Darkness into Light - Espresseleine

Chapter Fifty ~ Never Too Late

It was in that moment, where they each followed behind one another, barging through the endless hoards of corrupted cake hounds, that Madeleine began to second-guess his decision. The earth rumbled around him, reacting negatively to the hounds destroying it. Buildings had collapsed everywhere he looked, debris threatening to grab him by the ankles and yank him down to meet the piles of rubble.

No matter how hard he tried to avert his mind, it continued to flash the same image of the last time he saw Espresso's face. The anguish, the regret that drowned his eyes, acknowledging the mistake he made. The mistake that may have costed everything he had, but why hold mistakes against him when the paladin may have made one just as bad? He left him. He had the choice to help defeat Dark Enchantress and save his life, or to turn tail and retreat like a coward.

Anyone would argue that the mage had betrayed him in the first place, and it takes a lot to accept, but it also takes a lot more to forgive. Maybe Espresso wasn't deserving of him, but he knew for certain that he was not deserving of death. The rest of his team may not have enough room left in their hearts for forgiveness, but Madeleine did. He had to go back for Espresso. And if it meant that they'd part ways afterwards, and never have to see each other again, it would be massively better than to live with the guilt of his death looming over him for the rest of his life. At least he knew he was safe. That Dark Enchantress could hurt him no longer.

They hadn't reached the main gates yet, it wasn't too late to turn back.

It wasn't too late.

The only phrase that reassured him a small amount. He just hoped it wouldn't be too late for Espresso. Madeleine reached out, snagging Latte's wrist and making her yelp, which in turn caught the attention of the rest of them. Pure Vanilla and Raspberry stopped and turned to confront the commotion Madeleine was ready to create.

The paladin looked a mess, golden hair stringing over his shoulders and dirty armour, even his headpiece was slightly bent. Latte looked irritated, but too utterly exhausted to show it, since technically they were supposed to be escaping their Kingdom's downfall at the traitorous hands of the friend who had betrayed their trust. She could understand why Madeleine was hesitant, since he was Espresso's closest.

High pitched yapping and the distant sounds of cake hounds bringing down building after building alerted Latte into a silent panic as a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. The paladin looked her in the eye, as if pleading.

"Latte, I need you to listen to me okay?" He took a deep breath, "We need to go back for Espresso."

Latte pulled her wrist away, stepping away from him. "What? Are you insane?"

"Latte--"

"NO! I don't want anything to do with him anymore, and I certainly don't want him hurting you ever again! We are evacuating before we and our friends get hurt as well." She watched as he opened his mouth to argue, "Our real friends."

Latte gestured to Pure Vanilla, Raspberry and little Custard in her arms. Madeleine frowned at her choice of words, staring at the floor. But he didn't care what she had to say anymore.

"No," he shook his head slowly as if shaking the tears threatening to consume the last crumbs of his once prestigious image. "I can't let him-- I won't let him die. We're going back."

"Madeleine."

The anger in her eyes seemed to overflow throughout her body as she slightly trembled in the dirty wind. She couldn't believe the naivety, the stupidity of what he planned to do. Turn back? Rescue him? After he double-crossed them, made them believe he could be trusted only for him to turn around and prove what she had first believed about him all those months ago. She didn't want to go back and face him. She didn't want to see him ever again, even if fleeing from their falling Kingdom would cost his stupid life.