The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Music Recommendation: Die Reisenden 2- Ben Frost

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The colour on Morganna's face fell quickly when she heard the order given by her son Laurence to the guards. For a moment, everyone stared at the King and the Queen, not knowing if King Laurence was joking with them, but when the man didn't utter another word, the people around the room realized how serious he was.

Lady Samara had not expected her husband to order the guards to take her mother-in-law, the Queen of Devon, to be dragged out of the castle. But then, no one had expected Morganna to poison her son.

Morganna was in utter shock, and she pleaded, "Laurence you are being rash with your decision, please listen to me," her eyes had narrowed in disbelief because of the absurd order that her son had passed.

The guards stood dumbstruck in their place. Until now, the Queen was as important as the King in Devon.

"I would never poison you, I would never hurt you. I am your mother, Laurence, and a mother never hurts her children," beseeched Morganna, "This is Calhoun's ploy."

Laurence didn't respond to his mother. Instead, he glared at the guards, "Didn't you hear what I just said?"

The guards quickly came to stand next to Morganna's both sides, and they held her arms. "You cannot do this to me! I am the Queen of Devon! You cannot put me in the dungeon!" She struggled to get out of the guards hold. The bystanders silently watched the scene in front of them as Morganna was dragged out of the room, screaming and shouting about her innocence.

Lady Samara couldn't help but ponder on the Queen's words. Her eyes fell on Calhoun, who stared at the door of the room through which Morganna had been dragged out. Could it be that Calhoun had framed Morganna? Maybe her husband didn't see it, but she had noticed the obvious friction between the grandmother and the grandson.

As if sensing her eyes, Calhoun turned to look at her, his eyes meeting her eyes that looked inexpressive at the moment.

When Laurence and Samara reached their private chambers, Laurence sat on the bed, staring at the wall in front of him. How could his mother do this to him, he asked himself.

"Laurence," spoke Samara, who came to sit next to him on the bed. "Do you think it is the right thing? To put your mother in the dungeon?"

Laurence shook his head, "My mother is the only one to have the keys of her room and to the cupboard that holds her personal things. Her room is heavily guarded as ours, there's no way anyone would have entered the room and broken into the cupboard."

"But what if someone framed her? Someone tricky?" asked Samara in a tone of concern. "Don't you think she has to go through a trial?"

"As she is the Queen, she will be going through it, but at the same time, I don't think she needs one," came the bitter words from Laurence. "She thought she would get away with it, by getting rid of Calhoun and me. But we were timely rescued. Don't you see it, Samara, my mother wants to have a complete hold on the throne because she knows she's losing control on it as I am taking it from her hold."

Samara's lips were set in a thin line. A frown appeared on her face. It had been a long time since a royal family member had been sent to the dungeon or created treason of such high standing value.

Back in the dungeon where Morganna was placed, she tried to free herself from the iron bars surrounding her.

"Bring my son here! I command you!" Morganna shouted at the guards who stood nearby, but they ignored her by not reacting to her words. "I demand to see him right now!"

Morganna's breath had shortened, and her eyes looked livid. "If you listen to me, I will give you a bag full of gold," she said to them, and her words finally caught one of the guard's attention. "Just get my daughter Rosamund here. Bring her here so that I can talk."

The guards looked at each other, passing looks before one of them decided to go and intimate the Queen's daughter on what just happened in the castle.

Morganna looked around the cell room where she had been placed that was dirty and badly smelled. How did she not see this coming? She had taken all the precautions and had been careful in her steps.

When she heard a couple of footsteps approaching her through the far passages, Morganna turned hopeful, hoping her son had come to talk to her. But then she saw it was the whore's son who entered the place where she was. Her eyes narrowed on seeing Calhoun.

Calhoun walked towards where Morganna had been held while being closely followed by Theodore. Theodore dismissed the guards who were around, taking their place so that Calhoun could talk to Morganna.

Morganna breathed heavily, and in a low, threatening voice, she said, "Do you think your actions will be spared? Even if I don't step out of here right away, my men will track your trails and hunt you down."

Calhoun stared at the older vampiress, an expression of contentment filling up his face.

"You look pretty good behind the iron bars like an animal being caged. Doesn't it feel wonderful?" asked Calhoun to her in a casual tone. This received him a glare. "Do you think I am scared of those people who work for you?" he tilted his head in question.

Morganna tried not to lose her composure, and she said, "The High House that you support, they will be the one to track what you have done. By putting me under false charges."

Calhoun clicked his tongue, making noise of disapproval at what Morganna said, "You really think they will catch me for something like this? I don't know if it is your old catching up, but you should know by now that you are the one who is in trouble and not a single finger is pointing at me."