(Nicholas)
After dinner, I couldn't stop the feeling of unease that had settled in my gut. The way Isabella had spoken to me, with that fire in her eyes, she was stronger, and it scared me more than I wanted to admit.
I walked through the palace halls, thinking about it. I needed to find her, to talk to her and explain why I did what I did.
I wanted to understand her transformation, but more importantly, I needed her to see that I was starting to care. I knew I had messed up, but that kiss-it had been impulsive, a desperate attempt to reach out and connect. And instead, I had pushed her away.
When I reached our shared chamber, I opened the door, expecting to see her there. But the room was empty which made me panic. Where could she have gone? I quickly checked the adjoining rooms, but she was nowhere to be found. Frustration bubbled up inside me as I stormed out into the hallway.
"Isabella!" I called out, my voice echoing off the stone walls. "Where are you?"
I marched down the corridor, my heart racing. Then I noticed the door to a room a few doors down slightly ajar. I could see a glimpse of her familiar silhouette inside. Maybe she was just getting some space and would talk to me if I could find her.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was bright, with sunlight streaming in through the windows. But my heart sank as I took in the sight of her unpacking her belongings.
"Isabella," I said, my voice firm. "What are you doing?"
She turned, surprise flashing across her face before being replaced by defiance. "I'm moving in here. Away from you."
"Why would you do that?" I demanded, frustration bubbling to the surface. "We were supposed to share one space. You can't just run away because of a stupid mistake."
"Stupid mistake?" She shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You think kissing me without my consent was just a mistake? You don't get to decide how I feel or where I stay."
I took a step closer, trying to maintain control of my rising anger. "You can't just cut me out of your life. I'm not going to let you walk away like this, we are married."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're not my keeper, Nicholas. I can make my own choices now. I'm done being the girl you want me to be."
I could feel my temper flaring, the tension in the room snapping like electricity. "You think you're strong now, don't you? But you don't understand what you're getting yourself into. You think you can just walk away and pretend nothing happened?"
"Pretend? I'm not pretending anything! You don't get to act like this is all my fault. You kissed me, and now you want me to come back like nothing happened?" Her voice rose, filling the room.
I felt my fists clench at my sides. "You're overreacting! Just move back. We can work this out."
"No! I won't go back to pretending everything is okay." Her voice was filled with confidence.
Suddenly, I lost control. I stepped forward, my hand flying out in a moment of sheer rage. I hit her, not hard enough to hurt but enough for her to take a step back. The look on her face, a mix of shock and anger, stopped me in my tracks.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She shouted, stumbling backward. "You can't just hit me!"
My heart raced, realizing what I had done. "Isabella, I didn't mean to-"
But she didn't give me a chance to finish. With a fierce look in her eyes, she lunged at me, throwing a punch that caught me off guard. I stumbled back, surprised by her strength. I hadn't expected her to fight back, but there she was, ready to defend herself.
"Don't you dare touch me!" She yelled, her voice filled with anger. She came at me again, and I instinctively raised my arms to block her, but she managed to land a few solid hits against my torso.
I struggled to regain control, but she was relentless. I grabbed her arms, trying to hold her back, but she twisted out of my grip. The anger and adrenaline motivated her, and I could see that she wasn't backing down.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and I turned to see my Eleanor and our parents standing there, wide-eyed and shocked.
"What's going on?" Mom demanded, her eyes darting between us.
Eleanor rushed forward, glancing at Isabella, who was breathing heavily, her face flushed with rage. "Nicholas, what did you do?"
"I-I didn't mean to," I stammered, my heart racing. I felt like I was trapped, caught in a storm of emotions that I couldn't control.
Isabella stepped back, her expression hardening as she regained her composure. "I'm fine," She said, her voice steadier now. "He just doesn't understand that I'm not his to control."
"Isabella..." I started, but mom held up a hand to silence me.
"Nicholas, that's enough!" Mom shouted making me flinch.
"Did you hit her?" Dad asked, finally finding his voice again.
I looked down, not wanting to admit that I did so.
"She deserves it!" Eleanor shouted while glaring at Isabella.
"The fuck you mean?" Isabella asked, while making her way towards Eleanor.
"Exactly what you heard. You think that you're tough? Just because you decided to change overnight? Come on Isabella, stop pretending." Eleanor shot back.
"Eleanor, back off!" I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. "This isn't helping!"
Isabella's eyes blazed with anger. "This isn't about her, Nicholas! It's about you and how you think you can just push me around."
"Push you around?" I shot back, my frustration boiling over. "I didn't mean to hurt you! I just… I just didn't know what else to do!"
"Maybe you should have thought before you acted!" She fired back, her voice steady despite the storm in her eyes.
Mom stepped forward, concern etched on her face. "Nicholas, you need to calm down. This isn't the way to handle things."
"Calm down? How can I calm down when she's talking about leaving me?" My voice cracked, and I hated that it did. I hated feeling so out of control.
"Because I'm not going to be your prisoner anymore!" Isabella's words struck me like a slap. "I won't let you dictate my life."
"I'm not trying to dictate your life!" I shot back, taking a step towards her.
Before I could say anything else, another voice interrupted me. I turned and saw that it was Elara who was glaring at me.
"Really Nicholas? You're here fighting with her when you should have been with me?" She stated. I opened my mouth to answer her, but couldn't find the words.
Instead, I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. Then pulled her out of the chamber so that I could find a way to get her to calm down.