"You want me to marry the Grand Duke of Ashford?!" Isabella Winterbourne scolded her parents, her voice sharp with disbelief.
Her father, Duke Alistair, remained unmoved, his posture rigid as he spoke. "You are a Duchess by birthright, Isabella. You will not marry below your station, and I will not allow it!"
Isabella's eyes flared with anger. The grand chamber, once a place of comfort, now felt suffocating as her parents' cold decree echoed in the air.
"But Edward and I love each other!" Isabella's voice wavered though she fought to keep her composure. "How can you expect me to marry someone I don't love? Look at yourselves! Is this the marriage you want for me?"
For a brief moment, a flicker of emotion softened Duke Alistair's stern expression, but he quickly regained his authority. "This is not about love, Isabella. It is about duty. The alliance with the Grand Duke will secure our family's future and protect the stability of our lands. You have a responsibility to your name, whether you want it or not."
Isabella shook her head, her auburn curls tumbling wildly. "You speak of duty and stability as if those things matter more than my happiness. You see me as a pawn in your games of power, but I refuse to be used this way."
Duchess Eliza stepped forward, her voice softer but no less firm. "Isabella, we only want what's best for you. This marriage will give you opportunities and security beyond what you can imagine. It is a chance to protect the Winterbourne legacy."
"And what of my own desires? My future?" Isabella's voice rose with defiance. "I have the right to choose my own path, my own happiness. I am not some tool to be traded for land and titles!"
The silence that followed was thick with tension. Her parents exchanged a glance-her father's resolve unshaken, her mother's eyes holding a trace of regret.
"If you insist on following this path of defiance," Duke Alistair said coldly, "then you will no longer call yourself a Winterbourne. You will lose everything-your name, inheritance, and place in this family."
Isabella's heart clenched, but she stood tall, her gaze steady. "I would rather live a life of truth and love than be bound by a name that demands my submission. If walking away is the price for my freedom, then I will pay it."
Her parents said nothing more as she turned and left the room, the heavy doors closing behind her with a final thud, sealing the choice she had just made.
YOU ARE READING
Once Upon a Royal Christmas
RomanceKatarina welbourne has done everything she could to take care of her twin siblings and her late father's ranch. But she has no choice but to sell it. but when out of nowhere she is contacted by her estranged grandparents' butler, collingsworth. Kata...
