Chapter 114 - Madeline’s One Request

Madeline brushed it aside; she was happy to see Xavier like this.

Because usually, he either seemed stressed, or extremely broody.

"I have to return back now," Xavier said, sounding sad.

"Work?" Madeline asked.

He nodded. 

It was about time he returned, Adrian was probably looking for him. 

"Alright, let's go," she said. 

"Sorry for cutting this short," he apologized.

"No need to apologize," she chuckled, "I understand, don't worry about it."

'I'm just happy you got to take a break, even if it wasn't that long and lasted a couple of hours,' Madeline thought to herself. 

Xavier smiled at her gratefully, before they swiftly returned to Eudora, Xavier giving Madeline a piggyback ride back.

Once they returned, Xavier headed for his office, whilst Madeline went over to Rosalynn's room, hoping to talk to her. 

She knocked, only to get silence as a reply.

'Guess she isn't in her room.'

"Madeline?" She heard a voice ask. 

She whirled around.

"Aunt Rose," she called. 

Rosalynn gave her a tiny smile, "What are you doing here, dear?"

"I came to talk to you, actually."

"Oh?" 

Rosalynn raised her brow, curious as to what Madeline came here for. 

She had just visited Emilio to talk to him and bring him something to eat before hastily returning to her room. It was a nice thing to do, and Rosalynn figured Cornelia would want Emilio to be alright. 

There were many things about Cornelia that were unknown.

Whether she still cared about Emilio and Madeline… 

Whether she knew Rosalynn had talked to Emilio and Madeline very recently… 

And why was it Rosalynn that had visited and not Cornelia? It would've definitely made more sense had Cornelia come, no?

Rosalynn knew that. Of course, she did. 

She knew that, and Cornelia better than anyone. She knew that Cornelia still cared about Emilio, even if it was in her terribly peculiar way.

Alas, she had always valued her work more than anyone. Even the love of her life, and her daughter. So much so that she gave Madeline away without a second thought, and so much so that she abandoned Emilio to spend the rest of his life questioning where she was and if she was really alright. 

That day, he was relieved to discover that she was doing perfectly fine from what Rosalynn had told him. Her work was going well, she was healthy, happy and doing just fine without him. 

But, there was another thing she was hiding from him. One she figured was best to keep secret till it was prime time she told him. 

She opened her room's door.

"Come on in," she said to Madeline, ushering her in her room. 

Madeline stepped into Rosalynn's room, taking a seat on one of the chairs there.

"What questions do you have for me?" Rosalynn asked, pouring Madeline and her a drink. 

She felt she needed a drink after visiting Emilio. 

"It's about my mother."

Rosalynn stopped at whatever she was doing.

"Ah," she said, her voice soft.

Madeline felt that there was something wrong. 

'Am I not allowed to ask about my mother anymore?' Madeline thought to herself, wondering if Cornelia was a sensitive topic to Rosalynn.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go ahead of myself."

"No, no, it's alright. I just didn't expect to be asked anything so soon," Rosalynn reassured, handing Madeline a glass of water.

"What do you want to know?" Rosalynn asked.

"I want to know if she's alright," Madeline said first, a solemn look on her face. 

Rosalynn furrowed her brows. 

That was the first question?

"She's doing fine," Rosalynn answered.

'Phew, she's doing fine,' Madeline said, sighing in relief.

"Next question," Madeline begun, "Did she willingly give me up or did she—"

The words were stuck in her throat. For some reason, she couldn't get them out. They were stuck. Like there was something preventing her from finishing that sentence. 

Rosalynn inhaled. 

There was no easy way of telling the truth when it would hurt the person you'd tell it to. 

She didn't want Madeline to be hurt once she knew the haunting truth. 

'Knowing that your own mother didn't want you and gave you up without a second thought was something capable of keeping you awake at night. I can't tell her the truth, it'll shatter her!' 

She began, "My dear…"

Madeline understood. 

So it was the first option, wasn't it?

She wished Rosalynn would have asked what the latter was and told her something else, but Rosalynn's silence was enough of an answer.

Biting her lip, she nodded. 

"I should move on to the next question," she mentioned shakily.

Rosalynn looked at her warily. 

Yes, she supported most of Cornelia's decision, but the decision she made to give Madeline away wasn't one she could support. 

Rosalynn admitted Cornelia wouldn't have made the best mom, but she didn't give Madeline away out of the concern Madeline wouldn't be raised and treated the way she deserved to be. She gave Madeline away because Madeline didn't benefit her in any way and she was only looking out for herself. 

Sitting across from Cornelia's daughter who was all grown up now, seeing her learn that her biological mother gave her up willingly… That was torture. 

Then again, it was Cornelia's choice. Maybe she had her reasons, but from what she had told Rosalynn, there wasn't much. It wasn't deep. 

Cornelia was simply in no place to care for a child. She thought that she was meant for more. For greater things, like being the supreme sorceress. Being a mother wasn't in the cards for her, ever. 

Hence, she made the choice to give Madeline up, arranging for someone to take her away the moment she was born. 

Rosalynn remembered that very moment. The moment Madeline entered the world, crying and screaming. 

Madeline asked next, "Why did she hide this from Emilio?"

Compared to the previous question, this was an easier one. 

Alright, as much as Cornelia didn't really care about Madeline, Rosalynn knew why she did that. 

She could've made arrangements. She could've told Emilio he had a daughter and maybe things would have gone differently. Heck, Madeline could have been brought to Emilio's cave to visit him every once in a while too. 

"Because if he knew you existed, he would've done something about it a long time ago. You wouldn't have been raised by humans, you wouldn't have been surrounded by humans, and Emilio would have likely raised you into a younger version of himself. One that would eventually take over the current alpha of Eudora, and rule like he did. By killing the innocent, et cetera et cetera."

"She hadn't purposely kept you from Emilio. But, it was more like an added bonus. If Emilio had a choice or a say in how you were raised and by who you were raised by…"

Xavier would have a new rival. 

Had Emilio taken his daughter under his wing whilst he was still stuck in that cave, she would have grown into an undeniably strong being. 

He would have taught her to hone her powers. Heck, he would have found a way for her to unlock whatever powers she had. 

And that was a recipe for disaster. Madeline would have found herself on the opposing side of the current alpha - Xavier. 

"He would have taught and convinced you that the current alpha was the villain too," Rosalynn explained.

Madeline strangely felt better that she never got to grow up with Emilio as her father/mentor. 

"The Emilio you see and talk to now was nothing like the old Emilio," Rosalynn explained, "Many feared him. Many still do."

"At breakfast, I managed to meet that Briar friend that visited your quarters once. And another person. What was her name? Indie, Diana…"

"Indiana," Madeline offered.

"Right, Indiana. She's the person that accused you of using Xavier, no? And working for your father?" Rosalynn asked, proving the point she had made. 

Madeline nodded, confirming Rosalynn's prediction. 

"She did," Madeline answered. 

Now, it made more sense to her, she had to admit. That one answer had cleared many things up. 

Madeline felt.. grateful. 

Of course, she would never speak of this to Emilio, but she also realized that Emilio did change. He was trying, and she appreciated that. 

"Emilio's different now though," Madeline reasoned. 

Rosalynn nodded, "He is. It's quite a shock. For all the time I've known him, he was always stubborn. He wouldn't change his mind, he refused to apologize, he was stuck thinking he was constantly right and he wouldn't compromise or change his ways for anyone."

"So now that he's changing and strangely more accepting of other people's… critique and words… It's an improvement. He must really want to get to know you, your father," Rosalynn noted.

Compared to Cornelia, Emilio was like father of the year.. He had stuck by his daughter and his promise to her, and had stayed days stuck in a hut just for her.