The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-267

With the time of evening that passed to bring darkness in the sky, Madeline stood at the high tower. She knew she should not be here, but it was the quietest place compared to the rest of the castle where no one ever came to venture. Touching the surface of the raised platform, she wondered how she even came to stand here the day when she was sleepwalking.

Madeline didn't want to be afraid. She didn't know what or who she was. She was scared to confirm if she was really the daughter of her parents. Right now, she had mixed emotions. She wanted the dream to be true, and at the same time, she didn't want it to be true. If it was true, she could confirm that she belonged to the Harris' family, but that also meant she had killed the girl.

There was something that was bothering her. Her dream and the reality, they were not aligned together. The casket her family had opened was of the girl named Jennine, and at the same time, the girl Beth witnessed to be murdered was Jennine too. Though it wasn't uncommon to have the same names in the land they lived, Madeline found it to be uncanny that both the girls named Jennine had died when she was around.

Madeline was still thinking, when she felt a sudden pain from the back of her body.

"Ah!" a cry escaped her lips which went unheard by people as there was no one around her.

Madeline gripped the surface of the platform with both her hands that was in front of her to support herself, but the pain suddenly increased. It felt like the bones on her back were twisting and being pulled, bringing tears in her eyes. And the next second the pain disappeared, leaving her huffing for air. Her chest heaved back and forth, and she closed her eyes to gather herself.

She didn't know what was happening to her. She felt lost and the people who had possible answers, she doubted they would willingly give it to her.

Worried, she quickly left the high tower, and her feet made its way to her room. She locked the room before going to stand in front of the mirror that was near the bathtub.

Madeline then unbuttoned her dress so that she could take a look at her back. Turning around for her back to face the mirror, she turned her face to see the discolouration on her skin which wasn't there the last time she had checked. On her pale skin, there were patches of the blue-green bruises.

"Oh God," the shuddered words escaped from her lips.

How did one find answers when the answers were not being given? Asked Madeline to herself.

While she started to button back her dress, Madeline remembered the scream of the man who was imprisoned in the dungeon. The scream kept repeating over and over in her mind, making her head hurt. She splashed cold water on her face, hoping to bring her back to reality, but it felt like everything was piling up one after another.

"Madeline."

Hearing someone's voice ring in her ears, Madeline stopped throwing water on her face, and she leaned back with water dripping down from her face. Her eyes opened, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to match the voice with someone she knew. Her eyes moved left and right subtly as if her mind was experiencing an overdrive of thoughts. Was it possible?

'AHHH! Stop it!!'

The words were short, but she remembered it. It was because there had been times in the past where she had let the voice play over and over again because it brought her happiness. Her head snapped around, and she said,

"Why does it sound like James?"

It didn't make any sense why James would be there, and she wasn't sure that it was James. It was possible that the prisoner was someone who shared the same voice, but what if it was James? Madeline didn't know if she was going paranoid and losing herself with the number of things she was thinking right now.

She bit her lip, the frown on her forehead deepening.

James was possibly on the run, and the girl's body was found today. Theodore said someone had tried to trespass and break into the castle. It didn't sound like James would do something like that, reasoned Madeline with herself. It was probably not James. Calhoun had gone to check on the murder that took place, where James had been labelled as the murderer. She hoped she would be able to get some insight on it from Calhoun.

She nodded to herself. She would wait for Calhoun to return to the castle so that she would ask him herself.

When the time of supper arrived, Lady Rosamund had returned along with Sophie after their visit to their mansion. But Calhoun was yet to return. It made Madeline question why he wasn't here yet.

"Has brother Calhoun not returned yet?" Lucy asked Madeline, who had come to join them for supper. Her husband was missing at the table again.

Theodore was the one to answer, "The King told he might not be able to join with everyone for supper. He has gone to the village and told from there he would be going to the town to speak to some of the ministers there."

Lucy was displeased that Theodore had replied to her question. Nonetheless, she turned her head and continued to eat. The table was unusually quiet as everyone had some issues going on in their head. Madeline and Beth were not on speaking terms. Beth only chose to smile at Markus' words. Mr. and Mrs. Harris were caught up with the questions Madeline had asked before while Sophie glared at the humans at the table.

"Where is Samuel, Lucy?" asked Lady Rosamund, "I barely see him, and I wonder if that is why things have been going awry."

Lucy's face hardened at the words, but she chose not to speak on it.

"What went awry?" asked Sophie, showing interest in the possible gossip. She would have been more interested to hear the Harris' girls death but seeing how impossible it was, she decided to find another subject to dwell.

"Just the usual stories in the family and society," Lady Rosamund hummed, "Mrs. Harris, I was wondering if we could get your approval with Mr. Harris for Elizabeth's wedding with my son Markus. We were thinking about selecting dates after three weeks from the King's wedding. What do you think?"

Sophie, who had only taken a sip of water, started to cough as the water had gone in the wrong pipe.

Madeline was glad to see that it wasn't just her, but even Sophie had an issue with Elizabeth marrying her brother, which was for different reasons. Today when she was spending her time in the garden with Markus, she had felt his eyes on her. Staring at her, that made her feel uncomfortable.

She didn't like Markus for more than one reason. Beth was not aware of his true intentions, and even if she tried to speak to her, Beth would not listen.

Madeline's mother and father looked surprised, not knowing what else to say but be happy for their daughter, they gave a nod of approval.

"But we will need to prepare things from our side. It would take time to get the cards made and the clothes," said their mother slightly worried.

Lady Rosamund smiled at this, "Please don't worry about things like those. I know you don't have any money with you," laughed the older vampiress. Even Beth, who was eating, her hand stopped at the comment. "I am aware that my nephew is covering the expenses. But considering your family status, I wouldn't want to burden Elizabeth's family in terms of money."

"I can ask the King to help," said Madeline after what the older vampiress spoke. Lady Rosamund raised her eyebrow as she turned to look at the insolent human. If Madeline was not going to marry Calhoun, Rosamund would have made sure to show Madeline's place, but instead, the woman smiled.

"And how do you intend to do that, dear? The King is Markus' cousin," Lady Rosamund reminded Madeline, her eyes twinkling.

"Yes, that's true, Lady Rosamund. You said Markus and Beth would get married three weeks after my marriage to Calhoun, by then I will be Calhoun's wife," stated Madeline to the vampiress, "And we all know the position of the wife comes first and then comes the rest."