Madeline wondered if Calhoun knew precisely what he did, “They are not right.”
“What is right and what is wrong, it differs from one person to another,” answered Calhoun, “I think you are right for me, but you think I am not. Give me a reason why you think it’s not viable?” he asked her.
“Because you are forceful,” she replied, but Calhoun was not upset by her words nor did he smile. Instead, he said,
“What else?”
“You kill people,” this did the trick of bringing a smile on his face.
“Are you telling me you like to be called a whore?” On Calhoun’s question, Madeline furrowed her brows.
“Where did you get that idea from? You were the one who painted me with a chemise like petticoat-“
“You should be glad, that I didn’t ask you to strip naked,” Calhoun’s straightforward words turned Madeline red, and she looked away from him, “Don’t turn your face away from me. You can blush right in front of me. I love it,” he emphasized the word ‘love’.
Madeline didn’t want to imagine what would happen to her that she would have to be naked in front of him and be painted by him, “You are crude.”
“Crude would be me telling exactly what I have in my mind, like how I want to fuck you senseless in my bed and make love to you,” came his clear answer and Madeline stood up from where she had been sitting. “What happened?” asked Calhoun, “I was only giving you an example.”
She raised her hand, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose because she didn’t know how to respond to the King’s words, “Y-you…” she was finding it hard to comprehend her thoughts into words.
“I am restraining myself. If I really wanted to have my way with you, we wouldn’t be here talking but doing something more productive,” he chuckled, but Madeline didn’t find it funny. The peace she had been having since the time she woke up until the time she met him here now had disappeared.
“Is that all you think about?” Madeline asked, her voice hard and she turned around to give him a stare.
“There are other things, but you would be embarrassed. Worse than how you look now,” he grinned, enjoying having her burn with embarrassment.
Madeline didn’t want to argue with the King because even though she was right, no one in sane mind ever argue with the King when they knew the consequences they would have to face. Trying to calm her mind, she said,
“If you need to have someone in your bed, you have dozens of women waiting to be bedded with you,” she said to him, “What you said, is not-“
“Not love?” Calhoun asked her. Uncrossing his legs, he pushed himself up to stand in front of her, “I think about you when I wake up and when I close my eyes. When you aren’t in front of me, I keep wondering what you are up to. I care for you. If you were another person I would have sucked you dry and bedded you the very first day. Like you said there are many women, but I don’t see them the way I see you. My words might appear to be forceful and crude, and it is only because I don’t want to hide what I feel towards you.”
To Madeline, his words were too strong, and she was not used to dealing with this kind of person. She saw how Calhoun drank her presence while standing in front of her.
“No hurry, right now,” he smiled, assuring her, but she didn’t know how long this ‘now’ would stand, “Three days from now, there’s a soiree in a fair lady’s mansion. Accompany me,” said Calhoun.
It wasn’t like she had anything else better to do sitting in the castle, and at the same time she couldn’t refuse him. She didn’t know if it was because the man was intimidating or because something was stopping her from saying no.
When the day of the soiree appeared, Madeline was dressed like any other day she was presented in the castle. Fine pieces of jewellery had been placed on the bed but she wore none of it. Her blonde hair had been combed back to be braided loosely and placed on the side of her shoulder. Her corset was tight again, and this time she was sure that the head maid, Nicola was trying to suffocate and kill her through by using the corset.
She took in a deep breath as she walked down the corridors, making her way to the front of the hall of the castle where Calhoun was waiting for her. His eyes fell on her bare neck, but he didn’t comment. He took her hand in his, he kissed the back of her hand.
“You look lovely,” he complimented her as any other gentleman would.
Madeline noted how Calhoun had dressed, but a little more lax than usual. She didn’t know who Ms. Jennings was, but it made her question if it was Calhoun’s friend which was why he was at ease. But then he was always at ease, thought Madeline to herself.
His features as always looked poised. A strong jaw and slightly raised eyebrows, full lips…Madeline’s thought started to wander in a different direction when she looked at his lips. The same lips that had, again and again, come close to her lips, to whisper words that had made her gulp, making the hair at the back of her neck raise.
Madeline looked away flustered, staring down at the hem of her dress, to make the already proper dress right by smoothening it. Calhoun’s lips parted, running his tongue over his fang as he knew exactly where she had been looking at a few seconds ago.
Making their way into the carriage, Madeline sat next to Calhoun, “Is Ms. Jennings a friend of yours?” she asked him. The last thing she needed in an unknown place was to be a blubbering mess who didn’t know anyone which was given as she didn’t belong to this part of the society.
“She is the Lord’s first daughter. Lord Jennings is the one who owns ships and barrels that we need. Friend would be a far too broad term to use. Let’s stick to acquaintances intake and keeping relationships,” replied Calhoun.
His inky black hair had been combed behind like many other times, letting one see his sculpted face. The King was a good looking man. Having bold and aggressive characteristics that went along with his sculpted face. Not many villagers had got the glimpse of their King, and if they did, there was a probability that the girls and women of the villages would pin on to see him again. When Madeline realised she had been staring at him and admiring more than necessary, she tore her gaze away from him.
“Can I ask you something?” Madeline asked to have him turn and look at her.
“Please,” he encouraged her, “What is it?” he was intrigued that she had a question to ask. Seeing how she had asked for his permission, he could tell it was something she was trying to be thoughtful about.
Madeline wet her dry lips, “People in the village, like me…We never heard much about you. Nothing about your family.” It had always been vague that everything had turned out to be a bizarre rumour about him. But if her memory served her right, the King had a family.
Calhoun’s expression didn’t change much, “You are curious about my family?” he asked.
She nodded her head, “Yes,” she said. Every time she sat down at the dining table, she felt the emptiness and maybe it was because she was not used to so much space around herself. Somewhere she doubted Calhoun felt lonely.
Calhoun had a sullen look on his face, his eyes looking distant as he said, “My parents passed away when I was a young boy. The castle was under attack a few years ago. It was one of the tragic nights that took place in Devon. One of the Kingdoms next to us had a feud about the treaty that didn’t go well. It was unexpected but it happened,” he paused, silence sinking around them and then he continued, “I was on the other side of the castle. By the time I found out, they had been beheaded.” saying this, he turned his body back to face the front.
Madeline felt sorry hearing this, “I am sorry,” came her words.
It seemed that she had misjudged him and she bit the inside of her cheek for mistaking him.
She had never heard any details except about the death that had taken place in the castle but no one had ever confirmed it. Even though the villagers were curious, they knew not to be too nosey about the royal family. Calhoun must have taken the throne right away after his father’s death and she didn’t know what to say.
“It’s been some years now, since that incident happened,” Calhoun offered her a smile and somewhere in the corner of her heart, she felt bad for him which she never thought she would ever feel, “We lose something or someone at times and it’s only a process.”
When they finally arrived at the large mansion, the coachman opened the door for them and Calhoun stepped down. He turned around to offer his hand for her to get down and when he noticed the sad look on her face, he said,
“Don’t look so sad. What I said was not true,” hearing this Madeline looked confused and she missed her footing to end up being caught in his arms, “Caught you,” he chuckled.
