The palace corridors were eerily quiet.
Cedric walked slowly through the halls, his mind a storm of emotions. The weight of recent events pressed down on him—King Aldric's confession, Eva's heartbreak, the kingdom still recovering from war. And yet, amidst the chaos, his thoughts kept circling back to one person.
Isolde.
His lips curled slightly at the name, but there was no warmth in his expression.
He had always known how to play the game. He had pulled Isolde in with carefully chosen words, soft smiles, and just enough affection to keep her hoping. She was never meant to be anything more than a pawn.
But now…
Now, she was slipping away.
He had noticed it in the way she looked at Tobias—the way her eyes softened, the way she smiled without restraint when she was near him.
And tonight, as he watched her from the shadows of the grand hall, the truth finally struck him.
She loved Tobias.
Not him.
Never him.
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips as he clenched his fists.
He had always been the one in control. The manipulator. The one who decided how the story unfolded.
But this time…
This time, he had lost.
---
The Grand Hall
Isolde stood near the large windows, the moonlight casting a soft glow over her delicate features. She was speaking in hushed tones to Tobias, who stood close—too close.
Cedric could see the emotions written all over her face.
She was terrified and yet… at peace.
Tobias was looking at her like she was the most precious thing in the world.
Something twisted in Cedric's chest.
For so long, he had held onto Isolde—not because he loved her, but because she had been his. His to control, his to manipulate, his to use when it suited him.
But now?
She was choosing someone else.
Tobias gently reached out and brushed a tear from Isolde's cheek.
Cedric's jaw tightened.
He had to speak to her.
---
A Final Conversation
Isolde was alone in the palace gardens when he found her.
She looked up as he approached, her expression unreadable.
"Cedric," she murmured.
"Isolde," he said smoothly, masking his emotions behind a perfectly practiced smile.
But she wasn't fooled.
She had changed.
She wasn't the naïve, hopeful girl he had manipulated anymore.
She was stronger now.
He leaned against the stone railing beside her, letting the silence stretch. "You love him," he finally said.
A shuddering breath left her lips. She didn't look at him when she whispered, "Yes."
Cedric closed his eyes for a brief second, absorbing the sting.
He had expected it.
Yet hearing it still felt like a final blow.
"Was there ever a moment," he asked, his voice softer than usual, "where you truly wanted me?"
Isolde hesitated. "I wanted to believe I did."
Cedric's smile faltered.
Honesty.
He had always hated honesty.
But she owed him nothing now.
"You were never mine, were you?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
She turned to face him at last, her eyes full of sorrow.
"No," she admitted. "Not in the way you wanted me to be."
His chest tightened.
For the first time in years, Cedric felt something unfamiliar—regret.
Not for losing her.
But for never realizing what he had until it was too late.
---
Letting Go
"You're free now," he said suddenly, forcing the words past the tightness in his throat.
Isolde blinked. "What?"
"I won't chase you anymore," Cedric murmured. "I won't try to manipulate you, or make you doubt your own feelings. You're free, Isolde."
She stared at him, as if trying to understand if he was truly letting her go.
Cedric gave a hollow chuckle. "Go to him."
A fresh wave of tears filled her eyes. "Cedric—"
"Don't," he cut in sharply. "Don't pity me."
She nodded slowly, stepping back.
And then—
She left.
For the first time in his life, Cedric felt something he had never experienced before.
Emptiness.
He had always been the one to walk away first.
But now, for the first time, someone had walked away from him.
---
The Inevitable Future
He returned to his quarters alone.
His thoughts drifted to Lady Eleanor—his fiancée.
A woman he had ignored for far too long.
A woman who had been waiting for him without expectations, without demands.
Perhaps it was time he finally faced his own fate.
Perhaps, for once, he should let go of what he could never have and embrace what was meant to be.
With one last glance at the moonlit garden where Isolde had stood moments ago, Cedric turned and walked away.