EDITED.
"My wrath will be their ruin." ~Araneae Ruber
~
LOUISA BENT over on the bed as rage slowly began seeping into her veins. Luella has a man? Who was he? She had asked these questions repeatedly through the course of the night, and she had gotten no answer to them.
She rubbed her neck as she felt the surrounding pain on her neck. It was clear he had intended to kill her at that moment. Louisa bit her lips as she thought of what had happened. The man hadn't called her with respect or title. He had seen her naked and didn't act or make any move to touch or be with her.
But all he had done was to talk, degrade, insult and over all humiliate her. And Chandler was no better than her shoe that littered the floor.
He barely landed a punch, but then he was struck twice in the face, as if he were a child's toy.
Disgusting.
This was the man she slept with? She didn't know what was more humiliating. What she went through with that man, or the fact that she actually slept with a weak man like Chandler.
But all these weren't the most humiliating parts of the night. It was the fact that Luella, her very own sister, did nothing to protect her from that crazed man, but she was getting flustered and openly flirting with him in front of her fiancé.
Was she not in love with him?
Since Luella was always warm and friendly with Chandler, Louisa had assumed she was-if not already in love with him, he was at the very least growing on her.
But her reaction to all these left her thinking otherwise. "So, if Luella wasn't in love with Chandler, why did I do all this? Why did I sleep with such a pathetic and weak man? It wasn't even pleasurable to sleep with him. He was weak in all areas," She mumbled quietly to herself. She knew the reason she did such, so there was no reason she would act like she had no idea. Louisa simply slept with Chandler for two reasons. One because she likes taking something her sister has or about to have, and two just because she can.
She already knew Chandler was in love with her, but she had persuaded him to marry her sister, because she knew how badly he wanted fame and respect.
Louisa had said it in a way, he would think she also wanted him. But since he was chasing his dream and goal, she would have to let him go and have him marry her sister, since she was the heir to the dukedom.
He was foolish to agree. After all, the tears she shed could not go to waste. But now those tears did go to waste, as Luella had zero interest in Chandler, and she had slept with a sore loser for no apparent gain.
She was disgusted and wanted to burn anything and everything Chandler had touched on her that night.
Louisa was slowly becoming overwhelmed at how the entire night had played out. She had imagined having a blissful night with Chandler and then having to watch her sister smile and laugh at the same man who she thought loved her.
But here she was, feeling betrayed and disgusted with herself. Like always, everything had gone out perfectly for her sister. It was as though the gods always favored Luella over Louisa, and it was not fair at all.
Louisa was always constantly compared with her sister, about how she was so good at everything and also how smart she was. It was like anytime Louisa spoke in a collective event or in any important social gatherings; it was like the people looked at her as mediocre.
But when Luella rushed over to help her, the once dulled crowd would immediately liven up and begin discussion about what to do or what to donate.
It was humiliating for her.
She was always known as the pretty face of the Van-Rensselaer dukedom, but she was a twin. Luella and Louisa were so identical, to the point of if they wore the same clothes, styled their hair similarly, it would be hard for anymore to know who was who.
All Luella needed to do was get rid of the nonsense dresses that she would usually wear and dress beautifully. If they thought Louisa was beautiful, people would clearly think Luella was beautiful, as they both had the same face.
Feeling so overwhelmed, Louisa burst into tears and, like a gentleman, Ser Chandler scooped his lover into his arms and cooed her.
"It is alright my love, I will figure something out" He cuddled her as he patted her back affectionately. Louisa mentally gagged at the way he touched her, but she dealt with it and kept up the act.
"Why was Luella so mean to me? Why does she always ruin every good thing that comes to me? She is my sister, and yet she wishes for my downfall," She cried pitifully.
Ser. Chandler felt his heart break into a million different pieces as he heard his dear love cry her heart out in pain.
She truly was pitiful.
"Even after I have mercifully given her the man I love for her to marry, just because father wrote in his will that she would not inherit the dukedom if she doesn't at the very least get engaged to a man before her twentieth birthday"
This was true as Late Duke Lloyd Van-Rensselaer had writing in his will that Luella must marry Grand Duke of the Rhinelander.
Ozed Rhinelander.
But unfortunately, Grand Duke Ozed had died in the war, making his will go void. But Nanette had then made it compulsory to at least fulfill the part of her getting married, so not to tarnish the will of the dead.
Louisa, being her sweet sister, decided to have Chandler and Luella engaged. Even though she knew Chandler loved her instead of Luella.
"I don't know what had gotten of Luella, but I would talk to her… she probably just misunderstood and that is her coping mechanism"
'Misunderstood? Her reaction was not of someone who misunderstood. She looked like someone who didn't care about the scene that unfolded before her eyes.
And even though she clearly caught them in a compromising position, all she cared about was taking the cloaked man out of the room. And you say she misunderstood?'
"What do we do, Ser Chandler? At this rate, Luella will annul the marriage, and you wouldn't get your goal." She asked, raising her hands and placed them on his chin.
Her voice, look, and tenderness were all a ploy to make Ser Chandler think she was sincerely worried about him.
Chandler clenched his fist as he stared into Louisa's eyes. "Why does it have to be Luella who would be the matriarch of the dukedom? Why can't it be you, my dearest?"
Louisa looked at him bemused, "What do you mean?"
"I am saying you are the wielder of Van-Rensselaer shadow magic, and Lady Luella has nothing going for her than her book smarts. You have the power of your ancestors, just like your father." He said, lay out ideas for her.
"So I believe you should aim to be the matriarch of the dukedom. And to be honest, there is a vest majority of the noble council that would support you if you want to be the matriarch. Then I will just marry you and you would lead the dukedom".
"Then we can both get what we want. Me with you and you as the heir".
"But my father—"
"Is dead. May his soul rest in perfect peace. But let the dead be. Even though she was taught in the ways of leadership, it doesn't necessarily mean she has to be. All you need to do is learn it as well. After all, you both are sisters. I am sure what she can do, you can most definitely do better".