Veiled Rose // Harry Hook

Epilogue

This is the final chapter! Thank you all so much for sticking with this story! I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I have a few more stories in the works so hopefully I will get those out to you soon. 

But for now, enjoy this last chapter and I hope to see you at my next story!

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Azalea felt like her face would split open with how much she was smiling in this moment. The crowd applauded another piece that she and the orchestra sitting behind her had performed. 

It was a perfect moment.

The exact music hall from her dreams, the orchestra playing her songs, her friends and family sitting front row applauding her, and her own voice performing her words.

She locked eyes with Harry in the front row. He had a blinding smile on his face that she couldn't help but reciprocate. She truly couldn't comprehend how proud he was in that moment both of her and that he could call her his.

She lifted the mic to her face once again as the applause quieted. "Thank you so much. This has been the perfect night and I can't express how grateful I am for everyone here. I have one final song for you all tonight and it's what I consider my shining achievement. It was a song I thought would kill me because it kept giving me false hope for something I thought was never going to happen."

She looked to all of her friends and family. "But I guess I should've had a little more faith in the people around me." 

She looked over the audience with tears glittering in her eyes. "This song is for everyone who has ever felt like their voice wasn't being heard. Whether because of those around you or your own mind. I was forced into silence but my voice nearly died when I let myself believe in the lies my mind told me. That no one would want anything to do with me if I did show them who I really was. That it was better for me to stay silent."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "This is for all of those who think it's better to be silent. This is Speechless." 

The audience applauded as the piano began the song. Azalea brought all the emotions she'd held in because of her curse up to the surface, letting it spill out into the song,

Here comes a wave
Meant to wash me away
A tide that is taking me under
Swallowing sand
Left with nothing to say
My voice drowned out in the thunder

But I won't cry
And I won't start to crumble
Whenever they try
To shut me or cut me down

Azalea saw flashes of her life with the curse. She saw the pinprick of blood from the thorn, saw her family's terrified faces as they realized what happened. She could see the day she started wearing the mask when her hope for an end started to die out.

I won't be silenced
You can't keep me quiet
Won't tremble when you try it
All I know is I won't go speechless

'Cause I'll breathe
When they try to suffocate me
Don't you underestimate me
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless

She saw herself watching from the windows as her brother fell in love with Mal. Watching from the outside looking in as her friends lived their lives and she was stuck in the castle like a prisoner of her own creation, her music the only way she was able to speak and to live.

Written in stone
Every rule, every word
Centuries-old and unbending
"Stay in your place"
"Better seen and not heard"
Well, now that story is ending

'Cause I
I cannot start to crumble
So come on and try
Try to shut me and cut me down

She remembered the pride she felt seeing Mal step up at the cotillion and face her insecurities to be with Ben. Remembered how happy she was when Mal, Evie, and all the VKs embraced who they truly were and were seen as heroes.

I won't be silenced
You can't keep me quiet
Won't tremble when you try it
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless

Let the storm in
I cannot be broken
No, I won't live unspoken
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless

Azalea felt how helpless she was when Audrey was so close to destroying Auradon and she couldn't bring herself to come out of hiding to help. Being too scared to step outside and risk people seeing what she was.

Try to lock me in this cage
I won't just lay me down and die
I will take these broken wings
And watch me burn across the sky
Hear the echo saying I...

The lights seemed to shine brighter as she remembered meeting Harry. Feeling a spark of hope when she thought her hope had been long gone. Falling in love with him and being terrified that he would turn on her when he found how what she was.

Won't be silenced
Though you wanna see me tremble when you try it
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless

Feeling human for the first time in years. Thanks to Harry. All of this was thanks to him.

'Cause I'll breathe
When they try to suffocate me
Don't you underestimate me
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless

The room froze with the beat of silence before the piano sounded in the fading final melody of the song. Azalea could feel her heart nearly pounding out of her ribcage as she closed her eyes, letting the final notes wash over her.

The room exploded into applause. She snapped her eyes open to see the entire hall on their feet applauding her. Roses were thrown by those in the front row, especially from her friends, landing at her feet.

Azalea let a tear trickle down her face while she curtsied deeply, trying to convey her gratitude. A different flower landed in front of her. She smiled and picked it up as she stood up. The blueish purple color matching the ones in her hair.

An azalea.

She looked to the front row and saw Harry smile brightly at her. He sent her a wink and stopped applauding momentarily to sign those three little words she would never tire of hearing. She didn't hesitate to sign them back. I love you.

She guessed true love does work every single time. 

If you have hope.

The End