The Crown's Obsession (WN)

On hearing the words 'High House', most of the people's face turned pale who were in the courtroom, and this included Lady Rosamund. The smile that was on Calhoun's lips lowered, and he ordered,

"Bring them in here. Also, bring Lucy and the others in here. We wouldn't want others to miss meeting them."

Madeline had heard the hype about the High House, but this would be the first time she was going to meet them. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of people belonged to the High House. Though she knew it was the Wilmot's who had tipped the High House people to come here, she could tell that by the look on Lady Rosamund's face, she didn't want to be on their wrong side.

The servant quickly left to bring the other family members to the courtroom while another servant went to lead the members of the High House to this room. Madeline turned to look at Calhoun, and he stood up, to come and stand next to her.

"What a surprise that they are here!" exclaimed Lady Rosamund.

"A very shocking one," Calhoun replied where his aunt missed his sarcastic remark.

Madeline couldn't help but be worried about what was going to happen. She felt Calhoun's hand on her back before he let it go.

The sharp sound of the shoes could be heard heading in the direction of the courtroom, that got louder and louder until the members of the High House finally showed up to enter the room. There were four people who wore cloaks: two men and two women.

"King Calhoun," one of the female stepped forward, and Calhoun did the same so that they could shake each other's hands.

"Lillith," Calhoun greeted with his charming smile, "I didn't know you were visiting the castle today. I would have got the rooms and food prepared so that you were well served." The woman was a brunette with black eyes.

Madeline took note of how the woman looked mature and probably a few years older than her. The servants came to help in remove the cloaks that the guests wore. At the same time, Madeline caught sight of the hourglass shape of the woman named Lilith.

"I thought I would give you a surprise," Lilith smiled, her eyes not breaking eye contact with Calhoun's.

"You or everyone?" questioned Calhoun, his mind sharp as always. Lilith smiled.

One of the men, walked forward to shake his hand, "Dimitri," Calhoun greeted the man.

"We heard about the King getting married and thought to come and wish the couple," compared to the other three members with whom he had come with, the man named Dimitri appeared older and had a tone of seriousness on his face. He had peppered white and black hair, while the other man appeared to be in his late twenties.

"How kind and thoughtful of all of you to come to visit," replied Calhoun, and then he looked at the servant who was standing near the entrance of the courtroom, "Have the dining room prepared for our guests."

"Yes, milord!" the servant was quick to leave.

"Congratulations, my lord," the second man who belonged to the High House bowed his head and so did the woman who had blonde hair.

"Thank you, Wesley and Daphne."

Madeline stood three steps away from them, and she heard the High House people congratulate Calhoun. So far, the members of the council had their attention only on the King, not even sparing a look at Lady Rosamund, who was Calhoun's blood-related aunt.

After a while, Madeline felt a pair of eyes on her which were intensely looking at her. The gaze was from Lilith.

"Is she the girl?" the woman exuded confidence through her words, not caring how she addressed Madeline in front of the King.

When Lilith walked around and came to stand in front of Madeline, her heels clicked sharply on the white floor, she stared at Madeline. Slowly sizing her up and down. Madeline felt uncomfortable, but without bringing it forward, she bowed her head. "What's your name?"

"Madeline Harris," Madeline introduced herself.

"What an old name for a young girl. Reminds me of my grandmother," commented Lilith with a small huff.

Madeline could tell that she and this member of the High House was not going to get along. Though Madeline had not uttered a sentence so far, the woman had gone as far as to throw an insult in the first one minute of their greeting.

"Was your grandmother also beautiful like her?" Calhoun questioned, and it brought everyone's eyes on him. The other woman of High House, Daphne, smiled at the King's retort.

Lilith had a serious face as she turned to look at Calhoun and she answered, "Much better. It is where I acquired my looks from."

Calhoun chuckled, not taking any offence and Madeline decided to do the same. She wondered for how long the four people would be staying in the castle.

The two men didn't bother to indulge themselves to know about Madeline and continued to speak to Calhoun. Dimitri, who was the senior-most of them all, said,

"My King, I believe you already know why we are here."

"I do?" asked Calhoun with an oblivious look on his face, "Please enlighten me because I don't. Unless someone has invited you people here? Right, Aunt Rosamund?" he asked the vampiress who had been standing there quietly without coming to talk to the members of the High House.

Lady Rosamund had her expressions schooled, responded with a smile, "Lady Lilith mentioned she wanted to surprise you. I don't think anyone invited them to the castle."

"We have received anonymous letters about what you have been doing," Dimitri said it to Calhoun. The man was a vampire.

"And what is that?" Calhoun's tone was pleasant.

Dimitri turned to look at Madeline, "My lady, are you getting married to the King with your own consent?"

"From when did the King getting married to a woman ever been questioned, or be it any other man?" Raphael raised the question to receive a glare from Dimitri.

"And since when did strangers come to interfere when the members of the High House questions?" Lilith was the one to speak back to Raphael, "It would be best if you don't interfere unless there's something to hide. Yes?"

Raphael smiled and bowed his head. Madeline felt the questioning gaze being sent towards her from Lilith.

"As much as it is not our business on who the King marries, we need to make sure that the people are well protected and feel safe. Of course, most of the times it never comes to our notice, but there have been too many allegations towards the King of Devon, which is why we are here. You don't have to be scared, Miss Harris. Feel free to speak on what happened," said Dimitri.

Madeline met Calhoun's eyes that looked at her calmly.

They heard a couple more footsteps approach from outside the courtroom before Lucy, the Wilmot's siblings, and Madeline's family appeared at the entrance of the room.

"We would have asked the servants who work here, but we are very well aware that they are very loyal to the King," stated Dimitri, "Has the King tortured you for the marriage with him or are you doing it willingly?"

Wetting her lips, Madeline answered, "I am doing it on my own free will."

"Is it only now that you are willing to marry him or were you against marrying him before?" This time it was Lilith who questioned her. To Madeline, it seemed like the woman wanted to hear something against Calhoun. Not because Lilith wanted to look down at the King, but something told Madeline it was because the woman wanted the wedding to stop.

Madeline said, "As I come from a very humble family, it took me some time to realise that the King was serious in his intentions towards me. That he wanted to make me his wife. To conclude, yes, I want to marry him."

Even though Dimitri nodded his head, Lilith was not pleased with the answer, and she said, "Prove it. Prove it that you are doing it out of your own consent. The letters we received were not one, but many. The people who sent the letters, heard rumours about how you wanted to kill yourself. Or more like it was an unsuccessful attempt when it came to killing yourself because you couldn't bear the thought about marrying him."

Madeline didn't know how the rumour stemmed when in truth, everything that happened that day was by mistake.

Mr. and Mrs. Harris had a look of shock on their faces on hearing that Madeline wanted to end her life. Being Madeline's parents, they were aware of their daughter's feelings before she accepted to marry the King.

"Do you know about it, Mr. and Mrs. Harris?" Lilith interrogated her parents.

Both of them shook their heads, "We didn't hear anything like that."

"It is possible because your daughter, Madeline, was held here in the castle, which is why you never heard the news?" questioned Lilith again.

"Lilith," Dimitri called for her attention, "Lady Madeline has no objections so it shouldn't be a problem."

"But we aren't sure about it," smiled Lilith, "People say anything and everything when they are under fear."

Is that what this lady was doing right now? Asked Madeline to herself. Even though the older man of the High House wanted to move to the next issue, this woman was not letting it go. It made Madeline wonder what Lilith feared about.

"I agree about my consent in front of everyone. Isn't that enough?" asked Madeline to hear Lilith chuckle.

"No, it isn't. At least not for me. No offence, but the King is known to be a charming man and not to forget his reputation. He would have bedded you by now, and you would have agreed to it if you are willing to marry him. A woman likes to secure a man like him quickly by bedding him-"

Madeline interrupted the lady, "Women like that must be truly insecure to think that the way to a man's heart is through sharing bed."

The words that left her mouth left many of them speechless, and Lilith didn't bring out displeasure on her face, "Unfortunately, that's how some of them think," Lilith's voice lowered down.

Calhoun, who stood there listening to the little exchange of words couldn't be anymore happier with Madeline's choice of words. One corner of his lips had pulled up to a cocky smile.

Madeline wondered if the members of the High House held power more than just the word of status or if they carried abilities, that were not fully known to people. Lilith had black eyes, and she appeared to be human, but was she? Was she a demon like Raphael?

Her eyes glanced around the room, feeling several eyes on her and Lilith. The woman tipped her chin up with questioning eyes towards her. Beth was staring at what was happening while Markus, who stood next to her, he had a faint smile on his face. The Wilmot's were trying not just to diffuse the wedding, but they were trying to pull Calhoun down.

After two more seconds, Madeline walked up to where Calhoun stood, and every person in the room witnessed what happened next.

Madeline placed her hands on Calhoun's chest, and she stood on her toes as she craned her neck up. Calhoun met her halfway, his lips pressing the bold girl's lips. He could hear her heart beating in her chest rapidly.

It was a fleeting kiss, but enough to let the High House members know how she felt.

It took everything in Madeline to not be embarrassed for doing something like this in front of strangers and her family. Turning around, she looked at Lilith.

"Is this enough proof?" asked Madeline to see the woman stare at her with her mouth slightly left ajar.

Calhoun softly chuckled, and everyone's attention fell on him. He asked Dimitri, "What are these other accusations that you heard about me? Maybe we can speak about it after supper?" he proposed.

"Yes, that sounds better. We wouldn't want to interrupt everyone's meal," replied Dimitri.

When everyone started to leave the courtroom, Madeline felt her knees go weak over her action, and she felt Calhoun place his hand on her back to support her.