Capítulo 23: Revealing Intentions
Madeline used her fork and knife, cutting down the smallest of the food that was on her plate so that she wouldn't have to open her mouth wide to put in the food. And every time she raised her fork to her mouth, she could sense his eyes on her, looking at her as if there was nothing else in the room to look at which turned her nervous and the movements of her hand awkward.
She slowly chewed and swallowed the food, her eyes moving towards him to see him looking at her.
The man didn't falter when it came to letting her know that he was looking at her. The attention was brazen to handle, his red eyes looking at her that had her heart skip out of restlessness.
Theodore Chauncey, who appeared to be close to the King, spoke to Mrs. Harris, "You have grown both your daughters well, Mrs. Harris. It is hard to find people when it comes to cutlery etiquette."
"Thank you," her mother bowed her head, "Beth and Madeline often visited their aunt from where they picked up the habits. They just turned out to be lucky when it came to learning things like these."
Theodore gave the woman a warm smile that had Madeline wonder how genuine the smile was. Both the King as well as this man shared red eyes and everyone in the village knew not to trust red eyes. The night creatures were full of deceit.
"Indeed very fortunate," Calhoun commented, "It is a shame that not everyone learns or adapts to it. Do you have other relatives who live in the village?" he inquired, taking another sip from the glass.
"I have my sister Mary who lives not too far from our house. She lives with her husband and two sons," Mr. Harris answered.
"Must be good to have a family member closeby," Calhoun smiled, a simple smile that looked far from it.
Madeline saw her father nod his head, "Yes, milord. Do you have your relatives who live here?" her father asked for formality.
"It's just me. All alone, but once I marry your daughter we can start planning to have a family," Calhoun's words were firm, and he continued to speak, "Mr. Harris, I heard both of them have been getting marriage alliance. How come you didn't get them married? Most of them get married when they are sixteen? Especially considering the financial condition of the family," he placed the glass aside that still had wine and brought both his hands forward to interlink his fingers below his chin.
Mr. Harris smiled, "We might be poor, but I didn't want to marry my daughters quickly. Sixteen is where girls are growing and trying to understand the world around them. It would be a shame to curb their growth. Beth wanted to get married, but we didn't agree to it. It might be a silly thought-"
"No, I agree with you," said the King, agreeing to her father before adding, "If you didn't believe in it things would have gone differently," he gave an unnerving smile that had everyone not touch their food for a good two seconds.
Madeline didn't know why, but it felt like she was standing in a lake that was frozen with ice, but the ice was thin. One wrong step and the person would be under the cold water. She was only turning anxious with the way he was looking at her that she wanted to go back home as fast as she could. Unable to eat, she placed her fork and knife beside her plate.
When their meal had finally come to an end, the King finally spoke for what he had called the Harris' family today,
"As mentioned in the letter, your daughter has caught my attention, and in the interest of it, I would like that she starts living here in the castle," the King's words had Mrs. Harris almost slip the knife that was in her hand. He had a serious look on his face, "Do not worry about her living conditions. She will be treated like a queen. She will be looked after with maids and servants waiting on her. She will be tended from the tip of her hair to her toe, with jewels and fine quality of clothes on her skin."
"R-right away?" Mr. Harris asked with evident surprise in his voice. The man knew that the King had taken an interest, but this was too sudden. They hadn't been prepared for it.
"I do not see why there's any need to wait and prolong the time. Having her here, she can learn about life in the castle and the ordeal that runs. It would be just enough time before we wed," Calhoun remarked to lean back against his seat to see the look of shock on their faces.
"Milord," Mr. Harris bowed his head, "We won't be able to spend time with her after she gets married and lives here. Give us some time so that we can-"
"Mr. Harris, I wasn't asking you," Calhoun interjected.
The palms of Madeline turned sweaty hearing this, and on the other side, Beth couldn't be any more glad to come to live in the castle.
Calhoun then let out his final verdict, "From this time onward, Madeline will stay here in the castle."
Beth's eyebrows drew together in confusion. Madeline? Did she hear it wrong? The King had taken his time to talk to her, charming her and not her younger sister who looked particularly pale today in comparison to her.
Mr. Harris felt a sheen of sweat form on his forehead. It appeared that what he was worried had come to be true. The King had his eyes on his youngest daughter, Madeline, "Milord, my daughter has been promised to marry another man. I beg you to reconsider it. My older daughter is much more eligible and you might find her to be of your taste."
"Break it off," said Calhoun, his eyes looking at the human.
Capítulo 24: Tearing away
Madeline who heard what the King said, felt everything tumbling down around her. She looked at the King and then at her parents with worry in her eyes. She didn't want to stay here; she didn't want to live here. They had come here in the intention of her sister, Beth to meet and possibly marry the King.
"You have only given your word of promise. They haven't married and consummated their marriage. I don't think it should be difficult to break it," said the King, not caring if Madeline was promised to marry another man.
Though Mr. and Mrs. Harris had decided to lie to the King, they hadn't expected him to ask them to break their word.
Beth was still in shock that the King had asked for her sister and not her. She was the eldest daughter; she was supposed to be given the first preference and not her sister, who was younger to her. It was her who was interested in living here while clearly, her sister was someone who wanted to live a simple life back in the village.
She had been the one thriving to move forward in her life. There were times when she had worked harder in teaching the children to earn an extra penny of a coin which she had used to buy the dress for the ball. She had been the one to pick up the etiquettes and have her sister learn; she didn't understand how this could happen that the King had chosen Madeline over her.
Both the sisters had their troubles right now.
Calhoun stood up from his seat, and the servant who had been standing behind went quickly to pull out the chair for the King.
"Milord," Mrs. Harris bowed her head this time, "Madeline shares affections with the man and we promised to marry her to him. They have liked each other for some time now," Madeline had told her that the man wanted to spend time with her daughter; therefore, she didn't hold back in mentioning it to the King. The woman then raised her head in the hope that he would reconsider his demand, "It would be miserable if they-"
"It would be more miserable if only his head ends up on the spear," his words were cold, not pleased with the way the woman had spoken about the girl sharing her affections with another man. But that was alright, in time it could be fixed.
Calhoun looked at Madeline whose eyes had turned wide in shock and fear, "She might not like it now, but she will eventually come to like the life that is present here. I am sure her sister Beth, can put great insights into why she should choose life here. Right, Miss Beth?" he turned his head to look at Beth, who managed to smile at him.
Beth's hands had turned to fist as she nodded, her nails digging into the palms of her hands.
"Lovely," praised Calhoun, "It is not every day a person gets to share the same table with the King. You should thank your stars that my eyes fell on your daughter, and I am willing to ignore your family's poverty and take her as my woman."
Madeline and her parents didn't agree with this. Madeline felt like she had ended up with unlucky stars that she had caught the King's attention.
"I don't want to stay here," Madeline vocalized her thoughts, her eyes moving back and forth in between her parents and the King.
Mr. Harris hoped the King would listen to Madeline's words. The man must have a soft corner for his daughter if he had taken an interest in her.
In the meantime, Madeline gave her mother a pleading look because she didn't want to be left here in the castle. This wasn't a place she belonged to. She liked Mr. Heathcliff because he wasn't an overbearing man. He respected her wishes, and it was something that she valued. They had decided to meet each other this Saturday, which was only two days away from today. If she was going to be here, she would not be able to meet him.
In comparison to Mr. Heathcliff, the King was forcibly tearing her away from her family and wanted to keep her here against her will.
Her father took the courage to speak and said, "My King, we would like to spend more time with our daughter. We would like to take her home today and bring her-"
"No," Calhoun's words of refusal was quick. When his eyes met Madeline's brown innocent one's, he saw her plead at him without words, "Madeline stays here," he declared, not wanting anymore argument on it.
To let her would mean sending her in the arms of the lover to be consoled which he would not allow. He would give her all the comfort and care she needed.
He then said, "You can stay here for ten more minutes to say your goodbyes to Madeline. It would be wise to follow my word unless you would want to lessen the number of people in your family," he gave them a polite smile to diffuse the dangerous atmosphere which instead of turning calm turned eerie. Calhoun looked at her father to say, "You will be taken back in the carriage to your home. And as promised, you will be showered with the favours of the King. Theo," the King called to leave the dining room with Theodore.
When it was just the Harris' family in the room, Madeline could feel the blood rushing through her veins in panic, and she went around to her parents,
"Please don't leave me here, papa," Madeline begged her father, but the King had given his word. Madeline could see the helplessness in their eyes. Her parents appeared to be in a dilemma as they didn't want to leave her here all alone. She was the child they had protected, "Mama, please!"
Madeline felt as if she were caught, and there was no way out.
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