The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-236

Music Recommendation: In the dust of our days by Lambert

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While Calhoun introduced himself to her grandparents, Madeline held her breath as she stared at her grandparents, who glared at Calhoun but not too obviously. Madeline, who knew about her grandparent's distaste towards vampires, wished she could cushion about him being a vampire so that it wouldn't be as impactful as Calhoun had dropped the information to them.

"Excuse me?" her grandmother asked Calhoun as if she didn't hear what the vampire said.

Everyone knew the older woman heard it loud and clear, but she was still asking out of shock. Calhoun took note of why Madeline's parents had been sharing looks when he mentioned going to visit Mr. Harris' parent's. It was because the older folks didn't like night creatures.

Calhoun said, "Madeline and I are getting married in less than three weeks. We are here to take your blessings and also invite you," his words were polite and charming, his eyes looking at her grandparents whose eyes only narrowed at his words.

"Do your parents know about it?" asked Madeline's grandfather to Madeline, and she nodded her head.

"Yes, grandpa. They are in the castle right now," she answered.

"Castle?" her grandmother raised her eyebrows in question. It had only been five minutes since Madeline had knocked on the door, but her grandparents had not invited them in because of the night creature who had accompanied her here to the house.

Madeline licked her lips, and replied to her grandmother's curious gaze, "This is Calhoun Hawthrone. The King of Devon," she introduced him properly. Her grandparents didn't look one bit pleased. Somewhere, Madeline noticed how her grandfather's eyes narrowed before the intense gaze reduced.

Both her grandparents bowed their head, "Please come in," her grandfather invited them into the house.

Calhoun smiled, looking at Madeline's grandparents who didn't want to let him in, but they invited him anyway out of politeness. He was the King, and it was rude to refuse and be rude to him. It would cost one's head to go against him. Madeline, on the other hand, had noticed the sudden change in her grandfather's demeanour which she didn't question. Stepping inside the house after her grandfather and Calhoun, she stepped in with her grandmother.

Her grandmother said,

"Isn't it too early to be getting married? We didn't hear a word about it," her grandmother placed her hand on Madeline's back before letting it go, to close the door.

"It was decided a few weeks ago," Calhoun interjected even though the question was directed towards Madeline.

Madeline's grandmother was not impressed with the fact that the blood-sucking creature was answering her question, "Still a few weeks is a little early, isn't it?" asked the woman, "I am hoping it is a marriage that both of you have agreed upon?"

Unlike her parents, Madeline's grandparents were sharp and calculative with their words. Her grandmother was doubting if Madeline was being forced into marriage, "Isn't that how marriage takes place?" Calhoun questioned back, "Madeline is a beautiful and kind girl. I don't see the point of why we need to wait when we want to spend our lives together."

Madeline didn't comment on this. The beginning part of it was not the true story, but Madeline loved her grandparents, and she didn't want them sleeping in their graves anytime soon because of Calhoun.

Stepping inside the living room, chairs were pulled to sit. Madeline looked towards Calhoun, who looked back at her with a grin on his face. Madeline knew Calhoun was not someone, not to notice the hostile attitude that came from her grandparents.

"Is there something you would like to drink? Wat-" her grandmother began only to be interrupted by Calhoun's choice.

"Blood."

They had stepped inside the house barely for two minutes, and Calhoun was already pushing their buttons. Her grandfather's eyes hardened and narrowed. Before another word could be spoken, Madeline said, "Water is fine, grandma. Let me come and help you with it," she offered, getting up from her chair and accompanying her grandmother to the kitchen.

Calhoun's eyes moved around in the living room, observing the things that were neatly placed before his eyes fell on Madeline's grandfather, who was in front of him. When Calhoun had mentioned about going to meet Madeline's paternal grandparents, it wasn't because he wanted to receive their blessings. He would look after Madeline fine without anyone's blessings. If it weren't for her father last night, who looked as if he was evading Madeline's childhood by trying to steer the conversation, Calhoun would not have bothered to come here.

"How did you arrive here?" asked the old man, "I did not see your carriage, milord."

"We used the local carriage," replied Calhoun, which was a blatant lie. Calhoun saw how the older man had a look of suspicion. For an old couple who were the grandparents of Madeline, they sure had their guard up, thought Calhoun to himself, "Did you not receive the invitation yet?" he asked the old man.

"No. My son must have sent it out late," answered Madeline's grandfather.

Calhoun nodded his head, "How strange. I thought the invitations were sent out four weeks ago. But no worries. It is good that Madeline and I decided to visit you and her grandmother."

Madeline's grandfather stared at the vampire who was sitting under his roof. Since the time he had built this house, not once he had a vampire in here, and this was the first time. How did his son and his daughter-in-law decide to give away his granddaughter to a vampire? the man questioned in his mind. King's usually took away things by force. Therefore he doubted the current case was anything far from it.

"We are hoping you can attend our wedding," Calhoun said, staring at Madeline's grandfather.

"How could we miss our granddaughter's wedding. Though I must say I am surprised that she's marrying a vampire," said Senior Mr. Harris.

"Is that a problem?" Calhoun cocked his head in question.

Senior Mr. Harris smiled at Calhoun's question, "Will you drop the idea of getting married to her if I were to say it is a problem?" Calhoun chuckled. For an older man, he sure had an early death wish, thought Calhoun to himself.

"What do you think, Mr. Harris? Your granddaughter is too lovely to not marry her. The wedding will be taking place in the chapel of the castle."

Senior Mr. Harris narrowed his eyes again, hearing a vampire's place had a chapel. At the same time, both the older woman and Madeline arrived out of the kitchen with a glass of water in their hand. Madeline drank from the glass of water she had, and Madeline's grandmother handed the glass to Calhoun.

But Calhoun didn't bother to take a sip from it.

When it came to trusting, in Calhoun's world, it didn't exist. He preferred not to drink the glass of water which was crystal clear. In the past, there had been events where people had tried to mix things in what he ate or drank. It was another matter that it was stupid of them to think it would affect him, but Calhoun preferred to be cautious. He noticed how the older woman's eyes darted between him and his hands that didn't make a move to bring the glass up and drink the water.

"How is Beth doing?" asked Madeline's grandmother.

"She's doing good," Madeline replied quickly so that Calhoun wouldn't drop another information about Beth being swayed by Markus Wilmot, who was another vampire. She wanted to ease her grandparents without them going into too much shock.

"We were worried that both of you didn't come to visit us. Your parents haven't written back to us either," said the old man, his eyes going back to normal when he spoke to his granddaughter.

"Your grandfather is right," said Madeline's grandmother, "We were thinking of visiting in a month, but I guess there's a change of plans now. What happened to your hair?" asked the old woman, whose hand reached to smoothen and push Madeline's hair that looked errant as if she didn't comb it.

Madeline tried to make it proper when she heard Calhoun say, "We just came from the forest and behind the trees," his words were suggestive, that the old couple caught on, who couldn't help but glare at the vampire's words. Madeline's eyes moved quickly to meet Calhoun's eyes, her cheeks turning slightly red over his words.

"What the King means is, we walked through the forest," Madeline tried to clear the doubt from her grandparents' mind which Calhoun had put.

She had failed to take note of her messy hair that was caused by the wind.

Her grandmother decided to ask, "How is the preparation for the wedding coming along?"

"The wedding gown is in the process of being made, and the place has already been picked," replied Madeline.

"It seems it is being hosted in the chapel," said her grandfather to his wife. The woman only nodded without commenting on it even though she looked like she wanted to say something about it.

Madeline was close to her paternal grandparents more than her mother's side. She and her sister had spent most of their time here. "You will be able to make it to the wedding?" she asked her grandmother.

Before her grandmother could answer her, the glass that Madeline was holding in her hand shattered into many pieces and fell on the ground, leaving cuts on her hand.

Calhoun's eyebrows furrowed as it was the third time something like this was happening. When his eyes shifted to look at the elderly couple, there was a look of shock on their face.