Boundless (Harry Styles)

Chapter 29

Song: Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne 

I just like the song :)

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Claire’s POV

“Anyone here?” I knock on the door, signaling that I was here.

“Hello?” My voice echoes in the dark as I hear more sobs, but no reply. I completely enter myself in the room, searching for the light switch as tension was bubbling up in me. I was scared, anything can happen here. Some say the palace is haunted, so yeah. I was plain terrified like any other person while inside a really old palace.

As I found the light switch, I switch it on, my eyes squinting as it was only getting used to it. As soon as I got used to the light, I laid my eyes on her. My grandma, crying. Her eyes were closed shut as tears didn’t stop dropping to the bed making a wet spot as she was seated near the bedside table. I stepped a few feet closer and noticed her fully, taking in the scene. She was hugging a picture frame, holding it with her dear life, like it had meant everything to her.

“Grandma,” I sit next to her on the bed, hugging her comfortably as she tries to lower her hiccupping due to the continuous sobbing.

“Oh, Clarisse, how is the ball?” She rapidly wipes her cheeks, colored rose with embarrassment for the reason that I saw her crying and scrunches her red nose from all the sneezes while she was crying. It was obvious she didn't want me to see her in this contdition. She wants me to the strong, strict side of her, but here she is, wrapped in my arms.

“No time for that grandma, where have you been? We were worried sick on where you were!” I hugged her tighter, like I haven’t seen her in forever, but the reality is only a day. “Oh, I’m fine Claire, you go down now. Have you picked anyone yet?” She asks, trying to put up a smile before me, but It was obvious that it didn’t reach her eyes. She tries to avoid the scene and talk about the ball. “Grandma, tell me, what’s wrong? I haven’t seen you like this in well, forever.” I say to her,  concern evident in my voice as she breathes a deep breath.

“I’m all good, I’ll be down in a tad bit. Enjoy the party darling.” She smiles a broken smile and it just irritates me that she’s not telling me anything. I'm her granddaughter, she can tell me anything, I guess i can understand her. I know i've been cross with her for some time, but she's still family and I love her. 

“Come on, grandma, you can trust me now. I’ve grown.” I convince her with the whole ‘I’m gown up and you can trust me now’ thing. I hope she opens up to me somehow, I want to know what happened to her to make her be this way. She’s strong, but seeing her like this makes me want to cry like her. She has her vulnerable side. I didn't even know she had that in her. Her face crinkles up in thought as to tell me what she’s been hiding or not. She inhales deeply and breathes down; closing her eyes to peace her mind. She hands me the picture she’s been holding so tight. I held it in my hands as I looked down at the beautifully framed photograph. It was a picture of her and...

The king, her husband, my grandfather. I haven’t even heard of him. I didn’t know who he was until I realized the face. He looked a lot like dad.

“It’s grandpa,” I state the obvious, yet it sounded more like a question to me. She nods in agreement and gathers composure to speak.

“It is, he- well, I was in the same situation as you years back.” She said and I lift my eyebrow in confusion.

What did she mean by ‘I was in the same situation as you’?

“I was also in that arranged marriage thing. The thing is, I didn’t want to marry your grandfather back then, I didn’t love him like how they had expected me to. They never got me to choose whom I want, which was David. I loved David, but they never wanted me to marry him, because he wasn’t a royal, and because they thought he was a bad influence to me, but the truth was he wasn’t.” Her tears start to flow down her face again, but she had managed to wipe them off before they even reach her chin.