The Duke's Masked Wife

From one of the windows beside the front door, Edgar watched Oliver ride through his gates on a horse with two other guards behind him. He had a growing headache which he planned to not make Alessandra aware of or he would be made to rest for more than he wanted to. It was boring laying around doing nothing.

Edgar didn't have any patience to deal with Oliver and any foolish questions he might have but he needed to get this conversation about William over with.

"Duke Collins," Oliver greeted Edgar when he entered the home. His eyes narrowed at the odd sight of Edgar. He looked pale and his shirt had wet spots of what Oliver presumed to be sweat or Edgar had just finished washing up. "You took so long I almost thought you weren't going to let us in."

"I did think of sending you away. Now I am picturing building a tiny little house near the gates so I don't have to welcome guests like you inside of my house and ruin the peacefulness with your presence. I should start it as soon as winter is over," Edgar said. Why it took him this long to build an area for guests he didn't like in his house was a mystery.

"That would be unnecessary-"

"Only if I stop having visitors. Let's get this over with. I killed William," Edgar admitted to his deed. "He was one of Grant's allies and I am sure you have stumbled upon the dead women in one of the rooms. There is no need for you to thank me."

"Thank you?" Oliver wanted to laugh at Edgar's delusion. "You went ahead and murdered a dangerous man without informing the guards. Are we a joke to you? Does our existence mean nothing? We are here to protect the people in Lockwood and if you are going after William we should be involved."

"I dislike how you go after these men without alerting anyone and then having an excuse to cover your ass. I know you killed the Baron on the spot because of your wife. What was it about William that made you kill him? Aside from the women we found," Oliver said, knowing there was more to Edgar killing William. "Everyone knows the two of you did not get along. It is a little convenient to kill these men you are feuding with."

"Are you stupid? Did your parents drop you on your head as a child? I killed two men who either killed women or created businesses that involved children but you are more interested in questioning my beef with them? I hardly spoke to the late Baron and I've ignored William for years. I am not the bad guy here. You have more than enough evidence to prove why it was important that William died. You can leave my residence now," Edgar stated, finished with the conversation.

"Where is his body? It wasn't there when we arrived and considering most of his servants ran away instead of staying to see what would happen to their previous employer, I doubt they had something to do with it. Where is his body?" Oliver questioned once more.

"Disposed of so there is no point in looking for it. If you would stop trying to figure out what I am doing, you would catch more men who deserve to die. When are you going to stop being angry with me?" Edgar inquired, getting to the root of their issues for the last time.

"Go outside," Oliver ordered the two men who came with him. "When you stop abusing your power-"

"I could understand your point of view if I abused my power to get wealth or kill innocent people but I have been helping this town to be safe. You still hate me because you feel odd and if you don't stop meddling in my affairs, you will end up where William is," said Edgar as this one-sided feud would come to an end sooner than Oliver expected.

Oliver touched his sword and took a step forward toward Edgar. "Is that a threat to a guard?"

"It's a promise from a Duke," Edgar replied, still calm despite Oliver wanting to fight him.  "I have done nothing to you for this obsession you have with trying to make me the bad guy to continue for so many years."

"Obsession?" Oliver licked his lips. "I just know what you are really like. You are not the Duke some people praise you to be."

"So does your angry come from the fact you loved a man you believe to be evil-"

"Shut your fucking mouth," Oliver grabbed the collar of Edgar's shirt. "You don't know anything about my feelings. You affected me back then and acted oblivious when I spoke to you. Made me something that is not natural."

Edgar shoved Oliver away from being so close to him. "I am not responsible for what you felt. How do you think I was to react to a good friend of mine who is a boy telling me they had feelings for me? I walked away from you and came back after trying to find the best way to turn down your feelings. I am not responsible for anyone who comes to like me. Your liking men is all on you. Stop pointing fingers at others since no one made you this way."

"I am not like that anymore," Oliver replied, his hands itching to grab Edgar again but Edgar's weak appearance made him regret the first time he grabbed him.

"Then I must have misheard the conversation at the ball. If not me, you might have liked another one of our friends. I have never been in the position to deal with your preference and though others would shame you, I have tried endlessly to be understanding. Now I am very annoyed and I will take back the position I put you in. Now you can accuse me of abusing my power," Edgar said as he intended to get Oliver removed from being the captain.

His emotions were too involved in his job which he was no longer doing right.

Oliver gritted his teeth, angered by the threat to take away something he worked hard for. It wasn't easy when he did check how he got his position as captain and learned it was Edgar's word that got him this far. No matter how much he tried to get away from Edgar, there was something to connect him to Edgar. The only way for him to kill the side of himself that he despised was to get rid of the man who made him this way.

Edgar was wrong that he would have liked another one of their friends instead. It was only around Edgar that Oliver felt something for men because of the way Edgar acted around him. Every day was a struggle because he was the only one among his peers who were not normal. Men weren't supposed to be with men, he had to remind himself daily and it was why he stopped seeing Bryce.

"You need to come with me to be questioned," Oliver said, reaching out to grab Edgar again.

Edgar took a step back, touching his forehead as the headache got worse. His body swayed for a second but he kept himself from falling.

This was noticed by someone who wasn't pleased to see Oliver annoying Edgar in this state.

"What the hell is going on?" Tobias questioned, going straight to Edgar's side to help him.