The Duke's Masked Wife



"You look like something has been weighing your mind, Kate. Do you not want to be here? I felt that way this morning," Bella said as she sat beside Kate. "My mother would have argued all day and night with the court if I didn't want to come. We have to tell all that we know so we can let the town know who Simon truly was. I hope they wipe his name from the good things he pretended to do. Make it so that it is like he never existed."

Knowing Simon, Bella thought it would most likely piss him off if no one were to ever remember who he was. He was not this great punisher who would be remembered forever. Instead, only his victims would be remembered. 

"Don't take my word for this just yet, but I heard the King plans to place our names somewhere in the kingdom so our names will always be remembered. You, me, and all the young women who lost their lives.  The two of us being saved will serve as hope for any families who have a missing relative. I hope it gives others strength," Bella said.

Kate remained silent as there wasn't much about her story to give anyone strength. She wasn't taken by Simon like Bella and all the other young ladies. She wanted his title. While Bella searched desperately for an escape, Kate was plotting with Simon to take Kyle and Alessandra. Her story wasn't as grand as Bella's to give hope to anyone, but her mother wanted to make use of it to rebuild her reputation and survive being known as Simon's former wife.

"Does it hurt?" Bella leaned forward to get a look at Kate's face. "Has the doctor told you if it will heal up well?  I'm sorry you were hit in the face, but at least you are walking away with your life."

Kate turned her face to hide it from Bella. She did not want to talk about her face. She requested the court seat her somewhere no one could look at her face. Kate did not want to show her face until it was healed and back to normal like she knew it would be. Her mother promised that it would go back to normal soon. They had a doctor coming to find a way to make it heal faster.

Bella sat back in her chair giving up speaking to Kate. Kate was the only person to understand what she was feeling now so she wanted to be close to Kate to help get past this terrifying experience. They could become friends and heal from this together. Moving on with their lives while continuing to check up on each other. They should stay close at a time like this.

"Do…Do you see him when you want to go to sleep?" Kate softly asked. She wanted to see if it was only her mind that was like this. If it was only her being haunted by Simon's ghost that wanted to make her out to be a bad guy along with Simon.

"How can I not?" Bella replied, looking at where her mother sat.  She smiled when her mother waved at her. "I get paranoid when I hear doors opening because I am reminded of the door to that room opening. I can't sleep with my door open because I will see him coming to me in my dreams, but this time, my time is up and he is there to kill me. I need the door open to run away from him."

"I am haunted by the memories of the deaths of all the young ladies I shared that room with. Simon was not one to take them elsewhere to kill them so I would not have to witness their deaths. I remember vividly how each one died and sometimes I feel like I can see their blood on my hands. This is nothing new for me. I've always been haunted by him in that room all the weeks I have been in there. The court says there is someone I can talk to. You should try it," Bella said.

Kate wanted to do whatever it took to get Simon out of her head, but Katrina feared talk about it would spread and she truly believed there was nothing wrong with Kate. Kate only needed some time to herself to get used to the fact she was no longer in Simon's care. Then Kate would go back to normal.

"What do you see in your dreams?" Bella asked as it was evident from Kate's tired expression that she was not getting any sleep.

"I hear his voice telling me things I don't want to hear. Things that have nothing to do with him. There are things from before I met him," Kate answered. He was always bringing up the things she did to Alessandra.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why did Simon marry you? I never expected he would get married and show someone the things he did. You know he went after girls he thought weren't being themselves and put on an act for anyone important? I wasn't a nice person," Bella admitted.

Her past actions also haunted her since she didn't like the person she once was. She was mean to some of her peers and thought that as Simon was a monster to her, she was a monster to someone she picked on in the past.

"There is no doubt why he took me. I am a bit conflicted. If not for Simon, I would have continued to not be nice, but I didn't deserve what he put me through. Sometimes I hate myself, but then I feel strong for surviving what I did. My mind is a mess," Bella touched her head.

"I don't know why he took interest in me. He has never seen me being mean to anyone and then acting nice when he was near,' Kate said, but as the words left her mouth, she did not believe them. Kate dug her nails into the palm of her hand. 

"Oh," Bella replied. She was confused as to why the Duke seemed angry when she mentioned that Simon wanted to bring the Duchess to mess with Kate. She didn't see why the Duke who invested so much time into saving them would be angry at Kate then and there. 

Bella didn't like the fact she knew Simon too well, but what she knew was useful at this moment. Simon had never once taken a young woman who was not two-faced in his eyes. Part of the game was to continue to play that role in front of him.

"You know Kate, the court and everyone is going to dig around for the truth for why we were taken. All sorts of people will come out to say things about you. It helps to acknowledge the type of person you are and the things you've done so that when you hear about yourself, you are not overwhelmed. We should use this as a chance to better ourselves. I hope that just as I have changed, you can change too. I am willing to be your friend so we can do this together," Bella said, holding out her hand for Kate to shake and agree to it.

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