A Face that Doesn't Fix [1]

The Arcwright estate was buzzing with activity, a rare sight in the usually stoic household.

Step-Step

Servants rushed through the grand halls, carrying linens and warm water.

In the birthing chamber, Eleana Arcwright lay exhausted, her breaths shallow.

The doctor and nurses had been grueling, the kind that left even the midwives exchanging worried glances.

"Waah!"

"Waah!"

As the faint cries of a newborn echoed through the room, relief began to spread among the staff.

Eleana's eyes fluttered open, heavy with fatigue, but a faint smile played on her lips.

"Is it over?" she whispered.

"Yes, my lady," the midwife replied, carefully swaddling the infant.

"It's a boy."

A murmur of approval rippled through the room, but it was short-lived.

As the midwife pulled the blanket tighter around the child, her hands froze.

Her eyes widened, and a hushed gasp escaped her lips.

"What's wrong?" Eleana's asked.

The midwife hesitated before slowly turning to face her.

"My lady... his hair..."

CLICK

Before she could finish, the door clicked open, and Alaric Arcwright entered.

His presence alone silenced the room.

The Lord of the house was not a man to tolerate delay or excuses.

"What is it?" Alaric's gaze swept the room before landing on the midwife.

"Let me see the child."

The midwife hesitated, clutching the infant closer.

"My lord, perhaps it would be best if—"

"Now."

Reluctantly, she handed the child to him.

As the blanket unraveled, revealing a tuft of stark white hair, the room fell into a deafening silence.

Alaric's expression hardened, his jaw tightening as he stared at the newborn.

The white hair was unlike anything he had ever seen in his bloodline, a glaring anomaly in a family known for their deep blue locks.

Slowly, his gaze shifted to Eleana.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked, his voice low.

Eleana's heart sank.

Her lips parted, but no words came.

She stared at the child, her child, and then at Alaric.

His face was a mask of calm fury, his piercing gray eyes demanding answers.

"I... I don't know," she managed to say, her voice barely audible.

"Alaric, I don't... I don't know. This isn't..."

Before she could finish it the door again clicked open once more.

CLICK

Door once again clicked open.

Morganna Arcwright, Alaric's mother, stepped inside.

She took one look at the child and let out a harsh, bitter laugh.

"Well, isn't this a spectacle," Morganna said, her eyes narrowing at Eleana.

"White hair? Truly, Eleana, do you take us all for fools?"

Eleana's hands trembled as she tried to sit up. "Mother Arcwright, I swear, I have been faithful—"

"Faithful?—You expect us to believe that? Look at him! This child is an insult to the Arcwright name, a stain on our bloodline!" Morganna said.

The midwives shrank back, retreating to the corners of the room as the confrontation unfolded.

Alaric remained silent, his gaze fixed on Eleana, colder than she had ever seen it before.

"Alaric, please," Eleana pleaded, her voice cracking. "You know me. You know I would never."

"I have been nothing but loyal to this family, to Alaric. I don't know why his hair is white, but—"

Morganna cut her off with a derisive laugh.

"Loyal? And we're supposed to take your word for it? A child's appearance doesn't lie, Eleana. If this isn't proof of your betrayal, then what is?"

"I betrayed no one!" Eleana snapped, her voice rising. "This child is Alaric's, and I will not stand here and let you tarnish my name."

Before she could finish, another voice joined the fray.

"How shameful."

Eleana turned to see her own mother, Lady Amara, standing at the doorway.

Her face was a mask of disdain, her voice dripping with venom.

"Mama...." Eleana's voice wavered.

"To think I raised a daughter who would bring such dishonor to her family," Amara said, stepping forward.

"White hair? Do you know what people will say? They'll call you disloyal, accuse you of betrayal. And what am I to say to defend you? That my daughter is a fool who couldn't even keep her loyalty intact?"

Tears welled in Eleana's eyes, but she blinked them away.

"Mother, you know me. You know this isn't true." Eleana said.

"I thought I did," Amara replied coldly.

"But now, I wonder if I was mistaken." She added.

The whispers began soon after.

The servants exchanged glances, their heads bowed, but their murmurs were unmistakable.

"Is it even Lord Alaric's child?"

"Perhaps she strayed. It would explain the hair."

"What a disgrace to the Arcwright name."

(A/N: This is an advanced world but DNA didn't work here it will be explained later.)

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(A/N: Don't mind my chapter naming or character naming ability it's the hardest part :'( .