In the kingdom of awakeneds, inside the grand and majestic royal palace, the Queen Maddie Madone was sleeping in her master bedroom. The room was huge, with a high ceiling painted with gold and intricate designs. The bed was big enough for three people, covered in soft, silky sheets and fluffy pillows.
Despite the stuffy, soft, and overly comfortable bed, she was not having a bit of a comfortable time. Her eyes were closed, but her pupils were dinging and her toes were curling up and down. Her body was tense, and a small frown was on her face.
There was no doubt that she was having a nightmare.
"My lady... my lady, wake up," Scarlet lightly shakes Maddie to wake her up. Her touch was gentle, but firm enough to pull Maddie from the depths of her dreams.
And it worked. Her eyes flutter open, and she sat up immediately, her heart pounding in her chest. Her breathing was slightly heavy, and she looked around the room, her eyes wide with a residual fear. She looked at Scarlet's face and immediately felt at ease.
"Were you having a nightmare? I told you it was a wrong idea to come here and sleep on top of that," Scarlet said in a bit frustrated tone, her eyebrows furrowed with worry.
To be honest, neither Maddie nor Scarlet really liked to live in the royal palace. It wasn't just because they were worried about assassination and other nobles being not trustworthy enough.
It was also because this palace brings back their old memories to the surface, memories that were good being buried deep in their hearts instead.
That's why they mostly liked to spend her time at her another home in a certain building, which was quite modern and simple.
That room was also where the penetrator met her as well.
But the reason she was currently present in the royal palace was also Esdeath and Maruti.
Esdeath had already informed her about her arrival, and this was not like an informal meeting with the penetrator. She had to welcome her officially by being present at the royal palace, as the queen of the kingdom of awakeneds.
She looks at Scarlet's worried expression, and she chuckled lightly, trying to act tough. "I was just trying to see if I had left everything in the past or if I'm still the same scaredy cat," she replies, her voice a little shaky.
"You'll gain nothing by doing this," Scarlet says, her tone slipping out a little high-pitched, like a parent confronting their child who did something stupid.
At the same time, she reaches over her, putting her right hand just above her head, on head board of the bed, looking dead in Maddie's eyes. Her face was close, so close that Maddie could see the different shades of purple in her eyes.
"You won't do that again, you understand me?" she says, her voice low and serious, a clear warning in her tone.
Maddie instinctively shifts back a little, her back pressing against the headboard of the bed. She was about to answer 'Okay' but before that, the realization of how romantic the current situation was hit her madly.
"Wait a minute... is she kabedoning me?" Her face flushes red immediately.
"I'm actually being kabedone by her," She just wanted to scream out in joy. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it would jump out of her chest.
"Dominate me, mommy!" The words slip out of her tongue, which she just couldn't control and it just came out in the most awkward way possible.
"What?" Scarlet weirds out by what Maddie just said, her serious expression breaking into one of pure confusion.
"Cough... cough... I mean yes, it won't happen again," she says, immediately changing the subject, her face burning with embarrassment. "Why did you came here?" she asks, trying to sound casual.
The moment she says this, Scarlet's eyes widen, and she slaps her forehead. "Ohh shit, I forgot! Esdeath and Maruti have arrived as per the schedule. We need to go and welcome them," she says, her voice filled with panic.
"Ohh, I forgot as well. Let's go then," Maddie immediately jumps out of the bed, her embarrassment forgotten, replaced by a sense of duty.
She was having a short afternoon nap, thus she was already ready. There was no need to change clothes. She was wearing a simple but elegant dress, suitable for a queen.
Meanwhile, at the front gate of the royal palace, the guards stood tall and still, their polished armor gleaming in the afternoon sun.
As Esdeath's carriage approached, they moved with practiced precision, pulling open the heavy, ornate gates. The carriage, moved inside lightly, its wheels making almost no sound on the smooth stone path before stopping in front of the grand staircase.
And then, Esdeath and Maruti came out of the carriage from opposite sides.
The afternoon sunlight hit them, warm and bright. Esdeath put her hand on her forehead to block the sun, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked up at the top of the stairs.
Maddie and Victoria Von Scarlet were already present, standing side by side. They looked regal and powerful. Behind them, a line of maids stood, their dresses simple but elegant, their faces serene.
"Welcome Arch Duchess Esdeath and Princess Maruti," Scarlet says loudly, her voice clear and strong. She bowed her head a little in respect, a gesture that was both formal and sincere.
At the same time, one of the maids came forward, her movements quick and silent. She unrolled a long, red carpet, letting it slide down the stairs with a soft whoosh, creating a path for the honored guests.
And then, all the maids lined up on the stairs, bowing down at a perfect 45° angle to show their respect. It was a beautiful, synchronized display of deference.
Esdeath and Maruti smiled faintly and walked upstairs lightly, their steps measured and calm. Maruti looked at all the maids, bowing so intensely, their hands held tight behind their backs.
"Feels kinda similar to Japanese culture," she says to herself, a small smile on her face, but she didn't think too much about it, her mind already on the meeting.
"Nice welcome," Esdeath says calmly, her voice even. "I thought it would be much more grand and loud." It was hard to determine if she was praising or criticizing. Her face was a mask of polite indifference.
"We got to know that you are not fond of such things," Maddie replied softly, her voice warm and friendly. "Thus, we tried to make your welcome as classic as possible."
Esdeath didn't continue the conversation. She just nodded slightly. "Let's go inside," she says.
Maddie nods, and they all turn around, walking lightly inside the palace. The doors opened into a huge hallway, with marble floors and walls covered in tapestries and paintings.
Maruti feels a little confused because she thought it would be much more modern and filled with techs, since they had a partnership with the dwarf kingdom about their tech sharing. She expected to see glowing screens and strange machines, not old-fashioned art and architecture.
But then, she actually ended up finding something up in the corner of the walls. It was a small, dark, round object, pointed towards the hallway.
"Are they C.C.T.V.s?" she asks, pointing at the device with her finger.
"Ohh, you know about them?" Maddie replies in a little surprise, her eyes widening slightly. "Yes, they are quite trustable. Since unlike photo-audio magic, they can't be tampered with magic that easily," she explains, a proud smile on her face.
"What else things you got here?" Maruti asks back, her curiosity piqued.
"Many things," Maddie replies willingly, like a rich kid showing off its collection. "Like new-gen cars, bikes, cameras, mics, guns, and my favorite, television," she says, her eyes shining with excitement.
Hearing her answer, Maruti immediately gets excited. "What about P.C., smartphone, or console?" she asks in great hope, leaning forward a little.
"Console? What's that?" Maddie replies in confusion. "I do know about radio phone, though." She looked genuinely puzzled, trying to understand the strange words Maruti was using.
"No, not radio phone," Maruti sighs in disappointment. She had finally hoped that she could use the internet and play games, but it only turned out to be a false hope. The world was still not as advanced as she wished.
"Quite whining, we are here for a much more important thing," Esdeath interrupts, her voice sharp and cold, pulling Maruti back to reality.
"Yes," Maruti mumbles, looking down at her feet.
"So, you wanna talk right now or after the lunch?" Maddie asks with a warm, inviting smile, trying to ease the tension.
"After lun—" Maruti was about to answer, but Esdeath immediately cuts her off.
"Right now," she says firmly, her eyes locking with Maddie's, making it clear that this was not a request.
"Well then, it's not a good place to talk," Maddie replies with a light chuckle, although her words contained quite a hidden meaning behind them. "Let's go to the library instead. The walls there don't have ears."
Maddie walks at the front, her steps light and confident on the polished marble floor. Scarlet, Esdeath, and Maruti follows her from behind, their footsteps almost silent in comparison.
They walk through right and left in the hallway, passing portraits of old kings and queens, their eyes seeming to follow them as they moved. The air was cool and smelled of old wood and polish. Finally, they reached a tall, wooden door with intricate carvings of trees and animals. This was the door to the library.
They enter inside, and the smell immediately changes to the comforting scent of old paper and leather.
They are immediately greeted by big bookshelves, towering up to the ceiling, containing hundreds of books. There were books about history, magic spells, refinement techniques, essence stones, philosophy, fighting styles, and many more.
As they walked further inside, Maruti's eyes slightly widen as she saw a familiar figure sitting quietly at a large wooden table, reading a book.
"Penetrator?" she says, a bit confused, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet room.
Although Esdeath had her serene expression, she was already expecting him here.
Penetrator puts the book down on the table with a soft thud and raises his head to look at them. His helmet turns towards them, the visor hiding his face.
"You, Maruti... Esdeath?" there were some cracks between his voice, but it didn't feel as mechanical as before. It was smoother, more human.
Maruti immediately walks up to him and pats strongly on his armored back, the sound echoing in the room. "What's up, my guy? Your voice feels much smoother now," she says, her voice sounding genuinely happy and cheerful.
"Are you coming to hell as well?" she asks, her curiosity getting the better of her.
But Penetrator shakes his head, the movement slow and deliberate. "No, I'm reading history books to reclaim my memories," he explains, his voice low and thoughtful.
"Ohh, any progress?" Maruti asks, leaning in a little, her eyes full of interest.
He shakes his head once again. "No, but I feel like I'm getting closer," he answered, a hint of frustration in his smooth voice.
At the same time, Scarlet arranged the seats around the table, her movements efficient and silent.
Esdeath and Maddie sat down, while Scarlet stood there on guard, her eyes scanning the room, her body tense and ready.
Maruti saw it and sat there as well, deciding to stay. Although Penetrator had nothing to do with the current conversation, it was not like anyone minded his presence.
"Before we begin, I'm really curious, how did you get to know about my secret?" Maddie asks, her voice calm but her eyes sharp with curiosity. "I thought I already cleared up all the records." Her being a guy in the past was not something even other kings knew anything about. It was a secret she had buried deep, a part of her life she wanted to forget.
Yet somehow, Esdeath knew about this secret and even her old name.
Esdeath smiles lightly, but for some reason, because of her pale, ghostly face, red eyes, and that emotionless smile, it felt way too creepy and eerie.
"I have my own ways, you know," she answers, her voice soft and mysterious.
"Such as?" Maddie replies back, probing further, not willing to let it go.
Then Esdeath casually points at Maruti, who was sitting beside her, looking a little surprised by the sudden attention. "You might already know, she's this generation's saintess, recognized by Pope Igret as well," she says, her voice a low murmur. She leans in forward, her red eyes seeming to glow in the dim light of the library.
"And most importantly," she whispers, her voice barely audible, "she can see the future."