The sparks in a dragon

Chapter 32: The rearrangement

Layla's P.O.V.

I laid sideways on my bed, miserable, and a tear rolled out of my eye. My arm was thrown across my stomach and I sniffed without stop.

"My poor baby... Do you think you can convince her that this arrangement is not bad? Try to get to know her..." My mom whispered from the other side of the door to who seemed to be Nabu; I covered myself completely with my cover. I heard my mom open the door from behind me. "Sweetie, there's someone here to see you..."

"Go away!" I exclaimed from under the covers.

"It's okay. I understand exactly what she's feeling... just give it time... it's the only remedy for a broken heart..." a deep, pained voice said from outside.

I paused and furrowed my eyebrows for a moment. Nabu was in love too, without a doubt. I heard it in the sound of his voice.

"I guess you're right... well, I apologize for the inconvenience. I'm sorry you came all the way over here for nothing... you'll have to wait until the ceremony to meet your betrothed. And then at the wedding," My mom apologized.

"It's okay. I guess..." he responded.

I waited a while for them to leave the corridor. I stopped crying afterwards; it felt somewhat relieving to know that Nabu and I share something in common... We shared a common pain.

The pain of a broken heart.

***

I sighed bitterly and gripped my cellphone with all my might. I was at a small dressing room that was located beside the ballroom; I had my dress on and I hated wearing it.

In any other circumstance, I would have loved it; it reminded me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The corset, though, barely allowed me to breathe and I found the ballroom skirt ridiculous... I felt like I was already getting married to him.


I kept battling on whether or not Tyson deserved to know about the reasons why I broke us up. I remembered his face when I told him the news. It was blank, expressionless, like the calm before the storm. He then seemed deflated and nodded; he said he understood. My heart throbbed and I took a big breath before giving him one last hug. The hug i'll never be able to receive and reciprocate ever again. I left shortly afterwards and the tears arrived instead.

I still had no idea why my parents were so bent on doing this. We weren't the royal family of this country. They're just influential people with a good business. This is a cruel and a way too old manner to close a deal. I put down my phone on the vanity and exited the room; I didn't want to risk anything by telling Tyson.

I looked both ways in the hallways and headed to the balcony on the right. I placed my hands on the white railing and took a deep breath.

If I can't fight it, then I must give into it.

I accepted defeat and exhaled the breath I was holding in. I started playing with my soft, artificially made curls. I heard footsteps behind me and braced myself without turning around. 

Just one last second of freedom....

"Umm... hi. I'm Nabu... The guy you're supposed to marry. Umm, I just wanted to see you before the ceremony, at least, to know how you are... I already know your name though so that's a start..." he chuckled bitterly as well. I turned around, but his chest was closer than I expected and I bumped into him.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed and lost balance, but his arm shot out to grab me by the waist before I plummeted to my death.

"Thank you, umm-"

My breath was knocked out and I couldn't muster up any courage to speak. The face that I thought I would never see again was staring down at me with the same amount of awe and utter surprise.

"Layla..." Tyson whispered.

"Tyson?" I whispered back. He nodded. My eyes welled up with tears and broke out into a huge grin before throwing my arms around him as tight as I could. I cried into his shoulder and he hugged me back with the same amount of force I had attacked him with.

I couldn't believe it.

My betrothed was Tyson. I wanted to make sure it was real but I was too busy in his hold to question him.

"It's you... It's you..." He muttered with happiness against my hair and I nodded frantically. He looked like he was about to cry as well and I tightened my hold on him.

It was like a wish upon a star had come true. Stella was right; everything turned out fine for me. I was being forced to live with someone for the rest of my life... but it was the person I wanted to be with. My parents chose Tyson's parents to arrange this marriage and I was feeling more and more optimistic about it. All that pain is now useless, all that suffering is no longer necessary, all that torment is finally ceased, and that plan of Stella's worked out better than I'd ever expect.

We finally let go of each other and Tyson held my face at his arm's length. I'm pretty sure I had mascara streaks running down my face and I looked at his suit to make sure that I hadn't stained anything. I tried to ignore the adorable fact that we matched. I sighed in relief as I saw that there were no visible mascara marks on his shoulder.

"You look beautiful..." he wiped my cheek lightly. "What are you doing here...? I thought I'd never see your face again..." he said.

"I thought the exact same thing Ty- I mean, Nabu?" I asked in confusion.

"Yeah, let's go inside and sit down so we can talk," Tyson, or Nabu, said before he took my wrist and led me down the hall into his dressing room. We both sat down and Tyson looked flabbergasted. "Wow... I don't know where to begin... I really can't believe you're her... Aisha."

"I know, I can't believe you're Nabu... But why didn't you mention your name before?"

"Well, my name is too odd to be normal and my mother didn't want to raise any suspicion. She wanted me to have a normal childhood and, according to everyone who isn't my family, my name is Tyson," he explained.

"Oh wow... that's the same reason my mother did it too. She said my name's originally in another language so she gave me this one to make it easy. Though I've been called Layla ever since I was little; my mother simply tells me to use my birth name in family occasions..." I looked at myself in the mirror. "Hey. I have an idea. I look like a depressed raccoon now so let's go out to the ballroom our separate ways like we're still miserable and cold. And when the look of guilt invades their faces, we tell them the news by doing something couple-y, like kissing," I suggested, but I couldn't help but blush when I suggested kissing. It was still such a new idea to me...

Nabu smiled in agreement. "That would be so funny to catch on camera, but the look on their faces will be enough. But let's not make it obvious that you've been crying, just stay with a hint  of it so that it shows you've been trying to hide it," he said as he went into the bathroom and took a tissue. He kneeled in front of me and took my chin in between his fingers. "Sorry I cried into your tux... I was just overpowered by emotion..." I chuckled sheepishly.

He wiped away the excess make up. "Don't worry, I was in the same position... I just didn't have any makeup. That would've been weird..."

I laughed at his comment and closed my eyes as he wiped the area around my eyes, careful not to wash the actual eyeshadow away. He threw the tissue into the trash can and I opened my eyes. "Well, let's go," he lifted his sleeve and checked his watch, "you should be picked up at your room in around five minutes so hurry," he said as he stood up and opened the door.

I exited and swiftly made my way back to my dressing room. I slipped off my slippers and put my heels on instead. I checked myself in the mirror and saw that Tyson had done a good job. I looked like I'd hurriedly been trying to erase my mascara streaks in the last minute. I heard a knock on my door and I positioned myself in the couch. I fixed my hair and put myself in a hunched position.

"Come in..." I said in a gloomy tone of voice.

"Miss Aisha? Your parents call for you..." a girl at the door said as she opened the door slightly.

I sighed and put on a cold face. "Fine. let us go," I said as I walked to the door. I straightened my back and walked cooly down the hallway. I was met with Nabu and his chaperone; I resisted laughter when I saw him with the same attitude with me. They opened the doors and I looped my arms with him. I giggled internally but did my best to let gloominess show.

My eyes connected with my parents' and whatever look they had vanished and transformed into one of guilt when their eyes landed on me. The makeup trick was successful. We paused when we reached our parents and kept silent. "Mother, Father," Nabu said cooly towards his parents and nodded. I did the same thing.

Our parents looked at each other and then at us. My mother started talking. "Welcome, children, this is just a ceremony in order to make this inter-familiar pact official and boost your status as soon to be wed," my mother said and gulped; the amount of guilt in her voice was reaching higher peaks.

"You are both going to be Aisha and Nabu of Andros, but, since you are still in high school, you can stay with your current names, unless you prefer to wear your proper birth names with pride. However, we decided..." Nabu's dad looked at mine; my dad nodded.

My father looked to the floor in regret. "You are free of the wedding... we just couldn't bear to see our children so miserable..." My mom stepped in. "It's not fair for you guys to be forced together. Your father and I were arranged, but we had time to fall in love first," she said as my father put an arm around my mother and pulled her close. I bit my lip to stop from gushing and laughing; the irony in this situation was too much.

"So, we'll find a way to do this another way... you can go back to your loves if you have time," Nabu's mother stepped in.

They all awaited for our answer but we stayed put; we untangled our arms and let them fall to our sids. Our parents were looking impatiently at us and I just couldn't keep up with the act anymore.

I laughed and turned to Nabu. He let himself go too and we both leaned in for a kiss. He instantly snaked his arms around my waist and pressed me against him. This felt good. We had barely kissed before and now it felt official. We were on the path of true love and thanks to our parents, our bond was tightened.

"What is this? What are you doing?" My mom asked in disbelief. I laughed and let go of Tyson.

"Mom, I wasn't the only one with an alternate name. This is Tyson," I signaled to Tyson and my parents' eyes widened. "So this is Layla... oh!" Nabu's dad then exclaimed. Our parents proceeded to hug each other; I giggled.

"This is so good! So the arrangement isn't off! Oh welcome to the family!"

Tyson interrupted his dad. "Wait, dad. Let me propose in my own time, I want this to be real," he said. I blushed deeply at his mention of proposing to me and his parents' face lit up. "Yes, of course! I'm proud of you son," his father said before clapping his son's hand and shaking it firmly.

My mom stepped forward and gave me a big hug. "Sweetie, you got your happy ever after, I'm so happy! Now, clean your face and straighten your posture, be a lady!" my mother scolded me and I groaned.

Tyson laughed at this and I grabbed his hand before walking out of the room with him.

"I have one special, sentimental moment with my mother and she ruins it with etiquette lessons..."