Mistress Cursed

Chapter 20: The truth

Days passed like a blur in the castle, Victoria and Elara mostly confined within its walls. Victoria, fueled by her suspicions, made it her daily ritual to roam the palace, her gaze sharp and her steps purposeful. She sought clues, any whisper of truth that might expose Elara's secret. Her obsession with her cousin's hidden knowledge grew, consuming her thoughts and driving her actions.

Elara, on the other hand, felt like a caged bird. While Victoria roamed the halls, Elara spent her days carefully navigating the social circles of the castle, always aware of Victoria's watchful eyes. She had to appear normal, to keep her anxieties hidden, to avoid raising Victoria's suspicions further. But as night fell, she would slip out of her chamber, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination. She had to find answers, to unravel the mystery that had been haunting her since her arrival at the castle.

Victoria, alone in her chamber, lay awake, her mind churning with thoughts of her cousin. elara had always been the  blessed one, the one who could do no wrong. the most beautiful one, and the intelligent one, or lets just say the perfect one,  victoria was enough of that, she hate her, because then until now, her parents still comparing her to elara, victoria promised to herself that she was gonna find a hole to ruin that good impression of her lier cousin, elara.

One night, Victoria noticed a peculiar pattern. She never saw Elara in the mornings, only at night, as if her cousin was disappearing into the shadows. Her suspicions grew stronger.

Elara, meanwhile, was getting dressed, her movements swift and silent. She covered herself in a thick blanket, her face hidden, and slipped out of her room. She was going to see Silas, but first, she had to make sure Victoria was asleep.

As Elara crept down the staircase, she was caught by Victoria's sharp eyes. Victoria, intrigued and confused, watched as Elara walked out of her chamber, her face obscured by the blanket.  She slowly made her way down the staircase, then back to her room, pretending to be asleep. 

"What are you hiding my dear perfect cousin?" Victoria wondered, her mind racing.

Elara, her heart pounding, walked down the staircase and towards Victoria's room. She sighed in relief when she saw her cousin soundly asleep. She tiptoed out of the castle, careful not to wake the guards.

Victoria, however, had opened her eyes and was watching Elara leave.

"Where the hell is she going?" she thought, a cold fury rising within her. She quickly followed Elara, her steps silent and determined, into the forest that surrounded the castle.

The darkness of the forest was broken only by the moon's pale light. Victoria followed Elara until she reached a small cottage nestled in the woods, near a village down the forest path. Victoria smirked. "She knew it. Silas is the one she's going to see," she thought, her grip tightening on the dagger hidden beneath her cloak.

The game was afoot, and the stakes were higher than ever. The battle for control, for power, and for the very soul of the castle had just begun. 

Elara pushed open the door to Silas's small cottage, her heart pounding in her chest.  He lay peacefully asleep, his face relaxed and serene.  She stared at him, admiring his handsome features, wishing she could wake him up, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.  Silas was sleeping so soundly, and she didn't want to disturb his peace.  So, she sat down, her gaze fixed on him, until the first rays of dawn began to filter through the window.

Elara felt a pang of guilt.  She hadn't visited Silas every night, not because she didn't want to, but because she had a reason, a reason she hoped he would understand.  She sighed deeply, a wave of sadness washing over her.  She had to leave.  The sun would be up soon, and she needed to be back at the castle before Victoria woke up.  With a heavy heart, she stood up and left the cottage.

Meanwhile, Victoria stood hidden in the shadows, her eyes glued to the window of the cottage.  A playful glint danced in her eyes as she watched Elara.  She was about to leave when she saw Elara walking out of the cottage.  Victoria gasped in shock.  It wasn't Elara.  It was an old woman, her face wrinkled and her hair a silvery white.  Victoria looked back at the window, but Elara was gone.  She watched the old woman walk back into the forest, her eyes widening in disbelief.  She noticed the blanket the old woman was wearing, the same one Elara had been wrapped in when she left the castle.  She stumbled backward, her mind reeling. "Is my mind playing tricks on me?" she thought.

"No, this can't be true."  She turned to run back to the castle, her thoughts swirling with confusion and disbelief.  "Elara transformed into an old lady?" she thought.  She stopped, her eyes widening as she realized the implications.  That's why Elara never came out of her chamber in the morning – she was transforming.  A cunning plan began to form in Victoria's mind, a plan fueled by a mixture of disgust and intrigue.

Victoria's mind raced.  She had always known Elara was hiding something, but she had never imagined it could be something like this.  The thought of Elara being cursed, of her transforming into an old woman every morning, filled her with a strange mix of disgust and fascination. 

She had always despised her cousin, but now, she felt a strange sense of pity.  Elara, the meek, subservient girl, was trapped in a curse.  But Victoria was not one to be swayed by pity.  She had always been a master manipulator, and she would use this opportunity to secure her own future, even if it meant betraying her cousin.

Just as she was about to run back to the castle, a woman in her mid-forties, still beautiful despite the passage of time, appeared out of nowhere.  She screamed, her voice echoing through the forest, and collapsed to the ground in shock.

"Do you want to know the truth, my dear?" the woman said, her voice a low, seductive whisper that sent shivers down Victoria's spine.  Victoria, her eyes wide with fear and intrigue, stammered,

"Who are you?  What do you know?"  The woman chuckled softly.  "Don't be afraid, my dear.  We're allies, remember?" she said, her eyes twinkling with a knowing glint. 

"I've been watching you, Victoria. You're a clever girl, but you're playing a dangerous game.  Elara is not what she seems, and her secret is far more potent than you realize."

Victoria, her curiosity piqued, sat up, her voice trembling slightly. "What do you mean?"

The woman leaned closer, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "Elara is cursed, Victoria.  She's been cursed to transform into an old woman every morning, and only at night does she regain her youthful form.  And there's more.  Her curse is tied to a powerful magic, a magic that could ruin me if she change her fate and break the cursed, and im not getting to let that happen, that's why i need you help, my dear"

" and also yes, im the one who cursed her" said the woman and then laugh slightly

Victoria's mind raced and shock, what the fuck

"what do you mean, help" victoria said, trying not to stammered, the woman just smiled at her then a voice from her mind come out then said, if she wanna know the truth then she should come with her.

victoria was shock but then she slowly nodded and then they both dissapear in the shadows in the dark forest.