A Love To Call My Own

The halls buzzed with whispers, the soft murmur of voices weaving through the air like an invisible thread. Servants paused mid-task, their eyes darting toward Alicia as she passed by. Though their voices barely rose above a whisper, the words carried far enough.

"Poor Lady Alicia," one maid muttered, her voice laced with pity.

"She's been nothing but graceful, even after all this," another chimed in, glancing around nervously to ensure they weren't overheard.

"Unlike her," someone added under their breath, the words laced with venom.

Katarina overheard it all, the pointed glances, the stifled laughs. Her face burned with humiliation as she walked down the same halls. Every step felt heavier than the last, the weight of their judgment pressing down on her.

"She's just a seductress," one maid whispered when Katarina passed by, pretending to focus on polishing a vase.

"A lowly woman who clawed her way into the duchy," another muttered, barely masking the disdain in her tone.

Katarina clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She kept walking, her chin held high, but inside, her anger simmered. Why did they look at her like that? Like she was a bug crawling into a bed where she didn't belong?

The whispers didn't stop. "Lady Alicia is the true duchess," a footman said quietly. "No one else could manage the household like her."

Katarina's teeth ground together. She turned the corner quickly, away from their prying eyes and venomous words, and into a quieter corridor. Her breathing was uneven as she bit her finger in frustration, her mind spinning.

Yes, she had made mistakes—who didn't? But why did they treat her like this? She wasn't some parasite. She had earned her place. Well, maybe not entirely.

Katarina glanced around to ensure no one was nearby, her thoughts darkening. There was no denying it: she had seduced Edward. She'd spent months plotting, raising a boy who bore just enough of a resemblance to Edward to pass as his. The one night she'd shared with him had been her ticket into the duchy. All she had to do was disappear and return with the child. It had been so easy.

But now, the unease wouldn't leave her. What if Edward found out? What if someone questioned Theodore's parentage? Katarina bit her finger harder, her eyes narrowing. No, it didn't matter. She just needed to deal with Alicia.

Her grip tightened on the door handle as she pushed it open. Inside, Theodore sat on the floor, his toys scattered around him as he hummed quietly to himself. Katarina's irritation flared.

"Theodore!" she snapped, storming over to him. She grabbed his small arm tightly, pulling him to his feet. The boy winced but didn't protest. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop playing and focus on your studies!"

Theodore nodded quickly, his voice small and obedient. "Yes, Mother."

"Go to the study," Katarina ordered, pointing to the door.

The boy hurried out without another word, his head bowed low. Katarina sighed heavily, dropping into the chair by the window. She rubbed her temples, the weight of her frustrations threatening to crush her.

"How can I get rid of her?" she muttered to herself, her voice low and bitter. "That woman is a thorn in my side."

She stared out at the garden, watching the maids tending to the flowers, their laughter drifting up to her. A pang of jealousy hit her—Alicia's presence lingered in every corner of the household, a ghost that refused to be exorcised.

A servant knocked softly on the door, entering with a tray of tea. Katarina waved them off impatiently. "Leave me," she snapped.

The servants left quickly, their heads bowed, leaving Katarina alone with her thoughts.

"What a pain," she muttered again, her nails tapping against the armrest of the chair. But her lips curled into a faint smile, her mind already working on the next plan. She wasn't about to let Alicia win. Not now, not ever.

*****

Theodore wandered through the halls of the mansion, his small feet dragging across the polished floors. His head hung low, his dark eyes filled with sadness. He tried not to think about his mother's sharp words, but they echoed in his mind.

If you don't behave, Lady Alicia will hate you and kick both of us out.

He didn't want Lady Alicia to hate him. He wanted to be better. If he worked harder, maybe even his mother would love him more.

He wandered until he found himself in the garden. The fresh scent of flowers and the warm sun on his face made him feel a little better, but the heaviness in his heart didn't leave.

Sitting on the soft grass, Theodore fiddled with a blade of grass between his fingers. Then, something caught his attention. Under the shade of a tree lay a woman, her hair spread like a halo on the grass. Her dress pooled around her, and she looked so peaceful.

Theodore frowned. It was strange. Everyone in the mansion followed rules, always stiff and proper. But this woman looked so free. She wasn't like the others.

Curious, he stood up and tiptoed closer, his small footsteps quiet on the grass. As he got closer, he noticed her soft features, her serene expression. She looked so... pretty.

"Pretty," he whispered without thinking.

The woman's eyes snapped open, startling him. Theodore gasped and stumbled back, his little hands flailing to catch his balance. But before he could fall, the woman's hands reached out and caught him.

"You're Theodore," she said gently, her voice soft and warm. There was no anger, no harshness in her tone, just a calm statement of fact.

Theodore blinked up at her, stunned. She wasn't yelling at him. She wasn't scolding him. Instead, she was smiling.

"I-I'm sorry!" he stammered, his cheeks turning red.

Alicia crouched down to his level, steadying him on his feet. "Sorry? For what?" she asked, brushing the dirt off his little shirt.

"I... I didn't mean to bother you," he mumbled, avoiding her gaze.

She chuckled softly, the sound like a breeze through the trees. "You didn't bother me at all, Theodore."

Theodore hesitated, glancing up at her. She was smiling again, and her eyes were kind. She looked like an angel.

"Do you like the garden?" she asked, sitting back on the grass and patting the spot beside her.

He nodded shyly and sat down, his small hands resting on his knees.

"What's your favorite flower?" she asked, her voice light and curious.

Theodore thought for a moment. "Um... daisies," he said quietly.

Alicia smiled. "Daisies are lovely. They're simple and bright, just like the sun."

The boy's lips twitched into a small smile, feeling a warmth in her words. They sat there for a while, and she asked him more questions. "What do you like to do? Do you have any hobbies?"

He answered everything eagerly, talking about his love for drawing and his favorite storybook about knights and dragons. For the first time in a long while, someone was listening to him, really listening.

"Do you think knights can fight dragons?" he asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Hmm," Alicia said, tilting her head playfully. "I think they can, but it's not just their swords that help them. It's their courage and kindness too. That's what makes a knight truly strong."

Theodore stared at her, awestruck. She was nothing like what his mother had said.

Finally, he gathered the courage to ask the question that had been bothering him. "Do... do you hate me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Alicia's smile softened, and she looked up at the sky, her expression thoughtful. "How could I hate you, Theodore?" she said gently. "You're just a child. How can I blame you for something that wasn't your fault?"

Theodore's eyes widened. Her words felt like a warm hug around his heart. He didn't know what to say, so he just stared at her, trying to understand how someone could be so kind.

Before he could ask her more, he heard his tutor calling his name in the distance. Theodore stood up quickly, brushing the grass off his pants.

"I have to go," he said, looking at her reluctantly.

Alicia waved at him cheerfully. "Go on, then. Don't let your tutor wait too long."

Theodore hesitated for a moment, then waved back at her with a shy smile. "Goodbye, Lady Alicia!"

"Goodbye, Theodore," she replied, her voice warm.

As he ran toward his tutor, he glanced back one last time. Alicia was still sitting under the tree, her smile as bright as the sun.

Mother is wrong, Theodore thought to himself as he hurried away. Lady Alicia is a good person.