Timeless Forever ( Tristan and Isolde)

[Isolde Leinster]

The wedding dress

-

“I do.” King Mark said

“I do.” Isolde said choking back tears as she stared blankly to the man in front of her that was wedding her to the King of Cornwall to unite Ireland and Cornwall as one. This was to be a joyous moment as she stood in front of the kingdom. She was marrying a good man after all. Yet in her mind she wanted Tristan's hand to appear and the pair run off together. She hadn’t seen him since that stormy night after he told her he couldn’t want her. It was wrong. 

She told herself nightly as she cried herself quietly in her bed that he was right they couldn’t be together. She was to be married to his uncle. Though the potion that linked them made it hard as she dreamed of him nightly. She always wondered if he dreamed of her as well. Isolde snapped back into the moment of her wedding as they turned to face the crowd of people. Isolde forced a painful smile as her eyes scanned for Tristan. 

Nowhere to be seen. Maybe he just didn’t want to see her. She thought to herself as the pair walked down and made their way to the ballroom of the castle where there was to be a huge party in their honor. She took a seat at their table and watched the room fill with music and people having a good time. Her eyes still searching for him till Mark leaned in calling her attention.

“My dear, I am so happy this day has come. You look beautiful. I cannot wait for later tonight when you grace my bed.” His voice was a gentle whisper in her ear then a gentle kiss placed on her ear. As King Mark pulled back Isolde pressed that force smile to her lips again. 

“If you excuse me I need to freshen up.” Isolde said as she stood from the table and moved out of the ballroom. She walked down the hall, her hands shaking as she pressed them to her corset. When she was sure no one was around she found the closest empty room and started to breath raggedly. She had forgotten all about the wedding night, it was something she wasn’t ready for… not with him.

She lowered herself to the ground, no longer able to stand as her hands came to her face, tears falling down her cheeks. All the tears she managed to hold in the whole time while the wedding was going on.

[Dante Tristan Wayland]

Timeless Forever

w/ Isolde Leinster

• He'd shoulder it all if he could. •

He could not sleep. It had been pointless to even try. Dismissing the others who were meant to take guard with him at the room, Tristan sat at the end of the hall and stared out the window for the rest of the night. It took everything within him to remain there when all he wanted was to open the queen's door and stay with her through the night, dismissing the handmaiden to some other room so they could be alone. So he could keep her in his arms and help her bear the weight of it all, but mostly the pain that was breaking her. Therefore, he didn't dare look away from that sky, the moon and stars were to be his company and keepers.   

Tristan had stayed away. Seeing her in the morning and knowing instantly that she hadn't gotten much rest made his chest ache. But he stayed away. The invisible thread that bound them seem to flare even more when he tried to ignore it until it became a constant he just learned to tolerate as they traveled the next few hours. Hours that felt like days. A small sense of relief came over him when the large estate finally came into view and not just because they arrived without incident. 

Her touch soothed that dull ache when he offered his hand for Isolde to step down from inside the carriage.  The small staff that stayed on the property throughout the year was already waiting for them as a rider had gone on ahead to prepare them as much as possible for their arrival which was really not much time at all. He could already see that Maeve, the head of the estate, was frazzled as she stepped forward. Tristan gave Isolde a tight smile as others were of course around and always watching. "No, my queen. They will take care of everything. Perhaps you can get some rest and then see the grounds after. There are some lovely gardens here." It felt worthless to say, but they were the words of comfort anyone else might convey and so, he chose them when so many were near.

He then realized he was still holding her hand and quickly released it, bowing to earn his dismissal and speak to the other knights. The absence of her touch was like ice frosting over his hand, but Tristan pushed it away and began delegating to the men who waited on their duties. Once they were dispersed, he dared a quick look toward the queen, but she had already been whisked away by Maeve and the new handmaiden along with her own through the large doors. 

____ 

A few hours had passed. Tristan had gone down into the kitchens to see that a meal was being prepared for the queen which he got a scolding for from Maeve who threatened him with a wooden spoon. The older woman had grumbled to him about being a nuisance, but he was apparently allowed to accompany her anyway as she brought the food upstairs to the third floor for Isolde and received another reprimand for attempting to help her carry anything. 

He'd removed his traveling leathers and put on a cloth tunic instead. One of the benefits of not being in the castle meant a more relaxed atmosphere in some regard. Tristan wondered how much Maeve would actually tolerate, however. He knocked softly on the doors to the queen's room. "Your majesty." He only hoped he wasn't waking her if she were finally getting some sleep.

[Isolde Leinster]

✧ Timeless Forever ✧

Tristan's touch had a remarkable way of briefly soothing her soul with just a gentle contact. As she glanced at the small group of people who were privy to her existence, likely briefed weekly by someone within the castle, she couldn't shake the feeling of their unfamiliarity. Yet, despite being strangers, she was expected to entrust them with her life. At Tristan's word, she offered a gentle nod of agreement, feeling the weight of weariness settle upon her eyelids as his touch brought her comfort. But as quickly as the warmth enveloped her, it dissipated when he withdrew his hand, leaving her feeling cold and empty once more.


She didn't glance back at him as she fell into line just behind Maeve, who exuded the authority of the head of the household. With each step deeper into the summer home, she felt as though she were being enclosed, trapped, and denied the freedom to leave. Claustrophobia began to grip her, the walls seemingly closing in on her, threatening to suffocate her. She couldn't recall the last time she felt this powerless. Each attempt to lend a helping hand to the ladies-in-waiting was met with insistence that she rest, leaving her eventually abandoned.


Finding herself seated at a small table in the center of the room, gazing out at the purple and pink hues of the sky, she sought solace in the silence, refusing to allow her mind to dwell on her troubles. She tried to immerse herself in the beauty of the world outside, feeling as though a part of her had detached, creating distance from the pain within the castle. But when a knock interrupted her reverie, her detached self snapped back to reality. The scent of food wafted in, but it was the connection to him that compelled her to respond. "Come in."


She watched as Maeve placed the food before her, staring at it for a moment before offering a sad smile. "Thank you." Though hunger gnawed at her stomach, she hesitated to eat, knowing she must maintain her strength in case of unforeseen circumstances. "May I have a moment alone with my nephew?" Isolde's voice faltered slightly at the term, causing a pang of sickness, but she hoped it would quell any rumors that might circulate. "I need to focus on planning my mother's funeral, and I prefer to do so with family only. I hope you understand."


She prayed her dismissal of Maeve wouldn't sour their relationship. Overwhelmed, she simply longed to be with the one person she knew she could trust with her life. Isolde remained silent even after Maeve's departure, her thoughts consumed by how things should have been her burden, not her mother's. Swallowing hard, she toyed with her food. "I know you can sense the burden that weighs upon me," she confessed softly, pushing the food around the plate. "I apologize if my presence has made your life more difficult."

[Dante Tristan Wayland]

Timeless Forever

w/ Isolde Leinster

• He'd do anything she asked and that sometimes scared him because of how right it felt. •

Tristan could see the darkness consuming her, but could anything else but despair be expected? Taken from her home, forced to marry a stranger, become a queen to a land she has no love for; It was nothing but cruel. Isolde's life was stolen from her and at every turn, it only seemed to be worsening. Enemies lay poised to strike from the shadows and now her mother dead. He felt so utterly useless.    

"Difficult," he repeated back with barely a whisper into the yawning space between them. It was breaking him to be so far from her. The magical tethering that was always between them felt so taut and fragile that he thought it might shatter. "My life began when I first saw you in Ireland, my queen." Tristan knew he shouldn't say the words, but he couldn't help the truth that wanted its freedom. The more they pulled away from one another, the worse the bind's tension seemed to be.

For now, all he wanted to do was make her feel a spark of hope. Anything that would get her through this never-ending cycle of hurt. He'd do anything she asked and that sometimes scared him because of how right it felt. Even if that meant going against his own family. His duty. Against the king. 

"Isolde," he spoke again, breaking through the quiet that fell between them after his confession. Using her given name was highly improper, but he didn't care. Tristan knew she wouldn't either and who was here to hear them now? To stop him from taking those few more steps to close the distance that remained between them. 

"Isolde, tell me what to do. What do you need?" His tone was edged with pleading as he took another step towards where she sat. One hand wrapped around the pommel of his sword while the other lay rigid against his side, aching for something to keep it busy so he wouldn't reach for her. "Please. Please tell me what I can do."

[Isolde Leinster]

Timeless Forever
w/Tristan

"It would have been kinder to have perished then."

Isolde’s life had spiraled into a perplexing tapestry, woven with the threads of a queen's duties, a wife's expectations, and a mother's hopes. She was born to roam the wilds, to embrace freedom and adventure. Yet, she never imagined that her existence would be turned upside down in such a tumultuous manner. The dreams she had once nurtured, painted with visions of joy and love, had been overshadowed by death and mysteries that eluded her grasp. The fateful day of the Mystic's binding had altered everything; she often wondered if it would have been kinder to have perished then. Perhaps Tristan would have found solace in the arms of the beautiful woman his parents had envisioned for him, moving on from the chaos that had enveloped them both. The king would have sought another bride, forged another alliance, and life would have continued its relentless march—after all, her marriage had been but a transaction, devoid of love.

Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, a reminder that love was a luxury she might never know. “You will learn to at least like him in time,” her mother would say, fingers combing through Isolde’s wild hair, trying to tame the untamed spirit that danced within her. How she longed for just one more moment with her mother—a hug, a gentle reprimand, anything to ease the ache in her heart. Closing her eyes, Isolde felt the invisible tether that connected her to Tristan, yearning to draw her nearer even as her feet felt rooted to the ground. The waves of grief and anger crashed over her, mingling with the haunting “what ifs” that clouded her thoughts.


When Tristan spoke, his voice a balm to her troubled soul, he revealed that his heart had fluttered at the sight of her, just as hers did at the sight of him. Even in her moments of unkindness, there was a charm he seemed to cherish. Yet, as she opened her mouth to express her reciprocated feelings, tears threatened to spill, rendering her voice silent. She despised the chaos she had wrought in his life, the way she had forced him to choose between duty and fleeting love.

When he uttered her name, a shiver coursed through Isolde, and her gaze fell to his lips, captivated by the way her name danced off his tongue. It was as if that single word held the power to unravel her. Finally, she stood, breaking free from the inertia that had held her captive. What did she truly need in this moment? The rational part of her urged her to send him away, to eliminate the common thread that had led to the turmoil enveloping them.

But grief clouded her judgment, and instead, she took a step closer, a newfound sense of determination guiding her. The tether between them tightened, an unspoken plea urging her to make a choice, while Tristan fought against it with every fiber of his being. As the space between them diminished, she felt the tether slacken, allowing her to breathe once more. She reached for his rigid hand, lifting it to her cheek, and in that moment, the tears flowed freely, unbidden.

“Tristan,” she whispered, searching his eyes with her own. “Please, just hold me. I feel as if I am about to shatter into countless pieces, and I’m unsure I could ever piece myself back together again.” The sob that threatened to escape was held at bay, just enough for her words to be heard. “Say my name again? I love how it sounds when you say it—it feels like the most beautiful name in the world.”