The Crown's Obsession

When the plate clattered, Madeline shifted her gaze from Calhoun to look at her right, to see Sophie's plate that had moved against the glass next to it. Sophie's eyes had widened for some reason. Not to forget there was another sound that came from the side where she was sitting that caught everyone's attention.

It took a second more, following everyone's line of gaze, when she noticed Beth's face that was splattered with the crab and its seasoning. The crab had gone to slide and fall down on Beth's chest. Madeline's eyes widened over the sight, wondering how the crab got there. Did Sophie throw the crab on her sister's face?

Beth looked agitated but she tried not to show her rage now. She glared at Sophie.

"Oh my! Are you alright, dear?" asked Lady Rosamund to Beth. Mrs. Harris, who was sitting next to Beth, took hold of the crab to drop it on another plate and cleaned the mess on her face.

Beth wanted to shout at Sophie, instead she put up a quick smile on her face, "I am alright," her eyes then turned to look at Sophie, "Lady Sophie, why would you throw the crab at me?" Beth had been busy staring at the King and her sister who was being fed when the crab came flying to smack on her face. She knew Sophie and her had started on the wrong foot but wasn't this vampiress being petty?

"I apologise, Lady Elizabeth," Sophie's words contained little to no remorse towards what took place. She instead wanted to laugh in the face of the girl. But with everyone watching them, especially Calhoun and her mother, she put up an innocent face, "I didn't know the crab would fly. Please use this," said Sophie, offering her napkin across the table.

Beth didn't take it. To be smacked with food in front of everyone, was humiliating! "Crabs don't fly, they are made to fly by throwing, milady," Beth responded back who noticed how Sophie looked at her unapologetically.

"Are you telling I did it on purpose?" Sophie asked with a scoff, "I have other better things to do than to be involved with the likes of you."

Lady Rosamund tried to get her daughter to be quiet but Sophie didn't heed to her warning. It was clear that there was some mutual dislike going on in between Sophie and Beth.

"I don't know. Am I?" asked Beth in a whisper.

Calhoun who could see everything clearly from where he sat, had a wicked smile on his lips. He enjoyed things like this, "Aunt Rosamund, it looks like little Sophie needs to be educated well with what can fly and what cannot," taunted Calhoun with a teasing smile.

Sophie's face turned red over Calhoun's words. But Calhoun was not done speaking. His eyes turned to Beth, "Lady Elizabeth, I am sure you can forgive our dear Sophie's action," he smiled looking at the elder daughter of Harris. His eyes held something very dangerous that said he wouldn't tolerate if his words were defied.

Beth quickly bowed her head, "Of course, milord," she said with a smile. Out of rage, both Beth and Sophie had earlier forgotten there were other people at the table. She wanted to throw the crab that was on her plate to see how the vampiress would like it but wanting to show everyone how considerate she was, she bowed her head to Sophie.

This had left Sophie embarrassed. She quietly glared at Elizabeth, over how the human made it to look as if it was Sophie's fault now. This little bitch! She couldn't believe Markus was trying to woo this girl!

"Milord," a servant appered at the door of the dining room, "Sir Markus is here," announced the servant.

"Ask him to join us in the dining room," Calhoun waved his hand to the servant, "How odd that Markus is being shy to come and have dinner with us," he commented noticing Lady Rosamund furrow her brows after the servant's announcement. The truth was that Calhoun had ordered the servants to stop Markus or anyone else from directly getting an access to the inside of the castle.

When Markus Wilmot arrived, he stepped inside the room and bowed to show his respect and love to the King which was nothing but a farce.

"Long live the King," Markus said.

"Undoubtedly, that I will," commented Calhoun at Markus' words, "Take a seat, Markus."

The vampire looked around the table, noticing there were people at the dining table that included his family and the Harris' family.

Beth was more than happy to see Markus Wilmot who had made his presence in this room. When his eyes met her and her parents' he bowed his head, offering them a smile before walking to the empty seat that was next to his sister Sophie and sat down.

"I was expecting to see you with your mother and sister. What took you so long?" questioned Calhoun to his cousin brother who turned to look at Calhoun.

Markus replied, "I had to go to the town because mother wanted to check if the tailorman had got her dress stitched," he gave a solemn look.

"And here I thought you went to work with Uncle to get the land levelled for the mansion as said by your mother," said Calhoun, putting his fork into his mouth while looking at Markus.

The vampire smiled, "I went for it too,milord," Markus replied before looking at his mother who stared back at him.

Calhoun had only started with his amusement at the dining table. He remarked, "Interesting that clothes are the first thing that's at the top of your head and not the land that you have been working on," he turned to look at his aunt Rosamund, "What a doting son you have raised."

Lady Rosamund had said something while Markus had told another. The older vampiress was glad that her son was sensible enough in salvaging a situation. On the King's words, she offered a warm smile, "Markus knows how much I like getting the gowns stitched and don't like repeating them too many times. He knows his priorities."

"Mother's wishes come first and then the rest," agreed Markus like the good son he was.

Calhoun nodded his head, "Having priorities are good. But it's also wise to keep the priorities within one's boundary so that it doesn't clash with others. No?" Calhoun smiled looking at everyone, without hovering too long on a person. It made the people there think and question what the King was actually speaking about. His words were vague, making them question if it was somewhere pointing to them.

Madeline, who sat close to Calhoun, noticed the King smile as if he meant no harm to anyone.

"The King is right," said Lady Rosamund, raising her glass up as if in toast and everyone at the table raised their glasses, "We are all privileged to have a King like you, milord."

Calhoun continued to smile, the smile broadened on his face, "Let's continue to eat and make sure to see that no one tests if crabs can fly or not. Yes?" he said, his eyes falling on Sophie whose cheeks turned red.

By the time Markus had entered the dining room, Beth had cleaned herself and her dress from all the crab meat on her. Markus had a quizzical look on his face.

Though Calhoun had asked everyone to continue eating, his eyes were still on his cousins. He twirled the tip of his fork on the plate without making any noise. His eyes narrowed in thought. Madeline had mentioned how Markus was helping her parents in rebuilding the shop.

Since when did Markus turn to be such a benevolent man?

"Mr. Harris," Calhoun addressed Madeline's father for the old man to quickly look at the King who had called him, "How is the shop flourishing?" he asked.

Madeline's eyes and body turned alert when Calhoun questioned her father. It seemed like Calhoun was going to speak about the shop that was torn down. Even though he knew what happened, he was testing her father. She knew her parents had decided not to bring the matter in front of the King. According to them, it was the King who had ordered to tear and destroy the shop that was given as a gift earlier to them.

Her father who was sitting on her right pursed his lips. The man didn't know why the King was asking about the shop, was he being sarcastic and trying to taunt and rub salt over their wounds, Mr. Harris asked himself. He was about to reply to it when the King said,

"I heard something happened to the shop," said Calhoun, his red eyes looking at Mr. Harris.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Harris turned tense. The King was surely strange to ask about something he was responsible for, thought the elderly couple in their mind.

Mr. Harris apprehensively replied, "A few days ago, someone came and demolished the shop telling it was an order that was passed by the King." With the King who was asking directly, Mr. Harris believed it was better to tell what happened to the King.

Lady Rosamund, stopped moving her fork and knife and exclaimed, "The King would never order something like that!" She spoke as if she had no clue with the matter and wanted to know what happened.

Calhoun raised his brow while he continued to look at Mr. Harris, "And you didn't care to inform me about it?" Everyone at the table who were eating or drinking had stopped to look at the King.

Even though the night was cold, Mrs. Harris felt a sweat break through her forehead at the question that the King asked.

"Did you think it was done by me?" questioned Calhoun, his voice turning cold that only made the others nervous at the table.

"Milord, there was the seal of the royal court-" Beth started to only be interrupted by Calhoun,

"I am speaking with your father, Miss Elizabeth. I don't remember questioning you. Did I?" he tilted his head, his voice cold and Beth's face turned far redder than the time when the crab had smacked her face.

"My apologies, milord," she whispered like a mouse and bowed her head.

Calhoun stared at the girl, his eyes narrowed until a smile cracked on his lips, "I was only joking. What royal court?" he asked in interest.

Beth looked stressed because of the King's words. She had left her room in the hope to make good impression on others, but since she had taken a seat at this dining table, it felt like she had stepped on bad luck that was stuck with her.