The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Music Recommendation: Go Tomorrow by The Newton Brothers

.

When Madeline and the others left the forest, soon afterwards the two angels arrived at the same spot where bloodshed had taken place. Michael looked at the black and red blood that was immensely spilled, soaking itself in the ice-cold forest floor.

Michael walked forward, bending down to scoop the snow in his hand, and then smelled the black blood. "This is never going to end," he said.

"Why did you agree with them then?" questioned Paschar. He could sense the presence of his daughter and the two devils who were here minutes ago.

Michael dropped the snow from his hand and then stood up. He looked around the place, his blue eyes fell on the tall trees and the surrounding, making sure no one was there to listen to his next words, "What did you expect me to do? You know how unbending Lucifer is. The matter could have been easily resolved if Madeline was not related to him, but who would have thought that the devil would have a grandson and not to forget, that person is Calhoun."

When the wind blew with the sun rising in the sky, Paschar's long silver hair that was tied in a pony moved in the direction of the wind. He knew he wasn't the father Madeline was looking for, and it was because of his actions she had suffered until now. But he wanted to stop the problem that would occur in her future.

The demons and fallen angels would continue to try hunting her down. There were only two ways to rectify the situation. One was to take her to Heaven after erasing all the memories that she held in this living world. And the second was to do the same thing that had taken place in the past. To rip her wings and kill her. Vladimir was somewhere right that the Heavenly beings were worried, where Madeline would turn to be a threat or be used against them.

Word would soon reach how the dark angel was related to the devil, married to the devil's heir, and it would only cause many more catastrophes.

In the past, Paschar couldn't do anything with his hands tied by Heaven's command, and he didn't want to kill his daughter. It was a demoness who had killed his human lover, and maybe if his lover was still alive, he would somehow have continued to live here beside her. Paschar had remembered the powerless feeling, when he had left Heaven for scarce time.

But in the end, he had returned to the shelter of Heaven.

The decision taken by Heaven was final. He had persuaded them so that Madeline could be brought to Heaven and would spend her life as an angel, where she would be protected. But she had outright refused. If he knew this was going to happen, he would have never let the marriage take place. It wasn't entirely his fault because the authorities who belonged to Heaven had decided it at the last moment.

"With Lucifer and Calhoun around her, it is going to be hard to make her agree or see things," murmured Paschar.

"Then we'll wait for the time when neither of them are around her. If we don't do something, the bloodshed will only continue. Neither you or I can miss this, because there will be a fight if we leave her be," replied Michael.

Paschar nodded his head. It would have been easier if Madeline agreed and came with them, but she was corrupted with the living world's things. Her emotions were swayed, and she had left him with no choice.

When Madeline and the others reached the castle, Madeline took Beth to her room as she looked dazed and lost. Making sure Beth fell asleep, Madeline left the room to see Lucy who was still unconscious. The vampiress was being tended by Theodore, who barely left her side. Lady Lucy appeared to be in better condition than the time before she had left with Vladimir. The wounds had not wholly healed.

Madeline decided to step out of the room to find Calhoun.

The servants had started to clean the castle, moving the dead bodies and cleaning the red stains of blood on the floors and walls. The difficult night had passed, and the clouds that had been hovering in the sky had cleared to bring in warm sunlight.

Madeline made her way to where Calhoun stood facing the rising sun. Sensing her presence, he turned his head in her direction.

"You should get some rest," said Calhoun, turning his body so that he could face her.

"You need it too," she replied to him. Calhoun was quiet, and he stared into her brown eyes.

Madeline wondered how deep Raphael's death affected Calhoun. He was a person who was a close acquaintance of Calhoun, a man who knew the vampire King, similar to Theodore. She took his hand with both of her hands.

"Are you okay?" she asked him with concern in her voice.

Calhoun offered her a smile, "I am okay. What about you?" Madeline nodded her head. "Come here," he said, pulling her close to him.

Madeline stepped into his embrace, feeling his strong and warm hands around her as they held her protectively. She closed her eyes when she felt her eyes starting to burn due to the exhausting night that affected her mentally and physically. Too many things had happened over the night, and many people had lost their lives.

She held onto Calhoun, finding solace in his arms. "I cannot help but think about what Paschar said. People might die because of me," she whispered in his arms.

Calhoun said, "Sometimes, there are some things that are not in our control. And this was something that was never your fault to begin with. Don't blame it on yourself. I will be right here next to you. Always," he gently patted the back of her head. "It is over now," whispered Calhoun, feeling Madeline's heartache.