The Crown's Obsession

Music Recommendation: Sweet Brutal Suite by Jeff Russo

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The night wrapped up in a tense state for Mr. and Mrs. Harris as they had barely been able to chew any of their food without being wary of the Devil, who sat at the table along with the rest of the family. Mrs. Harris tried to behave naturally and tried her best to not to show that she was not intimidated by her son-in-law's grandfather.

"Will you be staying here for the night, Vlad?" inquired Madeline and Vladimir, who was having his dessert, shook his head while waving his hand.

"I have other plans, and I don't think your parents would be able to rest well by having me under the same roof," Vladimir grinned wide, making the Harris couple uneasy by his words. "I need to check who this person is, who is trying to disrupt my children's lives. Once I find him, I will make sure he receives the first-class treatment in Hell. How are you doing, Elizabeth? Staying out of trouble?" and his eyes fell on Beth.

Beth had stayed quiet the entire time, keeping her thoughts to herself and her actions to the minimum without drawing any attention to herself. She nodded her head, "I have been doing well, Mr. Lazarus."

Mrs. Harris looked slightly worried, "What exactly happened in Cossington? How did you fall sick? Was it the weather?"

Madeline held her fork tighter, and she slowly lifted her gaze to look at Beth.

Beth offered her worried mother a smile, trying to brush it away as if it was nothing. "I am perfectly alright now, mama. I fell sick for a brief time. Three-four days."

"If Mr. Lazarus had to intervene, it must have been something big," stated Mrs. Harris.

Vladimir ignored the conversation while he made scraping noises by using the spoon against the little glass bowl where the dessert had been earlier been filled as if he was enjoying it immensely.

Beth had a guilty look on her face, and Mrs. Harris' lips set itself in a thin line of disappointment. "Always getting into trouble, Elizabeth. It is good that you will be spending your time here, and wouldn't be causing your sister Madeline any trouble."

"Mama, it wasn't Beth's fault," intervened Madeline.

"Then why are you both hiding it?" demanded Mrs. Harris. There was a time when her two lovely daughters shared everything with her, but the number of secrets only increased as they grew up.

"Because they believe you wouldn't be able to take the truth," Calhoun spoke to Madeline's mother, and the woman bowed her head before looking back at her daughters. "Your daughters are trying to protect you, and you should allow them. They have grown up and have come to the age of understanding things around them," he offered his mother-in-law a smile.

"Children grow up so fast, don't they?" chimed Vladimir, without lifting his head as he continued to scrape at the empty bowl. The tone that the Devil used, it wasn't provoking or arrogant. Instead, one could sense the deep sadness in his words.

When he finally looked up, an instant smile appeared on his lips, and he said, "Thank you for having me for dinner. We should do this every day," he suggested before getting up from his chair and making his way out of the room.

Calhoun stared at Vladimir's back that looked lonely and at the same time, he felt Madeline place her hand on his leg under the table, gaining his attention.

"I will see you in the room," Calhoun said to Madeline, and she smiled, nodding her head. Excusing himself, he stepped out of the room.

Calhoun walked in the corridors until he sensed the Devil was not inside the house, but standing on the mansion's roof top's edge. Going to the top, he felt the cold wind blow at where he stood, and Calhoun put his hands in his trouser pockets, noticing Vladimir standing at the edge.

"You miss her," said Calhoun. Vladimir who had his back facing his grandson, his face continued to stay expressionless.

Calhoun didn't close the distance between them, and he paused his feet, feeling the wind ruffle his hair.

Vladimir said, "I still remember the day she was born. So small that I knew if I used a little more pressure, I could kill her. I knew she was delicate, maybe the most delicate, and I made it worse. We think we are doing the right thing by sheltering and not letting the rays of the sun touch them in worry that it might burn them, but it only makes it worse. Would it be strange if I said that Constance was someone who brought me joy, the existence of my little daughter."

"Sometimes I wonder if I should have appointed another caretaker and not Odin. He was too soft on her," Vladimir tched. "But then she liked his company and spoke mostly only to him. Her loss is something that has left the heart Hollower than before, but then I remember she left you behind."

"Do you regret not taking up the offer of trading Madeline with her soul?" questioned Calhoun, his voice quiet.

Vladimir looked up at the sky, his hand stretching forward when he caught sight of the snowflake making its way down before it settled on his hand and disappeared.

"Sometimes, no matter how much you want something, it is hard to get it. It is vexing to think that I wasn't there when she needed me, and it is something that will forever weigh in my heart" murmured Vladimir, "And yes, I do miss her."

Staring at the Devil for a few seconds, Calhoun made his way towards Vladimir and said, "You don't have to feel that way. It was a choice she made for herself, and something she made her peace with. She is now in peace, and that is all that matters."

Calhoun understood how Vladimir felt because by the time Calhoun had attained power his mother was gone, but nonetheless, he had killed the people who had hurt her. He then sat down on the cold mud tiles belonging to the roof, placing his hands behind him to support his body. Vladimir decided to join Calhoun by sitting next to him.

The cold breeze continued to blow, where the snowflakes started to fall down from the sky. The two men sat quietly, reminiscing the good things of the past.