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Chapter 4

Who is Madalyn?

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Madalyn shook on the ground, stretching her body out in pain. Her Grimoire opened, revealing the page she was on.

“Arrgggaaa…”

“Oh, Madalyn, are you okay?”

She coughed violently, trying her best to regain her composure. The Overlord wheezed as her body shook. Unsure what to do, Goldie watched, not understanding what could bring an almighty lord to her knees like this. After the episode passed, Madalyn took to her feet and leaned against her home.

Still unsure how to respond, Goldie rushed over and picked up her book. Madalyn wheezed, trying to catch her breath.

“How unbecoming of me. I… I can’t let that happen.”

Madalyn brushed her dress and fixed her hair.

Confused, the princess looked through the Grimoire in hand.

“Huh? These pages… are blank.”

Madalyn snatched the book out of the hand of the princess as if her touching it was making it filthy. She held the book close to her chest and bitterly grimaced at Goldie.

“This book isn’t for you. Now… leave me alone, Kingsman.”

As Goldie watched Madalyn, she realized she was struggling to open the door. So, the princess turned the knob for the almighty Overlord and opened the door for her.

“Tsk…”

Madalyn scoffed as she made her way inside.

“How rude.”

The princess mocked.

Goldie didn't bother to ask the Overlord if she could come in. With a hint of pride, knowing that she couldn’t be hurt by this woman no matter what, she stepped inside behind her, revealing a homely tiny cottage home. There were small plushies of cute animals. One was a black rabbit, but strangely, it looked to be a part of a pair. There was a hint of the white fabric where the other rabbit would be holding hands. It felt to Goldie that she’d seen this rabbit before...

“It’s… small in here.”

Goldie commented.

She saw a simple bed where the large window was. This place was five or six steps, an ant size compared to the palace she lived in. Madalyn made her way to her bed, lied down, and began breathing a tad labored. Goldie wasn't sure, but she believed Madalyn was placing a spell around her body. Magic was pouring from here, but Goldie wasn’t in-tune enough to feel the level of magic coursing through her body.

 

 

“Are you okay?”

“Just… tired. Why did you follow me in here?”

Unsure of the answer, the princess shrugged her shoulders.

“I… don’t know. I guess I just wanted to see what was in here...”

Goldie said.

“Just let me rest. I’ll… be better after I rest for a while.”

The princess wasn't sure where this exhaustion was coming from. This woman's entire existence was nothing but resting and waiting for eternity to play out. But with nothing else to do, Goldie looked about the tiny home.

“Eh?!”

Goldie clumsily kicked over a jar, causing it to roll and knock against a bunch of nick knacks. However, Madalyn didn’t wake up. She was sound asleep, and it relieved the princess.

“Thank goodness.”

Feeling a bit more confident, she began snooping around. However, there wasn’t much in the way of clues to how Madalyn knew her mother. She spoke of the Kingsman as enemies. And if what was true, they would be mortal enemies in every sense of the word. But when it came to Annastella, her mother, Madalyn, was different, and Goldie knew this.

"If you really are the overlord…."

Goldie was young, but she wasn't dumb. She was pretty bright and well-learned. Despite being sheltered, she studied every day and always got high grades on the test her teachers gave her. So, when something didn't add up, she wasn't kind enough to just let it go. Like she always had been, Goldie was the kind to buck back at authority. Something was off about this wasn’t right ever since Madalyn mentioned her mother for the first time.

 

 

“Hmm…”

The princess opened the books in her room. To her surprise, they were all blank, just like the Grimoire that the Overlord held.

“Why are they… all blank?”

She turned to Madalyn, still in a deep slumber. The beauty was that much more mysterious. But one thing was sure; Goldie was starting to doubt that this was the fabled Overlord who terrorized and killed millions.

Madalyn didn’t measure up to her expectations of the demon her mother and father fought against. With this drive to find out more, Goldie searched but every book and piece of paper she found was… blank.

“…Anna”

The name of her mother echoed through the golden child’s ear. She turned to see Madalyn, in seeming pain as her lips twisted.

“Anna… please… Anna.”

“Madalyn?”

The princess approached. Madalyn wasn’t waking up, despite her rubbing her shoulders. Goldie assumed she might have a sleep spell on herself to lessen the pain. But the princess didn't understand why she was going through this pain in the first place.

“You’re having a nightmare.”

 

 

Goldie tried to tell her, but she wasn't waking up. She would only occasionally say her mother's name… in a way she hadn't heard before. It was tender, sweet, and pleading. Like the way her father would call her as he cared for her. Madalyn would toss and hold her chest as if someone was driving a knife into her chest.

“Anna… please…”

Goldie didn't know what else to do. It was like Madalyn was trapped within a dark dream, unable to wake up. So, she put her hand on hers in a strange attempt to calm the Overlord down. Goldie's sick mother would occasionally toss and turn about just like this. As Madalyn rolled on her back, Goldie approached her.

“This… always calmed mom down.”

Goldie whispered as she touched Madalyn's hand. Softly, Goldie gripped Madalyn's struggling hand like she would for her mother. Her hand was warm, almost hot as if she had a fever. However, the princess was told that she couldn't get sick in this world. As she tightened her grip on Madalyn, the princess's chest felt like it was twisting. 

 

 

"Stay..."

Madalyn beckoned as she took hold of Goldie's tiny hand.

Unsure what to do, the princess did just that. She tightened her grip, helping the recluse wade through the storm, taking over her body. Her cheeks grew warm as their fingers rubbed against each other intimately. The princess... felt like Madalyn didn't want to let go... and it pulled at Goldie's heart. In the past, her mom would have fits just like this, so Goldie learned this was an excellent way to soothe her struggles. In a way, Madalyn... reminded her of the princess's late mom, which drew her to this strange woman even more.

“Anna...”

Finally, Madalyn’s stopped shaking and calmed down. Goldie was surprised that it worked, if only for a little while. But then, the meek words of Madalyn calling out to her mother drew her in closer.

“I-If… if it's the right thing to do…."

Madalyn whispered in her sleep.

“I’ll… I’ll do it for you, Anna. I'll do anything for you...”

Madalyn confessed.

“I’ll… for you and… that child, my Anna...”

With a deep sigh, the Overlord fell back into a deep slumber. She wasn't shaking, and her grip on the princess subsided. The pain on her face eased, and Madalyn’s sleep became stable. She waited a bit to ensure the pain was gone before letting go. Slowly, Goldie stood up and watched the sickly woman sleep soundly. For the first time in the princess's life, she was fascinated by the mystery of another person. Goldie... wanted to know more about this woman because she made her feel strange.

“That child?”

Goldie whispered. The princess stepped out of the house and shut the door gently so as not to wake Madalyn. She knew what she had to do… at least for the time being. Goldie was still unsure of her future, but one thing was sure…

There was something Madalyn was hiding. Something that involved her mother and this mysterious woman trapped within the Grimoire of Reason. Little by little, she doubted if this was the Overlord who the Kingsman battled against to create a perfect world.

“I… need to speak to Daddy.”

The princess walked to the edge of the world. She was unsure if she would be able to come back if she stepped outside of the Grimoire. She didn't even remember how she got into this world after all this time. From what Madalyn mentioned, she'd been here for at least a month or so. But that couldn't have been more than a few minutes in the real world if even that.

"Every minute in the real world equals a decade here."

Goldie reminded herself.

“Who are you, Madalyn? Who were you… to mommy?”

Goldie questioned before stepping off the edge of the world.

Fear crept into her heart, but the desire to discover more about her mother and this mysterious woman gave her that little push to return.

 

 

"Ahhhhhhh!"

The princess screamed as she twirled in the space full of stars. Her golden hair danced in the wind as her heart nearly gave out. The stars began to swirl, and the world around her vanished.

 

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Suddenly, her body was pulled harshly, and before she realized it, she was flipping. The princess rolled into a wall of the treasury, and her dress flew over her head.

“Ouch…”

In pain, the princess sat up in the dark treasure room. She pulled her skirt down, embarrassed, pleading that nobody saw such a sight.

The Grimoire sat on the pedestal as if it had never been touched. Still confused, as if it was all a dream, Goldie made her way up the steps and out of the secret passageway.

"Goldie! Where are you?!"

Despite feeling as though it's been a long, Victoria was still chasing her tail, looking for the princess.

“Madalyn was right… It’s like… I never left.”

It was then… that the princess realized a fatal mistake.

“Wait, then… how long have I been gone for Madalyn already?”

Her being gone for a minute would mean a decade has already passed for that world. With every minute she wastes in this world, decades pass inside the Grimoire of Reason.

“What if I go back… and Madalyn doesn’t remember me?”

The princess began to question her decision. It wasn’t like she was friends or anything remotely close to that with Madalyn. But she felt guilty, leaving her alone in that world like this.

“There you are!”

“Owwww!”

The maid grabbed her by the ear and nearly lifted her off the ground.

“V-Victoria! I’m sorry!”

“I’ve looked everywhere for you! Can’t you see I was worried sick?!”

Her feet landed back on the ground, but she was sure that her ear had stretched to the point that it was uneven to its other. The maid calmed down and crossed her arms.

"Listen, I understand that you wish to stay in bed… but you can't do that, princess."

“Huh?”

“We all are upset at the loss of your mother… and I know it's hard, but right now… we need a leader to show us what to do next."

This was the first time the maid had shown a side that wasn’t berating the child. She was, in a way… pleading for the princess to understand her. After spending all that time mourning her mother and escaping from her responsibility as a princess, clarity set in. Victoria wasn't saying that she couldn't mourn her mother… but to not let it consume her.

The time spent doing what she pleased, mourning her mother for however long she pleased, gave her an insight she didn't realize until today.

 

“A leader must not mourn the dead for too long… least their light is not shone for the people.”

 

 

The maid’s eyes went wide.

“Oh… Milady?”

“You and Madalyn said that… I think I understand what you mean now.”

Confused, the maid pondered.

“Madalyn?”

“Yeah, Madalyn…”

With a scratch on her cheek, she asked again.

“Ah… who is Madalyn?”

“She’s…”

The princess stopped herself.

Thinking about it, if she mentioned the Grimoire of Reason, that might be a problem. Goldie could only imagine what may befall the Overlord who was imprisoned. If they find out she was communicating with her... No matter how evil Madalyn is and all the deeds that she bestowed on the world, in a way, Madalyn was the only person she felt connected to outside of her mother.

Goldie straightened her back and lied.

“My… imaginary friend.”

"Princess, you're far too old to have that friend. Break it off with her and get ready for breakfast. Afterward, your father will give a speech to the people, and you must attend this one. The people need to see their princess.”

“…Yes, Victoria.”

"Breakfast is in twenty minutes. Make haste, young lady.”

With that, the head maid walked away. Every second counted. For every minute she spent within this world, Madalyn’s world raced on without her. If she wanted to get back before too long, Goldie needed to get the information she needed and make her way back to the Grimoire of Reason.

 

She needed to find out who Madalyn was. And the best way to do that was…

To ask her father, who is Madalyn?