Sent away

"Oh well Aunt Stella sent her over to Agricola for a special, classified mission" said Maddie as she drank her milk.

"When I asked her about it, she said it had something to do with the new harvest season, but she didn't say anything more" said Maddie.

"Oh I see..." said Ollie.

"When did she go?" asked Ollie.

"Two days ago" said Maddie.

"And when is she going to be back?" asked Ollie.

"In a month's time" replied Maddie.

"Wait, so the Chancellor sent her away for a month?" asked Ollie.

"Firstly, she wasn't sent away, she's on a mission, it's part of her job since she's in the Cauldron, and secondly, why do you make it sound as if there is something I don't know?" asked Maddie as she raised her eyebrow at him.

"There's nothing that you don't know Maddie, I was just asking a harmless question" said Ollie.

"Right" said Maddie as she scoffed.

"So how is she?" asked Ollie as Maddie frowned at him, she didn't want to answer all his questions, but she just decided to be nice for now.

"She's fine, I spoke to her in the morning, she says she misses me and I miss her as well" said Maddie.

"I see" said Ollie.

"It was expected the Chancellor would do that" said Ollie as he immediately regretted saying that out loud once he saw the deadly look on Maddie's face as he saw both Annie and Matt sadly shaking their heads, he was a goner now.

"What's that supposed to mean blondie?" asked Maddie, her voice was calm, cool and relaxed, but only a fool would not be sharp enough to notice the hint of hostility laced in her voice.

"Nothing Maddie, I meant nothing, I was just saying something that isn't relevant" said Ollie as he knew that his words would not be enough to convince Maddie at all.

"Oh you don't say?" asked Maddie as she smiled happily, but Ollie was not fooled, you really had to be careful with Maddie when she showed you too much friendliness, especially if that friendliness was towards him of all people.

"Yes" replied Ollie.

"Well I know you well blondie, you don't say things without truly meaning them, and you especially don't say irrelevant things, whether I like it or not, whatever comes out of that mouth of yours is not to be taken lightly" said Maddie.

"Maddie" called Annie as she didn't like where this was going, Maddie looked like she would soon tear Ollie in two.

"No, no Annie, be quiet, I'm speaking to the gracious prince of the witch realm" said Maddie with a smile as she looked at Annie, a smile that slowly disappeared when she turned to look at Ollie.

"So I ask you again blondie, and this time is the last time, what did you mean by what you said about Aunt Stella's decision?" asked Maddie.

"I'm not saying anything Maddie, it's truly not important" said Ollie.

"You are nothing but a liar and coward blondie" said Maddie as Ollie didn't care what she said.

"I don't care what you say Maddie, I don't want you getting upset, it's best that we move on from what I said" said Ollie as Maddie scoffed.

"I don't need you of all people to care about me, now tell me what you mean before I find out myself" said Maddie.

"I should warn you, this past month with nothing to do, I might have dabbled a bit into some strong magic, if I wanted to, I could have you spilling everything I want to hear with a wave of my hand" said Maddie.

"That won't work against me Maddie, trust me, don't waste your time trying" said Ollie.

"You're my friend, and I really do care about you just like Annie and Matt do" said Ollie as he looked at Annie and Matt who remained silent.

"And I know that if I tell you what I mean, it will hurt you, and for that reason, I would rather keep quiet" said Ollie sincerely as Maddie scoffed.

"You are so annoying, well then if you are really my 'friend' as you claim, you won't hide anything from me and you will tell me the truth" said Maddie as she put air quotes around the word friend.

"After all, that's what true friends do" said Maddie as Ollie sighed, she had really pushed him this time, and he had no one else to blame but himself and his big mouth.

"Look when I said that it was expected that the Chancellor would do that, I meant that everyone had anticipated that move, including me" said Ollie.

"And why is that?" asked Maddie.

"Maddie really, I don't want to go this far, you know I speak out nothing but my mind, but that will only upset you" said Ollie.

"I told you, I don't need you to pretend to actually care about me, so just go on with it" said Maddie.

"It was expected because your mother holds a questionable place in the High Council" said Ollie.

"How?" asked Maddie.

"She's Azazel's wife" said Ollie.

"Correction, she was, last time, in this time, she never married him, they never knew each other" said Maddie.

"Regardless of those minor details, it changes nothing, she's still his wife" said Ollie.

"The only woman who has dared stay with him through all his endeavors, people believed that she was a woman of steel even more vile than Azazel himself, but that was not true" said Ollie.

"Yes, that's the truth, so I don't get why she's the main debate during all your stupid High Council meetings" said Maddie as Ollie paused and looked at Annie and Matt who urged him to go now, there was no need hiding it, it was better that Maddie knew what had been circulating around concerning this whole thing.

"Maddie... your mother regained all her memories" said Ollie.

"And what does that have to do with anything?" asked Maddie with a frown.

"With those memories came feelings, feelings that can't be forgotten, there's a reason why being in such close proximity to Azazel caused her to remember her memories" said Ollie as the frown on Maddie's face grew bigger, she was starting to see where Ollie was going with this.

"The Chancellor and Curtis knew that would happen... just like what happened in Kadama, they knew that she had something to do with Azazel's weakening, the softness of his heart" said Ollie.

"I know what you are trying to say, and I won't have any of it, you all are just feeding your heads with nonsense" said Maddie.

"It's not nonsense Maddie, she remembers everything in this life and past" said Ollie.

"Death can take anyone or anything, but the only things that stay solid are memories and feelings" said Ollie seriously.

"Those two can never be changed" he said.

"They can" replied Maddie stubbornly as Ollie sighed.

"I know you don't want to hear this Maddie, but she's still in love with him, I know it, you know it, we all know it, it's no secret" said Ollie.

"Look I don't care what you and your unreasonable Council think, but my mother is not like that, not at all, you all just want to judge her and brand her as an accomplice, which she was, but not anymore" said Maddie.

"Maddie, I'm not trying to do that, I am only saying the truth, she loves him, that's why when Annie was battling him she rushed to talk to him" said Ollie as Maddie looked at Annie and Matt who kept silent and then she looked at Ollie.

"If what you are trying to say is that my mother is as evil as him, then you are wrong" said Maddie.

"I'm not trying to say that Maddie, what I'm trying to say is that she was sent away for her own protection, why else would the departure date of her mission be two days away from Azazel's final trial?" asked Ollie as now it was Maddie's turn to be silent.

"It was so there would be no complications, so she wouldn't see him before he was trialed, so she wouldn't cause a scandal in court seeing as she is a witness to all his crimes firsthand" said Ollie.

"It would simply be too much for her to bear, regardless of whether she's in the Cauldron now or not" said Ollie.

"You know what, look, my mother might love him, but she isn't stupid enough to risk her second chance at life being with a convicted criminal" said Maddie.

"She wouldn't have been sent away if everyone thought otherwise" said Ollie.

"My mother might be stupidly in love with him, but she wouldn't be on his side, not again, not now when everything is perfect the way it should be" said Maddie.

"She might love him, but that won't stop her from allowing him answer for all the crimes he has committed, that won't stop her from letting him be punished for his own sins" said Maddie.

"She loves him... but she loves him enough to let him see the error of his ways and suffer for once in his miserable life" said Maddie.

"I don't care what everyone thinks, they are free to think their nonsense, but my mother is a free woman, she committed no crimes" said Maddie.

"Her only crime was that she saw Azazel as her saviour while he was nothing but the villain and she fell in love with him" said Maddie.

"I have learnt not to judge anyone, not until you have heard the full story" said Maddie.

"And I thought you were the same... but I was wrong, for you to think the way they all do, it means that you judge me as well" said Maddie as the tension in the kitchen was heavy.

"I don't judge you Maddie, you know that" said Ollie.

"No, I don't know that, if you think of my mother that way, then you think of me the same way as well" said Maddie.

"I'm sorry you think that way, and I'm sorry that I upset you, but it's hard not to look at it from that perspective" said Ollie.

"You always say that you are different from your parents and the Council, that you understand and side with us, but you just lie, you will never truly understand how it feels to be an outcast and have no one trust you for a sole reason that you cannot control" said Maddie.

"Maddie" called Matt as she ignored him.

"I deserve that Maddie, but I pride myself in telling the truth, no matter how hard you will take it, you asked for the truth, and I gave it to you even though I told you that you wouldn't like it" said Ollie.

"You should know that I always stand with you, you all are my friends" said Ollie.

"It really hurts that you would doubt my sincerity because of things that are said around us" said Ollie.

"And it hurts that you say I will never know how it truly feels to be like you" said Ollie.

"It's the truth I admit, but I really do try, I guess I try a bit too hard to be a border between two worlds that no one wants to build a bridge across" said Ollie as he stood up.

"And you are wrong, you are not an outcast, none of you are, and I'm sorry for thinking of your mother in a bad light" said Ollie as he looked at Maddie who avoided his gaze, she was obviously feeling unhappy in the moment.

"I hope you can forgive me, and if I spoke any words that hurt you, just know that I never meant them, after all we are friends, and true friends mean nothing but well to their friends" said Ollie.

"Now if you would please excuse me, I promised my mother that I would have a late lunch with her" said Ollie.

"See you later Annie and Matt" said Ollie as he did not even wait for them to reply as he left the kitchen and no one could miss the sheer look of despondency plastered on his face.