The Duke's Masked Wife



James stared endlessly at the floor in the room he and Katrina were placed in. Someone had taken Randall away what felt like hours ago, and he had not returned. James didn't see why the court was carrying out their punishments on the same day. They weren't giving him time to process what was to come. He would have been released by the Duke if Katrina had not revealed what happened to Mario.

Katrina rolled her eyes. "Stop staring at the floor and sweating so much. It is annoying me."

James turned to face Katrina with such speed that it looked like he could have broken his neck. "It is annoying you? I'm sorry that I cannot help but be nervous about what is to come. I have not gotten the chance to speak with my mother, who depends on me."

"Well, you should have thought about that when you slept with me and did everything I wanted," Katrina replied.

"That was because you were going to lie on me-"

"Oh please. That was long ago, and you have confessed many times that you started to fall for me. This is where that love has brought you. I told you to admit that you were just lost in sleeping with me. Do not blame me for where you have ended up. Blame yourself for acting like a fool in love," Katrina said, folding her arms.

James felt the need to laugh, but no matter how hard he tried, no sound would leave his lips. How could she not try to comfort him now that he was scared? After everything he had done for her. James had truly come to love her beyond just sleeping together. Unlike everyone else, he saw a different side to Katrina, and like a fool, he loved her. 

James' body finally shook from laughter. Everyone kept calling him a fool for following and caring for Katrina. Now he felt like one. The worst part about it was that he still cared for her. Even now, when he should want to strangle her for where his life had come and for how his poor mother would be without him, he still cared for her.

James leaned back against the cold wall. "Baroness," he called her by the title she loved so much. "I am a fool," he confessed.

Katrina wondered if James was starting to lose his mind. "Yes, you are. I have told you many times that you are a fool."

James slowly nodded his head. "I am a fool, but I am a fool who has loved you. Perhaps the only man who has loved you despite seeing who you really are. I wanted more than your body. I wanted to protect you even when you had plans to ruin me with lies. I am a fool," he said, closing his eyes, awaiting his turn to be taken away.

Katrina stared at James, not knowing what to make of him. How could he still have feelings for her when he could lose his life soon for helping her kill Mario? James was strange. Different from all the other men she knew. She looked away from him, not liking the feeling she got when she looked at him. She could not worry about James now. She had to think of Kate. 

The door opened wide with a slam against the wall beside it, causing James to open his eyes. Two men dressed in the uniform the court wore picked James up from where he sat and took him out of the room, just like Randall. 

Unlike when he was taken from Edagr's home, James did not go easy with the two men. He dragged his feet on the floor, hoping to slow down where they were taking him. Unfortunately for James, the two men did not care if they would have to drag him by one foot. He was going to face the court one way or another. 

Katrina was left alone in the small room, having to wait her turn. Seeing that Randall was not brought back, she wondered if his trial was still ongoing, if they sent him to the palace dungeon, or if he was sent to be killed. 

Katrina nervously played with her fingers. She was never afraid of death, as she had knocked on its door many times in the past. She was afraid of Kate being all alone, especially when her mind was playing tricks on her. 

Kate could not be left alone at a time like this. Katrina didn't want Kate to be all alone for anyone with bad intentions to approach her and trick her out of the wealth she sat on now. James was supposed to be there with Kate.

"Please be okay," Katrina whispered, hoping the best for Kate. She hoped that the court could go easy on her and just have her imprisoned so she would be able to hear about Kate from time to time. There might even be a chance for her to be released and reunited with Kate. They only needed to wait.

"Time needs to go back," she muttered. It needed to go back to right before Edgar showed up wanting to marry Alessandra. That was the point in Katrina's eyes when everything started to go wrong.

Once again, the door opened wide, and two new men stared at Katrina. It was her time to stand before the court. They wanted her to come without making a noise like the other two, but if she wouldn't, at least it was easier to lift her over their shoulders.

Katrina slowly got to her feet. Until the very end, she would keep her head up and not be made to look afraid. That she regretted everything. She would do it all again to get away from the life of having no money. She only wished she had gotten the chance to send off Kate properly and meet her parents one last time to kill them. 

Katrina walked out of the room, following one of the men who walked in front, while the other walked behind her in case she tried to run away.

"Will I be in the same room as the two other men, or are they finished?" Katrina asked. She didn't want to be in the same room as Randall to hear him place blame on her to save himself.

"The man Randall has been sentenced to death for his involvement with children and the people he has killed. He will be hung before the day ends. I do not know about your butler," one of the men answered.

Katrina felt a tightness around her neck. Since Randall was sentenced to death, the chances of her being imprisoned seemed low, as Randall would surely expose the things she did for him in the past. 

Katrina stopped walking, causing the two men to stop with her.

"Do not try running-"

Katrina wasn't foolish to try running. "C-Can we please walk slowly?" She requested. She did not want to get to the room so soon to hear what her punishment would be.

The two men looked at each other. 

"We cannot. The king is here looking over the decisions, so you must move quickly."

Katrina took a deep breath and began to walk again. This time, her fear was evident.