The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-56

When Madeline felt Calhoun's hands pick up both her legs to place it on the surface of the bed she hadn't expected him to push her petticoat up until her knee like it was nothing. She tried to stop his hand, but she had forgotten how strong he was. Pushing him away was like dealing with a rock.

"When did you get hurt?" he asked her, his eyes moving from the wound and then looking at her. The blood had dried which was why he couldn't smell it. Not to forget the blood of the man that had been spilt by his own hands which made him not notice it earlier in the carriage and his room, "Speak," he demanded.

"In the maze," she muttered under her breath, "I can take care of myself."

"I can see that. How well you take care of yourself. Jumping into a strangers carriage not knowing if you will be raped or sucked dry before being thrown to rot in the corner of the forest until someone finds you," he responded with a glare in his eyes so that she wouldn't be any more defiant than she had already displayed for the day, "Trying to climb the walls of the holly plant? What an idiot," he looked back at the wound before picking up the wet towel that was on the ground.

"Don't you know, you're not supposed to touch a woman like this! It is not considered to be a gentleman's action," Madeline felt her face turning red with her leg exposed and him holding her ankle.

Calhoun looked up at her, "It has been only a few hours since we spent our time together, but you should know better that I am not that. Unfortunately, I was not taught to be nice."

"I am an unmarried girl, and you cannot do this-"

"Don't tell me what to do and what not to do just because I am lenient with you," his sharp words had her stop talking, "Do you think I will share you with someone? If you have thoughts of being with someone else, like that man your mother mentioned then throw it out of the window. You're stuck with me, darling."

He had placed one hand gripping her ankle and the other that was placed on the hem of her petticoat near her knee. And when Madelin tried to move away, his grip on her ankle tightened. Bringing the towel forward, he wiped the dried blood from her ankle, his movements gentler compared to his hold on her ankle.

Madeline's body had turned stiff with every touch of his hand along with the towel that was made on her skin. Unable to look at Calhoun who has his hands on her leg, she looked at one of the bedposts. She hadn't expected him to be gentle, not with the way he spoke and demanded her attention.

"What were you thinking trying to climb inside the maze?" he asked her. His lips twitching at the thought of how she would have felt when she realised there was no exit to the maze, "How unladylike," he commented and Madeline bit the inside of her cheek. Compared to Beth, Madeline tried her best to be presentable. To appear more poised as her older sister had mastered the skill on how to mingle with the higher-ups and how to talk and behave with them, unlike Madeline, who was yet to learn those things.

"I don't want to be ladylike!" Madeline retorted.

"I am fine with that," answered Calhoun. Throwing the towel at the far corner of the room that would be picked up by the maid, "Anyways I like you like this. It gets too boring when every woman tries to mimic each other," her hand clenched hearing this. It was as if anything she would say, he would turn it to his benefit.

He let go of her ankle. Placing his hands on the bed, he leaned behind to take in her appearance. Things he wasn't able to see in the morning with her back facing him, he could now see the outline of it.

"I don't mind you joining like this for dinner with me. It would be a treat to my mouth and eyes," he commented, and Madeline quickly got up from the bed to reach out for a dress to wear. When she turned around, she saw him looking at her brazenly.

"Can you please not look," she asked. It was like he was hellbent in making her feel uncomfortable. He had a crooked smile on his face as he turned his head as he sat on the bed with his legs crossed leisurely.

"People don't need eyes to see, Madeline," she heard Calhoun say, the smile still playing on his lips, "Imagination is enough to see and feel things."

Madeline had quickly slipped into her dress and she shut her eyes, praying to God hoping she would somehow one day get out of this castle and away from this crazy King. She didn't explore her thoughts on what he said as she knew she would only turn more embarrassed and that was what he wanted.

As she was done tying the lace around her back, Calhoun finally pushed himself forward to get up from the bed, "I forgot to ask you. How do you like your room?"

"Just like a prison."

Hearing this Calhoun smiled, "A pretty one, isn't it? If you don't like this one, the offer to my room still holds."

Madeline quickly replied, "I am fine."

"That's what I thought. Let's have some food. I am starving," Calhoun started to walk towards the door, and Madeline followed him.

This time it seemed that they were not having their dinner in his room as he led her through other corridors, taking turns every now and then. She wondered how long it would be until she would come to memorize the path as most of them looked the same. And as the thought passed her mind, she cursed herself that she was thinking about memorizing the place.

Was it because deep down she knew there was no escape from Calhoun?