The Crown's Obsession

Music Recommendation: Time Bubble by Tim Wynn

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Madeline stared at the space where the creature had been standing in front of them a second ago. Both her mouth and throat had gone dry, and she doubted she had really seen it pointing its finger at Calhoun, whether she had really seen it.

"W-what does that mean?" her voice trembled.

Calhoun, who stood in front of her, didn't react. His face was blank. His expression unchanging on his face continued to prevail until he finally said, "It's nothing."

Madeline shook her head in disagreement, "You heard what Raphael told about the three Salavette Mortem's. The greeter, the place maker, and then the soul taker." She took a step back, and her lips continued to tremble in uneasiness. Was Calhoun really going to die? The fear had always plagued in the back of her mind, and now as they both got the confirmation, she doubted there was a need to question it anymore. Would she be the one to kill him?

"It's only the greeter, Madeline," Calhoun assured her. Turning around completely to face her, he said, "It was just the first one."

"Which means it has begun. The greeter of death has arrived," Madeline looked at Calhoun with her eyebrows furrowed, staring at him anxiously. "I might be the reason for your death."

"And I told you I was going to be okay, if it is you who is going to kill me," Calhoun was not unknowledgeable to not know that Madeline understood things perfectly well. The worry she had in her mind had increased, and he didn't want that for her. If death was coming for him, there was no stopping it because everything followed one after another until the very end.

"But I am not okay with it," she shook her head. If she was going to be the reason for his death, Madeline doubted she would ever be able to forgive herself for it. Though she was learning to control her abilities, what if she couldn't do it all the time? What if something like what she did to Nicola happened again?

Calhoun took a step forward towards her, closing the distance between them and he placed both his hands on her cheeks. "I know what you are thinking, but you need to believe that you won't do that to me. I have faith in you. I doubt you will ever do anything wrong."

Madeline closed her eyes. Trying to contain her overwhelming emotions after the creature's visit to Calhoun. The reason why she was partly worried was not just about her going dark angelic on him, but because she remembered when she had lost control by harming the head maid for her sins. And when it came to Calhoun... Madeline opened her eyes to look back into his red eyes. He had committed too many sins, and she wondered if the other part of her would look over his actions because of the love she had for him.

"Okay," she whispered. She would try her best not to hurt Calhoun. "If something does happen, I will ask Pashcar for his help." Calhoun tilted his head with a questionable look in his eyes, "To bring you back to the living."

Calhoun's eyes softened, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Only you would think something like that. Bringing the dead back alive is not easy, dear, but let's keep that for another time because we are still alive and breathing, standing next to each other." He leaned forward while bringing her closer so that he could press his lips gently on her forehead. "Everything will be fine. You will see."

Madeline hoped it would be fine.

Having stayed up for most part of the night, Madeline sat next to Calhoun on a bench, outside Beth's room while keeping an eye at the corridor before her eyes slowly started to drift to sleep. Her head rested on Calhoun's shoulder, and her lips were slightly parted, where air passed in and out softly through it.

Raphael stepped out of Beth's room, leaving it open and he noticed Calhoun who was with Madeline. "You should go take her back to your room," suggested the card reader as the Queen had fallen fast asleep.

Calhoun moved his head to his left to see Madeline, and he replied, "I doubt she would be able to fall asleep as peacefully in there as here, waiting in front of her sister's room. She's too kind."

"She is," agreed Raphael, their words were low enough to not wake up the sleeping dark angel. "Elizabeth is lucky to have her as her elder sister. Not everyone is as forgiving as much as she does. I found out about a few things that she did to Lady Madeline, and they aren't pleasant."

Calhoun raised his eyebrow at this, waiting for Raphael to explain and the card reader continued, "I went through her past memories and found out some disturbing things. I was curious why Elizabeth felt guilty towards Lady Madeline when you didn't even take in the poison. So I took a peek."

What Raphael did was rude, looking at a person's memories without the person's permission, but Raphael was neither a human or an angel. He was a pure demon, who often went looking through other's memories to know more about them, and to exploit it when the time came.

"Tell me more about it," came Calhoun's curious voice as to know what Raphael had found out.

"You promise not to hurt the girl?" Raphael wasn't in love with Elizabeth, but she was mixed with good and evil, and he had grown a soft spot for her in his dead heart.

Raphael's words only made Calhoun's eyes narrow in wonderment as to what worse Beth could have done to his woman. "I will try not to." He would not keep promises that he didn't intend to keep, and his actions would depend on what he would hear now. Not to forget, Elizabeth was already being punished by getting bit by the werewolf. "Speak, Raphael," ordered Calhoun, and the card reader sighed.

He left the entrance of the room from where he had been standing until now, to walk towards Calhoun before bending down to sit on his heels. He then raised his hand, "Place your hand on mine. It would be best to keep our voices low for the lady's sake."

When Calhoun placed his hand on the card reader's hand, he noticed how the things around him started to diffuse, including Raphael and Madeline, who was sitting right next to him. It was like a drop of black ink being dissolved in water, and the surrounding changed instantly.

He wasn't sitting on the bench with Madeline anymore. He stood in the middle of the village which he identified to be the village that Madeline's grandparents used to live in. Hearing the tower bell ring loudly, echoing through the place, he saw the villagers start to disperse from the streets, and the sky was turning from blue and pink, to orange and purple.

"Do you think grandma will be angry if we get back late?" he heard Madeline's voice.

Calhoun caught sight of Madeline and Beth walking past him. They were probably two years younger than now.