The Crown's Obsession

Vladimir accompanied them around the village while Odin followed, walking right behind his master.

"The celebration of the wedding, I regret not waking up sooner else I would have not missed your wedding. It would have been wonderful, not that I didn't attend the celebration that took place after it, but we didn't stay for long, did we, Odin?" said Vladimir while they walked on the side of the road in the village.

"I remember seeing you," replied Madeline, and Vladimir nodded his head.

"If it weren't for Michael and Paschar in there, I would have stayed longer. We don't get along in each other's company, or maybe my company to be specific," responded Vladimir, his demeanour relaxed as if he was on vacation and making it look like he was part of the living world. "Did you speak to your father?"

Madeline shook her head.

"I was hoping to talk to him if he were to come to the castle, but he hasn't shown up even in the High House," said Madeline. She wondered if her father was being punished with the rest of them. "Did you know about Raphael?"

"Hm," came the short response from the Devil. "Where is the little were?"

He was asking about Elizabeth. "She's reached the kingdom in the North." Beth had been mindful enough to write a letter to her, keeping her informed that she was safe.

"The land of Warrings, where the family of Warrings live," he muttered under his breath.

"I heard King Sebastian has decided to fill in one of the positions in the High House. But Calhoun hasn't made up his mind yet," said Madeline from what she knew and heard. Helena had offered Calhoun the position when the High House had just formed too. With the demons of the High House who had died and the angels who had returned to Heaven, it had left many positions open at the High table of the High House. "Did you come here for some important work?"

Vladimir smiled at Madeline's question, "Something like that."

"Master, how can a vampire marry a person in the church?" Odin whispered the question to Vladimir.

"Maybe the people in the living world have created a way to step inside. Though the idea is intriguing," and he turned to look at both the young ladies who walked next to him.

Lucy, who heard this question, said, "Madeline was kind enough to arrange it."

"I knew my grandson would pick the right woman to be next to his side. If Constance were alive, she would be proud of him," the words were thoughts of Vladimir and Madeline couldn't help but want to know more about the woman, whose son she was married to.

"Could I ask you some questions?" asked Madeline, and Vladimir's eyes shifted to her. "Was there someone who was close to Lady Constance?"

"She lived in the castle of Belmount. I doubt there was anyone outside the castle," replied Vladimir. "There is Odin, whose company she enjoyed since she was born."

Odin nodded his head, "Lady Constance used to enjoy my company the most," explained the demon, who looked barely fifteen years old in appearance. He looked younger than the last time she had seen him.

"Well, apart from Odin, she was well versed with the servants of the castle and they were her friends," stated Vladimir. The last time Madeline had been to that castle, it looked deserted as if there was no one. She wondered if the demons who worked for Vladimir had turned invisible to her eyes.

The reason why she asked was because of the letter that she and Calhoun had found in the house where Calhoun once lived with his mother. The letter had mentioned the bat who had woken up from his sleep.

Odin, who was in deep thought, said, "After Master and me, maybe it was Douglas with whom she used to spend her time."

"Douglas?" asked Madeline.

"He used to be my coachman. So that we would look more human when we went to visit the villages here," explained Vladimir. "He died a few years ago when I was still sleeping. A human's life is very little compared to us immortals and he was turning old when I went to sleep. He was the one who taught Constance about the humans and the other things outside the castle."

"Do you know where he is buried?" asked Madeline, and Odin shook his head.

"No milady. After a few years of Lady Constance leaving the castle, Douglas left the castle to get things for the castle, but he never returned. I did look for him but didn't find him."

"Talking about it brings back some of the memories," said Vladimir.

They finished looking at things that the village had to offer before picking up Monique, who was in the next village, before heading back to the castle.

While Madeline came to meet Calhoun, she saw Odin, who stood outside the room where Calhoun and Vladimir were speaking.

"Mr. Odin," Madeline greeted the Devil's faithful servant.

"Lady Madeline," Odin bowed his head. "Did you come to meet Master Calhoun?"

"Yes," she replied, but she didn't go inside the room. Instead, she asked the demon servant, "Mr. Odin, there is something I would like to ask from you."

Odin was about to say 'anything,' but the last time he had done it, his master had put him in the pot where the melted iron was boiling.

"Do you think you would be able to bring me some of Lady Constance's writing? When she was small and still learning things? I think Calhoun would like to have more of her memories," she said to him.

Odin was quick to nod his head, "I can do that, milady," and in a blink of an eye, he transformed himself into a bat and flew away from there.

Seeing Odin leave, Madeline then knocked on the door before entering the room to see Calhoun and Vladimir, who stood in front of each other.

"I need to talk to you both about something," said Madeline. "It is about the wedding gown."