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madelineorionswan · 1 year

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The Royal Queen: The Journey of a Young Duchess.

Chapter 5: Meeting Charlie Weasley.

Summary: With a whirlwind start to her reign, things are finally starting to wind down in the country, the palace and her personal life. But as she discovers the world of politics, she realises that it might be a bit more complicated than she anticipated. So she hires a professor who teaches law and politics, as her tutor, who goes by the name of Charles Weasley, more commonly known as Charlie by his friends and family. Madeline confronts her parents about her education and later goes to a county fair and dance, where she dances the night away.

Warnings: fencing(?) a pinch of angst and a ton of fluff, swearing(like once)

A/N: The exciting part has officially arrived, and the much anticipated Charlie Weasley has entered the scene!!!!!! I'm internally screaming as I wrote this chapter, cus this is way too exciting !!!!! Hope you enjoy this chapter guys!

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All of the characters in mention (Except the ones from history) are fictional. The relationships mentioned among these characters aren’t real. I respect all of the characters from history mentioned in the story; the story is in no way written disrespectfully. I am not an expert on history and politics hence the mentions and portrayal of these two subjects are based on my imagination and are not real.

Some time had passed since the coronation and the opening of Parliament. Slowly but surely, the royal household slipped back into the normality of its daily routine at Eallesborough Castle.

Madeline had been rather desolate, always busy with the many new duties her day had been flogged with, never getting a moment for herself. But whenever there were days when she had to only affirm and sign documents or meet the prime minister, Madeline was left to herself, in the eerie silence of her bedroom or office room, where only the scratching of a pen against paper or the rustle of sheets at 11 pm could be heard.

This silence would consume her in depression, like an ominous and dark storm cloud which engulfs every inch of the sky in darkness in its wake. Nights went by without Madeline getting a wink of sleep, staring at the ceiling fan, driving her mad internally, but her face didn't give a single emotion away. After weeks of sleepless nights, Madeline conceded to Rowan's pleading to visit a psychologist for at least one consultation.

Madeline met up with the so-called "Headshrinker" (her words, not Rowan's), with whom, she thought, the meeting would be an absolute waste of time. But surprisingly, it proved to be quite likeable. The doctor diagnosed her with anxiety and depression, prescribing her some medication, and for a while, life went on well.

It was early in the morning when Madeline got up. No one knew where she went, but the moment the staff member, who came with her coffee, was flabbergasted to see her bedroom empty, the whole palace went into panic mode.

---

Rakepick got up from her desk abruptly as the head of the household, Mr Hudson, confessed about the missing queen. She immediately ordered Rowan to look around the front entrance of Eallesborough, along with the extra apartments, while she searched around the castle, followed by a bustling group of staff.

Rakepick rolled her eyes, annoyed as she tried to shoo away the annoying staff, whom she found to be like a comb of noisy bees. The staff were quick to scurry away when they saw her furious expression. Rakepick let out a sigh and returned back to search for the missing queen.

While searching around the back hallway leading to the backyard gardens, she abruptly stopped when she heard grunts and the sounds of a sword's movement. Rakepick opened the door and sighed with relief and annoyance when she saw Madeline fencing with a wooden mannequin.

As the tall redhead approached the queen, she quickly ducked away as Madeline made a feint with her sword. Madeline smirked to herself from inside her helmet.

"Care to join me for a round of fencing, Madam Rakepick?" Madeline quirked a brow. She used the tip of her sword to pick up another fencing sword by the handle, spinning it around the tip and then tossing it over to the older woman, who caught it skillfully.

Rakepick quirked her brow at Madeline, who just shrugged and spun her sword in her hand. Taking the opportunity, Rakepick smirked to herself and charged forward with her sword. Madeline quickly blocked her attack and twisted her blade to turn the charge on Rakepick. But Rakepick too proved to be skilful at the sport as she deflected the attack. The two women went on for a couple of minutes, only focused on the other and the movement of their Epee.

In under fifteen minutes, Madeline had gotten a lead, lunging forward with her sword. But Rakepick, taking advantage of the flexible blade, flicked it in such a manner which disarmed Madeline, declaring her the winner.

Madeline gasped as her sword flew out of her hand and fell beside her, the pointed blade sticking to the ground, making the sword stand as straight as a stick. Rakepick smirked to herself as Madeline sighed, but with a smile on her face nonetheless.

She took off her helmet and mask, placing them on the table beside the mannequin and dropped her sword into a bin full of swords as Rakepick did the same with her sword. The pair quietly walked back inside, not quite sure how to start a conversation. When Madeline shut the door to the back yard she let out a soft breath and turned to face her secretary.

"I'm assuming you didn't just come to have a round of fencing Madam Rakepick," Madeline said. Letting a sigh escape her lips, Rakepick cleared her throat.

"Your majesty, it is simply not acceptable that you leave the household for such a long time without anyone's knowing. You have no idea how much it delayed our schedule," she said with a stern voice.

Madeline scoffed, "I'm sure it wasn't as huge of a problem as you make it sound. Besides, I hadn't left the castle. Is it really that hard for the castle to function for at most an hour without me?"

By this time, the two women had started walking, Madeline walking ahead of Rakepick. The latter frowned at the young queen's disregard and sped up her steps to walk beside Madeline, who pretended as if she wasn't annoyed by the women.

"Your majesty, I do hope you remember that you have a meeting with the prime minister in an hour," Rakepick reminded Madeline. She smirked internally knowing full well that the queen had been too busy in her musings to actually remember the meeting.

Not that she cared about her mental state anyway. She only bothered about getting the work done.

Shit, Madeline thought to herself, why does she always end up forgetting meetings? But she didn't show it. As they walked into the main corridor, Madeline sped up her pace and turned to go to the breakfast hall. Before going inside, she turned to speak to Rakepick.

"I think, as the monarch, I'm quite aware of my duties. But I appreciate you reminding me of them," Madeline pressed her lips into a thin smile before heading inside.

"Absolutely ma'am, after all, it is my duty," Rakepick commented, knowing she had irked Madeline. She smirked and left to prepare her files at her office.

---

After a hurried breakfast, Madeline was quickly escorted to the study room, where the Prime minister was waiting. She entered the Drawing room, where she saw the Prime Minister sitting with her pet dog, Almond. He was happily lying on the sofa next to Mr Richardson, getting belly rubs from the latter.

When he heard the sound of Madeline's heels clicking on the floor, the dog turned around and looked up at Madeline, launching off the sofa. Madeline laughed as Almond snuggled against her leg. She smiled and ushered him out of the room.

"Good morning, Your Majesty", the Prime Minister, Mr Richardson, said as he got up.

"Good morning, Mr Richardson. I'm sorry for the delay, I was a bit busy earlier", Madeline lied through her teeth and sat down on the single sofa opposite the prime minister, "Now, how about we begin where we left off?"

The prime minister gave a curt nod and brought out a file full of newspaper articles and certain documents passed by the parliament that needed the approval of the Monarch.

The morning passed almost instantly with the discussions of economic fluctuations in the market and diplomatic relations with other countries. While Madeline understood a little of everything, certain aspects of economic disparities and political decisions confounded her.

And she hated it.

She drifted off into her thoughts as Mr Richardson continued talking about financial issues. It annoyed her when she was not sure about all the subjects of discussion. While Mr Richardson had helped her a lot to understand many subjects, Madeline felt it was her duty, as monarch, to be aware of all of the aspects of the political, economic and cultural situations that affected the country, her country.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Mr Richardson closed shut his binder full of documents and pushed it forward to Madeline.

"That's all we have to discuss today. These are the papers that need signing, ma'am", Mr Richardson said.

Madeline smiled and got up from her sofa along with Mr Richardson. She extended her hand towards the older man. He smiled and shook her hand before collecting his files.

"I hope to see you at the Prybush ball this weekend then, ma'am", Mr Richardson said as he was heading out. Madeline sucked in a breath with a smile and replied with a curt nod.

"I'm not looking forward too much about the press coverage, but I definitely am looking forward to a nice evening of dancing and music", she chuckled, making Mr Ricahrdson laugh along.

"It's true. Being Prime Minister has been hard work. Every other day I feel like going to a nice country retreat for a holiday! I can't imagine how hard it is for you, ma'am!"

"Yeah, it's been harder than I... anticipated", Madeline said quietly.

"I'm sure you will do alright", Mr Richardson rubbed the back of her affectionately as he held it in his own. He then bowed before her and left the room.

Madeline left the room with her equerry closely following behind. She went back to her study room with the stack of documents. She sat down behind her desk and started studying them closely. The more she sifted through them, the more she started to get confused.

Prolonged and complex words and sentences all firmed a tangled web of confusion in her head. Madeline groaned and fell back on her chair with a sigh.

It was only the first document.

Having no other choice, Madeline went to the library, followed by her butler. Both of them brought back a stack of dictionaries to her study room. Madeline skimmed the first document, letting the stack of books fall with a dull thump on her desk. She marked some of the complicated terms with a pencil and searched the dictionary for their meanings, eventually piecing together the meaning of the statements.

Even though it took a long time, Madeline eventually finished signing and reading all the documents, although it took her 5 hours to do so. She sighed and fell back against her chair, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly there was a knock.

"Come in," Madeline said. the door opened and Rowan entered the room, making Madeline smile a little.

"Long day?" Rowan asked as Madeline nodded.

"I think I need thirty hours a day now. Half the time I know nothing about what the documents are talking about. They all seem like Hebrew to me", Madeline groaned.

"Hmm. All could be resolved if you could've had a tutor though", Rowan half joked as she sat opposite Madeline.

"Yeah", Madeline muttered, dismissing the thought as a joke.

But the more she thought about it as she and Rowan sat in silence, the thought started to make sense.

A tutor! Why hadn't she thought of this before?!

"You know you're a genius, Rowan", Madeline said, getting up abruptly from her chair and standing beside her friend.

"Uhm, Thank you?" Rowan answered unsurely.

"We should hire a tutor! It would be a great help. They could teach me everything and I'm sure no one could refuse the offer of the Queen of the country.

"You're right. I am a genius!" Rowan exclaimed, agreeing with Madeline's idea.

"But Madam Rakepick would never agree to this", Rowan said, her excitement dying.

"Who says she has to know?" Madeline smirked, "While I'm slowly growing to...trust her possibly, at the end of the day, it is my decision about who gets to know what."

"So, Ro, could you please possibly hire someone appropriate?" Madeline pleaded.

"But... Madie... you know this is very risky..." Rowan tried to refuse. But Madeline's puppy dog eyes finally made her agree.

"Fine", Rowan said, a slight smile creeping up her face as she got up to leave.

"Oh, Rowan", Madeline interrupted before her she could leave, "make sure the tutor isn't too old and grumpy and has a sense of humour at least."

"Go it!" Rowan put her thumbs up and left the room as Madeline started to put aside her documents and get ready for a much-needed hearty dinner.

---

It had been a couple days since that conversation. Madeline waited nervously in one of the many palace living rooms, shaking her leg impatiently. Just as Rowan had promised her, she had contacted multiple tutors who were more than willing to help the Queen.

Needless to say, most of them were grouchy-aged men. But with some scouring, Rowan had found a professor at the Royal Oakland University willing to tutor the young queen.

But when Madeline had asked Rowan about the professor, she had refused to tell her more about him, except that he was the same age as her and taught Law and Political Science.

Today Rowan had arranged for him to meet with Madeline hence her being nervous. But she didn't need to wait much. Within a couple minutes of her wait, her equerry pushed open the door and informed her that a "Mister Weasley" was waiting for her. Madeline let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding and asked him to escort the latter in. Within a couple minutes, Madeline's equerry returned, followed closely by a young man.

The first thing Madeline noticed about him was the fiery red and unruly curls that framed his face. His honey-coloured eyes were warm and friendly with a hint of mischievousness. His smile was honest and charming. All of these features were unfamiliar to Madeline and she was intrigued by them. She had never seen such comfortable and kind eyes save for Rowan and Penny.

Madeline felt her lips tug to form a smile and extended her hand to shake his. He gladly shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Weasley-"

"Charlie is fine, Your Majesty. Charlie Weasley," Charles Weasley said with a smile as he bowed, although awkwardly.

"It's quite alright, Mr Weasley. There's no need for that. And call me Madeline", Madeline said with a chuckle when she noticed that the man clearly didn't know how to properly bow.

"Please take a seat", Madeline said, sitting on the sofa. Charlie sat opposite her, putting aside his leather rucksack.

"Before we begin, I saw these and thought it would be a nice gift for you", Charlie said, bringing out a small chaplet of White Lilies and White Roses.

"Oh, thank you", Madeline said with a smile, pleasantly surprised. She got up and put the flowers in an empty vase.

Once she returned to her seat, she asked Charlie, "Now, where do we begin?"

"Perhaps you can begin with your problems. Which areas do you face issues in?" Charlie suggested. He brought out a notebook and looked expectantly at Madeline.

"Well... where to begin?" Madeline started with a nervous chuckle, "When I enter a room full of ministers and highly educated dignitaries, it feels like I know nothing. Even though I'm of a higher rank, I can't even hold a decent conversation with them about politics or culture or administration, things that I'm expected to know in detail. So if you ask me, I barely know anything."

Charlie frowned a little and put aside his notebook at Madeline's answer.

"Do you know what educational qualifications you have?" he asked.

"As in?" Madeline asked, confused.

"As in, what level of education have you completed? Like junior level, secondary level or senior secondary level? Maybe any equivalent?" Charlie asked.

Madeline felt embarrassed. She understood that these were basic educational qualifications that any person, especially someone holding such a high office, should have. But she shook her head, denying that she had any formal education throughout her entire life.

Charlie nodded carefully. There was a moment of silence between the two as Charlie thought to himself.

"Well, let's start from the beginning then, with political science", Charlie said with a smile as he brought out a thick book from his rucksack. He placed it in front of Madeline and opened up the first chapter.

Madeline was a bit taken aback. She had expected him to judge her or pity her. But all she saw in his face was an eagerness to teach and a friendly smile. Madeline felt herself start to feel comfortable in his presence. Something about his friendliness and warm smile made her feel relaxed. She listened intently to his lesson, noting some of the main points in a notebook.

Charlie was undeniably a good professor. He made the dull lesson enjoyable with occasional jokes and fascinating stories. Madeline was in awe of the complex and intricate world of politics that she had never been able to understand completely, which started to become more and more familiar to her.

Unfortunately, Charlie had to leave to attend a seminar at the university. Madeline got up along with him as he gathered his belongings.

"Uhm, before you leave", Madeline interrupted Charlie just as he was about to walk away. He turned to face her as she continued.

"I wanted to thank you for agreeing to tutor me. I know it was a bit odd but I found myself enjoying your class very much so thank you", Madeline said with a smile, "I hope we can meet again for our classes?"

"With pleasure Madeline," Charlie said with a charming smile, "I hope we can be friends, more than just being teacher and student."

"I would bet on it", Madeline said, making Charlie chuckle.

"Also, Uhm, could this and the future meeting stay a secret?" Madeline said. Charlie signed, zipping his mouth shut. Madeline laughed a little. The two walked to the door, after which Charlie left with a last smile.

After Charlie left, Madeline felt a sense of excitement for their next meeting, which left a permanent smile on her face for the rest of the day.

---

It was the evening before the Ball at Prybush, the Capital city. It was Madeline's first public Ball which would undeniably be covered extensively by the media.

Madeline was busy practising her speech for the opening of the Ball while Penny helped her dress, so she could charm the crowds. After she helped Madeline get into a chemise and an underskirt, Penny left to find a dress from the selection provided by some designers.

"Which one do you think we should go with?" she asked Madeline, holding up a sleek wine-coloured dress in one hand and a light pink A-line gown in another.

"Uhm... the pink...maybe?" Madeline said unsurely and quickly returned to murmuring the speech under her breath.

Penny sighed exasperatedly and went back to looking through the gowns again. She audibly gasped with delight when she saw a pink floral gown with off-shoulder bell sleeves. It was simple yet romantic, just what the ball needed.

With the dress and a pair of matching flowery gloves in hand, Penny came back, only to see Madeline pacing around in her room, busy memorising the speech. Shaking her head, she approached the young queen and took the sheet of paper from her hand eliciting a groan from the latter.

"You won't be getting that back from me now", Penny said with a mischievous smirk, "Come now, into the dress you get."

After a moment of annoyance from Madeline and some struggling, Madeline finally got the dress on. Penny pushed her in front of the mirror, forcing her to look at herself as she did her hair.

It was gorgeous. She looked gorgeous.

Madeline looked different. The dress was not something she would have picked for herself. It was unlike the darker colours that she usually wore. It added a certain softness to her features which was complimented by the soft smile which had crept onto her face.

"I would say I've outdone myself this time," Penny smiled proudly as she to looked at Madeline's reflection with a proud smile.

"I second that," Madeline said with a chuckle.

Penny then put a dainty diamond chain necklace and matching earrings on Madeline. She then sat Madeline down in front of the vanity. She handed her the gloves eliciting a groan of annoyance from the latter.

"Do I have to put these on? You know how feel about gloves," Madeline protested.

"I do, but it is the protocol that you wear gloves during evening balls," Penny said as she did Madeline's makeup.

"I know, I know. It's just... they're itchy and annoying. And they make me feel more upper class than I'd like to admit," Madeline muttered with annoyance. She begrudgingly put on the gloves as Penny tutted and continued to put on Madeline's makeup.

After a couple minutes, Madeline was ready to go to the ball. She walked down the grand stairs to the entrance of the Palace. There she was met by the ever-serious Mdam Rakepick. They both got into the black cars and set off for the city.

It was only a few minutes until they reached the City Hall. The moment Madeline stepped out of the car, she plastered a smile on her face and turned to face the cameras and media.

For a moment, she was blinded by the constant camera flashes. But after a second to adjust, she focused her eyes on the crowd and waved at them. The throng of journalists and paparazzi cheered for the young queen, boosting her confidence.

She waved one last time at the people before climbing up the stairs and into the City Hall. On entering the hall, she was greeted by the sweet yet intoxicating smell of champagne as the soft ballroom music flowed freely.

The guests inside stood when Madeline walked in. Everyone smiled in awe at the young queen and clapped at her entrance, making Madeline smile too. The Prime Minister, his wife and the Mayor and his wife stood up to greet her.

"Your majesty", The prime minister said with a bow. Madeline smiled and nodded her head curtly in a reply

"Your majesty, it truly is an honour to have you here," the mayor greeted Madeline after the Prime Minister stepped aside.

"It is me who is honoured, Mister Mayor," Madeline said, smiling politely. The mayor bowed and offered his arm for her to take. Madeline accepted and linked her elbow with his. They both walked to the centre of the hall. Everyone clapped as the young queen waved at the guests with a wide smile.

A young waiter handed her a glass of champagne for her to toast. Taking the crystal goblet in one hand, she began her speech.

"Mr Mayor, Mr Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure and honour to be a part of this incredible Ball, which has been hosted in honour of a long line of sovereigns. After today, I hope that I do all of the people proud as sovereign of this country. But for now, I hope everyone enjoys themselves tonight," Madeline finished, raising her glass for a toast. The guests all toasted their glasses in unison before returning to chatting or feasting.

Through the next couple minutes, Madeline was greeted by the nobles and dignitaries who were attending the ball. She made polite small talk with all of them under the watchful eye of Rakepick, although she felt bored and out of place in most of those conversations.

Stepping aside after some time, Madeline decided to munch on some of the locally sourced food. While taking a bite of her food, she saw Madam Rakepick approaching from the corner of her eye. She stuffed the last bite of the ceviche into her mouth before walking up to the older woman.

"I hope you're enjoying the party", Madeline remarked, not exactly hoping to get an answer.

"I've never been one to enjoy parties, ma'am," Rakepick scoffed, "to me, it is a waste of time and words, something which we are already in a deficit of."

Madeline pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. "You know," she said, "I don't particularly enjoy these parties and balls either."

Rakepick looked at the young queen from the corner of her eye with a hint of suspicion, not expecting her to agree.

"You don't have to agree with me," she replied emotionlessly, sipping on a glass of champagne.

"I'm not," Madeline replied, "has it occurred to you that we might share the same opinion?"

"... It's not something I expected," Rakepick replied briefly, "but I suppose it is a possibility."

"Look, Madam Rakepick, I know you aren't quite as friendly with me. But I do expect us to at least get along," Madeline sighed, frowning.

Rakepick remained expressionless for a second. Then she nodded, with what appeared to be a small smile.

"I too hope that we can eventually form a friendship, ma'am," She replied, shocking Madeline a little, but she smiled in reply.

"I hope you enjoy this event, ma'am," the auburn-haired lady said before curtsying and leaving Madeline to continue to mingle with the guests

While conversing with some people, she noticed a young man with messy black hair, round glasses and mossy green eyes standing in a corner by himself. Recognising the young noble, she walked towards him, glad to have seen a familiar face. The man noticed the queen approaching him and straightened himself. He bowed before her, making Madeline smile gently.

"Lord Potter, fancy seeing you here," Madeline said, a smirk forming on her face.

"Well, I-I had a free evening, so I decided to stop by," Harry replied sheepishly.

"It's good to get away from duty for a while, you know. Even if it is only for one evening," Madeline smiled. Harry replied with a nod and the pair turned to look at the crowd.

A peaceful silence fell between the two as people danced the night away. Madeline soon noticed Harry smiling, looking at a young red-haired girl dancing away on her own amongst the people, her smile bright and carefree. Madeline smiled to herself. Then an idea struck her.

"Go talk to her," Madeline encouraged Harry. He looked at her with confusion for a moment before refusing. Seeing that he was too shy to approach her, Madeline grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him to the dance floor, ignoring the younger man's confused reluctance.

"Listen to me, go and ask her to dance with you, Harry," Madeline said almost sternly.

"But-"

"No buts, go ahead! She looks to be free now. Go, will you!" Madeline said, ushering him to the dance floor. Harry sighed and looked at the girl he had been admiring. With one last encouraging smile and nod from Madeline, he left to approach her.

From a distance, Madeline saw Harry approach the girl shyly and ask her to dance, to which she happily agreed. She smiled to herself, satisfied, as she saw them dancing away, dreamy smiles on their faces.

"Young love's always adorable, isn't it?" Madeline turned around and saw the warm and friendly hazel eyes with which she had first familiarized herself a few days back.

"Professor Weasley? I wasn't expecting to see you here," Madeline said with a surprised look.

"Please don't call me that, makes me sound ancient," Charlie said, feigning annoyance.

"Then I shall make it my ultimate mission to call you that always," Madeline joked, making Charlie and her laugh.

"You still haven't answered my question though," Madeline pointed after they both recovered from their fit of laughter.

"I actually came along with my family. That's my sister dancing with the young lad," Charlie pointed at the red-haired girl chatting with Harry. He then pointed her to his family who were standing amongst the crowd. From there she noticed Bill Weasley too standing with them.

"Oh, so Bill Weasley is your brother," Madeline remarked with a smirk, "didn't he ever mention meeting me?"

"Actually, he did, but I guess I never knew which "Madeline" he was talking about. He said her identity was a secret," Charlie remarked.

"All good things said, I hope?" Madeline quirked a brow at him.

"Only the best, Madeline," Charlie replied with a playful grin.

The pair continued to watch the crowd of dancers at the ball. Suddenly, the music changed from the merry tune being played earlier to a more slowed and romantic waltz. Many couples started to dance to romantic music.

"Dance with me?" Charlie suddenly asked Madeline, a lopsided grin gracing his face.

Madeline smiled to herself and replied, "With pleasure," as she accepted his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.

Charlie looked at Madeline for a split second, silently asking permission as his hand hovered beside her waist, to which Madeline nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder as he gently placed his on her waist. Taking his hand in hers, the pair spun in circles, shuffling their feet to the slow, rhythmic music. As she sensed herself getting lost in the rhythm, Madeline's chocolate brown eyes connected with Charlie's hazel eyes, a mix of warm honey and cinnamon with a hint of grassy green.

"So, how did you enjoy our first lesson?" Charlie asked, breaking the silence, a hint of nervousness evident in his voice.

"I actually loved it! It was brilliant learning about this subject from you. I hope we can do it again," Madeline replied with a smile, making Charlie let out a breath he unconsciously held onto and smile. Charlie then spun Madeline in his arms, almost making her trip, but he quickly helped steady her. The two went back to swaying casually to the beat.

"I'm glad you did, cus I did too. I'm looking forward to doing it again... this Thursday maybe?"

"It's settled then. I'll meet you this Thursday." Madeline smiled, "I'm actually surprised you liked teaching me," Charlie frowned with confusion at Madeline, the song playing in the background long forgotten by them.

"I mean... I know nothing, and you know so much. All I do is cut ribbons, smile agreeably and wave at people. My life is defined by what dresses I wear and whom I smile at, while yours is represented by the vast world of this incredible and convoluted subject" Madeline heaved a sigh, her emotions unclear from her expression.

"Hey, give yourself some credit," Charlie said softly. He slowly moved his body closer to her and continued, "What you do is something very few can do. It's admirable how you keep yourself so composed after all you've already been through. So I disagree about you being bland because you are one of the most fascinating people I have ever met in my life." Charlie replied with firmness and confidence.

Madeline felt blood rush to her cheeks and a smile form on her lips at Charlie's words. It was true that she barely gave herself any credit for what she did. But hearing Charlie's words solidified how little she gave herself credit for. Yet his words provided her comfort and faith about her work, a compliment, something that anyone rarely told her, let alone actually mean it.

"Thank you for that, Charlie," Madeline replied softly.

"I consider it my priority, my Queen," Charlie winked at Madeline with a playful smirk making Madeline chuckle and shake her head dismissively.

Suddenly, the music changed to a classic Mozart piece, one of Madeline's favourites. The melody was gentle yet romantic, making one lose a sense of reality.

Madeline and Charlie continued to dance the night away in their careless dances. They weren't sure what style of dance they were doing. Between Madeline tripping constantly and Charlie almost confusing the right from the left, it was an absolute mess. But they didn't care. It was the company that mattered. They spent the rest of the evening laughing at random jokes and talking about their lives. It was as if they'd known each other for years. It was a magical night for the start of a new friendship.

And maybe something more.

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