The Crown's Obsession

Instead of sitting next to him, Lucy sat on his lap, a smile on her lips and her hands weaving through his brown hair. "Only a few more days before the day arrives," she whispered to him, "It stills continues to feel surreal."

She placed her head on Theodore's shoulder, letting it rest there while watching Theodore hold her hand in his, intertwining their fingers together and the smile continued to stay on her lips. The last time when she was about to be married, her emotions had been filled with anger and pain them. She didn't want to get married to Samuel, but she did anyway, a little to spite Theodore.

But now, she was back with the person with whom she was in love and couldn't believe that she would marry Theodore, and everyone was happy about it. They were looking forward to it and thinking about it, Lucy's heart felt full. Her eyes were turning heavier, but she fought to stay awake while Theodore's fingers soothed her soul.

"I spoke to Calhoun about going to the town with you. We have spent enough time here and I know how you feel about this place. If you want we can move into the mansion and I can work from there so that you can be more involved with the institute that you want to bring up," said Theodore to Lucy, "What do you think about it? Lucy?"

When he looked at her face, he noticed her eyes had closed, and she had fallen asleep.

Theodore picked up Lucy in his arms and placed her on the bed. Pulling the covers to cover her body before he laid next to her.

Away from the Hawthrone castle where peace had finally prevailed and below the living world where Hell was present, Vladimir sat on his throne with his legs crossed one over the other. Odin stood at the side while Laurence had been brought to stand in front of the Devil.

Laurence had been in the dark cell room where he didn't know if it was day or night, not knowing the time and being tortured by the guards when he was dragged out of his cell room. The clothes in which he had died had been torn, and he now wore a clothing that many other souls wore in Hell, the sinners who had sinned.

He didn't dare to look at the Devil who sat watching him, which he had been doing for the last twenty minutes. Not knowing why he was here, he looked at the demon servant, who was staring back at him. Two guards stood on either side of Laurence, waiting for the Devil to give an order to them.

"You can leave," ordered the Devil.

Laurence felt the little life that still existed in him return after hearing Vladimir's words. He was more than happy to stay away from the Devil, who looked at him menacingly. Turning around his body, he was ready to leave the room when he heard the Devil speak.

"Where do you think you are going, Lauri?" came the low, threatening voice from the Devil.

The sinner turned around, gulping in nervousness while his hands held each other for support, "Y-you told me to leave."

Vladimir raised his hand, and Laurence suddenly cowered in fear thinking the Devil was going to do something to him, but instead, he only brought his hand to the front to check his nails while feeling its sharpness.

"The guards can leave," and Vladimir snapped his fingers for the guards to disappear from the room, leaving only the Devil, Odin and Laurence in the vast room.

Laurence could feel sweat trickle down his body, and he wished he could die, but then he was already dead.

"You know, Laurence, I came to hear some wonderful news today. A news that I didn't expect to hear, do you know what that might be?" questioned Vladimir without looking at the person who was in front of him as he continued to check his nails.

Laurence shook his head. If he spoke, it would be a problem, if he didn't speak, it would be another problem. Therefore he had resorted to the sign language.

"How did you even rule the kingdom, everything I ask you have no answer to it. What a useless man you are," Vladimir finally dropped his hand, and his dark red eyes moved to look at Laurence. "I have decided to be a benevolent man today, to be good to you. No not just you, but your mother too," he smiled at the man before turning to look at Odin.

Odin didn't have to be told again as he quickly disappeared from the room to get the late Queen of Devon, Morganna, to join her beloved son in the room.

"The news is so good, that I have decided that I will return your body and the part of your memories that are taken away when you enter Hell," Vladimir leaned back against his throne, staring at the worthless man, and he could see the confusion in the bastard's eyes. "You don't want to feel how it was in the living world?"

The last time the Devil had dragged him and his mother to the living world, they had been humiliated to the point where the image they had built over the years had been washed into the dirt. He didn't know why, but he felt the Devil's offer to be too good to be true.

"I-I am f-fine like this," stuttered Laurence, and Vladimir waved his hand.

"I realized I should treat you better," replied Vladimir and saying this, he snapped his fingers for an electric zap escape from between his fingers and reached where Laurence stood.

Suddenly Laurence could feel the air around him had turned lighter, and he could now breathe better. He felt like he was alive again while the flesh and scars that had formed on his body started to reduce until they completely disappeared.

"How does it feel? Good, isn't it?" questioned Vladimir with a smile on his lips, and soon Odin returned to the room with Morganna behind him. "Welcome, mother Queen, well not Queen anymore. Morganna."

The woman's footsteps were unwilling as she didn't want to meet the Devil again. Her back had scars because of the whip used on her in Hell to torture her.

"You look so scared. Now only if you would have had the sense to not touch my daughter in any way and let her live, this wouldn't have come," Vladimir clicked his tongue in distaste and disappointment. "I met your daughter today. Rosamund seems to not be doing well on the road. Apparently I will need to increase the torture by a notch."

Unlike Laurence, who was dimwit, Morganna decided to play along with the Devil as he ruled this place. She quickly got down on her knees and touched her forehead on the ground.

"Please forgive me, milord! I have been regretting my actions, please forgive me for what I have done to your daughter! I shouldn't have hurt Constance in the past, and I should have taken care of her. I should have treated my grandson better!" Morganna tried apologizing and trying to gain sympathy from the Devil, but she received no response from Vladimir. She slowly raised her head to see Vladimir had disappeared from the front. Did he leave the room?

Then suddenly, Vladimir's voice came from behind her, "Did I ask you your lame apology or did you hear me ask you for one?"

Morganna's lips trembled at Vladimir's question. She had only meant to clear her name to avoid further punishment, but she had spoken out of turn.

"Odin, bring in the pot. Today we are going to cook," stated Vladimir with an enthusiastic smile on his face.

Both Laurence and Morganna didn't know what Vladimir meant by his words, they shared looks with each other. Odin raised his hands, and a large pot appeared in the room, flames from the bottom boiling the liquid inside it.

"Bring the ingredient," ordered Vladimir.

On his master's command, Odin walked towards Laurence and caught hold of his hand.