The Crown's Obsession

Madeline felt relieved that the arrow missed, but she wondered how Calhoun had missed his aim. She noticed him picking another arrow before positioning it against the bow. The fawn had moved from the spot it had been eating the plants, unruffled as it hadn't felt the graze of the edge of the arrow.

Feeling Calhoun move his hand, Madeline felt her body go still along with her breathing as she watched him draw the arrow. She was sure Calhoun was going to kill the fawn this time, but the arrow moved through the trees to get stuck in the bark of the tree.

"Looks like today's aim is not good," she heard him mutter and her eyebrows drew together. Was there finally something Calhoun was not good at? She had heard of how Sophie's brother was bad at aiming, but she doubted the King was bad when it came to his aims.

When he pulled the third arrow, Madeline heard Calhoun ask her in a low tone, "Where do you want me to aim? Neck? Its beating heart?" It seemed like the last two times he was only playing with her.

They had spent more than a few minutes staring at the fawn and aiming at it from a distance while making sure not to let it off from their sight. Madeline who had been looking at the fawn felt terrible that it was going to die, "What if I said nowhere?" Hearing this, Calhoun, who was behind her, smiled.

"I thought you came here to hunt. What happened? Change of heart?" Calhoun asked, who didn't lower the bow or the arrow.

Indeed, she had come here to hunt but looking at the fawn closer now. She noticed it was a young one that might have only learned to walk recently. She didn't want to see it dead, "I thought I did, but…" her voice trailed, and she watched his hands lower down. With his hands moving away from her on either side, she saw Calhoun jump down from the horse.

Madeline looked confused as to why he had dismounted from the horse. He walked to the right side of the horse and raised both his hands. She bit her lip before turning around for him to help her get down from the horse.

"Why did we get down?" she asked him curiously. Calhoun moved the bow up with his hand to place it on his shoulder.

"So that we can go and take a closer look at the animal and save it for some other day," answered Calhoun who started to walk forward. Madeline blinked before she quickly followed him, walking next to him carefully so as to not surprise the animal in front of them.

"The bow is for other animals?" she asked him carefully. Calhoun turned his head with a devious smile on his lips and he gave her nod.

"That's right. How can I kill something when you don't have the heart to kill it," he replied to her as if it was the obvious thing to do and a faint smile came to appear on her lips. The intention of coming out here was to hunt the animals. As the others were vampires, they were used to the kill. But then it was also because they belonged to the high-status family. For Calhoun not to kill and spare the fawn, it meant a lot.

They continued to walk, their footsteps slowed down when they came to stand close to the fawn. Calhoun didn't move, but Madeline walked forward, her heart beating loudly as she tried to inch herself closer. One step after another, but before her hand could reach out to touch the fawn. The fawn looked up startled and ready to bolt.

Calhoun, who stood from a little distance away, watched both the fawn and Madeline. Young fawns were often skittish, and this one looked as if it was about to bolt. But something odd happened, the fawn didn't run away. With Madeline's hand that was outstretched, the fawn looked up at her hand.

She got closer to it, to finally touch its head. Calhoun had heard the fawn's heartbeat spike up a few seconds ago because of surprise that now suddenly turned calm. Madeline bent down, using both her hands, she gently ran her hands across its head, and then he saw something he hadn't got to see before.

A radiant smile spread across her lips, staring at the fawn as she continued to pet it. Unlike the girl, Calhoun was interested in looking at her. The first and the second time when they had met each other, she had looked anxious. He had also noticed her after she had stepped down from the dance floor. She looked restive, and he accepted the fact that it was partly his fault, but he couldn't help himself but tease her.

Her very presence entranced him, and he continued to stare at her as everything else dissolved to nothingness.

Madeline felt happy petting the animal, and after a few seconds, she looked up to see Calhoun who had a faint smile on his face, "Enjoying yourself there, are we?" he asked her. While touching the fawn's head, she had forgotten where they were and saw Calhoun making his way to where she was.

"Do you want to touch it?" she asked him.

Calhoun's eyes slightly narrowed, but his hands reached down to pat the head of the small animal that they were going to hunt a few minutes ago.

Madeline watched Calhoun's gentle hand movements, just like when he touched his favourite wolf, Maddox. Her cheeks turned pink, blood rushing up to her face when she took note of his fingers and how large his hands were when compared to hers.

She remembered the conversation they had when they were on the horse. The last few days, Calhoun used to call James 'tailorman', but today he addressed him as 'Mr. Heathcliff'.

Continuing to look back at Calhoun again who was patting the fawn's head, Madeline's lips pursed together. For a man who could stop himself from hunting down the animal in front of him, Madeline came to believe that Lady Rosamund was only trying to feed her with lies. Lies that were baseless.

After a while, even the fawn rubbed its head against Calhoun's hand, and this had her lips twitch. It seemed like the big bad wolf was liked by the baby deer.

When he finally let go of the fawn, the animal walked away from them, leaving them both standing there alone.

"Let's go find that animal that Samuel was talking about," suggested Calhoun and Madeline nodded her head. The clothes that she wore made it easier to walk and she liked it.

In comfortable silence, they continued to stroll through the woods. At a far distance, they could hear the galloping of the horses, and it seemed like the other vampires were actively taking part in the hunting, unlike them who were walking.

Madeline followed Calhoun, walking towards a small stream of water that was passing through the path. She wondered if it was the right time to ask. Just when she was about to turn to ask him, Madeline heard a faint whistling sound of the wind approaching them.

Suddenly Calhoun pushed her behind him while one of his hand caught hold of an arrow which had aimed at her.