The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-269

Madeline was glad that she hadn't taken her shoes off, even if they made a little sound on the marble floor of the castle. It was because the path through the garden was not a path at all. During her initial days here, in the castle, she had tried to look for possible escape routes. To see which way would lead to a easier escape without anyone's notice.

The path she had picked now was not a place for a female as she was wearing a dress that could quickly get stuck in the sharp thorns of the bushes. Madeline walked on the muddy ground that wasn't smooth but had sharp stones that would have been bothersome if she had walked barefoot.

The castle was well guarded by the guards, and each of them had their timing, and one had to be careful. She could have gone through the doors of the castle, passing by the guards. But they would have informed the same to Calhoun. Somewhere as time passed, Madeline wondered if Calhoun was hiding James from her.

When she came near the dungeon, Madeline noticed the two guards who stood at the front. How was she going to get past them? She asked herself before taking herself to go behind the dungeon where she had earlier been this evening.

It wasn't necessary to go inside the dungeon if she was able to take a glimpse from here. But the window of the dungeon was built high and near the ceiling. Even a stool or a platform would not be sufficient for her to take a peek.

Wondering what to do as time was quickly ticking by, Madeline went back near the front and leaned forward, taking a look at the guards before her back touched the wall as she hid behind it. It shouldn't be too hard, thought Madeline to herself. She picked up a stone from the ground, clutching it, she threw it at the bushes that were at the front, making the bush rustle.

"What was that?" asked one of the guards, looking in the direction where Madeline had thrown the stone.

"Must be some squirrel," answered another.

"Let me go check," and the first guard left the front of the dungeon. Madeline searched for another stone and then threw it in another direction when it was just one guard. This caught the man's attention, and he looked left and right.

Madeline threw one more stone, which went to fall far away from the dungeon which was enough to distract and keep the guards busy. Seeing the guards leave, she quickly caught the front of her dress, and she stepped inside the dungeon. The dungeon was sometimes left open and sometimes closed. She was glad that it was open now.

As she walked through the passage of the dungeon, Madeline was greeted with the smell of rusted iron and a slightly foul smell that was possibly coming from the bodies that were chained in here. Torches burnt on the dark walls that looked somewhat wet in appearance. She picked one of the torches on her way as there wasn't enough light in here.

Madeline had been here only once with Calhoun and Sophie, which was why she didn't know her way in and out of this place. The dungeon looked small from outside, but the truth was it was big. It was big enough to accommodate people of an entire village inside it. Swishing her hand back and forth in front of her, she continued to walk in the direction she thought the prisoner of East Carswell was imprisoned in.

The dungeon was quiet without a single noise, leaving some sort of eeriness in the atmosphere. As she passed through the cell rooms which were enclosed with rusted iron bars, she caught sight of skeletons. There were too many skeletons, and it seemed like Theodore was yet to complete the work which was given by Calhoun this morning.

When Madeline finally reached the place for what she came looking for, she came to stand in front of an old wooden door which had a brownish-green appearance. There was a small gap on the door, and she tried to peep inside the room to see what was in there, but all she saw was ground. Holding the handle of the door, she tried to push it, but the door didn't open. Of course, thought Madeline to herself, the door to this room was locked.

Madeline wondered what to do.

She had no key to this door, and she couldn't see what was on the other side of the room. Her heart had not stopped beating loudly in her ears since she had left her own room. This was not something she was supposed to be indulging herself in, but her curiosity got the best out of her.

Placing her hands on the door, she moved closer, "James?" she called the name, "Mr. Heathcliff? Are you in there?" she asked, keeping her ear on the door as if it would help her hear better.

But there was no response to her words. All she received was silence.

Pulling her head back along with her body, she stepped away from the door.

She wondered if the room was empty. Maybe it was not James, and it was someone else. And even if it was James, she should not worry, right? But what if he was imprisoned because of her?

The first time Madeline met James, she thought he was a calm and sensible man. At least that is what she thought until hers and Calhoun's path crossed each other. James had turned impulsive and reckless. It was something she had witnessed by first hand when he had locked himself and her in the powder room.

Madeline was about to look for another room, before leaving the dungeon when she heard some sound come from the room.

The next moment, she heard scratching sounds coming from the other side of the door, and it had her frown.

"Madeline…" came the voice and her eyes widened.

"Mr. Heathcliff?!" It was him! And Madeline looked around searching for something that could be used to open the door, "Are you alright?" she asked him, but she didn't get an answer to her question. She wondered what happened to him. Was he earlier being tortured by the guards when she was standing behind the dungeon?

Realizing the hair pin in her hair, she pulled it out. Twisting it before pushing it into the lock. It wasn't the first time Madeline had tried to pick a lock. There weren't many things to do in the village to pass time and she had learned to pick locks out of boredom. Hearing a click sound in the lock, Madeline pushed the door open to see James who was on the ground.

Her eyebrows drew in together at the sight of James' condition. His clothes looked as if it had been torn because of their tattered condition. His hands and legs were chained to the walls so that he wouldn't be able to reach the door of the room.

"Mr. Heathcliff!" Madeline went towards him, sitting down to look at James, "What happened to you? How did you end up here?" questions came one after another. He looked tired and worn out, looking as if his age had increased.

James huffed for air, "You are here," he whispered.

Madeline didn't know how to feel, "They said you killed someone. They found a body in your backyard." James didn't seem to understand what she was saying, and he just stared at her, "Mr. Heathcliff?"

James surprised her by saying, "Save me. I think I am going to die."

Was Calhoun going to kill him? When Theodore and Markus had mentioned about someone trespassing into the castle, did they mean that person to be James?

"Let me speak to the King. I will ask him to spare your life," Madeline assured James. This was not a condition in which James was supposed to be in. Was it because of her that James was suffering? James shook his head, "He will listen to me if I speak to him." Calhoun was the King, and if she could speak to him, maybe there could be some ground of understanding between the two men where there was no need for any torture.

"You don't understand," James spoke the few words with great difficulty.

James was happy after seeing the girl whom he loved was right in front of him. Amid the chaos, he was glad to see her, and he moved his shackled hand to place it on her face.