The Crown's Obsession

Music Recommendation: Timeless by Jorge Mendez

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Lucy sat flat on the ground, holding her leg, wondering if she stepped on a piece of glass, but this was worse than that.

"Lady Lucy! Are you alright?!" The maid quickly bent down to check the princess's feet and saw nothing to be word, at least by the looks of it now. "You must have stepped on a sharp stick or a thorn, but it must have not gone inside," informed the maid, it was because Lucy's sole didn't have a drop of blood on it.

Holding her leg, Lucy looked on the ground where she had been earlier walking before sitting down. She didn't catch anything, "It must be. For some reason, it hurts quite a lot. Like a...sting.." Was it a bee?

"Here, milady," said Amice, standing on her feet and offering her hands for Lucy to take.

Just as Lucy was pulled up by her maid, they caught sight of Queen Morganna, who was coming in their direction with her Aunt Rosamund in the garden.

"I keep hoping the girls in the royal family would fix their behaviour, but it seems like it is going downhill with every single day," commented Queen Morganna, who had caught sight of Lucy sitting on the ground. "If you want to sit, there are better places in the castle than in the middle of the garden area where people walk with their dirty shoes."

Both Lady Lucy and her maid bowed their heads to offer their greetings to the Queen and Lady Rosamund.

Theodore, who stood in one of the castle's patios, watched them interact in curiosity, wondering what the young vampiress was going to say. Never before Theodore had an opportunity to personally meet the Queen or any other people who belonged to the royal family, but by the looks of it, he could tell Queen Morganna was a stubborn woman who wanted everything the world could offer. Right now she looked perfectly annoyed after what happened in the royal court room. He could only guess about the future of how it would feel to see her die, and at the thought of it, a pleasant smile appeared on his lips.

"I, uh, I was wondering how flat the ground was," blurted Lucy. She didn't dare to move as her feet were bare without shoes that her maid now hid behind her back.

With the things that had gone down in the royal court, Lucy believed her family would be busy discussing it, but who knew they wanted to spend their time in the garden too.

"What?" questioned her grandmother as if she didn't understand the rubbish that came out from her granddaughter's mouth. "Get inside. Look at you, I can already see your skin turning red, and it might cause blisters on your skin if you stay out and under the sun."

On the other hand, Rosamund looked at her niece and at the maid with her keen eyes, sensing both the young girls were up to no good.

Lucy quickly said, "Queen Morganna, do you know from where my governess is? The one who has been newly appointed?"

"Your father is the one who has the details about it," replied the Queen, "Once she's here, you will have less time to dawdle around and waste your time, Lucy. Make sure you listen to her and turn to a fine lady that I believe you have the ability to transform. I have already spoken to your mother that we will be soon looking out for suitors once you turn into a fine lady."

"Suitors?" Lucy used the word as if it was foreign to her. "I am too young, my Queen-"

"It is the right age," Queen Morganna interrupted Lucy's words, "Your mother agrees to it, and it is always good to get married when you are young. We all did, and so will you. Now get back inside."

Lucy bowed her head, seeing the Queen and her aunt continue their walk and talk that had been paused. The young vampiress didn't move from her place. "Will I be married soon, Amice? I am not ready for it," she whispered. She was still learning the ways of the castle life and the life around her, it felt surreal to hear it.

"Don't worry, milady. The Queen said they are going to do it in the future and not right away," consoled her maid, but that didn't remove the fact that she would be married to someone whom she had no idea about.

Lucy's eyes moved to look at the castle, looking at the windows and the patios that were empty, including the one where a man stood earlier that had gone unnoticed by her.

When Lucy started to walk, she flinched, "I have been stung by a bee."

By the time of the evening, Lucy felt as if stones had been tied to one of her feet, and she rested in her room. Sitting on the bed now, she read a book in her room. Candles had been lit in the chandelier that hung on the ceiling not too far away from where she was. Even the fireplace was lit that gave out warmth while adding light to the already lit bright room.

Hearing a knock on the door, Lucy quickly made sure to hide her leg by covering it with a blanket and before she could say come in, the doors of her room opened and in came her mother.

"I have been looking for you. What are you doing by sitting on the bed?" questioned her mother with a deep frown marred on her forehead.

"I am reading," came the obvious tone and her mother narrowed her eyes, "I am reading, mother. Did you need me?" Lucy used a much more polite tone and bowed at her mother.

"Yes, the governess is here. She arrived half an hour ago, and I thought it was best to introduce you to her so that you can start your studies tomorrow morning," stated her mother. "Come now, leave the company of your book, and meet the governess."

Lucy didn't want to leave her bed yet. Having been stung by a bee, it would need some time until the swelling would reduce. Thankfully she was a vampiress, and the swelling would disappear by tomorrow morning.

"I thought it was the governess who came to meet the princess, not the other way round, mama," said Lucy, her innocent gaze only vexing her mother.