The Blind Mistress & Her Mates

Two Faced

Gracefeel's eyes scanned the room as she exchanged pleasantries with the early arrivals, her trusted maid, Desmonda was seeing to other affairs while her mistress took the liberty to entertain acquaintances and keep up appearances. The grand celebration was in honour of three centuries of peace since the sealing of the witches, a momentous occasion where all high-end nobility from each empire were allowed to mingle.

This year it was being held in vampire territory and each attendee wore masks to signify unity regardless of their race.

A servant offered her a glass of wine from the collection in his tray, she declined with a polite smile, "I'm watching my health, thank you." Bluntly, she was more weary of being poisoned or drugged than anything else.

As she mingled, Gracefeel found herself in conversation with a group of noblewomen. One of them, an older lady with auburn hair and the title of a baroness, began to boast about her unruly children, "I didn't know motherhood would be such a handful. My maids can barely keep up with the baby." She shook her head with a content smile.

"Your son is just a little over a year old, my dear." Another woman interjected, "My twins were all so well-mannered during their first eighteen months. But the moment the little rascals learned to walk, we had to barricade the stairway to keep them from falling." She lamented, massaging her temples at the thought of it. "Now they're five years old, it's not any much better."

"Nick and Rick, they truly are a lively little pair of boys." The baroness continued. "I could only hope for a son on our second try."

Gracefeel, who had no children of her own, felt like an oddball amidst their conversation. She forced a low laugh, trying to blend in, but gradually managed to slip away. She overheard one of them whispering to the other, questioning if she was truly barren and expressing pity for the Duke, who had married her.

"What's the point of marrying such a beautiful woman if she can't bear offspring to carry on your name?" one of them remarked, her tone full of disdain and contempt.

"Poor thing."

Grace felt an urge to snap back with something cutting, but instead chose to retreat. One thing she'd learnt from mingling with nobles over the years was that who laughed last laughed best. Her gaze scanned the room for other familiar faces before spotting the prince, Leonardo Rothschild at the far end of the room, his back was against a pillar, a glass in one hand. She approached him, her expression guarded.

"What are you up to, Leonardo?" she asked her tone firm, wondering the reason for his sudden visit the night before.

Leonardo raised an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean, Gracefeel?" He was as sly as a fox, always ready to feign ignorance. He had short dark hair and caramel brown eyes that threatened to gaze into one's soul. He hovered over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a lean waist accented by the tailored red tux he wore with golden epaulettes. His lips were thin and his pointed nose complimented his chiseled jawline.

So why was such an endowed man all by himself at such a big event?

Leonardo as most knew wasn't quite sane in the head. His personality was twisted and hot-blooded. He was the type of man to go to any length to get what he desired. Rumours also had it that he was a womanizer and lacked even the slightest bit of empathy. Yet, he always wore a sketchy smile.

His father, the king was on his deathbed and many worried about Leonardo ruling the empire. Those who'd spoken on their concerns had met their untimely demise and no one dared to investigate the cause.

Gracefeel narrowed her eyes, not buying Leonardo's innocent facade. "Don't play games with me," she warned, her voice low but sharp. "Remember our agreement. Do not overstep boundaries."

Leonardo's smile widened the corners of his lips twitching with amusement. "Oh, Gracefeel, you wound me," he replied, his tone mockingly playful as he clenched his chest with his free hand. "I assure you, I am merely an observer tonight. No mischief on my agenda."

Gracefeel scoffed, not believing a word he said. She knew better than to trust Leonardo Rothschild, especially considering their complicated history. Before she could press him further, however, the crowd erupted into applause as her name was called out, inviting her to the stage to sing.

She took a deep breath before plastering on a smile and gracefully made her way to the stage.

"At least I wear my heart on my sleeve, wicked wench," Leonardo mumbled out of earshot.

The stage was adorned with flowers and candles, casting a soft glow around her as the hall went silent. The harpist beside her began to play a slow, soft tune familiar to the ears of the onlookers as Gracefeel shut her eyes, blocking out the whispers and doubts that plagued her mind.

Her voice filled the room, rich and melodic, captivating the audience. For a moment, she forgot about her worries, but it was cut short when the voice of a male reverberated.

"Where is my wife?!" Logan's voice could be heard from the ballroom and heads turned in the direction of the west entrance.

Gracefeel gasped the moment she barged in, dragging Laura by the hair behind him.

The crowd was in a panic as he pulled the helpless woman in her undergarment to the centre stage, tossing her aside like a rag doll.

"Logan..."

"Grace!" Laura cut her sister off. "I—"

"Shut up you w***e!" He snarled before turning his attention to his wife, "Who is this woman? And why does she have your face?"

Tears streamed down Laura's cheek, silently begging to be saved.

Leonardo watched the scene unfold from the corner of the room, both hands folded against his chest. He wasn't the type to stand up for the weak. He was an observer, but the fact that Grace had an identical twin came as a surprise.

"She's my sister, I brought her along."

"This lowly wench dared to seduce me." He knew his wife had a sister who was scorned for her fate, what he didn't know was that she was alive. Grace rarely spoke about her sister and whenever she did, it was short sentences as though the topic was distressing, so Logan never bothered to dig further. All he needed was his wife, not some jinxed woman with a disability.

The crowd around them gasped and mumbled before Gracefeel spoke again.

"Laura, is this true?" she approached her sister, pretending not to be the mastermind behind it. "Why would you do this to me? After all I've done for you!"

Laura froze, feeling the colour leave her face the moment her sister slapped her. What stung more was the betrayal she'd just experienced from the same woman who wanted her to bed the Duke twice.

Gracefeel broke down in tears after leaving an imprint on her sister's cheek, running to her husband to bury her face against his chest. "Did you try to seduce my husband just because I'm sickly?" she sobbed against his sturdy chest.

Logan caressed her back, holding her close enough to kiss the top of her head gently.

"How dare she,"

"And the duchess was so kind to her,"

"Deceiving the Duke like that..."

"She deserves to die,"

"Hang her,"

The murmurs swelled as no one dared to fully voice their opinions, they weren't barbarians after all.

Logan, ever the overprotective husband, raised a hand to silence the crowd. He couldn't bear to see the way his woman was shaking in his arms and was worried about how thinner she'd gotten. "Enough!" he bellowed, his eyes blazing with fury. "This is a private matter between my wife and her sister. Let us handle it as such."

There was tension in the air and Gracefeel wiped her tears, "Logan, please. She's still my sister, don't torture her," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "She made a mistake, a grave one, but she is family and my only sibling."

A warm smile crossed his lips, his fingers gently moving to stroke her cheek. "You still make excuses for her, you have such a kind heart." His furious gaze turned back to Laura who was still on her knees. "Hear my order! I, Logan Rothschild sentence this woman to death!"

Laura's mouth hung open. "No, wait! Please, listen to me!" she cried, "It's a lie!"

"Get her out of my sight!" he ordered and two guards rushed to drag her out. Laura kicked and struggled, turning her head in all directions, desperate to look for help, but it didn't come.

Just like it always was. She was in the dark and no one was coming to save her.