached the Madolche Hero.
Maffin noticed the two princesses and her face filled with energy. She waved rapidly as she walked towards them. “Hey Puddingcessu! You’re looking cuter than usual!”
“Thanks. I wanted to accessorize a bit and try on an updated look.”
“It suits you well!” The light maiden scratched her chin. “Hmmm, maybe I could do with some additions to my wardrobe.”
“If you want a change, go for it. Variety is the spice of life after all.”
“I’m not a spice though.”
“It was a figure of speech!”
“…Oh.”
“Anywho, what brings you here? You don’t have a sleeping bag and Mom’s gonna be busy with meetings today.”
“The latter. I wasn’t formally invited, but I thought, being the Madolche Hero and all, I could at least have some involvement in foreign affairs y’know?”
“Hold on, you’re that Madolche Hero that Mommy and Big Sis have talked about?” Maffin blinked twice at Petingcesseour’s outburst. The fledging hero crouched down to be eye level with the little pudding. In return, the small girl clung Puddingcess’ leg and retreated further behind her.
“You’re a new face. What’s your name?” Puddingcess gave the young heir an encouraging nod. Soon the elder pudding’s leg was granted a reprieve as the toddler walked towards the muffin.
“My name is Petingcesseour.”
“Nice to meet you Seour-chan! I hope we become great friends!”
“S-Seour-chan?”
“Yup. I decided to shorten your name to Seour and add ‘-chan’ for extra cuteness, to match your small, adorable frame. Do you like it?”
“Seour-chan! Seour-chan! Seour-chan!”
“Seems to me that you’re a fan of the name.”
“Mmhmm! I like you, miss…”
“Maffin.”
“Moofin!”
“Ma-ffin.”
“Moo-fin?”
“Eh, close enough.” Amidst the pudding’s giggles, Maffin conjured her trusty broomstick. Petingcesseour reflexively backed away.
“Brooms are bad! I don’t wanna do chores, I wanna play!”
“This broom is a fun one, trust me.” The hero mounted the broom and flew around the room. The young heir’s eyes were glued to the high-flying hero. Loop-de-loops, aileron rolls and other midair maneuvers had the tyke’s pupils bounce in every direction. Puddingcess was admiring the sight herself, but then realized that she had an opportunity. With Petingcesseour’s attention firmly on Maffin, the elder pudding slinked away.
After a brief demonstration, the maiden stopped next to her adoring spectator and extended a hand. “Seems fun right? Do you want a ride?” In lieu of an answer, the little girl accepted the invitation and got aboard. The young heir then climbed Maffin’s hair and pointed forwards.
“Onwards!”
“Aye, aye captain!” The duo flew off, with only their hedonism to guide them now.
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Puddingcess leaned into her beloved’s side, basking in his comfort as she gazed at the boundless donut plains. As the princess brushed against Chouxvailer, the knight blushed and bashfully looked away. Beads of sweat strolled down the knight’s face as he sat stammering. The decorated royal paid this no mind as she sidled closer to her heart’s desire.
“Mmgh!!”
“Hm? Something wrong, Chouvy?”
In an extreme feat of willpower, Chouxvailer spoke. “T-Too close!” Puddingcess chuckled at her partner’s plight, yet she loosened up her contact. Laying a hand on his chest, Chouxvailer’s breaths grew steadier. “Apologies. I’m not big on the whole physical contact thing.”
“Clearly. Even though we’re dating, you’re a total wallflower!” The princess lazily jabbed the knight’s shoulder. “Between that horse ride we shared and our impromptu waltz sessions, I thought you would be used to this stuff by now.”
Chouxvailer adjusted his hat, blocking his eyes from view. “One would think so. However, when we’re close like this, I freeze up. My heart tightens like a knot and my legs turn to jelly. To be all mushy, to be vulnerable, is something I’m not used to. It completely goes against all the training I received as a chevalier.” Puddingcess rested her head on the boy’s shoulder. “Y-You-”
“Ssshhh.” A tender finger held to the lips silenced the mutterings. “I have a confession to make as well.” The heir looked at Chouxvailer, waiting for some sort of exclamation, objection, or more likely, incoherent muttering. The knight’s discipline conquered any sort of embarrassment at the situation. Content with the silence, Puddingcess began to speak. “Just being here, basking in each other’s comfort, taking in the serene atmosphere is nice. Though, in order to be here with you today, I basically dumped my sister onto Lady Maffin at the soonest opportunity.”
“L-Lady Maffin?”
“Yeah. Apparently, she wanted to be more involved with Madolche political affairs. I’m a little jealous at the enthusiasm she can muster for such things. But I digress. The point is th-”
“Your heart has conflicting loyalties, and you’re uncomfortable with choosing one over the other.”
“That’s a really good guess. You sure you aren’t part-Psychic?”
“I assure you that I’m all pastry. The dilemma you refer to is one I’m very acquainted with. When I decided to become a chevalier, that oath entailed devoting myself to the Madolches first and foremost. To be like some valiant protector of the commonfolk. Then there’s the nobles, like Her Delectableness herself, that are the face of the Madolches. Well, I suppose Lady Maffin would technically be a part of that group, but she’s capable enough to handle herself. Finally, there’s you, the one I have particular… affection for.” Chouxvailer dragged his hat further downward, hoping to retreat into it like a turtle would with its shell.
“I see. I’ve a question for you then.”
“Go ahead.”
“Of all the parties you mentioned, in the event of a disaster, Haagen-dazs forbid, and you could only save one, who would it be?” Chouxvailer didn’t respond. A shake of Chouxvailer’s head and a stream of tears rolling down his face were his acknowledgments to the inquiry. Upon seeing her beloved in his current state, Puddingcess broke off contact. “S-Sorry.”
The two desserts sat there, stewing in their own thoughts. Puddingcess gave a few passing glances at Chouxvailer. The oathsworn knight kept his eyes firmly on the horizon. Minutes, seconds, hours, the passage of time eroded away in the wake of stillness.
Chouxvailer broke through the silence first by releasing a breath. Rubbing some partly dried tears some his face, he stood up. An all too familiar shade of red enveloped his face as his eyes darted between Puddingcess and the grainy grass. “C-Chouvy?”
“The sun is still shining, and we’re all alone.” The chevalier gulped as he followed up. “Hey, P-Puddin?”
The heir stifled a chuckle. “Puddin? Are you trying to give me a pet name?”
Chouxvailer nodded. “I-if you don’t like it, I ca-” The knight looked at his partner, awaiting her reply. In lieu of words, the princess rolled her hand and gave affirmative nods. With the urging, the knight began again, this time speaking above a whisper. “I would appreciate it if you could help… shake the jelly out of my legs.” Puddingcess smirked as she rose to meet her partner.
“The situation could be better. Preferably, we’d be in the castle, with some music playing in the background, but I’ll see what I can do. Take my hands.” The knight complied, finding himself unable to meet the eyes of his cherished one. “Come on Chovy. If you want this to work, keep your eyes on me. I wore this dress for a reason you know.”
“And it is q-quite fetching, just that I’ve got two left feet, so I’d be holding you back.”
“Shut up and dance with me!” Chouxvailer stopped talking as he was flung around, trying to keep pace with Puddingcess’ rhythm. The couple danced about to the tune of their own jubilant feelings, with the endless plains as their ballroom.
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Hours later, in the middle of night, the couple arrived at Madolche Chateau’s front doors. The guards currently stationed there bow respectfully before resuming their position at attention. The knight and princess nodded and curtsied in return.
“Listen up! I can’t really ask you to leave, but could you two please turn around and pretend you don’t hear anything?” It was worded like a request, but it was clearly an order. The two guards shared a glance, before the senior shrugged. The front door was bound to be more important than whatever their princess was about to do.
“Thanks for the date Chouvy. I had a great time today.” Puddingcess gave her love a peck on the cheek. Chouxvailer stood there, red-faced and completely stunned. The pudding giggled, before entering home. When the door closed behind her, the two guards turned around. Confused stares were directed at the dazed knight, but the guards took no further action.
“Yeah, uh, you too.”
Puddingcess swooned as she made her way through the foyer. If only she could spend the rest of her days with her precious Chouvy, that would be the best! Sing-song humming echoed throughout the halls. A bunch of romantic scenarios flooded Puddingcess’ mind. They only serve to expedite her trek back to her room.
*pomf*
“Oooh, what now?” The furious maid turned, and her countenance softened a bit. A brief once over revealed that Marmalmaide’s hair had seen better days. Her outfit was in a state of disrepair and one could notice the imprint of a hand on her face. Before Puddingcess could voice an inquiry, the maid cut her off with her own. “Your Sweetness? What are you doing here?”
The royal hesitated. If she blabbed about her time with Chouxvailer, it would start a whole mess of gossip. Better to leave that out for a more fragmented recount of today’s events. “I… wanted some fresh air and decided to take a stroll. You ever visit the donut plains? They’re nice, blonde and so easy to get lost in.”
Marmalmaide raised an eyebrow. “Easy to get lost in?”
“Ahem. Yes. I had loads of fun frolicking through them. It was nice and relaxing; you need to try it out for yourself some time. I could take you there one of these days, a girls’ day out. For now, I want nothing more than a rejuvenating rest on my favorite bed.”
“Hrmmm, well alright then.” Marmalmaide jabbed a thumb to the side. “Go through there and take the nearest stairs. I’ve still got duties to attend to here.” Puddingcess gave the servant a look of skepticism but realized that further questions weren’t going her way. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, the noble rushed to the indicated hallway and continued her way to her room. With Puddingcess gone, the maid’s anger resurfaced as her attention refocused on the two who caused it.
“Oi! I won’t have you two troublemakers slacking! None of us are gonna get a wink of shut-eye if you keep cleaning at your pace!”
The elder troublemaker whined first. “We’ve been wiping pots, pans, tiles and a buncha other things for hours now. We’re sorry okay! Have some mercy!”
“Once you’ve scrubbed all the toilets in the castle, then we can talk about mercy! Now keep at it, I wanna be able to eat off this floor!”
“Yes ma’am.” Petingcesseour and Maffin redoubled their efforts hoping that the next stain they evaporated would grant them the freedom they desired.