er the wedding,

felt cold. The silence of the room stretched lik

ty spot beside me. Dante hadn't come back. He hadn't even stayed in the room.

his wasn't a marriage bui

a tran

s the

-

oo still-every surface shining, every corner untouched. It looked like

didn't know greeted me with a gentle smile. She introduced hersel

aid, already plating up some

not re

but firm. "It's your first mor

. I didn't have

eating eggs I barely tasted, I

di

-

e Dante at a

the

andered room to room, unsure what I was allowed to touch or do. Everyone who worked here see

hird day,

the hallway and as

nreadable. "Mr. Roma

s of

east wing. "End of the hall. But

dn't

-

oor. Thick mah

raised my hand and

me the voice

ned th

rs in front of him, laptop open. He looked up

ve," I said,

ou," he re

ignore your wife

. "Do you usually barge into

loser. "Why am I here if you don

're here because that's w

erly. "Because women

ust a bargaining chip, Giulia. You're

sed to make me

posed to make

e was. How nothing

I didn't choose this? Th

nd presence towering, making the spa

nk I woke up one day and said, 'Let me marry the daughte

hy did y

more important than pride. Peace is more valuable

"So that's al

away. "Righ

esty was

humiliated, but hi

now who I am, G

dn't

l, blood, and war. I don't waste t

sked, turning back. "An ornament on

ching me, but close enough

belong to me now. Th

-

ormed

g to me the entire

-

ht, I cri

m. Not for

of myself that had

-

week passed i

spent most of my time alone, wandering the garden, flipping through books I co

ng was chang

ld with no say. But that didn'

y business. About the history. About the all

she gave me looks-quiet warn

g, she pull

l what you

" I wh

se, knowledge isn't j

-

ng to piece th

peace. He'd made a calculated move-putting me

he alliance, it would b

pawn on t

could be

-

t, I coul

nd myself outside his office a

d it quietly and saw him inside-pou

ither?" I asked, st

, surprised. "Some

hings on my mind. But

a brow. "An

hy

way. He poured a second g

it, su

ouldn't kill my own wife. That's why he offered

was ins

no

ink. It burned a

is," I admi

o I,"

t speaking. Just two strangers boun

silence, some

he man behind the cold eyes.

t a

e. Li