A marriage of power

(Nicholas)

I lay in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, my mind tangled with thoughts of Isabella and this mess between us. I couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was changing, that she was up to something. 

Sleep felt miles away, no matter how much I tried to push my thoughts aside. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face, the fire in her eyes lately, the way she kept pushing for this divorce as if her life depended on it.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. Throwing back the blankets, I slipped out of bed and crossed the room. The palace was quiet, the hallways dark and silent as I made my way to Isabella's chambers. 

I knew I shouldn't be here. I knew she wouldn't want to see me, especially not in the middle of the night. But I needed answers. I needed to know what was going on in that mind of hers.

When I reached her door, I paused, my hand close to the handle. What would I even say to her? But before I could decide, I heard her voice from the other side of the door, low and urgent.

 She was talking to someone, but the tone was different than any conversation I'd heard from her before.

I leaned closer, my ear to the door, straining to catch the words. She was talking to… a system of some kind? 

It was as if she was seeking guidance, trying to figure something out. A shiver of suspicion ran down my spine. Isabella was clever, far too clever to just spill her plans to anyone. What was she doing?

I took a deep breath, then pushed the door open, stepping into the room. She turned, startled, her eyes narrowing as she saw me.

"Nicholas," She said, her voice cold. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," I replied, crossing my arms as I looked at her. "Thought I'd come to see my wife."

Her eyes flashed with irritation. "It's a little late for that, don't you think?"

I ignored her tone, my gaze steady on her. "Who were you talking to?"

She gave a light shrug, looking away. "No one you need to worry about."

I stepped closer. "You're planning something, aren't you?"

She scoffed, crossing her arms defensively. "You think too highly of yourself if you believe everything I do revolves around you, Nicholas."

I took a slow, measured breath, trying to keep my frustration in check. "Whatever you're planning, it won't work. I won't let you go, Isabella. Not now. Not ever."

She met my gaze with a challenging shine in her eyes. "I'm not yours to keep, Nicholas. I don't want this marriage any more than you do."

"Well, then, you're out of luck," I said, my voice hardening. "I'm not giving you a choice. I'm moving in here, or you're moving back in with me. Either way, we're going to be sharing the same chamber from now on."

Her mouth fell open, eyes blazing with anger. "You're not serious."

"I'm dead serious," I replied. "This marriage isn't just about us, Isabella. There's more at stake here, and you know it. I'm not going to let you ruin everything over some… ridiculous idea that you're going to find happiness somewhere else."

She shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Happiness? Do you think that's what this is about? I want freedom, Nicholas. I want a life away from you, away from all of this."

"Well, you're not getting it," I said, stepping even closer. "You're going to stay right here, and you're going to play your part, just like I am."

Her fists clenched at her sides, her voice shaking with barely contained rage. "You think you can keep me here against my will?"

"I can, and I will," I replied, my tone firm. "You're my wife, Isabella. That's not going to change, no matter how much you want it to."

Her eyes narrowed, her expression a mix of fury and pain. "Go sleep with Lady Elara, then," She spat. "Isn't that who you want? Why don't you let me go so you can have her?"

I felt a flare of anger at her words, my jaw clenching as I took a step back. "This isn't about Elara," I said, my voice tight. "This is about duty. This is about what's best for the kingdom. You don't understand—"

"Oh, I understand perfectly," she interrupted, her voice laced with venom. "You're willing to sacrifice my happiness, my freedom, all for your precious duty. Well, guess what, Nicholas? I don't care about your duty. I don't care about what's best for the kingdom. I care about my life, my future."

I stared at her, feeling a strange mixture of frustration and… something else, something I couldn't quite name. She was right, in a way. I was keeping her here for my reasons, for my plans. But that didn't make her demands any easier to accept.

"You think you can just walk away?" I asked, my voice low. "You think I'm going to let you go and watch everything I've worked for crumble?"

Her expression softened, just for a moment, and I thought I saw a flash of something like sadness in her eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by that hard, determined look that I'd come to know so well.

"I'm not your pawn, Nicholas," She said, her voice cold. "I'm not going to sit here and be trapped in a marriage that means nothing to either of us. I want out."

"And I'm telling you, you're not getting out," I replied, my voice equally cold. "You can fight me all you want, but this marriage is staying right where it is."

She laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "Fine. If that's how you want to play it, then I'll find someone else. Someone who wants me. If you can cheat, then so can I."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me momentarily speechless. I felt a surge of anger, stronger than anything I'd felt before. She was going to do this, she was going to do this. And the worst part was, I didn't know if I could stop her.

She turned away from me, her shoulders tense, her back straight. I could see the willpower in her stance and the determination in every line of her body. She was serious. She was going to try to find someone else.

"Isabella," I said, my voice low and dangerous. But she didn't turn around, didn't even acknowledge my words. She just stood there, facing away from me, her silence more powerful than any argument we could have had.

I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my anger in check. This wasn't over. It couldn't be. But for now, I was at a loss. There was nothing more I could say, nothing more I could do. Not tonight, at least.

I turned and walked out of her chambers, thinking about what she said. She was going to find someone else, she'd said. Someone who wanted her. And I couldn't get rid of the feeling that she was serious, that she was going to go through with it.

The thought of her with someone else, of her finding happiness with another man, made my chest tighten with a strange, bitter ache. I didn't love her. I knew that. But the idea of her slipping out of my control, of her finding a life without me, was more than I could bear.

As I walked back to my chambers, the palace quiet and dark around me, one thing was clear. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

Isabella might think she could defy me, might believe she could escape this marriage and find freedom somewhere else. But I wasn't going to let that happen. Not now. Not ever.

She could try to push me, to threaten me with finding someone else, but I'd make sure that whoever she tried to get close to would know the consequences.

She wasn't getting away that easily.

The game was on. And I wasn't planning to lose.