The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Music Recommendation: Do it for me by Rosenfled

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The ladies didn't have to be told directly what the King meant because he had spoken those words for each and every one of them, bringing the look of guilt in their eyes. Madeline wanted to have a look at what her mother had given her, but with Calhoun who took it away from her hand before she even had the opportunity to look at it, she gave him an anxious look.

"Yes, she has been generous to teach the girls," said Mr. Harris, who was oblivious to Calhoun's underlying meaning of words.

"Indeed. I am sure Madeline would love to receive letters from her family. Please feel free to write," said Calhoun, his eyes going to settle on Beth.

Mrs. Harris was the one who had written a small note to her daughter, but Beth looked far worse than her mother or her younger sister. It was because somewhere deep down, she felt that the King was not talking about the letter her mother had mentioned that was written to Mr. Danvers. But it was about the letter she had handed to Mr. Heathcliff. Did he know? Asked Beth to herself but he couldn't have known.

Not wanting to get caught, Beth was quick to school the expression on her face to a calm one. The older daughter of Harris had always aimed to be part of the high society and didn't want to stay in this village. She had learned how to change and modify her expressions as well as her words to be pleasing to the ear.

"Shall we?" asked Calhoun to Madeline, who slowly moved her head to a yes before leaving the house and walking out of the gates.

The carriage had already appeared in front of the house, and Madeline confirmed her suspicion that Calhoun had indeed planned to let her see her parents, but in return, he had tricked her into making her do something for him. Upon seeing the King and the lady arrive, the coachman pulled the carriage's door open. Madeline couldn't help but take one more look at her family who stood outside the house, looking at her and she then got inside to be followed by Calhoun.

Once the door of the carriage was closed and before the coachman could start the carriage, Madeline who was looking at Calhoun asked,

"Please return it to me," she didn't know what her mother would have written in that piece of note which was small. She had thought it had gone unnoticed by him as he was sitting on the other side, and her mother had been cautious while giving it to her.

Calhoun, who leaned his back against the seat, asked in a calm voice, "What are you asking about?" he turned to meet her gaze and gave her a curious look.

Madeline softly gulped, "The piece of paper that you took away from my hand when you were holding my hand earlier."

"I am sorry I don't know what you are speaking about," came the reply from Calhoun, "I don't think you were holding any piece of paper when we left the castle or when we left the market. Unless you are telling you received the piece of paper when you were at your home, which would be unnecessary. You did meet them," he pointed.

Madeline was more than curious to know as to what her mother had written down to her, which she couldn't tell in front of the King. With Calhoun who had mentioned the notes and letter, she knew he was speaking about the little exchange that took place in his presence.

"The paper which my mother gave to me," answered Madeline to have Calhoun chuckle.

"It is better you don't see it. Who knows what conspiracy might start. Next thing we know you would be the one who is going to poison me," came the playful words from Calhoun's lips.

Maybe she would if he kept taunting and keeping her prisoner like she was some kind of bird that was to be placed in a cage.

"And there comes the thought," Calhoun didn't look pleased as it didn't take a lot of time for him to figure out what she was thinking, "Can you guess what will happen if your mother has written something against me?"

Her hand clenched hearing this. Madeline knew it would be considered as another form of treason, and any betrayal was never overlooked when it involved the King. It would lead to a direct punishment.

"She would not do that," whispered Madeline. Her mother was not someone who wished anything wrong towards any person.

"Then what was the need to write a note? Considering she was in the same room as the rest of us, it was a prewritten note," stated Calhoun, "It looks very suspicious."

"Maybe she didn't feel comfortable to tell it in front of you, and it was only for me to hear," with the King with them, it was difficult to pour out their feelings.

"Okay, I won't see it," he nodded his head but then said, "I will let the court ministers decide if the note is something that is against the King or just a harmless one."

Madeline looked alarmed, "No!"

"Why not?" asked Calhoun with an innocent expression on his face that he was far from, "You said your mother is not someone to wish ill upon, but I wonder how she feels about me. To have her precious young daughter being forcibly made to stay in the castle."

"So you agree you are making me stay against my will."

"And you agree that your mother might have brewed hate towards the man who is keeping her daughter with him," stated Calhoun, "Just to avoid trouble," he pulled out the piece of paper that was given to Madeline by her mother earlier, and his hand reached towards the open window.

"No!" But Calhoun had freed the note from his fingers which was thrown outside the window. She lost the chance to know what was written in the note!

"There. Let's believe that the paper didn't exist with a message in it," Calhoun said unfazed to leave Madeline speechless.

She turned to look at the small window, which was behind them, noticing how the piece of paper flew away before getting lost. The carriage moved out of the village, and Madeline's speechless look on her face turned to anger that was directed at Calhoun.

"You look beautiful when your eyes flare up with anger. There's the spark that excites me," Calhoun complimented her, and the anger fizzled out right away by those words of his, "I can tell, you want to strangle me."

"It could have been an innocent, harmless line meant for me!" something to keep her sane while she was around this insane vampire, "You could have read it. There was no need for you to throw it!"

Calhoun's lips twitched in amusement as he saw how Madeline looked at him like she didn't know what to do with him, "We can go back to look for it," he suggested, but they had come far away from the village and who knew where the small paper would have flown to.

Madeline leaned back against the seat. Crossing her arms to look outside the window, "Are you pouting?" she heard Calhoun ask her.

"I didn't get enough time to speak to them," not the way she thought she would. But it was also good to know that her father had his shop.

"I didn't stop you from talking to them. I fulfilled my words of making you meet and spend time with them," he responded to her.

At the same time, she felt Calhoun's hand brush the back of her head with such gentleness that it scared her because his actions and words were a mixture which was hot and cold. He was patting her like one would with an animal. Madeline didn't know why Calhoun was the way he was. It made it hard, and it felt like she had to keep up with him else she would only trip and fall into his trap.

"You make it very hard to like you," she whispered.

One side of Calhoun's lips pulled up, "It is good to hear that you want to like me," and while Madeline had her face turned away, he pulled out the piece of paper from his pocket that he had tricked her into believing that he had thrown it out of the window.