A Wolf in Royal Clothing

17 | Two Ends of a Sword

"Bye."

"Goodbye." He replied with a nod, and Madalin straightened her neck to continue her venture past Edmund. Hadrian's gaze was trained on her back as he watched her form grow smaller and smaller, and he absentmindedly switched his grasp on the weapons from one palm to another. He could feel his cousin's glare on himself, but he chose not to say anything. Not until Edmund did first.

"She's not yours."

Hadrian huffed a small chuckle at his cousin's declaration. He still didn't look at Edmund, he only responded with a smile of indifference.

"I know."

♟♛♟

Madalin's mind raced endlessly. With each step she took in the vast corridor, a new concern would fly into her head. She was worried about the impression Edmund received upon walking in on her and Hadrian. She didn't want him to think she was meddling with another man behind his back. His own cousin, least of all.

At that thought, a new one arose. What was up with Hadrian? Madalin didn't know what to think, and what to make of the mixed signals he sent her way. Was he hinting at something, or was that his usual charm and friendliness in action? She didn't know.

The princess lost the idea of her surroundings because of her overpowering pondering. So much so, that she didn't sense the presence of someone else when she rounded the corner of the hallway. Her body collided with that of the other person's, and although the impact wasn't enough to send her towards the floor, it managed to break her trance.

"Flora?"

The name left her mouth the very minute she saw her younger sister in front of her. Flora looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Her outfit wasn't like Madalin's, it was not a casual outfit. Far from it, in fact. A white dress covered her figure, and a cloak with the royal insignia rested upon her shoulders. Madalin furrowed her eyebrows together almost immediately. She was more curious about Flora's attire, than her careful body language.

"Where have you been?" The younger princess asked her sister, in an attempt to cut the silence. She gulped, and Madalin was quick to catch that small act of unease.

"I was out, practicing my sword skills as you know. But where have you been? You missed out on our fun with the orphans. They even asked me about you."

"Ah, yes. Like I said, I was busy."

"Doing what?" Madalin fired back instantly. She couldn't help herself. The scenario called for an interrogation, because Flora was acting different than usual. Her being dressed up in the dead of the night, and her odd behavior wasn't exactly calming Madalin's curiosity.

Flora sighed. She knew she couldn't get out of this easily, and it wasn't like she did not trust her own sister.

"I was also out. In the secret passage. I was- I was meeting someone."

Madalin blinked a few times as Flora's words settled in. And when they did, a coy grin formed on her face. Excitement brewed in her chest, and her sister's nervous mannerisms fueled the honesty of her admission.

"You have a l-"

"God, keep it down." Flora hissed in annoyance, and Madalin did exactly as she was told. But that still didn't stop her from voicing out her thoughts, albeit in a hushed voice.

"You have a lover?"

"...Yes."

The elder sibling dragged her in for a sudden but brief embrace. She squeezed the life out of Flora, and pulled away abruptly to look at her again. Her hands clutched her sister's shoulders tightly. Truly, she couldn't contain her happiness. Madalin had never seen Flora talk about romance or engage in anything related to it. Heck, she hadn't even spoken of another man in a way besides platonic, so to see her do so now was certainly a moment of proudness.

But after noticing her uncertainty, Madalin's smile faltered by a little, and concern took over in its stead. She observed her features for a while before she spoke up.

"You've fallen in love, Flora. I don't see the issue here. It's not like you have broken a rule."

"But I have. I have, Madalin, and that's a problem. Mum and Dad will order for my death if they find out."

Madalin squinted her eyes. Her confusion was as clear as day, and it silently urged the antsy Flora to continue with her explanation.

"It's who I've fallen in love with. The man's identity worries me."

At this, Madalin was even more perplexed. She racked her brain for every worst case scenario that could exist. A guard, a servant, the butler- every resident of the palace flew to her mind. She even thought about outsiders. A commoner didn't sound too bad since Madalin herself considered marrying one, and the most extremity that she could come up with was a criminal.

It was none of those options, and that was confirmed when Flora said her next phrase. Suddenly, her anxiousness made sense, and a stone of dread dropped in Madalin's stomach.

"He's a part of the rebels."