Selected || H.S

N i n e

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"So tell me Harry, what have you prepared for the evening?" I ask as we walk in the hallways. The castle is immense and I still easily get lost in here, only remembering the paths leading to my suit, the Blazed room and the dinning one. It's silent, all the girls are either still eating or gone to their own room, making the only sounds the clicks of my terribly high heels and the scratch of his boots on the marble tiles.

"It's a surprise, I sure hope you'll enjoy it. But I have a high guess that you will" He smiles down at me, squeezing his arm around mine a little bit. 

"Where are we now?" I look around, seeing some familiar paintings on the wall. All of them represent the past leaders of our kingdom or just show couples sitting on benches or a group of people playing cards and drinking. It looks as if all those painted eyes are watching us walk down the hallway and I suddenly feel uneasy under their gaze.

"We're near the gardens, I think you remember your small jog last night" That's why those paintings seem familiar, I've ran past them before. I was just in too much panic to notice their creepy gaze.

"We're going there? How lovely!" The gardens are breathtakingly beautiful and going back there again fills me with excitement. At night, the view from my balcony is absolutely wonderful with all the colorful lights and rays of the moon, giving it almost a magic atmosphere.

We finally reach the open doors leading outside. The same guards from last night are still there, standing as straight as sticks and chin held high. Being a guard in the castle is one of the highest position you could get as a soldier. Only the strongest, wisest and most eligible boys can be chosen as one, and I remember Zayn saying he wanted to be a royal guard one day. 

The thought of him pangs my heart and I remember why I came here last night on the first place. I was heartbroken, and still is, but I don't want everyone to know. Only Harry does and that is already enough, he's the only one that could be affected with the fact that I used to have a boyfriend before this competition, and I don't want the public to think I'm supposedly cheating on him or something.

I don't realize I have tears in my eyes until I feel Harry's finger under my chin, tilting it up to meet his concerned look as we walk on a small path made out of white rocks. 

"Madison, are you alright? What's wrong?" He cups my cheeks, searching my eyes for some kind of explanation, but I don't even know myself what's wrong with me. I want to be strong, I want to get my independence and the carefree life I had before him. Before I was so foolishly betrayed in front of everyone. I need answers, I don't think I will ever be able to go back to my normal state if I don't have those damn answers. 

"I-I was just..." I have to be honest with him, I can't keep this for myself or I will explode. "I was thinking...About him" I say the words before swallowing with difficulty. I can see him tense at the mention of Zayn and feel his muscles contract around my arm.

"Why?"

"With everything happening so suddenly in my life, I never get the time to really think. But when I do, these...These feelings come crushing down at me, they hurt, I feel like someone has ripped my heart off, torn it in pieces, spat on it and stomped on it with their foot. I know I should forget about him, he's not worth it, I know all of that, but it just can't go away." I take a deep breath after talking, cursing myself for crying and ruining Zoe's hard work. The annoyance in Harry's eyes has disappeared, now replaced by honest care and concern.

"I'm truly sorry you have to go through all of that Madison,and-"

"Please!" I cut him off, raising a hand to stop him. "Please don't call me that way, Mady will be alright" I can no longer stand him  calling me like that, it brings way too many memories, all of them painful to remember.