The Crown's Obsession

Music Recommendation: Rhythm of the Breeze- Chapavich Temnitikul

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Time slowly moved forward in every person's life, before months moving like pages of a book being flipped.

In the Hawthrone castle, the servants were quick to walk in and around the kitchen as they were busy preparing lunch for the royal family members as well as some of the guests who had come to join in the celebration of King Calhoun and Queen Madeline's son Movern's fourth birthday.

"Where is the cake?" asked Beth, who had come to check the condition it was in that she had prepared in the morning.

"It is here, milady," one of the maid's brought the trolley forward on which the cake had been placed. "We brought in fresh strawberries from the garden, would you like us to place it on top of it?"

"Here, let me do that," said Beth, taking hold of the bowl and placing the sliced berries. The castle was filled with the chatter of happiness as the servants continued to decorate and complete their tasks. Beth was satisfied with the cake. She made sure it was in perfect condition. "Once everyone gathers in the dining room, you can bring it then," she informed the maid, who bowed her head to oblige to Beth's words.

"Yes, milady!"

Offering a smile to the maid, Beth stepped out of the room. In the span of four years, many things had changed. She had started to smile more while learning to forgive herself for her mistakes that she had committed in the past. As she and Raphael had discussed four years ago in her parents' backyard, she had moved back to the East Carswell village and her former home.

Raphael had come to live with her and her parents. And while Raphael continued with his part-time job of being a fortune teller, Beth had learned to bake and create delicious cookies that were sold to the people of villages and the towns. She would have never known that she could bake if it weren't for Raphael, who pushed her forward to try something new.

"There you are!" came Raphael's voice from behind her, and Beth turned around to see him walk towards her. "I was looking for you everywhere. Did you come to take a look at the cake?"

Beth nodded her head, "I did. I was worried it might lose its texture."

"I am sure it will be fine. You have baked some of the best cakes and if I weren't an archangel, I would have turned fat by now," he complimented her.

"You always know to say the right words," replied Beth, and she then asked, "Did mother and father arrive?"

"Yes, a few moments ago. They had an issue with the carriage wheel which is why they were late," he informed her.

Beth was glad that her parents had arrived because she had left home early in the morning while Raphael visited Heaven on some work. "Is everything alright in Heaven?" she questioned him.

"Something like that," responded Raphael and Beth was quick to turn worried. Every time he left her side to visit Heaven, she was worried they would have him stop from coming to the living world. "Don't worry, it isn't anything you need to worry about," he brought his hand to place it on her shoulder in assurance.

"My worries are too obvious," she muttered, knowing there was barely anything that she could hide from him. And the moment he saw it, he resolved it as if the problem was nothing.

"It must be the little traces that come from living in this realm of the world that makes me happy to see you worry. I feel very loved," there was a gentle smile on his lips and Beth couldn't help but warmly smile at him.

In the last four years, they had spent together, they didn't get married to each other. Though somewhere Beth had always dreamt about getting married, she knew there were restrictions when it came to loving an archangel. She wanted to be content with what she had instead of worrying about what she couldn't have.

"How about we go out in the garden? It looks like there's still time before everyone gathers here," proposed Raphael, and she nodded her head.

They stepped out of the castle and into the garden, surrounded by flowers that left a sweet fragrance in the atmosphere.

"Days have so quickly passed," said Beth, bringing her hand forward to touch the flowers before she dropped her hand gently. It felt like it was only yesterday that she had seen the shabby man standing next to her sister and talking.

"Indeed," Raphael agreed, taking a seat on the bench and watching Beth look at the flowers as if she was in deep thought. Elizabeth Harris had turned kind and mellow, the traces of the old Elizabeth who her grandparents had manipulated had completely gone.

He knew there were still some people in the village, who liked to badmouth her, and on good occasions, he had given his piece of thoughts. Some mortals didn't hold a heart or enough kindness but preferred to claim to be kind. When Raphael had moved into the Harris' house, he had witnessed the harsh environment.

'A cake that is made by you? Who knows if you are going to add some poison to it,' huffed a woman when the news had spread about the new shop Beth had opened in the house.

'A traitor will always be a traitor. You might fool others, but we know how you are. I don't even know how the Queen has forgiven you,' said another person before leaving the front of the house.

At a point, the hate towards her had piled up too much that Beth didn't step out of the house. On one fine day, he had found her crying in the room in fits of tears. Given how she behaved, she deserved those words, but people didn't speak when they had to. The time had passed, and she had changed for the better.

Beth had closed the curtains of the room, and he had found her sitting on the floor with her knees drawn close to her.

'I don't think I can ever be good enough,' she whispered, sensing his presence in the room as she lifted her head.

Raphael closed the door so that Mr. and Mrs. Harris wouldn't be worried. Coming to sit down next to her, he asked, 'Did someone tell you something again?'

Beth shook her head, 'I know the way people look at me. And the more they look at me like that, the more foregin it feels to be here, like I don't belong. I know I hurt people, but I never hurt them like this,' her words were a whisper.

'Like many other things, this will pass too, Beth. You only need to be strong. We can have Calhoun give an order-"

'No,' she quickly responded, 'I don't want it by force.'

'Do you prefer to live in another town? We can start packing your clothes, while I just need to bring my cards with me,' he tried to cheer her up.

Beth didn't reply because this place was her home, and she didn't want to be pushed away. After a while, she asked, ''Will it get better?'

'It will I promise,' he promised her, and though Beth didn't believe in the future, she did believe in his words. He placed his hand on top of her head, gently patting it. 'Everything will be fine if you believe in yourself.'

Beth had decided not to feel hurt, and she started to bake more varieties. The smell of fresh cookies and creams escaped from the house to the road that had brought one person at a time, and through word of mouth, a few more people came to try it. It didn't take long for the ones who had badmouthed Beth to return to the shop with a stiff expression, personally buying something from there or some through someone else.

Beth turned to look at Raphael, who had turned quiet, and he was watching her. "Is something on my face?" And he nodded his head.

"Oh," she brought her hand up, wondering what it was. She went to sit next to Raphael so that he could remove whatever was on her face.

But when she turned to him, Raphael stared right into her green eyes. "It is the smile on your face, I would like to keep it there," he said to her. "There is a reason why I brought you here, Beth."

Beth nodded for him to go on...