Following Tradition

Chapter 7

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I showered and walked to the library upstairs.. this past week has been okay I guess, Besides the weird looks and comments I get from my Father and especially from my Grandmother, I bit my lip and walked around looking at all the books containing my family history.

I pulled down a black book and walked to the nearest table, I thumped the book down and, opened it.

I flipped to the table of contents..

-The Blade Family..

-The Blade Family Tradition

-Marriage

-Choosing more than....

Wait...what..

I looked at the heading again and turned to page 360.

I read through it slowly..

In the event that the member cannot choose one of the four presented suitors-that family member will be dishonoring the family's, name and history and will be 'disowned'. In the event however that the member has a strong attraction with two or more of the four suitors these actions must be taken-

*The member must sit down with either the Patriarch or the Matriarch and discuss the next course of action.

*Once that course of action has been identified the member must sit down with all of his or her suitors and discuss the following along with the plan of action-

^The member can choose to marry all of the suitors.. or they can choose to marry one and make arrangements with the rest.

^The member can only take one of the suitors surnames, and must keep the Blade name as part of their surname.

^In the event that the suitors are not satisfied with the action plan and the rules of the Blade family, four more suitors will come forward and take the place of the disregarded suitors(This is the decision of the Matriarch or Patriarch)Starting the whole process all over again this process can only be done twice and not more than twice.

I closed the book and collapsed to the floor...holy shit..

This is crazy!

How is this okay?!

I looked down at my hands and rubbed them against my jeans.. I need to choose one...or two...or three.. or all four!

Or risk being disowned by my own family.

God...what the hell am I going to do?

Yes I have a strong attraction to all four of my...suitors?.. But that doesn't mean that I can marry them all.. I don't even think they would be okay with that! How would that even work anyway?

I shook my head and stood up, taking the book back to its place among the rest.

I saw the one next to it..it looked really old..it read suitors.

I pulled it down and took it to the desk ,I flipped threw it until I got to my Grandmother...

ESME BLADE(1952(BORN)-1976(MARRIED))

Suitors-

*David Blackwood

*Charles Rose

*Claudio Bentley 

*Wendy Hales

CHOSEN SUITOR-Claudio Bentley.

I looked at my Grandfathers name.. Claudio..I breathed deeply and shook my head.

He died when I was ten, he had Cancer that ate away at him slowly, it was horrible to watch.

I continued on.. past my aunts, uncles.. until I reached my Father.

VICTOR BLADE(1977(BORN)-1997(Married))

Suitors-

*Grace Holton

*Kate Lynn

*Willa Oakes

*Gray Fulton

CHOSEN SUITOR- Gray Fulton.

I stared at my Mothers name and sighed...Gray Fulton.. I never got to meet her, I was at home with my Grandmother, I must have been about three months old? My Mother and Father had gone out for supper and were on their way back.. but they got into an accident. My Mother and the driver died..my Father was in ICU for about two months...I pulled in a deep breath and bit my lip fighting back tears ..I turned the page looking for my name.

I found it, the most recent one.

CLAUDIA BLADE(1998(BORN)-

Suitors-

*Emma O'Neil

*Jenna Jacobs

*Lana Thorne

*Naomi Schmidt

CHOSEN SUITOR-

I closed the book and put it back on the shelf, I walked out the room and down to the first floor and into the kitchen.

I grabbed myself a smoothie and sighed biting my lip.

How am I going to do this?

I had a hard time processing all of this so I  went to my Grandmother she sat me down and nodded, "That is how the family tradition works honey"

I nodded and bit my lip.

"Is it true that I could choose all four of them...and marry all of them or I could marry one and continue to see the other three?"

She nodded and kissed my cheek softly.

"Yes you can but maybe the choice will get easier for you ,I know that you're having a hard time right now.. I know you have very strong feelings about all of them and that's okay ,I promise it is"

I nodded and breathed deeply, How am I supposed to do this? This just got about a million times harder than it should have been!!!

I walked to the back yard and ran to the forest and fell down breathing in tight and hot breaths.

I cant do this.. I cant...this isn't right...I cant hurt all four of them...or three of them.

That just isn't right, but I..I don't want to be disowned.

I just cant!

I bit my lip, holding back tears.

I walked back into the house and sat down by my Grandmother, my Father walked in and sat down by us.

"What happens if you guys don't like who I choose?"

They smiled, "Honey that's not up to us okay?"

"That's your decision and no one else okay?"

I nodded and walked to my bedroom sitting down on my bed and wishing I could just make up my mind.

How am I supposed to?

I mean I feel something for all of them..and that's okay I guess,I'm supposed too.

But I just can't shake the idea of hurting them.

I also couldn't...can't not choose any of them..I mean they all make me happy,and they all love me,want me.

I love them too...

I really really do.

I smiled and laid down,"You are so fucked up"I whispered to myself and shook my head.

Just imagine what my family is going to say to this...just awesome,not to mention my moms family.

My Grandmother walked in she smiled,"You okay angel?"

I nodded.

I sat up and looked at her,"Yup...just..thinking"

"Don't over think"

I looked down at my hands,she walked to me and sat down,"That's really hard to do gran"

"I know"

I laid down,she kissed my forehead and left.