The Blind Mistress & Her Mates

BORDER BETWEEN WINDSOR & THE PORT, Year X1878 of the Imperial Calendar. *** Laura was soaking wet when they arrived at the back door. The man beside her, a guard from the front gates, pounded his fists against the wooden door. His loud knocking was but a mild thud in comparison to the sound of the rain clapping and bashing against the stone interlocking. Both of Laura's hands clenched against her chest to stop the wind from blowing away the cloak that hid her face. The cotton dress she wore within also clung tightly to her skin, and the gushing wind caused her body to quiver even more. Before she could knock again, the door flew open, and she was hurried in without hesitation. It was somewhat surprising how quickly the doors had been opened since they'd used the servant's door at the back of the manor. Laura could hear the voice of the woman who'd let them in saying goodbye to the man who'd led her thus far. It took a little extra effort to shut the door against the wind, and she stood stiffly until it became quieter. The woman seemed to ponder her next set of words while staring at Laura shortly before speaking curtly, "The mistress loathes wet floors," she took slow steps towards Laura. "But I presume she'd forgive you because you're blind." A mild, unbothered smile formed on Laura's lips. "Yes, forgive me." The woman's fingers reached out for Laura's face, tracing the bridge of her nose before they trailed along the bottom half of her chin. She stared into Laura's eyes as if wanting to see for herself, and Laura stared into the darkness from her pale green eyes. From the time Laura was born, she'd had nothing but misfortune follow her. But the worst of it was from the period she'd lost her vision. Laura and her sister, Gracefeel, were born twins. Identical twins to be specific. On the day they were born, a seer who claimed to have been enlightened by one of the gods spoke of the evil that would befall the country had they both been allowed to live. Her parents, Edward and Edith Hanson, were deathly superstitious when it came to prophecies of the gods. The seer foretold that one of them would bring glory to the family while the other would bring disgrace. As one could expect, Laura was the latter—the child that would bring disgrace and ruin. Both Laura's mother and father believed the prophecies, yet, they couldn't kill their daughter. Especially not after waiting over ten years to be blessed with children. Instead, they decided that the unwanted child would be stripped of her name—her legacy, and would grow up as a mere servant under their roof but out of sight. Laura was never treated slightly even more favorably than the other servants and grew unpampered and working for her meals under the roof of the Hansons. She worked outside the main house as the sight of her irked her parents. The servants who knew her predicament looked down at her, and the young girl gradually began to loathe her existence—at least until Gracefeel heard the gossip and found her way to her. Gracefeel was the first person to ever treat Laura like a human--like she mattered. She still recalled the first time she spoke to her blood sister while lifting hay to feed the horses. It had been eight years since they were born, and Laura had only ever sighted her a handful of times when their carriage left the estate. They were the same age although Laura looked a bit older than her due to hardship, but it took only that single encounter to make young Laura understand what everyone saw in Gracefeel—how she'd managed to charm the eyes and ears of even the backbiting lot of servants. The sun bounced off Gracefeel's silky golden hair as her bright green eyes looked down at Laura from on top of her petite pony. She stared at Laura momentarily whose garments and hair were covered with dust and dirt, and yet, she spoke so sweetly. "You must be my sister. I'm happy to finally make your acquaintance," she smiled, although it was a sad smile, there was sincerity in it. Although they were the same age, Gracefeel spoke with poise and grace, whereas Laura always stuttered and stumbled through her words. Gracefeel was an angel. Laura struggled to keep conversations going, and Gracefeel picked up pony riding over time so she could meet Laura at the stables. They'd tell each other stories, and Gracefeel never once insulted or looked down at Laura—the unloved daughter. Gracefeel would sneak extra rations to Laura, and they'd sing the songs Laura wrote in private. Laura had always been a better singer than Gracefeel, but she steadfastly practiced over the years and managed to surpass Laura. Their meetings were always in secret, but over time, Laura could tell that Gracefeel's health wasn't as good as hers. They were born together, and yet, Laura couldn't help but adore her. Misfortune struck a few months after they turned eleven years old. Gracefeel had coerced Laura to accompany her on her brand new horse, regardless of knowing that a servant couldn't ride with their mistress. Yet, Laura agreed. The horse was a birthday gift from their father, and Gracefeel wanted Laura to ride with her that evening, saying that no one would see them. Laura wanted to know what it felt like to ride one of those creatures, as the horses in the stables were off-limits to servants. Gracefeel had lost her grip during the ride when the horse began to act on its own accord. She threatened to fall over when she let go of the reins, and Laura was able to catch her in midair just in time to save her from hitting the ground. Laura remembered how fast everything went blank as the side of her head hit a rock on landing, breaking both their falls. The next time she came to it, everything had gone dark, and she was in a bed. When Gracefeel came in, Laura could hear her sobbing as she squeezed her bandaged little arm. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," she kept repeating to herself. Laura tried to reassure her sister that everything was fine, and she heard the voice of a man and woman, who were probably her parents, scold Gracefeel and ask her to get away from Laura. In her innocence, Laura asked, "Who's with you, Grace? It's too dark to see anything." There was an accompanying silence, and it took a few seconds for Laura to understand that she'd lost her ability to see. She heard her mother gasp in the background, but they didn't say a word. The days after that were the saddest Laura had ever had. Although she was given a room in the main house to live quietly with her new disability, Gracefeel stopped singing, and whenever she did, they were sad songs that put the audience to tears. Yet, she continued to visit Laura in her room, and Laura continued to write songs for her. Gracefeel's voice became sought after by prominent ears, and their family gained even more acknowledgment. Gracefeel was called a siren. Since Gracefeel got married over five years ago, Laura had been unable to see her. At least not until today. Gracefeel's health had only worsened over the years, to the point that she was unable to conceive. Their family doctor mentioned that she wouldn't survive childbirth, so her husband, Logan, had treated her like a fragile little egg. But now, his family saw no need for a wife who couldn't bear an heir. Logan didn't pay heed to any of it as he loved his wife regardless. The one who felt it all was Gracefeel, his wife who'd heard all the whispers. She knew Logan would never try to get her pregnant on purpose, so she summoned her sister, Laura, to bed her husband. Laura didn't know the reason for her being summoned at the time, or why she was made to use the servant door, but she came regardless. "Stay close to me," the maid who'd let Laura in whispered, entwining their hands before moving along, making sure the premises were clear from the other house staff. Laura was stealthily moved into Gracefeel's room, and for the first time in five years, both of them were reunited. Laura couldn't tell that her sister was sobbing where she sat until she spoke. "Hey...." she spoke softly, the guilt of all that had transpired in the past weighing on her voice. "Laura...". Her voice cracked as she forced herself to get up from the bed. "Grace..." Laura's voice caught in her throat as she struggled to hold back her tears. What Laura wasn’t prepared for was the request that her sister was about to make of her. A request that would ruin either one of them in the long-run.