DarioMy eyes were still fixed on the picture when I heard a knock. I hoped it wasn’t Brenda! I couldn’t deal with her right now. I wasn’t even in the mood to answer, so I ignored the knock.“Who is there?” I questioned after hearing the second knock.“Your majesty, there’s an issue!” The voice of one of the housekeepers caught my ear.“Issue?”“It’s about the young girl, your majesty.”I groaned, ordering her to step in afterwards. “What happened?” I asked the minute she entered.“She wouldn’t have her dinner!” “Reasons so?”“She didn’t say. She just sent us away.” I sighed. I could only imagine the pain my little princess was going through. Her father was a huge part of her life, and losing him must have hurt her greatly. “I will handle it. Just bring her meal to me.” The housekeeper nodded, obeying my instructions. Immediately after she left, I walked out of the study.It was my duty to take care of the princess. It was my duty to Alfred, and he wouldn’t forgive me if anything
Isla’s pov I woke up feeling slightly better. Maybe it was because of Dario and me having a conversation yesterday. After a quick stretch, I pulled off the duvet and headed to where I had stuffed my notepad in my bag.I wrote down everything I remembered from the attack. I guessed it would be useful to Dario. Besides, I didn’t want to forget.I was still writing when I heard a knock on my door.“Who’s there?” I asked.“Isla, breakfast is ready!” It was Dario. His voice was like music to my ears.“I’m coming!” I responded, scribbling down some more words. Once I was done, I went to the bathroom. I didn’t waste time pampering myself in the bathroom. However, the thought of soaking myself in the bathroom using one of the lavender wash I had seen on the bathroom shelf crossed my mind.I made a mental note to do that later, probably in the evening. Immediately, I was done bathing. I dressed up quickly.I wore a simple dress and tied my hair in a messy ponytail. My mind drifted off as I
Isla’s POV My eyes landed on Dario. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were a bit red with rage. He looked angry, very angry. But the more I stared, the more I noticed his expression change drastically. He had a stern look playing across his face now. “Brenda!” He called, turning to face her. “Please excuse us!” Brenda glared at me. She picked up her clothes from the floor, throwing them over her body before she left. She shot me another glare, then walked out of the room, and I was glad that my aim was achieved. I was able to ruin their fun. I tried my best to hide my happy feelings. The second Brenda had left, Dario’s eyes were on me, and I didn’t hesitate to step forward, wearing the same stern expression he had on. “How dare you do this, Dario?” I began. “You’re betraying our mate bond!” “Isla-“ he said, but I didn’t allow him to continue. I kept on speaking. “You know this is all so wrong, Dario. You are not meant to be with her! She isn’t your mate.” “I can decide o
Isla’s POV I don’t know how I managed to get to my room and when I fell asleep. All I knew was that I was on the floor when I woke up. Actually, the sound of someone knocking on the door, followed by the housekeeper’s voice, had woken me up. As I sat up, listening to the voice of the housekeeper instructing me to come downstairs. My bone ached, and the throbbing pain in my heart hadn’t vanished. I felt weak and tired to make things worse. Dario’s words echoed in my mind. I sighed. The pain in my chest was increasing with each passing second. I felt like I could explode any minute from now. So this is how rejection felt. It was worse than I ever imagined. I wished Padre was here with me. His hands wrapped around my body would wash away the feeling of pain that I was experiencing right now. At that moment, my eyes landed on the teddy perched at the corner of my bed. My father had given me that teddy on my eighteenth birthday. I got on my feet, heading to the corner of the bed. Tha
Isla’s povI sat quietly in the car. My gaze was fixed on the passing scenery outside. Dario was focused on the road; he seemed to steal glances at me occasionally, yet he failed to pay attention to me or say any words.I hated this. As we approached the grand entrance of the Empire Academy, my anxiety grew. I wondered what I was going to experience. As Dario parked the car, I exited the vehicle. I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. The academy's imposing structure loomed ahead. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the adventure ahead. Dario walked in front of me and headed towards the academy's entrance. I followed him in silence. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions. The click-clack of our footsteps echoed in the corridor as we made our way through the imposing halls. The academy's interior was a blend of modernity and tradition. I observed the architectural details, the portraits of esteemed graduates lining the walls, and the buzz of students preparing for the acad
Dario’s POV I watched as Isla stormed out of the living room. She was hurt. It was very visible, and I felt bad she had to experience this. “You upset the girl!” I said, turning to face them. “This is no way to face such matters.”I was glaring at them.“We were just being honest.” One of the elders spoke up. “She has no idea why we made such decisions.““Yes, I’m well aware of that, but that doesn’t mean you have to speak that way.”“We don’t care about how the girl feels. All that concerns us is that our decision is carried out.” the same elder who had spoken up continued talking.“We’ve known you for years, Dario; you’re meant to understand how important it is not to bury a man who took our daughter away close to her.” “Well, I would like to remind you that the man you’re referring to is Elena’s husband,” I said boldly. “Alfred was-”“Don’t dare mention his name.” Another elder spoke, standing to his feet. He looked agitated.“This is my house, and I have the right to call who
Isla’s POVI’m all alone. I felt like I couldn’t breathe as every part of me was breaking into pieces. In a moment of overwhelming sorrow, I turned away, my sobs escaping into the quiet air. I began to run, each step displaying my desperate attempt to escape the pain that clung to me like a suffocating fog. The world became blurry as my vision was clouded by the tears streaming down my face.I expected Dario to follow me or do something, but for a second, it seemed like I had forgotten that Dario didn’t care about me. I would have to carry the burden by myself.My only hope was that everything wouldn’t come crashing down on me.As I raced through the cemetery, the haunting memories of her fractured family fueled my anguish. The cold wind bit at me, matching the chill in my heart. How had she felt knowing that the ones who should be home to her had turned their backs against her because of one decision?My breaths came in ragged gasps, the rhythm of my hurried steps syncing with the
Isla’s POV I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I entered the mansion. I cradled the chips and the latte in my hands. While I still couldn’t picture myself happier than I was before losing Papa, this was the best I had felt in the last three days. It was like meeting Silvan had given someone to take a little bit of my sadness from me. I was about to climb the stairs when I heard footsteps behind me. The next thing that happened shocked me.Dario had stepped in front of me. He swung his hands roughly, and this action caused the latte to drop to the ground and the chips to fall, too. My eyes landed on the fallen items.I was devastated.I turned to look at Dario with a very annoyed expression. I was about to speak, but he beat me to it.“Where have you been, young lady?” He sounded so stern.“I don’t think it matters to you where I have been; you severed our mate bond, so you don’t have to care about me.”“Isla! I wouldn’t ask you again.” Dario’s voice echoed loudly across the roo