The Crown's Obsession

40 Jittering nerves

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Madeline looked at the exits in the garden, her eyes taking in the surrounding of the castle where they had covered only a quarter of it. The castle was built on a vast ground that stretched far enough where even her eyes could not reach. She remembered the time when she had used the carriage to travel from the castle to the outer gates that must have taken at least a decent five to ten minutes.

She wondered if it was possible to run away from this golden cage the King had placed her in. Even if she made her way towards the gates, she had no transport to go back home as after the gates came the forest. Madeline had to weigh her options carefully. And the King would find her, wouldn't he? All he would have to do was send his men to her home to fetch her back, yet, she wanted to get away from him.

"You look very enchanted by the trees, Lady Madeline," commented Sophie, who was walking slowly next to her, "Are you the only daughter to your parents?" asked the vampiress.

"I have an elder sister. Elizabeth," replied Madeline.

"Must be nice to have a sister, isn't it? I always wanted a sister when I was a young girl, but I think I am content with just a brother. It would be hard to fight for affection when there are two flowers in the same stem," Sophie's words reminded Madeline of her current relationship with Beth on how it had turned sour in a few minutes after Calhoun had picked her and not Beth to stay in the castle.

She wondered if Beth's anger had cooled down by now.

"Who is she married to?" asked Sophie as Madeline had mentioned Beth being elder to her.

"She is yet to be engaged and married-"

"Oh, how unfortunate," Sophie could only wonder that this sister was not pretty enough to be picked by Calhoun to have her as a guest in the castle, "She must be feeling terrible that the King didn't pick her," and the girl smiled at the end on seeing how Madeline's expression turned quiet.

"Mr. Danvers is courting her right now, and they have spoken to each other," answered Madeline, trying to hold her ground with this girl who only appeared to look sweet but in truth, she liked to rub salt over people's wounds. And it wasn't a lie that Mr. Danvers was whom Beth was genuinely interested in, before Calhoun's invitation arrived at their home that changed her elder sister's mind.

"Mr. Danvers?" Lady Sophie happened to raise her brows in question, "Isn't he the man who works for one of the Lord's?"

"Yes, he's the one," Madeline confirmed, offering the girl a smile, "He is very taken by my sister."

"Hmm," came the uninterested response of the vampiress as she couldn't poke anymore.

"What about yourself, Lady Sophie? Do you have children?" Madeline's question caught Sophie off guard.

Lady Sophie's eyes narrowed in question, "What?"

Sophie wanted to retaliate at Madeline for indicating she was old and had children when she still not engaged, "I don't have children," she corrected the human who gave her an apologetic look.

She looked naive, and Sophie didn't know if the girl had deliberately tried to provoke her, "I am yet to be married not because there haven't been any suitors. I have had plenty of men who have stood outside my home to talk and have a glimpse of me." She threw the air of confidence and how high she was when it came to status and looks, "I am not going to marry anyone who is not suitable."

"Of course," Madeline smiled, "You will find a good man of your calibre. Maybe if you asked the King, he would find you the best groom in the entire land."

It seemed that this girl was smarter than what she had weighed in the dining room, thought Sophie to herself.

"You are right," said Lady Sophie, "Brother Calhoun dotes on me which is why he forgives my mistakes compared to my mother," smiled the girl.

They spent some more minutes outside in the garden before heading back inside the castle. Madeline noticed how the maids and other servants bowed in the presence of Sophie who walked with her head held high as if she owned this place.

When they reached the court, Sophie was the first one to enter and make her way towards Calhoun who had just dismissed a man after talking to him. Madeline's footsteps were slower compared to Sophie who was eager to talk to the King while she fell behind. She could feel several people's eyes in the court on her. But when her eyes moved around the room, the people in here had their head bowed and they left the room as if not wanting to be the next one to be beheaded in the courtroom by the King.

Her eyes then met Calhoun's eyes that had been looking at her since she had entered the room.

"Brother Calhoun, are the wolves tied in the den?" asked Sophie who tried to get Calhoun's attention on her, but Calhoun's eyes didn't move away from Madeline. She had been dolled with his own taste of clothes and jewels that he had handpicked for her.

"How was your tour in the castle?" Calhoun asked Madeline, ignoring the question which was asked by the vampiress who felt slightly embarrassed as her words were brushed away.

"It was good," Madeline murmured, trying to keep her words polite. Both of them stared at each other, one who kept a passive expression and the other who smiled.

Every time he smiled, her nerves felt as if they were going to break down because of how stressful she felt around him.

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