The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-196

Calhoun moved so fast that Madeline didn't have the time to grasp what happened until she saw him holding an arrow in front of him. The sharp edge of the metal was directed towards them, and her eyes fell on Calhoun whose features turned red with anger. Bringing the arrow close to him, he ran his fingers over the metal which burned the skin on his fingers.

Madeline turned instantly worried, "Y-your hand!" he was getting hurt, and she heard the sizzling sound of the heat. She saw him break the arrow into two pieces before throwing them on the ground.

He stared in the direction from where the arrow had come towards them or her.

If Calhoun had not been quick enough, the arrow would have hit her for sure, "Are you alright?" he asked her, his eyes moving across her face and her body.

Madeline nodded her head, her eyes falling back to look at his fingers that looked still raw and red. From where did the arrow even come from? Asked Madeline to herself. Her eyes shifted to look in the direction again. The only people in the group that had arrows were Lady Sophie, Lady Lucy and Theodore, who had gone to accompany the ladies.

"Let's get back on the horse," Calhoun proposed to her, his hand catching hold of hers while his eyes moved left and right, looking for even the slighted movement that was taking place in the forest. He should have known, bringing her out in the open was not safe.

"But your hand," said Madeline because she had seen the skin burn and the vapours coming off it. She stopped him from walking further, and Calhoun looked more than annoyed right now.

"I won't die with the little burn on my hand," he stated.

Madeline didn't know how the vampire's body worked. Unaware of his ability to heal himself in a matter of a minute or two, she pulled out the handkerchief she had brought along with her. Calhoun watched her, taking his hand to tie it with the handkerchief. When she was finally done, she let his hand go.

Walking back to the horse, Calhoun helped her to sit before he got on the horse himself.

Calhoun took hold of the reins of the horse, and with one kick of the heel, the stallion started to gallop. It didn't look like they were going back to the castle as the horse started to move further into the forest. He didn't stop when they came to pass by Samuel and Lady Rosamund.

Seeing the speed, they were moving in, Lady Rosamund pulled the reins of the horse to have it follow the King. Once they reached where Lady Sophie and the others were, Calhoun jumped down from the horse to walk to where they were.

Before Madeline could get down from the horse, Calhoun had already made his way towards Sophie and Lucy who had dismounted from the horses, holding the bows and arrows in their hands. Madeline turned herself to the side, getting down on the ground. Lady Rosamund and Samuel had reached there too.

"I think I saw the stag run over there," said Sophie to Theodore and Lucy, with her back turned in the direction where Calhoun was walking. By the time she noticed Calhoun, her smile ready to greet him, Calhoun's hand made its way to her throat.

Everyone looked alarmed, "My King!" Lady Rosamund exclaimed out in alarm, running quickly to the place where Calhoun had pushed Sophie against the tree.

"B-brother C-Calhoun," Sophie stuttered.

"What's going on?! What happened?!" questioned Lady Rosamund, "Whatever it is, let us talk about it calmly."

Even Madeline walked forward, her heartbeat increased by Calhoun's anger that broke right through him, that was now directed at Sophie. The young vampiress struggled to get her neck free, but Calhoun held her in such a way where his nails dug into her neck.

"Were you the one who shot the arrow now?" Calhoun's hand pushed the girl into the tree. Dry leaves that were loosely hanging on the branches of the trees shook themselves to fall from the top on the ground.

"I-I, we were only hunting the s-stag," Sophie struggled to speak because Calhoun's hand on her neck was not gentle but tight.

"Brother Calhoun, I don't think that Sophie mea-" Lucy had stepped in, trying to defend but one glare from Calhoun had resulted in stopping her from speaking any more than she already had.

Calhoun stepped closer, "If I wasn't with her, you would have turned dead today. I don't care if it was by mistake, but I would rather have you to stay aware of where the Queen walks and is present. Do you understand that?" his voice dropped low to a threat, "I will rip every single part of your body. Limb to limb," and he pushed the girl away from his sight.

Lady Rosamund quickly went near her daughter. The older vampiress took a look at her daughter's neck that was now marked with imprints of nail marks, "Milord, Sophie would never try to harm her. They were standing at this distance; it was a mistake," Lady Rosamund tried to fix the mistake that might or might not have been caused by her daughter.

Calhoun turned around, his eyes sharply looking at Lady Rosamund, "I don't fucking care if it was done by mistake. I don't think you would call it a mistake if I tried to snap her head off right now," the smile that was usually present had now turned to a scowl, his eyes seething in anger, "She is lucky that nothing happened to Madeline. Count your stars to be lucky enough that you are alive," he said, his words directed to Sophie.

Lady Sophie looked shaken as she had only been aiming around to hunt the stag, which she thought she had noticed.

"I apologise, my King," Lady Rosamund bowed her head, and Sophie was pushed to the side for her mother to catch her, "Please forgive Sophie this time. She would never cause any harm to you or to the future queen."

Calhoun didn't bother to wait and instead said, "The hunting session has been dismissed. Madeline and I will be heading back to the castle," and he started to walk away from them.

Madeline didn't stay long there.

Before leaving she passed a look at Sophie, who appeared to be in shock. By Sophie's movements and behaviour, Madeline doubted it was her who had drawn the arrow to shoot it at her. Her eyes met Lady Lucy's, who looked troubled just like her. Bowing and turning around, she made her way to where Calhoun was, who had got on the horse. With one pull, Madeline sat in front of Calhoun on the stallion.

On their way back to the castle, the horse didn't stop for once but continued to gallop on the ground, it's hooves making sound and the wind breezing against them. Even though Madeline had done nothing, she could feel Calhoun's anger that was steaming behind her. Reaching the castle, the horse was given to the servant to take it back to the horse shed while they made their way up the stairs of the castle.

Madeline who was following Calhoun saw him take long strides, making his way towards his room and her footsteps stopped.

He was angry that something could have happened to her. Madeline clenched her hands together on her sides. She stayed outside without going to her room for some time before her feet continued to walk. Standing in front of the door where two servants stood on either side of the door, one of them pushed it open for her to step in.

This wasn't her room but the King's. People didn't often get to step in here, but with the word out about her marriage to him that was going to take place in a few days, the servants in the castle were quick to learn on how to treat her right.

Madeline took a step into his room and then another. The room was dark because of the curtain that had been pulled over the windows. But with the movements of the curtains, it looked like the windows were left open. The door behind her closed and Madeline turned to look at the closed room.

The next time she turned around, Calhoun stood right in front of her.

Calhoun said, "The one time when I give you time for yourself, you come to me."