The Crown's Obsession

Musical Recommendation: Foolish Once Again- Frizzell D'Souza

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Raphael watched Beth, who was walking on the other side of the corridor. She seemed to be in deep thought. Her demeanour appeared sweeter than the time he had been looking at her in the magical vessel.

She wore a dark green dress that complimented her eyes, her movements ever so graceful. The months that had passed without meeting each other seemed to have been the longest he had counted. Watching her continue to walk, Raphael started to walk towards her and noticed Lady Lucy, who stood ahead, talking to one of the guests.

Beth bowed her head when Lucy and the man turned to look at her.

"Mr. Harper, this is Lady Elizabeth Harris, the Queen's sister," Lady Lucy introduced her to the man who was with her. "Mr. Harper is from Borris. He has been newly assigned in the High House as well as a minister in the royal court of the King."

"Congratulations on receiving the post, Mr. Harper," Beth wished the man, and the man bowed his head.

"It is a pleasure to acquaint myself with you, Lady Elizabeth. I have heard many praises about your beauty across the land of Devon and they indeed are very true," praised Mr. Harper and Lucy smiled, noticing the interest Mr. Harper openly showed towards Beth.

"You are too kind with your praise, Mr. Harper. It is a pleasure to meet you," Beth's words were polite.

"I heard you were staying in the land of Warrings. It must have been difficult to live in a place like that," commented the man.

At the same time, a maid appeared next to Lucy, "Milady, Lady Monique has arrived."

"Oh, that's good. I was worried about what was taking her this long. Excuse me," Lucy bowed her head and left the place, leaving Beth alone with Mr. Harper.

"It isn't as bad as what people perceive it to be," Beth responded to Mr. Harper's earlier question. "It is a wonderful place once you adjust to it."

Beth noticed the way Mr. Harper looked entranced by her, and she looked away from him for the briefest moment, to look behind her in the direction where Lucy had left.

Raphael couldn't stop staring at Beth right now. From where he stood, there was a sliver of awkwardness in how she behaved as if she wanted to run away from the person who was trying to impress her. The man somewhere reminded him of Calhoun's cousin Markus. Maybe it was because of the attire, he thought to himself.

"Forgive me for my forwardness, milady, but I have never seen someone as beautiful as you. I was wondering if you-" Beth bowed her head,

"Forgive me, but I have somewhere to go. It was good to meet you, Mr. Harper," her words were quick, and she hurriedly left the man's side.

She walked in Raphael's direction where he stood, and he noticed her lips pursed together as she continued to walk past him without sparing a look at him. Raphael smiled at this, and he followed her to her room, his footsteps much slower than hers.

Reaching her room, he said, "I think you have something that is mine."

Startled by the voice, she snapped around to look at him, and her eyes widened in shock.

Beth's lips were parted, half star-struck and half in shock as she didn't know he would be coming here today. She had been praying and hoping to see him, and now that he was here, she couldn't get a single word out of her lips.

His punishment had been lifted, and he was finally able to enter the living world.

Her heart was beating hard, and she finally moved her lips, "You are here." Finally, thought Beth to herself.

Raphael took a couple of steps forward to where she stood, and he said, "Someone wished and prayed for me to come to the living world and the wish was sincere along with the prayers. Paschar and I were granted permission to step into the living world. God is merciful and knows how important love is. Paschar is on his way to meet Madeline and the child."

Of course, the person was her, who had wished for him.

Beth couldn't take her eyes off Raphael, and she seemed to be in a trance. Under those stubble, shaggy hair and rug like a cloak that he wore, who knew this was how he looked. Even his eyes were not black but golden brown.

Seeing Raphael stare at her, Beth then said, "Madeline is resting at the moment."

"He'll wait."

Breaking her gaze away from him, she looked down at the card to notice the plain metal card that previously had the impression of the fool on it wasn't plain anymore. Instead, there was a picture of an angel with golden wings on it.

Looking up, she asked, "Are you here for a short visit?"

Beth didn't know if the archangel had only arrived here to complete the wish and again leave back to Heaven. Raphael's gaze was calm as he stared into her green eyes. He said,

"The last time I was here, I believe I left things unfinished, and I decided to come back here for it," he then stretched his hand as if he was asking for his card to be returned to him.

So it was for the card, thought Beth to herself. She wondered if it was one of his powers which was why it had the ability to change. As happy and thrilled she had been to see him stand in front of her, in her room. The sadness of him having to leave again was something she couldn't stop growing in her chest. With his absence next to her over the last few months, Beth had come to acknowledge his feelings as her own feelings grew, but it seemed like it was too late for it.

Beth raised her hand, which held the card in it. This was the last thing that belonged to him, and she, who had held onto it for so long, had to part with it today.

She saw Raphael reach for the card, and for a second, her heart sunk until his hand caught hold of her wrist and not the card, pulling her into his arms.