The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-374

The words that Reginald just spoke, it felt as if it was a similar case to hers. Unable to contain her curiosity, Madeline carefully asked, "Who removed his wings?"

Reginald took time to recollect on what he had heard from people and he said, "It was the fellow angels, the cursed angels who were thrown to this earthly realm. There are some books that has recorded the events but there's no dates or time on it. It is said that the fallen angels were so jealous about that one angel, that they decided to take away his wings after making him unconscious."

"That's barbaric to do it," whispered Madeline. Her grandparent's had got her wings removed too, and every time she tried to walk in that memory lane, she felt the pain on her back return. Like she could feel every rip and burn that was nothing less to dying, "I don't think I have heard this story being told before. Why did they do that?" she questioned Reginald.

"It was because he fell in love with a human," and Madeline's eyebrows raised up because she knew about whom Reginald was speaking of. And even though she knew part of the story, she decided to listen to what Reginald had to say, "An angel is not supposed to fall in love with a human and even if they did, they were not supposed to keep a relationship with the earthly beings. Some of the angels were envious, that this one got away without being punished and when he was here they removed his wings."

"How did it turn bloody then?" questioned Madeline.

"The wings grew back of course, with blood on it. At least, that is what I heard happened," and like a secret, Reginald whispered, "I heard that the one's who tore his wings, they were punished to never have the wings ever again, turning them to humans."

But then those fallen angels weren't entirely human as they still held some powers in them, thought Madeline to herself.

"If his wings returned, does it mean he turned back to an angel?" It was because only angels could have white wings and not fallen angels. Lady Ruth did say that he had come down here willingly.

Reginald smiled, "Who knows, Lady Madeline. That is something that was never written. If you are interested to read about other things, you are always welcome to the library that we have here in the church. You might enjoy it."

"That is very kind of you, Mr. Frost," she bowed offering her thanks to him. "Um, if you don't mind, may I ask you something?"

"Please."

"Why did the High House come into existence exactly? I know there is more than one kind in there, or two," said Madeline, her eyes looking at the man curiously. They continued to walk again, making their way through the coloured light that fell on the long passage.

"There were some, who wanted balance like Helena. She is the niece of the late King Solomon. Late because she was the person who dethroned the King for his misdeeds. This was decades ago, and as you can tell, it took quite some time for the High House to form. They wanted to give a fair trial to everyone," explained Reginald.

"But does it happen?" questioned Madeline.

Reginald smiled, "Are you speaking about what happened recently? It would be like questioning why no one has sentenced Calhoun."

Madeline shook her head, "No, not like that. I know he had his reasons."

"We all have our own reasons, milady. But with all wrongs in the world, we side with the person who is less guilty, because somewhere, all of us feel guilt, don't we?" The way Reginald asked her the question, Madeline couldn't help but take a glimpse at her own self, "I can tell that there is something that has been weighing on your mind. Would you like to have a confession?" he proposed. Madeline doubted confessing to one of the High House members was a good idea, even if it seemed that he was loyal to the crown.

"No. It did before, but now not that much." Speaking to Calhoun was enough of a confession.

They started to get down the stairs, making their way back from the other side when Madeline caught sight of the window that was breathtaking. The glass of the window was pale yellow in colour and in the middle was a painted woman who held blue flowers in her hands.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She heard Reginald praise the beauty of the window, "They say that this window, it was built and placed in here in the remembrance of the angel. His love for the woman, to keep it alive even after the time had passed."

Madeline knew she had to get back to the front of the church to make sure Beth had returned and if she had, to make sure she didn't have to wait for her. But there were still some questions on her mind. As they made their way back, she asked,

"Is there any information about the woman with whom the angel fell in love with?"

"She must have died. She was a human," he replied to her question and Madeline nodded her head. A human's life span was less compared to vampires and the other kind.

Outside the church, in the village, Beth had tried to follow the woman who seemed to be someone she knew, but no matter how much she tried to recollect, she couldn't. Her feet were quick, and her curiosity had gotten the best out of her. She was now far away from the church and in one of the shadiest parts of the village.

Beth stopped walking, looking back and forth as she turned around wondering where the woman disappeared to. She touched her forehead when she felt a sharp pain as flashes of images appeared in front of her eyes.

'Why did you scream?'

'I think I hurt myself.' She heard a distant voice that came from her head, a voice that belonged to her sister. When the voices in her head got louder, it felt like the memory was trying to push forward and Beth felt a searing pain in her head.

A rush of overwhelming emotions were pushed into her mind which had her stagger, memories coming to fall one over the other in front of her eyes.

'Do you really have to, Beth?' said another voice that didn't belong to her or Madeline. 'How about you stay here, and Madeline can visit,' said the stranger's voice in her head. When realization finally hit Beth, her eyes widened and her eyes moved across the street to find the woman standing not too far away from her as if the woman was waiting for her to follow her.

Beth's hands turned cold. She was dead...Jennine was dead, yet here she was. Did she have red hair back then? Beth wasn't sure but the woman definitely looked like the girl who she and Madeline were once friends with.

A slow smile appeared on the woman's face.

As they were far away from the church, the woman started to make her way towards Beth and Beth turned worried. With the snow around them, Beth froze in her place and the woman came to stand in front of her.

"J-Jennine?"

"It has been really long, Beth," smiled the woman, her eyes turning from brown to black which was enough to have Beth worry. W-what was that?!