The Crown's Obsession

Music Recommendation: He saw an opportunity by Nicholas Britell

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Madeline felt the tension rise in her body, when she caught sight of the servant named Odin, who went to turn the lever one round after another, her heartbeat increased. A loud click was heard, and Madeline closed her eyes. A finger fell on the ground, and Odin let go of the lever as his Master had said one finger for a day.

She anticipated the pain, waiting for it to shoot up from her finger to her arms before it would spread to her entire body, letting her know the excruciating pain. When she didn't feel it, she opened her eyes and looked at the finger that fell on the ground, that didn't belong to her. The colour of the finger was white, and it didn't have blood on it.

Vladimir, who was waiting for the girl to start screaming, looked slightly disappointed. He was staring at the wall behind her before looking at her face that was calm but etched in fear. His eyes then fell on the ground to look at the finger that had fallen.

"Odin," called Vladimir, and the servant turned to his Master. "How long has it been since you last cleaned this device?"

Odin looked down at the finger, and his eyes widened, "It must be long, Master. Forgive me for my negligence. I shall get it cleaned right away!" The servant vampire picked up the old finger from the ground, and Madeline stared at it wide-eyed. The finger was cut into a perfect half, leaving a dark black circle of dried blood at one end.

"Place her finger again in it," ordered Vladimir.

Madeline didn't know if her torture was being prolonged or if she was getting an opportunity to speak so that she could continue to keep her fingers to herself. "Mr…."

Vladimir turned back to look at the human. There was something funny about her, but the old vampire couldn't point out what it was. With his narrowed eyes, he said, "It's Lazarus. Vladimir Lazarus. I am sure you would like to know who is cutting your finger."

She didn't know what to say to this. This vampire was crazy enough to take his ire on her, instead of punishing the person who was responsible. "Mr. Lazarus. I understand that you loved your daughter and that she was precious to you, but do you think she would like it if she were to know that you are torturing someone who had nothing to do with her death?"

"She was naive when it came to her surroundings. It is why she even got into trouble by staying beside a man who was a worthless piece of shit," Vladimir didn't filter his words, speaking his mind out while Odin was refixing the device by oiling it so that he wouldn't step on his Master's last nerve. "I don't get how you even got married to him. Was it for the money? Or was it his looks that got you to marry him? How can you love a man who used and killed an innocent woman? Aren't you afraid that he will do the same to you?"

Madeline shook her head, "Because I know he won't leave me for another woman. He is nothing like his father. I do agree that he was quite a..." she paused, trying to find a suitable word.

"Bastard?" Vladimir filled in the word.

"When I first met him, he was cruel and insensitive about my feelings," explained Madeline. "I know he hasn't done things that would warrant him a ticket to heaven, instead, he would end up straight in Hell for the things he has done and said."

"I will be extra good to him when he visits Hell soon," hummed Vladimir, waiting to be satisfied by avenging his daughter's death and to save the last part of her honour.

Madeline didn't understand what Vladimir meant by that, but she didn't stop talking. "Yes, you can do that, but no person is perfect. We all have our flaws. He isn't the person he appears to be. I have seen things, some in my dreams which I question if it's real and that is what happened to him."

"What do you say your flaw is, girl?" questioned Vladimir, humouring the human before she would start screaming in agony. Humans were fragile creatures. Even a prick of a pin had them screaming.

"Would it be a flaw to fall in love?" Madeline asked the question in return to have Vladimir smile.

"You do understand that emotions are something that can be made use of. If the King loves you, it will only make, sending him your fingers each day will be that much exciting before I send just your head," hearing this Madeline gulped. It seemed like soon she would have no fingers. No one knew who Vladimir was, and Calhoun would not be able to find her.

Seeing Odin place his hands back again on the lever, Madeline pursed her lips.

"Master, it is all set," informed the servant. Madeline decided to take her words back that she had thought earlier about this person being sane. The servant was insane enough to agree with his master to break her limbs!

"Why didn't you do something about it? When your daughter met the King and stayed next to him, you could have prevented it!" Madeline spoke again. With the way Vladimir looked at her, it felt as if she would lose her tongue any moment now, but if the vampire was going to kill her in the end, it was better to speak than stay mum.

Vladimir's eyes turned dark, and he stepped forward threateningly, "You think I would have let her stay next to that filthy vampire King if I knew something was going on between them? By the time I woke up, she was gone, and the servants who were supposed to watch over her, she had slipped past their nose."

So he had slept in the night, and in the morning she was not there?

"You could have looked for her in the morning once you woke up," Madeline scrunched her eyebrows.