Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐨𝐱'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

Maddox was excited for the first time after so many months…
She was finally going to meet Ashlyn. After passing letters back and forth for years, now she would have the chance to see her best friend in person again…
She will be able to spend more time with her, hear her voice, make her laugh, see her smile. All the memories came flooding back to her mind as she remembered all those years spent together during summers in childhood.
Running in the palace halls, trying to sneak into the king's secret meetings, Maddox trying to teach Archery to Ashlyn and failing, stargazing together from the tower on clear nights after escaping narrowly from the personal guards… Defending each other after getting caught and taking the scolding of the queen alone to save the other from trouble…
Maddox smiled unknowingly, thinking about their silly behavior back then…

She sighed as her horse kept galloping towards Caswell's Kingdom, followed closely by Jet's horse. Maddox missed the old times when they had no worries, when she could just spend all her time with Ashlyn and friends, and not have to worry about protecting the people of her kingdom from monsters and other evils.
Not having to worry about being the responsible firstborn and ruling the kingdom after the King and Queen's death in a tragic sea accident…
Having to deal with all the kingdom's political issues and increased attacks from the forest creatures, trying to keep the people under control, was really getting to her. That's why she was happy to spend some time with her childhood friends, away from the kingdom and her inevitable duties… giving the responsibility of the kingdom to the duke for a short time.
Jet had been nothing but helpful to her after their parents' death. He was trying to help her control the kingdom without letting her worry too much, even if they had their differences in the past…

“Hey, don't overthink Maddie,” Jet said trying to catch up, to be by her side, “EJ and Ashlyn are going to be so happy to see you after all these years.”
“I know, bro bear,” Maddox smiled, “I'm not worried about meeting them, I'm just worried about things back home…”
“Oh, don't worry about that too,” Jet reassured her, “I'm gonna go back in a few days anyway. I'll handle things while you take some time off. It's not easy to control a whole kingdom all by yourself. You need a break sometimes too, and you've earned it…”
Maddox smiled again, sure, things were bad between them a few years ago, but she could tell Jet was trying his best to make it up to her.
“Thanks, bro bear…” She trailed off,

The kingdom below them was slowly coming into sight from the top of the hill, where the siblings had slowed down to take in the view, as the sun started rising above the horizon. The palace stood higher than the other structures, surrounded by hills and forest from the west and snow capped mountains in the Northeast.
The entry gate of the city stood high with two towers on either side with guards on top of it. The lake, beside the palace, was barely visible through the trees in the forest. But it was enough to remind Maddox of the fond memories.

Maddox remembered meeting Ash for the first time, like it was yesterday even though it was almost ten years ago.
She got lost in the memory…

An eleven-year-old Maddox was standing at the edge of the lake, after having a huge fight with her brother. The sun was setting, resulting in stars being visible in the clear night sky as the woods were slowly turning quiet.
She was so deep in thought as she kept kicking the pebbles with her feet, that she didn't notice the footsteps coming up behind her.
“Hey…” she heard a timid voice beside her, making her flinch in fear.

Maddox fell into the lake as her foot slipped on one of the larger stones. The ice-cold water engulfed her from all sides, suffocating her. She didn't know how to swim. She began sinking deeper into the lake, hopelessly trying to get out of it.
Just when she was sure she would drown in the water, she felt someone's arms around her body as she was getting tugged towards the surface of the lake. Suddenly she was being carried towards the edge and someone gently laid her down on the grass covered ground…

She heard the same soft voice, but it sounded a bit panicked, “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. Are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you like that!!”
Maddox slowly sat up on the soft grass, slightly coughing as she opened her eyes. As her vision cleared, she saw a pretty girl, around her age, staring at her with concern.
She had warm, amber-brown eyes, wide with caution, and orange wavy hair, which was now soaked in water, that complimented her face…

“I'm… I'm fine. Thank you,” Maddox said, as she completely took in her surroundings for the first time.
They were beside the lake, but not too close to it. There was a cloak lying beside Maddox, along with a pair of boots, as if someone had removed and thrown them around in a hurry.

“Are you sure you're fine? Does it hurt anywhere? Can you breathe properly?” The redhead was still concerned for Maddox, and looking guilty…
“Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry. Thank you for saving my life. I can't swim.” Maddox mumbled weakly as the adrenaline drained off, and she started getting tired again…
“I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have approached you like that,” The girl kept rambling nervously, “Of course anyone would be scared if they hear a sudden voice when they're all alone at night…”
“No, it's fine. You didn't mean to scare me. I get it,” Maddox reassured the girl in front of her, “and besides, I don't think there even is a correct way to approach someone alone in a silent environment.” She joked

The girl's mouth turned into a smile as she slightly chuckled, and Maddox somehow felt content after making her laugh, maybe because she had eased the awkwardness surrounding them.
“Seems like you ARE fine, after all,” The girl noted.
“Yeah, I told you I'm fine. Anyway, what are you doing here… At this time…?” Maddox began,
“I wanted to ask you the same thing, that's why I approached you,” The girl mumbled shyly, “but you seemed a bit lonely and deep in thought, so I didn't know what to do.”
“Oh, I was just thinking….” Maddox turned silent for a moment before she continued, “My brother and I had a huge fight and I just needed some alone time…”
Maddox wasn't sure what made her open up to the stranger, but she went with it. Perhaps it was because the girl had just saved her life, or maybe because Maddox was surprised by the way she was so concerned about her…

“Ohh… So, did you guys talk it out yet…?” The girl inquired, “Maybe you could just talk and try to apologize for the fight?” She continued her rambling, which Maddox found very amusing. “Or maybe you could just challenge him to a fight, I'm pretty sure you'll win… No, but he's your brother…”
Maddox snickered, making the other girl glance at her.
“Oh, you really believe I am that strong?” she smirked, “I'm flattered.”
“Don't get too overconfident. I'm sure you are stronger between the two of us, but I'm the one who knows how to swim” The girl countered with a grin.

Suddenly, a cold breeze blew by, reminding Maddox that she was completely soaked in water and making her shiver slightly. However, the girl noticed this too.
Immediately, she stood up from beside Maddox and grabbed the cloak that was lying a few feet away.
“Here,” She said as she handed the cloak to Maddox, “You're shivering…”
“No, it's okay. You're all soaked, too. I think you should use it. It's your cloak and, you just saved my life after all…” She said awkwardly,
“Stop thinking that I saved your life. It was my fault you fell into the lake. I couldn't just let you drown…” The girl chided, wrapping the cloak around Maddox despite her earlier protest, “Better?”
“Yeah, thanks,” Maddox mumbled, wrapping the cloak closer around herself shyly, that's when she noticed it.
The ring on the girl's finger was familiar, it was the Royal Family Heirloom, which meant that the girl in front of her…

“Do you come here often?” Maddox said trying to change the topic of the conversation
“Yeah, it's one of the places where I can sneak off to when I want to be alone,” The girl said as she sat down beside Maddox, leaving some space between them.
“Must be nice.”

Suddenly, Maddox spoke, “What's your name, if you don't mind me asking? It would be nice to know the name of the stranger who just saved…” Maddox trailed off when she noticed the girl's stare fixed on her, daring her to finish the sentence, “Sorry, let me rephrase that.”
“It would be nice to know the name of the person who almost drowned me… Happy now?” Maddox asked her.
“Yeah, okay… Even though I didn't mean to harm you,” She could see the small smile the girl was trying to hide, “It's Ashlyn”
“Sorry?”
“You asked for my name. It's Ashlyn,” she repeated
“Ashlyn,” Maddox whispered, feeling a warm familiarity in her chest.
“What about you?” Ashlyn asked curiously
“Maddox,” She answered,
They talked for a while, and Maddox slowly started getting comfortable in Ashlyn's company, when, unexpectedly, the redhead stood up.

“Wait, where are you going?” Maddox asked, glancing at Ashlyn as she started wearing her boots again.
“I can't stay here all night chatting with you, Maddox,” She said sarcastically, “I need to go back before my parents get worried”
“Ha! So, I was right! You did sneak out of the palace without guards…” Maddox said, trying to control the smile that crept on her face after hearing Ashlyn say her name. The girl looked at her, surprised.
“I didn't say I was from the Royal Family, I didn't even say anything about the palace or guards,” She frowned, “How did you know?” She asked as she began tying her other boot.
“I am a good observer, Ashlyn. And that family heirloom ring on your hand is shining brighter than your face in the moonlight.” Maddox elaborated, “And that's saying something,”
Maddox grinned when she saw Ashlyn's face turning red from embarrassment as realization dawned on her.

“Yeah okay. You're right. I did sneak out of the palace,” She mumbled reluctantly, “But only because I wanted to get away from my cousin. He was annoying me. Apparently, some king will be coming to ally with our kingdom soon, and my cousin just wants to see me make fun of myself in front of the family, which I won't be doing. So I came here for some alone time” She concluded,
“You should be more careful if you want to go unnoticed by the people,” Maddox stood up and smiled as she gave the cloak back to Ashlyn, “Here, thanks”
“No, you can keep it. I won't be needing it, the guards will find me anyway now.” She said, refusing to take the cloak back. “Maybe you'll remember me every time you look at it. You can return it to me if we meet again” She joked as she stood up getting ready to leave.
“Yeah, perhaps I will” Maddox grinned again, trying to control her laughter.
Ashlyn noticed this just as she was about to head back towards the palace, “What's so funny?”
“Nothing, you'll see. See you soon, Ashlyn” Maddox said, smiling sincerely now
“Bye, Maddox. Don't fall in the lake again, I won't be there to save you this time” Ashlyn said just as she disappeared into the woods…
“Bye,” Maddox smiled. She couldn't wait to see Ashlyn's face tomorrow.

Maddox chuckled at the memory, she still remembered her reaction when the king introduced her to Ashlyn the next day, as the daughter of the ‘king who had come to ally’.
He somehow thought it would be good if they got to know each other, as they would be visiting each other often.

But none of their parents knew why Maddox had come home with a new cloak and why Ashlyn had been completely soaked the previous day…

Maddox smiled. That day was really a memorable one, that led to her becoming best friends with Ashlyn Caswell and spending so many summers together, every time one of them visited the other. She was so lucky to have Ashlyn in her life.

She and Jet slowly moved towards the border wall of the city as the sun rose from their left. The snow-capped mountains and hills surrounded the city from the North and northeast. A river flowed through the mountains, barely passing by the edge of the town. A few hills were visible even in the West.
The drawbridge had already been lowered for the sake of traders, and residents who moved in and out of the city. The siblings passed through the giant gate, as the guards on either side greeted them.

The city looked peaceful and radiant as always. Maddox noticed not much had changed since the last time she had been here, almost five years ago. The palace stood in the far right corner of the city, high and resplendent as always.
As Maddox followed the path to the palace, she noted the houses of citizens on her left, made of wood, with some being a bit more remarkable than others. She also noted the usual bustle of traders and merchants on the right, selling various items.
She could hear the sound of carts being hauled by people transporting the goods, as the metal-rimmed wheels clashed against the surface and children played near the marketplace, laughing and giggling. A few military officials and bureaucrats were visible spread throughout the city.

But something about the surroundings didn't seem right…
Maddox couldn't exactly point a finger at it, but as soon as she entered the city, she felt it. That feeling at the corner of her heart, telling her something was terribly wrong. She tried to shove it down and tried to focus on the fact that she would be meeting her friends in a few minutes…

The people of the town welcomed them with great enthusiasm, happy to see the Royal siblings after a long time. Maddox tried to smile towards the crowd, but she couldn't focus. Her thoughts were running wild.
She would be seeing Ashlyn after so many years.
Will their friendship be the same? Would it be awkward, or would they still understand and tease each other just the way they did when they first met?

As Maddox moved forward on her path, she noticed the dazzling manors just in the north of the citizens’ houses, surrounded by exquisite gardens, stables, and several guards, servants, and generals around. Each of them bowed as they noticed the siblings.
Both proceeded towards the grand palace, as Maddox kept thinking about all the possibilities.
Would Ashlyn be happy to meet her? What if she doesn't even recognize Maddox? It had been years, after all…
Or even worse… What if she gets… disappointed?
Would she even want to continue their friendship?

“Your Majesty, we're almost there. It would be better to stop thinking about Princess Ashlyn and start thinking about how you would greet the King and the rest of the Royal Family.” Jet snapped her out of her thoughts,

'Your Majesty'… she still wasn't used to that term.
The fact that she was now their ruler. The kingdom was in her hands, she would be responsible for the welfare of her people. She couldn't just mess this up like every other time. This wasn't just about her, it was about maintaining the family's legacy and protecting innocent people.
But hearing Jet say it in front of the people made her realize it even more. Jet could be her little brother when they were talking in private. But he couldn't help her to rule the kingdom, even if he wanted to. She was the firstborn, and the rules weren't going to let her get away from her responsibility.
She was more than happy to give over the kingdom to Jet, but she knew he wasn't ready to handle that kind of responsibility just yet. Not only that, but she wouldn't want to burden him with her problems.

“I wasn’t thinking about the Princess…” Maddox said, unconvincingly.
Jet didn't respond, instead, he just gave her a look, as they entered the palace.
The palace stood proud in its sublime beauty. The walls were decorated with marble stone and intricate carvings. It was an opulent scene and hard to ignore. His majesty, Cash Caswell, had left no opportunity to show off the kingdom’s great wealth. The four towers stood stark against the sunlit sky, giving a sense of power and control.

Maddox dismounted from her horse as they stopped in front of the entrance, Jet following her actions.
One of the officials signaled a boy from the stable to come forward to take their horses, that needed to be fed and taken care of. Maddox immediately recognized the official.

“Sebastian?” Maddox asked, surprised but excited to meet first one of her childhood friends,
He looked around awkwardly but still smiled at her as he bowed, “Good morning, Your Majesty,”
Maddox immediately understood his discomfort after being called out in front of other people in such a way,
“Yeah… Don’t worry, we will talk later” She nodded in understanding, as she smiled at him and moved towards the heavy oak gates of the grand hall.
“See you soon, Seb” Jet said in a friendly voice, following Maddox.

There it was again as she started walking forward,
“Jet, something is wrong…” Maddox whispered to her brother, who was now walking beside her.
She couldn’t shake off the horrible feeling in her gut. The wind didn’t seem free like always, there was some kind of tension in the air. That feeling at the corner of her heart kept resurfacing again and again as she moved towards the grand hall.

“What do you mean, Maddie? Are you feeling sick?” Jet asked in a small voice, in case the surrounding guards heard him talking to Maddox by her name.
“No, I'm perfectly fine. But I just feel it… There’s something different, something off…” Maddox said, feeling more uneasy with every word,
“It’s fine. Maybe you’re just feeling weird because it’s been a while since the last time we came here.” he tried to reassure her.
“Yeah, maybe…” Maddox said, after a moment of silence, still not convinced.
But she couldn’t worry about it now, she was going to meet Ashlyn in a few minutes. Perhaps then she would feel at peace. Yes, that must be it.
She must be anxious about meeting Ashlyn…

Maddox passed through the oak doors, guards in armor stood on either side, each one acknowledging Maddox. The golden light shone through the crystal windows, illuminating the hall with a warm glow, and complimenting the golden decorations.
The throne stood high, intricately decorated with gold, and jewels, being a symbol for the wealth of the Caswell kingdom. But it was empty.

Maddox heard loud footsteps echoing through the corridor as Prince EJ entered through the hallways on the left side of the throne. Maddox smiled, happy to see one of her oldest friends, after a long time.

The crown prince had changed a lot since the last time she saw him. He had grown a light stubble beard, emerald green eyes shining in the light as he made his way towards Maddox with a smile.
Likewise, he wore a designed navy blue swallowtail coat, probably made of silk, over a white shirt, with epaulets on either side and navy blue breeches. A golden coronet atop his messy dark brown hair, slightly tilted as if it had been worn hurriedly.

Beside him, Maddox noticed another girl around his age. She had calculating brown eyes, a warm smile, and brown hair done delicately in a braid with a small silver coronet on top.
She was wearing a shimmering blue satin skirt topped by a black top and a navy blue cape flowing behind. EJ and the girl seemed close.
Maddox remembered Ashlyn’s letters mentioning a girl named Gina, who EJ was crazy about, and had become a pretty close friend of Ashlyn’s. She was the daughter of a Duchess, but Maddox wasn't totally sure.

Speaking of Ashlyn, Maddox couldn’t help but wonder why she wasn’t there with EJ and Gina. The anxious feeling in Maddox’s heart kept growing.
Was Ashlyn not there? Did she forget that Maddox was coming to the city today? Was Ashlyn okay?

But before she could think further about it, EJ approached them.
“Your Majesty!” EJ said in a loud, joyous voice as he bowed in front of her and Jet. “Prince Jet” EJ grinned at him.
“His Majesty is currently out of the kingdom dealing with some military issues, he hopes you won’t mind me showing you around…”, He smiled as if he was having fun calling Maddox 'your majesty,' as if he knew that she was already getting annoyed by how weird it sounded coming from the mouth of her childhood friend.

Gina, on the other hand, that’s what Maddox assumed her name was, curtsied delicately holding her dress as she sincerely said, “Welcome, Your Majesty.” she smiled, “Prince Jet” she curtsied again.

“Prince EJ, Lady Gina,” Maddox smiled as she acknowledged both of them, nodding. “Of course, I won’t mind being shown around by the Prince himself,”

Gina blinked at her with surprise. Maddox just laughed and said, “Princess Ashlyn has been mentioning you in our letters. Let me guess, You’re the daughter of one of the duchesses?”
“You’re right, Your Majesty,” Gina said, giving her a tight-lipped smile as she glanced nervously towards EJ.

The mood of the room seemed to have changed suddenly, but Maddox was getting too impatient to notice it.
“Speaking of her, where is Princess Ashlyn? I thought she would be more excited to meet me but seems like that isn’t the case,” she joked, but neither EJ nor Gina laughed.

EJ ran a hand through his hair and fixed his coronet as his face suddenly turned pale. Maddox suddenly noticed that EJ had been glancing anywhere except her since she brought up Ashlyn in their conversation.
As she looked closely, she also noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes like he hadn't slept in a while, and he looked exhausted like he wouldn't have woken up if it weren't for welcoming Maddox.

The feeling at the back of her heart started growing. She tried to control herself. What was EJ not telling her?
Was Ashlyn hurt? No, she was fine. Why would she not be? Who would hurt an angel like her? Ashlyn was fine. But if so, then where was she?

Maddox narrowed her eyes at EJ, and cautiously asked, “Prince EJ, where is the Princess?”
EJ swallowed nervously, taking a long breath. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, and closed his eyes as he gave out a long exhale.
Maddox was on the verge of a full panic as she waited for an answer. She turned towards Gina, who just glanced at EJ and then looked down.
Maddox's breathing turned rapid, she clenched her fists as she tried to control her emotions. Something was wrong with Ashlyn. EJ was hiding something from her, that had to do with Ashlyn.

That was what she had been feeling all this time since she entered the kingdom. That feeling at the back of her heart was warning her that Ashlyn was in danger.
Maddox closed her eyes, she couldn’t bear that thought. Her hand instinctively went towards the sword by her side, as she clenched her jaw.

“Maddie…” Jet started in an attempt to calm her down, sensing the tension in the hall, but Maddox gestured him to stop before he could continue.

“Elton John,” Maddox started in a deadly threatening tone, her furious voice barely above a whisper, surprising Gina and Jet. Maddox glared at him, her eyes burning with rage.
Trying to keep a calm composure, she continued, “What’s wrong with Ash? Where is she?”

EJ rubbed his forehead, “Why don’t we take this conversation inside?”

Chapter Text

2. She’s my friend...
Maddox’s POV

“What exactly do you mean when you say that she hasn’t woken up for one week now?!” Maddox said, frowning as she looked at EJ,
“I mean exactly that, Gadget. She hasn’t woken up since last Friday,” EJ sighed with annoyance, as Maddox didn’t seem to understand even after explaining the problem for the third time.

They were in the drawing room on the western side of the palace. The lake was hardly visible behind the trees, as Maddox stared out of the large window ahead of her, trying to understand what was wrong with Ashlyn. Portraits of some former rulers were hanging on the walls that were covered in tapestries. On her left, the grand fireplace made of stone provided warmth and a touch of elegance to the room in the cold weather. Furniture in the room, made of oak and designed with intricate carvings, complimented the room’s overall aura.
EJ, Gina, and Jet had finally calmed her down, after assuring her that Ashlyn was okay. She was not hurt, at least not physically. They had then decided to continue the conversation somewhere private, which led them here.

Jet was on the couch beside her, Gina sat on the smaller couch on their right side, while EJ was pacing back and forth through the room, as he explained one more time,
“Look, she was going for a walk near the lake in the evening, the last time I talked to her before I went out. She was so excited to meet you, and she said the lake reminded her of you, which I don’t even know why.”
Maddox decided to not feel anything after learning that she was not the only one excited about their meeting. She also decided to ignore the fact that the lake reminded Ashlyn of her, as she remembered Ashlyn mentioning that the lake was her favorite place in one of her letters, for reasons she never told Maddox.

EJ continued, “And then when I returned that evening, I heard it from Gina. One of the royal guards had found Ashlyn unconscious in the palace’s garden, which was quite far from the lake if you ask me. We inquired every single guard around the garden and lake, but none of them had seen anything suspicious,” EJ said, glancing at Maddox occasionally to see if she was still keeping up with him.
Gina continued after him, “We consulted every healer and magician in the kingdom. None of them could understand what was wrong with the princess. She was perfectly fine, she had no disease or sickness, and even her breathing and pulse were normal, according to the healers. But the only problem was that she wasn’t waking up.” she paused,
“She was…alive, but she wasn’t awake. When we were losing hope, one of the magicians told us that maybe there was a way to wake her up, but he wasn’t sure.”

Maddox sat up a bit straighter, paying more attention now, as Gina continued, “He said there was a flower- a rose, in the enchanted forest just beyond the river in the northwest, and the flower’s scent might be able to wake her up.”
“We sent a few soldiers into the forest, but many of them didn’t return, and those who did were empty-handed. They claimed that they couldn’t touch the flower, as if their hands were passing right through it. As if the flower wasn’t really there even if it was visible” She sighed,
“Now, we’ve been trying to track down the magician, to look for another cure, but we can’t find him anywhere,” EJ finished for her, looking at Maddox,
“Wow…” Jet breathed out, deep in shock,

Maddox was silent for a long time, her head hung low before she suddenly spoke up,
“Can I… Can I see her?” she asked, glancing at EJ briefly, trying to hide the fact that her eyes were watery, as she looked down again.
“Yeah… yeah, sure. Why not?” EJ said as he glanced nervously toward Gina,
“Do you want to see her now or…?”
Maddox nodded before he could finish his question, getting up from her seat.

“Okay. Gi, would you please show her to Ashlyn’s room?”
Gina nodded as Maddox motioned her head towards the door, telling her to lead the way, even though she knew the path to that particular part of the palace by heart,
“Stay here, Jet. I’ll be right back,” she said as she patted her brother on the shoulder, who just nodded, still trying to absorb the new information.

Maddox followed Gina through the corridor, impatient to see Ashlyn and ensure she wasn’t hurt. Maddox wasn’t sure why someone would even think about hurting her. Ashlyn never did anything wrong, she was always kind, always treated everyone with respect and love, stayed in touch with the kingdom's people, always helped them, and was a crowd favorite.
She was perfectly capable of protecting herself, but that didn’t mean she hurt people just because she could. She used her sword fighting skills only if she had to defend herself (or show off in front of Maddox). Maddox was sure whoever had hurt Ashlyn had not attacked her straightforwardly, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
Someone had tricked her. Just as EJ said, there had to be some form of magic involved in the attack…and according to Maddox, it was forbidden magic, that must have been the reason none of the magicians could cure Ashlyn.

“She was really excited to meet you, Your Majesty,” Gina interrupted her thoughts, as they walked through the corridors reaching closer to the chamber with every step, footsteps echoing loudly in the silence, “She wouldn’t stop talking about you since she received your letter stating that you were coming to meet her, she was so nervous and happy. I hadn’t seen her like that ever before, other than every time she received one of your letters,” she explained, making Maddox laugh quietly,

“She wasn’t the only one excited about the reunion,” Maddox said fondly, remembering Ashlyn’s letters talking about anything and everything that was going on in her life as a warm feeling rose in her chest, “And please, just call me Maddox or Gadget when people aren’t around. You seem close to EJ and Ashlyn. It’s already weird listening to other people referring to me as ‘Your Majesty’,”
“Okay, Maddox it is,” Gina said as they reached the doors to Ashlyn’s room,
“I’ll leave you to it,” she smiled sadly as she gestured towards the door and decided to leave.
“Yeah…” Maddox mumbled as she hesitated for a moment before quietly entering the room.

There was a large window, with light yellow drapes on both sides, on the wall in front of her. A white cushioned chaise lounge lay on its left, with a small table in front of it, covered with a few books, papers, and a quill. Maddox smiled, picturing Ashlyn sitting near the window at night, fondly looking at the stars outside or reading a book with so much concentration, that her eyebrows lowered and furrowed together, and her eyes narrowed in a really cute way as she fully got invested in the story, Not that Maddox ever stared at her while she read.
A guitar was lying around in one of the corners, that she remembered playing years ago. A shelf on the right was covered with books. She remembered Ashlyn talking about some of those in her letters.
Even the scent of the room reminded her of Ashlyn in every possible way, her laugh, her smile, her eyes. Everything.

She felt the carpet under her shoes, as she took in the surroundings. A large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, reflecting the sunlight from the windows and illuminating the room with a soft, warm glow. Candles were scattered throughout the space, casting flickering shadows on the intricately carved golden furniture and walls covered with tapestries and paintings. Her attention turned towards one of the paintings on her left as she walked towards it.

It was a picture of the stars, and the moon illuminating the night sky above a serene lake surrounded by trees. She slightly touched the painting with her hand. It was THE painting, she had drawn the painting and gifted it to Ash during one of her visits. Her last visit if she remembered correctly.
But she couldn’t understand why Ashlyn would keep the painting after all this time. Did she miss Maddox just as much as Maddox missed her all these years? Maybe Gina was telling the truth and Ashlyn really was excited to meet her. Or maybe she had forgotten who had given the painting to her and kept it solely because she liked the night sky. Maddox decided she would think about it later.

As she noticed the painting, her vision turned toward the bed beside her, and Maddox inhaled deeply. Lying on the bed was her best friend, the one person she had been so excited to meet since two weeks.
Ashlyn was lying comfortably on the large, ornately carved canopy bed, with royal blue silk fabrics draping from the canopy and several smooth pillows around her. Her otherwise amber-brown eyes were now closed as she breathed quietly with a soft, peaceful look.
Maddox slowly moved towards the bed, her eyes still on Ashlyn. She had changed a lot since the last time Maddox saw her. Her wavy hair had definitely gotten longer, but it was all messy due to her being asleep. And sure, Ashlyn looked cute before, but now she was starting to look seriously beautiful. She looked so peaceful, so…normal. As if she would wake up any moment, hug Maddox, and tell her how happy she was to see her.
Maddox silently took a seat on the cushioned chair beside Ashlyn’s bed, as she stared at her, thinking about how she would bring her back. She knew she wouldn’t be able to wake her up, but she still hoped she was wrong and Ashlyn would be awake as soon as Maddox talked to her.

“Hey, Ash?” Maddox whispered as she gently took Ashlyn’s delicate hand into her own, “It’s me, Maddox. I’m here,”
“I wasn’t kidding when I said I would come to meet you. I was waiting for so long, but the work and responsibilities back at kingdom were too overwhelming, and I could not visit you sooner, and now I regret it so much.” She kept talking to Ashlyn’s sleeping form, tears forming in her eyes, slowly losing hope that she would wake up.

“I’m going to wake you up, Ash. It might take a lot of work, and I might need to track down the traitor who harmed you myself, but I will. I will even find the magician. I’ll do it for you, even if that means I would have to cross the river and go into the enchanted forest.” she said, swallowing softly as she caressed the back of her hand with her thumb, “That’s what friends are for, right? I would never let anything happen to you, you’re my best friend,”

She looked at Ashlyn through blurry, teary vision, as an idea suddenly stuck in her head. “Enchanted forest, huh?” she muttered, looking up, deep in thought.

As she looked around, thinking, her attention turned toward a wooden box, with her name on it, lying on Ashlyn’s bedside table, alongside a few candles and other things. Why was her name written on a box that was in Ashlyn’s room…?
She gingerly reached for the box and opened it as she wiped off her tears. Inside the box were loads and loads of letters, and she immediately recognized the handwriting.
It was hers. Those were her letters. Had Ashlyn been collecting all of her letters, ever since the start? Maddox’s heart fluttered just thinking about the possibility.

She picked out the letter lying on the top. It was her latest letter, the one that mentioned she would be coming to meet Ashlyn.
She read through it, smiling at all the things she said they would talk about once they met. They had so much left to do, she had to tell Ashlyn all about the past five years, all the things she had missed out on. She had to tell her about her new responsibilities and experiences, she needed to talk to Ash. She had to hear how Ashlyn’s life had been going on those years. Everything that couldn't be told in letters had to be discussed. They had to stargaze together like old times. She still needed to learn how to swim from Ashlyn and had to teach her Archery.
No, she couldn’t just let Ashlyn keep sleeping. She had to find the cure herself. She needed to save her best friend.

She returned the box to its place after putting the letter in again, and turned her gaze back towards Ashlyn. She stared at her for a long time, eyebrows furrowed together, before she spoke up again,
“I’m coming to get you, Ash. Wish me luck,” Maddox smiled, as she gently squeezed her hand one last time before standing up from her place and making her way back towards the drawing room.

As she walked through the corridors, she couldn’t help but wonder how she was going to start the journey to find Ashlyn. The enchanted forest seemed like a good starting point. First, she could try to search for the flower, maybe she will even find the Magician around there somewhere in the process. She could bring the flower or the Magician back to the kingdom and find a cure for Ash.
Unfortunately, if that didn’t work, she would have to search the whole kingdom, remaining forests, and mountains in search of the Magician or other ways to save her.
Not that it would stop Maddox, she would keep looking. There had to be some other cure, some guaranteed way to save Ashlyn…

As she reached the drawing room, she heard Jet’s voice. It seemed like he was talking to someone,
“But I don’t get it. Doesn’t His Majesty know about this? How has he not taken any actions yet?”
“He knows, but he doesn’t want people to know. ‘Can you imagine how they would react?’ he says.” Maddox recognized it as EJ’s voice, “He has sent spies all around the neighboring kingdoms in search of a cure or a practiced magician who might have an idea about this. It seems like forbidden magic to me, and the magicians around here don’t really study anything other than the basic everyday use and healing spells,”
“Even if there were any magicians that used forbidden magic, do you really think they would come forward on their own to save Ash? Even if it meant they would receive a reward? Why would they risk their secrecy to help someone else?” It was a female’s voice, which Maddox assumed was Gina,
“No, that’s a good point. Maybe that’s why His Majesty sent spies instead of soldiers.” Jet’s voice said, “Where is His Majesty anyway? Instead of focusing on finding a cure for Ashlyn?”
“He hasn’t exactly said anything. But I think he was visiting the northern territories,” Gina said,
“The ones beyond the enchanted forest?” Jet asked in a confused voice,
“Yeah,” EJ continued, “He didn’t tell us the exact reason. Only said he had some military business to attend to, and that I had to welcome you guys, in case he got stuck there for a while dealing with the problems there,”
“That’s all understandable. But I still don’t get one thing, EJ. Not that I’m saying you should, but… Why haven’t you gone to the Enchanted Forest yet?” Jet inquired,
“You think I didn’t try? I wanted to, but Da- I mean, His Majesty has forbidden me from going into the forest under any circumstance!” EJ exclaimed, “He says it’s bad enough that one of the royal bloodlines is in danger, and he prefers not to lose the only one left. I’ve tried convincing him whenever he is around. But then he left two days ago, and I can do nothing but watch my cousin, unable to wake her up!” EJ’s voice seemed frustrated as he spoke the last bit.

There was sudden silence as Maddox entered the room, and took in what was going on.
Gina was by EJ’s side, gently rubbing his shoulder and calming him down as he restlessly sat on the couch, jaw tightened. Jet was sitting on the other couch as he just whispered, “That’s terrible…”
“I know,” EJ said, “I can’t do anything. I can’t help her even though I want to,” he said in a shaky voice as he ran a hand through his dark hair.
“I can,” Maddox spoke up and every head in the room turned to her, “I can help her. The king can’t stop me from doing anything,” she suggested, which was followed by silence again.
EJ's eyes widened as he realized what she was implying,
“Oh, hell no!” he exclaimed as he stood up from his seat, while Gina and Jet just stared at each other and then both of them, trying to understand what the conversation was about, “There’s no way, Gadget. I’m not letting you go into that forest alone!” he said, walking towards her,

“But think about it. EJ. I’m the only person, other than you, who has known almost everything about Ash for a long time. No offense,” she glanced at Gina and Jet before she continued, “We are like childhood friends! I can find a way to cure her, I just need to go into the enchanted forest and bring back the rose!” Maddox said, trying to convince EJ,
“None taken.” Jet jumped in between their conversation, “And you’re not going into that forest alone, Maddie.”
“Yeah, many of the soldiers haven’t even returned. It’s not a good idea, your ma- I mean, Maddox.” Gina said, “Ashlyn wouldn’t want you to do it, she would want you to be safe”
“But I can’t just do nothing and sit here while she is going through who knows what. I need to go and find a cure for her.” Maddox insisted, “I need to save her. She’s my friend, how do you expect me to sit still?” she asked, looking at them expectantly,

“I know you care about her a lot, okay?” EJ started cautiously, “But that doesn’t mean you can just throw away all your responsibilities, and go find her. You need to think about this as a ruler, not as her friend,” he continued, and Maddox had to agree, he had a good point there.
Ashlyn needed to be saved. Maddox knew it wasn’t going to happen if they kept sending soldiers towards the enchanted forest. It wasn’t an easy task. She needed to do it herself and make sure that Ashlyn was cured and that she was safe. But she also couldn’t just go after Ashlyn, leaving all this. She also needed to take care of the kingdom now. Unless…

“Yeah, he is right.” Jet supported EJ, hoping to stop her, “I mean, what is more important to you, Maddie? Would you rather choose Ashlyn or the kingd-”
“Ashlyn,” Maddox said with finality before Jet could even finish the question.
There was no doubt about it.
Sure, the kingdom was an indispensable aspect of her life and she had to be serious about her responsibilities, but it wasn’t like she was giving it all up. Ashlyn was her friend, and possibly the only person in her life, apart from her brother, who understood her and accepted her for whom she really was and wasn’t friends with her just because of her wealth. Ashlyn had saved her life even before they knew each other, and now that they were best friends, Maddox just couldn’t leave her to fate. It was simply not an option.
Ashlyn got her, and that in itself was enough explanation for the steps she was about to take.

“What?” Jet asked, puzzled,
“Ashlyn is more important to me than possibly anything else,” she said looking at them all, before she turned towards Jet, “And about the issue with the kingdom,” she continued in a sharp tone, “I leave you with the responsibility of looking after the kingdom until my return, Prince Jet. You’ll be leaving for the journey back home tomorrow morning,”
“Bu-” Jet started
“That’s an order!” she said sternly, cutting him off. She loved using the older sibling privileges in times like these…
“Maddox, come on, you can’t expect us to let you do something so dangerous, just because you can order us around, and risk your life by going into the enchanted forest.” EJ retorted, as one last attempt to stop her,
“As a matter of fact, Prince EJ, I can. I can order you guys around, and I can go into the enchanted forest all by myself to find a cure for Ash,” she said, smiling innocently at them as she continued,
“So what is it gonna be?” she asked, “Are you all going to stop me from going or are you helping me pack my supplies for the journey?”

They stared at each other for a minute, before EJ gave in, and sighed, “Fine, I’ll tell the guards to ready your horse for the journey. Just stop being all formal and bossing us around,” he said, making her grin widen,
“What?” Jet stared at them in disbelief, “You can’t be serious!”
“Calm down, bro bear. I’ll be fine,” Maddox said, putting a hand on his shoulder, “I know how to take care of myself. I’ll be right back with a cure for Ash.” she paused, “But I wasn’t kidding when I said, you need to go back to the kingdom tomorrow. Also, just tell everyone that I’m staying here for a while. Do not tell them anything about Ashlyn, or me going into the forest,” she warned,
“Yeah, I know,” he nodded,
“Good,” Maddox smiled at him. At least, now she was assured that the kingdom was in good hands, in case something went wrong in the forest.
“Just…” Jet paused, “Take care, alright? Don’t go around doing stupid things in the forest or starting fights with creatures that are too strong for you to handle or-”
“Jeez, Jet, are you worried about me, or are you just trying to find an excuse to roast me?” Maddox muttered sarcastically,
Jet just chuckled, shaking his head fondly, “Alright, alright. All I’m saying is, don’t go around doing wild things for your ‘friend’, okay?” he said, making air quotes,
“What are the air quotes for?” she asked, tilting her head, as her face unconsciously started heating up,
“You really don’t know?” Jet questioned, raising an eyebrow at her,
“No, I don’t,” she said, turning her attention away from him as she heard him mumble something incoherent along the lines of “clueless” and “just friends”.

“Also,” she said, turning towards EJ, “If His Majesty says anything to you about letting me go for such a dangerous task, while I am here as your guest and how it doesn’t suit your behavior as the crown prince of the royal family and all that…”
Her mouth turned up in a smirk, as she continued, “Just tell him that I ordered you to let me search for the Princess, and you couldn’t deny my order even if you wanted to, because it would have been disadvantageous if the allied kingdoms were infuriated due to the prince’s behavior,”

EJ's smile turned into a fully visible grin, “Ash is a bad influence on you even when she is asleep, isn’t she?” he teased,
Maddox just raised her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders, “Maybe,” she said playfully,
“Okay! Let’s get you ready for the journey, Gadget.” he chuckled, exiting the drawing room.
Maddox followed him shortly afterward, as she whispered, “Don’t worry, Ash. You’re going to be okay.”

Chapter Text

3. Into the woods…
Maddox’s POV

Three hours later, the four of them including Jet, EJ, Gina, and Maddox stood outside the secret northwestern entrance of the castle that opened near the path that led straight toward the lake. From there, Maddox could head towards the north and into the enchanted forest.
She felt a breeze fly by, as the leaves of trees fluttered around them. The sun shone high above their head, highlighting the natural beauty and mountains all around. The mountains were covered in snow at the top, but the weather was not too cold. Maddox was thankful that the weather and sunlight in the kingdom during these months were tolerable, or it would have been difficult to travel during the day due to the sun, and at night due to the cold. The weather was almost perfect.

Maddox was waiting impatiently for her horse to arrive so she could get started on the journey to find a cure for Ashlyn. On the other hand, Jet ensured that Maddox had taken all the supplies she needed to survive in the forest. “Have you taken your sword with you?”
“Yes, Jet.”
“What about your bow and arrows?”
“That too.”
“And you didn’t forget th-”
“Stop freaking out.” Maddox said, grabbing his shoulder to calm him down, “I am the one going into the forest, why are you so anxious?” she laughed,
“It’s not just any forest, Maddie.” Jet explained, “It’s the enchanted forest, You’re not even sure if you can enter it, and there might be many magical creatures in there that we might not even know about. It’s a dangerous quest.”

“Don’t worry.” EJ chimed in, “We all know how stupidly brave your sister is. She isn’t going to get defeated by a creature, even if it is magical. In fact, I think you should worry about the creatures that are going to come in her way because I know for sure that none of them is going to make it out alive.” he joked,
“I really don’t know whether I should thank you or feel offended, right now,” Maddox said, shaking her head,
Before Jet could protest any further, Maddox was saved by Gina, who announced the arrival of two new people,
“They’re here,”

Maddox looked in the direction of the noise and immediately noticed two of her childhood friends. along with her horse, making their way toward the four of them.
“Carlos! Seb!”
“Greetings, Your Majesty,” Carlos said, as he bowed down, Sebastian following his lead.
Carlos was wearing a purple velvet silk suit over a plain white shirt and waistcoat, along with trousers, decorated with narrow designs on the cuffs and collars. Seb wore a red waistcoat over a plain shirt, along with cream-colored breeches and high boots.
“You guys really like teasing me by saying ‘Your Majesty’, don’t you?” Maddox sighed, putting forward her hand for a handshake, “Just call me Maddox when people aren’t around,”
“Okay, Maddox” Carlos teased, shaking her hand, “How have you been then? I heard you’re going into the Enchanted Forest to find a cure for Ashlyn, isn’t that dangerous?” he asked,
“Life has been good. You know, just the usual stuff with the kingdom and people. And yes, you heard right. I am going to find a cure for Ash, even if I have to go into the Enchanted Forest for it.” she paused before turning towards Gina, “Wait, I thought you said none of the people outside the royal family knew about Ash?”

“Yes, that is correct.” Gina pointed out, “No one other than the royal family and our friends knows about her.”
“So you guys have been the same since childhood.” Jet nodded, “Good to know none of us drifted apart even when we grew up,”
“Oh, never,” Carlos said dramatically, “In fact, some of us grew even closer over time,” He said fondly looking over at a blushing Sebastian as he intertwined their hands, “And became more special than before,”
“I knew it!” Maddox exclaimed, “Oh, finally! It was about time you guys got together instead of just pretending you didn’t like each other.” she teased,
“Yeah, we were kind of… slow. But thankfully, we figured it out,” Seb chuckled as he placed a kiss on Carlos’s cheek.

“What about you and Ash?” Carlos asked, curiously, “Did you guys get together yet? Long distance or something?”
“What!?” Maddox choked on air, “What-what do you mean?” she laughed nervously, “Ash and I are just friends.”
“Stop lying! … Wait, are you serious?” Seb continued as his eyes widened, “You guys looked at each other like the other was your whole world when we were kids. Friends don’t look at each other that way. You guys are even more clueless than we thought, how have you not asked her out yet?”
“Look, I told you, we’re just best friends who know everything about each other, which is normal,” Maddox said, facing away from them as heat rushed to her face despite the cool weather, “Ashlyn doesn’t like me like that. Our friendship is totally platonic.” She continued, “Besides, it doesn’t matter, she is already in a relationship with someone else,” she said, her voice cracked slightly at the last sentence, filled with an emotion she couldn’t describe.

Maddox knew Ashlyn was already in a relationship with Big Red, the prince of one of the neighboring kingdoms, who was a part of their group during childhood and visited the Caswells quite often. They had been in a relationship for almost five years now, and they were happy. So she was sure they weren’t going to break up or something, … not that she wanted them to.
Maddox was happy for Ashlyn, even if she felt a light stab in her heart every time Ash mentioned her boyfriend, for reasons she couldn’t understand to this day. She just wanted Ashlyn to never have to worry about anything, enjoy her life, and be happy. Big Red gave her all of those things. Maddox might be a bit jealous that she would not get the same amount of attention from her best friend, despite Ashlyn’s constant reassurance that nothing would change. But she was happy that Ashlyn had someone she could always rely on.
Maddox was too deep in thought that she didn’t notice Seb, Carlos, Gina, and EJ exchanging confusing glances with each other before Gina started,
“But Ashlyn and-”

The horse neighed, interrupting their conversation, before Gina could finish her sentence. Maddox turned her attention towards the horse, as she said. “Looks like it’s time for me to go,”
She said, looking towards Seb and Carlos, “It was nice meeting you guys before I headed out. You guys are so cute together!” She squealed, making the both of them laugh. She turned towards the rest of them, “Alright, guys. It’s now or never, wish me luck. I’ll be right back with a cure for Ash,”

“Take care, Maddie,” Jet said, pulling his sister in for a hug. “I will, bro bear,” she smiled, patting his back before she broke away from the hug, and grabbed her supplies, keeping them over the horse’s back.
“Good luck, Gadget,” EJ said, nodding while Maddox climbed onto her horse, Gina following his example. “Good luck!”

“Oh, one more thing,” Maddox said, catching their attention once she settled in on the horse, “I need to know that none of you will follow me into the forest or send anyone after me. I can take care of myself, and I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, now this is just too much. You can’t expect us to not look for you if you don’t return?” EJ said, crossing his arms across his chest.
“No, I’m not saying that. I just want you guys to wait for a while before you send someone to risk their lives for me.”
“And how long do you expect us to wait for your return before we get worried?” Jet said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as if he knew what Maddox was thinking.

“One month.”
“C’mon. You can’t be serious. One month!? That’s too much time,” Carlos exclaimed,
“It’s appropriate time for me to look for the flower and return to the kingdom, we don’t even know what lies in the mysterious woods,” she tried to convince them
“No,” Jet said, stubbornly.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” EJ asked, confused.
“Yeah, okay. If you guys don’t wanna listen to me, I guess I’ll just have to order you.” Maddox said innocently, looking away from them, nonchalantly,

“Not again,” Gina mumbled, rubbing the bridge of her nose, while EJ and Jet just glared at Maddox.
“You know.” Jet grumbled, still glaring at her. “You know, we can’t disobey your orders, and you’re taking so many disadvantages of that fact,”

“Yup,” Maddox said, “Guess I’ll order you guys, just in case.” she continued clearing her throat, “Prince EJ, Prince Jet, Lady Gina…” she paused, looking at Carlos and Seb,
“Lord Carlos, and Lord Sebastian,” Seb sighed, understanding what was going on,
“Right,” Maddox nodded as she continued, “… Lord Carlos, and Lord Sebastian, It is my order that any of you will neither follow me into the Enchanted Forest nor send anyone else to look for me, for the next month. If I do not return within a month, then you are free to send anyone or follow me if you wish to.” Maddox announced with a smirk, while the rest of them just obliged with annoyance.

“I swear if you don’t return…” Jet warned,
“Don’t worry,” Maddox rolled her eyes, “You need to head back tomorrow. I’ll be back within a few weeks, and I’ll be fine”
“Probably” she whispered under her breath, she wouldn’t show it or tell anyone, but she was a bit afraid to go into the forest. She knew there were deadly magical creatures in the forest, but she also knew that she had to go, and she had to succeed because her best friend’s life was at stake.
She took a deep breath and steadied herself. She needed to do this for Ashlyn. Just thinking about Ashlyn was enough motivation to keep her going and face whatever would come her way.
“Bye, everyone,” she smiled at them before turning away and disappearing into the trees, her horse trotting away.

The horse galloped through the trees as Maddox kept thinking about what Carlos had said almost half an hour ago. Maddox was sure Ashlyn and she were just friends. Yes, they knew everything about each other, just the way people in relationships do. But they didn’t have feelings for each other.
Maddox was sure Ashlyn would never like her as more than a best friend. Sure, she was always there for Maddox, and made her feel like she was the most important thing in the world, and always cared for her and valued her presence, and was the only one who totally understood who Maddox really was and-

The point was that Ashlyn knew everything about her, and that was the exact reason Maddox was sure Ashlyn would never like someone like her. Ashlyn was basically perfect and flawless in every way possible, and Maddox was just… Maddox, with all her flaws and imperfections. There was no way Ashlyn liked her romantically. Why would someone as amazing as Ashlyn love someone like her?

As Maddox kept thinking about all those things, she noticed the lake coming into her view. The tree parted slightly to reveal a large, crystal-clear lake in the middle of the forest. A few ducks were swimming in the transparent water, while squirrels swiftly scurried away as Maddox moved towards the lake. She dismounted from the horse and held its leash as it went near the lake and drank the water quietly. Maddox noticed a few birds flying around in the trees surrounding the lake, as she heard them chirping. It was all so nostalgic.
Maddox wished she could just spend all of her time here with Ashlyn, just like the old times. Her thoughts drifted back to Ashlyn, which seemed to be happening a lot these few days.
Why did it have to be Ashlyn? Why did her best friend have to suffer and go through who knows what? Why couldn’t Maddox just switch places with her so that Ashlyn could be happy…? She would do it without a second thought. She just wanted Ash to live her life being safe and happy…

Tears started pooling in her eyes for the first time, since returning from Ashlyn’s room. But this time she refused to wipe them away and let them flow down her face, finally letting it all out as she closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air. She didn’t have to be strong now, no one could see her here in the forest. She wasn’t the ruler, or a friend, or a big sister right now. She was just a best friend who wanted to be with someone who got her.
She wished Ashlyn was beside her right now, trying to comfort her and hold her while she cried. But she wasn’t. Maddox was alone. The only person who understood her was in danger, and she needed to find a way to save her.
“Why couldn’t it be me instead of you, Ash?” Maddox whispered to no one, running a hand through her hair, as more tears streaked down her face. Maddox kept crying for a while, feeling free for the first time in a long time.

Eventually, she stopped, sniffing while she wiped away her tears and steadied herself, looking at the lake. She sighed deeply, thinking about what she was going to do further. The sun was already going down, even if it felt like only a few hours had passed by. Maddox needed to move a bit further into the forest before it got too dark to travel, so she could start a fire for the night as soon as possible. She looked into the lake for a few minutes before she decided to mount her horse once again, and left the lake after taking in the view one more time.

She moved further into the forest, noticing several deer, snakes, rabbits, and other small animals going back to their places as the sun went down, and the horse kept galloping through the trees. As she went more and more to the north, she couldn’t help but note that the number of animals kept decreasing. The woods were turning silent as she moved further, which was a good sign because that meant that she was getting closer to the enchanted forest.

After traveling in silence for some time, she heard a faint noise somewhere towards the northwest. She steadied the horse, listening carefully as she contemplated whether to follow it or not. The noise seemed to be loud but wasn’t very audible because it must be coming from a distance, she guessed. It sounded like…a river…

The noise was coming from a river flowing in the distance, That must be it. That must be the river that separates the enchanted forest from the regular forest. Maddox now just needed to follow the noise and head into the enchanted forest as soon as possible, so she could search for the rose. She steered the horse towards the direction of the river and started moving again. The noise of the river started growing louder and louder as Maddox got closer, the faint noise eventually turning into a deafening roar of crashing and flowing water.

She took in the river in front of her as the number of trees decreased, leading to an open space around it. The river flowed with great pressure from right to left, probably originating from one of the snowy mountains in the northwest. A cool wind blew through her hair, as she noticed the enchanted forest on the other side of the river, which seemed deadly quiet with no visible animals in it. It seemed to give out a mysterious aura that she could sense even from a distance, as she observed something like a protective shield around the trees.
That must be why most of the soldiers didn’t return, maybe they couldn’t cross the shield and got hurt somehow, Or perhaps they returned without trying to get in. Whatever it may be, Maddox decided she would try her best to pass through it, for Ash, but she couldn’t do it right now.

The sun was almost down, which meant she needed to start a fire before anything else.
She dismounted the horse as she tied its leash to a tree near the river, and it immediately started to eat the lush grass around it. She decided to spend the night at the riverbank and gather supplies so that she could enter the enchanted forest early the next morning and start searching for the rose.
She gathered some of the dry sticks and wood from the trees, that were lying around the riverbank, before reaching into her backpack and pulling out flint and steel to light a fire for the night. She lighted the collected dry grass with it, after a few attempts, and soon started a fire strong enough to keep any creatures away from her, at least till tomorrow morning.

She collected the edible fruits, which were, thankfully, growing on some of the lush trees along the riverside, as she looked around and noticed her horse sleeping while laying down. She figured the poor animal must be pretty tired from trotting all day in the forest. She ate the fruits, thinking about the next steps of her plan to save Ashlyn.
Tomorrow, the first thing she would do was cross the river, so that she could enter the enchanted forest early in the morning. That would give her plenty of time to find out the location of the magical flower. The first of her worries was the shield, or whatever it was, covering the forest. She needed to make sure that she could pass through it, along with the horse, without any harm to both of them.

She was deep in thought, her mind wandering back to Ashlyn and their memories together as she stared into the fire, feeling its warmth and leaning against a tree. Her eyes started to flutter, as the day’s exhaustion finally started taking a toll on her, and she drifted off into sleep.
“I wish you were here, Ash.” She mumbled, sleepily, before closing her eyes and forgetting about all the worries for the night.

Chapter Text

4. What is Love?
Maddox’s POV

Maddox slowly opened her eyes, as the sun's rays broke through the thick forest canopy, early in the morning. The air was crisp and cold, as Maddox sat up a bit straighter and confusedly took in her surroundings. That’s when she remembered why she was by the river in the forest in the first place, and the reality of the situation dawned on her. She remembered she still had to find a cure and save Ashlyn, and her eyes started getting blurry again.
She sighed deeply, steadying herself, determined not to show weakness when she needed to be brave.
She stood up, looked around, and noticed her wide-awake horse in the same place where she had tied it last night. The river flowed violently beside her, as she decided to get going for the day.

A few minutes later, Maddox was ready to continue the quest ahead, as she mounted the horse and stared at the River.
At times like these, she really wished she would have taken swimming lessons from Ashlyn when they were kids. Now she had to cross the river but didn’t know how to swim.

She decided to keep moving by the edge of the river towards the west, hoping she would soon find a place where the river flow was slow so she could cross it easily and head into the enchanted forest as soon as possible.

The horse kept trotting by the riverside for almost an hour before Maddox noticed something unusual in the distance. There seemed to be a… A bridge?
A wooden bridge was built over the river, which was unexpected. Why would someone build a bridge over a river that was so deep within the forest? More importantly, who? Who would build a bridge to connect the enchanted forest with the regular woods?
It was as if someone wanted creatures from the enchanted forest to come into the regular world, or even worse, Someone wanted normal non-magician people and animals to wander off into the magical forest…

Maddox decided she would ponder upon those questions later before her mind got distracted from the things at hand. For now, she was thankful, and suspicious, of whoever had built the bridge because that would be the way she could go over the river.

She steered the horse towards the bridge and noticed that it was wide and strong enough for the animal to climb over it. Maddox sighed, most of her worries evaporating for the moment.

She urged the horse to climb over the bridge and towards the other side of the river. Soon enough, both of them were on the other bank of the river and Maddox could practically see and feel the aura radiating off the magical shield and the trees lying within the forest.

The temperature had dropped the moment she had reached this side of the river. It was colder and deadly silent. No birds or animals were visible or audible in the woods, even in the daylight. The trees of the forest gave out a mysterious ambiance, the thick canopy of leaves blocking out the sun and casting dark shadows on the surroundings.

Maddox carefully dismounted from the horse, one hand on the sword by her side as she walked toward the magical shield. She raised her hand to touch it, getting uneasy with every passing moment.

She held her breath as she lightly touched the surface of the shield with her shaking fingertips.

Her breath came out in a relieved sigh, and her grip on the sword loosened as her fingers passed right through the shield without any harm or pain. She went back towards her horse, mounting it again as she swiftly entered the forest.

The whole weather changed as soon as she entered through the veil. The sounds of the outside world faded away, leaving her alone in a world of shadow and mystery. The air seemed a bit decaying, the damp, rotting smell and stifling atmosphere already suffocating Maddox.

A chill breeze off the mountain made her shudder, reminding her it was too late to turn back now, and Maddox willed herself to keep moving, the fear of being pounced upon by a creature anytime, lurking over her.
Every rustle of leaves, and every creaking branch made her heart race with fear, and she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was being watched. The trees were thicker and cast unnaturally dark shadows, as the horse kept getting stuck in the thorns around the trees.

If this was the case with the enchanted forest, Maddox was afraid it would be almost impossible to find the flower in a place where she couldn’t even see 10 feet ahead of her properly. She was getting anxious, thinking about what would happen if she had to return to the kingdom empty-handed because she would be unsuccessful in discovering the rose.

Maddox alertly kept moving forward through the mystical trees and shrubs for almost an hour or two, despite the silence and obstacles in their path, when suddenly branches of one of the trees on her left rustled.

Her heart seized for a moment and her body jerked towards the sound, her sword held high, as she heard a cackle and thudding of wings, which was followed by a raven flying out from the trees, soaring and disappearing above the thick canopy of trees.

Maddox breathed out in relief, clutching her chest as she tried to calm her heartbeat in the silence, as the horse kept walking deeper into the forest.

As she moved forward, she noticed her surroundings changing rapidly, the dark and mysterious trees surprisingly giving way to the most beautiful plants and trees Maddox had seen in her life.
The trees seemed more lively than usual, as animals were gradually visible, their voices converting the deadly silence into an enjoyable mixture of noises.
She was not expecting such an exquisite ecosystem to exist within the dark enchanted forest, hidden away from humankind. It was like a whole other world existed inside the dark forest, with resources that weren’t corrupted by people yet.

Maddox was pretty sure the rose must be around her somewhere.

She moved through the beautiful flowers and plants, the sun shining high above her head, in the afternoon sky. The twigs crunching under the horse’s legs, the earthy smell mixed with the scent of wildflowers, calming Maddox down as she relaxed on the horseback.

This continued for almost an hour as Maddox enjoyed the wildlife and plants surrounding her, when suddenly her horse reared, causing Maddox to lean forward and maintain her balance,

“Whoa, there! Joe Jack!” Maddox exclaimed, but the horse didn’t seem to listen to her as it started wandering away from the path in front of them and went deep within the forest, slowly picking up its pace.
Maddox just held on to it, trying to stop it from speeding away into unknown territory. She looked around and suddenly spotted where the animal was taking her.

There was a lake in front of her, surrounded by all types of flowers, fruits, and shrubs. A few animals were moving around it, not even paying attention to the horse coming towards them. This one was a lot smaller than the lake where Ashlyn and her used to hang out.

Speaking of Ashlyn, Maddox remembered the rose, and she started looking around, her eyes wandered off and got stuck on the one particularly large rose, growing away from all the other flowers.
But before she could move the horse that way, it headed straight for the lake and started drinking the water. She dismounted from her horse, and walked towards the rose, after tying Joe Jack on one of the trees closer to the lake, with lush grass around it.

She observed the rose carefully, feeling the magical aura it was giving off as she got closer. There seemed to be another shield around the flower, just like the one that was around the forest, but this one seemed a bit warmer, soft, and harmless.
But Maddox wasn’t going to relax until she had touched the shield herself and had made sure that it was actually harmless. She cautiously raised her hand, and touched the shield, as she felt a warm feeling on her fingertips.

She pulled back and looked at her horse at the edge of the lake, she wouldn’t need it to go get the magical flower. She could walk through the shield and get the flower alone, herself.
This was it. This was the magical rose that would cure Ash. Maddox just had to pluck it and return it safely to the kingdom as soon as possible.
Her hands started shaking as she slowly crossed the magical shield and entered the small, secluded area with the rose standing in its center.

She just needed to get to the rose without messing anything up and make sure Ash was awake and healed as soon as possible. She needed to get her thoughts away from her for a while, she couldn’t fail now. Too much was at stake to even consider the possibility that she would not get the rose after finally getting so close to it.

She stopped near the rose, her heart beating fast as she extended her hand forward in an attempt to hold the rose before plucking it. She grabbed the rose but, to her surprise, the only thing she could feel within her fingers was the thin air.

“No…” Maddox whispered as the realization dawned on her, “No, no, no…” she said, reaching forward to grab the rose and failing miserably as her hands passed straight through the magical flower, again and again.
Just as the soldiers had described, she thought. It was as if the rose was not really there, even if it was visible. She sunk to the ground, unable to reach the rose after trying for what felt like an eternity.

“What am I gonna do now?” she mumbled, holding her head in her hands as she looked down at the ground, “How am I gonna save Ash?” She exclaimed, frustration getting the best of her, as she took out her sword, attempting to slash the flower and see if the sword could touch it, but still it was no luck.

“Shit! What now!?” she shouted, desperate to get the rose and head back to cure Ashlyn as soon as possible.
She was failing. She did fail. She couldn’t get the rose. She couldn’t save Ash. She was helpless, and useless in this situation. The answer to her problem was right in front of her, and still, she couldn’t do anything…

She would do anything to save Ash, and still, couldn’t do anything.

Before she could think any further, she heard a mysterious voice echoing around her.
“What brings you here, traveler?” a woman’s voice asked in a soothing tone,

Maddox looked around as she reached for the sword, which was lying beside her now, and quickly stood up. The voice seemed to be echoing only in the space within the magical shield because the animals visible around her were not affected by it in the slightest.

“Who is it?” she asked, looking around to find the source of the voice.
“I am not going to hurt you. Answer my question first.” The voice said. It seemed as if it was coming from everywhere around her, yet Maddox couldn’t spot anyone.

“I am here for the magical rose,” Maddox answered, still holding her sword and looking around alertly, “Now answer me. Who are you?” she asked in a stern voice,
“I am the spirit of this magical forest, which, as you can see, lies within the dark forest, and away from you humans,” she explained, “As for the rose, you can’t just take it away without my approval. Why do you need it?”

“Why should I tell you?” Maddox asked suspiciously, as she lowered her sword, sure that there was no one around her,
“Do you want the rose or not? I can help you” the voice said, convincing Maddox to tell the truth,

Maddox thought for a moment, before speaking up,
“It’s for my friend. She has been asleep for a week now, and the magicians say that the scent of this rose can cure her. I just want her to wake up and stop her from suffering,” Maddox explained, controlling her emotions as she talked to someone about her worries for Ashlyn for the first time,

“Ah yes. The classic practice of using the rose to reverse the effect of a spell from forbidden magic,” the voice said in an understanding voice, and Maddox could almost feel it nod, “But I can’t just give it away to you. You know there are other ways to cure her, right? That you didn’t have to travel so deep within the woods for a cure?” the voice asked,

“There are?” Maddox asked, surprised and a little intrigued. No one had mentioned any other ways to cure Ashlyn.
If she had known, she would have chosen the one that needed the least amount of time. So she could heal Ashlyn as early as possible.

But if it was not possible to reach this rose, maybe she could try one of the other ways to wake her up.

“Yes.” The voice said, “I mean, there aren’t many. There is just one other way, which is way easier than venturing into an enchanted forest alone. Even though it doesn’t really work in most of the cases, I think your case would have been an exception.”

“What is it?” Maddox questioned, curiosity getting the best of her,

“Oh, you know, the good old-fashioned ‘true love’s kiss’” The voice said, dramatically, “You could have just kissed your friend, and told her that you loved her. She would have woken up in a second, it would have worked because this is obviously what people like to call ‘true love’.” the voice continued, sarcastically, “But nooo, you had to go into the dark forest in search of this flower, risk your life and waste my time,”

“What!?” Maddox exclaimed, bewildered by the voice's ideas and assumptions, “Firstly, I didn’t know about this other way.” She continued, clearing her throat, “Second, I was not going to kiss Ashlyn, she is my friend, not my…girlfriend. Third, I don’t love her romantically, so it wouldn’t have worked anyway. And last, I did not waste your time because I still need the rose.”

“So you mean to tell me that you came into this forest and risked your life for someone who is nothing more than your friend? Are you serious?” the voice asked, not believing a word,

“Yes. And she is not just a friend. She is my best friend.” Maddox's voice caught in her throat, “Sure, she is not and will never be my girlfriend, but yeah I came into the forest for her… because she is important to me… More important than you can imagine…”

There was silence for a moment, before Maddox spoke up, “Enough about the both of us, now tell me. Are you going to give the flower to me or not?”

“No, I’m not. But even if I did, you wouldn’t be able to use it to wake up your friend.” the spirit said, “For her to wake up, you need to make her smell this flower in the world where she is trapped right now." the voice explained, "You couldn’t touch this flower because what you see is just an image occurring due to the fluctuation between the two worlds. The real magical rose is in the same world as your friend.”

“Wait, wait, wait…” Maddox stopped her abruptly, “So you mean to tell me that Ashlyn is in a totally other world right now? Which I didn't even know existed till now? And that she might be in danger at any given moment? And there is no way of knowing if she is okay?” she asked, incredulously, “What the heck is going on!?”

“Yes, you understood correctly. Your friend... Ashlyn, is it? She is in another world. Even if her body is in this world, her consciousness is not here. And as for the dangers, you are correct about that too. You won’t know if she is okay or not, but You will know when she is dead. If she dies in that other world, she will die in the real world too, even though the death might be a little late here, so you could maybe have a chance at saving her.” The voice explained, too excitedly, if you ask Maddox, “But yeah, other than that you’re absolutely correct!”

“No.” Maddox said, her brain slowly catching up to the bizarre things she was hearing, “Wait… No” she said, shaking her head, “I need to save her. I need to save Ashlyn. I can’t let anything happen to her!”
“Please, tell me how to get the rose!” Maddox pleaded to the voice, panicking at the thought of losing Ashlyn in her sleep, at any given moment. She could be in danger even now, and Maddox wouldn’t even know it,

“Are you still sure you can’t just go back and kiss her to wake her up?” The voice questioned in an amused tone,
“For god’s sake, NO!” Maddox said, exasperated, as her face started heating up, “Just tell me how to get the rose, please… I’m worried about her.”

“See those berries over there?” The voice asked, and Maddox wasn’t sure where it was pointing because, duh, it had no hands. She looked around in hopes of spotting some berries, and noticed some on her left,
“Yeah… What about them?”
“Just pluck one of those. They aren’t dangerous, I promise.” The voice answered,

“Okay…” Maddox said, as she slowly walked towards the berries and plucked one of those from the plant, examining it carefully, “What do I do with this now?”

“You say you're worried about your friend, right? And you need the rose to bring her back? I told you that both of those things are in the same world?” The voice explained, as Maddox just nodded, listening intently,
“How would you feel if I sent you there? So, you can make sure your friend is okay, and both of you can find the magical flower together? You just need to head towards the west along the riverside, and then cross the river, and you will soon find the rose.”

“But how do I help her wake up if I get trapped in that world with her?” Maddox asked, holding the berry in front of her,
“You need to find the magical rose, and its scent will bring you back to your bodies in this world if you survive that long. But you would have to be careful,” The voice warned, “Once a person smells the flower, it’ll turn to ashes and there is no other way to return, except the, you know,...”

“Yeah,” Maddox gulped, “How do I trust you?”
“Oh, you don’t,” The voice laughed, “You don’t have any other choice, do you, now?”

There was silence for a moment as Maddox contemplated the situation..
This was her best chance. She could go and save Ash right now, or return and regret it for the rest of her life
If Ashlyn doesn't wake up and something happens to her in her sleep, Maddox would never be able to forgive herself. This was an obvious choice..

“Alright.” Maddox said, taking in a deep breath, “I’m gonna do it,” she nodded, her heart beating loudly in her chest, “I am going to eat this. I’m going to go, meet Ash, make sure she’s fine, find the flower, and save her,”

She stared at the fruit in her hand. This was it. This was finally it. She was going to meet Ashlyn within a few minutes. She had to make sure she was fine.
Her hands shook slightly as she brought the fruit to her mouth, her palms sweaty and breathing rapidly. She would soon be able to talk to Ashlyn, listen to her voice, and see her face.

She started feeling tense as she chewed the fruit and swallowed it.
Nothing happened for a while.

When Maddox was about to say something, her head started turning dizzy and the world around her started spinning around.

“I feel sick,” She stumbled towards the nearest tree and leaned on it, trying to support herself. She slowly slid down, feeling her body tremble as she started sweating rapidly,
“What’s…what’s happening?” she asked in a quivering voice,

“Don’t worry. You’ll be unconscious in a minute or two, and then you’ll wake up in the other world and then you can figure out how to save your friend after meeting her,” she heard the voice say, as she rested her head on the tree trunk, closing her eyes,

Just as Maddox felt herself losing consciousness, she heard something as if it was said from a distance...

“Oh, and also I forgot to tell you, there is only one flower in that world, so only one of you can escape,” The voice said, as it slowly started laughing unusually, the ground shaking beneath Maddox.

…………

“Do you believe in true love?” A fourteen-year-old Ashlyn asked her as they were stargazing from the north tower, the cool air blowing past them and the silence providing comfort.

“No, but…” Maddox continued, “I think once you know a person, and you start liking them, there’s this strange feeling. And then you start caring for them so much that you put the person before yourself and never stop thinking about them.” she paused,
“And if you start loving a person for once, … I don't think you can ever unlove them. Even if you try your best. I think that's what true love is. Knowing a person more than you know yourself, caring about them, and just always being there…”

Ashlyn was quiet for a moment,

“Wow, Maddie. Didn't expect you to be so philosophical,” Ashlyn teased,
“What?” Maddox laughed nervously, “Just because I don't express my feelings out loud, doesn't mean I don't know anything about love.”
“Hmm.” Ashlyn narrowed her eyes at Maddox, “Is there something you're not telling me?”
“No…?” Maddox said, avoiding her gaze,
“Is that a question or a statement…?” Ashlyn kept staring at her suspiciously, making her finally give in.
“Ok. Ok. Fine, there is something…” Maddox began, as Ashlyn looked at her expectantly, signaling her to continue,

“So… there's this girl named Madison, the Marquess's daughter…” Maddox said, “Who might have asked me out,”
“And…?” Ashlyn asked, now sitting up straighter and paying more attention to her next words, “What did you say?”

“I may or may not have said yes to her, and we may or may not be dating,” Maddox mumbled, feeling guilty about not telling her best friend about this before.

But in her defense, she was worried about how Ashlyn would take the news, somehow she felt that telling Ashlyn about her new relationship might hurt her, or she would think they wouldn’t be able to spend as much time together as before.
She was afraid Ashlyn would think that Maddox’s priorities were shifting, which was not the case and would never be the case anyway,

Or maybe deep down, she was just afraid Ashlyn wouldn’t care or be upset at all, and she just hoped it would at least affect Ashlyn.

“Oh,” Ashlyn whispered, slightly slumping in her position,
(Ashlyn couldn't explain the twisted feeling in her chest. She should be happy for Maddox. She was happy, but there was something else there that she couldn't understand yet… )

Maddox kept looking at Ashlyn, puzzled by her unenthusiastic response.

“I'm so happy for you! You finally found someone who makes you happy!” Ashlyn exclaimed, trying to mask her initial reaction, “I was just shocked, I didn't expect it, you know. That you would randomly tell me about your… Girlfriend”
“You make me happy too, Ash.” Maddox said, putting her warm hand on top of hers, “But it's just… This is different… I think… Sorry for not telling you before, I just didn’t know how. ”

“Yeah… It’s okay. I know,” Ashlyn said, a smile appearing on her face, which didn’t reach her eyes.

They kept talking for a while, Maddox talking about her relationship with Madison, Jet, and their usual playful quarreling, and the issues of the kingdom for a while as Ashlyn listened to her, but Maddox thought she seemed a bit distracted and distant.

Then Ashlyn talked about how EJ wouldn’t let her get away from the memory of that time when she had nearly fallen off the horseback during lessons,
“It was one time, Maddie! One time!” she explained, “As if I haven’t defeated him a hundred times in sword fight till now,” she grumbled and Maddox chuckled in response, as she patted her cheek before squeezing it softly,

“You’re so cute when you’re grumpy,” She said, making Ashlyn laugh softly with her,
“See, I made you laugh!” Maddox grinned, making Ashlyn roll her eyes playfully,
“Yeah, okay…” she blushed,

After a while, their conversation shifted toward the night sky and the stars, and Maddox stared at her fondly as Ashlyn kept rambling about the different constellations,

“You really like the stars, don’t you?” Maddox asked once Ashlyn stopped her cute rambling.
“Yes. I mean, just think about it, they look so beautiful and shiny. And the moon…” Ashlyn spoke in pure excitement and awe as her eyes shined, “The moon is always there. Sure, It sometimes disappears, but it always returns, I think that’s what I like about it the most. It lights up the whole world in the darkness, like a beacon of hope. You know what I mean?” she asked, and Maddox nodded in response, small smile on her face with her eyes still on Ashlyn,

“It always makes me feel calm, and I feel happy and peaceful whenever I’m under the stars,” she said, as she looked back at Maddox, “Especially when I’m stargazing with you.”

They both smiled as they stared into each other’s eyes, for a moment too long before Maddox spoke up, “Yeah. I know what you mean. Being with you makes me calm too, especially under the stars,”

They both looked away and turned to look at the sky above them, with shining stars and moon, before Maddox stole one more glance towards Ashlyn.

They fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments, before Ashlyn suddenly blurted out…
“Do you love her?”
“Uh… What?” Maddox asked, confused
“Do you… love… Madison?” Ashlyn asked again, something about her voice seemed vulnerable making Maddox guilty, even though she couldn't understand why.

“I'm not sure, Ash. But I don't think so. At least not yet…” Maddox said, truthfully.
She just didn't feel right with Madison. Deep down she knew, that whatever they had going on was temporary and maybe Madison knew it too.

“Oh, okay. So, not an expert on love just yet.” Ashlyn returned to their playful conversation…
And everything suddenly started turning dark.

…………

Maddox woke up, gasping for air.

She immediately covered her eyes with her hand, squinting as the bright sunlight directly fell onto her face. She slowly sat up and looked around, finding herself at a riverbank, a large forest beside her.

Her sword was still with her, along with some of her knives, tools, and the flint and steel in her pocket. She was sure those would be helpful in the coming times, especially during the night in these woods.

Well, now that she was here, she didn’t know what to do. She should have figured out a strategy to find Ashlyn before eating the fruit and looking for the rose. Now she had no choice but to keep walking by the riverside, and believe that the voice wasn’t lying.
She couldn’t even swim to the other side. She wished she would have taken swimming lessons from Ash as kids, for the second time that day.

She vaguely remembered some part of her conversation with a mysterious voice in the forest. She was sure it told her to keep walking west, following the river until eventually she would have to cross it.

She couldn’t remember any other parts of the conversation, despite trying hard enough to remember, which eventually led to her starting to feeling dull pain in her head, and her vision turning slightly blurry for a moment.

She shook her head and decided to focus on the problem at hand first. She started walking along the riverside, hoping to meet Ashlyn as soon as possible.

She moved forward for almost half an hour when suddenly, as her line of sight followed the clear water flowing in the river, she noticed a small cottage in the dense forest in the distance, that looked like it had been abandoned for a while.
Maybe she could rest there for a while, or ask for a shelter if someone lived there. Who knew, maybe she could even find Ashlyn in there!

She chuckled at her foolishness, as she let her thoughts run wild. As if it would be that easy to find Ashlyn in this huge forest. There was no way Ashlyn would be in there, but she still hoped her assumptions and wild thoughts were right and she would soon meet Ashlyn.

She laughed bitterly, as she resumed her walk towards the cottage in the west…

She decided to start her quest to find Ashlyn from there. It was a good start, maybe Ashlyn would be in there too?

Chapter Text

5. Reunited…
Ashlyn’s POV

Ashlyn sat by the cottage at the edge of the flowing river, deep in thought, as she tended to her wounds in the afternoon sun. She was still confused, A LOT, about what was happening. She didn’t even know how many days she had been in this forest by now, she lost count somewhere around day four.
The last thing she remembered before waking up in this mysterious forest was heading towards the lake beside the palace that day. After she had received Maddox’s letter stating that she would be coming to meet her.

Maddox… Ashlyn was so excited to meet her. They were going to meet after so many years. So many years of writing letters, and so many years of missing each other, missing out on the things going on in each other’s lives. Maddox was even the ruler of a whole kingdom now, and Ashlyn wanted to hear all about it. But now she was stuck in this stupid forest, who knows how far away from the kingdom. No one was around, she had no idea how far she was from her home. She missed her home, she missed EJ, Gina, and everyone else. She missed Maddox, even if they hadn’t even met yet.

Ashlyn wondered if things between them would change now that they had both grown up. Would Maddox still think of Ashlyn as her best friend? Would they still talk to each other and tease each other exactly the way they used to when they were kids?
Or would growing up turn one of her truest friendships into something that was just a formality? Had Maddox changed since their last meeting? Would she even like Ashlyn now?
Many questions surrounded Ashlyn’s head before her mind came back to the present, and she decided to worry about the problem at hand first.

She didn’t know how or why she got here, but one thing she knew for sure was that if she wanted to go home, she needed to defeat that dragon in her way. The one that had given her so many wounds over the past few days.
Ashlyn was deep in thought as she pulled the sleeve up on her right arm and unwrapped the bandages around her wound. It seemed to have healed quite a lot since the last time she tended to it, so there was no need to wrap it up now. She was probably ready to face the dragon once again, she thought as she examined the wound.

Her mind wandered back to the same question she had been getting since she got stuck here. How did this happen? Why did this happen? What was she even referring to as ‘this’ when she had no idea what was going on with her? Ashlyn was sure, there was no way she came here on her own. Someone or something must be responsible for this. Maybe even a form of Forbidden Magic was involved, if she was right.
At first, it all felt so surreal that Ashlyn had thought it was all a dream, but the moment the dragon injured her for the first time, she knew. She knew it wasn’t a dream, and she was somehow really stuck in this forest, perhaps forever, if she did not find a way out of it. It felt as if she was stuck in her own dream... or maybe a whole other world.

She had decided not to think about what was going on and just focus on defeating the dragon, because she was sure the more she thought about it, the more she would be driven to find the truth. She was afraid she might even go crazy thinking about it when she had no one to talk to. So she decided to just go with whatever was going on and defeat the dragon as her first priority.

She had decided to take shelter in an abandoned cottage by the riverside, which thankfully seemed to have a lot of supplies and weapons she could use.
Ashlyn was tired of fighting the creature again and again. She had been failing miserably every single time she needed to defeat the dragon. Maybe because she couldn’t penetrate its thick scales with only a sword or because she couldn’t use a bow and arrow, as she sucked at Archery. The fire coming from its mouth didn’t help to make the task any easier, either.

She wished she would have taken Archery lessons from Maddox seriously before they stopped after that one incident, despite Maddox's protest.
But in her defense, she would always get distracted by something... or someone. And she was afraid Maddox might get injured once again in an attempt to teach her. Memories returned to her as she started thinking about Maddox yet again…

…………

“Alright, let’s get started!” A thirteen-year-old Maddox said, excitedly, as she picked up her bow and a quiver full of arrows. Ashlyn followed her, not as excited as her, but still happy to be spending time with her.
Maddox had finally convinced Ashlyn to take Archery lessons from her, after learning that Ash had absolutely no idea how to draw a bow or shoot an arrow. Not that Ashlyn hated archery or anything, she just didn’t have any wish to get lectured by her best friend about a sport she didn’t like that much, but she couldn’t say no to Maddox. Not when she looked so happy and excited to teach her favorite sport to Ashlyn.
So here they were after Maddox had used her finest technique to finally convince Ashlyn, which were her big brown eyes. Maddox looking at Ashlyn with those hopeful, shining brown eyes was enough to make the latter give in.

“Fine, how do we start?’ Ashlyn asked, trailing behind Maddox as she headed towards the Archery Target that stood in the center and set up the quiver on the ground.
They were in Maddox’s parents’ kingdom as Ashlyn was visiting them, for the second time this year. They were standing in the roofless, empty gymnasium in the south of the palace, as the sun shone brightly over their heads.

“First, I’ll show you how to hold the bow and demonstrate the process properly. Then you can try it yourself, I’ll help you to shoot the first time,” Maddox said, smiling at Ashlyn with her eyes shining the way they did every time she talked about something she loved. Ashlyn couldn’t help herself as she smiled back, looking at her enthusiasm,
“Okay, go ahead,” Ashlyn gestured towards the Target,

“So first, you need to stand like this,” Maddox said, as she stood in the typical Archery stance,
“Keep your legs parallel to the shooting line, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your legs should be straight, don’t bend your knees, and lean a little forward,” she demonstrated, standing perpendicular to the target as Ashlyn listened carefully,
“Got it?” Ashlyn nodded, and Maddox continued, “Now, you need to nock the arrow to your bowstring,” she said, lifting the bow with her left hand, drawing one arrow out of her quiver, and attaching it to the string with such easiness, “Then draw back the string with your index finger above the arrow, and middle and ring finger below it, continue until it reaches your ear,” she explained further, as she drew back the string, the arrow attached to it, and stared at the Target ahead with full concentration.

Ashlyn stared at her, noticing the way Maddox’s arm muscles slightly flexed in the afternoon sun as she held the string back firmly, aiming, and sweat covered her body. Her hair flew slightly in front of her face as a gust of wind blew past them, and Ashlyn felt the world around her slowing down as she kept looking, at Maddox. She looked so amazing while she was practicing Archery, Ashlyn felt relieved that she didn’t miss this opportunity to see Maddox. Sure, she had seen Maddox practicing before, but she had never paid much attention while she used her bow, and her short-sleeved shirt didn’t make it any easier for Ashlyn to stop her staring.

“Hey, you still here?” Maddox asked, glancing at her before looking back towards the target,
“Yeah, yeah!” Ashlyn exclaimed, shaking herself out of her daze,
“As I was saying, now you just aim and release,” Maddox said, as she let go of the string, and the arrow flew swiftly, hitting the bull’s eye of the Target. Maddox just lowered her bow and smiled at Ashlyn, sweetly, heading towards her,
“Your turn,” She said, handing the bow to her,
“Wow, Maddie. You are amazing, like, You are literally the best archer I’ve ever seen,” Ashlyn said, in astonishment, as she grabbed Maddox's hand unknowingly, to show her excitement,
“Thanks, Ash,” Maddox mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck with her other hand, as she slightly squeezed Ashlyn’s hand, her ears turning red, “Now let’s make sure you get at least decent in Archery,” she said, as she led Ashlyn towards the target,

“Do I have to?” Ashlyn groaned, even when she knew there was no escape, as Maddox practically dragged her towards the place.
“Yes, you have to,” Maddox said, as she made Ashlyn stand perpendicular to the Target, her legs parallel to the shooting line and making sure her stance was right, “I can’t have people say that the best friend of the ‘Best Archer’ can’t even shoot an arrow properly,” she teased,
“I knew I shouldn’t have complimented you,” Ashlyn mumbled, rolling her eyes,
“But you did,” Maddox smirked, “Okay, now nock the arrow to the string and pull back. Don’t draw abruptly, or your arm muscles might get hurt,” Maddox warned, as she walked around and came up behind Ashlyn, nocking an arrow to the string and keeping her hands slightly hovering over Ashlyn’s.

Ashlyn couldn’t concentrate on drawing back the string or the target as she felt Maddox's warm breath on her neck, making her shiver. But she pulled back slowly with as much power as she could without straining her arm too much,
“Good. Just lift this arm a little up,” She heard Maddox’s voice a little too close to her ear, as Maddox slightly adjusted her arm that was drawing the string, “You’re comfortable, right? Or should I-”
Ashlyn just shook her head, “No, no! It’s fine,” she exclaimed, her voice coming out high-pitched in the situation, as Maddox wrapped her arm over Ash’s and stabilized the slightly shaking bow.
Ashlyn's head turned towards Maddox, but she did not expect to see Maddox's face so close to hers. She stared at Maddox, as she noticed Maddox's eyes darting to her lips before quickly looking back into her eyes. Ashlyn got lost in those brown eyes, and she could feel the warmth radiating off of Maddox as they kept staring at each other.
Suddenly, Maddox cleared her throat, and mumbled, "Okay," looking away from her towards the bow, and making Ashlyn snap out of her stupor. Ashlyn looked back towards the target, suddenly hyperaware of Maddox's touch over her arms and hands, her breaths coming out shaky, as her heartbeat seemed to have increased.

“Now, you just aim, and release. But be sure to bend your arm a little or the string might slap onto your forearm, and trust me, it hurts” Maddox said, just when Ashlyn released the string, not being able to hold on any longer due to the pressure of the string as well as Maddox’s arm slightly brushing against her, and the feeling of her warm breath over her skin.

But before she could understand what was happening, Maddox had put her left arm slightly in front of Ashlyn’s, taking the bow from her as the arrow hit a corner of the target and the string slapped onto Maddox’s forearm. Ashlyn’s eyes widened, as she moved a bit backward, realizing what had just happened.
Maddox had removed Ashlyn’s hand from the bow before the string could injure her, and taken the hit herself. Protecting Ashlyn and hurting herself in the process instead.

“Ow!” Maddox exclaimed, as she sunk to her knees, bending forward and head bent low. The bow fell out of her left hand as she held onto her forearm with her right hand, grimacing in pain, her brown hair falling over her face.
“Shit! Are you hurt?” Ashlyn exclaimed, as she quickly kneeled down beside Maddox, brushing the hair out of her face, and looking into her eyes. She wasn’t crying yet, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t hurt. Ashlyn knew Maddox hated crying in front of others and never showed any weakness unless the pain was completely unbearable for her.

“I’m fine,” Maddox gritted through her teeth as she squeezed her eyes shut, and bent down again, not looking at her, holding a hand tightly over the skin of her left forearm.

“You don’t look fine, let me see,” Ashlyn mumbled, as she slowly removed Maddox’s hand and took her forearm into her hands, examining it. It was turning slightly red, that must be where the string had slapped her arm, Ashlyn thought as she softly touched the bruise with her fingertips, running them over the bruise. Maddox suddenly flinched, taking her arm back and holding it tightly again, as tears swelled up in her eyes,

“It’s fine really. This happens a lot more times than you can imagine, I’m used to this. Don’t worry,” she said, in a wavering voice, squeezing her arm, probably to stop the pain.

“No, you’re not fine. I’m really sorry. I don’t care how many times this has happened before, I’m not going to let you just sit here and not treat it properly,” Ashlyn said, as she slowly helped Maddox get to her feet, and moved her towards the seat on the sides, one hand around her shoulder, and other supporting her injured arm,
“Don’t be sorry, Ash. It wasn’t your fault,” Maddox mumbled, as they sat down, and Ashlyn took her arm into her hands again and kept the wet cloth she had soaked earlier over it. Maddox flinched again, as she sucked in a sharp breath, trying to pull her arm away, but Ash held onto it this time,

“Don’t pull back. I know, it’s hurting, but this will help you reduce the pain, trust me,” Ashlyn said, not letting go of her arm. Maddox just nodded, trying her best to stay still while Ashlyn took care of her injury, “And it was my fault, Maddie. You wouldn’t have gotten hurt if I had followed your instructions. So I SHOULD be sorry,” Ashlyn said, glancing at Maddox before returning her gaze to the injury,

“You don’t have to be sorry, it was your first time trying to shoot an arrow, and almost everyone who uses a bow for the first time gets hurt due to the string if they don’t grab it properly.” Maddox explained, trying to convince Ashlyn, “It’s just that I moved my arm forward so you wouldn’t get hurt. So it wasn’t your fault,”

“But you didn’t have to,” Ashlyn mumbled softly, looking at Maddox now.
She didn’t like the way Maddox always protected her, even when the latter got hurt in the process, but at the same time, she couldn’t understand what she felt every time Maddox gave her so much significance. It made Ashlyn feel things she couldn’t understand, and Ashlyn liked knowing what was going on with her. So she was always confused when Maddox mentioned how important she was to her.

“I HAD to, Ash,” Maddox said, with so much conviction as she looked into Ashlyn’s eyes, “Was I just supposed to let you get hurt?” Maddox continued, shaking her head, “Not a chance,”

They stared at each other, neither one breaking eye contact before Ashlyn spoke up,
“We’ll talk about this later, just know that I am not going to let you do anything like this again, as long as it’s within my control. Now let’s get you inside and heal that arm of yours,” She said, wrapping the cold cloth around Maddox’s arm, and getting up from their places.
She was not going to let Maddox get hurt again because of her. She knew she would do anything for Maddox, but that didn’t mean she would let her best friend do anything for her too.
“As you wish, princess,” Maddox teased, as she stood up from her place, following a now blushing Ashlyn,

“By the way, Ash?” she spoke up in a sincere voice, making Ashlyn look at her.
“Thank you for taking care of my injury,” She mumbled, smiling at her, and Ash felt satisfied with herself for making her best friend smile, despite the injury on her arm.
“It’s not a big deal, Maddie,” Ashlyn said, patting her on the back as both of them headed back towards the palace, and it was Maddox’s turn to blush.

…………

Ashlyn sighed, remembering one of her favorite memories with Maddox, except the accident and the injury. Just as she was about to head back into the abandoned cottage to rest for the day, after pulling down her sleeve to cover her healing wound, her vision followed the riverside, and she noticed someone walking towards her. She looked at the approaching figure carefully, it looked a lot like…

Oh god, was she hallucinating now? Had she finally gone crazy?

There was no way Maddox was right in front of her, approaching her in the forest. In the middle of nowhere, in a world that she wasn’t sure even existed in the first place. It was as if she had teleported Maddox here, by thinking too much about her. Ashlyn was sure either she was hallucinating, or this was some kind of sorcery.

Maddox stopped right in front of her, and even though Ashlyn was suspicious of her, she couldn't help but notice and be in awe of her features.
Her brown hair was flowing along with the wind. She was wearing battle armor, a sword by her side as if she was heading somewhere dangerous. Her brown eyes, with slight black in the center, shone with tears as she looked at Ashlyn, a shocked and happy expression on her face, that spoke a million words. Ashlyn had been so nervous for this exact moment, meeting Maddox after many years and finding out that things had changed. She just hoped she would be wrong and things would be the same between them, despite the distance and time.

“Ash…?” Maddox whispered, taking a few steps towards her. Ashlyn’s breath caught, and her heartbeat fastened, a wave of satisfaction flowing through her body. Hearing Maddox’s soft voice after what felt like an eternity was having some serious effects on her.

But she still wasn’t sure if it was really Maddox, no matter how familiar she looked, how familiar she felt.

“Wait!” Ashlyn said, holding her sword in front of her, making Maddox abruptly stop coming towards her, “Don’t take a step further,” she warned,
“Ash, it’s me. Maddox.” Maddox said, trying to convince her, as she held her hands up, “Don’t you… don’t you remember me?” she asked, in a weak voice. Ashlyn was tempted to hug her then and there, but she controlled herself.
“I remember you, Maddie,” Ashlyn said, lowering her sword just a little, “But… How do I know it’s you?”
“Ash, c’mon. Of course, it’s me…”

“No.” Ashlyn didn’t budge,
“Tell me something only both of us know,” she said. If this was her Maddox, there were many things she could say that would assure Ashlyn that it was really her,

“Okay…” Maddox paused, “Uh… I can’t swim!” she exclaimed,
“Everyone knows that,”
“You can’t use a bow and arrow,” Maddox said, fidgeting with her hands, as Ashlyn noticed her getting more and more impatient,
“Ok,” Ashlyn said. She had to agree, that was a good point, but not good enough, “Maybe one more thing…”
“Ugh… Fine!” Maddox exclaimed, looking like she was about to cry and clearly getting impatient by now, “You almost drowned me the first time we met!”

“Okay, it’s you.” Ashlyn lowered her sword and Maddox quickly cleared the distance between them as she rushed toward her,
Ashlyn still wasn’t a hundred percent sure it was Maddox, but she had to grudgingly agree because no one other than them knew about their first meeting at the lake.

Maddox gently grabbed her shoulders, while Ashlyn just stood still, looking at her in a daze,
Maddox was scanning her face, her teary eyes shining with worry and something unrecognizable as she asked softly, “Are you okay?”
Ashlyn just nodded in response, as Maddox's eyes darted all over her face again, seeming restless.

“C’mere” Maddox whispered, pulling her in for a hug, as she wrapped her arms around her neck.
Ashlyn happily obliged, wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her face in Maddox’s hair. That’s when all the doubt evaporated from her mind. This wasn’t a trick or a hallucination, Maddox was really here, Ashlyn thought as she breathed in her warm embrace.
She knew it the moment she felt Maddox’s arms around herself. Maddox held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. There was no other feeling like being held close by her best friend after so many long years, she always made her feel safe and happy since their childhood, no matter the situation.
She made her feel important, Ashlyn thought as she tightened her hold around Maddox, not wanting to end the moment.

“It’s really you, Maddie,” Ashlyn whispered in her hair, closing her eyes, tears threatening to spill, as she breathed in, shaking with happiness.
“It’s you,” she repeated, pulling away from the hug to take a clear look at Maddox’s face, which now had a huge smile on, with teary eyes, “Not that I am not happy to see you, but how did you get here? Why are you even here?” she asked, looking into her eyes as she held her close.

“I promised I would come to meet you, Ash. You know, I never break my promises. So, I’m here. I came here for you, I need to get you out of here.” Maddox explained, with shining eyes and a smile that Ashlyn thought was definitely cute,

“But you’re okay, right? You aren’t hurt?” Maddox asked, worriedly,
“I’m mostly fine,” she lied, avoiding Maddox’s gaze, and failing miserably,

“What do you mean mostly?” Maddox narrowed her eyes, “You’re hurt, aren’t you?” she asked, pulling away from the hug and looking Ashlyn up and down, searching for any signs of blood or injury, “Where is it?”

“It’s fine now,” Ashlyn said, waving it off. It was no big deal, she didn’t know why Maddox was being so serious and overprotective, just like she used to be when they were kids. Maybe she hadn’t changed much since their childhood…
“Show me,” Maddox said, stubbornly,
“Fine,” Ashlyn whined, “At least, let’s go inside first…?”
“Ok,” Maddox said, following her, as Ashlyn led both of them inside.

The rustic cottage emanated an uneasy aura with its weathered wooden beams and stone fireplace surrounded by climbing vines.
Its cracked windows let in the sunlight that illuminated the surrounding space. The cottage wasn’t in a perfect state, as the moss-covered roof blended harmoniously with the natural surroundings and plants took over the walls. Dust covered the surroundings as Ashlyn noticed Maddox taking in the space, and her surroundings

“So, how is it?” Ashlyn asked as Maddox looked around before meeting her eyes,
“Don’t try to change the subject, Ash. Show me that wound,” Maddox said, looking right through her attempt,
“You aren’t going to let me get away from that one, are you?” Ashlyn sighed as she pulled up her right sleeve and showed her the small injury on her arm,

Maddox held her arm and examined the wound closely, running her fingers over it, sending shivers down Ashlyn’s arm due to the contact.

“It’s not…too bad,” she said, looking up into her eyes, “Does it hurt?” Ashlyn shook her head, and Maddox continued, “How did this happen?”
“It happened during a fight… With a dragon”
“A what now?” Maddox exclaimed with wide eyes,

“A dragon,” Ashlyn nodded, “It’s in the path and doesn’t let anyone pass through, so it needs to be defeated if I have to go that way. And there are mountains on the other side, so there’s no other way if I have to make any progress at all,” she explained,

“Which way is that? The path in which the dragon intervenes?” Maddox asked,
“Hmm…” Ashlyn thought for a moment before answering, “West. Along the river’s edge,”
“Of course, it is,” Maddox mumbled, rolling her eyes, and Ashlyn figured she was annoyed and angry,

“Why? What happened?” Ashlyn asked, confused by the girl’s reaction,
“That’s the same direction we need to go” Maddox explained, “The rose is beyond the river’s edge, which is definitely why there is a dragon in the way.” she sighed, “Of course, it wasn’t going to be an easy task,”

Ashlyn just stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded, before she spoke, “Uh… are you going to tell me what’s going on? You know how I ended up here? The rose?”
Maddox raised her eyebrows, “Oh, I forgot! Of course, You don’t know… ” she paused, “So, long story short…”

…

“Wait, so… I have been asleep for a week? And I am trapped in this other world? The only way for me to wake up is the magical rose? Which is beyond the dragon, somewhere on the other side of the river? This isn’t all a dream? Do you know who did this?” Ashlyn bombarded Maddox with lots of questions, everything slowly sinking in as Maddox told her everything that had happened till now.
She couldn’t believe the things she was hearing. How did she even get trapped in this world? Who trapped her in this world anyway, and why?

“Woah, woah, woah,” Maddox chuckled, “I know you’re a little confused right now, but take it easy. I’m here now, we’re together. It’ll be fine” she assured Ashlyn, which didn’t seem to work, as Ashlyn kept spiraling.
How could this even happen? All of this was real. Obviously, she knew it was, the injury on her arm was live proof that this wasn’t just her imagination. But still, it was all too much for her to understand at once.
Most importantly, Maddox was right in front of her after almost five years, even if the circumstances were a bit weird. Ashlyn was just happy to see her face and hear her voice after so long.

“As for your questions, Yes, you’ve been asleep for almost a week now, and you’re trapped in this world, but no worries! We’ll get out of it soon. Also, yes, the rose is the only way to wake you up, other than…” Maddox paused as if she wanted to say something more, but apparently, she thought against it and continued, “Never mind. And no, this isn’t a dream, it’s real, and we don’t know who did this. But trust me, once I find out who did this to you…” Maddox muttered, as she clenched her fist, “Let’s just say, there are gonna be some serious consequences…”

“One more thing,” Ashlyn said, as she put her hand on top of Maddox’s clenched fist, in an attempt to calm her down, which seemed to have worked.
She unclenched her fist and intertwined their fingers, her ears turning slightly red, probably due to anger, Ashlyn thought.

“You ventured into the Enchanted forest all by yourself to find a cure, for me?” she asked softly, gazing into Maddox's bright brown eyes, and getting lost in them.

She didn’t know what she was feeling after learning that Maddox had risked her own life to save Ashlyn, even when the chances of being successful were slim to none. Maddox shouldn’t be doing this for her, Ashlyn didn’t deserve this much care and attention from her best friend. She wondered what Maddox told her girlfriend, Madison, about this? Maddox didn’t have any obligation to come and save her. Not when she could have just returned to her kingdom and spent all this valuable time with Madison, Ashlyn thought, a lump forming in her throat.

“Well, yeah,” Maddox said, averting her gaze, “I mean, you’re my best friend, I couldn’t just let you stay asleep, and get trapped god knows where,” she mumbled, “I wasn’t sure if you were fine, and I was so worried that I couldn’t-”
Ashlyn cut her off as she pulled her in for a brief hug, “Thank you,” she whispered, pulling back,
“It’s no big deal, Ash,” Maddox said, shyly.

There was a moment of silence, as they stared at each other.
“So…” Ashlyn said, as the surrounding air suddenly turned awkward for unknown reasons, “What do we do now?”

Maddox thought for a moment, and Ashlyn wondered what she was thinking about, “The first step to finding the rose is obviously defeating the dragon,” she said, thoughtfully, “But you tried it already, right?” she asked, sitting down in the corner of the old cottage,

“Yeah,” Ashlyn nodded, “But then I was alone. Now I have you,” she smiled,
Ashlyn had tried to defeat the dragon all by herself when she couldn’t even use a bow and arrow. Yes, she had gotten a small win when she had injured the dragon's wing, so it couldn’t fly anymore. But that didn’t make the job any easier. It was still a dragon, after all. Not just any dragon, it was a fire-breathing dragon.

“Yeah, but what can two people do against a freaking dragon?” Maddox asked,
“You will help a lot in defeating the dragon,” Ashlyn replied, as she sat down beside Maddox,
“You literally have zero proof to back that theory up,” Maddox said, raising her eyebrows questioningly, looking at Ashlyn,
“I’m sorry. Can I just believe in the potential of my incredibly smart, wildly talented best friend?” Ashlyn questioned, dramatically gesturing with her hands,
“You forgot gorgeous,” Maddox pouted, tilting her head, and making Ashlyn chuckle,
“You managed to be extremely humble for about five seconds. It’s a new record.” Ashlyn nodded. Maddox laughed, making Ashlyn’s heart flutter for a moment, and she felt relieved that she wasn’t alone anymore.

“But seriously,” Ashlyn said, “I think we can defeat the dragon if we try a bit harder. Probably the best archer in the continent, and the most incredible swordfighter people have seen, together.” Ashlyn said, making Maddox chuckle as she fondly rolled her eyes,

There was no denying it. Ashlyn might not be good at archery, but Maddox was the best she had seen, and Ashlyn herself was quite good at fighting with a sword, even if it might not be much help while fighting a dragon.

“Thanks for the compliment, but I’m far from the best.” Maddox smiled, “But I can’t say the same for my best friend. You really are the most expert swordfighter I’ve seen,” she said, and Ashlyn could feel her face getting hot,
“We can try to defeat it if you insist. But not today. I want you to be completely healed before we do something that dangerous,”

“But I’m fine now,” Ashlyn groaned, trying to convince Maddox, “I wasn’t that hurt in the first place, anyway,”
“Still, no,” Maddox said, “You might be fine, but let’s just rest today. For me?” she looked at Ashlyn with those big brown eyes that she couldn't say no to.
“Okay,” she sighed, trying to control her smile, as she dramatically pushed Maddox's face away with her palm, making the latter snicker.

“God, I’m so happy I found you after going into the forest. I don’t regret it even a bit, now that I’m here,” Maddox sighed, “You have no idea how much I missed this,” she said, gesturing between the both of them,
Ashlyn smiled, “Me too. I missed you so much,” she smiled, glancing at Maddox,

“Alright. Let’s rest for the day, and think about how to defeat that dragon later,” Maddox said after a moment, as she stood up from her place, “Do you have any weapons or tools in here? Because if you want me to fight the creature, I haven’t really brought my bow and arrows,”
“Of course, you haven’t,” Ashlyn said, rolling her eyes as she stood up, “It’s like your head is empty half of the time. What do you even think about all the time?” she teased,

“You,” Maddox mumbled, catching Ashlyn off guard,
“W-what?” she asked, stammered as she tried to control the blush creeping on her cheeks,

“I mean, I was thinking about how to rescue you and all that, so I kinda didn’t remember to ensure that I had all the weapons before I came here,” Maddox explained, hurriedly,
“Oh, okay,” Ashlyn said.
“Yeah,”

Of course, Maddox didn’t mean anything else when she said that she was thinking about Ashlyn. Her thoughts about Ash were obviously just friendly because they were best friends. Why would Maddox think of her all the time, when she had a girlfriend who she could be happy with, Ashlyn thought, as she felt a weird twisted feeling in her gut.

She didn’t know why she felt sad, whenever she thought of Maddox’s girlfriend, ever since that night on the tower when she found out Maddox was in a relationship with someone. Maybe she was just afraid Maddox being with someone would result in both of them being distant.
Perhaps she hoped that she was the one Maddox should be with- Wait, what!? No, that wasn’t it. Ashlyn was sure she liked Maddox only as a friend, and she knew the feeling was mutual. She was only jealous because she was afraid Maddox would move away from her due to Madison. As a friend, of course.

That must be it, she did not like Maddox romantically, she told herself. Madison was one lucky girl, Ash thought, as Maddox just looked at her.

“C’mon, let me show you some of the weapons that I found in here,” Ashlyn said, trying to change the subject as she left the space, Maddox following her closely behind, and silence overtook their conversation,

“Whose house is this anyway?” Maddox asked as Ashlyn led them into a much smaller room behind the one they had been in before,
“I know as much as you do,” Ashlyn shrugged, “I woke up near the river a few miles away from here, and then I just started walking away from the mountains. That’s when I found it,” she explained,
“It seems to be abandoned,” Maddox said, looking around at the dust-covered things in the room,

“I didn’t think so at first when I came here, because a torch and the fireplace were burning in the living room. So I figured someone lived here. But when I waited, and no one returned even at night, it was certain that no one was around,” She said, grabbing a bow lying against one of the walls, and handing it to Maddox, “How about this one?” she asked,
“Seems a bit weird,” Maddox muttered, as she examined the bow, playing with its string for a while. She raised the bow, pulling the string up to her cheek, testing the strength of the weapon, and Ashlyn thought she never looked more breathtaking than she did when she was in her Archer mode. But she wasn’t going to admit that to Maddox and stroke her ego.

“It’s fine, but I’ll probably need some time to get used to this one,” Maddox said, as she glanced at Ashlyn, raising one of her eyebrows,
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, her face turning slightly red, and Ashlyn realized that she was smiling while staring at Maddox,

She shook herself out of her daze, before answering, “Nothing I just remembered the time when you were teaching Archery to me,” she chuckled,

“Hey, why are you laughing?” Maddox said, playfully punching her shoulder, “I literally got hurt because of you that day, and then you didn’t even continue learning. I’m truly wounded,” She said, dramatically keeping a hand over her heart,
“I didn’t continue because I was sure you would get hurt again. And you wouldn’t have gotten hurt if you hadn't tried to stop me from getting injured. But you just had to go and be the hero,” Ashlyn said, shaking her head,

“So I was just supposed to watch you get hurt?” Maddox laughed with disbelief, “In your dreams, Ash. How do you expect me to not save you when you’re in danger, however big it may be. You’re my best friend,” she emphasized, as if that was enough explanation for her behavior.

Ashlyn was so confused, why did Maddox think Ash was so important? So important, that she had just said she would even risk her life for Ashlyn. She said that so easily, as if there were no second thoughts as if it was her natural instinct.
Ashlyn tried her best to feel unaffected by this, as Maddox continued, “And I am a hero after all, so I’m always going to save you, whether you like it or not” She grinned,

Ashlyn opened her mouth, trying to counter her, but she couldn’t think of a way to change Maddox’s mind, especially when she knew how stubborn she was, “I’m not going to let you get hurt again, trying to save me,” she said, in a serious tone,
“We’ll see,” Maddox smirked, before she changed the subject, “What about the arrows?” she asked looking around the small room,

“There are a few quivers full of arrows in here. It’s really weird how this cottage in the middle of nowhere had this many tools and weapons even when it’s abandoned,” Ashlyn wondered out loud, as she handed one of the quivers full of arrows to Maddox,

“Yeah, you’re right. It all feels a little suspicious, don’t you think?” Maddox continued, as she placed one of the arrows on her bow, “It almost feels like this was all staged, the sleeping spell, this cottage, the dragon. We need to find out who is behind all of this,” She said, looking at Ashlyn,

“I did think about that, but no one seems to come to my mind. His majesty doesn’t have many enemies, and those who are against our kingdom don’t have any magicians who can perform forbidden magic,” Ashlyn explained, not trying to think about how amazing Maddox looked with a bow as her eyes darted all over Maddox,

“That’s what I was thinking, too. I mean, why would someone try to hurt you? You are always so kind and nice to everyone. If someone really wanted revenge against His Majesty, Cash Caswell, wouldn’t they attack EJ first? Since he’s the crown prince? No offense” Maddox asked, but Ashlyn's mind was distracted by something else, that was the compliments Maddox had given her, unknowingly.

“None taken, and Yeah, that’s a good point,” Ashlyn said, “Maybe we’ll figure it out once we get to the flower, or when we both wake up. Let’s work on defeating the dragon first, don’t worry too much,”

“Yeah, C’mon, let’s go outside so I can practice shooting with this bow for a while, and you can rest for the day. You need it,” Maddox said, as she gestured toward the doorway,
“Want to show off your archery skills in front of me, Gadget?” Ashlyn asked, casting a knowing look at Maddox as they headed out,
“You know me so well,” Maddox chuckled, shrugging her shoulders, “I’m not going to give up a single opportunity to show off, especially in front of you,” she grinned, teasing Ashlyn and making her chuckle.

Both of them headed out, laughing together, as Ashlyn thought about how grateful she was to have a best friend like Maddox, who would do anything for her. Ashlyn wanted to make sure she would do everything in her power to keep Maddox safe, too.
Whatever would happen tomorrow, she was happy to be reunited with her best friend once again and find out that not much had changed…

Chapter Text

6. It’s just a scratch…
Maddox’s POV

Maddox woke up the other day in the cottage as morning sunlight shone through the cracked and dusty windows. She sat up sleepily, looking around as the events of the past days came flooding back to her mind.
She still couldn’t believe she had finally found Ashlyn. She was mainly happy to find out that nothing had changed much in her friendship with her best friend, they were still there for each other, and teased each other just the way they did when they were kids. Despite her anxiety about meeting Ashlyn, Maddox couldn’t be more happy about seeing her best friend, hearing her voice, and feeling her in her arms again during hugs.

Still, she couldn’t help but think about everything people had assumed about the both of them. The way that voice in the forest had talked about love, it had said that whatever Ashlyn and Maddox had going on was true love, which was absolutely absurd, Maddox thought, mentally laughing to herself.

Okay, maybe, she might have had a silly little crush on Ashlyn when they were kids, but she knew she had moved on now, and she had encouraged Ashlyn to follow her dreams, never revealing her feelings in the past. There was no way anything could have happened between them, anyway.

Even the way Seb and Carlos had assumed that Ash liked her, when she was clearly in a relationship with someone else, was also confusing for Maddox. Not only those two but even Madison had commented on their friendship while breaking up with Maddox,
‘Why are we even together when you clearly like your friend? Just go and tell her about your feelings, instead of always talking about her in front of me,’, she had said, despite Maddox’s repeated assurance that they were nothing more than friends.

Why did everyone always assume that they were a couple? Maddox was almost sure she did not like Ashlyn as more than a friend now. Even if she did admit the truth to herself that she did have feelings for Ash, it wouldn’t matter anyway, because Ash would never look at her as anything more than a best friend, Maddox thought as her heart clenched, for reasons she didn’t know.

Sure, Maddox wouldn’t completely be against the idea of them being a couple, because who wouldn’t want Ashlyn, right? She was just so perfect, so amazing, too good for Maddox. But there was no use in thinking of things that ‘Could be’ but Weren’t. Maddox shook those thoughts out of her head, as she got up from her place, convincing herself that they were just best friends, who knew everything about each other.

“Hey,” Ashlyn smiled, coming into the cottage from outside, startling Maddox in the process, “Calm down. It’s just me,” Ashlyn said, chuckling as Maddox suddenly snapped her head towards the noise.

“You scared me,” Maddox sighed in relief, “Where were you anyway?” she asked, looking at Ashlyn as she sat up on one of the seats beside the still-burning fireplace, which was never NOT burning. Must be magical, Maddox thought, like everything else happening around them. Whoever was responsible for this was definitely not going to get away with trying to hurt Ashlyn, even if that meant Maddox had to sacrifice herself.

“Nothing, just looking for breakfast in this wild forest. Which is, apparently, just fruits,” Ashlyn joked, showing the fruits and berries she had collected, “You should get ready for the day. We need to try and maybe successfully defeat the dragon today, remember?”

“How could I forget when the pain in my muscles constantly reminds me of that?” Maddox said, rolling her right shoulder, as she held it with her left hand.

“See, I told you not to practice too much yesterday, but you didn’t listen,” Ashlyn said, rolling her eyes, but still Maddox noticed the worried expression on her face, “It’s not hurting too much, right? Or we could rest for the day?” she asked, worriedly, and Maddox couldn’t stop the butterflies that swarmed her stomach. What was Ashlyn doing to her?

“No, really, it’s fine,” Maddox said, truthfully, and Ashlyn just studied her face carefully, searching her eyes for any hint of a lie, before she sighed and nodded, “Okay then, get ready soon, so you can eat the ‘breakfast’” she said, making air quotes and making Maddox laugh.

A few moments later, both of them were sitting outside the cottage, talking and laughing together after just finishing their so-called ‘breakfast’.
“And then I said, ‘No, I already did that, Jet.’” Maddox finished the joke, as Ash tried to control her laughter, failing miserably.

Maddox’s heart soared, slowly getting used to hearing Ashlyn’s beautiful laugh after years. She had missed this, missed making Ash laugh through her jokes, and then feel proud of herself. Making Ashlyn smile always felt like she had accomplished something great, Maddox thought as she stared at Ashlyn with a stupid smile.

“We should head back to the cottage and get ready before we fight the dragon…” Maddox said, not wanting the moment to end, but she knew they had to get out of there as soon as possible, and she had to make sure Ashlyn wouldn’t get hurt today while fighting the dragon.

No matter what her best friend said about Maddox being overprotective, Maddox knew she HAD to always think of Ash before herself. She would not be able to forgive herself ever if something happened to her while she was around, even if that meant she had to give up her life for Ash. It wasn’t a matter of second-guessing, she couldn’t help herself when it came to protecting Ashlyn.

And of course, the reasons for that did NOT involve any romantic feelings, or crushing on best friend, despite whatever other people thought about them.

“Yeah, sure,” Ashlyn said, getting up from her place, and holding out a hand for Maddox.

Maddox hauled herself up using Ashlyn’s hand, their faces getting a little too close, as Maddox stumbled towards Ashlyn, and both of them stared into each other’s eyes. Maddox held her breath, not wanting to break the moment, and resisting the urge to look down at Ash’s soft lips.

And wow, were Ash’s brown eyes always that beautiful in the sunlight? How did Maddox not notice how breathtaking Ashlyn looked till now? Or maybe she did, but never thought about it?

She could feel Ashlyn’s warm breath on her face, despite the cold weather, as she noticed Ashlyn looking at her in a daze, before she snapped out of it, and cleared her throat, looking away from Maddox as she stepped backward. Maddox felt a pang of hurt in her chest at Ashlyn’s actions, but she ignored those weird feelings as they headed back into the cottage.

“So, what’s the strategy?” Ashlyn questioned, trying to change the subject, and Maddox knowingly went with it,
“It’s a dragon, so of course, it flies,” Maddox said, thinking about ways to defeat the dragon in the safest way possible, “I can penetrate its wings by my bows and arrows.” she paused for a moment, thinking, before she continued, “You know what? I can even disable it if I aim at its eyes, so we can attack it closely.”

“Yeah, that’s a wonderful plan,” Ashlyn said, glancing at Maddox, as she picked up her sword after entering the cottage, and Maddox felt herself beam at the compliment,
“I already injured one of its wings so it can’t fly, but maybe if it has healed till now than you could injure it again. Then I can attack the dragon with a sword, and penetrate its skin from between its scales. I think I saw a jewel on it, I’m sure me attacking it will kill the dragon.” Ashlyn suggested, and Maddox’s eyes widened.

“No!” she exclaimed, making Ashlyn stop examining her sword and look back at Maddox.
“Why?” Ashlyn asked, tilting her head in confusion,
“I mean, it’s not good to engage in close combat with a dragon,” Maddox said, not meeting Ashlyn's eyes.

The truth was that Maddox did not want Ashlyn to get any closer to the dragon than absolutely necessary. Not when she had seen Ashlyn’s previous injuries and knew the risks involved in this dangerous task.
Maddox knew Ash was completely capable of taking care of herself and, definitely, the best sword fighter she had seen, but still, something inside Maddox just purely hated the idea of exposing Ashlyn to even a slight possibility of injury or danger.

But Maddox decided not to tell about her worries to Ashlyn, she did not want to seem overprotective, and just maybe because she wasn’t sure why she felt this way even more than their childhood.

“You sure that’s the only reason?” Ashlyn asked, staring at Maddox with narrowed eyes and looking right through her lie, and at times like these Maddox hoped Ashlyn couldn’t read her so well,

“I’m just worried you might get hurt.” Maddox finally laid out the truth, convincing herself that everything would be fine, and they would defeat the dragon for sure this time, “But no, you’re right, we can try to defeat it that way.” she sighed, as she wore a jacket and an armor over her sleeveless shirt, and picked up her bow and quiver full of arrows.
“It’ll be fine. The dragon won’t be able to see me, once you injure its eyes.” Ashlyn reasoned with Maddox, noticing how the latter struggled with her armor,

“You can’t even put on an armor properly,” Ashlyn sighed, shaking her head as she moved towards Maddox.
Maddox had not expected Ash to start fixing her armor. She just stood still, half in shock, half in anticipation, trying to control the blush creeping onto her face as Ashlyn tightened the armor straps.

What was happening to her? The warm fluttering in her chest every time Ashlyn was around her, the satisfaction after making Ash laugh or smile, were just growing with time ever since she had found Ashlyn again. Even more than when they were kids.

“Thank you,” Maddox mumbled with a red face, and Ashlyn just smiled in response, making Maddox’s heartbeat fasten,
“C'mon, let’s go,” Ashlyn said, holding out her sword, as she walked out of the cottage, Maddox following her.

“Anything else I need to know about the dragon before we face it again?” Maddox asked, wanting to get as ready for the fight as possible, as both of them started walking in the east and into the dense forest,
“Let me think,” Ashlyn said, pausing for a few moments before she continued, “It has wings and it can fly. It has sharp claws, it has a long tail, which also seems very dangerous,” she stated,

“Ash, it’s a dragon,” Maddox said, looking at Ashlyn with raised eyebrows, “Of course, it has claws, wings, and tail. Tell me something I don’t know,”
“Sorry,” Ashlyn mumbled, turning red with embarrassment, which Maddox thought was too cute,

“It can breathe out fire.” she said, thinking, after a moment, “I mean, it doesn’t look like a fully developed adult dragon, so I’m guessing it can’t breathe fire for too long. At least not more than two times, during a fight, from my previous experiences.” She explained, and Maddox nodded, her heart clenching at the thought of Maddox not being there with Ashlyn during her previous fights,
“And now that it was injured severely last time, I don’t think it can breathe fire even once in our fight today. At least I hope so,” she continued,

“Now, that was some useful information,” Maddox said, as they continued their walking, away from the cottage, along the riverbank, and into the forest.

Ashlyn led the way, as they went deeper into the forest and away from the river’s rushing, an opening clearing up as Maddox suddenly heard a roar at a close distance, followed by rustling of trees and leaves, the ground below them shaking slightly. Maddox noticed a shadow flying over them, and her vision turned upward as a huge dragon soared over them towards the clearing in the forests, and landing between the trees.

It was a green-colored dragon, with scales covering its body, which looked pretty difficult to penetrate. Razor-sharp claws at the end of its limbs, and its tail covered in even sharper thorns poking out of its scales as it flicked and curled it around, were going to be the real challenge in close combat.

Its yellow eyes flickered with a faint fire even in the sunlight as it looked around. Maddox noticed that one of its wings was slightly injured, which did not stop it from flying but did cause some inconvenience, not allowing it to fly much higher than the surrounding trees.
Guess Ashlyn did injure it severely last time, but it still managed to heal pretty fast, Maddox thought as the dragon looked around the trees before its head turned away from them and Ashlyn tapped her shoulder.

“You ready?” she whispered, not wanting to catch the creature’s attention, and Maddox nodded, “Aim for the same wing I injured earlier, so it’ll be easier. You can do it in one try, right?” Ashlyn asked, more anxious than Maddox even when she wasn’t the one aiming.

“Just watch and learn, Ash,” Maddox smirked as she drew an arrow from her quiver and drew back the bowstring, making as little noise as possible, “And be ready to run away into the trees, once it notices us after I fire,” she said, oblivious of the way Ashlyn was staring at her now,

“And…” Maddox said, aiming for the exact spot where Ashlyn had injured it earlier, “Shoot,” Maddox smirked, as she let go of the string and the arrow flew swiftly, penetrating the dragon’s bat-like wings, and the dragon’s head snapped towards the both of them hiding in the trees.

“Shit!” Maddox heard Ashlyn exclaim as the dragon spotted them and opened its mouth, breathing out fire, Ashlyn pushed Maddox away, as she headed the other way,

“Dodge the fire!” Ashlyn shouted, as Maddox rolled towards the other side of the clearing, her eyes frantically searching for Ashlyn, while the dragon uprooted trees around them with its sharp tail.

This was not the plan! This wasn’t supposed to happen. Maddox needed to make sure that Ash was okay, they weren’t supposed to separate. She was supposed to protect Ashlyn.

“Maddox, aim for its eyes! I’m fine,” Ashlyn shouted from the other side of the clearing, Maddox spotted the girl, holding out her sword as the dragon’s head turned towards her.
It opened its mouth in an attempt to breathe out fire once again, and Maddox's heart nearly jumped out of her chest, as she could do nothing more than look. The dragon breathed out, but no fire came out of its jaw, and Maddox sighed in partial relief as she nocked another arrow onto her bowstring, aiming,

“Hey!” Maddox shouted, grabbing the dragon’s attention, its head turning towards Maddox, as she aimed for its eyes. She released the string, the arrow flying straight into its left eye, and the dragon gave out a horrible screech, flapping its wings but having no success flying.
Maddox took the opportunity, using the time the dragon had wasted for flying, as she drew back another arrow, releasing it and the arrow stuck inside the creature’s other eye, blinding it completely.

“Yes!” She whisper-exclaimed, happy about the success but not wanting to gain the attention of the dragon as it frantically moved around, its tail flicking back and forth, crushing trees around them.
Maddox looked around once again, searching for Ashlyn and noticing her slowly coming towards the dragon, her sword ready in her hands, as she went up in front of the dragon.

Maddox held her breath, as Ash moved closer to the dragon, whose head was turned away from Maddox and towards Ashlyn. Maddox knew Ashlyn was going to aim for the jewel that she had noticed earlier, shining on its chest, unprotected by scales, which made it easier to penetrate once the dragon was defenseless.

Suddenly, the dragon turned awfully quiet, making Maddox tilt her head in confusion. Why was the creature silent after it was just blinded by them? Shouldn’t it be crying out in pain right now?

Just when she was sure Ashlyn was going to attack the jewel on the dragon, the creature’s ears perked up as it tilted its head, listening intently, and Maddox’s eyes widened as realization dawned on her.
The dragon was searching for any noise it could get to know their location, and Ashlyn was too near to the dragon for it to not hear her rapid breathing.

Maddox needed to divert its attention away from Ash while she killed it, Maddox thought as she started looking around for something, anything to get the dragon’s attention away from Ashlyn.

She looked around, spotting her bow, and quiver full of arrows as an idea stuck in her head. Wasting one arrow won’t hurt, Maddox thought as she took an arrow out of her quiver and held it in front of her.
She watched the dragon’s head getting closer to Ashlyn, and she broke the arrow in half, as the dragon’s head snapped in her direction.

“Ash, now!” Maddox shouted as the dragon flicked its long, thorn-covered tail towards Maddox, which she dodged successfully by rolling to the side.
But what she did not notice was one of the creature’s claws heading towards her, aiming for her shoulder. She tried her best to get away from the claw, as Ashlyn penetrated the gem on its chest, which caused it to give out a loud dying roar before it fell to the ground turning into dust as it flowed away in the wind.

Ashlyn was safe, she wasn’t hurt, Maddox thought, giving out a sigh, when she suddenly felt a pain in her right shoulder, prompting her to look that way only to be met with a horrible sight.
There was a large cut on her arm, starting from her shoulder and following along her arm up to the end of her upper forearm, and Maddox was thankful for her armor and Jacket, which helped a lot in hiding the wound.
She didn’t want Ashlyn to worry, it was probably fine. Sure, the cut was pretty deep, and it was bleeding, [and hurting] a lot, but she didn’t want to ruin the moment when they had gotten a victory when Ashlyn looked so relieved after finally defeating the dragon.

Maddox willed the pain to move out of her head, as Ashlyn moved towards her, a huge smile on her face.

“Hey, you did it!” Maddox said, a smile forming on her face after seeing Ashlyn so happy,
“No, WE did it,” Ashlyn said, pulling her in for a hug excitedly, and Maddox flinched, as a jolt of pain went up her right shoulder,

“Are you okay?” Ashlyn said, noticing her behavior, and pulling away from the hug, her eyes filled with worry, as she scanned Maddox for any injuries and not noticing the wound covered up by her jacket,

“Yes, I’m fine. Just my shoulder, I should’ve listened to you yesterday, it was too much practicing,” Maddox said, avoiding Ashlyn’s intense gaze as she felt guilty. But technically she wasn’t lying, it WAS her shoulder. She just wasn’t telling the whole truth, either.

“You’re admitting that you were wrong. Wow, did you hit your head on a tree or something?” Ashlyn teased, believing Maddox’s excuse, and Maddox sighed,
“Shut up, I’m just tired. So enjoy the win,” Maddox said, as both of them headed back to the cottage.
Maddox ignored the growing pain in her arm as Ashlyn further teased her,
“As you say, your Majesty,” she said, giving a cheeky smile, which made Maddox chuckle

“I don't like that nickname,” Maddox said, as she felt butterflies flutter in her stomach, and she blushed. She really needed to get a hold of whatever was going on with her. Whatever Ash was doing to her.

“Fine, if you insist,” Ashlyn said, but Maddox was too busy collecting the energy to walk as she suddenly felt the world around her getting blurry, and she held a hand onto Ashlyn’s shoulder, making the latter stop abruptly.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ashlyn asked, her tone serious as she fully turned towards Maddox,
“I’m in pain,” Maddox mumbled, not able to hide the truth anymore, her knees suddenly felt weak, but she willed herself to keep standing,

“You mean emotional pain or like - Oh my god, that’s a lot of blood!” Ashlyn exclaimed in horror with wide eyes, as Maddox noticed her vision turning towards her shoulder.

Maddox followed her gaze, leading her to the sight of her jacket, now completely soaked in her own blood, as it dripped down her whole arm and down her fingertips, falling to the ground. How hadn’t she felt the blood flowing down yet, was she that distracted by Ash?

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Ashlyn asked, holding Maddox in place, as her knees gave out and she stumbled a bit to stop herself from falling to the ground. Maddox held onto Ashlyn, not having the energy to even respond to her question.

“You can’t walk,” Ashlyn tried to reason with Maddox, but the latter just stubbornly shook her head,
“Of course, I can. I’m not that injured,” Maddox insisted, as she let go of Ashlyn’s shoulders and tried to stand up by herself.
The world around her suddenly started spinning as her legs gave out once again, and Maddox was thankful for Ashlyn’s arms that were wrapped around her now.

She felt herself shiver, as Ashlyn’s arms tenderly wrapped around her waist, even in a situation like this, she couldn’t help but wonder about what she felt every time Ashlyn showed her care and affection.

Maybe the fluttering in her chest was something more than friendship?
Maddox shook the thought out of her head, convincing herself that she was probably thinking nonsense because of her weak state of mind and body.

“I can’t,” Maddox whispered, now completely leaning onto Ashlyn for support, and the latter held her close,
“It’s okay,” Maddox heard Ashlyn mumble as she rubbed her back, which instantly calmed her down, “I can carry you back, don’t worry. It’ll be fine.” Ashlyn said in a firm voice, but Maddox still noticed the slight quivering in her voice, feeling guilty for making Ashlyn worry.

“I’m just going to pick you up now, okay?” Ashlyn asked in a soft voice, and Maddox nodded as Ashlyn put one of her arms behind her knees, the other one supporting her back before she picked her up, and Maddox wrapped her uninjured arm around Ashlyn’s neck, holding the other one close to herself in an attempt to stop the pain.

“Is it hurting?” Ashlyn asked, her eyes filled with worry, and Maddox felt her face getting hot, as Ashlyn stared at her, holding Maddox close to her body, bridal style.

“Not much anymore, now that you've held me close,” Maddox said, looking into Ashlyn's eyes, both staring at each other as Maddox’s brain seemed to go into a hyperactive mode and suddenly she was aware of everything happening around her, including the way the both of them were so close to each other. Wow, the blood loss was really getting to her, making her say weird things to Ash.

“Okay,” Ashlyn said, her face red, pulling her out of her stance, before she started walking back towards the abandoned cottage now coming into sight.

Maddox couldn’t help but be in awe of Ashlyn’s strength as her best friend carried her back, without breaking a sweat, which made Maddox blush for some unknown reason. She also couldn’t stop the guilt from swelling up inside her as she stared at Ashlyn’s beautiful face, while the latter just looked straight ahead, not noticing Maddox’s eyes on her.

“I’m really sorry,” Maddox mumbled, looking away from Ash, half hoping the latter hadn’t heard it,
“Why?” Ashlyn questioned, glancing at her as her eyebrows furrowing together, in that cute way they did, whenever she was confused,

“I… I’m sorry for making you carry me back. I’m sorry I ruined the moment after you finally defeated the dragon. I’m sorry-” Maddox mumbled, in a weak voice, before Ashlyn cut her off,

“You DON’T have to apologize for these things, Gadget. You’re my best friend. It’s what friends do, they look out for each other. So don’t be sorry, okay?” Ashlyn said, her voice soft, as she looked at Maddox, her eyes reflecting the sunlight, and Maddox just nodded, not having the energy to respond.

Maddox couldn’t help the slight flutter in her chest after Ashlyn called her nickname, but at the same time, she couldn’t explain the twisted feeling in her gut after hearing the word, ‘friends’

Get a hold over yourself, Maddox told herself, You can’t like your best friend, You SHOULDN'T, and besides it doesn’t even matter. She has a boyfriend.

A few moments later, they reached the cottage, and Ashlyn carried Maddox inside, refusing to let her walk, despite Maddox’s protests.
“You’re not even in the state to keep your eyes open right now. There’s no way I’m going to let you walk.” Ashlyn said, with a finality in her voice, leaving no room for discussion, and Maddox agreed begrudgingly, due to the sharp jolts of pain erupting in her arm at given intervals.

Ashlyn slowly laid down Maddox against the wall, after entering the cottage. Maddox was really surprised by the way Ashlyn was treating her right now. The way she was being so gentle with her wound, laying her down slowly with so much care. She wasn’t used to this kind of behavior directed towards herself, but something about it felt really nice. As if someone actually cared about her too, especially because that ‘someone’ was Ashlyn.

But despite the precautions, Maddox felt another wave of pain wash over her arm, increasing in her shoulder, and she flinched, holding on to Ashlyn’s neck even tighter, as the latter decided to move away from her embrace.

“Don’t leave. Not yet, please,” Maddox croaked, holding onto Ashlyn as if she was her lifeline, and feeling calm in her embrace. She didn’t want to let go of Ashlyn, she wished she could stay in her embrace for as long as possible. The blood loss from her injury was really hindering with her ability to think clearly.

“I’m right here, Maddie,” Ashlyn whispered in a tender voice, as she held Maddox’s waist, in an attempt to reassure her best friend that she wasn’t going anywhere, “And I won’t ever leave you,”

“I just need to see the wound, so I can take care of you,” she said pulling back, and looking into her eyes, and Maddox saw no doubt in those Amber brown eyes.
Still, Maddox didn’t want Ashlyn to see the wound, and get more worried about her, even if she was practically about to faint due to it.

“I’m fine. I just need some time…” Maddox mumbled, trying to stay awake as the world faded in and out of her vision, she started to doze off, due to loss of blood as the liquid dripped down her arm,

“Hey, hey, Maddie! Stay with me,” Ashlyn said, a worried and fearful expression on her face, as she slightly shook Maddox, careful not to touch her arm.
“Yeah… yeah!” Maddox said, shaking her head, as she regained her consciousness. She needed to stay awake, or she knew that Ashlyn would be scared and worried out of her mind, and Maddox didn’t want that to happen.

“Let me just see the wound,” Ashlyn completely pulled away from her as she gave her the puppy dog eyes, that Maddox couldn’t say no to, “Please?”

Maybe it was the ‘please’, maybe it was those puppy eyes, but Maddox couldn’t help but give in. “Okay.” she sighed, as she slightly moved her arm, and pain engulfed all the sane thoughts in her mind for a moment.

Ashlyn slowly helped her sit up, and she gently removed Maddox’s jacket, making sure not to hurt or touch the wound. Maddox’s heart fluttered as she stared at Ashlyn, her heartbeat fastening, while the latter examined her wound, oblivious to the way Maddox was staring at her, her eyes shining with something unrecognizable to both of them yet.

“Oh gosh, why did you hide it from me?” Ashlyn asked, their eyes meeting for a moment, and Maddox was startled by the tears visible in her friend’s eyes.
Why was Ashlyn so worried about her? Sure, they were best friends and Maddox would be losing her mind too if their places were reversed but still, Maddox couldn’t understand why Ash cared so much about her health.

“It’s just a scratch. I didn’t want you to worry,” Maddox mumbled, avoiding her gaze,

“This is a scratch?? And you think I wasn’t worried when you just randomly held on to me while we were walking back, and then I was met with the sight of your whole arm dripping in your own blood…?” She asked, her voice slightly breaking at the end, as she turned away from Maddox to get some bandages.

Maddox noticed the girl wiping her cheek while sniffing before she turned back towards Maddox.
Shit, did she make Ashlyn cry? Ashlyn was worried because of her, she needed to tell Ash that she was fine, even if she wasn’t…

“I’m fine. You should know by now that you don’t have to worry about me,” Maddox tried to reassure Ashlyn, her voice soft, to which Ashlyn responded by gazing straight into her eyes,

“And you should know by now that I always will,” She muttered, her voice quivering, as she looked back towards Maddox’s injury, and tended to it.

Maddox sat still, deep in thought as she tried to control the shiver running through her body, every time she felt Ashlyn’s fingertips lightly graze her skin, as the girl bandaged her arm, Maddox flinching occasionally and silence surrounded them.

Maddox didn’t know what she had expected from Ashlyn, but she was still pretty shocked to see Ashlyn so scared for her that she had actually started crying. Maddox absolutely hated herself at that moment for making her best friend cry. No one was supposed to hurt Ash, not even Maddox herself.

She knew she had to make up for it, as she glanced up at Ashlyn, only to be surprised by how close their faces were. Despite the cold weather around them, Maddox could feel Ash’s warmth radiating off of her, and somehow it felt good. It felt familiar, as if it was home.

The other girl seemed unaware of their proximity, as she was too busy taking care of her arm. However, Maddox was certain that her own heart was beating so loud that even Ashlyn could be able to hear it if she listened intently.

Maddox stared at Ashlyn, noticing the way her eyes shined as she concentrated solely on healing Maddox, the way her eyebrows furrowed together, the way her face turned into an expression that Maddox thought was extremely adorable.
Ashlyn looked so beautiful, Maddox smiled to herself, as she gave out a soft sigh, which made Ashlyn look at her.

Ashlyn stared into her eyes for a few moments and Maddox was almost sure that she did not imagine the moment when Ashlyn’s gaze diverted to her lips before her eyes snapped up, looking back into her eyes before she diverted her eyes and stepped a little back as she noticed how close they were before.

Maddox tried to mask the disappointment on her face, as she looked at her shoulder, noticing the way her arm was now completely wrapped in bandages, which surprisingly lowered the pain a lot.
Maddox decided to unpack her growing, weird feelings towards Ash sometime later, and focus on making up for hurting Ashlyn first,

“It’ll get better soon. You should rest for the day,” Ashlyn said, not meeting Maddox’s eyes as she began to get up from her place,

“Wait…” Maddox mumbled weakly, abruptly holding Ashlyn’s soft hand in her uninjured hand, making the latter jump slightly at the sudden contact, as she looked down at their connected hands. But Maddox was too busy to notice this as she continued in a guilty voice,

“I’m sorry for not telling you earlier and making you worried, and I’m really sorry for making you cry. What should I do to make it up to you?” Maddox said, as their eyes met for a moment, “Name anything,”

Ashlyn was quiet for a long time, as they both stared at each other. Just when Maddox was sure she wasn’t going to say anything, she spoke up in a small voice, “I just need one thing from you,”
“Anything,” Maddox nodded, showing that she meant every word, despite the lack of energy in her voice,

“Promise me, you’ll never try to save me by sacrificing yourself ever again,” She asked, which was met by silence from Maddox's side.

Ashlyn was asking her to do the impossible, she couldn’t promise this to her. Maddox was *supposed* to save Ashlyn before thinking of herself, and the girl was asking her not to do that. Maddox was supposed to look out for her best friend, she could never just keep watching when Ashlyn was in danger. She looked down, thinking about what she was going to do now, which prompted Ashlyn to speak up once again,

“You think I didn’t notice the way you snapped your arrow to distract the dragon from me?” Ashlyn asked, in a soft voice, making Maddox’s gaze snap back to her, and Maddox noticed her eyes shining with something she hadn’t really noticed before, as she gazed at her, continuing her sentence,
“I don’t want a repeat of that. Ever again.” she said, holding out her hand for Maddox, “So promise me?” she asked, looking at Maddox expectantly,

Maddox looked at her, before glancing at her hand, and looking back into her eyes again. She could try to act that way if that’s what Ashlyn wanted, but she didn’t think she could be able to stop herself from saving Ash despite her best efforts,

“I promise,” Maddox said, taking Ashlyn’s hand into her before she continued, “that I’ll try my best to not sacrifice myself,” she explained, which made Ashlyn smile,

“That’s an improvement,” Ashlyn said, slightly squeezing Maddox’s hand, “For now,”
Maddox returned the smile, not trusting herself to say anything as she tried to figure out what effects Ashlyn was having on her.

Maddox couldn’t like Ashlyn. Even if Maddox herself was single, Ashlyn had a boyfriend. Even if the girl did not have a boyfriend, she would never like Maddox. Maddox tried to explain to herself, trying to crush the rising hopes in her chest that maybe things could work out, because she knew they wouldn’t.

“Now, you should REALLY rest for the day…” Ashlyn emphasized, raising her eyebrows, as she stood up from beside Maddox, making the later chuckle, “I’ll be back in a while,”

“By the way, Ash?” Maddox said, making the redhead look at her, waiting for her to speak.
“Thanks for taking care of me,” Maddox said, giving her a genuine smile, and Ashlyn’s cheeks reddened as she mumbled, “It’s no big deal, Maddie.”

“Wouldn’t want your girlfriend to get worried about your injury, Am I right?” Ashlyn joked after a moment, but something in her voice didn’t seem happy, even the way she smiled while saying that seemed forced too, Maddox could tell.

But what confused her even more was Ashlyn referring to her girlfriend when she didn’t have one,
“What girlfriend?” Maddox asked, weakly, tilting her head in confusion,
“You know I’m talking about Madison,” Ashlyn said in a tight voice, rolling her eyes.

“Didn’t I tell you we broke up?” Maddox asked, looking up at Ashlyn, as the girl’s expression changed from disbelief to shock to relief to slight happiness before it turned into shock once again,

“What!?” Ashlyn exclaimed as she sat down in front of Maddox once again, her eyes wide in shock, “Why? When? How?” she asked, not believing what she was hearing,
“Are you telling the truth?” she asked, and Maddox couldn’t help but notice the little hopefulness in her question, as she nodded

“But… why?” Ashlyn asked, raising her eyebrows in confusion, as she shook her head, questioningly, Maddox could see the tiny hopeful shine in her amber-brown eyes, not understanding the reason for it,

“She… she dumped me,” Maddox mumbled, her gaze turning to the floor, the hurt still fresh, not because she still had feelings for Madison, but because of the way they had initially parted way,

“What the actual fuck?” Ashlyn practically shouted, which immediately made Maddox snap her eyes back to Ashlyn.
She knew the redhead never cursed, unless the situation was really extreme, and Maddox couldn’t understand what had made her do it now of all the other times,

“Are you fucking kidding me? She dumped you?” Ashlyn asked, her eyebrows rising in disbelief as she scoffed, “I mean, I don't even know what to say right now. How could she be stupid enough to dump YOU? No offense, but why would she do something like that? Has she even seen you?” Ashlyn kept rambling, as Maddox just stared at her dumbfounded, listening to her intently,

“You are so AMAZING. You’re smart, funny, and you’re extremely intelligent. You’ve got a weird but loving personality. You have so much love inside of you. You are so gorgeous, inside, and outside,” she said, gesturing at Maddox,
“You have literally every good quality a person can have, and still, how the hell did she dump you?” Ashlyn finished, finally realizing what she had just said after she noticed Maddox's face and ears turning as red as a tomato.

An awkward silence surrounded them as they both stared at each other. Maddox knew her face was definitely red by now, but who could blame her? How was she supposed to react after hearing her best friend compliment her so easily, so naturally as if she meant every word, just when she was confused about what she was feeling every time she was around the redhead?

As their eyes remained on each other, Maddox couldn’t help but wonder that maybe, there might be a slight little possibility that her crush on Ashlyn since their childhood hadn’t really gotten away.

But that wasn’t possible, right? It shouldn’t be happening. Maddox shouldn’t like her best friend, but, perhaps she did.
She was sure it would go away, though. After all, it was just a silly little crush, not true love or anything, Maddox thought, laughing to herself mentally.

“I mean,” Ashlyn stuttered, trying to elaborate after her random complimenting outburst a few moments ago, “I mean, you really are an amazing person. I just don’t understand why she would dump you?” Ashlyn asked, avoiding looking into her eyes, as she asked in a weak voice,

When Maddox didn’t reply, she just shook her head as she spoke up,
“You know what? This isn’t the right time for this conversation. We should talk about this later,” Ashlyn said, as she composed herself,
“Just rest for now, alright?” she asked, making Maddox nod in response, as both of them smiled at each other,

The truth was that Maddox didn’t know how to tell Ashlyn the reason for their break-up.
Part of the reason for their breakup, apart from the fact that they weren’t really compatible with each other and didn’t think of the relationship seriously, was Ashlyn and Maddox’s friendship. Madison was sure that Maddox still liked, and according to her, even loved Ash, but Maddox refused to accept the truth, which eventually led to them breaking up.

Maddox didn’t regret it, though. No one was going to get as important as Ashlyn for her. Ashlyn’s friendship was more precious to Maddox than her relationship with Madison. She was actually thankful for the breakup, not wanting to get distracted by the relationship drama when she needed to look after her kingdom’s people, just recently after she had become the ruler.

She decided to let go of those thoughts as her eyes started drooping from exhaustion, not noticing the way Ashlyn was looking at her from a distance, with a small smile on her face, and a sparkle in her eyes.

Chapter Text

7. Love is strange…
ASHLYN'S POV

Ashlyn sat outside the old cottage, noticing the sun setting down the horizon as it casts large shadows around her. She had lit the usual fire in front of the cottage, just in case, to keep away from any potential animals and creatures.

There were slight clouds in the sky, which meant it might pour in the next few days, causing more difficulty to their quest than necessary. She was deep in thought, thinking about everything that had happened that day.

They had finally defeated the dragon in their own way, which Ashlyn was sure was mostly because of Maddox and her amazing archery skills. Now they could continue their journey towards the east, where they would finally have to cross the river, according to what Maddox had said.

Ashlyn didn’t know what to feel after Maddox had nearly sacrificed her life for her safety, Ashlyn never wanted to see her best friend in pain again. The sight of Maddox’s blood-stained arm while walking back to the cottage earlier that day and the horrible injury on her shoulder that Ashlyn had to tend to, was enough to fuel Ashlyn’s nightmare for years.
She had been sure her heart would beat out of her chest when Maddox had nearly gotten unconscious, while still stubbornly insisting that she was fine.

To be honest, Ashlyn was mad at her, she never wanted to be the reason for her wounds, when she should be the one saving and protecting Maddox. She felt her eyes prickling with tears as she thought about how she was the reason Maddox had gotten such a big injury on her arm, but she willed herself to stay calm.

Her thoughts wandered back to her conversation with the girl a few hours ago. The idea of Madison dumping Maddox was impossible for Ashlyn to wrap her head around.
She couldn’t believe someone would NOT want to date Maddox. She couldn’t understand what must have happened that Madison broke up with Maddox, leaving such an opportunity to date her, which made her even more curious to know the reason behind their breakup.

She also didn’t know what to feel after learning this new information. Maddox was single. Was she relieved, or happy? Or was she sad for her best friend? What were those random feelings inside her chest that she had gotten after learning that her friend could be pursued now? She didn’t know anymore.

Even if Ash had been single for a long time, and now even though she knew that Maddox wasn’t with anyone, she wouldn’t go after Maddox. Because they were just platonic best friends, right?

Sure, Ashlyn wouldn’t absolutely hate the idea of being together with Maddox, somehow those thoughts had crossed her mind since childhood, even if she would never admit it. But those were just random thoughts that had no importance in real life, even if Ashlyn felt butterflies every time she thought about being in a relationship with Maddox.

Hypothetically, even if there was a chance, she wouldn’t want to ruin their friendship if, unfortunately, things did not work out between them.
But there was no use thinking about those things because Ashlyn did NOT have any feelings for Maddox, she told herself as the sun lowered, reaching the horizon in the evening sky.

“Hey…” She heard Maddox’s sleepy voice, prompting her to turn her head towards the entry of the cottage, only to be met with an adorable sight of Maddox rubbing her eyes sleepily, her hair disheveled as she shook the sleepiness out of her.

Ashlyn tried not to stare at the sight of sleepy Maddox in her sleeveless shirt. The bandages wrapped around her right shoulder still seemed okay and not soaked in blood, which meant the wound wasn’t bleeding anymore, Ashlyn sighed in relief, as Maddox looked around taking in the time of the day.

Ashlyn’s face unknowingly turned into a smile, looking at Maddox being all cute without even trying.
Of course, Madison didn’t know what she lost when she broke up with Maddox.

“Hey, sleep good?” Ashlyn asked, in a teasing but soft voice, as she patted the space by her side, gesturing for Maddox to come and sit beside her.
Maddox followed her instructions, silently sitting beside Ashlyn, as she gave out a soft sigh looking at the sky above them, noticing the stars slowly appearing.

“I guess, yeah,” Maddox replied in a raspy voice, which seemed really attractive to Ashlyn for some reason, “As good as an injured person can sleep,” She continued, making Ashlyn glance at her, as she felt guilty for being the reason Maddox was wounded right now.

But at least now she was assured that Maddox would never try to save her again, because she knew the girl never broke her promises. Even if Ashlyn would have done the same thing for Maddox if their places were swapped, that didn’t mean she was going to sit still and let Maddox go through the pain alone.

“Is the arm okay now?” Ashlyn asked, worry and dread taking over her mind before Maddox nodded,

“Yeah, it’s fine now,” She paused for a moment before looking into Ashlyn’s eyes as she continued, “You have excellent healing skills, you know? I think that’s why my arm isn’t hurting anymore,” She complimented, a small sincere smile on her face, which made pride swell inside Ashlyn as she smiled back at Maddox.

“You know that's not true. You just have a really high pain tolerance,” Ashlyn joked with a red face, making Maddox chuckle, as they both looked back towards the stars.

“We need to leave for the journey ahead tomorrow,” Maddox mumbled, after a moment of silence, still looking up, “So that we can cross the river as soon as possible,” She said, as Ashlyn’s eyes turned towards her again, scanning her face and noticing her unique features, before she spoke up,

“But what about your arm? I really don’t want to make you walk or work when you aren’t fully healed, not when you’re already injured because you were trying to protect me,” She finished the sentence, in a small voice, looking down at the ground before she willed herself to look back at Maddox again,

“Hey, it’s really not your fault,” Maddox said firmly, as her hand found Ashlyn’s, and she squeezed it lightly in reassurance. Ashlyn felt a jolt of electricity as their hands intertwined, and a soft shiver went up her spine.
Maddox's hands were really soft, Ashlyn thought, as she looked down at their intertwined hands, her face heating up,

“I know you would have done the same thing for me, so don't blame yourself, please?” Maddox continued, making Ashlyn look back at her. She noticed Maddox’s eyes reflecting the fire by their side, even in the surrounding darkness.
Just like the moon in the night sky, Ashlyn thought, smiling back at Maddox,

“Okay, if you say so,” Ashlyn said, her eyes turning back to the night sky.

There was a long moment of comfortable silence, as darkness surrounded them, the fire providing warmth.

Ashlyn felt familiar heat radiating off of Maddox, who was sitting beside her, which felt a lot nicer than the warmth coming from the fire, reminding her of all those times both of them had enjoyed moments just like this one. Sitting beside one another in silence, enjoying each other’s presence, tracing the constellations in the night sky, and talking about anything and everything they could think of.

Her thoughts were running wild, processing everything that had happened that day, but most of all, her mind came wandering back to the same question that she couldn’t resist asking Maddox. She glanced at the girl beside her, who was obliviously staring at the night sky with a small smile on her face.

Ashlyn looked back up, contemplating for a while before she blurted out,
“Can I ask you something?” She said, not meeting Maddox’s eyes as the latter looked at her questioningly, her expressions showing confusion.

“Of course, you don’t need permission to ask that, Ash,” Maddox said softly, chuckling slightly, as she returned her attention towards the sky again,

“Ask away,” Maddox urged, and Ashlyn took in a deep breath, preparing herself before she questioned in a confused tone,

“I really don’t understand… Why did you two break up?” She knew she didn’t have to elaborate on what she was referring to because Maddox already knew.

But the question was met with only silence from Maddox’s side, and Ashlyn wondered what was going on through the shorter girl’s mind.
Maybe she had made the situation awkward by asking Maddox about her ex-girlfriend. Possibly Maddox was still not recovered from the breakup, and it surely didn’t help to remind her that she was dumped.
Ashlyn was about to speak up and apologize for asking something like that when Maddox beat her to it.

“We weren’t really compatible,” Maddox muttered in an unsure voice, looking straight ahead, before she continued, “… and she thought I wasn’t being completely honest with her,” she confessed after a moment, which confused Ashlyn even more.

What did that even mean? Did Madison think Maddox was lying to her, or something similar to dishonesty? And more importantly, was it true? Was Maddox really being unfair to Madison? Ashlyn was sure that wouldn’t be the case, and even if it was, there must be a good reason behind it.

“Was she right, though?” Ashlyn asked, now looking at Maddox and scanning her face carefully.
Maddox sighed in response,

“The thing is…” She continued, looking back at Ashlyn as their eyes met for a moment, “She was. I didn’t realize it at that time, but I think she saw it coming a long time ago,” Maddox continued, glancing at Ashlyn for a few moments, before she looked down again.

Ashlyn didn’t know what Maddox meant for sure, but she decided to let the topic go for now, “But mostly the reason was that we weren’t compatible,” Maddox finished, and Ashlyn nodded in response.

At least, now, she knew the reason, which might be at least a decent one for breaking up with someone like Maddox. However, Ashlyn couldn’t imagine ever doing that if she was in Madison’s place because Maddox just got her.
Maddox always knew what she was thinking about, always knew what she needed, and was always there by her side, through good and bad times, despite the distance. She decided to continue that train of thought later, as she asked,

“So… Are you okay now?” Ashlyn asked, her voice unknowingly laced with worry,
“Yeah, don’t worry. I was actually pretty relieved because I had to focus more on controlling the kingdom. I think that’s why I forgot that I didn’t mention it to you,” Maddox said, as she moved a little too close to Ashlyn, making the latter breathe out a long sigh in an attempt to let go of the nerves.

“Oh yeah? Your Majesty,” Ashlyn teased, glancing at Maddox for a moment, noticing the way her ears reddened in the firelight,
“I told you I don’t like that nickname,” Maddox mumbled, looking down at the ground, as she tried to control the smile on her face, and another question erupted in Ashlyn’s mind.

She stayed silent for a while, contemplating whether she should ask Maddox or not. Before she could register what was happening, the question had already been out.
“Can I ask one more thing?”
“Yes,” Maddox responded in a breathy voice as she snuggled closer to Ashlyn, laying her head on her shoulder and catching her off guard.

Ashlyn gulped, trying to control her heart which was surely beating out of her chest by now, as she calmed her breathing, trying not to move too much so that Maddox wouldn’t move away her head. She sighed, continuing the conversation,

“Hypothetically, if there is someone you like right now, and if they hypothetically ask you out, would you say yes? I mean… Are you ready for a relationship?” Ashlyn asked, in a low voice, not wanting to break the moment or startle Maddox.

She didn’t know what prompted her to ask such a weird question to her best friend, but something in her was desperate to know the answer, hoping she would say yes. When Maddox stayed silent, Ashlyn continued, trying not to panic,
“I’m just asking as a friend, you know. So that when we get out of here, I can find someone nice for you,” She elaborated in a high-pitched tone, rambling nervously.

When Maddox still didn’t respond to her question, Ashlyn looked down at her best friend, whose head was lying on her shoulder, only to find out that Maddox was asleep.

Ashlyn smiled, amazed by how peaceful Maddox looked in her sleep, with no worries in her head, and her breaths coming out evenly. Maddox looked so BEAUTIFUL, Ashlyn thought, that was the only word to describe her perfectly.

Ashlyn slowly removed her hands from Maddox’s grip, noticing their intertwined hands for the first time, making sure not to wake up the girl, as she moved it behind her back for support. The latter just mumbled something in her sleep, as she leaned more into Ashlyn’s shoulder, snuggling closer to her, making Ashlyn giggle at the cuteness overflowing out of her best friend.

Behind all those walls Maddox had held up, as the ruler of her kingdom, Ashlyn knew her best friend also just needed someone who would look after her, love her, and care for her, and Ashlyn hoped to be that person, her person, who would always be there no matter what.
Platonically, OF COURSE.

She slowly leaned back against the wall of the cottage, looking back at the stars above, and snuggling into the girl beside her.

Ashlyn tried to understand the sudden urge in her, telling her to protect Maddox and keep the latter in her embrace for as long as possible. She would probably never admit it, but Maddox sleeping beside her, away from her worries and problems, felt just right to Ashlyn in every way possible.

Ashlyn wanted the warm feeling in her chest to keep going, just the way it did whenever Maddox was around her. She slightly tightened her hold around Maddox, making sure not to touch her injured arm, and leaned slightly against the girl, enjoying every peaceful moment she could steal being with Maddox.
She didn’t know when she fell asleep in the familiar aura, as the exhaustion from the fight took over her mind.

……

Ashlyn woke up to the rays of the morning sun, as the events of the past day came back to her mind.
She blushed, remembering the moment both of them had snuggled up for the night and accidentally fallen asleep. She moved her arm, expecting to find Maddox sleeping beside her, but she was disappointed when she felt nothing.

Ashlyn got up, looking around for any signs of Maddox before heading back into the cottage and finding the girl on one of the seats, playing with her knife, which Ashlyn remembered had been with her since they were kids.

“Good morning,” Ashlyn said, making the latter look at her, and Ashlyn noticed the immediate smile on Maddox’s face,
“Hey, more like Good Afternoon,” Maddox teased, making Ash fondly roll her eyes,

“Is it that late?” Ashlyn asked as she moved towards Maddox,
“Yeah, it’s good you woke up before I had to throw a handful of water in your face,” The girl teased,

“We really need to get going today. We need to head towards the east and hope we come across the river’s edge as soon as possible,” she explained, as Ashlyn just sat beside her, yawning while nodding in response,

“So, we would have to leave this cottage today, then?” Ashlyn guessed what Maddox was trying to imply,

“Exactly. As creepy as it has been, the cottage had a lot of supplies we were able to use and also provided shelter. So we need to make sure we carry as useful things as possible, without slowing down. I did pack those bags, but you can check and see if anything is missing,” Maddox said, gesturing at the backpacks lying in the corner,
“After you get ready for the day and eat your breakfast, or should I say lunch?” Maddox smirked, making Ashlyn shove her face away, playfully, making the girl snicker.

“Shouldn’t you be resting instead of packing our bags?” Ashlyn asked after a moment, as she sat up from her place,
“I’m fine, the wound wasn’t that bad and I did rest yesterday and last night too,” She explained as a light blush spread across her face, which Ashlyn couldn’t understand the reason for, “So I’m really okay and ready for the traveling we need to do today,”

“Okay, but if you even once feel dizzy, or weak, or like you can’t walk, you’re going to tell me straight away, alright?” Ashlyn emphasized, looking at Maddox with raised eyebrows,
“Yes, I will. Don’t worry,” Maddox groaned as she sat up from her place, both of them getting ready for the day.

A few hours later, both of them were walking together by the riverside, as they headed towards the East, waiting for the moment the river would interject their path. The sun was high over their heads, shining brightly, despite the dark clouds surrounding it, and probably draining both of them of the energy they needed to walk.

Ashlyn’s eyes stayed glued to Maddox, making sure the latter was not too exhausted. She noticed Maddox struggling and slightly panting as she continued moving forward at a very slow pace.

“Hey, maybe we should rest for a while. Your arm might hurt if you exert yourself too much,” Ashlyn said, in a worried voice, making Maddox look back at her,

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” Maddox said, panting, as she sat down against the trunk of one of the trees beside them, resting in the shadow. Ashlyn sat beside her, her eyes scanning over Maddox’s face, which was covered with sweat, as the girl closed her eyes, resting her head against the tree.

“I don’t know if you noticed this,” Maddox started, snapping Ashlyn out of her daze, “but the river is interjecting in our path just a little further, so we need to cross it soon,” She explained in a worried voice, but somehow it also had a little trace of fear in it, or was Ashlyn just imagining it?

She moved her eyes away from Maddox, and looked towards the river, noticing how it diverted itself away from its straight path, and came in between their way. Ashlyn knew the river wasn’t too deep, but it was definitely not so shallow that it could be crossed by swimming or walking across it.
Oh, Ashlyn thought as realization hit her, that’s why Maddox seemed a bit upset.

“Wait, are you afraid of going into the river?” Ashlyn asked her in disbelief, which made the girl snap her eyes open, “Have you still not learned to swim?” Ashlyn exclaimed, laughing incredulously, making Maddox playfully slap her arm,

“Hey, not nice! Don’t tease me,” Maddox mumbled, turning red from embarrassment, “I wanted to, but I could never find the time,” She explained, looking towards the flowing water of the river,

“What is it like?” Ashlyn asked, earning a confused glance from Maddox, prompting her to elaborate, “Ruling a kingdom all by yourself since such an early age?” Ashlyn asked in a soft voice, “We never got to talk about it, you know, after…”

She couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for Maddox to control the whole kingdom after her parents" death, and knowing her best friend, Ashlyn knew Maddox probably hadn’t talked to anyone about it.

This was exactly why Ashlyn wanted her to let it out, to let her know that she could always rely on Ashlyn, and be honest with her about anything.
She had never seen Maddox as broken as she looked that night. Memories returned to her as she stared at the river ahead.

…………

Ashlyn was lying in her room, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the conversation she had had with Maddox just a few hours ago before the duke had called the girl for some important discussion that apparently could not wait another moment.

There was a storm brewing outside, as rain splattered on the windows contrasting the night’s silence, and lightning cackled in the sky accompanied by thunder, casting occasional shadows in her room.

She had been visiting Maddox this time, as the latter’s parents were gone out of the kingdom for some overseas expedition, so she was currently in the guest room of the palace that she always stayed in, every time she visited them.

She was deep in thought, when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching her chamber, prompting her to sit up on her bed and look towards the door.
The footsteps seemed slow, and heavy, as if the person was exhausted, and Ashlyn wondered who could be approaching her at this time of the night.

What she did not expect was to see Maddox standing in the doorway, her eyes puffy and red as she stared down at the floor. Her hair was all disheveled, and her nose was red too, as she sniffed, silently approaching Ashlyn.

“Maddox…?” Ashlyn asked, in a worried tone, as she stood up from her place, not understanding what was wrong with the girl in front of her.

Something wasn’t right, the usual joy on the girl’s face, the shine in her eyes whenever she talked to Ashlyn wasn’t there. Ashlyn knew Maddox was upset about something, but she didn’t know what.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” She asked in a soft voice as she moved towards Maddox.

Maddox just looked into her eyes, slowly walking towards her, as tears started forming in her eyes once again, which made Ashlyn panic.
She had never seen Maddox on the verge of crying so openly, she was afraid of what was wrong that had made the girl so sad.

“Hey, please talk to me,” Ashlyn said, as she gently grabbed the girl’s shoulders in an attempt to comfort her, “What’s wrong?” she asked, which made the latter look at her before looking down again.

Maddox suddenly hugged Ashlyn, holding on tightly as her body shook with sobs, and she cried her heart out, her face hidden in the crook of Ashlyn’s neck.
Ashlyn stood still in shock, not understanding what was going on, before she hugged back Maddox, and soothingly rubbed her back, trying her best to calm the girl down,

“It’s okay…” Ashlyn whispered in Maddox’s ear, holding the other girl close to her as she continued her crying. Ashlyn ran a hand through the latter’s hair, feeling the soft strands between her fingers as the girl in her arms gave out a broken sigh.

Ashlyn had never seen Maddox cry before, because the girl never cried. Even if she did, it was never more than just one or two tears in her eyes that she immediately hid away.

But this sight in front of her was a totally other thing, Maddox’s sobbing was absolutely heartbreaking, with so much raw pain and sadness in it. Ashlyn couldn’t bear to see her best friend in so much pain. She continued holding Maddox close, as the latter continued to cry into her shoulder.

Maddox gave out an anguished cry, which was muffled a bit as she tightened her hold around Ashlyn, which felt like a knife stabbing into Ashlyn’s heart, hearing the agony in her voice.

“Let’s- Let’s just sit down, yeah?” Ashlyn said, trying her best to stay calm, as she gently moved the crying girl towards the bed, but Maddox didn’t look up, hiding her face in Ashlyn’s shoulder as she continued her sobbing.
Ashlyn sat down, rubbing Maddox’s back as she hid in her embrace, shaking slightly, as she sniffed.

They stayed that way for a while before Maddox finally spoke up,
“I’m sorry,” She whispered in a hoarse voice, her face still hidden in Ashlyn’s shoulder.

“You don’t need to be,” Ashlyn said in a gentle voice, “Are you okay? Will you please tell me what’s wrong?” Ashlyn asked, her arms still around Maddox, holding the girl in her embrace,

Maddox started crying silently again, tightening her hold around Ashlyn, and Ashlyn just held the girl, closing her eyes and willing herself to stay calm for Maddox’s sake.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me…” Ashlyn started but Maddox just shook her head, as she looked up from her shoulder, and Ashlyn was startled to see Maddox so broken. The usual joyful shine in her eyes was dulled with misery and sorrow.

“No. It’s- It’s my parents…” Maddox tried to explain through her sobbing, as tears pooled in her eyes, “Their ship… There was a storm in the sea and they- they…” She gave up and started crying again.

Maddox hid her face again, as her tears streaked down on Ashlyn’s shoulder, but she didn’t mind. She just wanted to be there for Maddox and ensure her best friend was okay.

Ashlyn connected the dots, as she held Maddox close.
Maddox’s parents had gone for some overseas business, and there was a storm going on outside, which must also be the case with the weather over the seas. Which must have resulted in their ship being caught up in one of those insane storms resulting in the sinking of the ship.

Which meant that Maddox’s parents were… gone, Ashlyn thought as realization suddenly struck her, and she tightened her arms around Maddox, trying her best to comfort the sobbing girl.

Sure, Maddox and her parents didn’t always agree on everything and her parents were definitely not going to get the ‘best parents’ award or anything ever, but they were still there for Maddox and Jet when it was absolutely necessary.

Now their absence meant that there was no ruler over their kingdom. This ultimately meant that Maddox had to control the kingdom, a huge task for a sixteen-year-old, and Ashlyn could bet her life that as soon as the neighboring kingdoms heard about this, they would try to attack and take over Maddox’s kingdom, sparing no time or chance.

Maddox didn't only have to deal with the sorrow of her parent’s death, but she also had to take care of a whole kingdom by herself while also comforting her brother, and fighting off other kingdoms.
Ashlyn knew her best friend always talked about how she didn’t want to rule the kingdom and how being a firstborn was something she really hated.

Ashlyn hated how she could not be there for Maddox when she would be going through all this. Just because she needed to return to her own kingdom tomorrow, and knowing Uncle Cash, he wasn’t going to let Ashlyn stay despite her countless requests. Ashlyn decided she would try to be there for Maddox, as long as she was still here.

The girl finally stopped her crying, but still stayed in Ashlyn’s embrace, not looking up or saying anything. Ashlyn was definitely not complaining as she enjoyed feeling Maddox in her arms.

“Do you want to talk about it, or maybe rest?” Ashlyn tried to ask, as the girl looked back up at her.

Ashlyn noticed Maddox staring at her, not responding as both of them just kept looking into each other’s eyes, and that was the first time Ashlyn really noticed how beautiful Maddox’s eyes looked, despite the sadness in them.

How had she not noticed those brown eyes with slight black in the center before this? The unique shine in those eyes every time Maddox talked to or looked at her, which was reserved only and only for Ashlyn, was something she hadn't noticed before, either.

“Can I rest here for today, please? I really don’t want to be alone…” Maddox mumbled in an unsure voice, her eyes diverting away from their staring contest as if she feared Ashlyn might say no.

“Of course,” Ashlyn said softly, shaking herself out of her daze, gesturing for Maddox to lay down so that she could rest.

“Thanks…” Maddox muttered as she moved towards the center of the bed to sleep, while Ashlyn sat down on the other side of the large bed, both of them laying comfortably against the headboard.

A silence surrounded them for a while before Maddox spoke up in a sleepy voice, “Ash…?” which prompted Ashlyn to hum in response, as she looked towards the girl who was laying her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder.

“I love you,” Maddox mumbled, her eyes closing, as the exhaustion from the emotional distress finally took over, and she fell asleep.

But Ashlyn knew she would not be able to fall asleep for the whole night as she felt a wave of emotions flowing through her body and her heart beating loudly in her chest against the silence surrounding them.

She didn’t mean it, Ashlyn thought to herself, She was probably just exhausted. And even if she did mean it, she meant it as friends only. Nothing more.
Stop that, she said to herself, willing her heart to calm the hell down.

Ashlyn tried to crush the rising hopes in her chest as her eyes stayed glued to Maddox’s sleeping form. She wished she could take away the girl’s worries, and all the problems she would face in the near future, away, but she could do nothing more than just watch…

…………

“It was…” Maddox paused, thinking of the right words to describe the experience she had faced while ruling the kingdom, as she played with the knife in her hand, “really hard. Especially after my parents’ unexpected… death. I had to take care of Jet, as well as the kingdom. There were attacks after attacks, which you surely know the reason for.”
She continued, “The neighboring kingdoms were probably thinking, ‘What can a sixteen-year-old do against an army of an experienced ruler?’… and maybe they were right…”

“Hey, you won against all of them even when you were sixteen, because you had the wisdom over strength. Don’t think so lowly of yourself, it doesn’t suit my amazing… best friend…” Ashlyn said, trying to control the urge inside her to hug Maddox. She tried to resist the pain at the back of her mind at the word, ‘best friend’.

She wanted to hold the girl in her embrace and assure her that everything was alright now and tell her that she was amazing and-

The point was that Ashlyn wanted to comfort Maddox, but something inside her held her back, so she just moved her hand over Maddox’s and smiled at the girl in front of her, their eyes making intense eye contact as Ashlyn continued,

“You are and were truly amazing. That’s why your kingdom is one of the biggest and most feared kingdoms in all the continent, Maddie. It was all you who did it, not your parents, not the duke, just you,” Ashlyn emphasized, softly squeezing the girl’s hand, which earned a smile from Maddox.

“You overestimate me too much, Ash,” Maddox chuckled, breaking their eye contact as she looked back at the ground, trying to control the smile on her face, “but thanks…”

“You’re welcome,” Ashlyn said, now staring at Maddox as her head became devoid of any thoughts and the only thing she cared about was her best friend.
What was happening to her?

“Come on, I need to build a boat for us before sunset today, so we can at least get going tomorrow morning,” Maddox said, as she got up from her place, which earned a playful scoff from Ashlyn,

“Who said you had the permission to build a boat while you’re clearly injured?” Ashlyn asked, to which Maddox smirked,

“Oh really? Let’s see if you agree or not…” Maddox said, a sly smile on her face,

“You really won’t be able to convince me to let you work on building a boat,” Ashlyn said, stubbornly, fully confident that no matter what Maddox said, she won’t be able to change Ashlyn’s mind, “What are you gonna do? Order me around?”

“Oh, I have an even better plan,”

Ten minutes later, Ashlyn was standing beside the river’s edge, glaring at Maddox, who was now working on building the boat that they would use to cross the river the next day.

“C’mon, don’t look at me like that!” Maddox exclaimed, trying to control her laughter, while she worked on the boat,

“You used your puppy dog eyes! That’s an illegal move, you know I can’t say no to those!” Ashlyn insisted, still upset that Maddox was working despite her injury, even if she got to enjoy the sight in front of her.

“You agreed to work on the needed wood, the shelter, AND our dinner for today, so I can build the boat. It’s all fair!” Maddox tried to explain through her snickering.,

“Whatever… Hey, you’re laughing at me!” Ashlyn grumbled, which made Maddox move towards her before the girl softly pinched her cheek, as she said,

“See, you’re cute when you’re grumpy,” Maddox said with a cheeky smile on her face, which made Ashlyn’s face heat up, as she tried to hide the smile on her face.

“Fine, you win,” Ashlyn said, as she sat down beside the place where Maddox was working,

“Just, please, don’t overwork that arm,” Ashlyn pleaded, worry evident in her voice,

“Don’t worry, It’s fine,” Maddox insisted sincerely, as she removed her flannel, to avoid the heat building up in her body, and continued working on the boat.

Ashlyn stared at Maddox, while the girl built the boat, wondering how in the world did Madison miss such an opportunity right in front of her. She clearly did not know what she was losing, there was no way she was going to find someone as good as Maddox anywhere in this whole world.

If Maddox was telling the truth, and they were incompatible then that was one thing, but if Madison had messed up whatever was going on between the both of them somehow and if she was the reason for their break-up then Ashlyn couldn’t imagine the loss Madison had faced by losing Maddox.

Maddox must be pretty hard to move on from, Ashlyn thought, her vision following Maddox, tracing every move she was making, as her thoughts ran wild. It was a surprise that Maddox was still single, though, who wouldn’t want her?

This girl right in front of her was EVERYTHING. She was everything Ashlyn could think of.
Such a shame that the two of them were just friends, she thought as disappointment filled her head.

But that’s how it’s supposed to be. Right? Ashlyn thought, trying to stop her staring as she cleared her throat, and looked away from Maddox.

They were just best friends, and Maddox didn’t love her. She would never love her.
Ashlyn felt a pang of hurt in her chest, but she decided to ignore all those constantly growing feelings, as she got up from her place to make shelter for the day.

Chapter Text

Ashlyn’s POV

“Ready to go, Your Royal Highness?” Maddox asked, teasingly, as she bowed low and extended her hand from inside the boat she had built the day before.
Ashlyn tried to hide the blush that was rising on her face, as she took the girl’s hand and climbed into the boat.

Maddox had worked hard to build the boat in such a short time, despite Ashlyn’s constant protests. The both of them had spent the earlier day in the temporary shelter Ashley had built, and now they were ready to head towards the other side of the river.
Ashlyn hoped there wouldn’t be any obstacles for them while crossing the river because she had to make sure Maddox would be safe as they crossed it.
Ashlyn was even more worried because she knew Maddox didn’t know how to swim, and now the girl was severely injured.

“Stop calling me that,” Ashlyn tried to convince Maddox halfheartedly, doing a very poor job of hiding the fact that her face was red.

She sat down on one side of the boat, as Maddox settled on the other side, preparing the oars. Maddox just chuckled in response, as she shook her head, getting ready to row their boat towards the other side. Ashlyn stared at her, as the girl paddled their small boat into the deep river.

The boat was a bit small, providing forced proximity between both of them, which Ashlyn wasn’t really opposed to. She just liked being close to her best friend and making sure the girl was fine, that was all, she tried to convince herself, trying to cool down the heat rising on her face.

“Gosh, Maddie, could the boat have been any smaller?” Ashlyn mumbled, breaking the surrounding silence, which made Maddox look at her, before she replied,
“Why, Ash? Does sitting too close to me make you feel so flustered that your heart starts beating faster?” Maddox smirked, making Ashlyn widen her eyes.
It was as if the girl was reading her mind.

Ashlyn was about to make up an excuse before Maddox continued, “Well, I am gorgeous, after all. So I wouldn’t blame you,”
That was when Ashlyn realized that Maddox was just messing with her, which made her give out a sigh of relief. But she wasn’t going to let Maddox get away with the flirting, this time.

“Yeah, you are right about that part. You are breathtaking,” Ashlyn said gazing into those brown eyes, letting a bit of her honesty pass into the compliment, and seeing Maddox turn a deep shade of red as her eyes turned wide, not expecting that from Ashlyn.
Oh, two can play this game, Ashlyn thought as she grinned, laughing to herself at how comical Maddox looked,

“You can’t just say something like that!” Maddox exclaimed, trying to control the blush on her face and failing miserably, as she looked away from Ashlyn’s gaze and towards something on her left.
“You started it,” Ashlyn snickered, not being able to hold in her laughter anymore,
“Whatever” Maddox grumbled, hiding the small smile on her face, as she looked down, which made Ashlyn’s heart flutter for a moment.

“I might be single, but that doesn’t mean you can flirt with me without expecting an appropriate answer,” Ashlyn smirked, to which Maddox responded by furrowing her eyebrows and tilting her head in question, her features showing confusion.
Ashlyn wondered for a moment if she had made the situation awkward by saying something like that. Maybe the flirting was better when it wasn’t acknowledged directly.

But she willed her heart to calm down and asked, “What?”
“What do you mean you’re single?” Maddox asked, her tone confused, but there was a glint of hopefulness in her eyes,

“Oh, of course you don’t know… So… we broke up,” Ashlyn said, not knowing how to say it any other way but also knowing that Maddox would understand who she was talking about, and soon enough she could see the girl's eyes widening slightly, as if in shock.

“Really?” Maddox asked, her voice a little hopeful but also timid, as if she was afraid of the answer.
Ashlyn nodded, not understanding the reason for her behavior. Maddox just stared at her for a moment, searching her eyes, before slightly nodding in understanding and looking away.
Ashlyn was surprised by how good Maddox had gotten at hiding her emotions over the years by being the ruler of a whole kingdom. No one could know what was going on behind those gorgeous, mesmerizing brown eyes, except maybe Ashlyn, but that too at certain times only.

They were just reaching the other side of the river when Ashlyn saw a disturbance in the water in the corner of her eye.
At first, she wondered if the light reflecting off of the water was playing tricks on her, as the sun had started setting in the sky. But as she looked that way, she was sure this was not a light trick or illusion.
Something large was moving in the water, and it was heading towards them, Ashlyn noticed as her vision turned towards the mysterious thing.

But before she could react, or even say anything to Maddox, their boat was suddenly jolted towards one side.
“What the he-” She heard Maddox's voice before they sank, and the next thing Ashlyn knew was that she was being engulfed by cold water from all sides, as she sank deeper into the river.
She looked around for a few seconds, trying to understand what was going on before she shook herself out of the shock and started swimming towards the surface of the river.

She gasped, emerging out of the surface and breathing out a sigh of relief when suddenly she remembered something.
Maddox couldn’t swim, Ashley thought, as she looked around for the girl, her heart beating out of her chest in fear and panic.

“Maddox!” Ashlyn shouted, looking around as she tried to stay afloat against the currents of the river, “Gadget!”
The panic at the edge of her throat was taking over Ashlyn, but she willed herself to stay calm and looked around for any signs of the girl. The river around her was roaring just as loud as the thoughts that were running in her head.

Ashlyn took in a deep breath before she dived back into the river, in hopes of finding her best friend.
She looked around in the water, not being able to see anything beyond the first few feet in front of her. Fortunately, just a few moments later, she spotted Maddox at the bottom of the river, which was not too deep.

She quickly swam towards the bottom, her heartbeat calming down just a little after seeing the girl in front of her eyes. Maddox had not spotted her yet and was trying her best to get to the surface, with no success.
Ashlyn swam towards her, her heart fluttering at the way Maddox’s face lit up after seeing her, despite the circumstances around them.

Ashlyn gestured for Maddox to stay calm before she tried to pull the girl towards the surface of the river. But Maddox just shook her head, and Ashlyn noticed that something was stopping them from moving upwards.
Maddox stopped Ashlyn from moving both of them towards the surface and pointed towards her own leg, which prompted Ashlyn to turn her vision at what Maddox was trying to show her.

Ashlyn’s heart sank as she noticed Maddox’s leg, which was completely surrounded and stuck in some of the shrubs growing at the end of the river. There was a thin, but long plant wrapped around Maddox’s whole leg, trapping her inside the water. That was probably the reason Ashlyn wasn’t able to pull her up towards the surface.

Ashlyn moved towards Maddox’s leg, making sure not to let herself get tangled up in the bushes, as she turned her attention towards the one particularly longer plant wrapped around Maddox’s leg. She tried to pull on the plant, hoping she would be able to untangle the girl’s leg from the plant before one of them ran out of breath.

Ashlyn’s panic was just on the edge as she failed to untangle the girl, trying again and again, but refusing to give up.
She was NOT going to let Maddox drown, especially not when she was right in front of her. Ashlyn hated being powerless in a situation like this. She was going to get her best friend out of this river, Ashlyn tried to assure herself, trying to remove the plants surrounding them.

Her attention turned towards Maddox, and a shiver of dread ran through her spine as she noticed the girl’s movements getting more and more sluggish as time passed by. The air bubbles coming out of Maddox’s mouth were also decreasing at an alarmingly significant rate.
Ashlyn could practically feel the panic crawling back up and taking over her mind.

She lightly held the girl’s face, gesturing for her to stay awake, before she swam back towards the surface.

Ashlyn took in a mouthful of air before she went back into the water and towards Maddox, who was surely on the verge of drowning by now.
Ashlyn swam in front of her best friend and gently shook her, in an attempt to get her attention. But Maddox was struggling to keep her eyes open as she tried to take in her surroundings and understand what was going on around her.

Ashlyn panicked once again, the thought of losing Maddox flashing through her head, and before she could think further she had done something that surprised the both of them equally.

Ashlyn swiftly grabbed Maddox's face and connected their lips. A desperate effort in an attempt to give more oxygen supply to Maddox and stop her from drowning.
Somehow, that seemed to have worked, because Maddox’s eyes were now wide awake as she took in the air, gasping slightly.

The world around Ashlyn suddenly seemed a lot more radiant. It was as if she was experiencing joy for the first time in her life, as if she was breathing fully for the first time in her life, even if they were underwater right now. It was like a breeze of fresh air flowing past her, and she was hyper aware of everything happening around her.
Ashlyn tried not to think about how soft Maddox’s lips felt against her own, and how RIGHT it felt as her heartbeat fastened to an unnatural pace.
Probably due to the adrenaline, Ashlyn thought as she unwillingly removed her hands from Maddox’s face, before moving back towards the plant.

She tried again, but the plant still didn’t budge. Ashlyn needed to think of something, and quickly. She couldn’t just keep giving Maddox oxygen in this way, [even if she liked it. A lot.]
Just as these thoughts were running through her head, she noticed Maddox giving her the knife that she had been playing with earlier. Maddox signaled her to cut off the branches that were entangled with her leg, to which Ashlyn responded by just nodding before she swam back toward the surface once again.

Ashlyn came back underwater, and connected their lips once again, providing air to Maddox and making sure she didn’t drown.
Maybe also because, for some unknown reason, she liked that feeling very much. Their mouths stayed connected for a little too long, as neither one of them pulled back, and just for a moment, Ashlyn wondered what was going on through the other girl’s mind.

As she supplied oxygen to Maddox, she noticed the girl’s grip on the knife loosen, and Ashlyn begrudgingly pulled back and grabbed the knife instead. She moved towards the plant around Maddox’s legs and finally cut off the branches, freeing Maddox from it.

The second Maddox was freed from the plants, she went straight into Ashlyn’s arm, as if she was holding onto her for dear life. Ashlyn stayed still, comfortingly hugging Maddox for a moment, and enjoying her embrace before she remembered that they were underwater.

Ashlyn started swimming back towards the surface, holding onto Maddox, who still had her arms around Ashlyn and was trying her best to not slow them down. Ashlyn reached the surface, bringing Maddox along with her as they reached the shore.

Maddox let go of her as soon as their feet touched the ground, both of them lying down and catching their breaths as they looked at the sky above. The setting sun was resulting in red golden rays, casting shadows around them. A few stars were becoming visible in the evening sky.

A minute of silence surrounded them before Ashlyn spoke up,
“About time you took swimming lessons from me, don’t you think? Or do you just prefer being pulled out of the water every time?”
She asked, Tilting her head to look at Maddox who was lying beside her, which made both of them chuckle slightly,

“Nah, I like it better this way,” Maddox teased, laughing with her, and Ashlyn’s heart soared, not knowing how to reply to the sentence.
Maddox was just on the verge of drowning a moment ago, and now the girl was flirting with her once again, Ashlyn thought, shaking her head fondly.
“You’re impossible,” Ashlyn laughed, rolling her eyes, as she sat up,

Maddox followed her example, smiling at her now, as they took in their surroundings for the first time since coming out of the water.

The silence around them gave Ashlyn some much needed time to sort out her running thoughts and feelings.
Was she the only one feeling awkward after giving mouth-to-mouth to Maddox? Had the girl not felt anything at all when both of them had pretty much kissed basically, just a few moments ago?

Of course, Ashlyn was relieved that their interactions hadn’t turned awkward or anything, but some part inside her was desperate to know what Maddox was thinking about the events that happened just now.
Her heart still hadn’t calmed down completely, and remembering the feeling she felt underwater didn’t help to calm herself down either.

Maybe she did like Maddox, as more than a friend, Ashlyn thought, looking at Maddox as doubt surrounded her mind for a moment.
No, she couldn’t. That wasn’t possible, a part of her said.
But, why? Another part questioned.
It just can’t happen. Ashlyn thought to herself, shaking herself out of the thoughts.

“I’m going to get our supplies out of the river, I’ll be back in a minute,” Ashlyn said abruptly, in an attempt to get away from Maddox for a while.
“Wait,” Maddox said, suddenly grabbing her hand, making Ashlyn glance at their hands before looking into Maddox’s eyes for a moment too long. “Don’t go. We can figure something else out. I don’t want you going into that dangerous river for just some things that aren’t even that useful. You are too important.” Maddox said, worriedly, as Ashlyn tried to control the increasing amount of butterflies in her stomach, while trying to concentrate on anything other than Maddox’s lips.

“I’ll be fine. Just wait here,” Ashlyn said, abruptly pulling her hand out of the girl’s grip, before looking away from her eyes, pretending not to see the hurt visible on Maddox’s face after her actions.
Ashlyn dived into the river, looking around for their backpacks, which she found at the end of the river. She swam towards them, grabbing onto them before she started swimming back towards the surface.

Ashlyn resurfaced, not surprised to find Maddox impatiently waiting for her at the edge.
“See, I’m fine,” Ashlyn smiled at her, trying to shove down the awkwardness she was feeling.

“You saw the thing in the water too, right? Before our boat turned upside down?” Maddox asked, taking the backpacks from Ashlyn.
“Yes, but I don’t understand how we didn’t notice whatever it was even once while walking by the river side all this time?” Ashlyn asked, puzzled, as she checked the supplies in her bag, making sure everything useful was in a good shape.

“Exactly, my point. It’s like someone was waiting for us to get into the river, so that the creature could drown us. I’m telling you, Ash, there is someone much powerful behind all this, I just don’t understand who it could be…” Maddox said, furrowing her eyebrows together, as she tried to figure out who the culprit could be. Ashlyn smiled unknowingly, looking at Maddox deep in thought.

But she herself couldn’t help but wonder who could be behind all these magical things happening with them. No one was powerful enough to perform such complicated magic spells. Not someone alive, that is.
The only magicians that were able to perform magic of this magnitude were the ones present in the Northern territories, beyond the mountains, near their kingdom. But the whole tribe had disappeared just a few years ago, when His Majesty, Cash Caswell, had tried to take over them.

According to the people, and soldiers, all of them had died when one of their powerful spells had backfired, leaving no traces behind. Those who had turned away from forbidden magic were the only ones alive. So, no one alive was capable of doing things that were happening with them right now.

“It was as if someone was trying to kill us…” Ashlyn started, to which Maddox completed her sentence,
“...But without coming in front of us or showing themselves.” Maddox thought out loud as their eyes met for a moment, and Ashlyn nodded.

Ashlyn was once again reminded of how perfectly Maddox knew her, how she knew all of her hobbies, her interests, her everything.
She couldn’t help the memories that came into her mind as both of them stood facing each other looking into each other’s eyes.

…………

“Thank you for taking care of me last night,” Maddox said, in a low voice, as she stood at their kingdom’s entrance, facing Ashlyn.
“You don’t have to thank me for these things, Maddie. This is what friends do,” Ashlyn smiled at Madeline.

She was getting ready to leave the kingdom as instructed by His Majesty, Cash Caswell, even if her mind, body and soul was completely against the idea of leaving Maddox alone in these hard times. How was she supposed to leave her best friend when she would be going through carrying the burden of the entire kingdom while grieving for her parents’ death?
Ashlyn felt guilt creeping up her mind, as she tried to distract herself from the fact that both of them possibly won’t be meeting for a long time again.

“Hey, it’s not your fault. His Majesty is right, it’s not safe for you to stay here during these times,” Maddox said in a soft voice, as she took Ashlyn’s hands in her own, “I promise I will keep writing to you as much as I can. I will even come to meet you when things get a little easy here,” Maddox reassured, surprising Ashlyn as to how the girl could practically read her mind flawlessly.

“You always know what I am thinking about,” Ashlyn said in astonishment, while looking into her eyes, making Maddox chuckle, which was an achievement really if you ask Ashlyn.
“And that means I also know what you like,” Maddox smirked, as she gestured for one of the guards standing at a little distance to bring something, which confused Ashlyn,

“What did you do now?” Ashlyn teased, her voice filled with confusion and curiosity, as the guard came forward with something covered under a cloth,
“Ooh, looks like a gift to me,” EJ said from beside Ashlyn, and that was the first time she noticed that they weren’t alone.
“How long have you been here?” Ashlyn asked, her widened eyes turning back at her cousin, who was smirking now.

“Long enough to hear your conversation with your Best Friend,” EJ smirked, and Ashlyn knew he was going to tease her after going back to their kingdom.
She really didn’t know why he thought Maddox and her were something more than friends. Maddox had a girlfriend, for god’s sake!

“I told you, there is nothing going on here!” Ashlyn whispered to EJ in hopes that he would drop the subject, which thankfully he did. But that didn’t stop him from smirking as Ashley turned her attention back to Maddox, her mood improving surprisingly fast.

“So… I don’t know if it’s good, but I tried my best to capture the scenery as much as possible,” Maddox started nervously, shifting her weight from one feet to another, “I just hope you like the gift,” She mumbled, as she took off the cloth from the object, revealing a beautiful painting of the night sky.

The painting had the stars shining in the sky, along with the moon, as the light reflected off of the lake below the sky. The lake was covered by trees around it.
It was a painting of the lake where they had met for the first time, the day Ashlyn had saved Maddox from drowning.
And god, was the painting beautiful…

Ashlyn stared at the painting, dumbfounded yet unsurprised by the fact that Maddox had such amazing artistic skills. And more importantly, the fact that the girl had thought of gifting something like this to Ashlyn, and remembered to give it to her during these circumstances.
How did Ashlyn get so lucky to have someone like Maddox? She thought as she stared at the painting, in astonishment.

“I know, it’s not that good…” Maddox started, her nervousness rising every moment Ashlyn stayed silent,

“It’s beautiful,” Ashlyn whispered, diverting her eyes from the painting to look at Maddox, who was surprised by the sudden praise, “How are you so freaking good at literally everything!?” She exclaimed, pulling Maddox in for a hug.

“I love it!” Ashlyn said, as Maddox hugged her back, both enjoying the embrace, knowing they won’t be able to see each other for a while now. Ashlyn didn’t know how to express the excitement, love and gratitude she was feeling for Maddox.
So, she did something that surprised her as soon as she came back to her senses.

She kissed Maddox on the cheek just as both of them were pulling away from the hug, abruptly stopping Maddox as she was saying, “Glad to know you-”

Maddox stood still in shock, as her eyes widened, and Ashlyn noticed the blush rising onto the girl’s face as they both stared at each other, and realization stuck onto Ashlyn about what she had just done.
What the hell was she thinking!? She had just kissed her best friend! Yes, it was a peck on the cheek but still it was a kiss, nonetheless.

There were so many things wrong about what she had just done, and each one of them was going to haunt Ashlyn for months, as she started panicking, and embarrassment burned into her.

Firstly, Maddox had a girlfriend, and she was Ashlyn’s best friend. She wasn’t supposed to just kiss Maddox, because she was feeling a little too happy!

Secondly, they were in a public place, with guards and a few people around them. Oh god, EJ was never going to let her live this down, and it was just going to strengthen his suspicions about Ashlyn’s crush on her best friend.

Thirdly, and most importantly, she didn’t know what Maddox was thinking. Had she made the situation too awkward by doing something so out of pocket? She just hoped it wouldn’t affect their friendship, now that they were going to be away from each other for so long…

Just as these thoughts were going through her head, Maddox cleared her throat, finally breaking the awkward silence surrounding them as everyone around them silently stared at both of them.
“Yeah, so as I was saying…” Maddox mumbled, her face still a bright shade of red, “Glad to know you like it. I put too much of an effort into it for you to not like it,” She joked, in an attempt to release the tension surrounding them.

Guess Maddox had decided to ignore what had just happened, Ashlyn thought. She didn’t know what she should be feeling right now, other than the obvious awkwardness and embarrassment.

“Yeah,” Ashlyn mumbled, giving an awkward smile as both of them stared at each other, neither one knowing how to respond. Suddenly, EJ spoke up from beside Ashlyn,
“I think we should get going now, Gadget. Take care both of you,” EJ said, referring to Jet who was not out to greet them goodbye, but instead too busy grieving for his parents death, alone in his room. Ashlyn couldn’t blame him though, she hoped he was okay.

“Yeah, thanks for talking to Jet yesterday, Rocket man,” Maddox smiled at EJ as they shook hands,
“It’s no problem,” EJ responded, before he turned towards Ashlyn,

“Come on, let’s head back before His Majesty gets worried,” EJ smiled at her genuinely, and Ashlyn was more than thankful to him for saving her from possibly the most embarrassing situation of her whole life.

They both headed back to their respective horses. Ashlyn mounted onto her horse, and then turned towards Maddox who was still looking at both of them. Ashlyn smiled at her best friend, neither one of them looking away from the other.

Maddox smiled back, and Ashlyn made sure to burn that smile into her memory till the next time they would be seeing each other, which she knew would be a very long time.
God, she already missed Maddox, and the girl was right in front of her.

“C’mon, Ash,” EJ whined from beside her, and Ashlyn unwillingly broke their staring contest, looking away from Maddox, as both of them headed back to their kingdom.
Ashlyn hadn’t looked back again, but she knew that Maddox was still looking at them, and she would keep looking till they were out of her sight.

Ashlyn was still thinking about her best friend, and wondering how she got so lucky, when EJ suddenly broke her train of thoughts,
“What were you thinking, Ash?” EJ snickered, as they both rode towards their kingdom,
“What do you mean?” Ashlyn asked, even though some part of her already knew what EJ was referring to,

“Kissing Maddox like that, in front of everyone?” EJ explained, now laughing as he continued, “I mean, we all know you can’t control yourselves around each other but at least stop with the PDA?” EJ teased, to which Ashlyn gave out a long sigh before replying,

“I told you, EJ, we are just best friends. Why don’t you get it?” Ashlyn asked, her next sentence coming out strangled as she continued in an annoyed tone, “Maddox has a… girlfriend, for god’s sake,” She said, the twisted feeling in her gut resurfacing again, as she tried her best to suppress it, “And it was a peck on the cheek anyway,”

“Were you expecting something more?” EJ smirked, but kept his silence after Ashlyn shot him a sideways glance.

There was a moment of silence where Ashlyn tried to cool down the rising heat on her face, before she spoke up,
“But I do appreciate you keeping your mouth shut when the situation got awkward, as well as the fact they you practically helped me out of it,” She said, glancing at EJ,

“Well, hey, I help as much as I annoy you. Wouldn’t want my cousin to get any more embarrassed in front of her ‘best friend’, right?” EJ smiled, genuinely for a moment, but still Ashlyn could sense the sarcasm at the end of his sentence. She decided to let it go, as both of them headed towards the Caswell kingdom.

A small doubt filled her mind for a moment, as she wondered if EJ was right after all. Maybe she did like Maddox. Could it be?

…………

“Hey, you here?” Maddox waved her hand in front of Ashlyn’s face, bringing her out of her trip down the memory lane. Ashlyn cleared away the thoughts as she focused on Maddox,
“Yeah, you were saying?” Ashlyn asked, smiling at Maddox, who smiled back as she said

“What were you thinking about?” Maddox questioned, in an intrigued tone, as she raised her eyebrows,
“Nothing. Just the painting you gave me the last time we met,” Ashlyn said, smiling to herself, as something in her chest fluttered at the memories.

Maddox’s face turned from smirk to a shocked expression for a moment and turning confused, before she masked it, and whispered,
“You remember?” Maddox swallowed, her eyes narrowing with surprise, as of she really thought Ashlyn could ever forget that day,

“Of course, I do… Wait… did you think I forgot that you gave me the painting?” Ashlyn asked suspiciously, to which Maddox just looked away from her as she said,
“No. Not at all…” Maddox mumbled, not looking into Ashlyn’s eyes anymore, to which she was partially thankful.
Those bright brown eyes were kind of mesmerizing and distracting when she was trying to have a meaningful conversation with her best friend.

“Oh my god, you did!” Ashlyn exclaimed, happy at how nicely she could read her best friend. Maddox had no chance of hiding anything from her. Ashlyn felt a little proud of herself for the fact that she too knew Maddox so well that she could tell when Maddox was lying.

“You really thought I would forget that painting you gave- ‘gifted’ me?” Ashlyn asked in disbelief, “You really do act clueless sometimes,” She teased, to which Maddox just rolled her eyes while smiling and-
Wow, Maddox’s smile was really cute… and the way the cold breeze flew past her, making her hair flow with it. And those eyes were just-

Ashlyn shook herself out of those thoughts and noticed her surroundings
That was when she realized for the first time, that they were heading away from the river and towards the east, the sun setting behind them and casting shadows, and birds flew back to their homes.

“Wait, how is your arm now? I can’t believe I forgot about your injury,” Ashlyn said, now looking at Maddox’s shoulder worriedly, stopping both of them in their path.
Maddox just shrugged, rolling her injured shoulder, as she said, “It’s good… Wait a min,” She paused, now looking at her shoulder in confusion, and Ashlyn wondered what had happened,

“What’s wrong? Is it hurting or something?” Ashlyn asked, putting down her bag along with Maddox and moving towards her.
“No, it’s not hurting actually,” Maddox said, in confusion as she unwrapped her wound,

“Wait, you shouldn’t…” Ashlyn trailed off, as Maddox removed the bandages, only to reveal a completely healed shoulder underneath. Ashlyn stared dumbfounded, not understanding how such a deep injury had healed so quickly.

“I am obviously happy that you aren’t injured anymore but… are you like a magician or something?” Ashlyn asked, half joking, to which Maddox chuckled before responding,
“Of course not. But I think it was the river,” Maddox wondered out loud, gesturing at the river that was at a distance behind them now, its roar still audible.
“Might be,” Ashlyn agreed, since that was the only plausible explanation for the sudden healing,

“But hey, at least one good thing happened due to us drowning in the river,” Ashlyn smiled cheekily, to which Maddox laughed again.
Ashlyn stared at Maddox, a smile forming on her face, she loved hearing that laugh.

“Two good things if you ask me,” She heard Maddox mumble as she picked up her backpack, which caught her off guard.
She raised her eyebrows at Maddox questioningly, but the girl changed the topic before Ashlyn could ask what she meant,

“The weather is a bit weird,” Maddox said, looking up towards the evening sky, and Ashlyn followed.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and Ashlyn figured there was a good chance of raining tomorrow or even tonight.

“We need to find a shelter soon,” Ashlyn said, unknowingly diverting the topic of their conversation,
“And as far away from the river as possible,” Maddox said, reminding her of the most pressing problem as well as mystery in front of them at the given time. But no matter how hard Ashlyn tried to remember, there was no particular person who she could think of. No enemy of their kingdom she could think of was capable of doing something like this.

“Do you know anyone who is capable of doing magic to this extent?” Ashlyn asked Maddox, curiously, as they walked further away from the river,
“No, but this is definitely forbidden magic,” Maddox said, deep in thought, “and the only ones who were capable of doing it are the magicians from the northern territory who are currently…
“Dead,” Ashlyn finished, and Maddox nodded, looking at her for a second before looking forward again,

“So we’re back to the starting point again,” Ashlyn sighed, keeping up with Maddox, frustrated that they couldn’t find the culprit.
“I found it,” Maddox said, abruptly stopping beside her, and for a moment Ashlyn wondered if the girl could really read her mind or if she had said the last sentence out loud.

“I’m sorry?” Ashlyn asked, looking at Maddox who was staring straight ahead.
She followed her line of sight, finding a cave in front of them, and understood what Maddox was talking about.
She had found a suitable shelter for them for the night, and maybe the next few nights, Ashlyn thought looking at the dark clouds above them. It was definitely going to rain heavily, there was no doubt about it.

“You found us a shelter for the day,” Ashlyn said, looking at Maddox, who was already staring back at her. The girl just nodded before looking down, and Ashlyn followed her gaze, noticing their intertwined hands for the first time.

They had been holding hands since almost drowning in the river, and it had felt so familiar and natural that Ashlyn hadn’t even noticed. She was silent as both of them stared at each other for a moment. The moonlight was reflecting Maddox’s brown eyes, lighting them up in a mysterious way, and Ashlyn wondered what was going on through the girl’s mind. If Maddox would just lean in a little more-

Maddox cleared her throat, interrupting Ashlyn’s train of thoughts. She pulled her hand away from Ashlyn’s and looked away before heading towards the cave in front of them.
Ashlyn was thankful for the darkness surrounding them, as it helped to hide the hurtful expression on her face.
But it was not enough to stop the pang of hurt she felt in her chest as Maddox moved away from her.

Ashlyn stared at Maddox as the girl headed towards the cave, and wondered why her best friend was acting a bit weird since the river.
Maybe, after all, she wasn’t the only one feeling awkward.

Maddox looked back, calling out. “You coming?”
“Yeah…” Ashlyn said, following behind Maddox, as she wondered ‘What was going on with her?’

Maybe, she did have a crush on Maddox…

Chapter Text

Maddox’s POV

Maddox was freaking out, to say the very least.

They were currently in the cave that they had found a day before, as heavy rain had been pouring outside. There was no chance that they would be traveling for at least the next two days, as the rain didn’t seem like it would stop pouring anytime soon.
But Maddox was too inside her head to notice or care about the weather. She was replaying yesterday’s events over and over again in her mind.

She still couldn’t get over the fact that she was about to drown yesterday, and more over the fact that Ashlyn had basically kissed her, even if it was under weird circumstances.

Maddox knew it was just a mouth to mouth, but still it somehow felt a lot more than that. That feeling when Ashlyn’s lips were pressed against hers was just the best. Her heart rate accelerated by just thinking about their moment together underwater.
It hurt like hell, but it also felt as beautiful as heaven. Liking her best friend, but knowing the latter won’t feel the same ever.

It was as if Maddox was truly alive for the first time in her life, it was everything Maddox could ever hope for, and it certainly did not help remove Maddox’s doubt that she was somehow crushing on her best friend.
The earlier she would accept it, the better it would be. It wasn’t like she romantically loved Ashlyn or anything, it was just a silly crush, so at least that was acceptable.
It would be gone soon, Maddox tried to assure herself.

Maddox tried to shake off the urge inside her to kiss Ashlyn once again, to re-experience the feeling of Ashlyn's lips against her. She needed to get a hold on herself. Their friendship was not something Maddox would ever want to mess up just because she couldn’t get over a silly little crush.

The rain had now started turning into a light drizzle, but still the clouds in the evening sky were blocking the setting sun. The thick forest trees outside their cave dripped water drops all over the ground, providing a rather pleasant surrounding. Occasional thunder and lightning accompanied the rain.
Maddox was thankful that Ashlyn had decided to collect wood for the fire long before it had started raining, as there was no chance they would be getting any dry wood around after this heavy rain.

Maddox stared at the fire burning ahead of her, as both of them sat inside the cave, talking occasionally.

Maddox wondered what Ashlyn thought of their interactions today, especially the mouth to mouth, because it seemed like Maddox was the only one feeling awkward right now. It was either that, or Ashlyn was just as good as her at hiding feelings.

That is if she had any, because Maddox was sure that her best friend did not feel the same way about her.

She tried to get over the sting in her chest at that thought, but it was just as unsuccessful as she had been in getting over her crush on Ashlyn.
And Ashlyn flirting with her just before telling her that she was single did not make it any easy to-

“Hey, Maddie!” Ashlyn suddenly exclaimed, pulling her out of her thoughts

“Yeah?” Maddox said, looking up at her from the fire, and smiling as she looked into those eyes, the fire reflecting off of them.
Ashlyn always improved her mood by just being there, no matter what thoughts might be running through her head, Ashlyn was always there for her.
How could someone so perfect be a part of her messed up life? She was so overwhelmed with emotions, that Maddox felt like she could explode any minute. Just how could someone be so nice? Amazing? Just perfect?

“Let’s go play in the rain!” she said standing up, a child-like grin evident on her face
“What!?” Maddox laughed, her worries disappearing for a moment as she looked at a smiling Ashlyn, “Why?”

“Oh, C'mon, it’s not like we have anything else to do till it stops pouring…” she said as she pulled Maddox, who was chuckling, to her feet and dragged her out of the cave.
“Okay,” Maddox said, letting herself get pulled outside the cave, but she just stood at the edge, as Ashlyn went into the rain.

Ashlyn had held her hand in her own. Those same hands that had held Maddox’s face underwater yesterday when their lips were pressed against each other. Those same hands that had saved her from drowning by freeing her from the plants.
If she could feel Ashlyn’s lips against her just once more-

Maddox shook herself out of those thoughts before she did something she couldn’t take back and focused on the weather.

It wasn’t raining heavily anymore, but the drizzle was enough to soak them just within a few minutes. Maddox just stared at Ashlyn fondly, chuckling unknowingly as best friend stood in the rain, enjoying the experience.
Her beautiful hair, which usually flowed in waves, was now getting soaked in the rain. Her amber-brown eyes sparkled in the moonlight, which was falling through the dark clouds, as she giggled, which sounded like music to Maddox’s ears. This moment was just pure happiness and joy for Maddox, unlike the rest of her life..

Maddox sighed, Ashlyn was so beautiful, so perfect, inside and outside.
Anyone would be lucky to have Ashlyn for their whole life. Maddox wished she could just stay in this moment forever, right here. Just staring at Ashlyn having the time of her life, and just being there with her.

Maddox wished she could spend all of the time with Ashlyn, spend her whole life with Ashlyn. Ashlyn might just be everything Maddox would ever need. Maddox was so overcome with emotion, not knowing what she was feeling in the moment, but knowing that what she felt for Ashlyn was definitely not just a crush. She just knew that…

She loved Ashlyn so much-
Ohh…

So that’s what it was. Maddox thought to herself as realization slowly dawned on her, everything suddenly becoming a lot more clear.
It was love, not just a crush.
Maybe Maddox is falling for Ashlyn. Perhaps it is turning from a silly little crush to something deeper and meaningful.
Oh god, everyone was right.
Madison knew this ever since both of them were in a relationship, even EJ hinted towards it through his teasing whenever Ashlyn and Maddox were together. Seb and Carlos saw it coming so many years before. Even Jet knew!

How could Maddox be so clueless about what she felt every time she was around Ashlyn? The flutter in her chest? The pounding of her heart? Blushing after receiving a compliment? Even jealousy? All of those signs suddenly made sense.
Maddox loves Ashlyn.

But, of course, she wouldn’t go for it.

Ashlyn might be single, but there is no way she liked her back and Maddox would never want to ruin their incredible friendship if things didn’t work out.
Why would someone beautiful like Ashlyn love someone like Maddox anyway? Even if she liked- no… LOVED Ashlyn, she could never imagine what would happen if her best friend found out about her feelings.

It might even end their friendship, and after all that they had been through together, Maddox didn’t think she would be able to live without Ash. Especially not now, not when she had just realized she loved Ashlyn.
So it was better to be Ashlyn’s best friend and love her in secret instead of confessing her love and breaking their friendship if things didn’t work out. She just needed to get her out of this-

Suddenly, Ashlyn grabbed her hand and pulled her into the rain, interrupting her train of thought.

“Join me in the rain and enjoy the moment, instead of staring at me,” Ashlyn joked, as Maddox went into the rain with her, letting herself get pulled by her best friend.
“I wasn’t staring,” Maddox stuttered, turning red from embarrassment, or was she blushing? She didn’t know anymore. But then she realized Ashlyn was joking, which made her sigh in relief.
How could she enjoy the moment when the only thing she truly cared about was Ashlyn herself.

Maddox let herself feel free after a long time, enjoying Ashlyn’s company. This was one of the many things she loved about being with Ashlyn, her company was always relaxing and Maddox could be her true self around Ashlyn knowing that she would never get judged…

Ashlyn twirled her around jokingly, as Maddox giggled, the rain soaking through their clothes. Maddox was thankful for the darkness around them, which helped in covering up the blush on her face, as they continued slow dancing in the rain.
The moonlight was shining through the clouds just enough that Maddox could notice Ashlyn’s beautiful features in the dark, her eyes glinting in it.

Maddox didn’t know what prompted her to ask such a question out of nowhere but she blurted it out anyways,

“How come you never mentioned you broke up with Big Red in one of your letters?” Maddox asked, as they continued playing around in the rain. Her question seemed to have taken Ashlyn by surprise, as the girl tilted her head in confusion.

She stayed silent for a moment, thinking about something before she spoke up,
“I think I did. Don’t you remember? I’m pretty sure I mentioned it in one of my letters… Maybe you just didn’t read it properly?” Ashlyn guessed,

“No, that’s literally not possible. I read each and every one of your letters,” Maddox said, looking into Ashlyn’s eyes as she tried to remember if Ashlyn had mentioned anything about her boyfr- no, ex boyfriend…

The thing was that, for some unknown reason, both Maddox and Ashlyn rarely brought up their partners in their letters. It was like both of them never wanted to discuss that topic. Maddox was actually grateful for that unspoken rule between them, now that she knew why she had felt that twisted feeling in her chest every time Big Red was mentioned.

But yet, Maddox remembered a time when she had decided to skip over a part in Ashlyn’s letter because it had something regarding Ashlyn’s relationship with her boyfriend, and Maddox was already too stressed on that day, that she had decided to skip over that part to avoid feeling things she couldn’t understand.

“Oh really?” Ashlyn asked, her eyebrows rising up as a smirk formed on her face, “You are just so obsessed with me,” she joked as they continued their goofiness.

Just as Ashlyn was twirling her around, she suddenly pulled Maddox towards herself swiftly, both staring into each other’s eyes. Ashlyn settled her other hand around Maddox’s waist instinctively, as if she was used to it. Maddox didn’t protest either, given that she was already so lost in those brown shining eyes. How could someone be so beautiful…

“Yeah, I might be,” Maddox held her breath in anticipation, not daring to move an inch and waiting for Ashlyn to make a move. She did not know what she was hoping for anymore, so she just focused on calming her heartbeat.

Did she want to kiss Ashlyn? Or perhaps she wanted Ashlyn to kiss her? She was holding herself back from doing something reckless but at the same time wanting to kiss her best friend.
Was it worth it if their friendship didn’t last? Maddox wouldn’t want to lose her best friend [and maybe something more] only because she couldn’t control her feelings for Ashlyn.

Maddox wasn’t sure, but maybe she saw Ash glancing at her lips for a split second, but it couldn’t be. Of course, she was just imagining things after realizing that her feelings for Ash were more serious than she first thought.

The silence around them was getting so louder that Maddox was afraid Ashlyn could hear her loudly beating heart.
Suddenly, Ash slowly removed her hand from Maddox’s grip and moved it towards her face, slightly grazing her fingers on Maddox’s cheek, building up the courage and finally cupping her face. Her lips parted slightly, a shallow breath slowly coming out, as she stared at Maddox’s lips.

Was this really happening or was Maddox dreaming?

The few seconds passing away in anticipation felt like hours to Maddox. She was sure she had never been so desperate to know what was going on behind those mysterious Amber Brown eyes. What exactly was going through Ashlyn’s mind? Was Ashlyn really going to kiss her?

Maddox’s heart started beating out of her chest as she glanced at Ashlyn’s soft lips, trying not to think about how they would feel pressed against her own mouth right now.
It wasn’t right… She really shouldn’t kiss her best friend, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t want to.

Those feelings she had felt in the river earlier resurfaced and her heart fluttered. Ashlyn’s lips pressed against hers was the best feeling she had felt in the world. It was so new, yet so natural. So thrilling, yet so calm. It was everything Maddox feared but wanted all at once.
Ashlyn was what Maddox was afraid of, but yet here she was, deeply in love with her best friend.

Maddox didn’t know who leaned in first, but soon enough, their faces were just centimeters apart. Ashlyn leaned further in, so close that Maddox could feel her warm breath on her face, contrasting the cold rain pouring on them.
Maddox could feel Ashlyn’s soft hand pressed against her cheek, slowly and hesitantly pulling her closer, as if she was afraid Maddox might move away from her.

Ashlyn’s eyes met Maddox’s for a moment, looking between them to make sure she wasn’t doing something that would ruin everything, and Maddox could feel the intensity of her gaze, making her face hotter. Ashlyn’s eyes went back towards Maddox’s lips, her sight never leaving them.

Just as Maddox fluttered her eyes close in anticipation, hoping and thinking Ashlyn was going to lean in and finally give her the kiss she had so desperately been hoping for, a thunder cackled in the distance, breaking the moment as she snapped her eyes open and Ashlyn cleared her throat, both of them leaning back.

Maddox quickly came back to her senses. What was wrong with her? She needed to get a hold over her feelings and actions, or she could seriously ruin their friendship,

“There was something on your face,” Ashlyn explained while laughing nervously, which quickly turned into an awkward silence, as she removed her hand from Maddox’s cheek, and they moved away from each other, but hands still intertwined.

“Maybe we should head back to the cave now?” she asked after a moment,
“Yeah… yeah, sure,” Maddox said, diverting her gaze away from Ashlyn’s eyes.

What the hell just happened? Was Ashlyn going to kiss her just a few moments ago? Or did Maddox do something awkward?

Maybe, Ashlyn was just acting normal and Maddox made the situation awkward. She ruined things many times, so this wouldn’t be a surprise at all.
They both headed back to their place for the night, Maddox feeling a lot awkward compared to Ashlyn, even if she didn’t know why,... or did she?

A few moments later, both of them were ready to rest for the day, and think about what to do next,
“Goodnight Maddie,” Ash mumbled as she drifted off to sleep after drying off,

“Goodnight Ash” Maddox whispered, face turned towards Ashlyn as her thoughts ran wild.

Ashlyn looked so peaceful in her sleep, with a soft smile on her face. Maddox stared at her best friend, the girl she had fallen so deeply for.
The girl who was the reason behind every happiness in Maddox’s life, these days.

The girl she knew would never ever love her back, even in her wildest imagination. The one who was the center of her universe, Maddox’s whole world revolved around Ash, and the latter didn’t have the slightest idea how important she was to her.

Maddox kept staring at Ashlyn, trying to sort out her newfound feelings, before her eyes started drooping, and she slowly drifted off into sleep.

Chapter Text

Dark Days and Sad Nights...

“Ha! I win again!” Ashlyn exclaimed, “For the fourth time! In a row!” she smirked as she extended a hand towards Maddox, who was lying on the ground, her sword a few feet away from them,

“It’s not my fault you’re better at sword fighting than me.” Maddox pointed out while taking Ashlyn’s hand to hoist herself up, “How about we try to compete in Archery?”
“Oh, absolutely not. You know, I suck at Archery. You’ll defeat me in no time,” Ashlyn said, as she sat down near the trees a little away from the river.

Ashlyn had suggested they take some time off from the ‘quest’ and practice for a while, since they weren’t sure about finding another good shelter when there was a high possibility of it raining again.
When Maddox refused to practice sword fighting instead of archery, Ashlyn knew she had to use her puppy dog eyes to convince her. It was just a matter of seconds as Maddox stared at her, and Ashlyn tried not to blush under her gaze, before she agreed.

“So you do agree that I’m better at something than you,” Maddox said as she laughed, and it sounded too pure for this world.

Ashlyn didn’t know what was going on with her these past few days since the accident at the river. Since she gave mouth-to-mouth to Maddox. She was feeling new things, which she couldn’t understand exactly just yet. She was almost sure they were Platonic. Almost.
It wasn’t like Ashlyn didn’t like girls, but having a crush on your own best friend was a totally different thing… which she knew was not the case… right?

Maybe she was just more worried about Maddox since the incident and wanted to make sure she was safe. Perhaps she wanted Maddox to enjoy every moment just like she had that night in the rain, carefree and happy. Perhaps she wanted to make sure that Maddox returned safely after she had risked her entire life for Ashlyn.

Whatever was going on, she was sure that it was not normal and it was mutual.

Things had been a bit awkward between them since that night. Ashlyn didn’t quite understand what happened that night, but she was sure she had seen Maddox glancing at her lips for a moment. Just when she thought something would happen, and she began leaning in, the thunder booming in the night sky had already broken the moment and left Ashlyn with very little time to make up an excuse about why she had just randomly held the other girl’s face.

But now she was glad none of them had mentioned anything about it, and that it wasn’t affecting their everyday conversations and playfulness. At least not yet…
“Of course. I am not good at everything, you know,” Ashlyn said, rolling her eyes, as she glanced at Maddox.

“Maybe not everything, but obviously you’re good at almost everything. You’re as perfect as anyone can be.” Maddox continued, not knowing the effects of every compliment on Ashlyn, “Kind, beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, and I could just keep going on. What more does a person need?” Maddox said, as she picked up her sword from the ground and inspected it,

“Just stop it, stop flattering me,” Ashlyn giggled, turning red with each passing second.
What was even going on with her? There was no need to blush at the compliments her best friend was giving to her, friends do this type of stuff all the time…

Even then, Ashlyn couldn’t help but wonder, did she mean beautiful - beautiful, or just the normal beautiful? Did she mean it as a meaningful compliment, or did it slip out of her mouth unknowingly?
Wow, Maddox really confused her sometimes…

“No, I’m serious. I don’t even understand why your ex-boyfriend broke up with you. He had the whole, perfect partner,” Maddox looked up from her sword, and Ashlyn’s heart fluttered as their eyes met for a few moments.
“It was a mutual break up actually,” she cleared her throat, looking away, “I suggested it.”

“But why? I thought you guys were happy together?” Maddox asked, her gaze still fixed on Ashlyn, making it hard to focus.

“No, it wasn’t that we weren’t happy. It just felt like we were growing apart for a while.” she paused, “He was discovering new things about himself, and my interest was slowly getting diverted towards… other things,” she said, glancing into Maddox’s eyes, “So we decided it would be best to part ways,” she concluded.

“Oh,” Maddox nodded in understanding, looking away from her and towards the sword in her hands,
“Yeah…”

“I’m pretty sure Princes and princesses will be lining up to date you, once we get out of here.” Maddox glanced at her once again, “You’ll find someone worth dating soon.” she smiled.
“I know I will,” she said, staring at Maddox, “I just hope it works out in the end,”
“It will.”

There was a moment of silence as Maddox examined her sword and Ashlyn just looked at her fondly, losing her train of thought. Ashlyn would be so lucky to find and date someone like Maddox.
Now that she thought about it, Maddox was the perfect person for her, to spend the rest of her life with her. But, of course, that was impossible. Maddox and Ashlyn were just friends, Ashlyn thought.
Right?

She shook her head, pulling herself out of her trance, deciding not to think of things that were never going to happen, even if she maybe wanted them to happen. Did she like Maddox? Maybe she did, Ashlyn thought to herself.

“Time to head back?” Ashlyn asked as she stood up from her place,
“Yes. I don’t want to face defeat a fifth time in a row,” Maddox joked, making her giggle, as she made her way back towards her.

But before Maddox could move away from the trees, something dark came flying out of the woods behind her and soared toward her. Ashlyn noticed it was a raven as it came skimming towards Maddox.
“Maddox!” Ashlyn shouted, trying to warn her, as she grabbed the sword beside her and started heading towards Maddox, “Behind you!”

Maddox turned around just in time to see the creature plunging towards her.
Ashlyn felt her heartbeat fasten in fear as she saw the mysterious bird turn into dust, Maddox slashing it in half using her sword combined with her defense instinct.

Ashlyn slowed down and stopped a few feet away from her, and held her breath, hoping the creature had not hurt Maddox.
Maddox turned back to her, spreading her arms wide out as she smiled and said in a loud voice, “I’m fine! Don’t worry! I killed…”

Ashlyn watched speechlessly as the dust of the creature slowly turned into a small whirling black cloud behind Maddox, and Maddox followed her gaze, stopping mid-sentence as she turned around.
The whirling black dust rose from the ground before swiftly passing right into Maddox’s body. She slowly dropped her arms by her side and looked down at herself, the sword still in her hand.

“Are you sure you're fine, Maddie? What was that?” Ashlyn asked, a bit confused with Maddox’s sudden behavior change and what had just happened.

But Maddox didn’t respond, she was just looking down at the ground, body facing away from Ashlyn as she leisurely spun the sword by her side.

“Uh… Maddox?” Ashlyn questioned, moving a bit closer to the girl, “Are you okay…?”
Maddox’s whole body started shaking slightly as she laughed quietly, still looking away, her head bent low, confusing Ashlyn even further.

Ashlyn tried reaching forward to grab her shoulder and make Maddox look at her, when suddenly Maddox turned around, slashing the sword at her, but Ashlyn automatically dodged it as she staggered backward.

“Hey! What the…?” Ashlyn exclaimed as she regained her balance and readied her sword, “What was that for?” she asked, looking at Maddox.
Maddox slowly lifted her head and looked into her eyes for the first time, and Ashlyn felt a chill running down her spine.

She noticed Maddox’s eyes were not their usual brown color, with a hint of black in the center.
Instead, they were all black.

They didn’t even show the usual fondness that Ashlyn was so used to, they were cold, dark, and empty, as Maddox stared at her with what Ashlyn could only think of as pure hatred.
Ashlyn’s gut twisted, and she felt horrible even imagining that Maddox would ever look at her like that. Before she could understand or say anything, Maddox's mouth slowly twisted into a malicious smile that didn’t reach her now completely black, dark eyes.

It wasn’t Maddox, she never smiled that way. Her smile always reached her eyes, and the rest of her face lit up with it as she looked at Ashlyn with shining eyes. Ashlyn was so familiar with her warm smile that she could recognize it even in her sleep, not that she ever stared at Maddox when she was smiling.

“Something is wrong, what is it?” Ashlyn mumbled to herself, trying to understand what was going on, as Maddox kept spinning the sword in her hand, slowly moving towards her with the same smile on her face.

Suddenly Maddox lunged at her, sword held high, but this time Ashlyn defended herself with her sword instead of dodging, as she came face to face with Maddox, their swords clanging together.

“Maddox…!? Stop, you’re scaring me!” Ashlyn cried out, worried about why Maddox was attacking her like that. Something was wrong with her, this wasn’t her Maddox.
Ashlyn was sure Maddox would never hurt her, it was almost like Maddox wasn’t in control of herself. Maybe, Maddox couldn’t control her own body… Maybe something else was controlling her.

“You’re not going to escape! You will never be able to succeed even if you find the rose!” A mysterious voice spoke from Maddox’s mouth instead of her usual angelic voice. And yes, it did seem a bit weird but Ashlyn was too preoccupied to think about that.

Ashlyn dodged yet another attack from Maddox as she defended herself, and their swords kept clashing together again and again, with Maddox’s every intended strike toward Ashlyn.
It was getting difficult for Ashlyn to focus while making sure she wouldn’t accidentally hurt Maddox when defending herself.
Of course, She wasn’t going to attack Maddox, she would just dodge and defend herself as long as it took to bring her real Maddox back.

She clutched the sword hilt tighter to steady her hands, which were shaking slightly due to her distressed state, and fear slowly crept into her body as her breathing started turning quicker and heavier.
How was she going to heal Maddox? She needed to think of something soon before either of them hurt the other. She could never hurt Maddox. These thoughts distracted her from the fight, as Maddox slashed at her.

Just when she was sure she wouldn’t be able to dodge the next attack coming towards her, and she would be injured, she watched in surprise as Maddox’s hands slightly jerked away. The sword missed her body by a few centimeters.
It was as if Maddox was back in control for a split second. Ashlyn felt relieved at the thought that there was still hope to bring her back. She just needed to find a way, quick.

“Even if you escape out of here, you won’t be happy. One of you will not be able to save the person they love the most and will watch them die before you, still not being able to do anything to change their fate.” The voice echoed around and Ashlyn tried to ignore what it meant because she didn’t want to ponder over what it meant… so she busied herself in thinking of finding a way to heal Maddox.

Maddox kept charging at her while controlling herself just enough to move the fatal blows away from her. Ashlyn could feel Maddox struggling to take control of her own body, breathing unevenly, and it was so painful to watch.

Ashlyn's eyes moved frantically, her breath shaky while she tried to focus through the misery and sorrow as Maddox struck the sword at her.
She couldn’t dodge the slash in time, which resulted in the tip slightly grazing her cheek and drawing blood, despite Maddox’s best attempt to turn the blade away from her.

Maddox immediately stumbled away from Ashlyn in shock, eyes turning brown just for a moment before she lost control and leaped towards her again.

Their swords clashed and this time Maddox pressed back with more force than expected, making Ashlyn move towards the river’s edge as she advanced on her. Their faces came close, their swords being the only thing separating them, as Ashlyn defended herself from Maddox’s attack.

She looked at Maddox, desperately trying to stop her hands from shaking and willing herself to stay calm. She noticed the tears pooling in Maddox’s eyes filled with agony as they turned brown for just a millisecond, a pained expression on her face.
That was all it took for Ashlyn to let go of the sword, as she noticed the river behind her and an idea stuck in the back of her head while Maddox disarmed her.

The last time they had fallen into the river, Maddox's wound had healed completely, which meant the river had magical healing properties.
Maybe if it could heal things other than just physical wounds, she would have a chance to heal Maddox. Now, she just needed to find a way to get Maddox in and out of the river without letting her drown.

Maddox’s face turned into that smile once again as she spun her sword, slowly walking towards Ashlyn, who was now defenseless near the river’s edge. Ashlyn slowly receded backward as Maddox kept moving towards her.
Ashlyn had to disarm her before basically pushing her into the river. Other than the knife Maddox had given her the other day in the river, she was defenseless. She had nothing else.

Maddox moved forward, attempting to stab her.
Ashlyn pulled out the knife, as she dodged Maddox’s attack for what felt like the hundredth time today, and grabbed the hilt of her sword with the other hand, slightly touching Maddox’s hand in the process.
“Gadget…” she said softly, looking into Maddox’s teary eyes, which she was sure were now turning brown again, “Let go of the sword…” she continued, and she felt Maddox’s grip on the sword loosen as her eyes darted towards the cut on Ashlyn’s cheek,
“Please…?” she whispered, prompting Maddox to let go.

Maddox released her hand from the sword and Ashlyn immediately threw it a few feet away from them, as she said, “Sorry,” before pushing Maddox into the river.
“No!” The mysterious voice yelled, as Maddox’s eyes, which had now turned black again, widened before she was completely engulfed by water.

Ashlyn immediately grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the water.
Maddox let go of her hand as soon as she got out of the river and sat down a bit away from the river’s edge.

Ashlyn just stared at her, making sure that she was back to herself, as she noticed her eyes turn back to the original brown with a hint of black in the center,
“Maddie…?” Ashlyn asked softly as she slowly moved towards Maddox, who was soaked in water.

“Ash…” Maddox sobbed quietly as she wrapped her arms around her own body and tried to make herself as small as possible. She was just frozen in place, quietly staring straight ahead.
Her body started shivering slightly as she buried her face in between her knees, and Ashlyn immediately wrapped her in a soothing hug as she tried to calm her down,

“It’s okay, Maddie. It’s okay. You’re fine.” she spoke in a hushed tone as she ran her hand up and down Maddox’s arm, and she eventually stopped shaking,

“No, stay away from me. Don’t come near me. Please,” Maddox said, coming back to her senses, as she removed herself from the hug, and Ashlyn immediately missed her familiarity..

She suddenly stood up from her place and headed toward their temporary base in the cave, nearly losing her balance, and Ashlyn controlled her initial instinct to provide her support. She was still shaking but continued walking back.

Ashlyn followed her in, trying to understand what just happened, as Maddox went inside and started going through her supplies and backpack, which Ashlyn knew was just an excuse to avoid any conversations with her.
Ashlyn stood near the entrance, waiting for Maddox to say something or even acknowledge the incident that happened mere moments ago, instead of pretending like nothing happened.

When she didn’t say anything, Ashlyn decided she would have to start a conversation first,
“Maddox…” Ashlyn started, in hopes of trying to assure Maddox that she wasn’t hurt and everything was okay, but Maddox immediately cut her off,
“Look, Ashlyn. I’m fine, okay!? Don’t worry about me too much. Just give me some space,” Maddox said a bit harshly, her face still turned away from Ashlyn.

“Okay…” Ashlyn said, “I’m gonna go get something for dinner,” she mumbled quietly as she left the cave, even when she knew they had enough food for the day.
Maddox didn’t respond, just nodding, face still away from her.

Ashlyn went outside and stood by the riverside as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. The sun was setting as it slowly began getting darker in her surroundings. Ashlyn couldn’t understand what was happening, but Maddox ignoring and avoiding her made her heart clench. It felt as if someone had stuck a knife in her heart, and it was hurting so much.

Ashlyn was totally not surprised by the fact that Maddox had a great deal of effect on Ashlyn’s mood. Ashlyn just didn’t know why it hurt a lot more now, all of sudden, than it did all those years ago.
It felt as if something had shifted between them and if it meant that they would drift away from each other, then Ashlyn wished things to stay the same. She needed a best friend like Maddox a lot more than she would admit.

Despite the way Maddox was ignoring her, and all that had happened a few minutes ago, Ashlyn was now assured that Maddox was fine, and out of danger for now. This somehow turned her attention towards the fact she had decided to ignore during their sword fight.

The things the voice had said when she was fighting with Maddox, had really gotten stuck inside Ashlyn’s head. The way it had said that one of them would have to watch someone die… watch a loved one die…
Ashlyn didn’t know what exactly that meant but she was having a really bad feeling about this. She didn’t even know if the voice was telling the truth or just messing with her to stop them from succeeding, but it was making her worried.
She decided not to talk about it to Maddox, because it was surely nothing serious, the voice was lying. They were both going to get out of her safely and no one was going to get hurt, she tried to reassure herself.

Ashlyn decided to head back into the cave as a few minutes passed, determined to at least attempt to ask Maddox what was wrong, and if she did something wrong.

But as she walked back into the cave, Maddox looked at her and headed out.
“Maddox, where are you going?” Ashlyn asked, suspiciously, “It’s getting dark out there,”

“Yeah, I can see that, Ashlyn,” Maddox said in an indifferent tone, “And will you please stop treating me like I can’t take care of myself?” she continued, looking away from Ashlyn as she stood near the entrance of the cave,

“Ok, what’s wrong?” Ashlyn snapped, turning around to look at Maddox now, “Just tell me what is the freaking problem!? Why are you talking to me like that all of a sudden?” she exclaimed, trying to stop her eyes from watering,

“Oh my god, see, This is the problem. YOU are the problem!” Maddox practically shouted, turning around to look at her, and silence surrounded them as Ashlyn stared at her, tears pooling her eyes, while it seemed like Maddox processed what she had just said.

Maddox sighed, looking down and not meeting Ash’s eyes, “Just please, give me some space, I’m heading out. And stop asking questions, I’m fine,” she mumbled before she turned around and disappeared into the trees.
“But, It’s not safe at this time,” Ashlyn explained to no one in particular, “At least tell me when you will be back…” She trailed off, realizing Maddox had already left her alone in the cave,

Ashlyn headed out of the cave in a hurry to stop Maddox from acting recklessly and convincing her to not go into the forest. But when she reached outside, all she could see was an endless number of trees covered in absolute darkness, no trace of any life around.

Ashlyn started looking around, getting worried about her best friend. She knew the woods consisted of all types of creatures, some of which would be really hard to defeat alone in this darkness,

“Maddox!” Ashlyn shouted, looking around, panicking at the thought of something happening to Maddox after the incident,
“Maddie, please come back! I’m sorry!” she shouted, desperately hoping that her voice would reach over to Maddox, and she would just stop being so stubborn and return to the safety of the cave.

She tried calling out for a while until her throat felt sore, and then decided to head back into the cave and wait for her best friend’s return, which was almost impossible to do without freaking out.
She went back into the cave and lit the usual fire for the night, glancing at the entrance every few seconds, hoping Maddox would just come back to her.

Ashlyn felt tears streaking down her face, and that’s when she realized that she was freaking out and so worried about Maddox that she had actually started crying.
What was happening to her? Ashlyn thought as Maddox’s words kept repeating in her head. Was she really the reason Maddox was so upset? Had she made Maddox sad? Was she the problem?
Her thoughts started spinning around in her head as she cried, letting her tears flow down, while she tried to figure out what was wrong with her. She just wanted to be with Maddox, that’s all. Maddox was all she wanted.
But Ashlyn was afraid Maddox was getting tired of her. She was afraid that the feeling wasn’t mutual, and Ashlyn probably ruined their friendship that night when she almost kissed Maddox.

Why did she even do that? She might like her best friend as more than friends, but that didn’t mean she could do something like that.

And obviously, she knew Maddox didn’t love her romantically either. Ashlyn believed she might have finally crossed the line and would be responsible for the end of their friendship…
Why would someone like Maddox be in love with someone like her anyway? Maddox was so out of her league, but then why did it hurt so much when she snapped at Ash suddenly? And what were those feelings she felt every time she looked into Maddox’s gorgeous brown eyes? And the jealousy every time Maddox used to mention Madison? The relief after hearing that she was single again?
No. She did not love Maddox… It just might be a small crush, that’s all.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sound coming from the entrance of the cave, and Ashlyn’s head snapped up as she took in the scene in front of her.

Maddox was walking into the cave, head bent low and still not looking at Ashlyn.
Her eyes seemed a bit red and puffy and her nose was red at the tip as well, as if she had been crying for a while, but why would she?
She was angry at Ashlyn, right?

Ashlyn hurriedly got up from her place and headed towards Maddox,
She went towards her in an attempt to wrap her in a hug and tell her that she was sorry and not to leave like that again, but her hopes [along with a little part of her heart] were crushed when Maddox just took a few steps back and raised her hand, signaling Ashlyn to stop coming towards her,

“Please.” Maddox spoke in a weak voice, which worried Ashlyn even more, “I’m really not in the mood to do this right now. Just leave me alone, don’t talk to me. I need to rest,” She said, with a finality in her voice, as her eyes started drooping, probably because she was exhausted.

“Just one thing,” Ashlyn continued, “Are you hurt?” she asked, her voice laced with concern,
“No,” Maddox sighed, as she went towards one of the corners of the cave, beside the campfire, and lay against the wall, closing her eyes, leaving no room for further discussion.

Ashlyn swallowed hard, trying her best to control her tears after just having cried for almost half an hour. She couldn’t understand why Maddox, cutting her off like that, almost made her cry.
She missed being able to talk to Maddox without distancing herself, it was worse because Ashlyn couldn’t understand what she did wrong.

Was it because of what happened today, or what almost happened that night? Did Ashlyn ruin their friendship already? She needed to stop being so affected by it all.
It will probably be fine, maybe Maddie will open up to her tomorrow and then Ashlyn would know what was wrong.

She slumped towards the other side of the fire, making sure to give Maddox as much space as she needed.
She wanted to ask what was wrong, where Maddox had gone, did she encounter any dangers on her way back through the darkness. But she decided against it because she knew Maddox didn’t want to talk to her. She was just relieved that Maddox wasn’t hurt and was right in front of her. So Ash could take care of her.

Her eyes started closing as her thoughts ran wild, and tears streamed down her face.

Chapter Text

Ashlyn's POV

Sunlight came in through the entrance of the cave as Ashlyn slowly opened her eyes. The morning was still fresh, the sun hadn’t risen much above the horizon yet, and Ashlyn could feel the cold air around, despite the fire burning in the cave. Ashlyn looked around sleepily, expecting to see Maddox lying beside her at a distance, but she was surprised when she found the space around her empty.

She looked around inside the cave, her eyes frantically searching for Maddox. Had the girl gone away into the forest once again? Was she still angry at Ashlyn? Was she okay? Unpleasant thoughts swirled around Ashlyn’s head as she abruptly sat up, getting worried about her best friend all over again, and feeling guilty.
She got up, and noticed their supplies lying around in a corner of the cave, which meant Maddox hadn’t really gone away. Ash sighed in partial relief, when suddenly she heard a melody, from a distance outside the cave.

She knew that voice, she could recognize that voice anywhere, even in her sleep.
It was Maddox’s voice, the one she had grown so fond of over the years, the one that would calm her down even in the most difficult situations. The voice began singing instead of humming a melody now,

“What is this hollow kind of helplessness I’m feeling,
This type of terror is new.”

Ashlyn's heart sank when she recalled everything that had happened between her and Maddox. She was still not sure what she had done wrong that had resulted in Maddox getting so upset that she had completely stopped talking to her. She wouldn’t even let Ashlyn hug her, wouldn’t even let her touch her.
She shouldn’t have yelled at Maddox, either, especially when it could have been her behavior that was upsetting Maddox. It wasn’t like she knew what was going on with herself, so how could she blame Maddox for wanting some space? The thought of hurting her in any way possible was enough to make Ashlyn’s eyes water, as she headed outside.

“And the fact that I can hardly breathe is now revealing,
How much I’ve changed ‘cause of you.”

Ashlyn went outside the cave, and she was met with the sight of Maddox sitting on the riverside, apparently singing a song in her enchanting voice.
Ashlyn slowly walked towards her, looking at her in a sort of daze. She wished she could just pause the moment and stare at Maddox, looking so gorgeous, till the end of time.

“You light the world for me,
you live life fearlessly,
braver than the bravest of us do.”

Ashlyn's heartbeat fastened as she approached Maddox. She noticed her features, as the early sunlight stuck through the trees, lighting her up in all the right ways. She looked so beautiful, so carefree, so… happy. Ashlyn wished she could always keep her away from all her worries, even if she had to stay away from her to make it possible.
She knew Maddox was strong enough to handle her own problems but still Ashlyn had this overwhelming feeling of protecting her from everyone and everything that could harm her, which she couldn’t understand why.

“You trust, you hope, you dare,
You choose to feel and care,
I thought that I was strong till I bumped into you,”

Maddox was the most wonderful person Ashlyn knew. She had so much love inside of her, even if she didn’t know how to express it. She always tried her best, put other people before her, and cared for other’s happiness.
Especially, the way she treated Ashlyn, like there was nothing more important than her in the world for Maddox. The way she had trusted her since their first meeting. Their fight aside, but the way Maddox had always treated her so nicely to this day, was proof of how good of a person she was, to those close to her. Ashlyn didn’t know what would happen after this, but she knew that anyone who had Maddox in their life was lucky as hell.

“What do I know about love?
What do I know about love?”

Ashlyn felt a warm feeling rising in her chest as she thought about all of their moments together to this day. She couldn’t imagine her life without Maddox in it. She had become so essential for Ashlyn.

“Everything I thought I did,
You’ve gone and changed it, kid.”

Ashlyn was so lucky to have Maddox in her life. She had changed her whole life and her perspective of seeing the world. Ashlyn could do anything to just be with Maddox. Only if the latter wanted it too.
She stared at Maddox, stopping a few feet away, as Maddox was finishing her song. Her face glowed in the sunlight, her eyes shining as she was looking away from Ash, not noticing her yet.
Her hair flowed with the wind, and her lips looked so soft, Ashlyn sighed. If she could just go and hold Maddox right now and kiss those lips of hers and-
-Oh

“You're what I know about love…”

Ohh…

Oh, shit…
It couldn’t be, right? Ashlyn thought to herself, her eyes widening with sudden realization,

Did… did Ashlyn love Maddox? Was she somehow developing serious feelings for her best friend…?
Every second she thought about it, she was becoming more and more sure. She did love Maddox… As more than a friend…
She loves Maddox…

She might have liked Maddox for a long time, perhaps even since they were children. But what she was feeling right now was much more different and serious than just a crush.
Ashlyn couldn’t believe she was so oblivious, how did she not see it earlier? Suddenly everything made a lot of sense. All the blushing, the awkwardness, the stolen glances, the jealousy, and the incident that night.

That night…

Shit, Ashlyn was about to kiss Maddox in the rain that night. She felt herself cringe as she thought about how confused and uncomfortable Maddox must have felt at that moment.
Maybe that was the reason Maddox was avoiding her since yesterday.
Surely, she must have caught on to her changed behavior, and now she was avoiding her to make sure something awkward like that didn’t happen once again. That must be it.

Ash was so stupid, she had made her best friend uncomfortable by trying to kiss her, and just realized a few days later that it might be because she truly loved her.

Suddenly, the pain in her heart after Maddox had avoided her yesterday, also made a lot of sense. Ashlyn couldn’t even pass one day with Maddox avoiding her.
What was she going to do now, when she knew that she loved Maddox, but the latter clearly didn’t love her back? Why would someone like Maddox love her? She could be with anyone she wanted, who would be foolish enough to reject someone as perfect as Maddox?

Ash knew there was absolutely no chance that her feelings were reciprocated. She also knew that she needed to get her feelings under control if she wanted to preserve their friendship, because she could never live with herself if their friendship got ruined due to her inability to control herself around Maddox.
She had to make sure they wouldn’t get a repeat of that night, when Ash had tried to kiss her best friend, who did NOT feel the same way about her.

Before Ashlyn could think about it any further, Maddox noticed her standing by her side, and looked away, before glancing at her one more time.
Ashlyn sighed. Guess she was still getting the silent treatment.

Just when she was about to make another attempt to try to make Maddox talk to her, she was surprised when Maddox initiated a conversation first.
“Hey,” she mumbled, still looking away from Ashlyn,
“Hi there!” Ashlyn squeaked, her eyes wide. Guess she wasn’t getting the silent treatment after all.

She decided to use this opportunity to start a meaningful conversation with Maddox and understand what she did wrong,
“Why are you up so early?” she asked, slowly walking towards her best friend, and hoping she wouldn’t shut her out this time.

“I… couldn’t sleep,” Maddox said, glancing at Ash.
Ashlyn took it as a good sign that she did not move away from her, or didn’t tell her to stop coming towards her, so she decided to sit beside Maddox on the shore,

“Is it because of yesterday?” She asked cautiously, as she slowly sat down beside Maddox, relieved when Maddox moved a bit to give her space. Ashlyn was just happy she had finally come around and decided to talk it out, instead of avoiding her, “Did I… did I do something wrong?”

“No!” Maddox exclaimed, looking at her now, “No, it wasn’t you. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was me, actually,” she said, as she fell silent, looking down again.
Ashlyn suddenly noticed a few tears dropping on the girl’s lap, as Maddox quietly sniffed, trying to hide it from her.

“Hey, hey,” Ashlyn said, softly, “Don’t cry, please,”
It hurt her so much to see her best friend crying. The person she loved the most was crying right in front of her eyes, and maybe she was the reason for her sadness, but she couldn’t even comfort her.

She raised her hand to reach out towards Maddox, but decided against it, after what had happened between them yesterday. She couldn’t see Maddox like this.
“At least, tell me what’s wrong? Let me help?” Ashlyn said, her voice quivering, as she resisted the urge to hug Maddox and tell her it was alright…

“I never thought I would be the one to hurt you even once, Ash. I swear I didn't want to hurt you, but I just couldn't stop!” She said, holding her head in her hands.
That’s what it was all about, Ashlyn thought as realization dawned on her.

“C'mon, Maddie, it was just a scratch,” Ashlyn said, cautiously removing Maddox’s hands from her face and holding them in hers. She couldn’t hold back any longer when she knew she needed to comfort Maddox.

Maddox had been avoiding her because she thought she was responsible for hurting Ashlyn. It wasn’t because Ashlyn had tried to kiss her that night.
Maddox was just afraid she would hurt Ashlyn once again, if something like that happened, and they were together, but Ashlyn knew Maddox would never let anything happen to her, even if it was out of her control.
She trusted Maddox, and she needed to tell that to the girl in front of her.

“Yeah, but what if it wasn't? What if it was more than that? What if…” Maddox’s voice broke, as she looked at Ash with teary eyes, “What if I had severely injured you? or done something even worse? What was I going to do then?”

“I know you were trying your best to control the attacks, and don’t think I didn’t notice how you suddenly moved the fatal blows away from me every time” Ashlyn spoke softly, trying to reassure Maddox as she squeezed her hand, making the latter look into her eyes, “I know you wouldn’t have harmed me, Gadget. I trust you with my life.”

“But I can't trust myself around you, Ash. I don't want to hurt you again.” She whispered, slightly touching the cut on Ashlyn’s cheek with her thumb and Ashlyn shivered under her soft touch, “It’s so hard to even look at what I did to your pretty face,” she continued, not realizing what she had said.

“It’s nothing. Stop blaming yourself, please. It wasn’t your fault,” Ashlyn said again, trying her best to ignore the fact that her friend, and maybe something more, just called her pretty without realizing it.
She could not stop the blush from creeping onto her ears and cheeks, despite her best efforts. Maddox really needed to stop giving her compliments unexpectedly,

There was a long silence between them as Ashlyn kept thinking about her new-found feelings for her best friend, which had been there for a long time, but she was too oblivious to notice.

“What do you need? I’m right here” she asked Maddox. She needed to make sure that Maddox felt comfortable around her. Comfortable enough to talk about her feelings out loud instead of burying them away and ignoring her again.
She couldn’t bear that thought, especially not now. Not when she knew for sure that she loved Maddox.

“Maybe… A hug would be nice…?” she extended her arms towards Ash, her voice unsure, as if she was afraid Ashlyn might say no. But how could she say no to such an adorable face?

Ashlyn smiled at her, before quickly wrapping the other girl in a tight and soothing hug. She took a deep breath, taking in every moment she could have in Maddox’s presence, as she gently rubbed the girl's back and felt her relax in her arms.

“I’m really sorry, Ash. I shouldn’t have said any of those things to you I want you to know that I did not mean even a single one of those. I thought if I said those, you would stop talking to me and distance yourself from me. But You shouldn’t have to put up with my shit. I’ll be better for you,” Maddox mumbled, her head buried in her neck, and Ashlyn felt herself shiver slightly due to the proximity of Maddox’s mouth to her skin, “I just… It’s all new to me, that someone cares so much about me, too.” she continued, in a muffled voice, “It’s been my job to care about my kingdom’s people for so long that I just… I forgot what it feels like when…someone cares about me.”

“I get it, Maddie. You don’t have to apologize for requiring a bit of space sometimes. In fact, I’m sorry, if I was being too annoying or clingy,” Ashlyn replied, wrapping her arms tighter around her friend, to let her know that she was always there when Maddox needed her, no matter what.

Were they just friends?

“No.” Maddox said quickly, as she pulled back a bit from their hug and looked into Ashlyn’s eyes, “I… I like it when you care for me. It feels nice,” she mumbled, looking away from Ashlyn, her ears turning slightly red, while the latter just stared at her.

Yup. Ashlyn was absolutely screwed. She loves this amazing girl in front of her.

Ashlyn had every reason to do so, why wouldn’t anyone love Maddox? She was everything Ashlyn could ever need. She was beautiful, brave, funny, Intelligent, and everything else a person could be.
Sure, she had self-sacrificing tendencies and acted a little distant when she was upset, but that’s what made Ash love her even more. She wanted to make sure that Maddox never felt alone, and always be there for her. Her imperfections were the most attractive things about her, if you ask Ash.
Yeah, Ashlyn was screwed.

“Really?” Ashlyn asked, sort of in a daze as she stared at Maddox, her brain unable to comprehend a meaningful thought.
Maddox just nodded, still avoiding eye contact with Ashlyn. Ashlyn just pulled her in for one more tight hug, which might or might not have been just an excuse to feel Maddox in her arms again,

“Then I’ll always be there to care for you, Gadget. Don’t worry ever again, as long as I’m here with you.” Ashlyn mumbled in her ear, and Maddox sighed, nodding as she buried her head in the crook of her neck.

They stayed that way for a while before Ashlyn pulled away reluctantly, not wanting to make the situation awkward.
“That hug good enough for you?” she asked, making Maddox chuckle,
“More than enough,”

“Alright, let’s head back, we need to leave today if we want to reach the flower soon,” Ashlyn reminded her as she held her hand forward for Maddox to take,
“Let’s go,” Maddox replied, taking her hand as she smiled at her before both of them headed back to the cave to gather their supplies and get going for the day.

But still Ashlyn couldn’t help the feeling in the back of her heart, telling her or maybe warning her that something bad was about to happen, as the voice’s words from earlier kept repeating in her mind…

“Hey, Maddie?” Ashlyn started, as they gathered their supplies inside the cave,
“Yeah?” Maddox replied, now looking at her with a smile, her eyes shining the way they always did when she talked to Ashlyn,

“It’s just… It’s so good to talk to you again, and knowing that you’re not avoiding me…” Ashlyn smiled, getting giddy inside at the fact that she could talk to Maddox once again whenever she wanted.
She felt as if, for some unexplainable reason, this was a thing that could be taken away from her soon. She was afraid of, somehow, losing Maddox, and the things the cloud demon had said didn’t make it any easier to calm her anxiety.

“Yeah, I’m really sorry about that. I think you know very well that I push people away when I am worried. It’s a personality trait, I can't help it!” Maddox joked, looking at her, waiting for a smile or laugh.
But Ashlyn was too inside her head to notice the joke, which Maddox noticed immediately.

“Hey, you okay…?” Maddox asked softly, as she let go of the task at hand and moved towards her. She gently touched her arm, which brought Ashlyn back from all the what ifs and scenarios inside her head.
“Yeah… yeah… Just worried…” Ashlyn said, shaking her head as she let go of those negative thoughts and focused on the amazing person in front of her, who she had deeply fallen for.

“Okay… About?” Maddox asked, raising an eyebrow and giving her a small reassuring smile, which somehow just made her look even more beautiful. God, Ashlyn was down bad.

“Just things, you know… For starters, how we are going to get out of here, and who would have done this and many other things…” Ashlyn said, saying her worries out loud for the first time. But she still couldn’t bring herself to tell Maddox about the one particular thing that was really bothering her.

“Oh… Well, just know that I am going to get you out of here just fine. And whoever did this is definitely not going to go unpunished. Trust me, alright?” Maddox said, her hand trailing down Ashlyn’s arm and holding her hand reassuringly, which gave her butterflies for some reason.
Maddox smiled at her, those eyes shining with something she couldn’t recognize. The grin on her face was so infectious that just within a few seconds, Ashlyn was smiling back at her too.

“Oh, and hey, an out of topic question but…” Ashlyn continued nervously, looking down at their hands, as she avoided eye contact with Maddox, “do you remember anything from when the cloud demon, or whatever it was, possessed you?” she asked, now looking into Maddox’s eyes, as an amused grin started forming on the girl’s face.

“Cloud demon, you say? Wow, when did we name it that?” She asked in an amused tone,
“Well, you know… It looked like a cloud, and it was definitely not a good spirit so demon, I guess?” Her face turned red, as Maddox chuckled.

“Alright, if you say so,” Maddox said, as she turned serious once again and continued, “And to answer your question, no, I don’t think I remember anything from when that ‘cloud demon’ controlled me. I was just trying so hard to get it out… and not let anything happen…to you…” Maddox continued, in a timid tone, her eyes looking away from Ashlyn.

Ashlyn slightly squeezed her hand, reassuring her that she was right here, “It’s okay. I’m fine, right? So stop thinking about it, and don’t even think about blaming yourself, Gadget,” Ashlyn warned, now looking at her with a smile once again.
Maddox looked at her, those brown orbs fixated on her, as Ashlyn stared back into them.

She had never thought a pair of eyes would look so beautiful and breathtaking, until she stared into Maddox’s eyes. Now, she was sure every little thing about Maddox was just so so beautiful to her…
Maddox smiled back, nodding as she said, “Yeah, okay… I’m so glad you’re here with me…”

And that was all it took for Ashlyn to fall even harder for her best friend. Just the exact moment Ashlyn thought she couldn’t love someone as much as she loved Maddox, the girl did something as simple as smiling, or laughing, and Ashlyn would be sure that she loved the girl even more than she did a few moments ago…

“Me too,” Ashlyn said, snapping herself out of those thoughts before they get any further.
“But why did you ask? Did the thing say anything while we were fighting?” Maddox asked, furrowing her brows questioningly, in a very adorable way if you ask Ash.

“Um…noo,” Ashlyn squeaked, cursing herself for her inability to hide anything from Maddox. She couldn’t just tell it to the girl and worry her even more, right? It was for Maddox’s own good…

Maddox raised her eyebrow in a suspicious manner, her expression reading, ‘I know you’re lying to me. Tell me the truth.’
“Okay, fine! It did say something,” Ashlyn sighed, finally giving in, “But I don’t think it’s that important.”
“Fine, then tell me.” Maddox countered.

Maddox really did have those qualities that had helped her rule over an entire kingdom, Ashlyn thought.
Sometimes, Ashlyn really forgot that her best friend was ruler of a whole kingdom. It was just that Maddox acted so free in front of her, just being herself, that Ashlyn used to forget the version of Maddox that was before all the other people. The respected, courageous, compassionate, and principled version of her, that her father had taught her to be before he had died. And Ashlyn was so grateful to be the one around whom Maddox was her true self. God, how could she love someone this much??? So much that it hurt???

“He was just saying the usual bullshit, you know? That you won’t succeed, and you won’t be able to escape even if you find the rose and blah, blah, blah…” Ashlyn said, trying to lighten the mood, avoiding Maddox from giving it much thought.
“Okay, is that it?” Maddox asked, still looking at Ashlyn,

“Mmhmm” she responded with wide eyes, not opening her mouth, to avoid saying something that would make the girl even more suspicious.
“Fine, you’re good to continue your work,” Maddox said, patting her shoulder, her touch lingering a little too long for Ashlyn to not make anything of it.

Their eyes met for a moment, something unspoken passing between them, as Maddox silently removed her hand from her arm, smiling a little.

“Gods, why so formal, gadget?” Ashlyn asked, teasing her a little, as the mood lightened around them,

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Highness.” Maddox said, a mischievous smirk forming on her face, “I forgot you’re accustomed to princess treatment, which would make sense actually. Seeing that you are a princess after all, and that too a breathtaking one…” she continued, every word seeming so sincere that Ashlyn couldn’t help but blush a little despite her attempts to hide it.

Maddox continued her flirting, as she bowed low and extended a hand, “Would you like me to do anything for you, Princess? Perhaps a bouquet of flowers? Or conquer a whole kingdom for you? Just give the word, Your Highness, I’m always ready to do anything for you.”

Ashlyn knew Maddox was just teasing her, but she still felt the butterflies in her stomach and her fastened heartbeat at her last sentence. She loved Maddox so much…but for now, she would have to take her sweet revenge by flirting back with her best friend.

“Oh, not at all, Your Majesty,” Ashlyn said, smiling as she took Maddox’s extended hand in hers and pulled the girl towards herself, surprising her in the process. She looked into those brown eyes, wide with surprise, their faces inches away, as Ashlyn whispered, “I don’t need a bouquet or a kingdom. You are enough for me, Your Majesty,”

A smirk formed on her face, as Maddox’s face started turning red, her eyes looking away from Ashlyn’s. But at the same time, she couldn’t ignore the pain in her heart telling her that it would never go beyond this, and she would never feel those soft lips against hers ever again…

“If I have someone as gorgeous and amazing as you, then I think it’s better than being a princess. Nothing compares to the beauty standing in front of me.” She continued as she jokingly booped Maddox’s nose, letting every bit of her sincerity and love for Maddox seep into the compliment. Because that was all she had, flirting and teasing was all she could do with the person she loved…

“Fine you win!” Maddox said, hiding her face, as Ashlyn moved away, chuckling to herself.
She didn’t trust what she would do if she stayed close to Maddox for too long, so she decided it was better to be a bit precatious.

“Let’s get going then?” Ashlyn asked as both of them packed everything they needed. Earning a nod from Maddox, they both headed out of the cave and towards the rising sun in the east.

Ashlyn couldn’t help the weird feeling that was creeping up her chest, warning her that something was wrong. She just couldn’t stop her thoughts as she repeated what the cloud demon had said in her mind over and over again.

She turned her head towards Maddox, as she kept thinking but the moments she registered the scene in front of her, all the thoughts had already left her mind and the only thing that was even worth thinking about was Maddox.

The girl was looking forward towards the path, oblivious of the way Ashlyn was staring at her. Maddox’s eyes reflected off the sunlight, her face had an adorable expression and Ash guessed that she was deep in thought. She really was down bad for her best friend, she knew it, but she didn’t want to stop loving Maddox ever.

She knew, whatever happened with them after this, she just knew that she loved Maddox more than her life and she would never ever let anything happen to her. She was not going to lose Maddox, because her life had no worth without her best friend by her side…

Chapter Text

Ashlyn's POV

“Hey, do you feel that weird sensation too?” Ashlyn heard Maddox, who was looking at her as they kept walking towards the east.

They had been travelling for around three days now, and the more East they travelled, the more sure Ash was getting that they were about to find the rose. She had mentioned it to Maddox too, feeling relieved after hearing that the girl had been feeling the same. There was no denying it, they were getting closer to the end of their quest.

“Yeah, it’s like waves or something coming towards us from over there,” Ashlyn said, pointing straight ahead, from where the sun had risen up just a few hours ago,

“We must be close to the rose then,” Maddox concluded, to which Ashlyn just nodded, trying to avoid the fact that they were also getting closer to the moment when Ash would find out if the cloud demon was lying or not.
But she didn’t want to think about it, maybe because she believed it was utter bullshit or maybe because she knew who it was talking about and wondered how she was going to stop it from happening…

Nonetheless, she decided to focus on the path ahead, but apparently her heart had other plans, as her eyes unknowingly turned towards her best friend.
She could never get enough of Maddox, and ever since she had realised her feelings for the girl, all she ever did around her was stare at her, or think about her when she wasn’t staring. She was pretty sure that Maddox had caught her staring a couple times, but could anyone blame her. Maddox was just that amazing.

Despite the circumstances, she was delighted about their alone time together, and just wished she could make the most of it. And since she couldn’t kiss her best friend, she had decided to settle for flirting and staring, but her heart just seemed to fall harder and deeper every minute they spent together.

Every eye contact, every lingering touch that was a bit too long to be just friendly, or even a little hint of smile or laughter from Maddox would send shivers down Ashlyn’s spine, as she slowly realised how oblivious she had been all these years and how deeply she was falling for this admirable girl in front of her.

All these thoughts were running through the girl’s mind as she stared at Maddox, thinking about the best way to confess her feelings for Maddox, after they get out of here and hope that the girl would feel the same too.
Even if she didn’t feel the same way, Ashlyn at least hoped that she wouldn’t end their friendship because of the awkwardness.

She knew she had to confess soon, because it was becoming awfully difficult to hide her feelings and most importantly, it hurt. It hurt too much to ignore it.
She had to do it, but she knew she had to wait till they returned home safely, and till then she just decided to enjoy the moments with Maddox…

Maybe she should tell her best friend that-

Her train of thoughts was interrupted as her leg got stuck in one of the roots of the thick, deadly looking trees in the forest around them and she stumbled forward, losing her balance in the process.
She closed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the fall and the scratches she would get from the tiny thorns on trees around them.

But fortunately, she never fell, because someone had caught her mid fall.
Fortunately, that someone was none other than the girl who was responsible for Ashlyn’s sleepless nights.
Unfortunately, as soon as Ashlyn opened her eyes, she came back to her senses, and became hyper aware of every little touch they were sharing.

The way Maddox’s arm had wrapped around her body to stop her from falling, the way her arms brushed against Ashlyn’s body, igniting it with a rare fire. The way those brown eyes reflected the light around them, and those soft lips looked inviting, the way those beautiful hair flowed with the wind.

The way they were staring into each other’s eyes, neither one ready or eager to look away, and even the way Ashlyn’s heart was beating out of her chest as she was struggling to breathe.
They were utterly frozen in the moment, no one wanting to break it but waiting to see what the other would do instead. Ashlyn was sure she saw Maddox’s gaze flicker to her own lips for a second.

Suddenly there was a rustle in the nearby trees, startling both of them as a rabbit suddenly appeared beside them, disappearing into the grass a few moments later.
Ashlyn heard Maddox give out a sigh of relief, but she wasn’t really sure if it was because of the animal or something else.

They looked back at each other, but before they could get hypnotised by each other’s gaze once again, Ashlyn cleared her throat. Maddox seemed to have snapped out of her daze, as she slowly steadied Ashlyn on her feet, not breaking eye contact.

“You okay?” She asked, her voice sounding a little raspy, as her hands still lingered on Ashlyn’s shoulders,
“Uh huh,” Ashlyn nodded, her face feeling hot despite the cool breeze around them.

“You didn’t get any scratches or anything from the branches, did you?” Maddox asked, once again, her voice coming out a bit clearer and louder this time, as her hands moved from Ashlyn’s shoulders to her face, her fingertips tracing her neck in the process.

She inspected Ashlyn’s face, looking for any signs of injuries, as Ashlyn just stared at the girl, trying to hide the goosebumps she was getting from her touch.
“No, I’m fine. Really,” Ashlyn mumbled, her face was definitely a bright shade of red by now, she was sure.

“Okay,” Maddox paused, now looking at her, and her eyes narrowed as if she was noticing something for the first time.

A smirk started to form on the girl’s lips and Ashlyn knew she was in trouble.
“Wait…” Maddox said, in an amused tone, “Are you blushing, Ash?” she raised her eyebrow, accusingly, which made Ashlyn panic even more,

“What? No! It’s nothing!” Ashlyn squealed in a high pitched tone, which was enough to convince even herself that she was lying.
“Aww, Ash,” Maddox teased, “It’s okay. I know you get flustered around me. Honestly, who wouldn’t?” she said, as she winked at Ashlyn, somehow managing to make her blush even more.

“I’m not blushing,” Ashlyn mumbled, unconvincingly to which Maddox just laughed,
“Sure, Ash,” she said before continuing, “I teased you too much for today. I will spare you, don’t worry.” Maddox said, as she teased her even more,

“Oh, you wanna play this game right now, Gadget? ‘Cause don’t tell me to stop when you turn as red as a rose,” Ashlyn raised her eyebrows in defiance, that metaphor being enough to turn Maddox a little redder than she had been before.
“Gods, fine. You win.” Maddox said, now moving back to her place as she looked away and towards the path, trying to hide the blush on her face.

“Oh, but I was just getting started, you know?” Ashlyn continued, “Too bad I won’t be having fun teasing you, darling…”
She didn’t know what came over her, but she regretted it as soon as those words left her mouth. What was she thinking? Everything had been going on so well between them, without any awkwardness, and now she had just said something like that?

She turned towards Maddox only to find the latter was already looking at her, with wide eyes and red face, surprised.

Then suddenly Maddox started laughing, but in a good way, that meant she had taken the flirting as a joke, which was good. Ashlyn soon reciprocated the smile on her best friend’s face as Maddox mumbled,
“Wow, Ash. Your skills just keep getting better and better,” Maddox wondered out loud, shaking her head, smiling.

“Well, I think that’s the effect of being with you too much. Your charm is just so irresistible y’know. It rubbed off on me for sure,” Ashlyn smirked, looking towards the path in front of them, as she glanced towards Maddox once.

“See, this is what I’m talking about. But can’t argue there, I am irresistible, aren’t I?” Maddox joked, and even though Ashlyn didn’t say anything, she couldn’t agree more with what she had said. Maddox was so gorgeous that it hurt.

Sometimes, Ashlyn would randomly worry that she would explode because her love for the girl won’t be able to fit within her.
Too bad those feelings won’t be reciprocated, she thought, ignoring the stab in her chest.

Sometimes, it just hurt too much, and she didn’t know how to get through without telling Maddox that she had feelings for the girl.
Sometimes it felt as if the moment she would come clean would be so freeing, and that thought was too tempting, so she decided not to dwell on it.

“Yeah, you are,” Ashlyn mumbled to herself, casting a last longing glance at Maddox before they continued moving again.

She was inspecting the thick forest in front of her, when she suddenly noticed the trees parting to give way to a large clearing just a few meters away from them.
That was definitely where they would find the rose, she just knew it.

“Maddie, look. The trees are finally parting!” Ashlyn said, increasing her pace a little, eager and desperate to get out of the forest and this dream or whatever it was as soon as possible.

“It must be a clearing in the forest, it might be where the Rose is,” Maddox responded, quickening her pace to match with Ashlyn’s as both of them headed towards the clearing, swatting away the branches in their way.

Both of them stumbled out of the forest, delighted to get away from the thick trees and into fresh open air again.

Ashlyn looked around, noticing their surroundings, as her vision tunneled towards something.
The clearing wasn’t really big. It was just a spot without any trees in the middle of a thick forest, and the reason for that might have been confusing for Ashlyn, if it wasn’t for the rose standing high in the middle of the clearing.
It was a bit larger than usual roses, its blood red color making it stand out among the surrounding flowers. The rose was giving off a powerful, magical aura and it was captivating to say the least.

Ashlyn was stuck in a sort of daze, as she stared at the magnificent flower in front of her. The flower somehow reminded her of Maddox in every way, her laugh, her eyes, her smile, her voice, everything.
It was as if she was looking through every single memory of the moments she had shared with Maddox. Their flirting, their fights, their inside jokes, and all the other things.
The rose was reminding her of every single thing Maddox had ever done that made Ashlyn fall in love with her.

She snapped herself out of the daze before she could move anymore closer to the flower. She did not know if it was safe to go near it, but now she was sure that the flower had some kind of magic in it.
She realised that the rose was making her sub-consciously think of the person she loved the most but she didn’t know what to make of this information

She turned towards Maddox, only to find that the girl was already looking at the rose too. Her eyes were glassy and dreamy, but her eyebrows were furrowed together as if she was trying to remember something but couldn’t exactly point it out.

Maddox suddenly shook her head, closing her eyes as she looked away from the rose and snapped herself out of the daze.
She looked up and Ashlyn’s eyes met those brown eyes for a moment.
A twinge of electricity flowed through Ashlyn’s body as her stomach was suddenly filled with butterflies and her knees got weak.

This was the girl she loved, everything she would ever need, and she was determined not to lose her ever. She couldn’t wait any longer, she just didn’t want to…
She needed to take the first step.

“Maddox…” Ashlyn started, moving towards the girl in front of her, as she took her hands in her own, “Maddox, I need to confess something…”

Maddox looked at her expectantly, even though Ashlyn could tell the girl was surprised by her sudden behaviour, she was just as nervous and curious about what she had to say. So she took Maddox’s silence as a good sign and continued,

“I’ve been wanting to tell this to you for a long time now, but…” Ashlyn gulped, “But I just didn’t know how you would take it and I didn’t want to ruin anything so I kept quiet…”,
She kept quiet for a moment before she continued, “But now it’s becoming unbearable and I can’t keep hiding it anymore.”

“Okay…?” Maddox questioned timidly, prompting her to keep going,
“Gadget, I lo-” Ashlyn was interrupted before she could say anything more, as an arrow swiftly flew in their direction and passed from in between as it struck a tree behind them.

They moved away from each other, letting go of their hands as Ashlyn took out her sword and moved in front of Maddox, determined not to let anything happen to her best friend.
Maddox had readied her bow and arrow as well, her keen eyes searching for a target to strike.

But both of them couldn’t figure out where the arrow had come from or who had fired it.

“Whoa, calm down. I am not going to kill both of you, at least not before I talk to you first,” An amused voice said, as a girl stepped out from behind the trees on the other side of the clearing, holding a sword instead of an expected bow and arrow.

She had striking blue eyes, but not in a beautiful way, they were the type that would stare deep into your soul as if they knew your deepest darkest secrets.
The only set of eyes Ashlyn admired anyway was the one with brown orbs, having a hint of black in the center.

Her hair was blond. She was an exact copy of how people would imagine a stereotypical princess, except for the fact that nothing about this girl was that genuine or good.
She had an evil and amused smirk on her face, as her eyes gave a window to all the bad intentions in her head.

This girl was giving full on Villian vibes, and Ashlyn knew even Maddox could sense it, from the way her body had tensed up beside Ashlyn.
She gently touched the girl’s wrist in an attempt to reassure her.

“I’m right here,” She mumbled, while looking lovingly at Maddox before she turned towards the girl and asked in a loud clear voice,
“Who are you, and what do you want?” She asked, holding her sword hilt tighter as she occasionally spinned it in her hand.

“Aren’t you curious, Princess Ashlyn…” the girl said, surprising Ashlyn by using her title as well as her name,

“How did you know that?” Ashlyn asked, before Maddox spoke up, pointing her arrow at the girl as she said,
“Enough games! Now tell us, who are you?!” She commanded, once again reminding Ashlyn that, what she saw of Maddox was the true and softer version of the girl, and her best friend was capable of doing many other things too.

“Geez, so dramatic. Fine, your majesty,” The girl rolled her eyes as she continued in a bored tone, “Let me introduce myself,”
“I am Lily, the last of the Northern Magicians who used to believe and practice the so-called Forbidden Magic, and yes, I am the one responsible for both of you being trapped in here,”

There were many things about that sentence alone that made Ashlyn question everything.
First of all, she was shocked to hear that there was still someone left from the Northern territories, after their own spell had backfired on them, wiping out most of the population.
She knew her uncle, Cash Caswell, had turned most of those magicians away from the magic because it was dangerous, but she didn’t understand why Lily would trap them here…

“But why are you doing this? As long as I remember, I don’t think we’ve ever met before… So why?” Ashlyn asked, purely out of curiosity as she could tell she was missing a valuable piece of information here that would make everything fall into place.

‘Here comes the evil monologue…” sighed Maddox, in a bored tone. But she was exactly right as Ashlyn heard Lily continue her answer to the question.

“To take my revenge against Cash Caswell, the person who you call your King. The person who brutally murdered all those magicians who went against him, and still practiced forbidden magic,” Lily spoke up, venom in her tone as she continued,
“And why?? Only because he knew it was unsafe for his kingdom, and if we wanted to, we could easily take over it,” She continued, her hatred for Cash Caswell evident in her voice, as a fire burned within her icy cold eyes.

“Wha… How…” Ashlyn stuttered, not knowing how to react. “But he… he said your magic backfired…”

She didn’t know about this, and she wasn’t sure if anyone else did either.
The story every person of the kingdom knew was the same, the magicians were unlucky enough to have their powerful spell backfired on themselves, resulting in the sudden disappearance of all of them.
But now, she didn’t know what to believe anymore, she didn’t even know why she was here, for her uncle’s deeds, if this was true.

“Of course, he said he didn’t do anything. He couldn’t be the bad ruler in front of his people now, could he? He needed to wash the blame off of himself, so he created this new story, warning every person who was with him on the quest to abide by it, and never let the truth get out,” Lily continued, her voice breaking from all the anger within her,
“But I was there. I saw it happen with my own eyes, and he couldn’t control me,” She paused,

“Why do you think he went to the Northern Territory after you fell into this deep sleep, instead of sending orders to look for a cure for you?” Lily asked Ashlyn, who was now looking at Maddox as she remembered their conversation where Maddox had told her what had been going on in the palace after her sleep,

“Because, he… he had some business to attend to…” Ashlyn explained, not convincing anyone there, including herself, that it was the true reason.

But before Lily could respond, Maddox spoke up,
“No. He knew,” She said, looking at Ashlyn with that serious gaze, as she continued,
“He knew it was forbidden magic. He knew he missed something- or someone,” She said, glancing at Lily for a moment,
“And he knew he had to make it right before his secret got out before everyone. He went to the Northern Territories to get rid of the remaining of them,”

“See, now you’re getting there,” Lily said, as Maddox stayed silent, staring at the ground, deep in thought,

“But…” Ashlyn was speechless. She had millions of questions swirling around in her head. She needed answers but she decided to ask the most convenient one first,
“But then why am I here? Instead of him?”

“Don’t you see it, Ash?” Maddox said, her voice silent as she kept her gaze in front of her, “You were the most subtle target,” she said as she looked at Lily with a rage lighting in her gaze,

“She knew she couldn’t reach the king himself directly, she would never be able to pass through the security even with Magic. And even EJ, the crown prince himself, was too obvious of a target,” she explained,

“If something had happened to EJ, anyone would have guessed that it was intentional, and obviously done by someone who wanted revenge against His Majesty. But with you, it’s different, Ash.” Maddox said, looking straight into her eyes as she uttered the last sentence, her voice barely above a whisper, and Ashlyn couldn't help but sense some undertone to it.

“If something had happened to you, people would obviously not be sure if it was really revenge or a sad accident at its best. They couldn’t point out the obvious that someone wanted revenge. That’s why she chose you,” Maddox concluded, now looking at Lily again, a furious expression on her face, but Lily seemed unbothered by it.

“Bingo! Your ‘best friend’ is clearly smarter than I gave her credit for, Princess Ashlyn” Lily said, her tone surprisingly light for the situation they were facing right now, even if it did have some anger in it.

“I needed to start with you, Princess Ashlyn, and Her Majesty here was a pretty addition to my grand plan,” She said, waving at Maddox, “After finishing off both of you, I could move on to Prince EJ. And then the person who I despise the most, I would kill Cash Caswell after all this, finally taking over the throne with the help of my magic,” Lily explained, laying out her grand plan in front of both of them, an evil and content smirk playing on her face, as her eyes burned with hate, “All of my hard work learning magic and years waiting for the right moment will finally pay off. I’ve finally become powerful enough to take over,” She said, raising her hand dramatically,

“Well, sorry to interrupt you monologue and burst your bubble but we’re going to get out of here just fine, and kill you instead, on our way out too,” Maddox said, a certain confidence in her tone, that made even Ashlyn believe her, even though she knew their chances against forbidden magic were not that great here.

She loved the confidence, but maybe she loved it because of the person from whom it was coming. She couldn’t help but wonder about the thing the cloud demon had said about her most loved person. She had a bad feeling about this…

Lily laughed, a humorless laugh as she said, “I love your confidence, Your Majesty. Is this how you tell lies too?” She asked, taunting Maddox, but Ashlyn couldn’t understand why.

“What do you mean?” Ashlyn said glancing between the both of them, as Lily and Maddox stared at each other.
Lily was looking at Maddox like she knew something they had no idea about, while she could see the way Maddox’s face clouded with doubt, just for a moment, before she slipped on her mask of confidence once again.

“Tell me, Maddox. Are all of you rulers always liars? Do all of you hide the truth from the people closest to you even though you know it?” Lily asked, in a condescending tone, her hatred audible in her voice,

“What is she talking about Maddie?” Ashlyn asked, now looking at a very disturbed Maddox, her brows furrowed as if she was trying to remember something.
“I… I don’t know,” Maddox said, in a confused tone, signalling her distress, as she rubbed the side of her head,

Lily smirked, as she continued,
“Is that so? Don’t you know that only one of you can escape?”

And suddenly the things that the ‘cloud demon’ had said made a lot of sense…

Chapter Text

Ashlyn’s POV

“Is that so? Don’t you know that only one of you can escape? Haven’t you known that since the start of this quest and still decided to hide it from your best friend?” Lily asked, surprising Ashlyn as she turned towards Maddox,

Maddox had a look of realisation on her face, as she turned a bit paler. Her eyes met Ashlyn’s for a moment, begging her to not believe what Lily had said, but somehow Ashlyn knew it was the truth. Maddox knew that too.

“Is that true? Please tell me she is lying,” Ashlyn pleaded, silently praying that it was a lie, even though she already knew the answer to her own question. Maddox was silent for a moment.

“She isn’t, Ash. It’s true,” Maddox confessed, looking away from Ashlyn as she gulped before continuing,
“But I swear I didn’t remember it. I knew I was forgetting something from the meeting with that forest spirit, but I couldn’t pinpoint it,” Maddox said, her voice desperate to make Ashlyn believe in her, as she moved towards the girl.

Ashlyn didn’t know what to make of this situation. She couldn’t believe that her best friend would hide something like that from her.
But again, it wasn’t as if the girl herself remembered the fact, and Ashlyn couldn’t blame her when she herself was hiding part of a conversation from Maddox.

She lifted her eyes from the ground to meet Maddox’s as the girl in front of her mumbled, “You know I would never lie to you, Ash. You’re my…” She hesitated for a moment, before saying, “...best friend,”

“It’s okay, Maddie,” Ashlyn tried to reassure her, as she continued, “It’s not like you remembered it. You forgot, I get it,” She said, smiling at the girl,

“Yeah, but…” Maddox started, “I just don’t want you to think that I would hide something from you or lie to you,” she said, in a timid tone, which made Ashlyn’s heart flutter.

Maddox was so adorable, she thought before willing herself to stay focused on the conversation,
“I know you won’t. So don’t worry, alright?” Ashlyn said, her voice soft, in an attempt to tell the other girl that everything was okay.

Just as Maddox was about to nod, Lily interrupted their conversation,
“Okay, that’s it. I can’t bear this oblivious flirting anymore. Let’s just get to business, shall we?” Lily said as she raised her hands, her black sword still clutched in one of her hands, and a wave of uncomfortable and powerful energy flowed through the forest.
The leaves of the trees around them fluttered violently, few of them blowing away with the strong winds and over their heads.

Ashlyn couldn’t deny it, Lily was powerful. She didn’t know how they were going to defeat her, despite Maddox’s visible confidence.

“Ash,” Maddox mumbled silently, pulling Ashlyn closer to her, while Lily was still busy showing them a glimpse of her magic, “Listen to me very carefully,”

Maddox squeezed her wrist gently, emphasizing the importance of her next words,
“I hate to do this, but you need to fight her this time. I can’t do it because she is after you. I have a plan, I will go get the rose, while you distract her away from it,” she explained frantically, knowing they had very little time, as Lily was nearly at the end of her magic show.

“But…” Ashlyn started, trying to stop them from splitting up right when they were about to face Lily. She didn’t want to be away from Maddox and not be there for her if anything happened. Ash was about to protest when Maddox cut her off.

“There’s no other way, Ash,” Maddox said, as if reading her mind, “If we want to defeat her, we need to split up. Please,” She pleaded, looking into Ashlyn’s eyes, her hand still holding onto her wrist.

Ashlyn stared into those eyes, as she nodded, agreeing to go according to Maddox’s plan, even if she was terrified to lose her best friend.
The things the demon had said kept repeating over in her mind and before she could stop herself, she pulled Maddox in for a hug.

She tightly wrapped her arms around her best friend, and breathed in her presence, holding her close.
Maddox was stiff for a moment, surprised by the sudden show of affection in the middle of the fight, but she hugged back almost immediately.

“Please take care, Gadget. If we are really getting out of here, then I want us to do it together, no matter what anyone says. Please, I don’t want to lose you.” Ashlyn mumbled in Maddox’s hair, not letting her go, because it just felt too soon.

“We are getting out together, you won’t lose me. Don’t worry,” Maddox said confidently, but Ashlyn still noticed the tiny quivering in her voice as she said it.

They both pulled back as Lily came to an end of her magic show.
Ashlyn looked at Maddox, her hair flowing in the strong winds around them as she dodged the occasional branches flying towards them.
A determined look on her face, as she focused her eyes on the girl in front of them, and Ashlyn couldn’t deny that Maddox had never looked more beautiful and stunning as she was looking in this moment.

Lily had ended her magic and was now moving towards them with her sword as she spun it around, an angry look on her face. Ashlyn readied her sword as she willed herself to stay calm.

Maddox mumbled beside her, “Let’s do this, Ash,” before she sprinted in the opposite direction and disappeared into the woods behind them.

Lily suddenly stopped walking, looking at Ashlyn with confusion written all over her face as if she was wondering what had just happened.

She was silent for a moment before an amused smirk formed over her face and she said,
“Well it looks like your best friend just abandoned you, Your Highness,” She wondered out loud as she resumed her walk towards Ashlyn,

But Ashlyn was unbothered by the fact that she was fighting alone with Lily. She knew what Maddox was doing and she was just waiting for the moment when she would see the girl emerge from the trees on the other side of the clearing.

“Let’s just stop talking and get it over with, shall we?” Ashlyn said, sprinting towards Lily with her sword.
“Your wish, Princess Ashlyn,” Lily said, as she started sprinting towards Ashlyn too, both of them meeting halfway as their swords clanged against each other.

Lily had used more force than Ashlyn had expected, maybe because the sword was filled with so much forbidden magic, she thought. But still they kept fighting back and forth, their swords clashing against each other.

Ashlyn was surprisingly calm in this whole situation because she was confident in her fighting skills. She knew she was very hard to defeat, if not impossible.
As long as she remembered, the last person who had defeated her was Maddox, and that was when they were fighting after the cloud demon had possessed Maddox.

Her thoughts wandered back to the things it had said, but she forced herself to not think about it. Everything was going to be okay. Maddox had made a plan, which was going to be successful, and they were going to get out of here together, just fine.

“You know, Ashlyn. Sometimes I wonder…” Lily started as they kept fighting.
She dodged Ashlyn’s sword as she continued, “I wonder if you guys think I am a fool. Do you really think I don’t know what you both have been up to all these past days?” she asked, as she thrust her sword forward in an attempt to stab Ashlyn.

Ashlyn dodged the sword, before swinging her sword at Lily, wounding her arm in the process. But still she continued, unbothered by the injury,
“In fact, let me tell you what I did in order to stop you before you reach the rose,-” She said, but Ashlyn cut her off before she could continue,

“Oh, I know. It was you who sent the creature to destroy our boat. Also the one who sent that cloud demon to possess one of us to kill the other. Wasn’t it?”
Ashlyn said, as Lily swung her sword towards her head and she leaned back to avoid it, but still felt the tip of the sword graze her shoulder.

“Yeah you are right about that part,” Lily said, as Ashlyn stumbled backward but soon regained her composition, and landed a chop which was easily blocked by Lily, as she continued,
“But do you know who was responsible for the lightning that occurred that night when you were about to kiss your so-called ‘best friend’?” She asked with a knowing smirk,

This made Ashlyn lose her focus for a moment, which was enough time for Lily to land a cut on her arm that was holding the sword.
But she quickly recovered, landing a slash on Lily, which injured her pretty badly even if she was using magic.

“I wasn’t going to kiss her,” Ashlyn explained in a hurried tone, to which Lily laughed as they kept fighting,

“Love is a confusing thing, isn’t it?” She said, her tone suggesting something that Ashlyn knew was true,
“You know you love the person, but something in you just doesn’t want to admit it. Maybe because you’re afraid of what it might mean, or maybe because you think it is just dumb and hopeless to be in love,”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Ashlyn gritted through her teeth, focusing herself on fighting Lily rather than listening to her words,
“Sure,” Lily replied sarcastically, just when Ashlyn disarmed her, and her sword went clattering to the ground, beside her,

“Why don’t you just return to the Kingdom, Lily? I could give you a second chance, you know. You can tell people the truth about My uncle, and reveal the bad things he has done,” Ashlyn said, trying to convince Lily to let it go, and stop fighting, but she just laughed, anger evident in her tone as she said,

“Do you really think I’ll let it go?” Lily asked, as her eyes burned with hate, and the winds around them flowed stronger than before, “That man killed my people, and you want me to just let it go? Do you really think I’ll do something as noble as that? I won’t. I’m going to take my revenge by killing the people close to him, before I finish him off myself too,” She explained, with an evil smile on her face.

She extended her hands towards the sword lying on the ground, prompting it to come flying towards her. She grabbed the sword before slashing it in a downward motion on Ashlyn, which was again effectively blocked by her.

“I won’t ask you again, Lily,” Ashlyn said, pitifully, before she slashed at Lily, injuring her leg in the process.
She just needed to keep going till Maddox got the rose, but she was too worried about her friend to focus completely on the fight. Why wasn’t Maddox out of the woods yet?

“You won’t need to,” Lily snarled, “Because you’ll soon be dead,” She said, as she stabbed her sword at Ashlyn, which she dodged skillfully before slashing at her in return.

They kept fighting, dodging and blocking each other’s swings as Lily continued,
“Do you really think I don’t know that your best friend is coming up right behind me to get to the rose, as you distract me?”
Just as she asked that, Ashlyn saw Maddox appearing from the trees, as she sprinted towards the Rose in between the clearing.

Ashlyn could feel her own heart beating even more rapidly, due to the adrenaline, mixed with the worry for her best friend. She just hoped Lily wouldn’t harm Maddox in any way with her magic.

Just as if she was reading her mind, Lily said, “She is not going to escape unscathed from this, you know. I won’t let her get to the rose that easily,”
She finished her sentence, and as if on cue, a bunch of arrows magically appeared from the woods, heading straight towards Maddox.

Ashlyn could feel her heart stop for a moment as her eyes widened and she instinctively shouted, “Maddie, look out!”

Maddox immediately looked at her, before diverting her attention to the arrows that were now flying towards her.
She successfully dodged many of them, not stopping her run towards the rose, but still some of them grazed her, wounding her skin as blood started flowing out of them.

Ashlyn could do nothing but watch Maddox make it out of the flying arrows that didn’t seem to stop, as she kept sparring with Lily, whose blows just kept getting stronger with each slash of her sword.
Ashlyn didn’t know how long she could keep it up.

She glanced at Maddox, sighing in relief as she reached the rose, but soon Ashlyn snapped back her attention to Lily, who was now slashing at her. Ashlyn blocked the slash, just as Lily smirked and said,

“Don’t you see it? She is not going to survive this, Ashlyn.” Lily explained, a hint of sympathy in her voice, as she pulled back her sword, before attacking once again,
“Your friend is going to die right here, in this world.” Lily said, as if she already knew the outcome of the fight.

Ashlyn willed herself to not believe what the girl was saying, but deep inside, even she knew that Lily was right.
One of them was not going to get out of here, but Ashlyn was not going to let anything happen to Maddox, not when she knew she loved her best friend.

Just as she was thinking about all this, she forgot to block the next slash coming from Lily, which resulted in her hand getting wounded by the magical sword, and Ashlyn couldn’t deny, it hurt as hell.

Lily took the chance and disarmed Ashlyn as her sword went flying through the air and struck the trunk of the nearest tree beside them due to Lily's magical powers.

Ashlyn was defenseless as she saw Lily charging towards her. But she was fine, she was calm. If one of them was going to die here, she would rather want it to be herself instead of watching her best friend die.
At least, Maddox would get out of here fine. Her love would be safe and sound, away from all this, and Ashlyn was fine with it, if it meant Maddox would live.

She closed her eyes, finally accepting her fate, when she felt someone moving in front of her, and she opened her eyes surprised.

Maddox had suddenly covered Ashlyn in a warm embrace, placing herself between Lily and Ashlyn.
“It's okay,” She whispered in her ear as she wrapped her arms around Ashlyn.

Ashlyn watched in horror as Lily slashed the sword toward her, injuring Maddox instead.

Ashlyn heard Maddox drawing in a sharp breath beside her ear, as her grip around Ashlyn’s neck tightened for a split second before it loosened completely, and she started to slide away.

Ash wrapped her arms around Maddox to stop her from collapsing to the ground, careful not to touch her fresh wound, while Lily slowly moved backward as she watched life slowly fade out of Maddox in satisfaction, a smile forming on her face.

“Please stay awake, Gadget,” Ash whispered with concern, as she tenderly moved her away from Lily, despite the anger burning within her, “Please hang in there, I'll be right back,”

Maddox just nodded, wincing in pain as Ashlyn laid her down against the tree trunk. She silently rose from beside Maddox's injured body, head bowed low.
She looked up at Lily, her teary eyes burning with rage, as she pulled her sword out of the tree trunk where it had been stuck earlier.

She silently crossed the distance between them as she spoke up in a quiet infuriated tone with every step,
“You hated me, that was fine. You sent me here, that was fine. You harmed me, that was fine. Not only that, but you tried to kill me, even that was fine…” she kept moving towards Lily,
“But you do not get to hurt her as long as I'm here, you understand?!” Ashlyn spoke up as she looked at Lily straight in the eyes, only a few feet between them now.

“How about I kill you too, then?” Lily smirked at her, no regret in her eyes, only a small hint of amusement,

Before she could say anything else, Ashlyn lunged towards Lily, screaming with rage as she kept slashing her sword at her, not giving her a single chance to attack.
She continued attacking her, as Lily desperately tried to keep up with Ashlyn's speed and agility in close combat,

“NO” slam “ONE” slash “HURTS” clash “GADGET!” clang.

Lily’s sword clanged to the ground as she looked at Ashlyn with wide eyes filled with fear. She raised her hands in an attempt to perform another magical spell.
But before she could go any further, Ashlyn knocked her to the ground with a blow to the head with the hilt of her sword. Lily looked up with pure terror on her face.

“I would have given you a second chance in our kingdom,” Ashlyn said, looking at her pitifully, “But you lost it, the moment you hurt her.”

Ashlyn drove her sword straight through Lily’s heart without a moment's hesitation, and blood spattered everywhere around her.

“That’s what you get for hurting her,” Ashlyn said silently as she watched life fade away from Lily’s eyes, blood dripping from her mouth.

She tried to control her breathing as she rested her hands on top of the sword hilt, the sword still inside Lily’s lifeless body, which slowly started to wither.

She calmed down, as adrenaline slowly faded away from her body until she remembered something.
Maddox…!

She quickly looked around, spotting Maddox in the same spot where she had left her, under the tree. She rushed towards her, leaving her sword behind.
Furthermore, she slowly lifted Maddox and took her into her arms, holding her close as she knelt beside her.

Maddox's breathing was becoming shallow with time, as she struggled to keep her eyes open. A pool of blood had formed around her body, her wound still bleeding.
Ashlyn tried to stop the blood as she tied a cloth around Maddox’s wound, cursing herself for not noticing the severity of it earlier,

“Hey, Maddie. Hey, look at me,” Ashlyn said, trying to keep Maddox awake, lightly slapping her cheek.
“I’m alright, Ash,” she whispered, a smile forming on her face as she raised her soft hand to meet Ashlyn’s face and looked into her eyes,

“How could you smile at a time like this?” Ashlyn asked in disbelief, tears starting to form in her eyes, as Maddox caressed her cheek with her thumb.
“You make it easy,” Maddox said, her breaths coming out heavier as she tried to speak. The girl was still flirting with her when she was so in pain, Ashlyn thought as she shook her head.

What was she going to do now? She couldn’t just do nothing and watch Maddox suffer, not when she had realized just a few days ago that she loved Maddox. There was so much to say and so little time.
She couldn’t let it end this way…

“You’re going to be okay,” Ashlyn tried to assure herself, as she brushed some hair off of Maddox’s now sweaty forehead,
“Ash-” Maddox started, but was cut off by Ash,

“No. I’m going to cure that wound of yours, and you’re going to be okay,” Ashlyn said desperately, repressing her sobs, “I will take you to that river,”
“Ashlyn, please, just listen to me. I don’t… I don’t think I have much time left,” Maddox croaked, struggling to breathe.

Ashlyn closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears from flowing, as she nodded silently. She dipped her head down, so their foreheads lightly touched, and Maddox’s skin felt cold against hers.

“In case, we never… we never see each other again, I just… want you to know that I was so lucky… so lucky to have you in my life. You’re the kindest, most beautiful person I have and will ever meet… and…” Maddox struggled to speak, her skin turning pale as she continued,

“I love you.” She whispered gently, looking at a shocked Ashlyn, eyes sparkling with tears and emotion.

She slowly moved her hand from Ashlyn’s cheek to the back of her neck, fingers tracing Ash’s skin and making her shiver as Maddox pulled her in for a kiss. Maddox’s lips captured hers in a slow, desperate kiss.
Ashlyn kissed back and closed her eyes as her lips tingled, feeling Maddox’s soft lips. She slightly lifted Maddox’s head with her hand, which was already around it, pulling her closer.

Her whole body felt like it was on fire, as if it was finally complete for the first time. Their lips fit perfectly together. Ashlyn couldn’t get enough of Maddox.
She had had feelings for the girl for as long as she could remember, even if she was too much in denial to realize it earlier, but Ashlyn was afraid that it might be too late now.

Maddox pulled back a little, their lips slightly brushing as she panted, struggling to breathe. Ashlyn could feel her warm breath on her lips, as their breaths mixed together in the air,

Ashlyn pulled back completely, her eyes still closed, as she processed everything that had just happened.

Had Maddox just confessed her love for Ashlyn? Was she dreaming, or was this real? Did her best friend really love her back?
Ashlyn wanted to ask Maddox if it was all real, if she really loved Ashlyn.

But before she could say anything, she suddenly smelled a scent—the scent of a flower, a rose, to be more specific.
Her eyes snapped open, finally understanding what had happened. Maddox now had a burnt rose in her one hand, that was slowly fading away with the wind, her other hand still around Ashlyn’s neck,

“NO! No, no, no! Why would you do that?!” Ashlyn said with agitation, as she could see the world around them slowly getting covered in darkness.

Maddox just longingly looked at her through teary eyes,
“I can’t let you get trapped here, Ash. I hope… you don’t hate me for this, but I need… need to save you. You’re way too important…” she mumbled bleakly,

“But I can’t leave you behind, Maddie!” Ashlyn said, holding Maddox closer to her, and burying her face in the crook of her neck, tears streaming down her face.

Her breathing was coming out faster, and more rapidly, as she panicked at the thought of losing Maddox. She didn’t want to believe that Lily was right, after all.
Maddox couldn’t just leave her like this, there had to be a way. Some other way to save her best friend.

“I’ll be fine, Ash… Sorry, I couldn’t keep my promise.”
Maddox's whispers echoed as she wrapped her arms around Ashlyn’s neck and held her close before she began to disappear into the darkness, leaving Ashlyn alone.

“No, please! Don’t leave me! Please, stay…” Ashlyn cried, reaching out into nothingness, trying to grasp onto Maddox as darkness consumed her and everything turned dark…

There had to be another way to save Maddox, Ashlyn thought, she was not going to end it like this…

Chapter Text

Ashlyn's POV

Ashlyn woke up, in her chamber in the palace. The morning sunlight reflected through the windows beside her bed and illuminated the room. Ashlyn looked around and noticed someone. Gina was beside her, staring at her with wide eyes.

She suddenly shouted, looking towards the doorway, “Eej! EJ, come here! Quick!”

She heard footsteps shuffling outside before EJ came into view,
“What? What’s wron-” EJ suddenly stopped, too stunned to speak as he looked at a fully awake Ashlyn.

She was suddenly wrapped in his embrace before she could ask what was going on.
She remembered the last time she was hugged and her eyes started to water as she thought about Maddox, the shock of the events finally sinking in.

She held on to EJ as she started sobbing uncontrollably, desperately wishing that it was all just a nightmare and Maddox was still safe,

“It’s okay, Ash… You’re okay.” Gina said quietly, and she gently rubbed her shoulders, as Ashlyn slowly let go of EJ, still sobbing,

“Please tell me it was just a dream. Tell me- Tell me she’s alright. Please…” Ashlyn cried, looking at Gina and EJ, who were now sitting beside her bed, confusing both of them.

“Who are you talking about?” EJ asked softly, trying not to scare her in her weak state of mind,
“Gadget…” Ashlyn whispered, desperately hoping they would reassure her that she was fine,
But EJ and Gina just glanced at each other and then at her, in surprise,

“You saw her? In your dreams?” Gina asked,
“Not only did I see her, I talked to her, I fought alongside her. We were together through all of it, she even saved me…twice” Her voice broke at the end of the sentence, but she continued anyway, “But it was just a dream, right? She’s safe,” She told herself,

“Ash…when we found you unconscious near the lake, we called every magician, and healer across the kingdoms, but no one could understand what happened to you. They said you were alive, but you weren’t waking up. One of them told us that there was a rose in the enchanted forest that could be the solution to your problem, but the soldiers we sent that way always returned empty-handed.” EJ said, looking at Gina, telling her to continue.

“This continued for a week before Maddox came to visit us, visit you. When we told her about you, she was so furious. God, she even called EJ by his full name,” Gina said softly, making EJ chuckle,
“She decided she would go to the enchanted forest herself and save you, and you were right when you told me that she doesn’t back down once she makes up her mind.” she continued, “But if you woke up, that means she is okay too, so don’t worry. She must be in the forest, maybe she will return tonight.”

Ashlyn looked at them, terrified of what all this meant. It wasn’t a dream, Maddox had really saved her. Maddox was really suffering, she was on the verge of death.
Ashlyn couldn’t fathom what must be happening to her right now. And even more shocking, Maddox had kissed her, the girl had said that she loved her, and Ashlyn hadn’t even gotten the chance to say it back.

But was it even true, or was it just a part of Maddox’s plan to save her?
Ashlyn needed to find Maddox, she needed to save her and tell her that she felt the same way before it was too late.
She couldn’t wait any longer, she wasn’t sure how much time she had before she lost Maddox forever.

“I need to go and find her,” Ashlyn said, getting up from her bed,
“Whoa, who are you kidding? You’re not going anywhere,” EJ said, chuckling as he stopped her,
“Don’t worry too much Ash, Maddox is fine, she will be back soon,” he tried to calm her down,

“No, EJ. She won’t be back if I don’t go and get her right now. She isn’t coming back.” Ashlyn said, looking at EJ through her tears,
EJ’s expression changed, “What do you mean?”

“She isn’t okay. I told you, she saved me twice, and the second time… she wasn’t so lucky. Please, I can’t explain everything to you right now, but trust me. I need to go and save her before it's too late. I won’t be able to forgive myself if anything happens to her…” Ashlyn tried to explain it all in a hurry,

“Fine. I’m coming with you,” EJ said, “No buts,” he continued firmly before Ashlyn could protest,
She sighed in defeat,
“Alright,” she said, as she began getting ready to leave, “I’m leaving in five minutes, be ready, or I will leave you behind,”

……

Almost ten minutes later, the three of them were at the palace’s gate, Gina coming along to bid goodbye to both of them,
EJ turned towards her, “Gi, send a letter to Jet and tell him to come here as soon as possible. Tell him Maddox has returned. We’ll be right back along with her,”

He leaned down to kiss her,
“Don’t worry, okay? I’ll be fine.” he said softly,

She just nodded, looking at both of them worriedly,

“Let’s go, EJ. It’s gross to look at my cousin kissing my best friend, and third-wheeling both of you,” Ashlyn said as she mounted her horse, making Gina’s face redden,

“Oh yeah? Well, imagine how hard it must be for me, to see my cousin and best friend flirting with each other when they both have feelings for each other but are too stupid to notice or admit it. I was the third wheel for almost five years, so you have no right to complain,” EJ teased, making Ashlyn blush as she mumbled,
“I hate it when you’re right,”

There was no use denying it now. She had liked Maddox for a long time. She knew she loved her best friend now.
EJ’s grin widened, “Okay, let’s go,” he said, as he mounted his horse, and both of them left the kingdom.

……

It had been a few hours since they had left the Caswell Kingdom, and now they were deep into the woods as EJ led the way. Ashlyn told him all about the things Lily had told her before when they were fighting.

EJ couldn’t believe the fact that all of the Northern Magicians had disappeared because his father had killed them.
But he did believe that Cash Caswell was capable of doing something and hiding it from everyone by making up a story.

He also agreed that the King might have gone to the Northern Territories to finish off any magicians who he had missed earlier.

It all seemed true, and it was believable too. But still they couldn’t do anything about it.
The Northern Magicians were now gone, and Cash Caswell would be the king for the next two years or so before EJ took over the crown.
Ashlyn knew EJ would never do something so unrighteous as her Uncle did. But right now, she couldn’t think about it all.

The most important thing she had to do right now was find Maddox and make sure she was okay. If something had happened to her... she didn’t want to think about what she would do then, but she knew that she would never be able to forgive herself if something had really happened.

“How do you know this is where we will find her?” Ashlyn asked suspiciously, only because she didn’t want to waste any time going in the wrong direction if they didn’t know where Maddox was.

“Trust me, Ash. Despite Maddox’s orders to not follow her, we had sent soldiers after a few weeks, and all of them ended up finding the same place. They had crossed that bridge right there,” EJ said, now pointing at the bridge in front of them that allowed them access to the other bank of the river, and made it possible to reach the enchanted forest,

EJ continued, as they crossed the river,
“And all of them had stopped right at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, because they couldn’t pass through the veil covering the whole forest. So I really don’t know what we’re going to do after this.” He said, as both of them dismounted from their horses.

EJ lightly traced his fingertips on the veil, revealing that in fact he was not able to pass through the veil. But Ashlyn was not going to give up this easily, so she tried it herself.

She raised her hand to meet the magical veil, as she held her breath in anticipation. Her fingertips lightly brushed the layer, as she hoped with her whole heart that her hand would pass through it.

She watched in surprise, as her hand did pass through the veil. She moved it back and forth once more to make sure that what she was looking at was not an illusion or something.

She turned towards EJ and her wide eyes met his, both of them surprised.
Ashlyn didn’t know why she was able to pass through the veil but she was definitely going to take advantage of this fact, even if it meant that she would have to go in the Enchanted forest alone.

But she didn’t know how she was going to convince EJ to let her go alone, especially when she had just woken up. She looked at EJ with hopeful eyes, and he immediately understood what she wanted to say.

“No way, Ash,” He said, shaking his head repeatedly, “I can’t let you go in there alone,” He tried to explain, through his desperation.

But Ashlyn knew him, she knew how torn he was between the two options.
He couldn’t let his cousin go into danger just when she had gotten out of it, but at the same time, he couldn’t just leave one of his good friends to die when he had a clear chance of saving her.

“Please, Eej,” Ashlyn pleaded, her eyes desperately trying to convince him, as she continued,
“I need to save her. I don’t know what I’d do if… if she isn’t fine,” Ashlyn swallowed, stopping the tears that were pooling in her eyes.

“But, Ash…” EJ started, but fell silent, not knowing what to say,
“I just…” Ashlyn started, “I love-” but EJ interrupted her before she could continue her sentence,

“Fine, wait,” He said loudly, which made Ashlyn stop, “Don’t say it to me first. She needs to be the one to hear those words from you.”

“Wait, does that mean you are allowing me to go?” Ashlyn said, trying not to let her hopes up, but still looking at EJ with a timid smile on her face, as she tilted her face in question,
“Yeah, you know I am not that cruel, Ash,” EJ said, smirking as his eyes shined.

Ashlyn quickly gave him a hug, as she mumbled “Thank You,” before mounting her horse, and disappearing into the dense woods.
“Take care and get back soon,” EJ yelled, as he waited outside the veil, trying to get inside it one last time, and failing.

Ashlyn guided the horse through the thick forest, the darkness due to the absence of sunlight making it hard to look through the woods carefully.
She willed the horse to move to what seemed to be the center of the enchanted forest, and they kept going deeper and deeper into the trees, trudging through the thick branches and bushes around them.

This kept going for a while when suddenly Ashlyn’s horse changed its direction and headed towards their right, as she tried to control it. The horse kept galloping through the woods, as Ashlyn tried to understand where it was taking her.

That’s when she noticed it, the gradual change in the trees and shrubs around her.

The dark and crooked trees were giving way to the most beautiful plants Ashlyn had ever seen.
The black decayed trees were slowly being outnumbered by a colorful bunch of trees, containing lively flowers and green leaves.
The grass around her seemed to have turned from brown to lush green as the horse trotted towards a lake, which Ashlyn had just noticed.

The lake seemed a lot smaller than the one near their kingdom where she had first met Maddox, but it was beautiful nonetheless. There were a few animals all around it, not acknowledging her presence and continuing with their life.
The area was covered by flowers all around, beautiful, majestic flowers of all scents and colors giving off a sweet aura.

But in between all this, there seemed to be an empty space as if something was missing from it.
The rose, Ashlyn thought, which had now turned into ashes, because Maddox had used it on her.

And just beside that empty space Ashlyn saw something that made her heart almost leap out of her chest from fear and anticipation.

Maddox was lying against the trunk of a large tree, unconscious, and it took almost everything in Ashlyn to not jump from the back of the horse and rush towards her.
Her horse finally stopped at the edge of the lake, and started drinking water from it, when Ashlyn noticed yet another horse tied to a tree beside her.
She immediately recognized that it was Joe Jack, Maddox’s horse, as she got off her own and tied it right beside it.

As soon as she made sure the horse was okay, she wasted no time rushing to her best friend’s side.
She kneeled down beside Maddox who was unconscious against the tree, and lightly touched her shoulders with her both hands.

“Hey, Maddox,” Ashlyn mumbled, slightly shaking her and hoping that her best friend would just wake up soon.
She didn’t want to assume anything but she still reluctantly checked the girl’s pulse, and sighed a breath of relief when she found it beating steadily.

Ashlyn studied Maddox’s face, noticing the way her breathing was coming out shallower, even for an unconscious person.
She also noticed that Maddox's skin was a bit cold, and covered in sweat, as if the girl was struggling while being unconscious.

Ashlyn willed herself to keep calm, not letting her bad thoughts take over as she kept up her attempts to wake up Maddox.

“Hey, it’s me, Maddie,” Ashlyn whispered, taking the girl’s hand in hers and lightly squeezing it, hoping she would wake up,
“I’m here for you, so please just… Open your eyes..” She mumbled, as she looked at the girl, trying to suppress the desperation that was now taking over her.

She looked around, spotting a small cave a few meters away from them, and decided to carry Maddox over there. She didn’t trust this enchanted forest, even when it looked a lot beautiful.
Anything could happen out here, so she figured it would be better to take shelter, before going back to waking Maddox up…

“I’m going to pick you up now,” She said, hoping Maddox would say something back to her in that sweet voice of hers, even if she knew she wasn’t going to.

She carefully wrapped her arms around the girl’s body but stopped when she noticed her hand felt Maddox’s back, which was covered in blood. Ashlyn pulled back her hand to find out that it was now soaked in Maddox’s blood.

“Shit,” Ashlyn panicked, as she gently examined Maddox’s wound.

The blood wasn’t that much, compared to the pool of blood she had seen around the girl last time, but still it was enough to make her worried. The wound had somehow become a lot shallower too, but Ashlyn knew it was going to leave a permanent scar.

She didn’t know that the wound would actually hurt Maddox in real life too. She had just assumed it would disappear when she returned to the real world.
But now that she thought about it, she remembered the little cuts she had seen on her arms too when she was getting ready to leave with EJ and search for Maddox.

She really didn’t know what she was supposed to do now. She had a feeling that Maddox wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon, but she was afraid that if the girl didn’t wake up now, she would… something wrong would happen to her.

But she was determined not to give up so soon. She would do anything to save Maddox, even if it meant she had to exchange lives with her. She would do it happily.
For now, she decided to move to the cave near them to stay hidden from any potential danger or wild animals.

She made sure not to touch Maddox’s wound, which was healing at a surprisingly fast rate, and gently picked her up.

She cautiously carried Maddox away from the place and into the cave which had just enough space for both of them.
She slowly put her down on the floor and looked at her, hoping the girl would say something or just open her eyes.

Ashlyn softly kissed her temple as she laid her down against the cave’s wall, and whispered,

“I love you, Maddie. Please wake up…”

She finally confessed as tears began to flow out of her eyes. It felt so freeing to finally say what she had wanted to do for a long time, but she was so afraid, and mad at herself, that it might be too late for this now…

One of her tears fell on Maddox's cheek, and Ashlyn continued as it flowed down…

“I wish I would have told you earlier, but I wasn’t as brave as you. I have liked you since we were children, Gadget. I liked you even when you were with Madison. I tried to be happy that you finally got into a relationship with someone, but I just couldn’t bear the thought of the person not being me.” Ashlyn continued, sniffing occasionally, as tears kept flowing down her cheeks,

“I had always liked you, but I realized I loved you, that day. When you were singing in your amazing voice, sitting on the bank of the river, after our silly fight. You were so carefree, so happy. And then and there I decided that I would do anything to keep you that way. I just wanted you always to be happy, and I just hoped I could be a part of your happy life. I would even give my life up for you, but you were so determined to beat me to it, weren’t you?” she chuckled through her tears, as she continued, sitting down on her knees in front of Maddox,

“But now I would give anything. Anything for a chance to tell you that I feel the same way about you. I would exchange places happily if it meant you would live, and I would get a chance to hear your voice one last time. If I could just kiss you and make you smile one more time.” Her voice broke, as she sobbed,

“I’m so, so sorry, Maddox. I am so sorry it took me this long to realize it and I couldn’t save you, but please come back to me.” she said, as she squeezed her hand, “Please. I love you.”

Ashlyn kept staring at Maddox’s unconscious form, slowly losing hope, but still refusing to give up. Tears streamed down her face, as she looked down, sobbing quietly,

“Please, come back,” she whispered, closing her eyes, silently waiting for a few minutes. Her hopes of waking up the girl were finally leaving her, as desperation took over.

It felt as if all the joy in the world, the sunshine, the happiness, the good things, they all didn’t matter in the slightest to her, because the one person who was her sunshine wasn’t responding to her.

Ashlyn didn’t want to admit it though. She refused to believe her best friend was dead, she couldn’t bear it.
How could someone so sweet just be gone like that? How could Maddox leave her behind when she had promised her she would always be with her?

Ashlyn didn’t know what she would do with her life, she didn’t want to do anything. She just wanted one thing, one person, who was right before her, not even saying anything….

Just as she was about to let go of Maddox’s hand, she heard a soft voice, and her head snapped up to look back at Maddox,

“Ash?” Maddox mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes, and squeezed her hand, slightly coughing as she tried to sit up, away from the wall “What-”

Ashlyn engulfed Maddox in a huge hug, cutting her off as both of them lost balance and Maddox leaned back against the wall again for support, slightly chuckling,

“You’re okay,” Ashlyn cried into her shoulder, as she held her close, “You’re okay. You’re here with me. You’re alive,” she kept mumbling in her ear, as Maddox wrapped her arms around Ashlyn and rubbed her back, eventually stopping her from shivering,

“It’s fine. Calm down,” Maddox said, soothingly, and Ashlyn was so relieved to hear her voice once again, “We’re okay. You’re back, I’m back too,”

“I- I thought I lost you. And I was so worried, I thought y- you were dead,” Ashlyn explained, trying to control her sobs, as she pulled back from the hug and looked into her eyes, “Please don’t do that ever again. Please,” she cried, hiding in Maddox’s embrace once again,

“I know, Ash,” Maddox said, trying to calm her down, holding her close, “I’m so sorry for scaring you like that and breaking my promise. I swear it won’t happen again,” she said, as she rubbed Ashlyn’s arm and calmed her down,
They stayed like that for a few minutes as Ashlyn cried and Maddox held her close, calming her down.

“Are you feeling okay now?” Maddox asked after a while, and Ashlyn just nodded, sitting beside her now as she enjoyed Maddox’s proximity after almost losing it a few hours ago,
“Good,” Maddox continued, facing her now, “because, I need to ask you something,”

Ashlyn turned toward and looked at Maddox, examining her face as she tried to understand what was wrong now. Her palms started sweating as she anxiously waited for Maddox’s question.
She couldn’t help but notice that Maddox herself seemed nervous, as she played with her hands, looking away from Ashlyn.

“But please answer truthfully, okay?” Maddox said, in a vulnerable voice,
“Of course,” Ashlyn said, taking her hand and squeezing it to show that she was right there,

Maddox closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath, before she blurted out in one go, “Did you kiss me and tell me you loved me when I was asleep??” she asked, as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Ashlyn froze in place, not knowing how to answer the question,
“Uh… I mean… Yes,” she stuttered, as Maddox slowly opened one of her eyes, “I did. Both of those,” Ashlyn nodded.
There was no point in hiding it anymore. She was sure she loved Maddox, more than she could even fathom the idea of.

And she was so tired of hiding it from her for such a long time, that she willed herself to take the risk after Maddox’s shocking confession before her almost death. At least she would be alive, even if she decided to end their friendship.
Maddox was the most important thing right now.

“And did you mean it?” Maddox asked quietly, still avoiding her gaze, “I mean, I kind of already know you mean it because I AM back, after all. But just to be sure…” She trailed off, realizing that she was rambling,

“You want to be sure that I really love you?” Ashlyn asked softly, a wave of confidence hitting her, as Maddox nodded, “How about this then?”

Ashlyn asked as she slowly cupped Maddox’s face, another arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. Ashlyn leaned in and connected their lips, as Maddox closed her eyes, sighing blissfully into the kiss.

The kiss lasted for a few moments before Ash decided to pull back, but Maddox followed her and leaned in, keeping their lips connected and silencing Ashlyn before she could say anything.

She grabbed the back of her head, her fingers entangling in Ash’s soft hair, as her other arm snaked around Ashlyn’s neck, and Ashlyn felt herself shiver under Maddox’s touch, their lips moving together.

Maddox finally pulled back, out of breath, her eyes still closed as she softly panted,
“I love you,” she said in a breathy voice, and Ashlyn felt almost all of her worries disappearing as butterflies fluttered in her stomach,
“I was afraid to tell you first, but I have loved you since a long time, even before I realized it myself.” she sighed, “I still can’t believe you love me too.” Maddox smiled happily, looking at her with those soft brown eyes, and Ashlyn was sure she would melt under her stare, the conviction in Maddox’s voice was making her feel things,

“I just love you so, so much…” Maddox shook her head, giving up her attempts to explain what she was feeling, and pulled Ashlyn in for a kiss once again.
She kissed her passionately, communicating every feeling she was feeling as their lips pressed together repeatedly, and their breaths intermingled.

Ashlyn was proud of herself for not turning into a puddle by now, the way Maddox was showing her affection and, kissing her endlessly with so much passion and love, gave her more happiness than she could handle right now. She felt her face getting hot as her heartbeat fastened.

“Alright. Trust me, I love you too. But that’s enough kissing for now,” Ashlyn said, pulling back as she held a hand over Maddox’s chest,
“I obviously like kissing you, but if you kiss me that passionately one more time, I’m afraid I’ll either faint or we won’t be able to stop ourselves,” She turned red, as Maddox chuckled,

“Okay, okay,” Maddox said, pulling her in for a hug and Ashlyn happily obliged, “Okay, I’m done… For now,” she mumbled, pulling away, and removing her arms from around Ashlyn.

They stared into each other’s eyes, before both of them started chuckling shyly.
Ashlyn took in the sight in front of her, as Maddox smiled at her with shining eyes and red cheeks, looking so happy. She couldn't believe the fact that her best friend loved her back.
Ashlyn knew she had gotten extremely lucky to have someone like that in her life, and hopefully, be by her side for the rest of her life.

“Wait,” Ashlyn said, as if remembering something, “How is the wound? Is it hurting? Can you get up properly?” She asked worriedly inspecting her wound once again, oblivious to the loving stare Maddox was giving her.

“Hey, it’s fine, okay?” Maddox reassured her, as she sat up straighter and continued, “It was a deep cut but I don’t know how it feels better now. I think it’s because we’re back to the normal world now. But yeah, it’s not hurting much,” She said, and Ashlyn could tell she was telling the truth so she just nodded.

“So…” Maddox started, as she took in her surroundings for the first time, “We’re still in the enchanted forest, huh? Of course, you came here for me,” She said fondly, shaking her head,

“I love you, and you know it,” Ashlyn smirked, raising her eyebrows, and she knew that was enough explanation for Maddox to understand why she had entered the enchanted forest for her.

“I know.” she smiled, “Let’s get out of here now? This place gives me flashbacks of the time when I thought I lost you,” Maddox shuddered, grasping onto Ashlyn’s hand, making her laugh,

“Trust me. It’s the same here,” Ashlyn said, squeezing her hand as she pulled Maddox to her feet, “At least, you didn’t see me almost die in front of your eyes. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to reach here within time and that you… something would happen to you,” she swallowed as Maddox stood in front of her now, looking at her softly,

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it ever again,” She whispered, and Ashlyn nodded in response,
“You better don’t,”

The two of them headed out of the cave and into the forest, hands intertwined, and Ashlyn looked around and spotted their horses, by the edge of the lake, resting and eating the lush grass surrounding them,

“How did EJ let you even come here?” Maddox asked, grabbing her attention, “I mean, he wouldn’t even let ME come into the forest alone, and it’s just surprising how he let you come when you had just woken up after, what, two weeks?”

Ashlyn’s eyes widened, as she remembered, “Oh shit! I totally forgot!” she exclaimed, startling Maddox,
“What? What’s wrong?” Maddox asked, now looking at her,

“I didn’t come here alone. EJ came with me, but you know that shield around the enchanted forest?” Maddox nodded as Ashlyn continued, “It wouldn’t let him enter, but I was able to pass through it just fine. So I convinced him to let me come in here all by myself, and right now he is probably waiting at the edge of the enchanted forest for me to come back with you.” she mumbled, embarrassed at forgetting her cousin in all the kissing and confessions,

“I guess kissing me literally made you forget about everything else,” Maddox smirked, and Ashlyn turned red,
“Shut up,” She mumbled, playfully pushing her away and moving towards their horses, making Maddox chuckle.
“Okay…” Maddox laughed, as she followed her, and Ashlyn felt her face turning hot, feeling Maddox’s hand slide into her own as she went around to free the leash of the horse tied to the tree,

“Do we have to sit on separate horses now?” Maddox pouted as she looked at Ashlyn, “I was hoping I could be close to you, but I guess that will have to wait till we return to the kingdom,” she said, and Ashlyn rolled her eyes fondly, pulling her in for a kiss,

“We have all the time in the world to be with each other now, once we get out of here” She mumbled into the kiss, before pulling back and looking at Maddox,
“If you would like to be my girlfriend, that is. I mean, it’s fine if you say no.” Ashlyn asked, looking away from Maddox, as she felt stupid for asking such an important question so soon, what was she even thinking?

“Is this your way of asking me out, Ash?” Maddox chuckled, “Cause I would love to be your girlfriend,” she said, standing on her tiptoes to give her a short kiss, and Ashlyn smiled, feeling relieved. She was so lucky to have this amazing girl.
“Let’s head out now,” Ashlyn said, “On separate horses,” she emphasized, making Maddox groan as she climbed on her own horse.

“Lead the way, Your Majesty,” Ashlyn teased, and Maddox blushed,
“You know I don’t like being called that,” she mumbled, but still urged her horse to head towards the edge of the secluded area, as the sun started setting down.

“So how did you know I was here?” Maddox asked, once they had left the area with the radiant flowers, the dead and decayed trees of the forest back around them.
Ashlyn still couldn’t believe that this girl right in front of her, who was the one person she loved, also reciprocated her feelings and loved her back.
How lucky she was to have someone like Maddox love her back, and care for her.

“When I woke up, I asked EJ and Gina about you and they told me you had gone into this forest. I didn’t know where exactly you were and I was going to search up the whole forest if I couldn’t find you. But fortunately, my horse took off before I could get anywhere in this forest and brought me here,” Ashlyn explained, oblivious of the way Maddox was giving her heart eyes, as she continued,
“And then I saw Joe Jack tied near a tree before I looked for you. I saw you unconscious near another bigger tree, and I was so worried so I got to you as soon as I could,”

“I’m so lucky to have someone like you, who would risk their life for me,” Maddox said, her voice filled with pure adoration and astonishment, and Ashlyn couldn’t help but blush as she said,

“Says the girl who literally almost gave up her life for her childhood best friend,” Ashlyn countered before turning serious, “But you know, I couldn’t just let you go like that. I knew I loved you and I could never forgive myself for leaving you behind if I hadn’t found you now. There was no other option, you were the only one,” Ashlyn confessed,

“Oh god, you just keep getting better at flirting,” Maddox chuckled, shaking her head as she tried to hide the blush on her face,
“Well, it’s the effect of having a great teacher,” Ashlyn said, making Maddox laugh as they neared the edge of the enchanted forest.

Her laugh was so infectious, making Ashlyn grin back at her too. Just a few hours back this same forest felt so dark, and sad, and lonely. But now with Maddox safe right beside her, this forest didn’t seem so bad.

Maddox was the sunshine in Ashlyn’s life, always making everything happier and brighter whenever she was around. Or maybe Ashlyn was just down bad in love with her best friend…

Just as she was thinking about her girlfriend, her eyes found her cousin waiting right at the edge of the forest. He noticed them too and his face lit up with shock and excitement, as he saw Maddox right beside Ashlyn.

They both dismounted their horses, and EJ pulled Maddox in for a side hug,
“I’m glad you’re okay, Gadget,” EJ grinned, as Maddox reciprocated the hug,
“I wasn’t going to leave your cousin this easily, you know,” Maddox said, adorably smiling at Ashlyn as they pulled back from the hug,
“Oh, yeah. I wasn’t sure what she would have done without you,” EJ teased Asher, Maddox joining in with him while laughing,

“Okay, you guys. That’s enough,” Ashlyn said, rolling her eyes, as she went back to mount on her horse.

As much as she acted annoyed with their teasing, she couldn’t be much happier to see that EJ and Maddox had remained the same since their childhood. Their friendship strengthened over time, as both of them bonded over being a firstborn and taking care of a whole kingdom.

“As you wish, my princess,” Maddox bowed low, before mounting her horse, while EJ just made a face, signalling he was already so done with their flirting.

They talked on their way back to the kingdom, as Maddox and Ashlyn filled EJ in on everything that had happened to them on their quest.
Whenever they would talk about those moments they shared together, EJ would pass on a comment about them being oblivious while snickering.

But Ashlyn was not mad at him for that at all, in fact, she had missed all this. She had missed her cousin and his teasing, and she had missed her other friends as well, who she would be meeting soon.

Their topic soon changed to Cash Caswell, and how they were going to confront him about it. They were talking about how to make him tell the truth when Maddox suddenly said,

“Leave that task of convincing His Majesty to tell the truth to everyone up to me. I’ll make sure he tells the people of your kingdom as soon as we reach there,” She smirked, and Ashlyn couldn’t help but wonder what mischievous and brilliant plan might be going on in that mind of Maddox’s.

“What are you going to do, Maddie?” Ashlyn asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes, before she turned towards EJ and asked, “Is Uncle Cash even back yet?”
“He wasn’t back when we left for coming here,” EJ explained, “But I’m sure he will be back before us, he must have heard the news of you waking up,”
“Well then, perfect,” Maddox smiled, before turning to Ashlyn, “I’ve got a plan. Trust me on this,”

……

The next day, Ashlyn was standing in the grand balcony of the Caswell Palace, Maddox beside her, as her uncle Cash Caswell addressed the people of their kingdom.

EJ and Gina were on the other side of the balcony, opposite to where Ashlyn and Maddox were standing. Even Carlos and Sebastian were present along with Jet, waiting for what His Majesty had to announce.

Cash Caswell addressed the people waiting below them who were eager to hear what their king had to say,
“People of my Kingdom, I have a confession,” The king started, his voice loud and clear, as the crown listened intently,
“Many of you know that a few years ago, our kingdom went on a quest to turn all of the Northern Magicians away from Forbidden Magic, which resulted in extinction of those who refused to stop practicing it, as one of their spells backfired. The quest was personally led by me, and everyone knows how the story goes,” He paused, giving the crowd some time to recall what he was referring to, before he continued,

“But the thing no one knows about is that part of that story was a lie. And today I have decided to finally lay out the truth, no matter how bad it looks.”
He announced as the crowd turned silent, waiting in anticipation for his next words,

“The Northern Magician did not die because of their own spell. They were executed by our soldiers when they refused to stop their magic,” He finally admitted the truth,

“And I know it was a really bad and insensitive decision. But we had to do so in order to protect our kingdom, and maintain peace and tranquility in the continent. The magicians were planning to take over every kingdom with their magic soon and we were left with no choice but to finish them right there when we had the chance,”
His Majesty explained, people around them soaking in every piece of information as the King finally finished off his speech by saying,

“Now that the truth is out, let’s put the past behind ourselves, and hope that nothing like that happens ever again. I apologize for keeping everyone in the dark all these years, but I’m sure people will understand the reasons behind my actions. Thank you,” He finished, as everyone around them clapped and cheered, clearly showing that His Majesty was supported in his decision to protect the kingdom.

“How did you make him do that?” Ashlyn asked in astonishment, her voice almost a whisper against the noise, as she lightly squeezed Maddox’s hand, which was intertwined with hers.
Maddox chuckled lightly, before saying,
“Oh, you know,” to which Ashlyn responded,

“No, I really don’t know. How?” She asked, her eyebrows raised in anticipation,
“Just the good old technique of Blackmailing and Threatening,” Maddox smirked, while Ashlyn’s eyes widened with surprise,
“You should have seen his face,” Maddox snickered snickered,

“Maddie!” Ashlyn chided, lightly slapping her arm, “You do realize that you just threatened your girlfriend’s uncle and the king of a whole kingdom, don’t you?”
“I know,” Maddox said, “But do you realize that you just slapped a ruler who is a guest in your kingdom, in front of everyone?” She countered, trying to stop her laugh,

At this Ashlyn turned a bit red, trying to hide the blush and failing miserably, before she countered,
“You might be all tough and strong in front of everyone else, but you’re my girlfriend, and I have every right to tease you, kiss you or make you scream,” She said, winking at her girlfriend, as Maddox’s ears turned redder, the blush slowly creeping onto her cheeks making her look adorable.

“Well then why don’t we tell everyone else?” Maddox suggested with a sly smile on her face, as Ashlyn’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
But before she could ask what that meant, Maddox had pulled her to the center of the balcony, as His Majesty turned away from the crowd.

“Everyone, everyone. We have an announcement to make,” Maddox acknowledged the crowd, as everyone quietened down the commotion, in hopes of hearing what Maddox was about to say.

Their friends, who were earlier busy talking with each other, were also looking at them now, their faces a mix of questions, anticipation and realizations, while EJ just smirked, already knowing what this was about.

Everyone was waiting to hear what Maddox had to say, but instead the girl just pulled Ashlyn close to her, their fingers intertwining together.
She smashed her lips against Ashlyn’s as her other hand went around her waist pulling her even closer.

The people around them erupted into cheers but Ashlyn was too busy to notice it as she cherished the feeling of Maddox’s lips moving against hers, her hands going around her neck and holding her close.

Both of them pulled back, smiling at each other, their faces flushed. Ashlyn noticed her friends secretly exchanging money at the corner of her eye but she was too distracted to even care.
She pulled Maddox in for one more short kiss, and the crowd’s cheers didn’t seem to stop, ever.

Ashlyn didn’t remember the last time she was this happy, as she intertwined her hand with the love of her life, who had always been right beside her, and who would be there for the rest of their days…

Chapter Text

Maddox's POV

Music flowed through the halls of the Caswell Royal Palace as Nobles, Kings, and Royals from all over the continent attended the Royal ball and after-party of Prince EJ and Lady Gina’s royal wedding.

The stars shone in the night sky as people around Maddox initiated conversations with each other, waiting for the entry of the Crown Prince and the remaining royal family.

It had been almost two years since Maddox and Ashlyn had confessed their never-ending love for one another and everything that happened during those times. They were still going strong, continuing their relationship more than happily, and everything that it implied.

Maddox shook the horrible memories of the incidents out of her head as she waited impatiently for her girlfriend’s arrival, nervously playing with something in her formal outfit's pocket, as she absentmindedly stirred the drink in the glass she held in her other hand.

If everything went according to plan, tonight would be a huge turning point in Maddox’s life, hopefully, one she would always look back upon and be satisfied and happy about.
But whatever happened, her life would change tonight, for the better or the worse.

“Hey!” Jet said, coming up beside Maddox, and snapping her out of her thoughts, as she quickly looked at him,
“Hi,” She said, looking back straight ahead, at the stairwell, from where she was sure Ash would be entering any second now,

“Do you have it all planned out?” Jet whispered, looking around to make sure no one in the party was listening to them, “Got everything you need?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Maddox sighed, drawing out a long breath in an attempt to let go of her nerves, which did not seem to have worked, “I’m just nervous… and scared about the outcome, who knows what will happen”

“Hey, everyone knows what’s gonna happen, even I can feel it. Don’t worry, it’ll all go according to the plan,” Jet said, squeezing her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, “You even asked for His Majesty’s permission and he said yes! You got Cash Caswell’s permission, Maddie!” Jet emphasized,

“Just be yourself, that’s enough for what you’re about to do tonight,” he said firmly,
“I’m gonna go talk to Princess Kourtney for a while,” Jet mumbled, as he began heading away from Maddox,

“Oooh, good luck with your flirting skills, bro bear!” Maddox teased him, despite her own worries, grinning as her brother slightly blushed before mumbling, “Shut up,” and leaving her alone with her thoughts once again,

What if her one decision ruins her life forever? Maddox wanted change, but she wanted the good type, not the one she was so afraid of.
She was so afraid of even the possibility of what might happen if things turned out the wrong way, that she couldn’t live a life like that. She could never forgive herself if she ruined the one most important thing in her life that made her happy.

Maddox was deep in thought when the commotion of the surrounding party suddenly quietened as everyone turned around to look at the royal cousins entering the party, descending through the stairwell.

Maddox took a sip from her drink and looked up, noticing the way everyone had gone silent, but she did not expect to see her girlfriend, descending from the stairwell like an angel, hand in hand with her cousin, Prince EJ, as both of them smiled and greeted the people around.

Maddox spluttered a bit in shock. The world around her literally slowed down, as the people around her suddenly seemed to fade out and the only thing she cared about was her amazing and beautiful girlfriend,

Maddox’s eyes stayed glued to Ash as she fully stepped down and started moving towards Maddox. She was wearing a dark black dress with perfectly matched earrings and necklace made of precious stones, which made her look like a goddess, along with black glass heels that complimented her perfectly.

Maddox pulled the collar of her own black suit, as she suddenly felt herself getting hot, her heartbeat rising up to an extent she wasn’t even sure existed till now.
Ashlyn had serious effects on her even when she was her regular self, but tonight, Maddox was sure she would faint if her heart didn’t calm down anytime soon.

“Wow…” Maddox breathed out, unable to think of a proper sentence, as Ashlyn approached her with a smile, EJ letting go of her as he headed towards Gina.
“Hey,” she mumbled, as she took Maddox’s hands in hers, her touch having the same effects on Maddox it had all those years ago,

“You look hot,” Maddox exclaimed, a little too loudly, earning a few weird looks from the people around them, but no one could say anything to Maddox, now, could they?

Ashlyn turned a deep shade of red, as she looked around before leaning in, “Thanks, Maddie. That was a peculiar compliment to give in front of so many people, but thanks,” she mumbled.

Maddox noticed Ashlyn’s gaze sweeping over her, and she felt herself getting hot again, as her girlfriend checked her out… for a long time.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Gadget,” Ashlyn whispered into her ear, before kissing her cheek, moving away to grab a drink, and leaving Maddox fumbling, as she melted inside, shivering at Ash’s compliments, kiss, and her nickname.

She touched the thing in her pocket, reminding herself to be brave when the time came and do what she had wanted to do for a long time now.

Ashlyn returned with a drink in her hand, as she smiled at Maddox, standing by her side,
“Can’t believe they finally got married…” Maddox sighed, as their gazes turned towards EJ and Gina, who were talking to some other royals, hands intertwined, both of them having huge smiles on their faces.

“I’m just happy EJ finally got the girl after pining for years! Gina wasn’t any better when it came to him, to be honest,” Ashlyn gave out a dramatic sigh, making Maddox chuckle,
“Don’t blame them. You weren’t any better when it came to me, were you?” Maddox smirked, and Ashlyn blushed once again,

“That was different,” Ashlyn tried to explain through her stuttering as she got flustered, but was saved when His Majesty, Cash Caswell cleared his throat in an attempt to grab everyone’s attention before he continued,

“I would like to thank everyone for attending this special occasion, along with congratulating the Bride and Groom,” He announced, gesturing towards EJ and Gina standing together, at a distance on his left, while everyone cheered and clapped for them,

“It has certainly been a huge deal for the kingdom as well as the family, and who knows, maybe we might hear other exciting things before the night ends,” he continued, as his eyes found Maddox’s in the crowd, and she felt herself swallowing nervously,

“Do you know what ‘thing’ he is talking about?” Ashlyn whispered, squeezing her hand as she looked straight ahead,
“Nope!” Maddox spoke in a high-pitched voice, while His Majesty continued,

“But till then, let’s forget about all our worries, and enjoy the night!” He finished, and everyone clapped, before continuing their conversations,

“That was a rather short speech coming from him,” Ashlyn joked, turning towards Maddox and making her chuckle despite her anxiousness,
“Yeah, I’m surprised he didn’t take the whole night,” Maddox said, before the orchestra started playing music and everyone around them formed pairs for the slow dancing.
Maddox saw EJ and Gina pairing up in the corner of her eye before her eyes turned towards her girlfriend.

Ashlyn extended a hand forward as she bowed low,
“May I have this dance, Your Majesty?” She said, looking up, her eyes meeting Maddox’s and the latter just giggled, while blushing,
“Of course,” she said, taking Ashlyn’s hand, and pulling her towards herself, “And you know, I don’t like that nickname,” she said, as her ears turned red,

“Really?” Ashlyn teased, as she wrapped her arms around Maddox’s waist, and pulled her even closer, making her shiver under the touch, “Is that why your face is turning as red as a tomato?” Ashlyn smirked, knowing she had Maddox this time,

“Ok, maybe I like it only when you call me that,” Maddox mumbled, as she joined her hands behind Ashlyn’s neck, avoiding eye contact with her girlfriend,
“Gotcha,” Ashlyn grinned, making the latter chuckle, as their eyes met, and the world around Maddox faded, as she stared into those amber brown eyes,

“You know,” Maddox said, feeling Ashlyn’s brown eyes shine as she looked at Maddox, and they slowly danced to the music playing in the background,
“Remember that night we danced in the rain under the stars?” she asked in a breathy voice, her pocket feeling heavier than usual reminding her of the task she needed to do.

“You mean the night when we almost kissed? Before we were together?” Ashlyn asked in a low voice, not wanting to break the moment as both of them leaned towards each other,
“Yeah,” Maddox whispered, as her gaze moved towards Ashlyn’s lips,
“What about that?” Ashlyn asked, making Maddox look back into her eyes, as their noses touched against each other,

“That was the moment I realized that I love you,” Maddox mumbled, as she felt Ashlyn looking at her lips and leaning down,
“Really?” Ashlyn asked, and Maddox felt her warm breath on her lips, as their lips slightly grazed against each other’s,
“Yes,” Maddox mumbled into the kiss, pressing her lips on her girlfriend’s with more force, as she felt Ashlyn kissing her back,

“When you were dancing in the rain before pulling me along with you,” Maddox whispered before kissing her again, as any thoughts in her brain disappeared, and she relaxed into Ashlyn’s arms, closing her eyes,
“I realized that I am yours, and have been for a long time,” she said, pulling back and opening her eyes to look at her again, as Ashlyn smiled at her,

“Do you know when I realized I love you?” Ashlyn asked, her eyes shining with affection,
“When I was singing after our silly fight, and you came to talk to me that morning?” Maddox asked, smiling mischievously as Ashlyn’s eyes widened in confusion,

“How did you know?” She muttered, studying her face,
“Did you forget you mentioned all that in your ‘grand’ speech after you confessed to me?” Maddox reminded her, raising her eyebrows

“Wait,” Ashlyn said, as realization dawned on her, “You mean when I went into the Enchanted Forest? In the cave? But I thought you were asleep when I confessed all that!? How am I hearing about this now?” She asked, tilting her head in bewilderment,

“I was asleep, but only till you said you loved me. So I heard everything after that. I heard every word of your ‘speech’ when I was regaining my consciousness,” Maddox smirked, as Ashlyn’s face started turning red,
“Oh my god, I am so embarrassed right now,” She mumbled, as she hid her face in Maddox’s neck, making the latter chuckle,

“Well, I thought,” Maddox said, softly grabbing Ashlyn’s face and making her look at her, “that it was VERY romantic,” she emphasized, pulling her in for a kiss, and Ashlyn obliged, not noticing that music around them had stopped
“Only for you,” Ashlyn mumbled, against her lips, before pulling away,
“Actually, Ash,” Maddox gulped, finally getting the courage, “I wante-”

“Okay, lovebirds!” EJ said, interrupting their moment, and making Ashlyn glare at him. At the same time, Maddox felt herself getting relieved and annoyed, “Before you get all over each other in a PUBLIC space,” he said, looking towards Ashlyn as both of them moved away from each other’s embrace, “Ash, can I steal Gadget for a minute?”

“Well, now that you’ve already ruined the moment,” Ash said, sarcastically, “Why would I say no?”
“Great!” EJ said, as he pulled Maddox away from Ash, and towards the balcony on the other side of the hall,

“Hey, what’s the deal, Rocketman?” Maddox said, stopping him, as they reached a corner with fewer people,
“Okay,” EJ said, looking around to make sure no one was listening, “When are you going to do it?” he exclaimed, “I thought you would have already got it over with, but you were too busy kissing Ashlyn,” he said, exasperatedly, “Just do it, Maddox. It’ll be fine,”

“For your kind information,” Maddox said, glaring at EJ, “I was about to do it, after finally building up the courage. But you had to come and interrupt the moment,” Maddox said, pointing at EJ accusingly,

“Oh,” EJ said, “I didn’t know you were going to,” he said, nodding, “Well, now I will make sure to not disturb you until you are done, alright?” he asked, feeling guilty,
“Yeah. It’s fine,” Maddox sighed, fiddling with the thing in her pocket,

“All the best, Gadget,” EJ patted her back, before heading back into the party, probably towards Gina, Maddox thought.

Maddox sighed once again, giving out a long breath she didn’t know she was holding, as she leisurely moved toward the balcony. She went outside, suddenly feeling a cold breeze passing by, contrasting the heat of the party, as she looked up at the stars.

She looked down towards the ground, noticing the lake shining brightly in the moonlight, as the full moon reflected in the clear water.
Maddox knew she had to do it today, she knew that she WANTED to. But she just couldn’t find the courage.

She drained the drink in the glass and kept it on one of the tables in the corner, before she headed towards the edge of the balcony, leaning against the railing, as she relaxed under the blue moonlight, and silence surrounding her.

She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply, willing herself to go in there, find Ashlyn, and finally continue what she was about to say before EJ had interrupted them.

But before she could move back into the hall, she felt someone’s warm arms wrapping around her waist, making her eyes snap open and she knew no one was brave enough to do that except her girlfriend,
“Hey,” Ashlyn whispered in her ear before Maddox felt her lips grazing against her neck.

She sighed, closing her eyes as she leaned back into Ashlyn’s touch, and the latter kissed down her neck, stopping at the edge of the scar Maddox had gotten while saving her from Lily, a few years ago.
"Have I ever told you how much I love your scars?" Ashlyn whispered, her voice coming out raspy, but Maddox couldn't concentrate on that.

“Ash…” Maddox breathed out, unable to think properly as her girlfriend hummed in response, not stopping what she was doing, “There are people around,”

“And?” Ashlyn mumbled against her skin, still kissing her neck, while Maddox moved her hands over Ash’s arms wrapped around her waist,

“They’ll see,” Maddox tried to explain, as she moved around to face Ashlyn,
“I don’t mind people seeing that you’re mine,” Ashlyn said, leaning in to kiss Maddox.

Maddox felt a warm feeling rising in her chest, she melted inside as her back leaned against the railing, and she wrapped her arms around Ashlyn’s neck, kissing back.

She knew she needed to do it here, with not many people around to disturb them.
It was now or never.

“Actually,” she said, pulling away from the kiss, catching her breath as Ashlyn looked at her expectantly, “I wanted to ask you something. I have been wanting to ask this to you for a long time now,” Maddox explained, glancing at her girlfriend occasionally, as she reached into her pocket,
“Well,” Ashlyn smiled at her, “Ask away then, as long as it’s not ‘Will you marry me?’” she joked,

Maddox froze in place, her eyes widening as she suddenly stopped fiddling with the ring in her suit’s pocket, while Ashlyn looked at her, confused by the change in her behavior.

Ashlyn studied her face, as realization slowly dawned on her, her mouth agape, “Wait, is it ‘Will you marry me?’” She asked in disbelief, pulling away from Maddox as she stepped backward in shock, and Maddox felt her heartbreak at the thought of ruining whatever they had going on.

Had she made the wrong decision? Was it too early? Had she scared Ash away by asking this when she clearly didn’t want to marry Maddox?

“Oh my god, It's ‘Will you marry me?’, isn’t it?” she asked, looking at Maddox with wide eyes, while the latter just stared at Ashlyn nervously, unsure of what to do or say now.

“I mean, it doesn’t matter, right?” Maddox said slowly, as she pulled the ring out of her pocket and showed it to Ashlyn, “Because you would say no even if I asked? I- I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking,” she continued in a sad tone, preparing herself for hearing Ashlyn’s rejection, as tears threatened to spill out of her eyes.

She didn’t know what to do without Ash. Ashlyn was so important to her, and if this meant that Maddox had ruined their relationship, then she would never be able to forgive herself.

“What?” Ashlyn said, in disbelief, “What made you think I would say no?” she exclaimed, looking at Maddox in confusion,

“I mean, you just said to ask whatever I wanted as long as it wasn’t ‘Will you marry me?’, right?” Maddox explained, “So I thought you didn’t want me to ask you because you would reject me?” she said, her voice unsure, as she avoided meeting Ashlyn’s gaze,

“Maddie, that’s nonsense,” Ashlyn spoke softly, “Of course, I want to marry you!” she exclaimed,
“Oh my god, wait, no,” she said, making Maddox look at her, “This can’t be happening like this! Wait, I want you to ask me properly, okay? So I will enter once again, and then you can ask me the question, okay?” Ashlyn continued in a panic, not noticing the way Maddox was now slowly smiling at her fondly while looking at her with shining eyes,

“Ash,” Maddox spoke in a soft but firm voice, making her girlfriend stop talking and look at her, “Will you marry me?” she continued in a solemn voice, as she kneeled down on one knee and held the ring in front of her,

“Will you marry me and make me the luckiest person on the planet? I have loved you for a long time now, and this may sound cliché, but you make me feel things I have never felt before,” Maddox continued, while Ashlyn just stared at her with shining eyes, slightly chuckling,
“And to be honest you scare me. You scare me, Ash. The amount of love I have for you scares me so much, and the fact that I would do literally anything for you. So I don’t think I can live if you aren’t with me. I was always yours, but will you be mine? I know I don’t deserve you, but I don’t know what to do without you,”

Maddox finished her speech with the same question,
“So please,” she said, looking into Ashlyn’s amber-brown eyes that she had grown so fond of since that evening near the lake, “Will you marry me?”

“Of course, yes!” Ashlyn said, excitedly, as she smiled, pulling Maddox to her feet, “I will marry you, Maddox. You deserve the world, and I was always yours too,” she said, pulling her in for a longing kiss before Maddox could say anything.

Maddox smiled into the kiss, feeling Ashlyn’s warm lips pressing against hers with so much conviction, her arms snaking around Maddox’s body, as she deepened the kiss.
Maddox pulled her even closer, grabbing onto her face, as their lips moved against each other, neither one planning on stopping anytime soon.

Sure, Maddox had kissed Ash before, any chance she got, but something about their kiss right now, felt different, as if they were kissing for the first time once again.
It was slow, and full of longing, as if they had all the time in the world, as if they had never kissed each other before, as if they were each other’s oxygen.

Maddox sighed, wrapping her arms tightly around her girlfriend- no, her fiancée’s neck, pulling her impossibly close as they continued kissing each other.

Ashlyn finally pulled back slightly, both catching their breaths, eyes closed as their lips brushed against each other, not much distance between them. Maddox touched their foreheads, and Ashlyn leaned forward once again, pressing a short kiss to her lips, before pulling away as they smiled at each other.

They giggled, looking into each other’s eyes, Maddox’s arms around Ashlyn’s neck while the latter had her arms around Maddox’s waist.
Maddox pulled the girl in for a hug, and Ashlyn followed, wrapping her arms around Maddox’s waist even tighter, as they enjoyed each other’s embrace.

Maddox pulled back,
“You still want the ring, right?” she asked, showing Ashlyn the ring she had chosen for her.
It had a small crown-shaped diamond in the center, surrounded by many smaller round gems over the ring, which shone brightly in the moonlight.

“Oh yes, of course. I don’t want it, I need it. It’s a necessity.” Ashlyn said, dramatically, making Maddox chuckle as she put the ring on her finger, their other arms still around each other.

“I require people to know that you are officially mine now. You might not notice it, but I see the way other girls at the party were looking at you,” Ashlyn said, her eyes burning with fire, and Maddox felt herself getting hot despite the cold weather,

“I don’t notice them because I always have my eyes on something else, or rather… someone else,” Maddox spoke in a low voice, looking at Ashlyn, her gaze flickering to her lips as she felt her stomach fill with butterflies,
“And you have no idea how pretty you look when you’re jealous,” she whispered making Ashlyn blush, pulling her in for a short, but firm kiss before Maddox spoke up once again,

“Shall we head inside now?” she asked, pulling away from the hug despite her will, their hands still intertwined, as Ashlyn nodded and Maddox led her away from the cold weather and into the warmth of the party, and music and noise filled the air once again.

“Gina!” Ashlyn said, excitedly, looking at her best friend, who was just done talking to one of the princesses of some kingdom,
“Hey, Ash,” Gina smiled, “You look happy, did something happen?” she asked, looking between Maddox and Ashlyn,

“Guess what?” Ashlyn asked, wiggling her eyebrows as she showed her hand with the ring on it, “She proposed!” she squeaked, and both of them squealed in a high pitch together, making Maddox chuckle, “I didn’t even know your voices could reach that register,” she joked,

“Oh, finally,” Gina exclaimed, excitedly, “I’m so happy for you two!” she said, before Carlos came up beside them,
“What’s up? Why the commotion?” He asked, Sebastian coming up right beside him. Ashlyn said nothing but just showed her hand once again, with a huge smile on her face,

“Oh my god, really?” Carlos gasped, looking back and forth between them as Seb just smiled, happy for both of them, and Maddox nodded, “I knew it! EJ, you owe me 2000 bucks!” he said, calling up EJ, who was talking to some prince, earning a weird glance at them.
“This is so endgame!” Carlos exclaimed, while EJ walked towards them, excusing himself from the guests.

“Did she finally do it?” EJ sighed in defeat, taking some money out of his pocket and handing it to Carlos.
“Wait, you guys were betting on us?” Maddox asked, scoffing in disbelief, as she looked at everyone around them, while Carlos just shrugged innocently,

“I think the more important question here is, EJ knew you were going to propose to me?” Ashlyn asked, looking at Maddox questioningly,

“Oh, almost everyone knew about it. We just weren’t sure she would actually do it,” Seb explained, teasing Maddox in the process,

“Yeah, you have no idea how scared she is when it comes to anything regarding you,” Jet said, nonchalantly as he passed by them, earning a glare from Maddox, “She says she is just afraid that she isn’t good enough for you and she might accidentally hurt you, and that she won’t ever be able to forgive herself if that ever happens-”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Maddox exclaimed nervously, in an attempt to stop Jet, as her ears reddened, while Ashlyn just smiled at her fondly, and everyone chuckled
“Stop talking before I go and find Princess Kourtney, and tell her all about your little crush…,” Maddox warned, making him leave blushing as everyone around them cheered, “Ooooh,”

“You guys were all over each other before you were engaged, heck, even before you got together! Now I don’t think we’re going to have even a moment of peace when you two aren’t kissing each other,” Gina said, shuddering playfully, making Maddox blush, as Ashlyn just stared at the latter, “You guys are so adorable that it’s gross,” she said, making everyone laugh,

“That’s true,” EJ said, as he wrapped an arm around Gina’s waist, pulling her close,

“As if, you guys weren’t pining after each other all these years,” Ashlyn countered, making Gina blush, before Ash turned towards Maddox, and whispered in a low voice, “Wanna get out of here?” she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes, which made Maddox smile,

“Anywhere if you’re with me,” Maddox said, making Ashlyn roll her eyes, as she pulled her away from the group. Maddox saw everyone sharing knowing glances with each other as both of them headed out of the large doors,

“You’re cute when you get all sappy,” Ash teased, making Maddox blush as they made their way through the empty corridor, hand in hand, and guards standing in rows greeted them.
“Only for you,” Maddox said, repeating the same thing Ashlyn had said, a few minutes ago, as they went out the Western gate of the palace, heading towards the lake,

“Wait, are you taking me towards the lake?” she asked,
“Yeah, but looks like you were too busy staring at me to notice your surroundings,” Ashlyn smirked, glancing at Maddox,
“Yeah, whatever,” Maddox mumbled, as she looked down, not meeting Ashlyn’s eyes, just squeezing her hand in response,

“I have something to show you,” Ashlyn said, pulling her towards the surrounding trees as soon as they reached the edge of the lake.
Maddox just followed her, curious about where Ashlyn was taking her.

They reached one of the trees near the edge of the lake as they went around it, when suddenly Ashlyn stopped near the trunk and pointed at it,
“Look,” she smiled at Maddox, her eyes shining with love,
Maddox followed her movements, looking at where she was pointing. It was a bit dark, but the moonlight was enough to make the letters carved in the tree trunk visible.
Maddox stared at the letters as she tried to make sense of when Ashlyn had done this while slowly grazing her fingers against the surface.

ASH
🖤
GADGET

That was what was carved in the trunk of one of the trees behind the lake. Maddox looked at Ashlyn, who was now turning red despite the cool breeze around them.

“What is this? When did you do it?” Maddox asked, her voice timid, as she waited in anticipation,
“Uh… EJ did this, actually,” Ashlyn said, a small smile on her face, as she rubbed the back of her neck, “He did this and one day he just randomly brought me here, and showed this to me. I was so mad at him back then because he always teased me, but now I am glad he did it,” she paused, “Maybe it helped me introspect a bit about my growing feelings for you, even when we were kids…” She explained, looking down at her feet, not meeting Maddox’s eyes.

“And when was that exactly?” Maddox asked, not knowing what she wanted to hear,
“Almost seven years ago, I think,” Ashlyn explained, still not looking into Maddox’s eyes, as she looked down, embarrassed. But Maddox just stared at her, taking in the beautiful features as she stepped closer to the girl.

Maddox softly caressed Ashlyn’s cheek, her hands holding her face, which made Ashlyn look into her eyes. Maddox slowly pulled the girl towards herself, their lips met in a soft and slow kiss, taking all the time in the world.
Ashlyn sighed quietly, as Maddox lightly pushed her against the tree trunk, their lips never letting go of each other. They pulled back after a while, moonlight shining on them, as they smiled at each other, and Maddox once again admired the girl in front of her.

“I love you,” Ashlyn whispered, playing with Maddox’s hair fondly, before she was pulled in for a kiss,
“I love you too,” Maddox whispered back, smiling into the kiss.

……

A few moments later they were sitting at the edge of the lake, hands intertwined as Ashlyn stared at the stars and Maddox stared at her, a smile on her face, and she chuckled to herself softly, giving out a long sigh and making Ashlyn look at her,

‘What?” Ashlyn asked, laughing softly, as she noticed Maddox’s weird behavior,
“Nothing, I just…” Maddox said, smiling like an idiot, and getting all flustered as she continued, “I can’t believe we’re gonna get married. That you are going to marry me,” She squeaked excitedly,

“Oh,” Ashlyn said, as her face turned so red that it was noticeable even under the moonlight, “I was waiting for you to propose for a long time actually,” she said, looking down, trying to control her smile,
“Oh yeah?” Maddox smirked, enjoying the way Ashlyn was getting flustered, as she nodded, “You have no idea how much courage, and convincing by Jet, it took before I asked His Majesty for his blessing before I proposed to you,”

“So that’s the ‘thing’ Uncle Cash was talking about tonight,” Ashlyn nodded, as realization dawned on her, and Maddox nodded, eyes now turned towards the lake, which was reflecting the moonlight,
“Yeah,”

There was a moment of silence, as Maddox stared at the lake, not noticing the way Ashlyn was occasionally glancing at her, as if she wanted to say something.

Suddenly, Maddox's eyes widened as she felt Ashlyn's lips, pressing a soft but firm kiss to her cheek, making her look at her,
“What was that for?” Maddox asked, surprised at the sudden show of affection.

“Nothing. Can’t I just kiss my fiancée because I want to?” Ashlyn said, looking at her with innocent eyes, and Maddox felt her heartbeat fasten even more at the word ‘fiancée’.
“C’mon, I know, you want to say something. I know you,” Maddox said, urging Ash to speak up about whatever was going on in her mind. Ashlyn remained silent, looking at the lake.

“Was Jet telling the truth at the party? That you are scared of hurting me?” she asked after a moment. Her voice was soft, even though no one could hear them around there, and it was Maddox's turn to stay silent as she avoided her gaze,
“You know you don’t have to treat me with so much significance, right? I love you, Maddie, and nothing you do will change that. So stop being so hard on yourself,” she said, holding Maddox’s face in her hands, her fingers brushing over her face, making the latter look at her,

“I’m just scared that I’ll hurt you. I… I don’t deserve you, Ash. You’re so perfect, and I’m just… me…” Maddox said, putting her hand on top of Ashlyn’s, leaning into her warm touch, while her girlfriend just shook her head,

“No, Maddox. You deserve so much more than me,” Ashlyn said, looking into her eyes, and Maddox saw no doubt in those brown orbs, as she continued, “You have no idea how good of a person you are. You might not be perfect, but neither am I, and I might not be sure about many things, but I know for sure that I want you,” she said, as she studied Maddox face carefully,

“So promise me, you’ll stop thinking of me as someone out of your league, when clearly it’s the other way around,” she urged as both of them stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments.

“Okay,” Maddox sighed, “I promise,” she nodded.
Ash smiled at her before pulling her in for a kiss, while Maddox closed her eyes, all the doubt and worries disappearing from her mind.
“And I’m not out of your league. I love you,” she spoke, pulling away for a moment before their lips collided again.

Maddox knew she was truly the luckiest person in the world at the moment, and she knew whatever happened in the future, she would get through it, as long as Ash was by her side.
Maddox smiled into the kiss, feeling Ash’s soft lips against her own, and wondering how one evening near this same lake had changed the course of her entire life…

All the events, the good as well as the bad ones, had led to this moment right here, with Maddox in Ashlyn’s arms, as they kissed each other under the moonlight, and Maddox knew that she wouldn’t change a thing, because…

ASHLYN WAS WHAT MADDOX KNEW ABOUT LOVE...