Tensions and Tenderness
In Wonderland, the Queen stood in the great throne room, her piercing gaze fixed on the Captain of the Guard. "How is the tunnel?" she asked in an icy voice.
The Captain hesitated, feeling the pressure of her gaze. "We are moving slowly, Your Majesty. The magic that seals this place complicates our task."
The Queen frowned, disappointed by this answer. "Slowly? That is not enough. If you do not speed up the work, I will have you executed."
The Captain retreated hastily, muttering under his breath. "We are digging for nothing, anyway. The princess could not have gotten through there."
The Queen heard him and straightened up, furious. "What are you saying?" she hissed.
The Captain froze, realizing his mistake. "I... I meant that the princess is cunning. She could have found another way to escape."
The queen approached him, her eyes blazing with anger. "Do not question my orders. Keep digging, and find her. If not, you will pay the price."
The captain nodded, terrified, and retreated silently. The queen, meanwhile, turned to the window, her mind tormented by the thought of the fleeing princess.
Meanwhile, Maddox's allied guard approached his cell to update him on the situation. But when he arrived, he found Maddox, his body battered and unconscious. The queen had intensified her tortures, hoping to make him break, and Maddox was a shadow of his former self.
The guard felt his heart break at the state of Maddox. His body was covered in bruises and wounds, his clothes in tatters. He was barely breathing, and his face was lined with pain. The guard knew Maddox would never talk, for Red.
“Maddox,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “Hold on, my friend. We’ll find a way to get you out of here.”
*****
At Auradon Prep, Chloe took pleasure in proving to Red how charming she was, just like she had told him she would. One morning, as they were walking to class, Chloe gallantly opened the door for Red, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"After you, miss," she said, bowing slightly.
Red burst out laughing, touched by the attention. "Okay, okay... You really are charming. Thank you, Chloe..."
Chloe smiled victoriously and stole a quick kiss. Red, who was still not quite used to it, couldn't help but blush when Chloe's lips touched hers.
Bridget and Ella, who were watching from afar, exchanged a knowing look. "They're adorable," Bridget murmured.
Ella nodded, a fond smile on her lips. "Yes, they are." »
Bridget smiled and took Ella’s hand. “We’re lucky to have them as friends.”
Ella nodded and leaned in to kiss her tenderly. “And I’m lucky to have you.”
That day, Red accompanied Chloe to her fencing practice. As Chloe was about to walk away from the stands, Red held her hand and pulled her close, giving her a kiss. “For good luck,” she whispered, smiling.
Chloe smiled back, her cheeks slightly flushed. “Thank you, Red. I’ll give it my all.”
Red then sat down in the stands, notebook in hand, ready to sketch all sorts of sketches of her princess in full training. She watched Chloe carefully, capturing each graceful and powerful movement of her friend. She drew Chloe in full attack, her sword shining under the lights of the gym, then in a defensive position, focused and determined. Each drawing reflected Chloe's strength and beauty, and Red couldn't help but smile at the result.
After training, Chloe took a quick shower in the locker room before joining Red. The latter was still absorbed in one of her drawings, and Chloe was curious to see her so focused. "Can I see what you drew?"
Red hesitated for a moment, then accepted with a smile. "Of course."
Chloe flipped through the pages of the notebook, discovering with surprise all these drawings of herself. She turned to Red, her eyes wide. “Red, they’re beautiful!”
Red turned almost as red as her hair. “Thank you… I really wanted to honor you.”
Chloe smiled, touched by Red’s words. “You did it. I’m really impressed.”
Red looked down, even redder. “I’m glad you like it.”
Chloe placed a comforting hand on Red’s shoulder. “You’re really talented, Red. Thanks for drawing me.”
Red looked up, a shy smile on her lips. “It was a pleasure, Chloe.”
Chloe continued to look at the drawings, admiring every detail. “I didn’t expect to see so many drawings of me. It’s really touching.”
Red scratched her head, a little embarrassed. “I… I just wanted to capture your beauty and determination.”
Chloe leaned down and kissed him softly on the cheek. “You’ve done so much more than that, Red. You captured my heart."
Red smiled, feeling her heart race. "You...you're trying to be charming again, Charming."
Chloe chuckled. "I'm not trying. I am charming."
“That’s debatable.”
Chloe feigned offense. “Hey! I thought you admitted I was this morning!”
Red got into the game, chuckling softly, “I said that?”
Chloe frowned, a wide smile betraying her amusement, but she still tried to act offended, “Yes, you did! When I held the door for you!”
Red laughed genuinely at the adorable pout Chloe was making. She took her hand and pulled her towards her so the lovely princess could sit on her legs. The redhead placed her hands on Chloe’s lower back, and the latter put her arms behind her neck. They smiled at each other, looking at each other in silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence. Then Chloe leaned forward and captured Red’s lips in a kiss. They fought for dominance for a moment, but it was a battle that Chloe quickly won, clinging to the red hair, and moving closer together, as if trying to fuse them. When they separated to catch their breath, they put their foreheads against each other.
"I love you, Red."
It was a barely audible whisper. In fact, if Red hadn't been glued to her at that moment, she probably wouldn't have heard it. Her ticking accelerated, and she buried her face in the crook of Chloe's neck. Chloe knew that this was her way of responding to her, and smiled as she stroked her hair, hearing the words that Red didn't feel able to say yet.