The Crown’s Obsession

Beth felt a bubble of hope in her chest, and she said,

"I wanted to apologize to him, for the way things were before he left and for taking away his life. Back then, I did not see things clearly as I see it now. Along with my sister, he was one of the people who believed that I could change. Even when I thought I was hideous to look at." She looked down at her hands. Raphael had looked after her even during the time she was in her worst. "I wished...he was here so that I could tell him… I am sorry for causing trouble."

"I am sure he hasn't held it against you. He did good by helping you, Ms. Elizabeth. Whatever happened, it gave out fruitful results, don't you agree?"

She shook her head, "I am not sure about it," whispered Beth.

"I would like to pray directly to you, Archangel Gabriel, for Raphael to be allowed to step back into the living world," she said, turning to look through the divider.

"Unfortunately, that is not how it works, Ms. Elizabeth. Raphael is still undergoing a punishment for breaking some of the rules and I cannot intervene," replied Gabriel and Beth's heart sunk.

"Thank you for listening to me," thanked Beth, and she stepped out of the confession box.

Before she could take her leave, Gabriel said, "Times might be difficult, milady, but like many other things it will pass and you will be able to see the brighter side of it."

Beth bowed her head again before she left the place.

Even Gabriel disappeared from the church on seeing the girl leave, and he entered Heaven to verify something. Something was amiss, and he walked into the building that had the box where the prayers and wishes of scrolls entered from the living world sent by the mortals from the living world.

He placed his hand on the surface of the wooden box, but he didn't find the scroll of wish from Elizabeth.

"Amos," Gabriel called one of the men who worked in here.

"Archangel Gabriel," Amos bowed his head, and he replied, "Are you looking for something?"

"Yes, I want to know when was the last time the mortal named Elizabeth Harris' scroll of prayer or wish entered into the box. You have the records, don't you?" questioned Gabriel.

Amos nodded his head. Stepping away from the desk, he went to the racks where the parchments had been binded and neatly placed in the room.

"Just the time period should do," stated Gabriel while he patiently waited for Amos to fill him in.

"Archangel Gabriel, the last scroll of Elizabeth Harris' prayer that had entered the wish box was a couple of months ago. More than ten months. It was about not wanting to turn into a werewolf, but that was rejected," informed Amon.

Gabriel's eyebrows subtly raised itself, and he tried to confirm, "Nothing after it?"

Amos turned back to face Gabriel and shook his head, "I don't think she made a wish."

"How strange," murmured Gabriel under his breath. Even though it took a while for a wish or a prayer to come true, it should have been collected in the box, but in Elizabeth's case, it wasn't there.

"Is something the matter-" Amos went to question, but Gabriel had disappeared from the room in a blink of an eye. The angel looked at the other angel workers and asked in puzzlement, "Did we make a mistake?"

Gabriel returned to the living world and entered the forest near the mountain of Belmount, which had more traces of the Devil. He waited there for his former brother to arrive.

"I didn't know you were missing me and came to look for me," said Vladimir, appearing there with a curious look on his face.

Gabriel had a pleasant smile on his lips, and he said, "I came here to ask you something."

"Hm? And what might that be that you have come here to the dark side for help?" Vladimir raised his eyebrows.

"The antidote that you had given Elizabeth Harris, I want you to remove your blood from her body," said Gabriel. It took him a while to know what exactly was going on as he tried to backtrack on the events that had occurred over the last few months.

"And why do you think I have to listen to what you or any of the other archangels' words?" questioned Vladimir. "With my blood running through her veins, one day she will be able to turn into a fine demon once she enters the underworld."

"Her wishes are not passing through from the living world because of your blood in her body, Vladimir," pointed Gabriel. "And that is thanks to the Devil's blood."

"How rude," Vladimir's eyes narrowed as they looked at Gabriel. "You dare to say that you blocked my possible messages to Heaven and you ask me for help."

Gabriel's eyebrows furrowed as he didn't want to fight his brother or have another war that would lead to another disruption. It had been only a few months since peace had fallen upon all the people.

Turning around, Vladimir raised his hand, ready to snap his fingers to leave, and Gabriel quickly said, "I will let you spend an hour with Constance." Hearing this, the Devil dropped his hand.

"Just an hour?" questioned Vladimir, clicking his tongue in unhappiness.

"A day," Gabriel gave his word. He knew beforehand if he were to tell a day, the Devil would ask for a week, which was why he started it with an hour. And the Devil removing his blood from a mortal being wasn't difficult for the Devil.

Vladimir didn't say yes or no as he disappeared from there, but the archangel believed it was a yes.

In Hawthrone's castle, Beth was in the kitchen, talking to the cook when the Devil appeared in the middle of nowhere and caught hold of her wrist.

"Come with me, girl," said Vladimir, dragging Beth away from there.

"W-what happened?" Beth asked, startled while keeping up her feet with him as they crossed the corridors to a quieter place.

"Hush child," Vladimir shushed her before stopping and turning around to face her.

Beth didn't know what was going on, but she saw him place his index and middle finger on her forehead. She felt something being pulled out from her, and as Vladimir's hand moved away from her forehead, she caught sight of black threads that he pulled out from her. The black threads crackled before they disappeared in thin air.

"There you go. I have taken my blood out of you and now you are just a part werewolf and part human," said Vladimir.

Beth touched her forehead where she had felt a slight pain, and she looked at Vladimir with a look of surprise on her face. She said, "Thank you."

Noticing how Beth had not figured out like the rest of them, Vladimir rolled his eyes and sighed, "What are you doing here, instead of making a wish? The more time you take, the more time it is going to take to receive."

Wait, what? Asked Beth in her mind.

"Gabriel said your prayers are not reaching and I would like to have your good prayers to reach my great grandchild," said Vladimir.

Beth closed her green eyes, making a wish, and by the time she had opened her eyes, Vladimir had disappeared.