The Crown's Obsession (WN)

The next day, everyone had decided to go hunting in the forest, and the one who killed the animal first would be considered the winner. With that thought, Aunt Rosamund, Samuel and Sophie, along with Theodore, galloped with their horses with the plan to win favour from the King, while Calhoun had decided to join in only to romance and spend time with Madeline.

Unfortunately for Lucy, her horse hadn't galloped as fast as the other horses did, and she was quick to fall behind, while her horse wanted to walk in a slant direction.

"Seems like you are having trouble with your horse," said Theodore from behind. Where did he come from? Asked Lucy to herself.

"I am having a bad week," muttered Lucy under her breath.

"If you want, we can exchange the horses. You can ride mine and I will ride your horse," offered Theodore.

"That won't be necessary," said Lucy quickly. She thought she had seen him riding next to her aunt before they had disappeared from her sight. "Don't you have an animal to catch and win the praise from Calhoun like the rest of them?"

"The King praises me enough, I don't think I need to gather more of it," replied Theodore watching Lucy struggling to keep her horse walking in a straight line.

"I never thought you to be boastful, but then I didn't know many things about you back then," Lucy muttered at the end as she made sure Theodore heard her.

"The same can be told, milady. I never knew you could be unreasonable in exchanging the horses. She's a new mare, and she's more used to me," stated Theodore.

"Don't worry about it. I can handle her just fine, I am sure she will come to love me," replied Lucy, while trying to make her mare move faster so that she could avoid moving right next to Theodore.

After a few seconds, Theodore said to her, "It seems like you are still upset about what happened."

Hearing this, Lucy felt her stomach drop. It had been years, and neither Theodore nor her had brought it up. Her hold on the reins of the horse tightened, and she heard him say, "Once in a while, everyone has a misstep while walking."

"I am not upset about it," responded Lucy. "What are you even doing here with me? I didn't ask you to chaperone me."

"I never said you needed one, Lady Lucy," said Theodore, and when he said her name, Lucy wondered why Theodore was always around when she was trying to get away from him. She didn't want to open the old wounds that she had closed. "The King wouldn't be happy if something happens to you. I am only doing my duty, please don't mind me."

"You don't have to do that. I am capable of looking after myself. I have done that before, I will continue to do it in the future too," came her cold words, and Lucy moved her heels against the horse to have the horse move faster. The hooves could be heard clicking against the path in the forest, and Theodore's horse soon came to move right next to hers.

"I have to follow the King's orders. I would have left your side if your husband was here," stated Theodore with a smile.

Was Theodore saying she was stuck with him until they reached where the others? He must be joking, thought Lucy to herself.

The rest of the time, both of them didn't speak. Thankfully Lucy wasn't the one who was walking else with the way she had turned her head to look in the other direction, she would have missed her steps and cursed Theodore a couple of times by now.

The only thing she had to do was to not speak to him, and once they would reach the hunting place, he would be busy, thought Lucy to herself. Somewhere deep down, her heart clenched at the fact that Theodore had stayed behind so that she wasn't lost while her husband had gone ahead to get the prized meat.

Lucy's eyes moved to the corner to look at Theodore, who was looking straight ahead of him without a word coming out of his mouth. Her heart turned slightly anxious, and she quickly looked away, not to be swayed by the man again like in the past.

She didn't know if the pain would ever leave her. Suddenly Lucy started to gallop, and she moved past Theodore.

She finally came to the place where everyone had stopped their horses, and not a few seconds later, Theodore appeared at the scene. She heard Aunt Rosamund ask Samuel,

"Where did you hear about it?"

"I heard some of the men in the town speak about it. If there's a possibility why not hunt it?" Samuel replied with a smirk on his lips.

"We should go and hunt it down then. It will be far more exciting," commented Calhoun, but on the other side, Sophie looked upset, and she said,

"But I want to hunt the stag."

Seeing this, Lucy said, "I will go along with Sophie to look for the stag."

Samuel let out a small chuckle, "Hunting the same old thing?" and she smiled. Sophie had been upset for quite some time, and she didn't want her cousin to feel left out.

Calhoun gave some thought to it, and he said, "Rosamund, Samuel, Madeline and I will go looking for the new animal. Theodore, accompany Lucy and Sophie in their hunt."

Lucy's eyes widened hearing this. More time with Theodore? She quickly schooled her expression and then saw her husband, who looked at her, but he made no effort to switch himself from the hunting group.

Samuel said to Lucy, "You should come with us, Lucy. It will be far more interesting than a small stag."

Lucy smiled and said, "I think I prefer the stag." She took note of how Samuel's eyes then shifted to look at Theodore.

"Advisor Theodore, do look after my wife," said Samuel as if to remind Theodore Lucy was his woman.

Theodore had a polite and calm look on his face. He said, "I believe Lady Lucy is capable of looking after herself, but I will be there if she needs something." When his eyes fell on Calhoun, he noticed one corner of the King's lips pulled up in mirth.