Recommended music: Remember last Winter by Adi Goldstein
.
When Theodore returned to his room, he was surprised to see Calhoun standing next to the bed as if he was waiting for Theodore to return to the room.
“Everything alright?” asked Theodore, closing the doors behind him and walking inside the room.
“Morganna has decided to kill the woman in the next three days to stop the formation of the organization,” informed Calhoun. Oddly, a sparrow was sitting at the window and faintly chirping. It was strange to see a bird apart from an owl at this hour of the night. “Helena has gotten the approval from the majority of the King’s of the neighbouring kingdoms. There’s a soiree that’s going to be held where some of the high profile people are going to attend and she is going to be there.”
“Seems just like something the Queen would do,” commented Theodore and then questioned, “Do you think she will be successful?”
“Maybe. The people who are going to be there are the ones who are in favour of Morganna. She wants to silence the woman before the entire organization is formed,” said Calhoun, his eyebrows drawn together in deep thought. It would take some time before the organization comes into complete form, and right now, Morganna was only trying to get rid of anything that would come between her and the control she had on Devon’s people.
“Wouldn’t be best to speak to the King and make yourself present there. You can probably try to get rid of the person who is going to kill her,” suggested Theodore, but Calhoun shook his head.
“There’s going to be more than one person, who is going to attack her and we don’t know when they will. Just because I protect her once doesn’t mean we will be able to do it every time. Having Helena with us is important for our future rule and she can be an important pivot with power,” Calhoun didn’t want to lose a powerful woman who could be of great use.
Knowing how Morganna feared to have powers slip through her fingers only brought joy to Calhoun. Queen Morganna felt threatened by a mere woman’s presence, but then it seemed like Morganna was easily scared. She had also felt threatened by his mother’s presence in King Laurence’s life.
“I have decided to speak to the King about it. Hoping he will see how important Helena can be to Devon or to him if he plays his cards right,” said Calhoun.
Theodore nodded his head. “Did the King say anything important this evening?” Though he wasn’t in the garden, he had caught sight of Calhoun and King Laurence walking in the garden.
“Nothing worth remembering about,” commented Calhoun, showing no interest in going through what he had spoken to his father. While he was going to sit on the bed, his nose picked a faint scent of blood on Theodore. “You should take a bath to get rid of the smell of blood.”
A smile cracked on Theodore’s lips, and he said, “I thought it would have disappeared by now. I don’t think anyone has as good sensory as you do to notice the subtle details.”
“Let’s hope they don’t,” replied Calhoun, not bothering to know whom Theodore killed before coming here. “How is Lucy doing?”
“Fast asleep,” answered Theodore, the smile not leaving his lips. “By the way, Madame Fraunces misses you. She said we should visit her tomorrow. She offered to cook something good for us.”
Calhoun hummed for an answer and then said, “It has been a while since we visited her.”
Theodore saw Calhoun lay down on the bed with his back facing him as if he was done for the day and wanted to be alone. His eyes fell on the window where the small bird that was earlier there had flown away.
Walking to his own bed, Theodore laid down there with both his hands supporting the back of his head while he stared at the ceiling.
“Did you kill someone important that you have been smiling?” Theodore heard Calhoun question him from the other bed.
“I didn’t notice it,” murmured Theodore, and Calhoun rolled his eyes. Though he had turned his back, he hadn’t fallen asleep. He doubted he would be able to sleep in peace until he would avenge his mother.
Since Theodore had entered the room, he seemed to be in a much better mood than he was, and Calhoun had stared at the man before ignoring the mood.
Receiving no response from Calhoun, he went back to staring at the ceiling, unable to erase the anxious red eyes and the quickening breath of the young vampiress. When he had returned to offer Lucy blood, he hadn’t meant to intrude. He had given her enough time to bath and change her clothes, believing she was done with it before he had come to her patio only to catch her naked self stepping out of the bath.
He closed his eyes as if cursing himself for seeing her in that state. Theodore wasn’t foreign to a female’s naked body, but he was entranced seeing Lucy, and he had hidden away from her sight for the moment.
Lucy was beautiful and worthy, her features dainty and her movements nothing less to the water she had stepped out of. Her skin was soft under his lips, and her lips…they had caught him by surprise.
He doubted he would be able to sleep soundly with the memories that his eyes, lips and his hands had caught hold of Lucy.
Madame Fraunces had told he could have both of them, and he wondered if it was possible. To have both the girl as well as fulfil his purpose, to help. Since the moment he had caught Lucy in the alley with the thugs, Theodore’s heart had grown a soft spot towards the vampiress, and now she was spreading like a drop of poison in his heart.
Theodore wondered if he would be able to answer her question with something that she would like to hear, now only if the King and the Queen could go to Hell and never return, thought Theodore to himself—not knowing that his thought had been blessed for the future.