The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Madeline had seen the wings before, but she hadn't got a good glimpse of it as they disappeared quickly behind his back without a trace. Calhoun stood in front of her, his black feathered wings that had come out to bait her.

If he had brought it out, did that mean that they were going to fly to where ever he had planned to take her? Asked Madeline to herself.

She gave an apprehensive look at Calhoun, "I don't know where we are going." The way he had spoken during the time of the morning, it seemed like there was a cage or something she would not like waiting for her.

"You will see," Calhoun said, his hand still waiting for her to take.

After a second more, she finally placed her hand in his. When they stepped into the balcony of the room, Madeline couldn't get her eyes off of Calhoun's wings. They were truly big, like a bird's wings, but this one was much better. As she had grown up, she had heard the folklore of how it was angels who possessed wings. Wings that were big and made of white feathers but here they were black.

Maybe it would have been ironic if Calhoun had white wings. Black wings suited the King for the personality he had, like the wings belonged to the devil who was handsome yet scheming one.

"You were asleep for many hours," Calhoun said and Madeline finally broke her gaze away from his wings to look at him and then at the sky which had changed colours. The atmosphere didn't feel warm anymore as the time of noon had passed like it was trying to welcome the evening wind. "It worried me that you had hit your head hard," saying this, Calhoun's hand moved to the back of her head. Rubbing it gently and Madeline felt the tenderness his touch held.

The shock of seeing two maid's heads roll had been something she found hard to digest. She didn't know she would faint, but she did, and she must have fallen on the ground in the court.

"How did I get back to the room?" asked Madeline, her eyes staring at Calhoun where his gaze moved back from her head to meet her eyes.

"I carried you. I wouldn't like someone else touching you in my presence," stated Calhoun, a hint of possessiveness laced in his voice. Madeline noticed how his hair looked dishevelled as if Calhoun had been running his hand through his hair over and over again, compared to his regular hairstyle where his hair was usually combed back.

His eyes didn't look bright and overbearing. It seemed rather mellow, making Madeline question herself if it was the change in brightness that put him under such light in her eyes now. But then looks were deceiving and so was this devil who stood next to her.

Calhoun had not let go of Madeline's hand. He saw how her eyes looked curiously at him like she was trying to figure out something. He enjoyed, taking pleasure that she was taking interest in him even if it was for dark reasons.

Back in the court, he had done what he had to do, and he didn't hold a sliver of remorse for his action. Calhoun made sure that every person in the castle heard through whispers to beware of what would happen if they were to speak a single word about Madeline, that would hurt her. But he hadn't expected her to faint; after all, she had held up fine last time.

It had got him worried when she hadn't woken up and he had stayed by her side, in the room. Waiting for her to wake up while letting Theodore to look after the court proceedings until he would return. The King had never left court duties for a woman's sake because no one was worth it. Women, he had bedded many, and he wasn't ashamed of it. They were nothing but pawns. Even if they had tried to reach out for him, it had always been to claim the position next to the throne.

Everybody loved the throne, but he loved it more, enough to not want to share it with someone until Madeline came.

"Ready to fly?" he asked her, noticing how there was a spark of interest along with hesitancy in her eyes.

Madeline nodded her head, "Yes," she answered while not knowing exactly what she was supposed to do and Calhoun chuckled. His eyes filled up with delight, to think that something so sweet could exist. He wouldn't have believed it before, but the more days were passing by, the more enchanted and entranced he felt towards her.

When he turned to her, Madeline turned her body to face him, feeling his hand let go of the side of her head before he stepped forward. He then bent down to pick her up in his arms, carrying her, "Put your hands around my neck. You won't fall," Calhoun added to see the alarmed look in her eyes, letting him know that she had not thought through it before agreeing to him.

What if she was going to fall?! Asked Madeline to herself. They wouldn't be walking on the ground but flying, up in the air.

Hesitatingly, she wound her hands around his neck. This was more intimate than what she had thought, and she looked ahead of her, not meeting his gaze but with him continuously staring at her, it was hard not to look.

"What if I fall?" She was still young and wanted to live a life, "Have you done this before?" she asked Calhoun.

"Carrying people in my arms?" asked Calhoun and Madeline could feel his strong arms below her legs and on her back, holding her.

"Yes, carrying people," she affirmed.

"Will you be jealous if I said I have?"

Madeline stared into his red eyes, "Why do you think I would be jealous, milord?" she wanted to know the answer from him,

"It is not every day a person gets the pleasure to be in the King's arms, the person who holds the crown on his head. Especially not someone who has wings," when he said this, Madeline noticed how his wings moved for her to look at. She had the urge to touch it, wanting to see if the feathers were as soft as they looked, which was inky black as his hair.

"I never thought of flying. I wouldn't be jealous. I like to keep my feet on the ground," on Madeline's reply, Calhoun's smile widened at the corners of his lips.

"Come, fly with me then," he said. He stepped up on the edge of the railings and Madeline had to tighten her hold on his neck, her face scrunching in worry that she might fall, hoping Calhoun would not drop her- even if it was by mistake. Calhoun, who noticed Madeline, who had closed her eyes, said, "Open your eyes. How will you see the world that is there with your eyes closed."

On Calhoun's words, she opened her eyes in time to see the wings behind his back starting to flap together, and in two seconds they had left the railings of the balcony of the room, soaring up in the air.

"Does everyone know about your wings?" asked Madeline, her voice higher than usual.

"They do," answered Calhoun, who appeared to be enjoying the flight.

He smiled looking at Madeline, who quickly averted her gaze away from him. Taking the courage, she looked down at the castle that turned smaller and smaller as they flied higher in the sky. The castle and the land around it was indeed vast, and it made her question how she had even managed to run almost half the distance towards the gates. She had been desperate that day, and she had done what she thought was possible at that time to escape, but now she realised it was impossible.

She was scared yet fascinated and excited to see something that no one would have ever seen except for the King…

"Do all vampires have wings?" asked Madeline, her curiosity increasing about the night creatures and wanting to know more about them.

"No," he answered her, "You won't find night creatures having wings in here or anywhere around."

The next question that popped up in her mind was why? Was it because he was the King? Was that why he had wings?

Looking back down, she noticed that they were leaving behind the grounds of the castle and moving towards the forest which they previously had entered.

Calhoun's wings continued to flap, keeping them up in the air and when they finally reached down towards the forest ground, he was the first one to land, and then he let her down—seeing how Madeline took two steps away from him as a reflex and his eyes narrowed, picking up that movement. He took a step towards her, closing the gap.

Madeline felt his presence, and she gulped.

It wasn't that she was doing it intentionally, but every time she was this close to him, she didn't know why she felt the need to run away from him. Maybe it was because of the first time they had met. Calhoun had cornered her when she had got lost in the castle looking at the painting.

He took another step forward, and just when she was about to give some space, she saw Calhoun's eyes zero down at her. His face held an irritated look, "Stop trying to get away from me."

"Stop coming so close when there's more than enough space for you to stand!" blurted Madeline.

Calhoun stared at her, seeing how she looked like a frightened animal and he just wanted to eat her up.