6 - Family secrets

Victoria's heart raced as she hastily departed from the servants' headquarters, her mind consumed by a newfound urgency. Racing through the corridors of the mansion, she strained to catch any semblance of her parents' voices, her senses heightened by a palpable sense of foreboding.

As she neared their quarters, the muffled murmurings grew louder, and with each step, her apprehension mounted. Just outside the door, she paused, her breath catching in her throat as she overheard snippets of a conversation - her mother's voice, tinged with concern " We can't let them know about especially Victoria".

Driven by a potent mix of curiosity and apprehension, Victoria's resolve solidified. With a deep breath, she burst into the room unannounced, her eyes ablaze with determination. The sudden intrusion startled her parents, their hushed conversation abruptly halted as they turned to face their daughter, their expressions betraying a mix of surprise and trepidation.

" What are you hiding from me?"

Faced with Victoria's unwavering gaze, her mother and father exchanged a fleeting glance, their silent communication laden with uncertainty. Caught off guard by her abrupt entrance, they hesitated, grappling with the weight of the secret they had hoped to shield her from.

In that charged moment, a silent battle waged within them, torn between the desire to protect their daughter and the inevitability of confronting the truth. As Victoria's gaze bore into them, their resolve wavered, uncertainty clouding their features as they weighed their next move.

Elvira looked at her husband and they both expressed a tact understanding to finally come clean, taking a deep breath she held Victoria's hand and pulled her gently to the bed .

" There is something yout father and I have been hiding from you and your sister" 

Victoria stared at her in confusion and urged her to continue. Elvira sighed

"Well you see... The truth is ....".

Victoria sat in stunned silence, her parents' words echoing in her mind. A secret shrouded in mystery, now laid bare before her. The weight of their revelation hung heavy in the air as Victoria struggled to comprehend the magnitude of what she had just learned.

The revelation explained so much—the whispered conversations, the guarded glances, the sense of foreboding that had lingered in the corners of her mind for as long as she could remember. But now, faced with the stark reality of the situation, Victoria felt a tidal wave of emotions crashing over her.

"How could you keep this from me?" she finally managed to choke out, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. "How could you keep such a crucial part of our family's history hidden for so long?"

Her parents exchanged a pained glance, their own remorse reflected in their eyes. "We thought we were protecting you," her father began, his voice heavy with regret. "But we see now that we only made things more difficult for you."

Victoria shook her head, struggling to process it all. "And Emma... What will happen to her?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her parents' expressions darkened, a shared anguish passing between them. "The council... they decided," her mother said, her voice faltering. "Once Emma turned 15, they would take her away."

The words hung in the air like a dark cloud, suffocating Victoria with their implications. Emma, her beloved sister, destined to be torn from their family and thrust into an unknown fate. The thought was almost too much to bear.

But amidst the turmoil and uncertainty, one thing became clear to Victoria—she would do whatever it took to protect her sister. No matter the cost, she would fight to keep their family together, to defy the cruel whims of fate and forge their own path forward. For in the face of adversity, love was the strongest bond of all.

Emma stood outside her parents' room, her heart pounding, as she eavesdropped on their conversation. Inside, her mother Elvira was speaking to her father, Victoria, trying to reassure him about Emma's departure. Elvira advised Victoria not to dwell too much on Emma leaving, describing her as stubborn and mischievous, implying that her absence might bring relief. Victoria remained silent, and Emma, tears streaming down her face, hoped desperately that her sister would defend her, but nothing came.

With a surge of anger and hurt, Emma bolted from the door, her mind reeling with thoughts that her family no longer loved her and wanted to send her away.

Meanwhile, inside the room, after a few minutes of tense silence, Victoria spoke up with fierce determination. She declared to her parents that if Emma ever left, she would rather end her own life than live without her sister.

Victoria, her resolve unwavering despite the tumultuous exchange with her parents, swiftly exited the room, leaving them in a state of stunned silence. With each step she took, the weight of their unspoken secrets hung heavy on her shoulders, a heavy burden she carried as she retraced her path back to the tranquil sanctuary of the garden.

The soothing embrace of nature enveloped her as she wandered amidst the verdant foliage, her thoughts consumed by the recent revelations. Her mind replayed the unsettling conversation she had overheard, each word a dagger to her wounded heart.

In the distance, she spotted Emma and Madeline unaware of the turmoil that churned within Victoria's soul. As she approached, Victoria's steps faltered, her ears catching snippets of conversation that shattered the fragile illusion of trust she had held dear.

Emma's words, laced with venomous spite, pierced through the stillness of the orchard, condemning Victoria with cruel accusations.

"...always pretending," Emma's voice carried a sharp edge, tinged with resentment.

Madeline's response was a murmured agreement, her tone laden with a sense of collusion. "Yes, dear, you're right. Victoria can be quite deceptive at times."

Victoria's heart sank at the sound of her sister's acquiescence, the betrayal cutting deeper with each word spoken. She hesitated, momentarily frozen by the searing pain of their betrayal.

Feeling a sense of profound disillusionment wash over her, Victoria stood rooted to the spot, grappling with the bitter sting of betrayal. In that moment of vulnerability, she felt the weight of her naivety, the painful truth of deception cutting deeper than any physical wound.

Tears welled in Victoria's eyes as she stood on the periphery, a silent witness to the unraveling of her once unshakeable trust. With a heavy heart, she turned away from Emma and Madeline, their voices fading into the background as she retreated from the garden, the weight of their betrayal pressing down upon her like a suffocating blanket of despair.