Chapter Text
“I have no need for hindrances such as Light Magic.”
Madeleine Cookie remembered those words as clear as day.
It had been the first time the Knight Commander of the Republic had ever been met with such cold disdain, the first time his ever-present smile and aura of confidence had ever faded away, even if just for a brief moment, that alone was enough to etch the memory itself into his head.
What a peculiar figure he was, that Coffee Mage.
As a member of House Madeleine and the valiant leader of the knights of the Republic, he was accustomed to all the fame and adoration. Every day, he felt hundreds- No, tens of thousands of eyes lay their attention onto him, the countless oohs and ahhs of starstruck admiration of the common citizens and the waves of applause from his colleagues. He deserved it, really. He was a direct descendant of the founder of House Madeleine, who was said to have a connection to the Divine themselves. The name enough made him worthy of such praise, he thought.
Ever since he was a young child, his father had always told him to be proud of his lineage. That no matter what, he was always going to be the best. Because he was Madeleine Cookie, blessed by the light of the Divine, always destined to remain at the very top.
So why didn’t he get it?
Everyone in the Republic recognized his prowess and his authority and gave him heaps and heaps of praise every day. By all means, by the eyes of the public, he was a respectable figure.
So why did he refuse to acknowledge him at all?
No matter. He thought to himself at first. You have the adoration of an entire kingdom. Why would the disdain of a single Coffee Mage ever bother you?
Except it did.
Because eventually, he realized that it didn’t matter how much praise he got from the people around him. It was never enough to satisfy him, he never felt fulfilled. But he never understood why.
Perhaps he held the answer he sought so desperately.
Which was why at the news that Espresso Cookie had moved to some faraway kingdom, the first thing he did was pack up his things and mount his faithful sugar horse to set off on a quest to reach… Wherever his destination was.
The journey was long and strenuous, taking him multiple days of traveling from land to land. But he never once faltered, he couldn’t afford to. He would not stop until he reached this kingdom.
He would not stop until he encountered Espresso Cookie again.
When he finally arrived in the Custard Kingdom, he was surprised to see how… quaint it looked.
It was nowhere near the size of the Republic, much less anywhere near as grand and prosperous. It was very pleasant and seemed to be developing, yes. But it was still rather... Lackluster, at least in the opinion of a noble knight such as himself.
He shrugged it off, A kingdom this small and humble is all the more reason to stay. He reasoned with himself. A place this low in status has no doubt never basked in the presence of someone as splendid and noble as you, perhaps your arrival would be a blessing in disguise for them.
And so, he rode his sugar horse into the Kingdom’s open gates, holding his magnificent sword with one hand and letting his striking blue cape flutter in the air. He glanced at the Cookies in the kingdom who stopped in their tracks once they caught wind of his glistening armor that left all of them in awe. He feigned another one of his confident smiles as he got off of his horse. He could already see a group of Cookies flocking near him, presumably to look at him up close.
Hmph, he smirked. Being such a grand and noble person is such an easy job sometimes.
He cleared his throat, “Greetings, citizens of this humble Custard Kingdom!” he spoke loud and clearly, his booming voice attracting more attention from others all throughout the kingdom. “I am Madeleine Cookie, descendant of the founder of House Madeleine, blessed by the light of the one and only Divine! I am pleased to meet your acquaintance and it is an honor to be able to step foot in these lands.”
A flock of cookies gathered around him, struck by his pure grace and elegance, welcoming him with open arms.
Well, of course they should. It’s not like they’d ever met someone with such a noble aura to begin with. He thought to himself.
“Thank you, thank you.” He let out a fabricated, yet melodious laugh. “May I ask for an audience with the king of this marvelous land? I am but a travelling knight from the Republic that would like to inquire about the matter of becoming a citizen of this kingdom.”
“I believe that would be me!” A small, yet firm and confident voice spoke up.
Huh?
“Erm, make way for your king, please!” The voice spoke up again. The Cookies moved aside, creating a passageway for their very own Royal Majesty.
…To Madeleine’s surprise, a young child walked toward him in the passageway. He was short, a little stout. He had bright blue eyes and golden yellow hair made out of custard, adorned with a small crown on his head. He stood there proudly with his little cape, a small royal staff in hand. He looked like one of the kids in the Republic who would dress up and play pretend.
Except…
Madeleine forced a smile on his face. “I take it that you’re the ruler of this kingdom?”
No way.
“Yep, that’s me! King Custard Cookie III, don’t you forget that name!”
You can't be serious.
“…I’m sure I won’t, Your Royal Highness.” Madeleine bowed down, his right hand on his chest, hoping that his face, which was facing downwards, was not visible to the king, or anyone, for that matter. For he found it quite difficult to mask his disappointment and disdain. He quickly shifted his expression to his usual smile once he got back up.
The child- Or, the “king”, he supposed, flashed a bright, beaming smile on his face. "If you want to become a citizen of this kingdom, it's rather simple! All you have to do is earn my approval, then find a place to live! Which is easy-peasy! There's a bunch of Cookie Houses up for sale, if you want to settle down in a specific spot, we will gladly ask for help from the Sugar Gnomes to help build a new one just for you. Their work and their ethic is quite impressive!"
The Knight took a quick look at the Cookie Houses in the kingdom. These aren't impressive at all. He thought. Even the houses built for the commoners in the Republic were much more spacious and furnished.
Still, he decided it'd have to do for now, he could probably request for a renovation some other time.
"Splendid!" Madeleine feigned excitement, "Settling down in one of these fine establishments should suffice. But I must ask, what is it that I must do to earn your approval, Your Majesty?"
Custard Cookie III pondered silently for a brief moment, "Uh... You have to... Be nice and not look shady!" he declared.
Madeleine Cookie laughed, whether it was out of confidence or laughing over the pure ridiculousness of this whole situation, he did not know. Thankfully, no one thought much of it. "Well then, do I pass these two requirements?"
The little king nodded firmly, "Why, yes you do!" He raised his staff. "And so, I declare you, Madeleine Cookie of House Madeleine, an official citizen of the Custard Kingdom! Everyone, please give him a big and warm welcome!"
As the Cookies were celebrating his welcome, he caught with the corner of his eye a certain dark mage stepping out of his laboratory. Only to turn away and retreat inside the moment they exchanged even a quick glance.
Nevertheless, he would not- No, he could not give up.
Later that evening, he found himself knocking on the mage’s door.
Espresso opened the door, his brows furrowing the moment he saw Madeleine.
“State your business or leave.” He told the knight coldly.
“Ah, Espresso! How nice to see you in this kingdom, I did not expect that we would cross paths again here.” Madeleine chuckled, hoping to ease them both up before initiating an actual conversation.
The mage scoffed, “Please, spare me the pleasantries.” He adjusted his glasses ever so slightly. “State your business with me or leave. Now.”
“Ah, straight to the chase, I see, I like that.” Madeleine forced a smile.
Ugh, cold people like him are a pain to deal with.
“Then I shall state my business right now, as it saves us both time.” the Knight declared.
Espresso looked at him with the exact same expression of disdain he wore when they first met.
“Tell me, Espresso, why do you hold so much ill will towards me? I doubt it’s simply because of my connection to the Divine and my use of Light Magic.”
To his surprise, the mage simply rolled his eyes. “Is that all you came here to discuss? If so, I suggest you leave now, I have better things to attend to on my schedule.”
“Wait, please, just give me an answer! That is all I ask for, please. I have spoken with several high-ranking Light Mages in the Republic, but none of them have ever mentioned you treating them harshly.”
Espresso let out a deep sigh, “No, it isn’t because of Light Magic. Simply put, Madeleine, I see through you. That is all.”
“But what could that possibly-“
Before he could speak any further, the Coffee Mage slammed the door shut.
It seemed that confronting him about the matter upfront would prove to be quite difficult, much more than he expected.
It can’t be helped right now. He told himself. Perhaps one day, they would be able to discuss the matter in full.
Little did they both know, that day would be one of the most unexpected in their lives...