The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Calhoun picked up the teacup in his hand, and he leaned back, placing one leg of his over the other. Bringing the teacup to his lips, he took a long sip before humming in approval.

"How does it feel, grandmother? To be drinking tea that is made by your dearest grandson?"

Morganna had called Calhoun to interrogate him, but instead, the boy continued to get on her nerves. Pursing her lips, she said,

"This is never going to end, you know that, right? This cat and mouse game where we both are trying to make the other fall."

Calhoun took another sip from his cup until the teacup was empty, and he placed it back on the table with a clink. "You are right, but then you are wrong at the same time. To think we are equal, when you clearly know who has the upperhand," the corner of his lips pulled up.

"My son is blinded with the need to hold on to the throne like a child, and I don't care who holds the throne-"

"Until the power and control stays in your hands, you don't care no matter what thoughtless person comes to take the place of the King," Calhoun completed her words.

"You do know if I wish, I can have you dead in less than an hour," came the low warning from Morganna.

"Yet, we are sitting in this room and having tea," replied Calhoun. "I know you have been trying to instigate the King against me, but the question is until when? Do you really think you will win this fight that is going on between us?"

Morganna laughed at Calhoun's words. "A childish fight, that you think you are wiser than a person who is older and far more experienced than you."

Calhoun tilted his head, "What if I said I slipped something in the teacup. Do you think you will escape from death?"

Morganna clicked her tongue, "You think you will stay in this castle unscathed when everyone knows you are here with me, having tea. What a short lived victory that would be. Killing the Queen is one of the highest forms of treason and even Laurence will not believe a word that comes from your mouth."

He nodded his head, the smile not leaving his lips, "I don't think you have been carefully listening to what I have been speaking, grandmother." Morganna's eyes narrowed as she stared at Calhoun and saw him cough. He brought his hand to his mouth, and when he coughed, he spat blood. "Who spoke about poisoning you?"

The Queen had been looking at Calhoun's hands and the teacup that he had offered her closely so that he wouldn't slip in something that would be harmful for a vampire-like her, but she wouldn't have thought he would inflict harm upon own self. This bastard!

"Maybe it is better if you die here," whispered Morganna, but Calhoun had no plans to stay quiet.

He got up from where he was sitting, and he picked up the glass top of the small table to throw it down on the floor. It shattered into pieces, and Calhoun fell on top of it as he coughed more blood and yelled,

"Help me!"

Morganna turned alarmed, and before the suspicion would fall on her, she shouted, "Guards!"

Calhoun continued to cough more blood as the floor around him started to splatter with his blood, and he fell unconscious. He was immediately taken to his room, and a physician was called upon to check on what happened to him. King Laurence, who was in the court hearing about Calhoun, left the discussion in the court midway and went straight to see what happened to his heir.

"What happened to him?!" demanded King Laurence from the few people, who had gathered themselves in and outside the room.

"King Laurence," the physician bowed his head, "It seems like someone tried to poison the prince."

"Poison?! Who dares to poison my son!" King's Laurence's question thundered in the room in anger. As Theodore was the one who was usually around Calhoun, King Laurence's eyes snapped at him. "What happened to Calhoun?"

Theodore bowed his head, "My King, I am not sure what exactly happened. Master Calhoun was with Queen Morganna when this happened."

Everyone's eyes fell on Morganna, and the King's eyes narrowed. Morganna knew that if she said Calhoun had poisoned himself, it would only make things look bad for her. She shook her head in disappointment.

"I wish I knew who did this to my dear grandson, but I don't know. One moment we were having tea and the next moment, he started to cough blood," explained Morganna. She added, "Someone must have tried to poison him when he had his breakfast or lunch."

Theodore chimed in to say, "Forgive me for interrupting, but Master Calhoun didn't eat anything during breakfast or for lunch. He seemed to be busy working on the files today before he was called."

"Called?" King Laurence raised his eyebrow in question.

"...to have tea with the Queen," Theodore had his head bent down, and Morganna's temper only rose.

"Are you trying to insinuate that I was the one who tried to poison him?!" demanded Morganna.

King Laurence looked conflicted with the news, and he turned to the physician, "How long will it take for him to recover?"

"He might need at least a day's rest, my King, and a lot of blood to compensate for the loss of blood from his body," informed the physician. Before the man could leave, he said, "If the King can allow me to have some words with him in private."

King Laurence dismissed everyone from the room, including the servants, his mother and the guards. "What is it?"

"I wanted to let you know that the poison he consumed today was something that affects the body quickly, within a matter of a few minutes," informed the physician in a hush whisper, and King Laurence's eyes considerably narrowed. King Laurence stepped out of the room with a grave expression on his face, and he then looked at his mother.