tornado // h.s.

tornado; sixteen

C H A P T E R    S I X T E E N

“the purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” » eleanor roosevelt

I GRABBED a napkin from the table and wiped my lip. "What a lovely evening. I'll have the guards escort you to your guest rooms," Emmanuel suggested to the old couple. After the couple left, I sat silently, alone with Emmanuel.

"Who were they?" 

"My aunt and her future husband." he answered.

"Why'd you lie to them?" 

"Because you can never trust anyone. Seeing someone is a sign of maturity and loyalty. I want them to feel extra-uncomfortable. " he simply put.

"They seem like nice people though, and what does me being a duchess and seeing me have to do with any of that?" 

"It indicates my position will be unhampered. You don't understand any of this royalty shenanigans, anyways. Let it be." 

"Oh, on the other note, I was wondering if you could keep us anonymous or give us fake names or something?" 

"Why? Ocean is a lovely name,"

"We're just not ready for the public eye," I softly spoke. 

"Is this about you or Harry?"

"That's nothing.. so yes or no?" 

"No," 

"Oh, okay, well, I gotta go now. Bye," I excused myself and stood up from my seat.He raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but did not stop me. I made my way to head to Harry's room, to tell him that I knew it wasn't possible, that it'd never happen. That I told him so. 

I knocked on the door, greeted by a dull silence. I knocked some more, before walking in. 

The bedroom was empty, and the bathroom door was closed and I assumed Harry was there, probably urinating or something. I looked at his old pants thrown on the floor and an instinct inside me just had to make me neaten up.

I plucked up the pants and started folding them when a slip of paper fell out of the pockets. I picked up the paper to place it back into the pockets immediately when the bathroom door opened, revealing a shirtless Harry. "What are you doing?" he snapped and yanked the paper out of my grasp. 

"I was just putting it back," I stammered. 

"Get out." 

"No, I have something to tell you," 

"I don't wish to know." 

It was as if I had been buried between two mountains forging against each other taking my ability to breathe properly and all I could think of is not to cry not to cry not to cry. I heard a saying when I was a child; sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me! Correction. These words will wrap themselves around my neck like a noose and squeeze every drop of life every drop of existence left inside of me because words like these hurt more than words define. 

"Emmanuel isn't going to keep us anonymous," I spat and walked out. 

 "What do you mean?" he stopped me by putting a hand on my shoulder. 

"He refused. I failed my mission." 

"What else happened tonight?" he demanded.

So I told him. I told him everything, from when I was claimed as his duchess to the wedding invitation and the denied request. 

"Well, we have a wedding to crash," Harry smirked.

"What? No, god no, this is a wedding, Harry," 

"Well, a little party doesn't hurt." 

"I'm not well.. With situations like this, and you know that more than anyone still alive," 

"Stop pitying yourself and move forward. It's the only way to survive, after all," 

"So you're telling me you're over Beth?" 

He cringed at the sound of her name, "No, of course not, I just mean that having a bit of fun is fine, you know." 

"You can have fun, alone," I grunted and left for my room. 

------------------------------

The next few days turned over too rapidly for my liking.

I had been ignoring Harry since that day to avoid any agreement to his plan. Of course he had to try and annoy the living crap out of me and I've been trying to manage all along, but damn that guy can be so annoying. 

"Are you excited for the wedding this afternoon?" Emmanuel asked as he began eating his pancake. 

"Oh no, I'm not coming," 

"Why not? You must." Emmanuel implied. 

"Uh.. Um okay, if it's what you want then I guess I'll come. But I don't even have clothes or anything and I don't know the people." 

"Well, you know me don't you? And we have plenty of dresses Ocean. It's not a big deal," 

"Well then it's... settled?" I smiled.

"Wonderful. Thank you so much," he chirped with excitement.  The maids rushed me to my room as there was no time to waste-- the wedding was going to start in a few hours, after all. I slid into the bath in my bathing suit as I'm not quite comfortable with woman seeing me naked, and stiffened as they exfoliated my entire body with scrub. I was pulled out of the bath and immediately moisturized, from head to toe with a vanilla and raspberry scented lotion. What seemed like a thousand women were helping me. I was getting a manicure while getting my eyebrows plucked; which was no doubtfully painful yet relaxing all at once. I gasped when they brought the wax to apply on my leg.

I wanted to scream.

And apparently, I did because more women came in and more women began waxing me which meant too much pain at one time. 

I slipped on the gown and looked at the hair and makeup they gave me. I felt like a princess-- or wait, I felt like a pampered rich girl living a luxurious life. No, I thought. 

I felt confident.

a/n

you'll love next chapter i promise i just have a big exam tomorrow and it's 10:40 pm and i rly need to go sleep so i can wake up at 4 am and review aka study last minute k bye lol

and tysm for ur comments and votes and everything i love seeing them in my notifications its so fun i feel like ppl actually know i exist which is cool aye

MAKE SOME COOL QUOTES SO I CAN START THE CHAPTERS WITH PERSONAL QUOTES BY U LIKE THAT WOULD BE SO COOL RIGHT YES JANA U ARE RIGHT

ok ill stop embarrassing myself sorry bye

next update: thursday