The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Music Recommendation: Romance Suite - Anthony Willis

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At noon, Lucy got back inside the carriage with her aunt Monique and Madeline, who had decided to accompany her.

"Is it true that you will be able to move your fingers once they fix the gears and bolts in your hand?" asked Lucy while staring at her aunt's hand. One of the hands of Aunt Monique had been cut from her forearm. Though Monique had an extended metal like hand, it was only for a show that didn't move and only weighed on her.

"Mm," responded Aunt Monique, "At least that is what I know. I don't think there's anyone here with decent qualifications to create a moving metal hand with fingers. I curse that bastard."

Samuel was the one who had cut her aunt's arm, and Lucy couldn't help but partly feel guilty about it.

Madeline, who noticed Lucy's eyes lower down, placed a hand on hers, "You shouldn't take the blame, Lucy. No one is blaming you."

"That is right," agreed Aunt Monique. "If there's anyone to blame, it was the previous Queen for forcing you to be married to someone you didn't like," she shook her head at the end. "Sometimes people do a lot of things to prevent something from happening, but it happens anyways. It makes you question what was the point of all those things that was done. Absolutely pointless."

Madeline then asked Monique, "Will you be accompanying us to the tailors shop?"

"You both dearies can go ahead. I am not sure how long it is going to take for the person if he does decide to fix things today," replied Monique, and Madeline nodded her head.

The coachman pulled the carriage to a pause so that Lady Monique could get to her work for what she had come here. The two young girls continued to travel to the next village to visit one of the tailors, where Lucy had already given her measurements during her first visit. With James Heathcliff, who didn't work in East Carswell's village anymore and wasn't in Devon, they had decided to go to the second-best tailor but not the ones where the High-status family went to get her clothes made.

Madeline and Lucy had worn clothes suitable to visit the village so that they wouldn't stand out from the other people and attract unnecessary attention.

When they entered the shop, the man was quick to offer them a deep bow.

"Miladies!" greeted the tailor with a bright smile on his lips, showcasing his sharp fangs. He had a thin moustache that rested above his upper lip. "It is so wonderful to have you both here again! Mario, chairs for the young ladies. What would you like to have tea, coffee or would you like some blood tea?" he asked, knowing who precisely one of the women was.

The Queen had taken her time to come to revisit his shop, and he was more than happy to build a good relationship with her so that she would continue to take his services.

"We are full, Abel. Thank you," replied Madeline. She had made sure to let the tailorman know not to address her as the Queen but as just a regular customer of his.

"Now, milady," the tailorman named Abel turned to look at Lucy. "I made just the right gown for you! You will be blown away just by looking at it!"

Lucy turned to look at Madeline and whispered, "He finished so quickly?"

"Young girls get married in the village often. They are used to working on the dresses quickly," replied Madeline.

Abel had disappeared into the back room and reappeared with the white gown as he carefully carried it with his two hands, "Here it is, milady."

Lucy looked at the cloth that had sparkling stones on it, and her eyes widened, "This…"

"I told you, you would be mind blown by the very sight of it. I made use of the exquisite stones and the rarest rare high quality materials," replied the man.

Madeline looked at Lucy, and she then turned to look at the tailorman and said, "Abel, Lady Lucy wanted something simple. I believe this is a little too much."

"It is?" he asked in a questioning tone. "I thought it was the simplest for the King's sister's wedding," he whispered with a smile on his face.

Lucy wanted a simple gown, and it wasn't that this wedding gown wasn't beautiful. Like the things used, it was indeed exquisite, but it wasn't what she had planned to go for.

Seeing how much the tailor had put his effort into it, Lucy didn't want the gown to go to waste, and she said, "It is fine. I think it is fine," she smiled, looking at them.

But the tailor was quick to notice that the lady didn't seem to be too fond of it, and he waved his hand.

"You don't have to worry about this gown, milady. I have many other customers who come looking for gowns and other materials like this. A dress will never go to waste if the tailor knows how to change it into a different dress." Remembering something, the tailor said, "Please, wait right here while I go find you some more."

Abel returned after five minutes with another wedding gown. Like other gowns, it was made out of silk and was soft to touch, but it had no dazzling embroidery made out of tones to shine under light and was instead very plain to one's eyes.

"What do you think about this, milady? This is nearly four to five decades old. As a vampire, I always make use of special elements in the cloth so that it can stay in good condition even after decades. Actually, I am not sure about the time. The lady wanted a simple gown for her wedding with her lover, she even paid for it, but I never got to hear from her again. I don't know where she went and since then, the dress has been lying in one of the old boxes," informed the tailor.

Lucy's eyes lit up like she had been given an early Christmas present, and she walked forward to take a closer look at the dress. Indeed, the dress was simple, but it was elegant and beautiful to look at.

"Why don't you let my assistants help you with it and you can see how it looks on you. If you like it, we can make some adjustments to it," Abel held both his hands together, hoping the vampiress would like it.

"Okay," replied Lucy, and the tailor quickly clapped his hands to get his assistants to assist the lady in wearing the dress.

While Lucy was ushered to go to the back room with the female assistant, Madeline looked around at the other dresses displayed in the shop. "Do you have any more gowns that are as old as that wedding gown?" she questioned the tailorman, who waited on her and Lucy.

"Not many, milady," answered the man. "Usually we store important gowns and clothes, and it isn't often that people forget to collect their orders back. After all, we ask them to pay up in advance before they can take the dress from us, we don't want people wasting the materials and time for no reason if they don't plan to buy it."