Give and Take (Trafalgar Law X OC)

The abyss in me (Part 4)

I had to close my eyes as the sight was inappropriate for a child but I sneaked a peak from the view between my fingers because at the same time I didn't want to lose any important information.

"Doffy! My darling! The latest news are better than we expected! The little brat is sick too with this incurable disease and so the other brat is more easily to be manipulated!", the black haired woman said and my mouth widened from shock.

Was she talking like that for my sister? I mean yes she earned the nickname 'witch' from me but I didn't know she was that evil...

"Fufufu, my love your eyes on the goal. Nothing finished yet! We have a long way to success. Don't forget about your brother too."

"Leonard? Ah he is so naïve! He is always away traveling as an adventurer so he won't realize anything."

"Even so, what are we going to do about the brat? She is a smart one so we can't wait until she grows up."

"Young Master..." Aldonza called for her lover and kneeled in front of him taking his bigger hands inside her smaller and thinner ones, a sight that really made me cringe in disgust.

"I promised you the throne in exchange for your love. You are my world so let me take care of everything! The throne is yours and I will make you the King of Solkey!"

"Fufufu, yes Aldonza that's right... I am your world. You have no one else except me and our son. Remember your words and give me what I deserve." the man answered with this cunning smile on his lips.

He kissed her again for the last time before he heads himself towards the room's exit. He paused his movements for a moment and turned to look at her with a dangerous expression that reflected no good omens to those mysterious eyes that hide behind his pair of sunglasses.

"Burn those letters and make sure no one knows about my intentions or else I won't hesitate to eliminate every evidence of our plan. And you are included too..." he warned in the most icy cold tone I ever heard and my aunt just nodded her head in agreement.

When he disappeared from her view, my aunt stood up and headed towards her desk that was placed beside the window. She brought a key out her dress's pocket and opened the last drawer taking out a pack of letters.

After some time of deep thinking she brought the letters to her lips and kissed them lovingly before she decided to place them back at the previous position and lock the drawer again.

Then she exited the room and after some minutes of waiting I walked outside of my hiding spot.

~...~

I remember one other day when my sister started walking her first steps and I rushed after my mathematics lesson so as to play with the baby in my mother's quarters.

I was about to open the door when I heard people talking from inside and being the curious cat I was, I tried to listen to their conversation.

"Aldonza please I beg you to reconsider your actions... You are not even married and already have a child together... what is everyone going to say if I let you bring this man inside the palace? He should have already proposed to you by now if he was a man of manners and honesty..." I heard my mother's voice and steps pacing around the room nervously.

"So you are telling me now that you care about people's opinion? That's very rich of you... having an ungifted child and being the foreigner Queen you are, without even royal roots." my aunt answered scoffing in irritation.

"You know that's not what I mean... You shouldn't trust this man, I don't have a good feeling for him! Moreover let him live with us... If he proposes to you we can discuss this matter again for the title of the Duke. You are Solkey's Duchess so it is only fair he takes everything rightful to him by being your husband."

"Huh, Duke? Duke you say?! Doffy deserves so much more!" she yelled with her face being all red from anger.

"It is not enough! Not enough I am telling you! I need more for him!"

Silence dominated the place for a few minutes until my mother sighed exhausted from my aunt's stubbornness and spoke again.

"We can open this conversation again once Leonard is back from his trip. It would be wise to hear his opinion too." she suggested and I opened a bit the door so as to take a peak of my aunt's expression.

She surely was not the slightest satisfied by my mother's reply and approached her dangerously with big steps.

"Who do you think you are? All these would have been already mine if you didn't exist..."

My mother shocked took into her embrace my little sister and held her tightly and protectively between her arms.

"Please, don't say such harsh words. I only want the best for you. Aldonza I..."

"Huh? The best? Ah yes Eloise you will give me the best. Fufufu the best is sure yet to come!"

With this response she headed with a quick pace towards the exit and opened the door suddenly revealing my self behind it.

"What we've got here? A little mouse? Fufufu, be careful little mouse because you are the cat's most favorite prey!"

Without giving her words any attention I rushed towards my mother's side to comfort her, seeing this whole conversation made her pretty upset.

The witch just turned her gaze to my figure and I locked eyes with her glaring her back.

That was the day when our game of cat and mouse began.

~...~

About one and a half year passed since that day and for a mysterious reason my aunt never pestered neither my father nor my mother again for that man. Things also went smoothly inside the palace and the witch was rather gentle and kind towards us, especially to my mother and me.

I was curious about this sudden change of heart but let it go for the moment thinking she finally settled her mind and stopped bothering my parents with her problems.

However, I tried always to be alert around her in case I catch a sign of her coming up with a plan or something.

Everything seemed normal until one day she entered with a huge smile that reached her ears inside my mother's chambers where she laid down on the bed with my sister as their health condition had worsen radically.

"Princess Valerie, I have this amazing idea for the dinner's dessert! Doesn't ice cream sounds very tempting?" she suggested and I raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.

"It is a bit chilly today outside... I don't think it would be...", I began to say but my eyes fell on my sister's excited smile and her eyes that widened with pure happiness at the sound of her favorite dessert and paused my words.

"Sweetie, it might be good for you to go for a walk. You are *cough* stuck inside this dark room for days." my mother suggested and thought about my decision for a second time before I accept my aunt's suggestion.

It wouldn't harm to breathe some fresh air for a few hours, right? It isn't like my mother and sister will go somewhere.

Right?

My aunt with a pleased smile waited for me near the door and I was about to approach her when my mother called for me.

"My sweet child, please turn off the kerosene lamp for me. This mother of yours is too weak to stand up and I would like to sleep *cough* a light while you are away." she begged me and I willingly turned off the half filled with oil lamp.

I double checked the oil was enough in case my mother wanted to light it up again when she wakes up, an important action because there is a danger of explosion in case the lamp is empty of oil due to the space of gas at the bottom of it.

When I was sure everything was safe I walked out of the room to inform Sophia that we will go for a walk at the city for ice cream.