Safe within the confines of her room, Isabella paced back and forth fraught with worry and concern. Upon discovering the aftermath of the assault, Samuel insisted her and Ronan return to the castle. Isabella was returned to her room as Ronan was taken to the castle barber who specialized in cleaning and stitching up wounds. The slash under the warlock’s under arm was not life threatening deep but deep enough where the gash could become infected. As she paced, she gazed down at her shaking hands. She was still terrified from the attack even though her and Ronan were now safe. Thanks to his exceptional fighting skills, they had avoided being murdered on that dirt path.

Tired of wandering aimlessly around the room, Isabella stomped over to her bed and flopped down on her back. It was not only the assault and Ronan’s injury that rattled her this evening. It was the kiss afterwards that left her in a state of confusion. Lying on her bed, she placed her hands on her forehead as she recalled the tender kiss. It was gentle and sweet, and it bothered her that the sheer memory of it caused her heart to beat faster. First, she was attracted to Samuel, and then this dark-haired warlock comes into her life and muddies the water. Isabella had never even entertained a crush on a boy for twenty-one years, and now she had feelings for two different men.

Samuel had been by her side since her arrival at the castle and offered her protection within the kingdom. His presence was always soothing, and his demeanor was light and mellow. A fine gentleman any woman would fall head over heels in love with. On the other side was Ronan, a handsome and attractive Malagi warrior with more of a fiery demeanor. When Isabella had first met the dark-haired warlock, he had given her an earful about her marriage to Nathanial. But he was correct. What was Isabella hoping for? She could not enter a conventional marriage as she was already married to the king. Would she be willing to have children with Samuel while she is still married to Nathanial?

Groaning loudly at her realization, she stated to the empty room. “I regret marrying Nathanial.” Isabella allowed herself to express what she had been hiding from even herself. For too long, she tried to convince herself that she could live with this arrangement. That she could be happy being married to a vampire she does not love. Isabella regrets being found and from marrying Nathanial. She wished she could have escaped the castle. This was not the life she wanted for herself. Isabella wanted to marry for love, have children and live a peaceful normal life. In her heart, a deep-seeded anger began to rise. If she had parents who cared for her general well-being, she would not be in this situation.

Isabella was alone as per usual that day the palace guards found her. She was alone most of her life. She tagged after her brothers until they became older and moved away from home. Then she was alone in the world. When she was brought to the castle and Nathanial offered her care and protection, naturally she jumped at the offer. The thought of being taken care of enticed her into a loveless marriage. Where her husband feeds off her, places her as a prize for competition and does not think twice about slapping her. Anger began to fester in her at the humiliation of being slapped in front of the villagers. How could he slap his wife? She never thought she would be one of those women who would have an abusive husband.

Two loud raps on her bedroom door startled Isabella deeply entrenched in her thoughts. Sitting up she wondered if it was Samuel with any news about Ronan’s injury. Or could it be Ronan himself to show her he was alright. Isabella jumped from her bed rushing to her door only to open it up to a palace guard. The statuesque man coldly stated to her. “King Nathanial requests your presence.” Isabella rolled her eyes as she entered the hallway slamming her door shut behind her. She could not even be bothered to appear cheerful as she trailed after the tall guard. Crossing through the hallways, she looked upon the portraits of past kings in a different light. How come the only kings were only Dulra and Vilkros? Why has there never been a king of Malagi descent?

She hoped she was wrong about Nathanial, maybe he was calling upon her to apologize. Or he heard about the attack this afternoon and was dreadfully worried about her. Isabella could hope her husband would feel that way, but her experiences with him suggested different. Coming to a stop outside his room, the palace guard knocked and opened Nathanial’s door. Isabella observed her husband was standing up at his bureau donned in his infamous blue suit. “Come in and sit down.” He gruffly instructed her. Isabella entered his study slowly walking to one of the chairs across from his desk. As she sat down, she heard the door close behind her.

Isabella observed the menacing glare Nathanial threw at her, and this time she frowned back at him. She kept ruminating about how hurtful the slap felt to her, not only physically but emotionally. Her husband’s voice boomed in outrage as he spoke. “I have been thinking of throwing you in the dungeon.” Isabella calmly crossed her legs and sniped back to him. “Why would that be dear?” Nathanial stepped out from behind his bureau to stand in front of her. When he stopped, he raised his hands in shock. “What the hell are you wearing?” She looked downwards at her modest dress torn at the hemline. Nathanial did not wait for her to answer the question. “When you go out in public, you are a representation of me. And you dress like a chambermaid!”

Done with being insulted, Isabella stood up and stormed towards the door. She had one hand on the doorknob when Nathanial shouted. “Where do you think you are going? Come back here!” Isabella snapped her head back to look at her vampire husband. “Are you going to keep speaking to me in this manner?” She defiantly asked him still holding onto the closed-door handle. Nathanial defeated slumped into his chair. “Please come back.” Isabella hearing a calmer tone from him released the handle and slowly walked back to take a seat. Nathanial pulled at his collar around his neck as he stated.

“Isabella, there are so many things I am furious about.” He held up his hand. “One, you left the castle without my permission. And almost got yourself killed. Two, you used magic during the match without my permission.” She defiantly watched him as he held up his fingers as he spoke. “Three, you are talking back to me. I must wonder if this new behaviour is thanks to this warlock barbarian. Has he placed ideas in your head?” Isabella shook her head answering her husband. “Nathanial, you hit me.” If she could make him see how he hurt her, maybe he would acknowledge it and apologize.

The platinum blonde vampire leaned over his bureau. “My dear, you embarrassed me. I cannot have you do that in public again.” Devastated that her husband would not apologize, Isabella crossed her arms in front of her chest and said more to herself. “I do not care anymore.” She hoped that he would care more about her feelings. Nathanial sneered as he asked Isabella. “Did you fuck him?” Outraged by the impropriety of the question, her blood boiled as she growled at Nathanial. “It is none of your goddam business!” The platinum blonde vampire shifted from leaning forward to pushing back into his seat. “Answer me!! You are my wife!!”

With her arms crossed, Isabella shouted back at him. “And you think it is okay to have your wife sleep with someone else.” Nathanial sat back up, grabbed hold of his bureau and in a rage flipped it over. Isabella quickly pushed her chair backwards to avoid the flying desk. Papers scattered in the air and all over the room. But to Isabella’s horror, Nathanial was not done just yet. The platinum blonde vampire swept his arm across a side table sending glasses and a bottle of liquor flying and shattering on the ground. Isabella stood up and froze in spot in the middle of the room as Nathanial continued his reign of destruction.

Her eyes opened wide as she watched objects and furniture being tossed and thrown around the room. Isabella’s breathing became shallow as tears formed misting her vision. She tried to stand perfectly still but was betrayed by her trembling body. She had never witnessed anybody lose complete control of their temper in this manner before. Fearful that he would turn his rage on her, Isabella desired to become as small and as invisible as possible. She prayed that someone, anyone would hear the commotion and burst through the door to save her. She heard Nathanial’s voice muttering and yelling, but she could not understand clearly what he was saying.

She held her breath when her husband began approaching her unsure of what he was capable of. Isabella noticed the frown was gone from his face as he appeared more upset. The platinum blonde vampire came to stand in front of her with his head bowed. Nathanial reached a hand to cover his face, and she was shocked to hear sobbing. Her hand shook terribly as she touched him gently on his shoulder. Her vampire husband reached out and held her in his arms as his crying intensified. Wanting to comfort him, when Isabella placed her arms around him in a hug Nathanial collapsed into her embrace. From his weight, she crumpled to the ground still holding onto him.