"What's worse,
Being wanted but not loved
Or loved but not wanted?"
-Dove Cameron
Dodger knew that Ollie was dead. He was there when the guards sliced through her, and he left her for dead. But, what happens when all clues point to her being ali...
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Olympia galloped down the path on Crookshanks. Brackish mushrooms and thistle settled in her skirt, staining the inside of her once-white pockets an even darker brown. Her horse stepped over already trampled flowers and cracked wood as Olympia guided him towards the back of her house.
Ashley and Erin stood on the steps at the back of the house, holding a small woven basket in each arm, scrapped stems and petals stuck in the knicks and corners of loose weaves.
Olympia hopped off Crookshanks and grabbed the basket from Erin as she removed the saddle and bit. The horse ran to the other side of the garden for a drink of water.
"How was it?" Ashley asked, helping to fill the baskets with weeds and plants.
"The Valerian is still growing. I'll have to go out next week to check again."
Erin tossed the bit on the table and settled the saddle onto the small wall. "He meant the hospital." Ashley pointed to Erin, indicating that she was correct.
"Well someone had their leg chopped off."
"Did he die?!"
Olympia rolled her eyes at Erin, "No."
"Boring." Erin walked away, grabbed the now full baskets, and carried them back to Ollie's room.
"Now, how did it actually go?"
Olympia sighed, "he's hiding something from me."
"He's not entitled to tell you everything, Ollie. Also based on the fact that you're hiding so much from him." Ashley turned and started to walk back into the Government house, holding the door open for Olympia to walk in.
"That's different!"
"How exactly is it different?"
"He could just as well ask me and I would answer, and he's the one who hasn't recognized me!"
"Yes well, you looked like a pubescent boy when he first met you."
Olympia smacked Ashley's arm.
"Fine, fine. Dirty wombat?"
"Ashley!" Olympia shrieked. "Be serious!"
"You're the one that insisted on changing your name when you volunteered at the hospital, hoping that he would recognize you by looks alone. Such a hopeless romantic."
Olympia rolled her eyes, "First of all, I panicked. Second of all I'm not the one here that's a romantic Mr. I'm-in-love-with-Belle-but-i'm-in-denial."
"You and Erin are delusional. I'm not in love with her, she is my friend."
Olympia snorted, "Yeah okay"
------
"Stop messing with the gown." Mother demanded of Belle as she pulled and tugged at the tight corset that was suffocating her.
Olympia walked outside dressed in a fine suit and coat tail, her mask neatly placed upon her face and her fiery hair in braids.
"Sorry I'm late." Olympia apologized, walking to stand next to Belle.
"You are on schedule," their mother replied. "Was it really necessary to come out so early, Fanny?"
Fanny smiled, "Well he has had ever so long of a journey, we must be here to greet him!"
The girl excitedly turned towards her two older sisters. "What do you think he will be wearing?"
"Clothes one hopes." Belle sarcastically replied while Olympia snorted in amusement.
Fanny went to stand in front of Belle and fixed her gown, "Can the two of you at least try to be excited? For me please?"
"Of course, Fan." Olympia replied, while Belle just gave her a strained smile.
"Better!" Fanny walked to stand back in the greeting line the family had constructed. "Now, I'm so thrilled I might just pop!"
A plain brown and golden-rimmed carriage pulled up noisily to the front of Government House as the horses snorted in fatigue. A footman dressed in a horribly colored tailcoat ran to the side of the carriage and opened the door.
A bubbly man wearing a black top hat, green petticoat, and a purple vest walked with a cane toward Fanny, the girl's father; after realizing that he started to bow toward the wrong girl, he cleared his throat. The man stepped to the side to stand before Belle in realization and bowed, though not before slightly shaking at the intimidating nature of Olympia.
The fool of a man pulled a crumpled paper out of his pocket.
Oh, dear lord. Olympia thought, please tell me he isn't going to read a poem.
The man started to read terrible written poetry. Olympia cringed. She could tell that Belle was very much done with her bumbling suitor.
"No, thank you," Belle said, politely smiling and lifting her skirts to leave.
Fanny quickly ran towards Belle to stop her and whispered in her ear, causing Belle to turn around. "Did you know, Mr.Smales, the human bowel is 15 feet long? If you stretch it out, it would be you, plus me, plus a bit of Fanny."
Olympia started to laugh, her voice becoming muffled by her mask as she snorted in amusement. Her mother smacked Olympia with her fan.
"So-sorry." Olympia brokenly replied between laughs.
Author's Note: I'm so sorry, guys! I've had so much work to do and haven't had the time to read or write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
