The Crown's Obsession (WN)

"I believe you are," remarked Gabriel, "Not many archangels have the ability, but I can tell that you are not just an angel, but more than it. Yet, you can enter the church without a problem, it only tells how pure your heart is, Madeline."

Madeline wondered why Michael was still intent on having her in Heaven when Gabriel said there were whispers about her being free, which meant Heaven didn't think she was a threat anymore.

It was funny how what people thought to be true was untrue, and Madeline was told to be free like any other person in the living world.

"What if I want to speak to Michael? Can you call him here?" requested Madeline.

"Unfortunately Michael is busy in Heaven. It was only a few minutes before you entered the church did we receive news about people now finding out about the existence of demons and angels. Apparently, your husband has something to do with it," Gabriel looked at her with his brown and orange eyes.

"Calhoun seems to have acquired all the qualities of the Devil. Causing unnecessary troubles. He must be angry about what happened to Raphael."

Madeline's eyes slightly widened at the mention of Raphael, and she stared at Gabriel, who seemed to know about a lot of things while he stayed in the shadows without meddling in things, unlike the other angels.

"You know Raphael," murmured Madeline.

"Let me tell you a story, Madeline, only if you have the time of course," said Gabriel, his tone polite and Madeline nodded for him to go on while wondering if he was changing the subject. "This is the story of Heaven where many archangels live together along with the other angels. When one of angel's heart tainted with darkness, he left Heaven and made the dark underworld into his home, the same place that had been trying to go against Heaven from the very beginning of the time. But the angel was tainted when another angel fell in love with the living soul from the living world. Sometimes all it takes is a spark in the forest to burn most of the trees and the land."

The angel, Gabriel didn't have to explicitly mention whom he was speaking about because she already knew it was about her father Paschar, and Vladimir.

"After these two, there was another angel who stood to balance the other two which our father didn't like. As merciful and gracious he is, there are-"

"Rules to be followed," Madeline completed the sentence, and Gabriel gave her a nod.

"That's right. So the third angel, he wanted to be the balance to both the living and Heaven, beliving the ones who went against Heaven had to be given chance. He was after all the angel of guidance," explained Gabriel, "But Heaven wasn't happy and to test, he was sent to the land of the living to live like other creatures with his memory erased until he would be taught how the living creatures were. To die in the hands of the people there before he would be reunited back to Heaven as his term of punishment."

Madeline's mouth turned dry hearing this. There was no way! Thought Madeline to herself. Gabriel had not made use of any names in his storytelling, but she had placed the story perfectly in their places.

Before she could speak or tell anything, Gabriel's eyes shifted to look at the uninvited creature that had entered the church. It was the Salvette Mortem.

"This one isn't here for me so I believe it is here for you?" Gabriel's gaze shifted from the Salvette Mortem to her. Unlike Michael, who had disappeared in a matter of seconds in the presence of the creature of death, Gabriel didn't move but had only stared at it calmly.

"It is a gift from Vladimir," murmured Madeline.

"Must be a wedding gift," Gabriel hummed, his eyes going back to look at the Salvette Mortem who continued to move towards where they sat.

In curiosity, Madeline asked, "Are you not scared about the creature?"

Gabriel turned perplexed, "Why would I be? The Salvette Mortems are the ones to pass by the souls from one realm to another. It must be worried where I was trying to convince you to go to Heaven," he chuckled softly.

When the angel stood up, Madeline stood up from the bench too. "It was good talking to you, Madeline Hawthrone," said Gabriel and Madeline bowed her head.

"Thank you for talking to me," Madeline replied and Gabriel gave her a nod. She wasn't able to meet Paschar, but Gabriel had been insightful, and her suspicion about a few things only deepened. When she started to leave the church, the Salvette Mortem started to follow her footsteps right behind her.

The ride back to her parent's home was quiet even though the Salvette Moretm had decided to sit on the opposite side of the seat in the carriage. The guardian angel of death was prompt when it came to following her, and it only made Madeline realize that Vladimir already knew where she and Calhoun was, after all this creature was sent by him.

Reaching the house, she made her way to the room. Calhoun wasn't back yet, and the sky had turned dark. Walking towards the sink, she spalshed water on her face and she looked at her reflection on the mirror. Droplets of water slid down from her face, and she reached for the towel before dabbing her face.

Stepping outside the room, Madeline walked towards the room that had a rack of books on one side of the wall, and her finger stopped when she found the book she was looking for. Pulling it out, she went through the book of Heavens. When she felt a hand on her head, Madeline turned startled and she saw it was Calhoun who had returned.

"Welcome back home," greeted Madeline. "How did the meeting go with the High House?"

Closing the book, she let it go before standing up from the chair. Calhoun leaned forward, kissing Madeline's lips while basking in her rosy smell.

"It went excellent. How was your day here? You smell like church," he murmured, snuggling into the crook of her neck before he pulled away.

As Calhoun's red eyes looked at Madeline, she said, "I did visit a church."

"Everything okay? If you wanted to go, I would have taken you there myself," stated Calhoun and Madeline smiled, knowing it was true.

"It was on the spur," replied Madeline. She didn't know that she was going to visit the church herself. "I had a visitor. Michael."

Hearing the angel's name, Calhoun's eyes narrowed, "Surely he didn't come here to ask how you were doing."

Madeline shook her head, "I don't think the angel who came here was the archangel Michael."

"What do you mean?"

"Michael seemed slightly scared about the Salvette Mortem, and the person even spoke to mama about you being related to Devil," said Madeline, "I wanted to speak to Paschar, but he is not to step out of Heaven because of his interactions with me. Whoever it was, who came here today, the person seemed to be like an imposter, posing himself to be the angel."