(Nicholas)
I stood by the window, staring out over the gardens. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow across the palace grounds. My mind, however, wasn't on the beauty outside but on the mess inside my head.
Isabella had been acting strange lately, more determined than ever to push for this divorce. It wasn't the first time she'd mentioned it, but now it felt different.
More serious. As if she had a plan this time, a way to make it happen. But I couldn't let her go. Not now. Not ever, if I could help it.
I wondered what had changed. Why was she suddenly so interested in the royal court? Isabella had never cared much for the politics, the titles, the endless ceremonies and meetings. It wasn't her world.
Or at least, it hadn't been before. But lately, I'd seen her more and more, mingling with the right people, playing the game as if her life depended on it. Maybe, in some ways, it did.
She had always been clever. More clever than people gave her credit for. She thought that by gaining influence in court, she'd have more leverage to push me into giving her what she wanted.
Maybe she believed she could gather enough support to make the divorce happen without my consent.
But she was wrong if she thought that would work. The political landscape was much more complicated than that, and Isabella wasn't the only one who could play this game.
I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms, thinking about the conversations I'd had with her father. Lord Ashford held a high-ranking position in the government, one that gave him considerable power and sway.
If I got on his good side, if I kept Isabella as my wife, the benefits were obvious. There was a lot at stake here, more than just my personal feelings. Though, if I was honest, those feelings were more tangled than I liked to admit.
I thought about Elara. Her face flashed in my mind, her laugh, the way she made everything feel simpler, easier. Being with her felt right in a way that being with Isabella never had.
But it didn't matter. Elara wasn't the one who could secure my future. Isabella's family, on the other hand, was deeply entrenched in politics.
Lord Ashford had connections that reached into every corner of the kingdom. Losing Isabella would mean losing all that. And I couldn't afford to.
It wasn't just about me. It was about the future of the kingdom, about alliances and power. I couldn't let personal feelings get in the way of what needed to be done.
I had a responsibility to the crown and my family to ensure that everything stayed balanced. Isabella didn't seem to understand that.
Or maybe she did, and that's why she was pushing so hard. Maybe she wanted me to choose between love and duty, between Elara and her. But it wasn't that simple. It never was.
She'd been begging for this divorce lately. Every time we spoke, it came up in one way or another. Sometimes directly, other times in subtle hints.
But I knew what she wanted. Freedom. A life away from the palace, away from me.
She thought she could find happiness somewhere else, with someone else. And maybe she could. But I wasn't about to let her walk away so easily. I couldn't.
The truth was, I didn't want to let her go. Not because I loved her. I didn't, and I wasn't sure I ever had, but because of what she represented. Power. Influence.
Stability. Her father's position meant everything to the future I was trying to build. If I could secure his favor, there was no telling what doors would open. But if I let her go, if I gave in to her demands for a divorce, all of that would disappear. And I couldn't let that happen.
Even if I didn't care about the political consequences, there was still the matter of appearance. A royal divorce was no small thing.
It would cause a scandal, one that could shake the very foundation of the kingdom. People would talk. They always did. And it wouldn't just be about the end of my marriage to Isabella. It would be about why. Rumors would spread, and questions would be asked. And Elara… she would be dragged into it, whether I wanted her to be or not.
I couldn't put her through that. I couldn't let her become the center of gossip and speculation. She deserved better than that.
She deserved more than to be seen as the reason for a failed marriage, as the other woman.
And I couldn't risk my feelings for her becoming public. If anyone found out how deeply I cared for Elara, it would ruin everything. Not just for me, but for her too.
I sighed, pushing away from the wall and pacing the length of the room. What was Isabella up to?
What did she hope to gain from this sudden interest in the royal court?
She wasn't stupid. She had to know that I wouldn't agree to a divorce, no matter how much she begged. So why keep pushing? What was she hoping to achieve?
Maybe she thought that by aligning herself with certain people, she could make my life difficult. Maybe she was planning to use her newfound influence to pressure me into giving her what she wanted. But if that was her plan, it wasn't going to work.
I had my connections, my ways of making sure things stayed the way I needed them to. Isabella could fight all she wanted, but I wasn't going to bend.
I knew it wasn't fair to her. I knew that keeping her trapped in a marriage she didn't want was wrong, in some ways. But fairness didn't come into play when it came to politics when it came to power.
If I let her go, I would lose everything I'd worked for, everything I was trying to build. And I wasn't willing to risk that. Not for her, and not for anyone else.
As much as I cared for Elara, I couldn't let my feelings for her cloud my judgment. This wasn't about love. It was about survival.
It was about making sure that the kingdom stayed strong, and I stayed in control. And as long as Isabella's father held the position he did, she was a part of that plan. No matter how much she begged, no matter how much she pleaded, I couldn't give her what she wanted. Not now. Not ever.
I stopped pacing and stood by the window again, watching the last bit of sunlight disappear over the horizon. The palace grounds were quiet now, the only sound the faint rustle of leaves in the evening breeze.
I wondered how long this would go on. How long Isabella would keep pushing, and how long I could keep her from getting what she wanted.
But no matter how long it took, one thing was certain. I wasn't going to let her go.
Not until I had what I needed. And if that meant keeping her trapped in this marriage a little longer, then so be it.