It was already past midnight. Isabella glanced to her right, where Judith lay soundly asleep. Envy prickled at Isabella. The young girl had no worries, no infuriating husband dictating her life. Isabella longed for her own freedom, the freedom she once knew, the freedom she wasn't sure she had a chance of getting back.
She crept towards the bed, hoping hope to be welcomed into the sweet arms of sleep. But it was futile. This was her fourth failed attempt. Her head was already hurting. It had nothing to do with her husband, she told herself, but a small voice in her head scoffed, 'Sure, it doesn't,'
Was she missing him? No way in hell! She remembered how he had ignored her during dinner, not even a glance was sent her way. He wasn't the only one allowed to be angry, therefore, she would stand her ground.
As she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing. Frustrated with herself, she jumped out of the bed in sheer disgust. The disgust was directed towards herself. She began pacing the room, trying to keep her muttering low. For a moment, she conjured up an image of Leofric coming to beg her to return to their chamber with him. Realising what she was thinking about, she paused and shook her head in disbelief!
Isabella continued pacing back and forth in her temporary bedroom, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she had overreacted by storming out of their chamber after the fight. Was she really being childish? She asked herself, her brow furrowed in self-doubt. Was this how other married women resolved issues with their partners? Not knowing what or who else to blame, she blamed her lack of knowledge.
Somewhere at the back of her mind, she heard her mother's faint voice scolding her for not paying attention when she tried to talk about marriage. She had always brushed it off as a boring topic, look where it landed her. Oh, her step mother was definitely the last person on earth she would go to for advice. She would rather wrestle a swarm of angry bees naked than ask her stepmother for marriage advice.
As she walked, her eyes drifted towards the window, staring out into the darkness. She felt a pang of uncertainty, wondering if she had made a mistake by leaving the room. No, not because she missed Leofric, but because Judith's bed was rather too small and uncomfortable. It barely contained them both.
'Mhm, keep telling yourself that, woman. What's your next excuse?' That little devilish voice spoke again, causing her to hiss.
"Be silent!" She whisper-yelled at the voice, hoping it would leave her alone. Maybe she should have just stayed and worked things out with Leofric. But then again, maybe she would have ended up with a few more grey hairs and a permanent scowl on her face.
She chuckled wryly to herself, remembering the look on Leofric's face when she had walked out. Priceless. But as the humour faded, she was left with the nagging feeling that she had indeed overreacted.
Realizing what she was doing, she frowned. Wait a minute. Leofric's plan was working, wasn't it? He was trying to manipulate her, make her feel guilty for standing up for herself. Well, she wasn't going to fall for it. She was a strong, independent woman—who currently found herself pacing back and forth in a cold, dark room, wondering what her husband was up to.
Was he enjoying the freedom of having the room all to himself? Was he lounging on the bed, snoring away, completely oblivious to her absence? Or was he, perhaps, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the door, waiting for her to come back?
Her brain was overheating, threatening to melt down into a puddle of nonsense. She feared she would soon be declared mad at the rate she was overthinking.
Isabella's eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched in determination. She wasn't going to let Leofric get the better of her. She would stay in this room, no matter how uncomfortable it was, until he came to apologize and make things right. And if he didn't... well, she would have to come up with a plan B. After all, she was a resourceful woman—at least she liked to think of herself as one.
As she continued to pace, she stumbled upon a stray thread on the floor. She picked it up, twirling it around her finger, lost in thought. She was so caught up in her own little world that she didn't hear the first light tap on the door.
Leofric's jaw clenched in annoyance on the other side of the door. The thought of her peacefully sleeping while he was in turmoil made his eyes harden.
Isabella jumped back in fear when a loud BANG echoed through the room, startling her out of her reverie. Her heart leapt into her throat, a jolt of adrenaline coursing through her veins. It was Sir Leofric. She knew it.
Her curiosity was mixed with excitement. Was he here to apologize? To beg her forgiveness? Or worse, to demand something from her?
"Who is it?" she called out, her voice a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
A low rumble from the other side confirmed her guess. She was right. "It's me, wife."
She slowly opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind her. "What do you want?" Isabella asked, trying to sound detached.
"I want you to come back to our room with me," Leofric said, his voice low and gentle.
Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Why should I, Sir Leofric?"
Leofric took a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "Because our room is our sanctuary, Isabella. No matter how much we fight, it's where we should always come back to. We shouldn't let our disagreements drive us apart." He said, his voice calm and collected.
Isabella felt a pang of guilt, but she tried to push it away. Now, he was trying to be the reasonable one. Just Great! "I don't see why I should listen to you right now." she said, trying to sound stubborn.
Leofric sighed and rubbed his temples. "Isabella, my parents used to fight all the time when I was growing up. But no matter how much they argued, they always settled their differences in the bedroom. That's what I want for us. I want us to be able to fight and make up in the same space. I want our room to be our safe haven."
Isabella felt her resolve weakening. She had never seen Leofric so vulnerable before. She looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity there. There was something about the man that she didn't understand.
"Fine," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
Leofric's face lit up with a smile. "Thank you," he said, holding out his hand to her.
"I can walk on my own, I don't need your assistance." She replied and walked past him.
As they walked, Isabella felt a sense of trepidation. She didn't know what would happen when they got back to their room, but she knew that she wanted to be with him—more like she wanted to be back in their comfortable chamber, not to be with him.
When they reached their room, Leofric closed the door behind them and turned to face her. "I'm sorry for ignoring you at dinner," he said, his eyes locked on hers. "I was wrong to do that, and I promise it won't happen again."
Isabella felt a lump form in her throat. "I'm sorry too," she said, against her wish. He wasn't allowed to be the bigger person all the time. Seeing the surprise on his face, she gave herself an invisible pat on the back. He most likely wasn't expecting an apology from her. "I shouldn't have run away." She continued, eyes fixed on him.
Leofric moved closer to her. "You can't run away from me," he said, his voice low and husky. "I'll always find you." He trapped her chin in between his fingers and surprised her with a passionate kiss that left her utterly breathless and giddy like a fool. Well, she had been feeling like that a lot lately.
Isabella's heart skipped a beat as Leofric pulled her into his arms. She felt a sense of peace wash over her as she rested her head on his chest. It was as if that was all she needed to start the day. Maybe, just maybe, they could make this marriage work after all.