A beating heart

Chapter 28

note: I meant to upload this yesterday but life is super busy right now (the closer we get to Christmas, the more hectic it will get). I think I have a final count for how many chapters this story will span - 36 - so eight more to go (I know I keep making it longer but I do hope that this will be final).

So i hope you'll enjoy :)

28.

„Mary" she heard someone clear their throat.

Still her eyes determinately remained set on the pair across the room. What a cruel joke, surely there had to be another explanation. They were so close, too close. Was this revenge, his way of hurting her back? After all she probably deserved it.

She swallowed, all the moisture gone from her throat. It was pathetic, hiding in the shadows while she couldn't take her eyes of the scene unraveling before her. Their faces were so close, mere inches away from a kiss and against her better judgement, she strained her eyes even more in response.

„Mary" Kenna raised her voice, forcing her attention elsewhere,.

„Hmm" she still wouldn't quite turn all the way to face her lady.

„Mary, look at me." she tugged at Mary's leave until she finally turned.

„What?" she made sure to empathize her annoyance.

„You're doing yourself no favors." Kenna's patience audibly was running out „Just listen to me, will you?"

Reluctantly she followed Kenna a few steps to the side, as her lady pulled her close to one of the windows overlooking the unruly lake. Her chest was visibly heaving and she mangled her hands, seeking to keep her composure.

„You were staring, Mary." Kenna tried to reason with her.

„No, I wasn't." she defiantly crossed her arms before her chest.

Of course she had been staring and there most likely was no point in denying it to her best friend, but her pride was stronger than her head in that moment. As a Queen, and a married one by that, it was far beneath her and highly inappropriate but she yearned for nothing more than to turn back around.

„Oh please, you know it just as well as I. Mary, you're only making this harder for yourself." she felt Kenna's hand covering hers.

„He's doing this to punish me." she sounded pathetic even to her own ears.

„Maybe" her heart jumped at Kenna's reply as this was not what she had wanted to hear.

She couldn't stand it any longer, she freed her hand from her friend's grip and turned towards the hall once more. Just in time to hear the Lady Amélie let loose a resounding giggle at something undoubtedly amusing her fiancé must have said.

Her anger was brewing in her stomach and she could sense it slowly filling her head. She clenched her jaw, unconsciously biting her lip as she strained her ears to listen to their exchange.

„I love the way you blush every time I call you my fiancée." she could mentally picture Francis' smirk going along with his cheeky remark.

Even at a distance she could see the girl's cheeks turn bright red in response. In an attempt to hide her blushing face, she buried it in the crook of his arm. Every second her eyes stayed on them she could feel the renewed stabs to her heart. The resounding sweetness felt sickening to her. Every touch of his that didn't belong to her, every word and glance that was meant for another, they were all like small daggers in her heart. Whatever of it had been left standing after their fight last week was doomed to crumble to pieces now as well.