The Crown's Obsession (WN)

"Did the Devil say anything?" questioned Beth.

Madeline shook her head, "We haven't seen him since that day in the forest." If only Vladimir would have agreed to help them without any deal, she thought to herself. It wasn't just angel's but also the devil who was being difficult.

"I see," murmured Beth. "What happened to Paschar?" With her mind consumed with the murder that took place by her hands, Beth had not found the time to ask Madeline about what happened.

"For now they seem to have disappeared like the demons and fallen angels," replied Madeline. At least that is what she believed.

"Maddie...I know I said I would stay here with you for some time, but I think it is time for me to leave," said Beth to her. "Not to the place where mama and papa are because I don't want to endanger their lives because of me."

Madeline frowned, hearing this, "Where would you go then?"

"I was thinking about going to the North. I heard from Raphael that there are people who have learned to control their werewolf instincts," Beth stood up from her seat, taking a few steps towards the plants that had flowers bloomed in them. "It is not safe, me staying with mama and papa, or with anyone until I learn to control myself."

"It's not safe," Madeline didn't want Beth to go alone because she didn't know how safe it was for her to trace alonel.

"Don't worry, I will be fine," Beth turned her head to offer Madeline a smile. "I don't think I am as strong as you to carry a person's death on my shoulder. It will break me."

Madeline got up from her seat and walked to where Beth stood. She could sense Beth's resolve to leave and the heaviness that her sister carried in her heart. "I will ask Calhoun to send someone reliable with you. I doubt I would be in peace by sending you alone by yourself."

Beth didn't refuse it, and she gave a nod. "Who knows I might find Mr. Heathcliff there," she said.

Madeline gave Beth the space she needed to gather her thoughts and emotions by leaving her alone, while making her way to the young vampiress' room. Two guards stood outside the room, and on seeing Madeline appear in front of the room, the guards bowed their heads.

The doors opened, and Madeline stepped inside the room to see Lady Lucy, who was awake and sitting on the bed. Theodore wasn't there with her, and instead her cousin Ethan Moryett was keeping her company. They both bowed their heads in greeting.

"Good morning, Lady Madeline," they wished. Ethan said, "I will leave Lucy in your care, milady," and he left the room. Lucy saw the back of her cousin as he disappeared behind the doors.

Madeline sensed the slight tension in the room before the vampire left and she said, "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything important."

Lucy was quick to shake her head, a smile appearing on her lips, "Never, milady. Please have a seat."

"How are you feeling, Lady Lucy? Calhoun mentioned you gained consciousness last evening before falling back unconscious," though Madeline had tried to heal Lucy, the vampiress still looked pale, and she was being fed with blood every one hour so that it could compensate for the blood loss as her body was taking its time to heal.

"Much better, Lady Madeline. Thank you so much for saving me," from where Lucy had been sitting with her back against the headboard of the bed, she offered Madeline her gratitude with a deep bow. "I heard from Theodore what you did, risking your own life to save me. I will forever be indebted to you for what you have done for me."

Madeline smiled at Lucy, "You don't have to feel that way. We are all just glad that you are alright," and alive, thought Madeline in her mind.

Back there, on seeing the amount of blood on the floor where Lucy was dead, Madeline had turned desperate to save the vampiress. She had used all her strength to heal, while shooing away the Salvette Mortem from the place.

Madeline took a seat on the chair that was near the bed before she had arrived at the room.

"It was a night that I didn't expect would happen, but I am glad that it is over now, though we lost many people from the castle," whispered Lucy pressing her lips in thought. "Theodore wanted me to leave the castle that night, but I think no matter what I agreed upon, fate would still play the way it is written in our destiny, milady."

Hearing this, Madeline confirmed Theodore's feelings towards Lady Lucy. The man had been hovering in and around the room, looking after Lucy. "I don't think any of us expected Samuel to come and hurt you, to be part of the group who were hunting me."

"Please do not feel bad, Lady Madeline. As I already said, it was just something that was supposed to happen. Theo wanted me to lock the door, but even if I did, it would have been broken," said the vampiress, and Madeline nodded her head. Lucy had been found in the same corridor where her room was located.

"I hope you will stay here longer, Lady Lucy. We will be able to take better care of you," said Madeline.

Lucy had a thoughtful expression on her face.

The vampiress said, "I considered to stay back here for some more time. Sometimes we don't realize the importance of time. Not knowing when it will slip through our fingers, where we might leave certain things unresolved, and take it to our grave. I had a nanny named Kimora," the vampiress shifted the subject effortlessly, "She looked after me, and I spent more time with her than with my mother. She once told me that people who have secrets in them, not telling it to at least one person, would turn to ghosts, floating forever as they live alone in the middle world. She said it was the space between the living and Hell and Heaven. She used to have wonderful things to say, but she passed away…"