Married to the Enemy

Chapter 2

The city of Noctyra felt calmer at night. From his study, high above, Caius Ashford could see the lights spread out below like a quiet river. The noise of the day faded, leaving a steady hum. The people and cars moving around became a gentle pattern of light and dark. It was easier to think here, away from the bustle.

His desk was covered with papers. He had read them all more than once. They were about routes and times, and about shipments that had gone missing. None of it fit together. He tried to find links, drawing lines between points on the map, but they didn’t make sense, so he erased them. Something felt wrong. Not in a big, loud way, but in a small, quiet way, like a clock that wasn’t ticking quite right.

He was looking at another paper when the door opened. Caius didn’t turn around. He knew who it was. Victor Ashford didn’t usually come in without being announced unless it was important.

Caius put the paper down and looked over his shoulder. “You could have just called,” he said.

Victor walked into the room and closed the door. “This was faster.” His voice was normal, but there was something about how he stood that made Caius pay extra attention. Victor walked across the room and placed a single folder on the desk. “Read it.”

Caius picked up the folder. The paper inside felt different, thicker than usual, like the kind used for important agreements. He opened it without a word. The room became quiet as he read. The words were plain and direct, with no attempt to make them sound softer.

It said that the Ashfords and the Rivas families would become allies. And to make sure of it, there would be a marriage. His name was on the paper. Luca Rivas.

Caius read it once, then read it again, more slowly. He wanted to be sure there was nothing hidden in the words. There wasn’t. He closed the folder and put it back on the desk.

For a moment, no one spoke. Victor watched Caius closely, waiting for him to ask a question or show he was unhappy. Caius leaned back in his chair, his eyes meeting his father’s. “If this is what you’ve decided,” he said, his voice steady, “I’ll handle it.”

Victor didn’t answer right away. He had expected something different. Maybe not anger, but at least a question. Caius had always wanted to understand big decisions completely before agreeing.

“You don’t have anything to ask?” Victor said after a moment.

Caius looked at the folder. “You wouldn’t show me this if it wasn’t already decided.”

“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t understand it.”

“I understand enough,” Caius said. “There have been problems. Things are not stable. You think this will fix things long enough to figure out what’s really going on.”

Victor looked at him for another moment. “And you’re ready to do this without question?”

Caius didn’t look away. “If it helps, then it’s worth doing.” He didn’t mention how it would affect him personally, only how it would serve a purpose.

Victor let out a slow breath, his face calm. “You’re always very careful. This feels… fast.”

Caius’s expression changed just a little, but he didn’t smile. “You’ve already made the choice. There’s no point arguing now.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” Caius said gently. “But it doesn’t change anything.”

The room was quiet again, but the feeling in it had shifted. Victor had expected Caius to fight this decision, or at least talk about it for a long time. Instead, it felt too easy, which made Victor more uneasy than disagreement would have.

“You’ll meet them soon,” Victor said finally. “There’s a party in five days. It will be announced there.”

Caius nodded once. “I’ll be ready.”

Victor paused at the door, his hand on the handle. “This is more than just an agreement,” he said without turning around. “It will change everything.”

“I know,” Caius replied.

Victor nodded slightly and left. The door closed quietly. Caius stayed where he was for a moment, his eyes on the folder on his desk. The room felt different now, even though nothing had moved. He picked up the paper again and opened it one more time. Luca Rivas.

The name meant something. Caius had never met Luca, but he had heard things. He knew this wouldn’t be easy. Luca was not someone you could easily guess. He didn’t do things the way people expected, and that made him hard to handle. Marriage meant being close. Sharing space. Being near someone who wouldn’t just fade into the background.

Caius closed the folder and put it aside. If this was what it took to make things stable, he would do it. But it didn’t mean he thought it would be easy.

Miles away, at the Rivas house, the air was far from peaceful. The anger that had been building all day had finally burst. Voices carried through the house, loud and clear. Luca Rivas stood in the middle of the room, the document in his hand, its edges now creased and soft. “You expect me to marry him?” he demanded, his voice cutting through the air.

Alejandro Rivas stood a few steps away, his posture straight, his face unreadable. “I expect you to listen first,” he said.

“I’ve heard enough,” Luca replied, his laugh sharp and short. “This isn’t a talk. You’ve already decided.”

“That doesn’t make it wrong.”

“It makes it final,” Luca shot back. “And that’s the problem.” He started to walk back and forth, restless, his anger unable to be contained. “You’re trying to tie us to the Ashfords like it’s the only answer. Do you think standing next to them will change anything?”

“It changes how the city sees us,” Alejandro said. “And right now, that’s important.”

Luca stopped, turning to face his father completely. “What about how we see them?”

“That hasn’t been good for us lately.”

These words hit harder than they should have. Luca let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. He looked away for a moment, trying to push down the anger that wouldn’t go away. “This isn’t a plan,” he said, his voice quieter now but still full of feeling. “It’s a mistake.”

Alejandro didn’t interrupt. He let the silence sit, giving Luca space to say what he needed to say, knowing it wouldn’t change what had to be done, but it might make it easier for Luca to accept.

“You want me to stand next to him,” Luca continued, his eyes sharp again as they met his father’s. “To pretend that everything that happened between our families doesn’t matter.”

“I want you to stand next to him and make the city believe it,” Alejandro corrected.

Luca shook his head, a small, disbelieving smile appearing. “You really think that will work.”

“I think it gives us time,” Alejandro said. “And right now, time is what we need.”

Luca looked at his father for a moment, searching for any sign of doubt in his face. He found none. “So, that’s it, then,” Luca said after a pause. “You’ve made your decision.”

Alejandro held his gaze. “This is happening.” The certainty in his voice allowed no room for argument.

Luca didn’t answer right away. His expression changed, becoming quieter but no less intense than the anger that had filled the room moments before. It wasn’t just about the marriage. It was about the fact that the decision had been made without him. That was what felt wrong. “You could have talked to me first,” he said, his voice now lower.

“And given you the chance to say no?” Alejandro replied. “We don’t have that kind of time.”

Luca let out a breath. The tension in his shoulders was still there, but it felt different. “And if I don’t go along with it?” he asked.

Alejandro didn’t pause. “You will.” The complete confidence in that answer left no space for anything else.

Luca looked at his father for another moment before looking away. The frustration was still there, but it was quieter now, settling into something more controlled. A decision had been made. Whether he agreed or not, it was done.

“There’s a party in five days,” Alejandro added. “That’s where this will be announced to everyone.”

Luca let out a short laugh, but there was no happiness in it. “Five days.”

“That’s enough time.”

“For you, maybe.”

Alejandro didn’t answer that. Luca stood there for another moment, then shook his head slightly, as if trying to clear a thought he didn’t want to think about. “Fine,” he said finally. “You want this to happen, it will happen.” There was no agreement in his voice. Only the acceptance of something he could not change.

Alejandro watched him closely, but said nothing more. The conversation was over. Luca turned and walked towards the door without another word. As it closed behind him, the room fell silent again, but it wasn’t a peaceful silence.

Across the city, in two very different homes, the same decision had been made. One accepted it without fighting. The other carried it with a burning feeling still inside. And in five days, they would stand together, whether they wanted to or not.