The Crown's Obsession

At the time of the night, Madeline visited Lucy's room to help the vampiress. Now sitting on the bed, she turned the ribbon left and right now and then around Lucy's black hair.

"Will this work?" asked Lucy, surprise evident in her voice. "I never knew I could curl my hair by doing this."

Madeline nodded her head, "It does. Beth and I used to use this trick at night and it used to work wonders in the morning. We used to attend some of the local soiress together."

"It must have been fun, isn't it?" said Lucy, wondering how beautiful the life of a middle-class family was. "Thank you for coming here to help me, Madeline. I truly appreciate your help. I am grateful."

"We are sisters now. Things like these don't need to be appreciated between us," Madeline conveyed her thoughts. "I am more than happy to be helping and be part of this time."

Lucy smiled at Madeline's kind words. She sat there without moving her head so that Madeline could get the rest of her hair tied in ribbons. Once it was done, Madeline wished her goodnight and good rest as tomorrow was an important day.

She got into her bed with her hair that was tied with peach coloured ribbons, her eyes staring at the ceiling while excitement bubbled in her chest. And though she tried to fall asleep, she couldn't because she had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

Minutes passed by, and Lucy realized she wasn't able to fall asleep. She got out of the bed, walking towards the mirror and imagining herself in the wedding gown even though there was still a lot of time to wear it. She smiled to herself, the room turning colourful in her eyes and a piece of piano playing in the back of her mind, which was peaceful.

The time right now reminded her of the day that took place two decades ago. She had stood at the patio, waiting for him to appear, hoping he would come to tell her how he was only joking and he wanted her. If one had looked at her closely the following day, they would have noticed how she had not slept the entire night because she had waited for Theodore, who never showed up.

Remembering about the past turned her nervous about her present. Hearing something on her patio, Lucy's eyebrows furrowed, and she slowly stepped closer to the closed doors.

"Theodore?" she called his name. When her hands reached for the knobs of the door, she heard him speak.

"Don't open it."

So it was him, thought Lucy to herself. Her mind eased itself.

Theodore then spoke from the other side of the door, "They said we shouldn't see each other until we meet near the altar in the church. Isn't that what humans follow?"

Lucy let go of the knob, but she stepped closer to the door, "When did you start believing the ways of the humans?" she softly asked him.

"Since I fell in love with this girl," replied Theodore and hearing the shuffling noise on the lower side of the door, Lucy could only believe that he had taken a seat against the door.

"What else did this girl do?" asked Lucy, her eyes staring at the door, and she sat in front of it.

"Sleepless nights like this. I thought you would have fallen asleep," stated Theodore.

"I couldn't. What about you? What are you doing here?" she asked him before turning around and letting her back lean against the same door where Theodore sat on the other side.

"I thought I could use some company. Yours being the best," replied Theodore, that brought a smile on Lucy's lips. "There's still ten hours to pass."

"Ten hours nine minutes," said Lucy, and she looked down at her hands. "Madeline helped me with my hair. I have ribbons tried in my hair now."

"It makes me curious to see how you look now. What a bad girl you are to tempt me at this hour," murmured Theodore.

The smile on Lucy's lips widened, and as if remembering something, she said, "I invited Ethan for the wedding."

"I see," hummed Theodore, glad that the man had found someone and wouldn't be in unrequited love with Lucy. "Calhoun has invited Helena and Dimitri."

With Theodore, who sat on the other side of the door, Lucy felt less anxious knowing they were both in this together, and soon she fell asleep. When morning arrived, Lucy found herself on the ground and near the door of the patio. Placing her head closer to the door, she wondered if Theodore was still there or if he had left.

Right on time, the doors to her room opened, and three maids appeared to help Lucy in getting ready. On seeing the lady sitting on the floor and one side of her head placed on the door, one of the maids asked,

"Good morning, Lady Lucy. Is everything alright?"

"Ah, yes," Lucy cleared her throat and stood up on her feet.

One of the maids walked forward, towards the other side of the wooden divider to draw a bath, while another maid brought her breakfast to have in the room.

Taking two bites and a few sips of blood from the glass, Lucy got into the bath while making sure her hair wouldn't come in contact with water. The maids helped her wash her with a floral scent that was sweet to smell before drying her and started to help her wear the wedding gown.

As she got ready, Lucy looked at her reflection in the mirror while the maids continued to fix the gown and the layers that came along with it. The wedding gown might have been old, but it was everything she would have wanted. It was simple and elegant with its thread work at the top, her sleeves that left floral patterns and near the gown's hem.