The Crown's Obsession

Theodore's eyebrows subtly raised, and he asked, "Every one of them?"

Calhoun then turned to look at Madeline, "Was it men or women?"

Madeline could feel her pulse rising, seeing how Theodore looked at her wondering what was going on but didn't interfere in the short conversation, "Maids." Theodore didn't have to hear the word from Calhoun as he quickly bowed and took his leave from them.

It wasn't Madeline who had done anything wrong, but because of the slip from her lips, two maids were going to be punished. All she could do is follow Calhoun to the courtroom and wait for the maids who started to assemble in less than few minutes. The maids didn't know why they were being summoned and waited for the King to speak.

Once everyone was in the court, Calhoun said, "It has come to my notice that there has been someone who has been not following the orders which were given down a week ago. The negligency is not only rude but disrespectful towards the King. It would be wise to step forward, considering your conscious of what you have done."

The maids looked at each other, wondering who had done what, waiting for someone to step forward. More than a minute passed since the King had spoken and none of them appeared to step up, owning to what they did.

"It seems like no one has a good conscious," Calhoun chuckled like an internal joke he was having with him and Madeline could feel her palms turning sweaty. It was only the King who had a smile on his lips, while the rest of them had a look of dread knowing to be wary of the King's smile, "Lady Madeline, can you point out who it was, who dared to offend you," Calhoun said without looking at her.

His eyes were moved across the maids, when he caught the maid. He raised his hand forward to move his fingers in a come hither motion. Before Madeline could say anything, Calhoun had found the second person who had a look of fear and guilt on her face.

"Is there another lucky person we are waiting for?" asked Calhoun in a bright, enthusiastic voice. He finally turned towards Madeline to see her shake her head, "Wonderful," the King clapped his hands together, the sound moving across the wide room until the ends of the walls.

The two maids walked through the crowd of the other maids, making their way to the front with their head bowed as they trembled in fear. Madeline was not one of the maids, but she could feel her heart pounding in her chest as every second passed by.

"How shall we deal with you both?" asked Calhoun, standing in front of his throne while looking at the maids who were soaked in fear. The maids were too scared to utter a single word in front of the King.

"What did you say to the lady?" asked Calhoun, placing one step down and away from the throne. The maids gulped, "Don't be shy. You weren't before; you shouldn't be shy now," came his taunting words.

The King was playing with the maids, and everyone could see it, "Theodore," said Calhoun and the man as if on cue walked towards the walls where different shields and swords were placed on the wall. Theodore walked back towards the King with a sword before it was handed over to Calhoun.

When Calhoun raised the sword that was in his hand, the maid near him was quick to fall down on the ground. Pressing her forehead against the floor, "M-my King please forgive me! I-I did not mean any disrespect!" her voice wasn't loud as it quivered, "Milady please forgive us. We did not mean to offend you."

"You didn't mean it?" asked Calhoun, tilting his head with his eyes on the maid, "I wonder how that is possible."

The other maid who was standing as well got down on her knees, asking forgiveness while looking at Madeline. Calhoun said,

"If there's something I don't like, it is when someone finds it hard to follow the instructions which are already given. Did you turn deaf when the order was given out?" asked Calhoun, "Now that you have spoken. I am curious to know what was said."

The maid near him shook her head, "Forgive us, milord. This won't happen again."

"What did you tell the lady?" Calhoun repeated, the spark in his eyes dying down along with the smile as his voice hardened.

He tapped the end of the sword on the floor that clanked, and the maid said, "The h-human we thought y-you were b-bedding-" Calhoun lost his patience with the maid's slowness, and he twirled the sword to bring it up. In one movement, the sharp metal sliced through the maid's neck to separate her head from her body. Blood gushed out, and the maids who were present in the court didn't dare to gasp in front of the King.

Before the other maid could try to plead for her life, Calhoun had taken two more steps forward to swing the sword again for another head to roll. Madeline turned her head away. Her face paled along with her hands to turn cold. Her head felt dizzy, and before she knew it, she fell unconscious.

When Madeline's consciousness returned, she was lying on the bed. When she moved, she heard the voice in the room,

"How are you doing?" It was Calhoun.

Madeline turned her head away from the direction where she had heard his voice come from. How could he think she would be okay, after seeing two people get beheaded because of her? Asked Madeline in her mind.

"You said you would talk to them," she whispered.

"I did," he agreed, "I missed telling the part of beheading them." Of course, thought Madeline to herself.

When she tried to sit up on the bed, pushing herself, she found Calhoun pulling up the pillow to place it behind her back. He had a glass of juice in his hand that looked like it was from squeezed oranges, "Drink it," he said, and Madeline took it in her hand—raising it to her lips to take sips from it before bringing it down.

"If I didn't kill them, it would have set a bad example." Calhoun noticed her wary and quiet expression towards him, and he sighed. One hand of his fingers running through his hair. Getting up, he said, "Let me take you to the place where we were going earlier."

"To the cage?" she asked, to notice him roll his eyes.

"If that is what you think, then yes. Come," he said, offering his hand for her to take. Madeline's eyes moved to his hand, seeing how it was those same one that had been used to kill the maids, which was now outstretched out for her to take.

It would be a lie, to tell she was not scared of him at the moment, but at the same time, she couldn't refuse his demand as she noticed how the black wings behind his back appeared.

"What is it going to be?" he asked her, knowing just well how her curiosity piqued at the sight of his wings.