The Crown's Obsession (WN)

When Madeline had said that she wanted to walk in the garden, she stayed there only for five minutes before she made her way back to the dungeon where the servant was imprisoned in the cell.

"You cannot be here," one of the guards stepped forward to stop her from entering the dungeon.

Madeline knew getting inside would be difficult as this wasn't a garden where she wouldn't need permission from the King, but she was a smart girl, and she had dropped one of her jewels in here before making her way out. Hoping she would be able to return here without the vampiress hovering and throwing rude remarks at her.

"I dropped my bracelet in here," she said, raising her bare hand, "I would like to retrieve it before I head back to the castle."

The guard was a buff looking man. He looked almost like a giant, and she saw how he stared at her, making sure she was here for what she claimed for, "Stay here milady. I will go look for it."

When the guard didn't arrive after one and a half minutes, which she had been counting, she said, "He doesn't know what it looks like. I would like to go look for it myself."

"I cannot let you pass through without the King's permission," said the other guardsman who was standing outside.

"The King is busy in the court, and I don't think he would appreciate it if anyone of us go and interrupt his work for something so silly," Madeline tipped her chin up, looking at the guard with a hard gaze and the man finally let her pass.

Madeline walked for a few steps before she quickly ran to where the servant was being imprisoned. It seemed like the guardsman who had come to search for her bracelet was not here, and she took the opportunity to speak, "Mister?"

The man who was on the other side of the cell had leaned himself against the wall who looked startled hearing a woman's voice, "Please! Please help me!" came the desperate voice of the man who was covered with dried blood. Madeline had never seen anyone in such a state where his body looked like holes from where the blood had dripped out.

She didn't know how the castle worked, but if there was something she believed in, it was the gut feeling that had brought her back here in front of the cell. She didn't have the power to free the man because he was under the suspicion of trying to poison the King. But Calhoun told her that the court would need proof and the proof was that the man was caught red-handed.

She pursed her lips and then said, "Do you know who would have set you up for this?" she asked him. Her voice was much gentler than the guards or the other men who had tortured the man. The man shook his head.

"I didn't do it."

It seemed like the man kept repeating the words, hoping someone would listen to him and let him free from here. The pressure and fear of death approaching the man, Madeline couldn't comprehend how scared he was.

"Okay," came Madeline's words and the man looked at her with hope that she believed him, "What do you work as in the castle?" she asked him.

"I-I am the mopper who mops the floors of the castle. I have been working in the castle for twelve years," stated the man. Madeline wondered if twelve years were not enough to trust someone or if twelve years was too much to bear working under a tyrant King. She had a gut feeling but that didn't mean she eliminated the possibilities, "I was there in the kitchen. Moping when one of the men caught hold of me and then started to search for something, pulling out a bottle from my pocket."

"Was that the poison?" she inquired. And when she heard a plop of water sound, Madeline turned her head to see if the guard had arrived before turning back to look at the man in front of her.

"I think so. I-I don't know how it came to be in my pocket," the man shook his head.

Madeline gave it some thought and then said, "Can you try remembering what happened that day? Before the guards came and brought you here," she looked at the man who looked away from her to look at the wall, his eyes frantic to remember anything that could help him get out of here.

"I finished cleaning the halls that day and some of the rooms. I then went to the kitchen to mop there. It wasn't the time to mop, but I thought I would get it done so that I could rest myself for a few minutes before continuing my work," said the man and he shook his head, "I should have waited, and this is what happened."

"Anyone who would have put the bottle in your pocket?" on her question, he shook his head.

The man's words were not helpful at all, and it didn't seem like he suspected anyone. She gave it some thought, and she realised maybe she couldn't help the man after all. He was the one who carried the bottle, so it was obvious that the guards had suspected him. When the King's officials were not able to get the answers, she wondered what made her special that she could get an answer by herself. She was just a mere human in here.

"It was a small bottle with a bulbous end and long narrow neck. I did not feel someone slipping it," he said to her. Her eyebrows furrowed together on hearing this.

"Milady, you are not supposed to be here."

A voice came from behind and Madeline snapped her head around to see Theodore, who stood there at the end. He was the last second person she didn't want to be seen by. The first person being Calhoun. The first guard who had gone to look for her bracelet had arrived to stand behind Theodore.

"The dungeon is not a place for a lady to be walking in," Theodore said politely and then turned to the guard to hear the guard say,

"I found the bracelet."

Madeline stepped away from the cell she had been standing in, walking towards them and took the bracelet which wasn't anything fancy but a cheap one that she had with her before she had entered the castle. The guard stood behind while the King's trusted man saw Madeline out of the dungeon.

Later in the court, when Calhoun and Theodore were alone discussing the land's conflicts when Theodore took the chance to mention about the human who was found in the dungeon, "She seemed to have dropped her bracelet in there," informed Theodore, "But she was standing in front of the prisoner."

"Did she now," Calhoun murmured, picking up the glass of wine that was placed next to him on the stand. He raised the wine to his lips before he said, "Such a fascinating creature, meddling herself with something she doesn't know. Let her roam freely in the castle," ordered the King, not wanting to restrict Madeline's movements and want to see what she could. His lips pulled up, and he drank the wine.