The Crown's Obsession

Madeline had been utterly mortified when Calhoun had asked James to make the garter. The information could have been relayed in parchment as it wasn't the outer clothes but what he had asked for was a female's intimate possession in front of everyone. 

"You did it on purpose. You wanted to create doubt in his mind. That is why you called him today, isn't it?" questioned Madeline, stopping her feet from walking any further. Calhoun took one step before turning around. 

"Sorry, what was it again?" he asked her and Madeline ground her teeth. 

"Nothing," said Madeline to start walking again. But before she could walk past him, Calhoun caught hold of her arm. 

"I think someone needs to learn some manners on how to behave," Calhoun stared at her. He did not go of her arm and neither did Madeline try to resist. What was the point of resisting if he was only going to catch her when they were barely a few inches away from each other. 

"What you did was something I did not like," she confessed, "I thought men who were affectionate and loved the woman didn't speak about things like that."

"Let me tell you. You thought wrong," he responded and noticed how she frowned, "Confused?" he asked her. 

Madeline felt her arm finally free without her needing to tell him and she stared at him. 

"You," said Calhoun and Madeline turned attentive, "I was only getting rid of the unwanted people out of your life. What is the point of pinning hopes on a man when he can't even trust you."

"And you do?"

A wicked smile spread out on Calhoun's lips hearing the words that came out of Madeline's lips, "I do. Very much do. We must be pronounced husband and wife if there was a priest in here," and Madeline blushed by his words of how elegantly he twisted things around making him look like a saint but Madeline knew he was anything but a saint. 

She turned her head away from him and tried to get her mind sorted where she would not have to look at his face.

"Such a shy girl. I can barely wonder what would happen if I were to take you to bed," Madeline snapped her head and glared at him. 

"Please stop making me uncomfortable. If you want to win my heart you will need to know what I am okay and not okay with," she didn't know for how long she would be able to handle his teasing. 

Calhoun turned around and picked one of the white roses that was sitting quietly amongst the other roses next to it. Isolating it from the others. 

"Madeline, I see you like this white rose. Something so pure and serene," Calhoun said to her, "I am a man who is surrounded by different wildflowers but you are the one who caught my attention because of the way you are. I will accept you the way you are but you will need to open your heart to me. Trusting and placing your feelings stubbornly with a man you barely know. Wouldn't you say you know me better than that tailorman?"

"Why do you keep calling him tailorman when he has a name?" she asked him, staring into his red eyes. 

"Isn't that what he is?" Calhoun tilted his head in question, "It would be a different scenario now, if he was dead. It would be dead man," he joked, which Madeline didn't find to be funny, "You lack humour, sweet Maddie." 

"I don't think our definition of humour is the same."

"There's a satire in the dark humour, sweetheart," the King chuckled before getting back to the previous question he had asked her, "Tell me. Do you know him better than me? We have spent even more time together than you have with him."

Madeline would have agreed if she wasn't stubborn but the King was more stubborn. It was true that she hadn't spent much time talking to James as much as she had spoken to the King. 

"Tell me about him. Describe him with adjectives," the King's demanding words surprised her as she thought he didn't want to hear her praising James. 

"Is this a trick question?" She didn't know what more trap the King had placed for her to step into so that he could catch her. 

"I don't know. Is it?" asked Calhoun, his words playful and she gave him an apprehensive look, "Adjectives like how he was an idiot, stupid, arrogant-"

"He is not arrogant," Madeline defended.

"Mhmm, whatever you say but then you agree with the rest. Interesting," Calhoun's smile was wide and his eyes shining with amusement. 

"He is a good man. Humble, kind, polite, thoughtful, handsome, a gentleman, respectful," stated Madeline. 

"And? That's it?" asked Calhoun raising his eyebrows at her, "I thought you would have a parchment full of words for him and it looks like you are trying to use him to wiggle your way out of here."

"No, I didn't," Madeline frowned. 

"Alright. My turn now. What are your adjectives for me?" asked Calhoun to her, "Feel free to speak," he said with those intimidating eyes that made Madeline want to run away from him. 

Both Madeline and Calhoun stared at each other for long seconds, "Rude."

"Just one? I was expecting some more. I know you want to say it. Tell me," he coaxed her. 

If Madeline was able to express her feelings by actions instead of words, she would have stabbed Calhoun with a blunt knife over and over again for embarrassing her, "S-shameless. Pushy. Overconfident, overbearing, impolite."

"I am listening. What else?" he pushed her with a smile which was patient. 

"Coarse...Cheeky."

"What about my looks? You called him handsome, now if you call me anything less he will be nothing but useless trash," he chuckled, savouring how her expressions changed one after another. 

"Good-looking?" 

Calhoun's eyes narrowed down, "What is with the questionable answer? Every word of yours will be held in the courtroom under my testimony and the ministers will see how you called the King names," he tched. 

"You were the one who said to speak freely." Her innocent words had him look away from her face to see the other trees in the garden before he looked back at her when she said, "What if I am not this white rose? You might only like the idea of me," she swallowed down the nervousness that had reduced compared to the time of the morning. 

"Is that what you worry about?" asked Calhoun. 

"I might not be the white rose that caught your eyes. I might be a red rose," and she noticed how the smile on Calhoun's lips never died down. 

"I never miss a thing."

He then looked down at the white rose that he had been holding. Madeline's eyes fell on the white rose in time to notice how the white petals had started to change its colour. The petals of the rose slowly started to turn from white to red and she looked shocked. Her eyes moved back up to Calhoun, to hear him say, "I know what I chose, Madeline."