The Crown's Obsession (WN)

The vampiress slightly turned her head up to look at the roof of the castle. "My mother was one of the Duke's daughter, who was from Dunkril Grounds. He didn't take her to be his wife as he was already married, but it didn't stop him from keeping my mother as his mistress. Because of this, I got a position in the court."

That meant that it was because Lady Constance had no actual background, which was why the King or his family had not bothered to give the woman a house or support, and had instead thrown her out of the castle after using her.

"I wasn't there when it happened. When the King's mother was discarded out of the castle, to never live in the castle again, nor allowed to see the King as he was going to get married to his new wife. I didn't like her, not one bit. I sometimes hope that my brother had changed his mind back then." Lady Monique paused again as if she was recollecting old memories. "But back then things were different. It would be good to say that my father's wife controlled the castle and the land."

"I could tell," commented Madeline.

Monique nodded her head, "Even though most of us know the truth about what happens in the castle, we have closed our lips from speaking about it. A lot of things often look like some of us don't know, but we do. I don't know what happened to Constance, but I am aware they weren't any good things. Calhoun has never uttered a single word about it, and I don't expect him to speak either. Rumours often come to fall on the ears."

"Do you know how Lady Constance' relationship was with everyone when she was living in the castle?" asked Madeline.

"I believe it was good until my half-brother was happy with her. Maybe not entirely because you know how people are. Some were sure that she would turn to the Queen, but my father's wife and half-sister had different plans. Constance had no background. The first time I met her, I thought it was rather strange that she had no family nor did we know where she came from. They had sent people to find more about her, but there was nothing. It was completely clean."

Monique continued to say, "Constance was a beautiful person. A little too naive to the people in the castle, as she believed them. You would have loved her. She was very kind and happy when I first saw her." There was a faint smile that appeared on the vampiress' face which disappeared. "We all wish for things to be different, but then things wouldn't be the way it is now if it didn't happen."

Madeline couldn't agree more to the vampiress' words. As unfortunate as things had turned out to be, the present was the outcome of the past. Probably there wouldn't be Lucy, and she and Calhoun would have never met. Maybe she would have started a life with James, but she wondered how that would go.

"I am glad that you have been quietly supporting Calhoun through his time in the castle when he had entered this place," said Madeline, offering Monique a gentle smile.

"And I am glad that you are married to him," acknowledged the vampiress, "I have ordered my men to go and find the cure if one exists."

Madeline had a question on her mind, and considering how Monique knew Constance, she decided to ask, "Was the previous's Queen mother generous? Your father's wife when it came to giving gifts?"

Monique raised her eyebrows, "I wouldn't call her to be generous. The woman did things for her selfish reasons. But why do you ask?"

"I was curious," said Madeline, "Calhoun had mentioned about a chain that was given to his mother which she preserved until her very end."

The vampiress gave a deep thought and then as if in realization, said, "It was given by Rose."

"Rose?" asked Madeline.

"Rosamund. I remember her mentioning how generous she was when it came to giving Constance the gift. Calhoun's mother was wearing it when I met her," explained Monique.

Was Rosamund Wilmot the one to give the cursed chain? Asked Madeline, "Was it a family heirloom?"

The older woman shook her head, "It wasn't. Rosamund said she had bought it, especially for Constance. But what I don't understand is, how Rosamund never came to contact or look out for Constance after the human was thrown out. One word from the King, and everything changed."

Before Madeline could say anything to the vampiress, she felt a familiar pain erupt in her body. She caught hold of the railings of the patio, but that only ended up combusting under her hand's pressure and leave dust behind. Monique's eyes widened.

"Are you alright?" asked Monique worried.

Madeline closed her eyes in pain, and her hands turned to fists, refusing to touch anything or to be touched, "Please excuse me!" she spoke in a hurried tone to Monique, leaving Beth's room to make her way to her room. Doubting she would be able to make it to her room, she entered the closest empty room and closed the door shut. Simultaneously, the pain on her back turned intense, and she had tears in her eyes.

Her knees gave out, and she fell on the ground. Her palms pressed against the floor, her nails tried to dig into the marble floor.

"AH!" she cried, biting her lips.

"Maddie!" Calhoun had arrived, and he saw Madeline sitting on the floor. He rushed to her side to see her back staining with blood again. His jaw ticked, and his hands quickly tore the back of her dress to see the wound appear again on her back.

"Come here, sweet," he spoke to her in the gentlest voice possible, pulling her aching body in his arms to feel her hands dig into his back. It was the most comfort he could offer her as this was something she would have to live through right now.

Blood dripped down from her back and he then caught sight of something surfacing from her back. Using his hand, he touched the lone feather that was covered in blood.

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