Chapter 70 - Isabela was never his wife.

Fernando

Looking closely at those two men side by side, I realized that there was no difference between them, except for the age difference between Jaime and my brother. They both shared the same petty goal: to create incessant obstacles to make Isabela suffer.

Although it was daytime, that corner of the castle basement was freezing, as common as a dark night in the middle of winter. With only a dim light to illuminate the basement, the atmosphere was permeated with tension. Who would make the first move in a conflict that already seemed to have a clear winner?

As Raul and I prepared to face Jaime and Filipe, I reflected on the dangerous nature of the dispute, but also on its apparent ease.

The four of us stood there, side by side, breathing hard, ready for a hand-to-hand confrontation. And, to my surprise, it was Filipe, clumsy and uncoordinated, who took the first step forward. It was as if he was completely out of his element, a true barbarian who didn't use an ounce of reasoning to plan his movements. Every time he tried to attack, he failed miserably to land a single blow on Raul.

It was then that Jaime, with his silly grin on his face, warned me:

"Don't think I'm as clumsy as your brother. How pathetic, Lucia should have chosen better in whom to invest all her vast knowledge of the future".

But I wasn't put off by his taunts and retorted:

"Forget my stupid brother and focus on me, your opponent is me." I kept my eyes fixed on him as he passed the saber from hand to hand in a vain attempt to distract me.

Jaime tried to demonstrate his dexterity by wielding that sharp saber, confident in his abilities. He believed he was superior to me, even though I was unarmed. But the Marquis didn't stand a chance.

Jaime's insistence would get him nowhere. He was no match for my strength and agility. He roared like an uncontrolled beast and lunged at me, each attack he launched dangerous but predictable. If these blows hit me, Isabela would be left without a groom.

My defensive training proved to be really useful, as all of Jaime's attempts to hit me were completely futile. I simply dodged death, which made him more and more frustrated and furious. He struck blow after blow, but I remained unharmed.

"As well as being a nobleman, I must admit that you are an excellent warrior! Who taught you to dodge like that? Was it your soldier?" he asked, panting as he regained his original posture.

"No, Jaime. Raul is a man who doesn't need to be molded. Now, I must admit that I'm disappointed with your movements in combat, my dear marquis. You're not as agile as you say you are. I see no difference between you and Filipe."

The sound of several punches and kicks reverberated through the basement, mixed with grunts of pain and effort. In the dim light, I turned my neck and realized that Raul had completely dominated my brother. Filipe was lying on the floor, practically defeated.

"Don't take your eyes off me!" Jaime shouted, trying to hit me off guard. However, I managed to grab his wrist just in time. However, the tip of the blade ended up piercing my right breast.

"You're like a snake, Jaime. Can't you face your problems without being tricky?"

Despite Jaime's limitations, he desperately persisted in trying to get rid of me and land a blow. However, his lack of coordination and inexperience were visible with each failed attempt. Jaime was trying his best to use his saber and overcome my strength.

"You're an idiot, and it's your fault that all this happened, Fernando! Why did you steal my wife twice?" he said, his voice shaking with exhaustion.

"Isabela was never your wife!" I closed my fist and punched him in the nose, making him drop the gun. Jaime grunted and staggered out of control, falling backwards onto the table with a bloodied face.

In the end, our superiority prevailed.

"You bastard! You knocked my tooth out." He spat out the tooth, which fell beside me.

Raul approached me, acknowledging our victory with his gaze. The half-light of the basement highlighted their expressions of satisfaction. With the fight finally over, I heard my friend's voice.

"I'm not tired at all. Your brother is a klutz who doesn't know how to defend himself or attack. Now that we've finished them off, what are we going to do with these two useless bastards? What's the next step?"

I reflected for a moment, preventing Raul Torres from seeing my superficial wound. All I wanted was to go back to Isabela and tell her that her problems were finally over. But I couldn't break the good news if the main piece was still loose. Lucia Ortiz had managed to escape in some mysterious way.

"Find some ropes and tie them up, we'll drag them off to serve their just sentence for their crimes," I replied, my back to Jaime, who was still mumbling disconnected words.

"Is this your revenge? Is this where it all ends?"

"A part of me wants to invest more than revenge, maybe even make him beg for mercy while I torture his body. But I wonder if that's what Isabela really wants. Would she accept me if I became a killer?"

"All right. We're not past that point yet, and we'll take them away tied up. But what about their leader? She just disappeared without a trace," asked Raul.

"She'll appear again like the twilight of the night, and this time Isabela and I will be prepared," I replied resolutely. Raul nodded and went off in search of ropes.

As I tried to ease the pain in my chest caused by the puncture, I felt a firm tug on my heel.

"Why don't you just kill me? I have nothing left, I've lost everything. I'm a man with no family or friends. Don't be a coward and finish me off," Jaime of Orleans begged.

"I don't think killing you would make me any different from you. I plan to live out my last years away from the chaos," I replied, firmly repelling his futile attempt to stop me.

However, as I watched him, I noticed a provocative smile on Jaime's blood-stained lips. This smile, mixed with the dark red, transformed his yellowed teeth into menacing tones. I began to rethink my decision. Perhaps I could leave him locked in that cellar, alone and defenceless. Maybe he had to feed on rats to survive, or perhaps the rats had the good sense not to want to be contaminated by eating the marquis' meat.

"She hasn't told you about what's coming, has she?" Jaime continued to smile cheekily.

"What are you talking about, you cretin?" I asked, intrigued.

"Ah, my noble duke, Isabela, didn't just deceive me. She didn't even warn you about the dark days ahead, about to darken the Barcelona sky."

I forced a smile and kicked his filthy hand. I didn't even want to feel the touch of the fabric covering my leg, let alone that man.

"I'm prepared for the death of the king," I said.

"Ah, that sloppy girl only told you the beginning," Jaime persisted, smiling. "The death of the King of Spain is only a small part of it, my dear duke. During the war of succession for the Spanish crown, Barcelona, your beloved homeland, will be invaded and there will be many deaths, both of soldiers and innocents."

"Do you really think I'm going to believe you after everything that's happened in the last few days?" Raul, who had just tied Filipe's wrists, approached me and, with my help, began to tie the Marquis' wrists.

"I'm not asking you to believe me, Your Grace, but I am asking you to open your eyes to this woman. She belongs to a time and place that we can't even imagine exists. Isabela lied to you, she wants the war to happen to get rid of you, which is her curse. Just like Lucia, she'll do anything to stay alive."

I cleared my throat, after all, that conversation was uncomfortable, I was reluctant to believe the outrage Jaime was saying. I couldn't imagine that my bride, the owner of a brilliant smile, was as despicable as Lucia. But at one point in this story, the Marquis was right. Isabela belonged to another time and space, her world was the opposite of what I was used to.

"There will be no bloodshed on Spanish soil," I replied with conviction. "I will make the impossible happen, there will be no war."

Jaime stood up, still a little dazed, and looked at me.

"And who's going to help you on this suicide mission? My God, your punch hurts!"

"Isabela Casanova."

"After everything, do you still intend to stay with this woman?"

"Of course I do, she's the great love of my life and I fully believe in my fiancée."

"Enjoy the time you have left, Fernando, but bear in mind that no one can prevent what has already happened, including your death, which will be during the siege of Barcelona in 1714."