The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Madeline had fallen asleep right after changing her clothes and climbing up the bed for her head to hit the surface of the bed without waiting to get to the pillow. For a human, who was unaware of the ways of the night creatures, Madeline had downed the drink to have a headache and finally slept; the room quiet except for a pair of footsteps that came to hover in front of her room that was closed.

The person's shadow could be seen from the other side of the door, which stopped moving before pushing the door open. The footsteps moved to step into the room, walking towards the girl who laid on the bed with her back against the surface of the bed. Madeline's eyes were closed, and the sound of the door had not woken her up, which only told she was in deep sleep.

The person continued to watch the human girl, and her legs were hanging out of the bed while her blonde hair was let out loosely, cascading on the bed like the rays of the sun. Her breathing was controlled as her chest moved up and down with every intake and exhaled air through her lips. The presence of two continued to stay in the room for a few more minutes, the person staring at the girl before leaving Madeline alone with the door of the room closed again.

On the same side of the castle, Calhoun stood outside in the balcony of his room. Once Madeline had run out of his room, he had discarded the clothes before taking a bath, in the water he had stepped in earlier holding Madeline in his arms. As water poured on his face from one of the fountains of the lion that was built in the corner, Calhoun couldn't get rid of the thought of the way Madeline looked.

The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to keep her near him, and near didn't mean just in the castle because that was not enough for him. Calhoun wanted her in his bed. Like her blood, he had got the taste of her lips, and he had heard her moan. The soft cry escaping her lips when he had bit and scraped his fangs over her tender lips. He could only think how it would be to hold her in his arms, without anything between them.

Back in the balcony, his dishevelled hair moved with the evening wind. Today had been far more exciting than what he had thought it would be.

He heard the sound of his door that opened to his room, the footsteps approaching him and he didn't bother to turn around to see who it was, as he knew by the weight of the sound of the footsteps on who had entered his room.

"Good evening, my King," Theodore greeted Calhoun, "I have brought you a drink."

"Did you bring one for yourself?" asked Calhoun, and he turned his head over his shoulder to see Theodore smile.

"I did. I thought you would like some company," answered the brown-haired vampire.

Theodore raised the glass and handed it to Calhoun while holding another glass for himself, "I have written down the documents that were the highlights in the courtroom. The Warrings have been creating some problems at the borders. I don't think they will sit still for long."

Calhoun brought the glass to his lips, staring outside at the garden and the other part of the castle grounds, "News came up that they were planning to attack Devon. Wanting to take the kingdom and the lands that surround it."

"What do you have on your mind? A treaty? Another route is to attack," commented Theodore, holding his glass for some time before taking a sip from it.

"Treaty is good when you have enough resources that will satisfy the other party but by the way they have been behaving for the past few months, I doubt they are looking for a peace treaty. Even if we do, they will still try to worm their way. That's how the Warrings are. It is in their nature to take as much as they can," Calhoun said before cracking the side of the neck, "Get the men prepared. We will need to attack them before they do. This will only mean more land to expand Devon."

"Yes, milord," bowed Theodore, obliging the command.

Calhoun had worked for his share of Devon, and even more, after coming to the castle, "It feels good, isn't it? To see the castle from inside rather than from outside."

"It's been long," came the short reply from Theodore, his head nodding to an agreement, "But you always knew you would be the King."

"I did," saying this, Calhoun placed his glass down which still had half of the liquid in it. With both his hands on the railings, he stared far away at the sky, "I was the heir to the throne. People who wanted it and opposed it, couldn't do anything but watch, and the same people kiss the ground I walk."

Theodore didn't comment anything further as Calhoun hummed something before turning around to say, "I need you to fix a meeting with Mr. Barnes. Call him to the castle. I need to tell him a piece of important news about his daughter, who has taken a liking, no, who has fallen in love with someone."

"I thought you were going to help with Lady Madeline's sister first. Did she find someone?" asked Theodore, who had an idea of what was going on as he was not only the King's advisor but also a close friend or alliance.

"Elizabeth Harris has refused the favour of the King. The girl thinks she's the goddess of Devon and will have everyone around who will fall at her feet and ask for her hand in marriage," chuckled Calhoun at the thought of the human girl. He found it ironic on how two sisters could be so different in nature.

Calhoun had taken note of Madeline's sister since the first time they had stepped into the castle, during the time of the ball. Though by blood, they were sisters, the older girl had gone as far as to condescend her very own sister during a conversation that took place on the dance floor. Calhoun had been dancing with Lady Keaton, and his ears were set close to the girl who was talking to the man she was dancing with.

To get things back to a square, when they met over for lunch, Calhoun had showered the older girl with his attention. Almost making it look like he was courting Elizabeth Harris and his letter had been vague too. At the right time, he had dropped the information about how he was interested with the younger daughter of Harris and not the older one. The wicked smile continued to hone on his lips.

"Mr. Barnes' daughter is interested in the tailorman. The same tailorman who is a small but important obstacle," stated Calhoun and Theodore finally connected the dots.

"Would you like me to send him a letter or want me to go see him myself, to invite him through word?" asked Theodore. To be swayed by the King's words, there was a process. Pushing the person subtly enough to receive the desirable and favourable answer.

"Letter should be fine. Tell him that the King has something very important to talk with him. We can leave the details, when he comes to meet me."

The sooner the tailorman would be out of the picture, the lesser reasons Madeline would find in wanting to escape because all her reasons would turn null. The tailorman's presence in soiree had turned out to be beneficial, and so was Lady Catherine's. Her affections towards the man were genuine and not something frivolous, which was why James was finding it hard to refuse.

James might be a good man, someone who was trying to keep a woman's heart without trying to break it, but this was no child's play. The tailorman was not man enough to woo Madeline in time, which had fallen in Calhoun's advantage. It would have been harder to part Madeline and James if they were together. At that thought, the grin on his lips broadened. Madeline...the thought of her brought satisfaction to his soul.

"I mentioned about the parents to her today," on Calhoun's words, Theodore, who was looking to his right at the scenery, turned his head to look at the King.

"How did she take it?"

Calhoun turned his eyes to meet Theodore's eyes which was shielded with a pair of clean glass, "No details, just mention. She is getting curious. She might run away faster than before if she finds about the truth," his eyes filled with amusement.

He could barely wait to see her reaction when he would speak about it. Her beautiful face would be filled with shock, and if she knew about it right now, she would try harder to leave the castle.

"It would be better to hear it from you rather than from another person who might present it to her differently," said Theodore.

"That is where the fall of trust will come into play. Trust is never given blindly. I need her to trust me, instinctively. She's in the right direction. I would have preferred to fasten the process by getting the tailorman out of the picture, would an accident sound bad?" he cocked his head to the side, staring at Theodore.

"I believe you have the ability, my king. To make it look more like an accident than a murder," Theodore bowed his head.

Calhoun picked up the glass, drinking it slowly. He had the ability, but Madeline would have her suspicions at him. As much as it was easy, he wanted to use the underhand methods to get rid of the man so that Madeline could solely focus on him.