The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-749

Music Recommendation: Salamander Eyes- James Newton Howard

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Lucy felt her eyes turn light, and so did her body as if she were floating on the surface of a river. There was tranquillity in the air, which she didn't know existed until now, the peace around her sinking her mind and trying to be one with her surroundings.

When Lucy opened her eyes, all she saw around her were trees and the darkish grey clouds that held a tinge of green in them, hovering in the sky. Right now, her mind was in a peaceful state as she didn't know what was happening, and her mind remotely bothered where she was. Getting up to sit upright, Lucy looked around her surroundings, her red eyes taking in the tall trees that stood in certain intervals from each other.

Was this in Devon? Asked Lucy to herself, standing up on her feet that were bare. A certain amount of fog covered the ground, and she looked at the clouds that were thick in the sky. It felt like it was still night, but at the same time, it felt as if dawn was near.

"Is anybody here?" Lucy shouted in the middle of the forest, but her words only echoed back to her.

It felt like she was dreaming. Maybe she was, she thought to herself.

The last thing she remembered was seeing Theodore's face as she closed the door of her room, and after a while, he had knocked back on the door. But it wasn't him...Remembering what happened, her gaze fell on her body, and her hands touched her stomach to see no wound and not a single drop of blood on her dress. She no longer wore the dress she was in the castle, but the dress's colour closely resembled the clouds.

"Brother Calhoun? Theodore?" Lucy called their names in the hope that they would hear her, but no one replied.

"You must be new here," came a voice from behind her.

Lucy snapped her head, turning her body to see who had just spoken, but with the thick clouds, it was hard to see who it was. "Who is there?" she asked, her heart softly racing.

Finally, as the person moved forward, the clouds started to clear to show the person, who was a woman. The woman had red lips and her eyes red, that looked at Lucy right now. "I would have never guessed that I would be meeting you this soon."

A frown appeared on Lucy's face, "I am sorry, but do I know you?" she politely asked the woman without forgetting her manners.

One side of the woman's lips pulled up, "You don't know me, but I know you, Lucy Grivelle, or would you prefer Lucy Hawthrone."

Lucy had never spoken or met this woman before, which was why she was confused by thinking who this woman was. Maybe it was because she was the former princess, and the royal family had always been in the news, allowing many people to know about their existence. In contrast, the members of the royal family knew and remembered only a handful of people.

"Lucy Hawthrone," replied Lucy as she stared at the woman, who walked until she finally came to a stop in front of her.

"Hawthrone it is. Must be unpleasant to be part of the two families who didn't treat you the way you wanted them to treat you, but still carry one of their names," commented the woman, and she stepped to the right side before she continued to walk.

Lucy had no idea where she was, and as blissful as this place was, she preferred to have a company of guidance. She quickly followed the woman before she would disappear in the middle of the woods and the heavy fog-like clouds.

"Pardon me, but why did you say you didn't expect to meet me this soon?" asked Lucy, once she caught up with the woman.

"If you look deeply in your heart, you will find the answer to be already there," replied the woman, looking ahead of her.

Hearing this, Lucy pursed her lips, and she finally said, "I am not alive, am I?" asked Lucy, her voice slightly filled in disbelief.

She didn't forget the pain that she felt when Samuel had pushed his fingers into her body, not once but twice, and she had fallen on the ground as blood oozed out of her body. Was she dead? Asked Lucy to herself.

"W-where is this place?" she asked in a guarded tone while looking around her. It didn't seem like this was Hell, but it didn't look like Heaven either. "Where are we?"

On Lucy's question, the woman smiled, "We are in a place that is neither Hell nor Heaven, it is called as in between. A place where some of the souls wander, it is near to Heaven, but some of us refuse to step in through the gates and end up turning to wanderers."

"Why didn't you?" asked Lucy.

"Some of us have our memories intact and it is hard to let go of the living world that we come from," replied the woman, and she said, "You see there."

Lucy turned in the direction where the woman looked, and the clouds had suddenly moved away from each other to show the bright light that passed through from one side. "That is where Heaven is. We the wanderers, we are closer to Heaven, but it is the choices that we make that writes our fate and destiny."

"Can't you still go to Heaven?"

"I would, but it is hard to let go of the living world and the memories. Once you step in there, you forget your woes and sorrows," she said as if it was a bad thing.

"How do you know me?" inquired Lucy.

"It is because of him," smiled the woman. Him? Lucy didn't know who the woman was speaking about and when her quizzical eyes continued to look at the woman, she said, "Theodore."

She knew Theodore? Asked Lucy to herself before asking, "Who are you?"

"I used to be called Madame Fraunces."