The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Madeline stood like a statue under his touch. Her body turned frigid like ice that didn't move an inch. It had been barely a week since they had come to know about each other and maybe it was normal for the King to be touchy touchy, but no man had ever touched her like this. Calhoun took every single chance to caress her skin either by words or by his touch, which was subtle, but Madeline was aware of it.

Calhoun's fingers were cold, but it was not what made her shiver under his touch. It was because it was him who was touching her, the same man who could use the axe today, or worse his hands and she could do nothing but pray for James' life to be spared.

"You keep showing him so much concern that it makes me insanely jealous. What will you do if he is pushed from the stairs, Maddie?" on Calhoun's question, Madeline's eyes turned wide.

"What?" she asked in a whisper.

"Always making me repeat," he tched before iterating what he previously said, "It is just a hypothetical question. Like an if. You cannot blame me if he trips over the stairs, to fall and have his head cracked open."

Madeline looked at him pleadingly, "If you do things like that, it will only make me hate you more. Is that what you are looking for?" It was better to speak out her mind on what could happen if he wanted her to be able to see him in the eye. Hurting the people whom she cared for was supposed to be the last thing Calhoun was thinking about.

"Tell me, what will make you to love me then," he grinned, and Madeline turned her head slightly away to look at the plain walls of the court.

"There is no rule book on how to make someone love you. If they like you, they do. If not, then no. If you plan to win my heart the least you could do is not create anxiety in me," Madeline knew she was being bold, but she was taking the privilege of him liking her and using the same liberty.

Calhoun's fingers moved away from under her eyes and traced down to the side of her jaw before letting her go, "Now, that is where you are wrong. I like to toy things that belong to me, after all, they are mine to spoil and take care, don't you agree?"

Madeline pursed her lips and parted her lips to speak, but Calhoun was done talking to her.

"Do you think a man would allow his woman to think about another man who keeps her awake the entire night leaving her restless when it is my job to do that to you and not his," Calhoun stated who uncrossed his legs and pushed himself to stand on his feet, "You are foolish to think that anyone would ever allow it, less that person being me. You worry so much about him that it might cause problems for us in the future."

Had Calhoun not heard a word she had said or did he conveniently decide to ignore everything she said a few seconds ago?

"I know what you're thinking, sweet little girl," Calhoun said, going to step in front of her and Madeline this time took a step back. She didn't see why she should stand in one place when they had the entire court for themselves.

"What is it?" asked Madeline, her eyebrows furrowing while she took another step back when Calhoun took one more step towards her, with a smile on his face that could be used to scare people during the night of Hallow.

"That your words are not considered...I ignore things according to what I find to be pleasing to me. Don't worry, some of your words have been considered—things like how you can make use of those handkerchiefs in the room. You should have told Sophie about it, maybe you would have got the garter back," Calhoun chimed at her, but Madeline knew it was not true.

"You would have only made it worse. The garter is of no use for you, give it back to me. It is mine!" she whispered the words to him before taking two more steps back. By now they had covered some part of the courtroom and Madeline was sure they would be covering the whole room with the way Calhoun kept moving forward towards her.

"What is yours is mine now," Calhoun stated, and she didn't know why the King's eyes had fallen on her that night during the time of Hallow. He was utterly vexing! "Don't look so bummed about it. I will have the gentleman who stitches the clothes to let him know what kind of garter to make for you." And even though the incident hadn't taken place, Madeline could feel the embarrassment splashing across her face.

"You wouldn't…"

"Watch me," came the reply and before she could take some more steps away from him, Calhoun's long legs had caught up instead of continuing to play. Pulling her by her arm towards him, he said, "Maybe if he didn't affect you the way he was doing now, I would have let it go. Girls and boys have their infatuation, but you keep trying to protect him. That somewhere irks me." The smile that was on his lips had fallen from his lips, and he got her close to his body.

Madeline gulped. She hoped somebody came to interrupt or call the King but who would dare to do it when they knew that the King took a fancy when it came to chopping people's heads?

"Brother Calhoun!' and there was the person she was thankful to! It was Sophie, King Calhoun's cousin sister, "Brother Calhoun, are you in there-Oh you are here," said Sophie on seeing the King and Madeline standing close to each other.

At first, Sophie had not seen the human and it was only Calhoun's back that she had noticed until she came closer to see the girl who was hidden because of her small stature in front of Calhoun. Like Madeline, Sophie had woken up early, but for different reasons of wanting to meet Calhoun and spend time with him as she wasn't able to do it last evening. In the past, Sophie often dropped by the castle to talk to Calhoun, and he had given her the attention, but clearly the attention was getting diverted since the human had shown up at the castle.

The vampiress' eyes fell on Madeline's arm which was held by Calhoun. She put on a smile to ask, "What is going on in here?" even though it was apparent by the way the two people were standing in front of her.

Madeline's eyes fell on Sophie, and she pushed herself away from the King, "Something went in my eye. The King was kind enough to take a look at it," she said, who had somewhat started to notice that the attention Sophie was giving Calhoun was not of sisterly affection but one of a jealous girl who wanted the man for herself.

Calhoun didn't take her action to be rude and instead said, "I don't think the dust went out of your eyes. Let me take another look."