The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Madeline took a step back from the window. When she dropped her hand, the pieces stopped trying to lift themselves from the floor of the room, and it got her intrigued. Bringing her hand up again, this time she tried to put some force as if she was trying to pick them up by her hands and she saw the glass pieces finally rise in the air and surprise-filled her eyes. She had never done anything like this before.

Putting more strength and focus, Madeline continued to stare at the glass pieces until they started to rise further and further up in the air. As she twisted her hand, the shards of glasses began to move towards the open window. She could feel the resistance from them because of the air that moved against them.

"I was worried where you went," came the voice behind her. Madeline realizing she was doing something which no one knew about, she lost her focus and the glass pieces that were up in the air until now dropped fast on the floor, breaking into many more pieces than before.

Her head snapped around to see Calhoun leaning against the wall, staring at her. "When did you come here?" she asked, as she had not heard the door open or close after Raphael left the room.

Calhoun pushed himself from the wall, standing straight before he sauntered towards her with his long legs. His eyes fell on the floor where the pieces of glass laid, and he said, "Maybe a minute or two. I didn't know you were practising by yourself."

"I didn't want the maids to have more work because of me," replied Madeline. Calhoun stepped closer to her, leaning forward and his lips brushed against the side of her head.

"What a thoughtful Queen the land of Devon is going to have. My beautiful rose." When he inhaled, he smelt the fragrance of rose wafting up his nose. He didn't know how heaven smelt like, where everyone wanted to go, but he believed that if it truly existed, then it would smell just like this.

Calhoun was the King of Devon, but things didn't change much from what or who he was. After his mother's death, he had come to the castle intending to bring people down, worse than where his mother was pushed into. To remind them what it felt like, to be on the other side. And though he had everything he could have right now, the one thing he wanted to secure and keep was this one person who was in the room with him. Right now, she looked up at him with her brown eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Madeline and Calhoun nodded his head, "Did you sense my aunt's intentions?"

A grin broke through Calhoun's lips, "It isn't hard to figure out why she's here. She reeks of suspicion."

"And you haven't thrown her out of the castle or in the dungeon yet because…" It wasn't that Madeline was sure that her Aunt Mary had come here in the intent to kill her like her grandparents, but it was questionable on why Calhoun was holding back himself if her aunt was going to pose as a threat.

"Curious little rose of mine," whispered Calhoun, "Do you know, sometimes we drop a piece of sweet in the room, waiting for the ants to come out from their hiding and the cracks of the walls. So that we know where the ants are hiding, and how many ants might come out from those cracks."

Madeline furrowed her eyebrows. "You are waiting for others to show up who might want me?"

Calhoun nodded his head, "Yes. One of my very reliable sources in the castle said that your aunt had gone to meet your grandparents, on their request. I believe your grandparents planned to put you in the coffin and then return to meet her, but that obviously didn't happen as they are the one's resting now. As the meeting didn't take place, she must have decided to come here. Your aunt might not be a fallen angel because of the generation skip, but greed and the need for power doesn't skip out of genes. If there are other's, they will come out."

"Why not stop the trail of the first ant?" asked Madeline.

"Because one will never stop seeking out that one dark angel. The chase won't stop, and I rather have you living in peace than worry of what the future might bring. Just finish it in one go and then live with the bad wolf happily ever after," smiled Calhoun broadly. "Don't worry. I got it."

But Madeline was not happy with it. She worried that somewhere in the future, there might come a time where she would be the cause of his pain and hurt, for his death, "Things shouldn't be this way."

Despite how things had started with Calhoun and her, it was different now. It meant a lot to her that he was here listening to her. Remembering living in the coffin for all those years, that night where her small hands banged the lid of the coffin from inside where no one was there. She felt suffocated. But having Calhoun next to her now, she knew there were some things he would protect her from, where she could rely on him. Seeing him give a questioning look, she said, "You shouldn't have to protect me always. I should do it too."

"From whom do you want to protect me?" chuckled Calhoun, amusement filling up his eyes.

"From me."

Calhoun stared at her, "In the game of chess, though it is important to have the King on the board, it is the Queen who is considered to be the most powerful piece—having abilities and skills like no other. Even more than the King. You want to feel useful?" He got his cheek forward, "I would like a kiss," he said.

Madeline sighed. She was speaking something serious, and he had changed the conversation. Was he hiding or evading something from her? It only worried her further. When she went to lean over to kiss his cheek, Calhoun turned around such that her lips met his and she felt him snake his hand around her waist.

He kissed her before letting go of her waist, "There. All worries have now disappeared," he murmured to see her cheeks turn red, "I have done far better things than a kiss, and you are shy." Madeline coughed, her eyes darting to look behind at the door that had opened. It was a maid who had stepped in and was quick to bolt out of there after seeing the King.

"Pardon me, my King!" The maid bowed her head as deep as she could, holding a broom and a bucket in her hand, "Mr. Sparrow said that the room needed some cleaning."

Calhoun's eyes narrowed at the maid in annoyance for interrupting his time with Madeline, and the maid shook in evident fear. Calhoun felt Madeline place her hand on his arm and his eyes softened. He said,

"There's someplace I want to take you."

Madeline wondered where Calhoun planned to take her, but when they arrived at the place, she looked at the same alley, which wasn't as empty as it was in the past. Things that were there right now dissolved and things that weren't there appeared in front of her eyes just like how it was in the past.

Calhoun had brought her to the same place which she had recently visited in her dream.