The Crown's Obsession

Sophie tried to save her face when she had just asked a simple question, "What did I do?"

"Don't mind her, Lady Sophie. Lucy didn't sleep enough," Samuel patted the vampiress back.

Near the hall, the tailorman named Barnby paced back and forth while waiting for the King. When he saw the King, and the future Queen who was walking beside him, Barnby gave a deep bow. But because of his age, the back muscle caught,

"My King and Queen!" It took a while for him to stand back up straight again.

Madeline noticed it was the same tailorman who Calhoun had called to the castle before to show the wedding gowns. "What brings you here, Barnby?" she heard Calhoun ask the short man.

Barnby held both his hands together. The tailorman looked like he wanted to smile, but he was trying to keep it down.

"My King, I just came by visiting the village of East Carswell and heard this big news," said Barnby, "I don't think the wedding gown will be completed because of what I heard."

Calhoun's eyes narrowed at the man's words, "And what did you hear?"

"It seems they found a body buried behind Heathcliff's house. Someone found a hand sticking up in the ground this morning. They said Heathcliff killed the girl who was identified to be one of the dutchess' daughter," informed Barnby.

Madeline who heard this information frowned. Did they find a body in James' backyard?

Calhoun was surprised by this news, "Are you sure about this news?" he questioned Barnby, who nodded his head vigorously.

"Yes, my lord. The body was found in the backyard where the vegetables are being grown. I thought I should come here and let you know quickly," Barnby wanted to make sure to get the deal of making the Queen's gown. When he had heard Heathcliff involved in the murder, he was overjoyed hearing it.

Madeline doubted James could kill someone. Though they had never spent time together, she knew James was a good man who would never hurt someone. After hearing Barnby speak, she turned to look at Calhoun who looked back at her.

"It seems like our tailorman is going to delay in delivering the wedding gown," said Calhoun to her.

"He wouldn't do something like that," Madeline knew Calhoun didn't like James, and he wouldn't like her taking a stand for another man.

Calhoun's eyes brightened by Madeline's words, "We don't know that now, darling. We will have to go and take a look and speak to the magistrate. Also, speak to the Barnes family to see if they know anything about it."

Madeline looked at Calhoun, who looked amused by the news. But she didn't know that Calhoun was amused for another reason and not because James was labelled as the murderer.

Calhoun knew James would not have done it. Less, bury the body in the backyard. He was amused because whoever killed the dutchess' daughter and buried the body, wasn't aware that James was not anywhere near his house yesterday but that he was in the dungeon. The murderer had done a sloppy job. His lips twisted.

Barnby was too excited and unable to stand still, he cleared his throat, "M-My King," he began to only be cut off.

"Thank you for informing me, Barnby. We can now help the tailorman in clearing his name quickly as we wouldn't want a delay in the making of the wedding gown," Calhoun offered Barnby a broad smile, "Now if you will, you can leave. We have other things to do."

Calhoun placed his hand on Madeline's back and led her back. It was an opportune time to show Madeline that he was willing to look into James matter and clear the tailorman's name in the murder. But the problem was that James was in his dungeon, who was probably growling and not ready to speak to anyone.

He was very much interested in finding out who was framing James and he decided to take a look into it. Calhoun could feel Madeline looking at him.

"Will you take a look into the matter?" came her small yet careful voice.

Calhoun halted his footsteps and looked into her brown eyes, "Yes, I will be going to the village. What has been occupying your mind?" he asked, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers.

"I had a bad dream," she answered.

His eyes curiously looking at her. "Tell me about it," Calhoun responded to her.

"Once you return back?" asked Madeline.

It wasn't like she could share what she saw with her parents as it seemed like they were the ones hiding about it. The only person she could share was Calhoun, who was aware of her troubles when it came to her fingers and the glasses. At the same time, Madeline wanted James not to bear the weight of the name as a murderer. She believed he was innocent.

Calhoun's eyes narrowed, but he decided it could wait, "Alright," he smiled. What he needed was Madeline to trust him completely.

Away from the castle and at the dungeon, Rosamund pulled out the key she carried every time she entered the castle. A key which she had stolen from her father's room, something no one was aware of.

"Lady Sophie lost her ring somewhere here last night, I need you to look for it," said the vampiress, her eyebrows had moved up, and she appeared to be in no mood to talk. "It must be somewhere between here and the castle. I don't even know what she was doing here in the middle of the night. What are you waiting for? Go on!"

The guards were quick to go from there to find the ring. Once they were away, Lady Rosamund, saw her son walking towards the closed gates and she pulled out the key to open the lock quickly and let her son out.

Markus looked ashamed when his mother glared at him for being stuck in the dungeon for the whole night.

The vampiress caught hold of her son's hand and pulled him away from the dungeon,

"Tell me you have found something worthwhile in there, Markus, and you didn't go there to sleep," came Lady Rosamund's sharp voice.

"I have good news, mother. Calhoun has locked the man who younger Miss Harris used to like. But that isn't all," Markus spoke in promising words. Lady Rosamund's eyes narrowed, "Last night, I thought it was only a feral animal that was tied in one of the dungeon's, but I realised Calhoun has placed the tailorman along with the animal in there to torture him."

"Are you sure it was him? I thought he was going to marry that Barnes' girl," Lady Rosamund asked her son.

"I made sure to look at him. His clothes are tattered. Seems like he was beaten," Markus informed his mother, hoping this news would be worthwhile to her.

Lady Rosamund took two steps away from him, thinking about the situation and then she said,

"Put in a word about it to the girl. I am sure she would love to meet him here, and also this will damage the budding relationship between her and Calhoun. Even if things don't work out now, it is going to be helpful in the future to separate them," said Lady Rosamund turning to look at her son, "And next time, inform me about things before you do anything unless you want your head floating in the river."

"Yes, mother," Markus bowed his head.

"And take a shower. You reek of the dungeon," commented Lady Rosamund before they made their way inside the castle.

When Markus had been locked, he had tried to take a better look around the cells that were open as he didn't know how long he would be stuck. He had hoped his sister would return, but with the gates locked, there was no way he would be able to get out.

In that time, he had found many locked rooms. And while walking around with his hands in his pockets, Markus didn't realise that when he had pulled his handkerchief from his pocket, a letter slipped out of his pocket to fall on the ground without his notice.

It was a letter that was written by the maid who once used to work in the castle until Calhoun had killed her, for spreading the rumour about Madeline.