Royalty

22| Faith

Chapter 22: Faith (Nicholas' POV)

She just sat there, staring at me in disbelief and utter confusion. It makes sense, she is acting that way rightfully. She must need time to process all this. But I'm afraid I cannot give her that. 

"W-what are you asking now?" she stammered, scratching her eyebrow. 

"I am asking if you would be willing to come back?" She stared at me, thinking of an answer. "And if you still want, we can get a divorce," I mumbled. 

"I um, I-I need some time. To think about things," she said, standing up abruptly. 

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose before standing up. "There is a problem with that." I stood up, turning to her. 

"You have a problem with giving me time to process?" she asked incredulously. 

"I do not have a problem with that. But my father... My mother told me that if I do not come back home with you tonight, then my father um." The words struggle to come out. "He will start looking for another kingdom. Another princess for me to... to marry," I mumbled. 

She stared at me, biting her bottom lip out of anxiousness. "Did you agree?" 

"I was not given a choice. He also said he would not have my wife assassinated if she belonged to a different kingdom. The only kingdom Meralith has a problem with is Velaris," I sighed. 

"If he holds such hatred for Velaris, then why get us married? Why not just have you marry another princess? This is not my fault, Nicholas," she scoffed. 

"I know that but-" 

"This is unbelievable. He makes us get married and then states that if you had married another princess, he would not want her dead? Is he out of his mind?!" she yelled. 

What am I supposed to tell her? There are no words to help this situation. To make it better. "Ella, it would be better for you to not come back. For us to get a divorce, but..." 

"But?" she asked. 

"But I would not want to marry someone else. And I swear to god, if my father likes this girl, there is no way she is right for me. And if he does not have her killed, then I fucking might," I said through gritted teeth, sitting on the edge of her bed, holding my head in my hands. 

"And the next heir?" she asked. 

"I am not going to have a child with a woman I have no romantic feelings for. I do not understand what the fuck my father thinks. I do not understand what goes through his mind. How can he expect me to just get someone pregnant, to get that intimate with someone without wanting to?!" I fell back on her bed, muffling my groans, and screams into a pillow. 

She grabbed the pillow, pulling it away from me before she stood in front of me. 

I sat up, looking at her. "If you decide to come back with me, that is great, thank you. Because I want you there. Selfishly so. And if you decide to leave me, then that is completely understandable. And I am so sorry, I am so sorry that you were married into such a fucked up family." I stood up, towering over her at the proximity. 

She did not look straight up at me at first. She hesitated, she held her breath. She peered up at me through her lashes before letting out a breath. "I need time, Nick," she sighed. 

"Ella, I wish I could give it to you. But if you do not come back tonight then..." I sighed in frustration, genuinely having the urge to punch a wall. 

"Which princess?" she asked. 

"That stupid Princess of Cantrick," I muttered, rolling my eyes.