(Lina)
The following morning came, and I couldn't stop thinking about last night's dream or Isabella's memories. I closed my eyes, trying to push it all away, but every image was too clear. Nicholas and Elara, together. Isabella's pain, her quiet, desperate hope that he'd look at her the same way. That he'd love her.
I took a breath and opened my eyes again. Today, I reminded myself that I'd be stronger. I'd accepted that this life as Isabella was now my own, and I was going to live it. To adapt to it. Even if it meant enduring the same struggles Isabella had faced. But I would not be silent. I wouldn't let them treat me or Isabella's memory like she was nothing. Not anymore.
With a sigh, I got up and dressed, making my way toward the dining hall. It was early, and I hoped to have a few quiet moments to myself before Nicholas or anyone else arrived. As I walked down the hall, I could hear voices just around the corner. Maids chattered quietly as they worked. I almost ignored them, until I heard Nicholas's name.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I slowed my steps, standing just out of sight, listening.
"Did you see how he was with Lady Elara last night?" One of them whispered, her voice low but filled with excitement. "They looked like a real couple, not like him and the princess. Poor thing hardly gets a glance from him."
I felt my heart tighten, but I forced myself to stay quiet, to listen. Another maid, her voice sharper, replied, "Honestly, I think she deserves it. Princess Isabella clings to him like she can't breathe without him. It's no wonder he looks elsewhere. A man like Prince Nicholas needs space, not some desperate, needy wife."
They laughed softly, and the sound made my blood boil. I wanted to walk away, to pretend I hadn't heard a word, but I couldn't. They were talking about me or, rather, the woman I'd become. And their words hurt, even if they didn't know I was listening.
"Imagine being so clueless," Another maid added, with a mocking tone. "She should realize by now that Lady Elara is the one he truly cares about. Not her."
I stepped around the corner, and the maids fell silent the moment they saw me. Their eyes widened, and one of them had the sense to look away, guilt washing over her face. The others stood there, frozen, probably wondering how much I'd heard.
I took a slow, deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. "I didn't realize gossiping about the royal family was part of your duties," I said. "Is this how you spend your mornings?"
They exchanged nervous glances, their faces turning pale. The one who had laughed the loudest cleared her throat, but she couldn't seem to meet my gaze. "We… we didn't mean anything by it, Your Highness. It was just… talk."
"Talk?" I echoed, stepping closer. They flinched. "Do you think it's acceptable to talk about my husband and Lady Elara behind my back? To laugh at me? To say I'm nothing but a desperate wife?"
One of the maids looked down, her hands twisting together as if she wished she could disappear. The others stood there, clearly unsure of what to say. Their fear was obvious, and for a moment, I felt a bit of pity for them. But that pity quickly faded when I remembered their words.
"I may be a princess, but that doesn't mean I don't hear or feel the things people say about me," I continued, my voice trembling slightly as I struggled to hold back my anger. "Do you think I'm blind? That I don't see how Nicholas looks at Elara. I don't know how people talk about me when they think I'm not listening. That I don't hear them fucking?"
One of them, a young maid with wide, fearful eyes, stammered, "We didn't mean any harm, Your Highness. It was just… silly talk. We didn't think…"
"No," I interrupted, my tone sharper than I intended. "You didn't think. You didn't consider how your words might hurt someone. You laugh at me for trying to be a good wife, for loving my husband, as if that's something to mock."
They stood there, silent, looking down, avoiding my gaze. I could see the shame on their faces, and it made me feel satisfied. I wanted them to feel even a fraction of the hurt they'd caused me, the hurt they'd caused Isabella all those times she'd overheard whispers like this and said nothing.
"From now on," I said, my voice cold, "I expect you to treat me with the respect I deserve. Not just to my face, but when you think I'm not listening. I am your princess, and you will not talk about me as if I'm some foolish girl who doesn't understand her own life."
They nodded quickly, murmuring apologies, each of them looking more nervous than the last. I could tell they were frightened, and I wanted them to be. Maybe now they'd think twice before they whispered behind my back.
I turned to leave, but then I stopped, glancing back at them one last time. "And remember," I added quietly, "I'm not as weak as you seem to think. Princess or not, I deserve respect. If I hear any of you speaking this way again, I'll make sure you're dismissed from the castle."
They all lowered their heads, murmuring their apologies, and I left them standing there, their faces pale, their voices silent. As I walked away, I felt a strange mixture of satisfaction and sadness. I'd stood up for myself, yes. But it didn't erase the pain of their words. It didn't change the truth behind them.
Because deep down, I knew they weren't entirely wrong. Nicholas did care more for Elara than he did for me. He treated me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience, something he had to put up with for the sake of appearances. And no matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I gave, I couldn't change that.
I pushed those thoughts away as I walked into the dining hall, trying to focus on the quiet of the room, the scent of fresh bread and tea. But even as I sat down, reaching for a piece of fruit, the ache in my chest remained. The sting of their words remained, hard to get rid of, knowing that everyone saw me as weak, as desperate.
But I wouldn't let them define me. I wouldn't let Nicholas or Elara or anyone else decide who I was or what I deserved. I was here now, in this life as Isabella, and I would find a way to make it my own.
I would find a way to be strong, even if that meant standing alone.
As I took a deep breath, lifting my chin, I promised myself that no matter how much they tried to bring me down, I wouldn't break. I was Isabella now. And I would not let anyone take that from me.