Chapter Seven

Isabella awoke in a less-than-pleasant mood. She’d searched her large suite for any sign of Robert, but he wasn’t there. There was no obvious indicators to show her if he’d come back to the suite after she’d fallen asleep.

What made her the angriest was the slight disappointment she felt at such a thought. She should be relieved he hadn’t followed through on the promise in his eyes as he’d gazed at her in the bathtub. It wasn’t what she wanted.

Of course that wasn’t true. She did want to be taken by a man — she just didn’t want it from him, she assured herself. She again knew she was lying. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to be in that man’s unbelievably sexy arms? He was handsome, fit, and so incredibly sure of himself. She had no doubt he was an incredible lover and knew how to please his partner. She’d heard too many stories of women having bad sexual experiences. It was enough to make her never want sex.

But with her captor she had no doubt it would be amazing. However, the man had captured her against her will. For her to reward that behavior with the gift of her body didn’t make sense. Of course, none of this situation made a lick of sense if she was being completely honest.

Isabella was allowed out of her rooms with Ms. Betty at her side. The woman was chattering as she showed her the huge castle, pointing out different items with a proud set to her shoulders. It was beautiful and Isabella did love the history of it all, but she never had cared that much about royal traditions. Sure she’d turned on the television as most of the world had when Kate married her prince, but she hadn’t been thinking of all the responsibility the woman would then have to bare on her shoulders.

Who would willingly enter a marriage that took away their very freedom and privacy? Isabella certainly wouldn’t do that. The dream for many young girls might be to one day marry a prince, but reality had a funny way of sneaking up on a person, and a royal life was so much more servitude than people realized. They were controlled by their people, not the other way around, especially with the tidal wave of social media and cameras at every corner.

The tour of the castle continued and when they entered the library Isabella’s breath was actually taken away. It was something right out of Beauty and the Beast but even better. The room had to hold every volume of every book ever created; it stood four stories high and had exquisitely carved ladders in several places that would easily slide across the room. The need to run and see how easily they slid made her body practically shake.

No one was in the room, sitting in one of the large chairs by a crackling fire, and that surprised her. This was something she often visualized though. It was those who had the most who didn’t appreciate it or know what truly mattered. How sad for them.

Isabella moved over to a giant nook with sunlight pouring into the room through an open window, which also allowed the sea breeze inside. There was a comfortable bench surrounding the nook, and it was a perfect place to sit and enjoy a nice summer read while glancing out the window every so often.

When she looked at the grassy plain below her, she caught sight of Robert. He was riding a horse with sweat gleaming off his bare back, his head thrown back as laughter drifted up to her. The horse reared back before jumping over a log and every muscle in Robert’s torso rippled as he controlled the animal.

She also noted several scars along his skin. They in no way took away from his incredible looks, but they did make her wonder what sort of life he’d led that he had such marks on him.

“I see the frown. Are you noticing his scars?” Ms. Betty quietly asked.

“It’s difficult not to notice them,” Isabella admitted.

“Robert often spent time with our Christopher,” Ms. Betty said with a maternal smile. “The two really enjoyed adventure and pushing the envelope. It took them a while to grow up, but what I’ve seen in them in the last few years is a true maturing. He wears those marks proudly because they tell a story of fun and adventure. He will make a good husband, a loyal prince, and an honorable man. Give him a chance.”

These were the most words the woman had spoken to Isabella that weren’t about the castle. She didn’t know what to think of the small speech, but she didn’t want this woman, who had to know she’d been brought there against her will, to think she was complacent to it all.

“I’m not his,” Isabella said. Even as the words came from her mouth, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the man in question as he marched his horse back into the barn. He truly was beautiful.

“Sometimes we aren’t left with a choice of who is chosen for us. Sometimes fate intervenes, and we’re slaves to our emotion,” Ms. Betty pointed out.

“I’m not a typical girl,” Isabella said, feeling sorrow even as she finished her statement. “I know how to deprive myself to achieve what is needed instead of wanted.”

“That isn’t something to be proud of,” Ms. Betty said. “If all we ever know is sacrifice then how are we supposed to truly live and be free?”

“Maybe some of us aren’t meant to. Maybe some of us are here to make the world a better place for others,” Isabella said.

It was truly a depressing thought that she might be meant to be that type of person, but at least she had a purpose if she was. Everything inside her rebelled at such a thought, but she wasn’t left with much choice in the matter. She did believe in fate, and so far, her purpose had been to serve and please.

Ms. Betty eventually led her back to her suite of rooms, and once again Isabella found herself disappointed to find no sign of Robert. If the man had brought her here for a reason, why wasn’t he trying to spend time with her? It made no sense. Maybe he truly had realized he’d made a mistake, and he was trying to figure out what to do about the situation.

She had read up on the customs of Rubare Collina, not on Rubare Virgina, so she was pretty sure they didn’t execute people simply to shut them up, but she also knew there were many royal secrets not shared with the rest of the world.

Even as she had this thought she realized she no longer had any fear of the situation. She might still be slightly angry with Robert, but she wasn’t afraid of him. She just didn’t want to admit that to him.

Ms. Betty left, and Isabella decided to read one of the books she’d chosen in the library. She really had nothing else to do, and getting lost in a great story was truly a joy for her. It might even make her stop thinking about Robert for at least a few hours.

She did eventually have to escape this castle. She feared she’d grow too complacent if she didn’t. She didn’t want that to happen — didn’t want to become just another silly female content with her life being changed without her permission.

Opening the cover of her book, Isabella was soon lost in a fictional world that did indeed take her mind off the situation — at least to some degree.