Chapter Twenty Five

It's been four days since Monica revealed the biggest secret Abe kept from Lily and I. Okay maybe not the biggest one. That's a bit of an exaggeration. That would've been erasing the Arysian entire race from us all these years ago.

But Allison not being from a royal family is important. Abe should've told us about that. I had so many questions to ask Monica but unfortunately for me, my time ran out and I had to leave.

I told Lily about what I found out and she had the same question as me.

Why is Abe forcing me to get married?

He had the chose to pick who he wanted to marry and I didn't. Why would he do that to me? Why did he want a pure bloodline when Lily and I aren't even pure?

I didn't have much time to consider all the possibilities because this week is supposedly a "huge important week" according to Danielle.

Ever since Monday, Danielle made me help her with the stupid love flyers for the upcoming dance on Friday. She thought it would be perfect for me since I'm engaged and all but love is the farthest thing on my mind right now.

"Okay, head down that hallway." Danielle points to my right. "And I'll go this way." She nods towards the opposite direction from me.

"I'm sure everyone knows about the dance, Danielle." I assure her.

"Even if they do, we already made the flyers. We're hanging them up."

I sigh. "Okay, fine." I take a few flyers from her and walks away.

It's strange because even though I've been cheated on and got my heart broken, I'm still a hopeless love sap. I love everything about Valentines. The flowers, the box of chocolate, the teddy bear and jewelry. Whatever is corny or cheesy for that day, I love it.

When I was with Jason, he done everything I had secretly wanted but it was the complete opposite of the things I liked. The wrong flowers, the wrong chocolates. Everything was wrong and it wasn't until later when I finally put it together.

Everything he had got me was everything my ex best friend, Kara, liked. I guess that should've been my first sign something was going on between them but I just thought he was a forgetful kind of boyfriend who tried his best to get things right. Like it's the thought that counts. That's what I told myself anyway.

As I'm hanging up a flyer, Hayes speaks and I turn my head to look at him.

"Are you going to that?" He asks, nodding to the flyer I'm putting up.

"I don't plan on it." I tell him, shaking my head. "Why?"

He shrugs. "No reason."

I arch an eyebrow at him. "Do you want me to go? If you do, I will."

I didn't peg Hayes as the type of guy to do to a Valentine's day dance but he throws a lot of surprises at me.

He shakes his head. "No. I don't want to be there if I don't have to."

I nod, moving away from the wall. "Well, you're in luck. I'm not going. I have a date with my lovely relaxing bathtub."

"Oh really?" He smirks. "Mind if I join?"

Imagining Hayes in a bubble bath is an interesting thought. It's both funny and sexy at the same time but I'm leaning more the latter. Especially if I had candles instead of my light. The way the candle lights would hit his skin making him sexier is a thought I can consider.

"I don't know, Cipriano." I tease. "I didn't plan on anyone joining me."

I didn't but I wouldn't mind if he did. He probably could get his hands on a few things I couldn't get myself even if I am royalty.

"I'll make it worth your time." He promises me. "You'll thank me for it later."

I hum. "We'll see about that."

"Is that a yes?" He asks.

"It's a strong maybe." I correct him as I continue to walk down the hall.

He walks beside me, walking at my slow pace. I'm not in a rush to finish because this gets me out my history class. I'm glad Danielle chose now to hang them up. It's on short notice but it's only because everyone's been busy with the play. They forgot all about the dance. But Danielle being who she is, constantly reminded everyone for the past two days about it and this her other way of getting the dance out.

"I'm sure I can change it to a definite yes."

"By bribing me or bugging me until I give in?" I ask, stopping to hang another flyer.

"Whichever one works in my favor." He says. "But I think I know how to change your mind."

"And what's that?"

He grins. "It'd ruin my chances if I told you."

"Sure, it would or you really don't have a clue on how to change my mind."

"Leave your balcony door unlocked and we'll see." He tells me.

Ever since I ordered Hayes not to sneak into my room at night, I keep my doors locked for obvious reasons. The night Hayes came back from Europe, I thought it was him would snuck into my room. Hayes scared the hell out of me. He thought it was a great way to surprise me. He definitely surprised me, alright. I went into a panic attack and Lily came banging on my door because she felt my emotions. Not the brightest idea Hayes has ever had.

But once I realized who it actually was, I felt better. I was just glad he was finally back and kept his word. He promised me he wouldn't stay for the whole week and he didn't. He was gone for four days. The longest four days I ever had and my sleeping schedule was all messed up. I hardly got any sleep. I was wide awake, thinking the absolute worse.

It isn't until we're walking back to the start when I notice what hallway I am on. I've been avoiding her ever since I almost confessed who I am in love with.

But there's no avoiding her now.

She stands outside her office room looking in my direction.

"Princess Millian." She says as I get near her door. "We need to talk."

I know exactly what she wants to talk about and I really don't want to talk about what I confessed to her last week.

"Maybe tomorrow." I reply with no interest of actually showing up and she knows that.

"No." She says, firmly. "We talk today, right now."

As I look at her, I know whatever I say to refuse our discussion will be useless. When I first met her, she told me I could simply walk into her office without an appointment but this is her way of scheduling one on one time.

I just have to listen to whatever she has to say and be done with it for the week.

"Fine. We'll talk." I walk into her office and sit on the seat I label as my very own.

I cross my arms over my chest, showing how I really don't want to be here an talk about what I don't want brought up.

Mallory sits across from crossing her legs as she looks directly at me. I wait for her to speak because I already know what she's going to say.

"I know you said you don't want me bring up what was spoken at our last meeting-"

"If you know that." I interrupt her. "Then why are you bringing it up?"

"Because it's affecting you more than you know."

I scoff. "It's my life. I think I know how much it's affecting me."

"Who is this person you are in love with?"

There's the golden question I knew she would ask.

"I can't tell you and even if I could, I wouldn't." I reply. "I know whatever I say in here, you report it back to my father. That's the reason he hired you, isn't it?" I ask. "He couldn't come to me, himself, because he didn't think I could open up to him fully." I shrug. "He's right. I can't."

She doesn't try to deny what I say and I continue.

"Does he know about what I say last week?"

She shakes her head. "No, he doesn't and I don't plan on telling him that information."

I lift an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"Because you don't deserve to be in a relationship you don't want to be in." She tells me. "It isn't right and I strongly disagree with King Abe. I believe you should be free to choose who you want to be with."

I didn't expect those words to come out her mouth. She surprised me and I don't think for a second it's an act to lure me into telling her who I'm in love with. I believe she means every word she said.

"Even if you do feel that way, I still can't tell you."

She nods. "I had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy." She says before changing the topic. "Have you thought much about forgiving him?"

Another topic I don't want to talk about but I'd rather speak about this than the pervious one. I might not be completely comfortable with the subject but I can say it's getting easier to move on. The nightmares are less and I have to believe that's a good sign I'm getting my life back.

Pretty soon, I might even think about his name and say it out loud without the fear and disgust running through my body. It's a big possibility but that's what I'm aiming for and I really hope I can get through without thinking about that night.

But forgiving him or her is something I'm not ready to do right now and I won't be any time soon. Maybe when I can say their names and can look them into their eyes without crying, maybe then, I can think about forgiving them.

"You know the answer to that." I say. "I still can't forgive them."

"Yes you can." She replies, nodding her head. "You just have to be open to the idea. You have no clue how much better you will feel once you say it."

"How long did it take you to forgive him?" I counter.

She goes quiet and I arch an eyebrow, waiting for her response.

"It took me longer than it should've." She admits. "But I now know that the sooner you forgive them, the freer you will become. It's like their grasp is gone and you can finally reclaim you life again. You can start living again."

"We're different people, Mallory." I say. "The healing time is not the same as others. And if I can't forgive them, it's my choice to live with."

She nods. "It is." She agrees. "But it's my job to help you be yourself again and that includes forgiving them. Whatever it takes, I'm going to change your mind."

"Why?" I ask. "Why do they deserve my forgiveness?"

She looks at me with sympathetic eyes. "It's not for them. It's for you. You forgive them do yourself and to take your life back. That night happened and you there's nothing you can do to change that but you have to power not to be the victim anymore. This can make you stronger than you already are or it will break you and weigh down. It's up to you to decide."

I immediately thought about the first week when all I saw was my own darkness I created. I felt like I was slowly sinking into my dark waters and I didn't care if it swallowed me whole. I wanted it to. That wasn't me being strong. I was weak and it broke me but he was there to fix me.

He's still fixing me and I owe him for it. I owe him for being my anchor and my light. Without him, I'd still be in my dark place. But with him, I'm finding the strength to pick myself up and move on the best I can.

I still have a lot of things to work on but I know I'll fix them in due time.

"I'm let going to let it drag me down." I tell her. "But I'm not going to rush it, either."

When the time is right, I will get my life back. That's my promise to myself. That's the least I can do for Hayes. Once I complete move on, he can stop worrying about me and we can go back to the simpler times. The only thing we had to worry about it's getting our secret but if everything goes as plan, we will be back to time I love and cherish with everything.

The time known as summer. The months we were happy and lived in the moment. The time we didn't have to worry about keeping our secret to ourselves. The time he showed me how to start living. Our time.

I leave a few minutes later and I begin to walk down the hallway. Hayes walk behind me, silently.

"Hey." Danielle's voice reaches me. "Where did you go? We still have four hallways to do complete."

I turn my body to face her. She walks towards me, holding more flyers.

"I had to talk to Mallory." I tell her. "I don't think those are really necessary. We have the banner, remember?"

Her eyes goes widen. "You're right! I forgot about that." She looks at the flyers. "Well, I guess I'll throw those away and start selling tickets." She looks up. "Do you wanna help?"

I shake my head. "I don't think I'm the right person to sell tickets to a love dance."

She shrugs. "Suit yourself." She starts walking away. "Have fun with Guardian Lynn." She calls over her shoulder.

That changes my mind immediately.

"Wait, Danielle." I say, jogging up to her. "I'll help."

She smiles. "I knew you would." She hands me a stack of tickets and a bag to put the money in. "I'll take the upperclassmen since I'm more persuaded than you are and you take the annoying lower ones."

I nod. "Okay. Got it."

I head down the freshmen hallway and knock on the first door I come across. A man in her lates fifties opens the door, lifting his eyebrow.

"Do you mind if I sell a few tickets?" I ask, holding up the tickets.

"Of course not, Princess Millian. Come in." He steps to the side and I walk in to the front of the class.

About thirty people glance my way and I clear my throat. It's just thirty people. I spoke to a larger audience.

"Hi. I'm selling tickets for the dance. Does anyone want to buy any?"

"Are you gonna be here?" One guy asks from the middle row, smiling.

How cute. He still has a boy face.

I smile. "Buy a ticket and you'll find out."

Half of the class brought a ticket and I move to the next class. It isn't as bad I thought it would be. I could be persuasive if I wanted to be even if Danielle thought otherwise.

By the time, I finish the freshmen hall, I sold nearly all the tickets. I only have a few more to sell and I'm betting the next class I go to, I can finish the stack.

But before I reach the next class, the bell rings and students comes rushing out for lunch. Hayes pulls me out the way as they quickly rush to the cafeteria.

I follow them once I'm sure I won't get stamped on and I enter the cafeteria. I get in the growing line and get my food. I'm the third one at our lunch table, with Danielle and Laura.

"Where's Lucas?" I ask.

He usually is the first one here.

"Probably waiting for Lily." Danielle says.

Five minutes later Lucas and Lily arrive and Lily glares at me.

"What?" I ask.

"You left me with Guardian Lynn." She tells me.

"So did Danielle!" I point at her.

"Hey!" Danielle says. "Don't put me in it. She isn't mad at me."

"How bad was it?" I ask.

"Really bad. I guess he and Ms. Devanney got into an argument." She replies before eating.

"Well, then I'm glad I wasn't there." Danielle says.

"If he went harder on you guys, then I can only imagine what practice is gonna be like for me." Lucas replies, shuddering a the thought.

"Hopefully by then, they will have made up." I say, positively.

"I doubt it." Laura says. "They both are stubborn. I'll say it'll take at least a few days before they get over it."

I can believe that. Ms. Devanney can be harsh at times, all the time, and Guardian Lynn is tough. But beneath all that, there has to be something there to bring them together other than their cold attitudes.

"Hey, Millie?" Laura says. "When can meet your fiancée?"

I cough on my food. "Meet him?" I repeat.

"Yeah. I was wondering the same thing." Danielle says. "If he's engaged to you, then he'll be around often. Will he come to the school?"

I hope not. I think.

"I'm not sure." I reply. "He's back in France for the meantime and I don't think he'll be back any time soon."

"Aw, that sucks." Danielle says. "I was really hoping to hear how sexy he's voice is. You probably never get tired of hearing him speak with his French accent."

"Lily has a English one." I point out, getting the spotlight off me.

"Yeah." Laura nods. "She does."

"I guess we kinda got used to hers." Danielle says.

"It's not as thick as it once was." Lily says. "I might have to visit England to get it back."

That gets them off me and onto Lily. She talks about England and the explains the difference between some words that have another meaning back where she lived.

Back when we were separated. When we didn't even know the other existed until five months ago. Back when thirteen years of secrets were kept hidden in the dark and now there's more secrets waiting to be revealed.