First wife? Eve echoed to herself as she studied the painting. Her palms turned sweaty against the canvas as she gripped it tightly. This was a shock. She hadn't expected to discover that Sebastian had had a wife, and one who looked just like her, no less.
"I--I didn't know the King had a wife," she managed to say, her voice croaky. Nobody had ever mentioned her, so the thought of him being married had never crossed Eve's mind.
Her reaction didn't escape Leif's notice. It would have been hard to distinguish between them if it weren't for Evilyna's red irises, a clear indication of her vampire lineage.
Sebastian's obsession with Eve finally made sense. He loved her because she was a lookalike of his dearly beloved wife. Eve thought to herself.
"What happened to her?" She inquired.
"Are you always this inquisitive?" Leif countered.
"I suppose it's better than sitting idle all day," she responded softly.
Leif hummed and answered her previous question. "She was killed. The vampires didn't want you for the King, and they didn't want her either since she was a witch."
Eve, once again taken aback, asked, "Why are vampires so cruel?"
"Dominance," Leif succinctly answered before explaining. "Vampires aim to dominate all creatures, to be superior. They believe any relationship with other creatures would prevent them from maintaining control. Your family was outraged that you were human, knowing that shared blood would mean you wouldn't submit to their desires. They turned you into a servant to maintain control over you."
"That's absurd," Eve muttered, frowning. She couldn't believe that they thought their strength and intimidating presence would allow them to dominate everyone.
"I agree," Leif said, "They are repulsed by other creatures, yet they need them to survive. But the same goes for humans," he added, and Eve turned to him.
"What do you mean?"
"Those at the top of human society want to maintain and even elevate their status, having servants at their beck and call. Many high-status humans are disgusted by the poor, yet they consume meals grown and prepared by them. They are bathed and clothed by them. It all comes down to one thing: greed."
Leif had his reasons for refusing his mother's wish for him to become the king years ago. The throne wasn't just a place to sit. It carried responsibilities, not just for the citizens, but also for the burdens the position imposed. An ordinary vampire like him, who sometimes envied humans, didn't belong there. Even though he had royal blood, the throne's dark forces would ruin him. Sebastian was the only one who could withstand the throne's darkness.
"And when they see the one they consider weak as actually stronger than them, they try to exterminate you," he said to Eve, who listened attentively. He was right!
She looked down at the painting, and with Leif's words, it began to dawn on her.
"Lady Evilyna was the only one who had both vampire and witch's blood," she speculated, turning to Leif.
"You're smarter," he complimented.
"How did you figure that out?"
Eve pursed her lips as she pondered his words and a few others. He had mentioned her being a witch and seeing her red eyes, which implied that she had learned the practice of magic. However, when he spoke about the weaker person actually being superior, she recalled the mother Queen discussing the only true hybrid that Sebastian had managed to capture.
"The mother Queen had talked about a Witch who the king was used as bait to catch. I just thought she should be the one," Eve reflected.
"I don't know much but I believed Sebastian didn't capture her to hand her over and the vampires knew this. When he got married to her, the vampires saw it as the right opportunity, and they planned her death."
"And the King?"
"Her body was found in one of the attics, stabbed with one of the wood. The murder was made to look like an accident, she had tripped in the attic and got stabbed."
"Of course, he knew it wasn't true and it took too much of my persuasion to stop him from killing every one of them."
"Why?" Eve questioned.
"The whole kingdom was satisfied with her death, she was someone who pose as threat."
'And because of you,' Leif added to himself. If there was anyone who knew more about the happenings in the castle, it was him, and he wasn't ready to spill anything. He would let them fall accordingly else things will become disastrous.
"Is that why most of the vampires dislike me? Because I look like her?"
"No, If it were true, my mother would have killed you on your first day," Eve gulped hard as he made this sentence. Evilyna's face had been erased from all their memories shortly after her death. If anyone were to notice the resemblance between her and Eve, then it will spell trouble.
Sebastian had stripped his mother from her title to protect the girl but he knew his mother was cunning enough, to not use only her power to kill her also.
Eve laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling of her room as Leif's words continue to ring in her ears. If anyone recognized her to look like Evilyna, then they would likely assumed that the witch resurrected and seek to eliminate her.
That's ridiculous.
Hearing the voice coming from the castle, she got down from the bed and walked towards her window to see the people who entered their carriage before departing from the castle. She recognized few of the Ministers, most were looking unhappy.
A knock came on her door, "Milady?"
"Come in, Ester."
"I didn't know you had returned to your room," She bowed as she said.
"Just few minutes ago," Eve replied and turned to look at the last carriage that rode out of the gates.
"What happened in the castle?" She asked the maid as most of them have ears everywhere to know what was happening.
"The king has stripped of the mother Queen from her title," Ester replied in a hushed voice
Eve was taken aback and her brows raised subtly at this, "Do you know for what reason?"
"No milady," Ester shook her head.
She tried to dismiss the notion that it was because of her, but deep down, she couldn't help but consider the possibility. After all, she was the replica Sebastian's deceased wife. She fought against the thought, refusing it to consume her mind. Why was it so unsettling to realize that Sebastian's obsession with her was simply a manifestation of his love for Evilyna.
"I came to call you for lunch, milady," Ester interrupted her thoughts.
"I'm not hungry, I'll be there for dinner. I need to get some books," She said and Ester bowed before walking away.
Picking up the books she had brought previously, she walked out of her room and made her way to the library. She climbed down the stairs in hurried steps and turned to her right where her sister, Grace was coming from.
Eve silently cursed to herself, she had almost forgot her family's presence in the castle. With the way Grace was staring at her, she knew she wouldn't pass without talking to her. And sure enough, as she tried to walk past her, Grace commented, "You think highly of yourself just because you are the King's mistress."
"Would you like to swap place with me?" Eve asked, pausing her footsteps.
"Why should I? I-" Eve interrupted her by sighing.
"And here, I thought you are envious enough to do that."
Grace scrunched her face in disgust, "I used to think you were a human saint, never knew you would shamelessly spread your legs for men."
Eve didn't know if she was to blame Sebastian for marking her or her sister's stupidity. Her mind was loaded with too much information and she was too exhausted to argue with her. When she tried to walk away, Grace snickered and folded her hands, "You're just a cheap slut that would be discarded after use."
That pricked Eve who turned back to reply her sister but she looked ahead when she heard the approaching footsteps and Sebastian appeared in her view. He casted a glance at Grace briefly before turning to Eve.
"I would have come sooner if I knew you would be chitchatting, what caused the tension?"
"Nothing to bother about that," Eve replied and walked away. Sebastian narrowed his eyes at her retreating figure, he had caught the shimmering liquid in her eyes before she could turn.
He turned to her sister who was obviously the cause of her mood, he watched her swallow down a gulp as she fisted her hands. His eyes lingered on her slim neck and he wondered how it would feel to snap it.
"Grace is it?" He asked, his voice no where close to being gentle making her shiver as she nodded.
"I don't think you value life to run off your tongue disrespectfully to Eve."
"Speak another word to her during your stay and your head would be a parting gift to your parents," his warning dripped with venom, daring her to defy him and witness the consequences. The intensity of his words shook her to her soul and she badly want to disappear.
"Leave," His voice boomed in the corridor and she scurried away, holding up her dress so she wouldn't trip to the ground. He walked in the direction Eve took, deciding to meet with her.