PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4

Not long after Isolde locked herself in her room, crying out of frustration, someone knocked on her door. She feared it was her mother, who would continue her anger, or her father, but the voice behind the door lifted her spirits.

“My Lady, may I come in?”

Marianne was the only person, aside from Niklaus, that she wanted to see right now. Isolde got up from her bed and hurried to open the door. Looking up at her handmaiden, her caretaker, tears ran down her cheeks in torrents.

“There, there, alright, come on, dear.” Marianne cooed. Isolde stepped back to let her inside. “Don’t tell me you’re upset about Lord Umber leaving?”

A laugh bubbled out of Isolde in the middle of her sobs. “Of course not.” She sniffled.

“I thought not. Why don’t you get into your nightdress?” Marianne said, walking to her wardrobe. Isolde didn’t respond, but she allowed Marianne to help her out of her dress and into her nightdress. “I know, it’s because you’re in love with that blacksmith boy.”

Isolde sat on her bed and pressed her lips together and looked away, her eyes watering again. For a moment, she did nothing, but she then nodded. Not once had Marianne betrayed such secrets. It felt nice to at least be able to tell someone and know it was safe.

“What do you think Lord Umber will do?” Isolde asked worriedly.

“Oh, dear, I honestly don’t know. All I do know was that you were in the right.” Marianne sat beside her and placed a comforting hand on her back. “He was completely out of line for that.”

“Thank you. Seems like you’re the only one who… agrees. Which, I think, is fucked that you’re the only one. Not even my mother. I mean, really.”

Marianne gasped in faux shock. “My Lady!”

“Only time will tell.”

Marianne sighed deeply and patted Isolde’s hand. “Only time will tell.”

Two Years Later

Lord Umber’s warning proved to not have as much weight as the Rydells feared. For days, weeks, and months, they waited for retaliation for Isolde’s insubordination, though it never came. The tension relaxed around the house, and soon, her mother and father seemed to forget she slapped a lord at all on her sixteenth birthday. For Isolde, it was a relief. Although her parents kept discussing who in the kingdom would feel inclined to marry her after the news of Isolde and Umber had spread, she still snuck away to see Niklaus.

“At least put your cloak on. Hood, too, yes?” Marianne said, situating it around Isolde. “You two have been together for two years in secret and only now he’s taking you somewhere that isn’t his father’s shop.”

“We were just afraid of someone noticing who I was, or people recognizing him and asking who I was. Since it’s winter, not a lot of people are out on the streets, so we’re giving it a shot.”

Marianne smoothed out Isolde’s cloak and smiled down at her. For a moment she paused, then frowned. “Isolde, when was the last time you bled?”

Isolde’s eyebrows quirked. “What? Er… last month, I thought? Like normal?”

Marianne’s already pale face ghosted even more. “My Lady… it’s been longer than that, I assure you.”

They looked at each other, and Isolde swallowed hard. “Oh.” She glanced down at herself, just wondering if it could be true. Could she really be with a child? She and Niklaus had been relatively careful, but things happen. She let out a soft breath and looked up at Marianne. “Eventually… everyone will know, won’t they?”

Marianne gave her a pitying look and a sad smile. “I’m afraid so. There’s no hiding it when the time comes.”

Isolde’s heart and mind were at war with emotions. On one side, she was terrified for the inevitable showing of her belly. Her mother, her father, everyone else would know. They would be furious. For all they knew, she still held her virtue. On the other, she and Niklaus could be parents. They’d been together for two years, give or take. He was her best friend in the whole world. They were in love.

“I have to tell him,” Isolde said.

“Well, then, it’s a good thing you’re going to see him. Go on, I’ll cover for you.”

Isolde kissed Marianne’s cheek and dashed from her room. As she’d done millions of times, she snuck from the manor and made her way from the property towards the blacksmith’s shop. It was unusual that she’d leave during the day, though, and her heart raced with every step as her eyes darted all around her.

At the shop, she made her way to the back where Niklaus leaned back against the shop with a foot against the wall. He donned a cloak of his own. “Well, there you are, my love,” he said, his voice cool and suave.

“Hello, darling,” Isolde said, catching her breath and smiling at him. Even beneath his cloak, she could see he smiled, too. “Where will you take me?”

Niklaus offered her his arm, which she gladly took with a beaming smile. “We’re going to the merchant stands. We’ll buy some food and eat at the fountain in the town square.”

Isolde squealed, excited for their first outing. “I’d love nothing more. This was long overdue. And… I have something to tell you, but let’s walk, and I’ll tell you while we walk.”

Niklaus looked at her with a curious gaze as he led her away. “Alright, I’m intrigued. But, have you been around town? I feel like you don’t often go.”

She shook her head. “Admittedly, no. It’s rare to shop for clothes if at all, and even then, I’m usually just gifted them.”

“I’m more than happy to show you around, then.”

The bustling town was bright with life. It was an early afternoon. The sun was out and shops were open for the public. Barbers, seamstresses and tailors, apothecaries, a firewood shop that usually turned into an ice shop for the summer, shops for ingredients for food, jewelry, an infirmary, and so much more. Isolde couldn’t help but wish she’d brought some money with her, and even then, the “money” she had was really her parents’, and she couldn’t exactly ask them for some to spend on a day out with the love of her life.

“This place is so lovely. Oh, I wish I’d brought money. Whatever we get to eat, it can’t be too expensive, okay?” Isolde told him.

“Come on, Isolde, let me woo you a bit. If I don’t get to spoil you, I’ll have nothing.”

Isolde rolled her eyes with a small scoff. “Please, you’ve wooed me almost every time we’ve seen each other since my sixteenth birthday. I’m plenty wooed. I just want to be with you and enjoy your company. It’s enough.” She kissed his shoulder. “You’re enough.”

He kissed her head. “You’re enough, too. Oh! Let’s go here. They make the best muffins, croissants, and pies ever, I swear.”

She smiled as he pointed straight ahead, where a merchant was selling freshly baked goods at a stand outside of the baker’s shop.

“Seems like you’ve frequented this place a lot if you’ve had all three of those!”

“And more!”

As they got to the stand, the baker waved goodbye to a man who took a couple loaves of bread. The baker smiled and looked confusedly at the two of them, his kind eyes turning wary. “Fabrizio!” Niklaus called, and Isolde stood impossibly closer to him.  “It’s me, Niklaus!”

“But why are you hiding like an assassin?” The baker asked, his mustache moving almost animatedly as he spoke. He scratched his bald head in thought, which made Isolde giggle into Niklaus’s arm.

“That’s very dramatic, and here I was hoping to buy one of your pies to share with my lady,” Niklaus said. “Come along now, woman, let’s go elsewhere.” He winked at her, and she looked up at him and giggled again, knowing he was only kidding and pulling the baker’s leg.

“No, no, don’t! Please, here, I have this wondrous apple pie!” Fabrizio said frantically, holding out a hot, golden pie with steam curling at the top. Isolde sniffed the air and sighed out dreamily. “Please?”

“Oh, fine,” Niklaus grinned and reached into his pocket to pull out some gold. “Your apple pie shall do perfectly, thank you.” He balanced the pie carefully in the palm of his hand, and pulled Isolde along to the middle of the town square.

“No, thank you!” Fabrizio called out happily.

Sheep, dogs, and cats roamed the fountain in the middle. Isolde and Niklaus sat at the fountain, the water sprouting out gently behind them. Isolde giggled and crossed her legs under her cloak, facing him.

“I should’ve thought this through… don’t exactly have a knife to cut this pie, do I?” Niklaus said, looking a bit disgruntled with his hood hanging low over the pie.

“We can just break off a couple pieces. It’s messy, but that’s okay.” Isolde broke a piece off and, while it crumbled, she secured a few pieces of baked apples too, and popped it into her mouth.

Niklaus gaped at her as if she were an angel. “You’re amazing.”

“I know.” She shrugged happily and the two of them at the pie with fingers that were soon sticky enough that they had to suck on them. “So, I have to tell you something.”

“Oh! Yes, I’m sorry I cut you off earlier.”

“It’s okay.” Isolde took a deep breath and let it out. “Actually, I’d rather make sure I’m looking at you while I say this.” Niklaus lifted his head, his face suddenly serious, eyes filled with nervousness.

“What… what is it? You’re not breaking up with me?”

“Of course not, don’t be daft.” Isolde scoffed. She bit her bottom lip, searching his face as if she could somehow project how he would react before she told him. “I just have to say it… I have to. I…” She closed her eyes tightly. “I’m with child, Nik.”

For a moment, there was only silence between them and the only sounds around them were the water fountain, the animals and people around them, and the birds. She opened one eye, and Niklaus was smiling.

“You wanted to look at me when you say this to me, but then you close your eyes? Isolde! Mine? Ours?”

Both of her eyes opened. “Of course, ours! Who else would I be with? It’s only been you! We’re together.” She bristled a bit at the silly question, but relaxed and scooted impossibly closer to him. “So… you’re not upset or anything?”

“Of course not! I’m overjoyed! You’re going to have my child; we’re going to have a child together! You are the only person I’d have ever wanted this with, Isolde.” He leaned in and seared their lips together in an enthusiastic kiss, prompting her to giggle against his lips. “I’m so happy.”

“So am I.” She smiled at him and nodded. “I don’t know how I’m going to do it but… I want to keep it. Have it with you. Somehow.”

“We could run away.”

Isolde stared at him. Run away. It sounded so easy, so quick, so simple. She could be a kick-ass mom with Niklaus. She could be free to wear every bit of clothes she wanted, dress or trousers, and practice her swordsmanship, too. Live a simple, happy life elsewhere.

“Alright,” she whispered, nodding, her eyes bright with excitement. “Yes. We’ll run away.”

“We’ll need to do it properly, think of a plan, but we have a bit of time for that, don’t we?”

“Hopefully, yes. Yes! I’m so excited, we’re going to be parents!” Isolde threw her arms around him and laughed so happily, her eyes watering from her relief, now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Finally, she was no longer faced with a trapped, unknown future.

To be continued.