The Romantic Turnabout [EdgeworthxOC]

26. The Turnabout Confession

It's been about three days. I decided it'd be best to stay over at Miles place, for the time being.

After Maya left the next morning, Nick fell back into a depressed state.

He told Miles and I something chilling—about that card he received from Maya.

Recalling to mind:

"...an invitation to a marriage?" I repeated.

"...it's her marriage." Nick corrected. "She has an arranged marriage."

"Arranged?!" I gasped, in horror. "That's horrible!"

"I know..."

"That's something new." Miles added. "I've never thought that Maya would be given in marriage."

"Apparently, Maya is marrying this man, to protect not only the shrine, but to also protect Pearly."

"Pearly?" I repeated, confused.

"Pearly is Maya's younger cousin." Nick explained.

"And she's a very strong medium." Miles added.

"Oh, so that's who she was speaking about, last night."

"Yeah..." Nick mumbled. "And apparently, the marriage was originally for Pearly...but the girl is too young. How can she handle a man, at her age?!"

"...that man is sick for even considering taking a child into wedlock." Miles grimaced.

Holding my forehead, it was hard to take in all this information. "So, Maya is taking the bait, for Pearly."

"Maya doesn't want to get married to this guy, but she has no choice. If she doesn't marry him, then that means, Pearly would have to get into the arranged marriage. But Pearly—being in a relationship like that—she will be dominated by him, especially because of their age gap."

"How, repulsive." Miles hissed.

"And not only that, he would become the new head of the Fey's, because for one, Maya's mother disappeared, and two, her father is deceased. The same could be said of her mother, because she was never found, since her disappearance. With no literal head of the clan, this man—whoever the hell he is—will become the new chief."

"That already sounds like a conflict ready to stir." Miles grimaces.

Although I really wanted Maya and Nick to be together, I was still kind of unsure of how bad the marriage would be for Maya. "But...what's wrong with her just having the status of 'marriage' with the guy?"

"Don't you get it, Rachael?" Nick stands up, staring sternly at me. "If Maya gets, married to that guy, she won't be able to come back to us."

Miles and I's eyes lit with astonishment.

"She won't be able to...come back...?"

"No." Nick replies. "Didn't you overhear last night's argument? She told me how she hardly has the chance to do things for herself, let alone—come here to enjoy herself. She's worked for long hours, each day, with hardly any sleep to consider. Whoever this man is, he will have Maya under his grasp, which means that if she's married to him, and he's the new head, she will need to stay there, for his sake. After all, where the king is, the queen must be there, as his...compliment." Nick finishes off, saddened.