The Crown's Obsession (WN)
Chapter 13: Watching you

She didn't just run, but Madeline fled from there away from the man, taking the other corridor this time hoping she wouldn't get lost and she didn't. She couldn't help but turn around, looking in the way she had come from. Her brown eyes looked frantically to see there was no one. Her breath slightly harsh, and she tried to calm it down.

When she reached the ballroom again were more men and women had started to take part in the dance, Madeline decided to take a back seat, and she excused herself so that she could walk through the people to reach the wall and she found her sister who was dancing with another man now.

On the other corner, her eyes fell on Mr. Heathcliff, who was dancing with Lady Catherine.

"Madeline!" she heard her mother's voice, and she felt a sense of relief to have her family close to her, "What are you doing standing here by yourself?" asked her mother slightly worried. Her youngest daughter looked beautiful tonight not that she didn't before, but she had expected bachelors to swarm around her.

"I thought to rest."

Her mother looked at her in horror, "Rest? This is no time to rest, child. You can rest all you want going back home. Go on, enjoy the ball."

Madeline smiled at her mother's efforts in getting her to be noticed by men in the room. She knew her mother only meant well and was making sure her daughters got the best and didn't have to suffer a life where they would have to work to meets ends.

"How was your trip around the castle?" Madeline changed the context, and her mother's eyes lit up.

"It is beautiful. Looks like heaven everywhere but we didn't get to all around. I mean it would take us more than a day to go, but the guards have restricted the guests from going any further than the premise here and around," her mother went on to speak about the vase and plants she saw. In that time, Madeline couldn't help but question how easily she got further into the castle that she earlier failed to notice that there had been no one but her who was walking in the halls,

"And then you know what we saw, there was this enormous fountain that has water coming out from the mouth of the fish."

Madeline met her father's eyes who smiled at her, "You should take a look around," he said after noticing how Madeline had chosen to stand near the wall while Beth was on the dance floor dancing.

"No, I think I am fine," Madeline could still feel the tension she had felt when the man in the silver mask had stepped up close in front of her. Remembering his eyes looking at her, the thought had her look away towards the people.

As if what happened wasn't enough, the silver masked man appeared again, but he didn't walk to where she was. Her eyes tailed him, seeing him go to one of the most beautiful women who was decked in luxurious silk and jewels around her neck. He leaned towards the side of the woman's head who happened to have a broad smile over what he said to her. He walked towards the dance floor along with the woman who trailed behind her.

The woman being a beautiful one, and many eyes followed her along with the man who had asked her for a dance. Madeline who was watching them quietly heard her mother tap on a man's shoulder,

"Hello I am Mrs. Harris, and this is my husband and my young daughter Madeline. Did you get to have the opportunity to talk?"

"Mother! What are you doing?" Madeline whispered to her mother, closing her eyes and trying not to feel embarrassed for what her mother was doing. The man thankfully picked up, and he didn't take it badly. Instead, he offered Madeline a smile.

"Hello, I am Fergus Hane," he introduced himself.

Madeline awkwardly smiled back at him, "Madeline Harris."

"Would you like to dance?" he asked her politely. Tonight, given the opportunity, any man would ask her to dance with the way Madeline looked.

"Okay," she replied, believing it would be ruder to refuse when it was her mother who had asked the man and started the conversation.

Truthfully, she didn't want to be here. There was Mr. Heathcliff, who was dancing with Lady Catherine with his arms around her waist, but he wasn't the main reason. It was the man in the mask that intimidated her. As she made her way to the floor, she felt like the man looked at her, but his gaze didn't stay on her for more than a second as he went to look at the woman in his hands.

Madeline felt an invisible sweat break on her forehead before an inaudible sigh of relief passed through her lips.

"I am sorry about my mother," Madeline apologized.

"Don't be," said the man with a polite smile, "I wouldn't have had the chance to dance with a beautiful maiden like yourself," he flattered her and she smiled. Mr. Hane had his hand on her waist and he danced with her with the rest of the couples who were dancing.

She noticed how the music had gone back to the one she had danced before. As the music was played and they moved, a point came where the person who was in the silver mask was right behind Mr. Hane, facing her with the woman in his hand having her back facing Madeline. Both of them happened to be speaking to each other about something.

"Is this your first time attending the ball here?" asked Mr. Hane.

"Yes. Is it obvious?" she asked him.

"No," he shook his head, swaying and moving her, "I don't think I have ever seen you here before," as she gave her dance partner a nod, her eyes by mistake fell on the man who was dancing in front of her to realize he was looking at her with his dark red eyes.