The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-238

Madeline and Calhoun walked in the village of Woodbridge, which was where her grandparents lived. After spending some time in her grandparent's house, they had left, walking towards the West cemetery, which was built for the villagers who passed away.

"Is your hand alright?" asked Calhoun to her, and Madeline nodded her head.

"Grandma helped me to wrap it around," Madeline said to him. She looked at him, waiting for him to say something about what happened back in the house as he had not questioned about it in front of her grandparents. "Why do you think I keep breaking the glasses in my hands?" she asked him.

Calhoun's eyes moved to the corner, looking at her and then shifting to look at the villagers who were giving him unwelcoming looks. The village didn't have a single vampire, and by the words of Madeline's grandfather, it seemed more like he was questioning how Calhoun passed through the entrace of the village without any trouble.

"Because it seems like this is not the first time you have broken glasses. Did you ask your family about it?" Calhoun questioned her.

"I asked Beth whether I sleepwalked in the past, but she said she didn't have any recollection of it. I didn't bring up the matter of glasses breaking in my hands," she replied to Calhoun.

"It would be better if you didn't bring it up in front of her. No offence, but your sister looks like someone who will tattle tale about the matter if something falls in her disadvantage." Calhoun didn't bother to beat around the bush, and his words were direct when it came to the matter of her sister. If Madeline were to go back in time, she would have never guessed that this was how Calhoun felt about her sister Beth. Calhoun had treated her sister extremely well, ignoring Madeline until the point when the time of lunch arrived, which had left her family at ease that it wasn't Madeline but Elizabeth who had caught the King's attention.

"I don't remember seeing her sleepwalking or breaking glasses," she murmured to herself. It was because with the way her grandparents had the look of curiosity when they had enquired, if Beth broke glasses too, it had caught Madeline's attention.

Was there something going on that she was unaware of?

Madeline then asked, "Why did you feel my father was hiding something about my childhood?" At the same time, she noticed how some of the villagers she knew, stared at her and Calhoun.

When she bowed her head in greeting, the people returned it, but they didn't stop staring. She wondered if it was a bad idea to go and visit her friend now, especially at the time where everyone was out in the open, who despised the existence of vampires.

"It was because, when I asked where your family came from and your grandparents, there were mismatched answers which I believe he didn't realize. Or maybe he realized, but he couldn't fix his reply," stated Calhoun, unbothered by the glares of the humans who passed them.

"He wasn't willing to speak about where your family was living in the first few years when you and your sister were small."

"Even Beth?" Madeline frowned hearing this. Was there something they were truly hiding? But until now, there had been nothing that had made Madeline question about her parents or her grandparent's actions towards her or her sister.

"Hm," Calhoun affirmed, "Your father doesn't speak freely about his parents, but there was no bump when it came to talking about your mother's family. But I am guessing here that you are more attached to your paternal grandparents than your maternal grandparents as you have spent more time here with them?"

"Yes," answered Madeline, "My sister and I spent most of our time here. Wouldn't it be easier to ask my grandparents why I keep breaking glasses?"

Calhoun shook his head, "In no part of the world, breaking of glass is considered to be a good fortune. Instead, many believe that breaking glasses is an indication of an ill omen that is lurking in the shadows and waiting for bad things to happen." Looking at Madeline's worried face, he said, "You don't have to think too much about it."

"But you just said it's an indication of something bad that is going to happen," Madeline had never thought she would be associated with an ill omen until now.

"How has your life been going on until now, Madeline?" questioned Calhoun.

"Fine."

"Then you shouldn't worry about the future as it will continue to go in the same way," unless someone was going to do something, added Calhoun in his mind, "Where is this cemetery? Who is this friend of yours?" he changed the subject seamlessly and Madeline's lips pursed.

"Jennine used to be my friend. She was Beth's friend, but Jennine and I shared similar interests when we were little, and we turned to be very good friends," explained Madeline.

"Sounds like Beth was pushed away from her dear friend to be replaced by you," said Calhoun and Madeline didn't comment on it because she was small. It wasn't done out of purpose, but somewhere Beth had drifted away from Jennine and Madeline had turned out to be her friend, "I am just joking."

Madeline shook her head, "No, you are right," she sighed.

"Beth had other friends. I wonder if that is why she didn't notice Jennine and I getting closer. Both of us used to come over here, to stay with our grandparents, during the time of Winter. Frankly, I don't remember everything but during that Winter, we were all playing and the next moment, Jennine was on the ground. I don't think any of us know what happened. Blood oozed out, turning the white ice to red. I must have blacked out from shock."

Calhoun placed his hand on her back, "Children's have a hard time coping to situations like death."

"I guess," murmured Madeline under her breath, "My memories are very faint. I remember my grandparents telling my parents that it was a vampire who had attacked and killed her."

Madeline was a small girl, but there were some pieces of memories of that night when the murder had taken place. Blood near her. Somewhere, she remembered her grandfather looking at her in shock before taking her away from the scene of the murder.

"Sorry to hear that," said Calhoun, "I can vouch that it wasn't me who killed the girl."

Madeline's eyes met his, a faint smile appearing on her lips, "Have you killed too many people that you don't remember?" she asked him.

"How rare of you to joke about my kills," Calhoun's lips twitched into a smile as if he was amused, "To answer to your question, I have. It was hard to find food, especially one that was fresh when I used to live in the streets."

"What about your mother?" asked Madeline.

"Sometimes we didn't have money to pay for anything. We had to live in different places. Men don't like extra luggage that comes with the woman they are bedding," Calhoun's words might have come to sound as if he was not bothered by it, but his words lacked any emotions as he said those things. Madeline didn't know how to comfort someone in situations like these. The more she learned about his past, it only turned that much sadder and maybe at times uncomfortable.

Calhoun appeared to look unfazed when it came to recollecting those memories.

"Pardon me for questioning," she apologized and saw Calhoun shake his head.

"Don't be. What's happened is past, and it cannot be changed," stated Calhoun like he didn't care.He offered her a smile, "There are some things in this world that are out of our control. Sometimes you need to go with the wind than struggle and get lost."

"Is that what you did?" asked Madeline, her eyes holding a look of curiosity in them.

Calhoun smirked at her question, "No. I went against the wind and took things I believed that deserved my attention and time."

How strange, Madeline thought to herself. Calhoun said one thing and preached something else.

"I did go with the wind, but once you know what you want, you either fight your way through or continue to be pushed by the world," said Calhoun. Upon reaching the cemetery, both of them were greeted by the sight of the cemented graves at someplace, and some that were lowered down to the ground to be buried where the cross or tombstone was placed with the name being engraved on it, who rested in their respective graves.

Madeline wondered why Jennine's parents shifted the grave from one cemetery to another one. The last time she had come to visit her it was some years ago. Not knowing where Jennine rested now, both of them split up to look for the name in the opposite direction so that it would save time.

As she looked around, Madeline saw there were names that she had never heard of before. While searching, Madeline came to look at a cemented grave that was empty, but the lid was left open as if a new body was going to occupy it, or someone was being shifted.

After five steps, Madeline said, "I found it," to Calhoun who was on the other side of the cemetery. Her friend Jennine was a small girl, who had missed growing up and living the way she and Beth were living their lives as she had died at an early age. Sitting down on her heels, Madeline prayed for her friend's soul to rest.

She wondered why the vampire didn't attack her, but killed her friend.