The Crown's Obsession

Helena's mouth that had been slightly open closed itself at Vladimir's words, and she couldn't help but curse herself for not being able to identify the difference between the gunshot. She had pulled the trigger for self-defence but on the wrong person.

"How does it feel to relieve your burdens with just one single push, darling?" questioned Vladimir, his eyes sparkling and his expression appearing to be polite, which was anything but that.

"You killed my son! You killed the King of Cait!" Guilene screamed while looking at Helena. But the head of the High House had other things to think about than listen to what the former Queen had to say to her. "You will burn in Hell! You will be sent on execution for murdering the King! I will make sure of that! Guards! Guards!"

But no matter how much Guilene screamed for the guards, not a single person came to appear in front of the room. It was as if the entire castle had turned quiet, except for the sound that came from Guilene.

"You should stop wasting your energy. Instead, use it to form a plan of defense on why you shot your son, Lady Guilene," stated Vladimir. When he was about to step forward, Helena raised her hand in which she held the gun. He said, "You seem upset on seeing me here."

"I wonder why that is," deadpanned Helena. She pulled the cork of the gun towards her while the gun continued to point at him.

Guilene just glared at the stranger and Helena before stepping out of the room to call for help.

"You know the bullets are going to do little to no harm on me," responded Vladimir. He slowly moved one step at a time before he finally came to stand in front of Helena, and he placed his hand on top of hers before pushing it down. "The man deserved to die, and so does this woman. They were all involved in making your life miserable. How about I do the final touch?"

The Devil was busy poking his nose in her life, thought Helena to herself.

"These are my battles, and you don't have to fight them for me," Helena's eyes were sharp on Vladimir.

"I know you are capable of fighting your battles," said Vladimir, his eyes fixed on hers. "I think the guards can vouch for it the way you fought and beat them up a while ago," a chuckle escaped his lips. "But you are too nice for a demon. You remind me of someone whom I knew in the past. The same fiery spirit who wanted justice."

Helena didn't understand his words, but she quickly sat down where the King laid dead on the floor. She placed her fingers on the man's neck but couldn't feel his pulse.

"You f.u.c.k.i.n.g cost my work!" Helena was furious at that thought.

It had taken her years of planning and hard work to form a central system of law and justice, and she had taken great care and effort to build it. To think that because of one false alarm of a bullet being shot, she had shot the King, she could feel her head ready to explode.

"Don't be angry, Helena. The man did a lot worse things you need to hold him accountable for. Though on one hand I am glad that you let my grandson off the hook in the past for the crimes he committed, but you shouldn't continue doing it," Vladimir seemed barely fazed by the dead body or the blood that had trickled out from the King's head. "Edison tried to imprison you, because he felt threatened by your position. Not to mention, he even wanted to marry you. I don't think he knew he had competition," The Devil brought his hand forward to inspect his nails.

Helena wanted to unload all the bullets into the Devil's head, but then what use would it be?

The King of Cait was dead, and everyone here would know it was her doing. It would only be a matter of time before she would be executed.

"Why are you so persistent? You can have anyone else, who is interested in you," stated Helena, her eyes moving back to him with a glare.

Vladimir gave a thoughtful look at it, "Why not? You knew I would be coming here."

"I would have never guessed that you would create a false gunshot sound," replied Helena. "You know I don't care if I go to Heaven or Hell, don't you?"

The Devil nodded his head, "I am completely aware of it. You want to live here, in the living world rather than enjoy the fruits you have sowed."

By having her pull the trigger, Vladimir had opened the pathway to Hell for her while the path of Heaven was still available. She had done many good deeds here that Heaven hadn't forgotten about.

In the beginning, Harriet was just a woman whose company he had enjoyed immensely. When she had died not too far away after giving birth to their daughter Constance, he had not gone to look for her. He had been occupied with Constance, and he had never met a woman like her ever again. After many years had passed after Constance's birth, he had finally gone to look for her, believing she had entered Heaven. But he later came to find out that she wasn't there, nor was she in Hell.

Some souls could take rebirth in the living world, like a circle that kept moving from one point to only end and begin from the same point again.

The appearance often changed, but the purpose always remained the same.

"How about we make a deal?" questioned Vladimir. He saw a Salvette Mortem enter the room to pick up the dead King's soul from the realm of the living.

"A deal that will profit you and will make me lose in the future?" questioned Helena, her smart mouth quick to respond to the Devil's proposition. "I think I will pass."

"It isn't as bad as it seems," the Devil tried to convince the strong-headed woman.

From her early age, Helena had always been strong. And now she had turned into an influential figure, rising in her position among all the King's and the Queen's of all the kingdoms. She wasn't someone who could be manipulated. This was the Devil and not a mere mortal.

While Vladimir and Helena were near the dead body, Lady Guilene, who had stepped out of the room searching for the guards, found nothing but deserted corridors. Where did all the guards go?! Questioned the woman.

"Guards! Guards! Where is everyone?!" she shouted in frustration.

Did that man or Helena kill every person? But then there should have been blood, thought Guilene in her mind. Looking back and forth, she continued to walk and finally saw the guards standing in the corridors.

"The King is no more and has been killed! What are you all doing here, instead of catching that woman and that man who is there!! I order you to go get them right this instant!" ordered Guilene with authority in her voice. But she received no response.