The Crown's Obsession

The minister who worked with Queen Morganna announced, "With the commencement of Markus Wilmot as the next successor, the King Laurence's nephew and Queen Morganna's grandson, we will now take a vote of agreement."

Morganna said, "We believe and trust that you will do what is right for the future of our kingdom," her eyes moving from one person to another.

Soon each magistrate and the minister was called out to give their opinion in favour for or against the decision. When the opinions were received and written down, the minister went to where the mother Queen was seated, and he bent down to show what he had written. Morganna looked more than pleased that more than three-fourth of the room had agreed.

The minister looked at the group of people who had gathered, and he said, "Thank you for taking part and proving your loyalty to the Queen and this kingdom. The decision is as clear as day. Majority of the people have agreed for Markus Wilmot to be crowned as the next King of Devon. A coronation ceremony will be held soon to spread the word to the ne-"

The minister couldn't complete his sentence as they heard a pair of footsteps approaching the royal court. The guards who stood outside bowed and announced loudly, "Bow to the King of Devon!"

Everyone in the room quickly bowed their heads, and Morganna's eyes narrowed. She hadn't seen her son since morning, and she had only guessed that her son was sulking somewhere in the corner of the castle. It was an inevitable move that had to be made, and even the King himself couldn't do anything about it.

Seeing King Laurence step into the room, Lady Samara was glad that her husband had come back from wherever he had gone. Being the King's wife, she wasn't too keen to let go of the authority of the throne or the crown.

But Laurence hadn't come alone. There were two other young men who stepped into the room along with the King. One wore a pair of glasses on his face with a polite smile. The other person stepped inside the royal court as if he owned everything in the castle, but it did.

Morganna didn't know who the other two men were, and she could only guess that her son had brought them either to entertain him or to work for the royal family.

"Did you finish your work, King Laurence?" asked Queen Morganna as if she wasn't preparing to transfer his position to her grandson.

King Laurence looked at the people who were gathered in the room, and his eyes then shifted to look at his mother, who had stood up from her throne after he arrived in the room.

The King smiled, a bright smile on his lips that confused his mother. He said, "I did. I can see that everyone is here. What an opportune moment."

The magistrate who had earlier questioned Queen Morganna bowed his head and informed, "Yes, my King. Most of us have agreed to allow Lady Rosamund's son to be your successor."

Rosamund couldn't feel any prouder for giving birth to her son, who would finally make her dream come true. Amid the discussion, Lucy, who stood next to her mother, her eyes widened on seeing one of the men who stood behind her father. It was the man with the glasses! What was he doing here?

"Is that so?" questioned King Laurence, "I don't think it is necessary now. I have found the solution to the problem."

"What are you talking about?" asked Queen Morganna.

While Laurence did nothing but smile, his mother believed her son had started to lose his mind. The young man with dark red eyes and black hair stepped next to her son.

King Laurence then announced, "I would like to introduce you to my son. Calhoun Hawthrone." It received a couple of gasps in the room, and people's eyes fell on Calhoun.

"This is not the time to joke, brother," stated Rosamund. "You cannot pick someone from the street and claim him as your son."

Laurence couldn't help but laugh out loud, "I did not pick him from a street. The prior rules we have been following states that it is enough to keep my rule if I have a son. Calhoun is Constance's son, the woman who once used to live in the castle."

Morganna, as well as Rosamund's eyes, considerably narrowed on hearing the woman's name whom they thought they had erased from Laurence's world. Rosamund's hands turned into fists. Queen Morganna was about to speak, but she was immediately interrupted by her son, who said,

"My blood runs through this boy's veins. Royal Hawthrone blood, and I would openly like to claim and accept him as my rightful son. Tuffins, the documents," ordered King Laurence, and his minister quickly walked to where the Queen stood, and he handed the documents to her. "I have already asked the men to make an inspection. This way, everyone can sit back and not worry if he isn't my son. Now that the matter is solved," King Laurence's smile fell, and he said, "I now dismiss the court!"

The ministers and the magistrates couldn't help themselves but look at Calhoun with their eyes wide. They bowed their heads to offer their respect, the people slowly started to dissolve.

When Lady Samara saw her husband taking leave, she quickly followed him. Near the throne, Queen Morganna stared at Calhoun with pure distaste in her eyes.

"I thought Laurence didn't know about the boy's existence," whispered Lady Rosamund.

"We thought wrong," Queen Morganna murmured under her breath.

She stared at the boy who her son claimed to be his son, but the boy looked right back at her with a faint smile on his lips that looked smug, irking her.

She turned to her loyal minister and whispered, "See what you can find about the boy. I want to know everything." The minister bowed his head and left.