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Chapter 3 - He's beautiful

Joana

"It's a great day today, don't you think?"

"What? Did you hear me, Mr. Jaime? I want to end our engagement."

"I can see that your problems haven't been solved yet." I felt him hurrying to move my wheelchair. "What about our previous plan to meet today?"

"Previous plans?"

"Isabela, you and I are engaged, aren't we? We have to plan, you were supposed to give me the date today, that's why I'm here, darling. Your father didn't want to take part in this and left the decision up to you."

"Please, go back to your house. I have no more feelings for you... for the Marquis de Madrid."

"Isabela!" He stepped out from behind me and stopped in front of me. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry." I made a forced face, how hard it is to put your foot in someone's ass, I thought it would be easier, I've only ever dismissed my asshole ex-boyfriend who cheated on me.

"Why are you suddenly talking like that?"

Good heavens! What a persistent man, what can I do to get rid of him without causing stress?

"I've reflected a lot from yesterday to today, I'm sorry, Sir and Marquis." I bowed my head so that he would go away.

"Even though this is a marriage for the sake of our families, I thought our relationship was deeper! Don't you love me anymore?"

The best way to end a relationship is to be honest, everyone knows that. And that man needed to hear some truths.

"I thank you for everything you've done for me, we can continue as good friends, you know my family, but the wedding is off."

"So all my dedication to you was for nothing?" He straightened his wig and took two steps away from me. "Was I wrong about our feelings being mutual?"

"Yes, the marquis was wrong."

That man changed dramatically and approached me, his gaze emanating anger and disappointment. Jaime bent down and grabbed me roughly by my right wrist.

"What the Bourbon family wants is the social position of the Orleans family! That's why your father came to me like an old rat and proposed this marriage. Everyone knows that your family is in decline."

"Then please let me go now. You're hurting me."

"You're an ingrate! You should be grateful to me for agreeing to marry you, a poor thing who can't walk, stop and think about whether another man will accept you as you are."

"What did you say?" I strengthened my arms and managed to escape the grip of his hand. "Make the most of your remaining years, because with that limp dick, it's unlikely that any other self-respecting woman will want you."

"Bend your tongue, don't refer to me as you." The asshole slapped me across the face and I felt my skin heat up. "From now on I'll be your marquis and husband, no matter how hard you fight it, you can't escape this marriage."

"I told you, there will be no wedding." I retorted without looking away from his furious yers.

"I've always seen you shy, put yourself in your place and don't speak louder or at the same time as your future husband."

"I opened my eyes, I had a glimpse of what my life would be like after marrying you, I don't want it anymore. Please leave my land and don't come back."

"How rebellious of you, you insolent girl. You'd better get ready to serve your future husband obediently."

This guy... how I wish I could get up and kick his shriveled balls! Jaime tidied up his velvet suit and walked away from me. The bastard assaulted me and left me in a wheelchair in the middle of the garden, how stupid.

I live in a time that I barely understand, I refuse to spend every day here married to an asshole!

"I'll have to think of another way..." I muttered and started to move around turning the wheels, luckily two slave boys appeared and helped me back home.

~

I finally accepted my new life as Isabela. It was too intense and real to be a dream, who dreams for so many hours? If there was no longer any possibility of returning to my own time or waking up from that world, I decided to hold on to it and start again from scratch, hoping that nothing I did would change the future.

I found a notebook with notes from that young woman, how foolish was she to write love letters to that stinking old man? I tore out all the pages and from then on they would be my notes. If I could be someone with privileges, this time I would do everything right, starting by helping to abolish slavery, at least initially in my home.

I heard two knocks on my bedroom door and promptly authorized entry.

"We have an engagement tomorrow, daughter." Revealed my mother, who walked smilingly towards me. "Be ready early, you're always late."

"Who are the bride and groom?"

"A duke of this nation, I don't know who he is, but your father knows him, he's someone very close to your majesty, King Charles II, of the house of Habsburg."

"All right." I nodded, keeping my euphoria to myself and closed my notebook, anything written there would be my secret.

"How many slaves do you want to take?"

I cleared my throat.

"We need to talk about this, do I have the right to demand some rules in this house from now on?"

My mother frowned and looked at me in surprise.

"Of course you do, Isabela. What do you want, young lady?"

"We should call them by their names, not slaves." I broke out in a cold sweat, you never know what the reaction of human beings will be, whether they're your relatives or not. "And besides, we should pay them for their services, it will make them very happy."

She continued to look at me skeptically, but I soon saw a friendly smile blossom.

"We'll do as our daughter wishes." She stroked my chin.

"Thank you for listening to me, mom, inside my chest, I knew you would accept." I sighed with relief; if she accepted, my father wouldn't be able to resist either.

"But for now, don't spread this information around, we can't get into trouble, all rigth?"

I nodded. My mother left my room and left me lost in my daydreams about how to get rid of Orleans.

"Wait a minute... Isabela, at the duke's wedding, certainly I'll see several important guests, I can think of something to use in my favor." I pondered for a few moments, writing the sentences on each line of the notebook. "I have information that only someone outside this world would know. I don't know if something like this will work on a nobleman, but... damn it! Who's going to be interested in me? Damn wheelchair."

~

The following night, nothing interesting came up, only married men passed me accompanied by their wives and, between you and me, I would never agree to go out with someone who was engaged. Suddenly, to my misfortune, I heard that characteristic voice.

"Quickly, please get me out of here." I abruptly asked the man destined to guide me through the night.

"Yes, ma'am." He made a manual effort and began to pull me away from that voice.

But it wasn't enough, a few moments later we found ourselves in the middle of the palace courtyard and, to my surprise, he was accompanied by a woman of a similar age to him.

"What a surprise, Marquis Jaime! I'd love to hug you, but I don't think I can because of my limitations." The woman stared at me and then looked away.

"Who is this woman, Jaime?"

He forced a smile through his yellow teeth and tried to dodge her question.

"I should be asking that question, ma'am. Yesterday that man was my fiancé and now he's with another woman?"

Jaime of Orleans was descended from a powerful French family that had lived in Spain for many years and he gave me a stern look, but it didn't intimidate me. I used the woman next to him to my advantage, because all I wanted give him change in the same coin. The guy fooled me, in fact, he fooled this silly girl by claiming to be a single man and, in fact, the idiot is married. Once again, I asked my employee to get me out of that man's presence, and a feeling of lightness came over me as I walked away.

Perhaps everything would work out and I wouldn't need to look for another man to help me, the marquis' wife would do the job herself. My servant took me outside the palace and I asked him to leave me alone, because the pure, clean air of the 16th century is nothing like what we breathe in the 21st century.

"What the hell!" I saw him walking towards me with quick, concentrated steps.

Suddenly, as I futilely tried to turn the wheelchair around and get out of there, a sudden force grabbed me.

"Are you lost, miss?" I was relieved by the timbre of that penetrating voice.

Whoever it was turned around and stopped in front of me. When Jaime approached, I couldn't contain my nervousness.

"I'm the daughter of Count García Márquez of Valladolid." I sighed, without taking my eyes off the Marquis of Madrid. "My name is Isabela Bourbon."

"Ah, the girl from the Bourbon family. I've heard good things about you, I'm sorry for your misfortune." His voice was cavernous, but soothing at the same time, a real sea of calm, which didn't suit the apparently sullen man in front of me. "That old man of almost forty that you admire so much is the Duke of Barcelona, Fernando Casanova, what can I do for you?" Elder? Seriously, does he think he's the last bread on earth? But I must admit, what a handsome man, he could only exist in romance books, it's not possible that he ever existed in the flesh. "Duke, this is my first time meeting you, don't get me wrong, but I'll be direct with what I want." "Isn't that dress too short? Your legs are beautiful for someone in a wheelchair." What an unnecessary comment, what's on his mind, I couldn't believe he looked at my legs.

"Help me!" I muttered, avoiding getting into the subject of his comment.

Fernando was a tall, elegant man with a strong, imposing appearance that belied his real age. His skin is naturally tanned, highlighting his exotic and attractive appearance.

His face is striking and expressive, with rustic features and deep-set eyes that convey an air of mystery. His penetrating gaze and slightly arched eyebrows give him an intense and enigmatic expression.

"I always say that everything is unforgettable the first time. Even meeting me is rare, so take advantage of it, my sweet lady, because you'll hardly ever have another opportunity like this."

"What?" That simple smile he flashed at me left me bewildered, what a clueless guy.

"Did I scare you with my voice and leave you disoriented? I know it's deep and husky sometimes, even I get scared, but that's my charm, miss."

"Your fascination with yourself is fascinating, my dear duke."

"I love myself before anything else." He reached into his pocket and took out a watch. "If you don't need me, I'm leaving."

"Wait, I have a deal to propose." I said with regret in my voice, of course he wouldn't accept.

"A deal?" That smile was pure debauchery.

"I don't know if that's something I should say here... I know something about your majesty."

Behind that calm smile, I knew that, for sure, a cunning man was hiding.

"Ah? How intriguing... I hate that two-faced man!"

"What? Don't talk about the king like that."

"There's no one but you and me, why bother?"

I cleared my throat, soon Jaime would catch up with me. I should give more details.

"The king's days are numbered" I revealed something bombastic that only someone from the future would know and wrapped myself around his right arm.

"Isabela? Off all moments... you've outdone yourself, girl!" Finally he arrived, furious, the man growling like an old dog. "Come on, I need to teach you a lesson."

The Duke of Barcelona didn't like the fact that Jaime had dragged me away and freed me from my tormentor.

"Is he in your way?" Fernando asked me, without looking away from Jaime's wide eyes.

"What? Mind your own business, my dear nobleman. Who are you to try and stop me? I'm the Marquis of Madrid."

"Really... a marquis is nothing these days," said Fernando in his determined voice.

This was my best chance of getting rid of an ex-lover I'd never liked. Apparently, Jaime's wife didn't solve anything, I don't intend to live being chased by him. Before any of them could say anything, I opened my mouth and added:

"I don't think I can keep him hidden any longer, darling." I forced a smile and looked at Fernando's face, hoping he understood my attitude. "Mr. Orleans, I'm sorry, but the lover here was you, I've always been with the Duke of Barcelona, he's an experienced man in bed who satisfies me in every way."

"What?" They both asked at the same time, and I lightly pinched Fernando Casanova's forearm, what a handsome guy, but extremely slow.

"The king..." I whispered to him.

"It's true what she said, we're together."

"Isabela was cheating on him with me, my noble duke."

"Saying that directly to me doesn't make any difference, do you want to die?"

Jaime was startled and took a few steps back.

"Well, I have to say goodbye to you now. My help for my carriage is coming." My servants approached from the same side as Jaime.

"Please have a wonderful evening, my love!" Fernando said in a hoarse voice.

"Is what you just said true?" Once again, Jaime interfered.

"Yes, it's true. I've grown fond of the daughter of the Bourbon house."

"As I've said many times, our engagement is over, Marquis Jaime." My voice was firm, he had to accept that once and for all.

"But why now?"

"It's too late to regret it."

My servant greeted the nobles and held the stand to guide me.

"Do you want to cancel our engagement?"

"It's already canceled." My sentence was direct, with no hesitation in my voice.

"Do you really think you have the right to..."

"That's enough, marquis, you can go on your way."

"Of course, but I'm going my own way with this girl, she's my fiancée!"

"Didn't you hear what she said?" Fernando stared at him unabashedly, he really had abandoned his arrogant side and joined my cause. "I believe you heard that she called off the engagement, so stop thinking you're still her fiancé."

"I'm not the kind of man who's going to sit still and let the wind destroy my living room."

"Close the window and the wind won't destroy anything."

After hearing Fernando's reply, Jaime gave me a vengeful look and started to walk away.

"Thanks for helping me, that stupid man tricked me."

"I want to get to know you better, miss, I love the way you act and communicate, you're a woman out of the box." He smiled and stroked the back of my neck, then my savior started to walk away.

Really, he thinks I'm a little girl who needs pats on the head?

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