THE KING'S POSSESSION

Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Isabel Belongs to me

Tristan's expression grew serious, his eyes never leaving hers. "Yes, it has," he said quietly, sensing the importance of what she was about to say.

Isabel swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. "For six years, you have been by my side, supporting me and Liam without hesitation. You have given up so much for us, and I have been selfish in my expectations."

Tristan shook his head, squeezing her hand gently. "Isabel, you and Liam are my family. There is nothing I would not do for you."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued. "I know that, and it means the world to me. But I have realized that I have been holding on to a dream, hoping for something more when I have no right to demand it. You have given us everything, and I fear I have taken you for granted."

"I have long been drowning in your favor and it is time that I return it." She smiled.

Tristan's heart skipped a beat at Isabel's words, his mind racing to grasp their full meaning. He tightened his grip on her hand, searching her eyes for clarity. Her smile was gentle but tinged with sadness, and he felt a pang of unease.

"Isabel, what do you mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, fearing what her next words might be.

She met his gaze with unwavering determination, though tears shimmered in her eyes. "Let us stop this. Let us stop pretending. I realized that there is nothing more to this but only to fulfill your duties, to secure mine and my son's safety."

"I cannot pretend that I have not fallen for you. Yet, I cannot also force you to feel the same for me as I realized that I am not a woman you should be falling for." She laughed, looking down at herself.

"It may hurt to say this but, I want to release you from me," she said softly. "I cannot keep expecting you to fill a void that was never yours to fill."

"You are relieved of your mission, Sir Gayle. You may return to your Princess." She chuckled painfully as she felt her chest tighten as if it was being stabbed a thousand times. Isabel had never thought she would feel this way again. This pain that she had long felt when the man she once loved married someone else and left her for dead.

Isabel's heart felt numb.

As if it finally came to a point where her heart has gotten used to being broken over and over again.

Tristan stood there, stunned into silence by Isabel's words. Each syllable pierced through him like a dagger, laying bare the depths of her pain and resignation. He wanted to reach out, to hold her and tell her that none of it mattered, that his love for her was real and enduring. But her resolve was unwavering, and he knew that pushing her further would only cause more hurt.

"Isabel," he finally managed to say, his voice trembling. "I never wanted you to feel this way. I never saw our relationship as a duty. You and Liam are my family, my everything."

But Isabel shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. "No... I am setting you free."

Tristan's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides as he struggled to contain the storm of emotions raging within him. He met Isabel's gaze with anguish and frustration, his voice laced with a hint of anger that he couldn't suppress.

"Don't you dare tell me this is setting me free," he retorted, his words coming out sharper than he intended. He suddenly grabbed Isabel's hand and dragged her out of the clinic, taking her somewhere no one else can hear them.

"You have no right to dictate me! The princess gave me clear orders that I stay with you!" He yelled at her as he could no longer contain his frustration. Isabel was taken aback. It was the first time he had yelled at her and Tristan immediately realized what he has done.

"Isabel..."

He instantly reached out for her hand but Isabel did not wait for their skins to touch. She immediately took a step back to avoid him as she looked down and clasped her hands together.

"Right... The princess gave you clear orders. So you also do this... all of this... for the past six years..." She paused and sighed.

"I apologize. I stepped out of my boundaries." She added and wiped her tears, straightened her back and smiled as if nothing happened.

"Very well, I have to go." Isabel excused herself and without another glance, she ran off.

Tristan stood there, watching her retreating figure. He wanted to chase after her, to tell her that his love for her had grown beyond duty, beyond any orders given. But his feet felt rooted to the ground, and all he could do was whisper into the empty air, "Isabel, please don't go..."

The village around him seemed to blur as his mind raced with thoughts of her. He knew he couldn't let her leave like this, not without making her understand how much she meant to him.

And so he bolted from where he stood, his heart pounding as he sprinted after Isabel. He pushed through the busy market with his ragged breath as he called out her name, desperation in his voice. But as he neared the edge of the market, a scene of chaos unfolded before his eyes.

Isabel was being forced into a familiar carriage, her face pale with fear. A royal guard nearby held Liam, who was struggling and crying out for his mother. Tristan's heart nearly stopped at the sight, protectiveness and fury coursed through him.

"Isabel!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the commotion. Isabel's head snapped up, her eyes widening in relief and terror as she saw him.

"Tristan, help!" she cried, her voice cracking with fear.

Without a second thought, Tristan charged towards the guards, his eyes blazing with determination. But being unarmed, he was at a disadvantage. One of the guards swung his sword, and Tristan barely had time to react. The blade slashed across his arm, and he fell back, clutching his bleeding wound.

"Take that man as well," a commanding voice echoed from inside the carriage. Tristan's heart sank as he recognized the voice of King Lucian, the man who had abandoned Isabel and was now trying to take her away from him.

The guards closed in on Tristan with their eyes cold and unyielding. But he refused to give up. He summoned every ounce of his strength as he surged forward again, determined to protect his family. He grabbed a fallen stick from the ground and swung it at the nearest guard, knocking him off balance.

"Isabel, run!" he shouted, hoping to buy her some time.

But Isabel couldn't leave him behind. She clutched Liam tightly and tried to pull away from the guards, but they were too strong. One of the guards grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the carriage. Liam screamed, his small fists pounding against the guard's chest.

Although Tristan was a trained knight, he was surrounded, and escape seemed impossible.

Just then, King Lucian stepped out of the carriage, his eyes cold and calculating. "You should have stayed away," he said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Isabel belongs to me."

Tristan glared at him, his chest heaving with exertion. "She will never belong to you," he spat. "You abandoned her."

Lucian's eyes narrowed at his words. The insult stung. In his mind, he had never abandoned Isabel.

There was no way he would abandon her.

Without hesitation, he motioned to his guards. "Seize him," he ordered.