Arranged To Him #Wattys2017

Twenty Two

Just in case it's hard to distinguish, everything that will be in Italics is a flashback.

Let's see if you remember the flashback. 😎

Harry's POV

What the hell was that? She was fine before and then all of a sudden she just started getting super emotional and then ran off. Damn.

I was going to tell her.

Right there in that closet while I got to have her to myself before the days tasks whisked us away from each other, I was going to come clean about how I truly felt. About how I loved her.

But she ran.

Huffing, I walked out of the closet with confusion written all over my face. I was hurt, and a bit disappointed. It had only been a couple of days since we got engaged and I thought that with my vows, I'd just tell her I loved her then but I chickened out. I spent every single day up until then working up the courage to go tell her this but obviously, that was no use.

I sighed and began walking down the hallway to Cimone's room. I don't care if Ellie was upset at the moment; Cimone was sick and as a friend, I felt that it was necessary that I go see her. So I will.

I reached her door and knocked lightly. Footsteps could be heard as they neared the door and the door opened to reveal Eliana instead. My lips parted as I looked at her confused face.

"I swear I didn't follow you," I began. She stayed silent for a while and slowly her frown began to transform into a small smile.

"It's okay," she whispered, "I was just leaving."

I opened my mouth to tell her to stay with me. That we'd leave together and talk about what happened earlier but before I could, she had already placed a chaste kiss on my cheek (which almost made my knees buckle) and left.

I gazed after her and almost didn't hear Cimone tell me to come in.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, closing the door behind me. She smiled weakly and shrugged. I nodded and began to make my way farther into the room when I noticed something that disturbed me deeply.

A white napkin sat on the bedside table with splatters of blood all over it. My hands began to sweat and I looked to Cimone who was deliberately trying to avoid my gaze.

"Cimone," I began, "what is that...."

"Don't panic," she whispered, "but I...coughed up blood."

"Oh.....what?!" I shouted.

"You're panicking."

"Of bloody course I'm panicking! You coughed up blood. What, did you expect me to just laugh it off and say, 'oh you coughed up blood, what an exciting day! Let's go feed the ducks hmm?" I ranted. She sighed and looked at me.

"Harry," she said, "shut up. You shouldn't worry about me."

"Well I am," I replied, crossing my arms and pouting. 

"And I'm touched," she smiled, "but what I really need you to do, is to find out what we can do to get this treated."

"I've conversed with all of the doctors in the kingdom; nobody knows what's going on!" I groaned. I sat down on the bed and sighed.

"Harry," Cimone murmured. I hummed in response and glanced at her.

"I heard your father talking to one of the soldiers," she whispered. My eyebrows furrowed.

"And?"

She stayed silent for a while as if she was contemplating what to say next. I didn't want to push her into telling me but at the same time I did. I wasn't good with suspense. She fiddled with her thumbs and bit her lip and looked up at me with doubtful eyes. I tilted my head.