"Back away from her!" Someone yells loudly by my ear.
"-is the poor girl alright?"
"- I saw her collapse!"
"-Is this the famous Gisele?"
"She's alright, she just hasn't eaten." I hear Karmin say. She rubs my stomach and leaves her hand on my cheek. "I thought I told you all to back up? There's nothing to see here!"
My eyes are half open when I see Karmin crouched down beside me. There are a few other people watching me too but I have no clue who they are. I see girls whispering among each other and men shaking their heads in disapproval.
"Where's Louis, dammit?" Karmin whispers. "Did you bring her water?" She shouts at an approaching body.
"I've got it!" Louis yells, he hands Karmin a glass of water but also ends up spilling a little on my ankle. "Shit, I'm sorry! Is she awake?"
Karmin glares at him, patting down the droplets on my ankle. "Gisele, hun?" She asks very sweetly.
I open my eyes fully and nod, knowing she needs some sort of a response from me although I feel too weak to give her one.
She smiles, "Louis put her head on your lap... Don't just stand there, help her sit up!"
"Okay, okay I got it! Shit, I've never done anything like this before." Louis says as gently lifts my head and puts a bit of my upper body on his knees.
"You need to drink," Karmin says, putting a glass of water to my lips.
I nod my head, accepting the glass and gulping all the liquid down.
"Are you alright?" Louis asks quietly in my ear.
I nod my head, extending my arms and setting on them on the ground so I can get up and off him.
"I told you she's just hungry is all, Louis." Karmin glares, standing to her feet as well. I'm not hungry at all, but I appreciate Karmin saying that as an excuse rather than, I can't believe this is Harry's engagement party that I'm at.
I wipe the corner of my lips with my arm. "I'm okay. Has the party started yet?" I ask while my stomach tightens.
"It has," Louis says slowly.
"Louis, why don't you go in? I'll bring Gisele out in a bit." Karmin says, uncrossing her arms and grabbing my wrists, not caring for Louis' answer. She drags me into a room that has a sign beside the door reading, Conference Room A. Karmin closes the door behind us and tells me to sit on one of the leather office chairs.
"What the hell was that?" Karmin suddenly yells at me.
My head snaps up at her vicious attitude. I don't know, maybe it's because Harry's forced to marry some damn whore. "I don't know," I whisper.
Karmin starts to pace around the room, slowly. "You need to get your shit together Gisele... seriously."
"Yea? And how do you supposed I do that?" I shot back at her. "How can I possibly sit here and not get sick by seeing, her with him! Huh? If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears!" I'm so sick of this shit.
"Gisele, you don't understand. If he catches either of you interacting. You will both suffer."
I know.
"You need to act like we're at a friend's party or something. Pretend that's not Harry." Karmin says very sassily.
I shake my head, "I can't pretend, Karmin."
"You know damn well Covetous will have his way with you, if you even dare to leave Louis' side."
"I've left Louis' side."
Karmin huffs, placing a hand on her hip and one on her forehead. "I've warned you, I swear. I get that you feel like crap right now. I get it. But listen, you're going to go back in there and you're going to pick up a wine glass and either dance the night away, not paying attention to Harry or sitting down, not paying attention to Harry."
"How am I supposed to just forget everything I've done with him?" I ask with sadness. All the memories we've ever shared? I can't help but think about the first moment we shared together, where he asked me strip down to my undergarments then sent me to his room, to the last moment, where his body was covered with blood... I mean I could admit that most of our bonding wasn't the best at times, but it wasn't all so bad.
It doesn't even matter. I'm at this stage where I've just fully understood what I want and I want him.
Karmin lets out a sympathetic chuckle. "I think Harry would rather have you alive than dead. Just knowing the both of you are living should be enough to accept this. I think hell would rise within the districts with Harry if he found out Covetous actually killed your sorry ass. Harry's well aware of this information - He won't speak to you because he doesn't want to risk anything. So why don't you be a non selfish ex-princess and do the same?"
Oh. Non selfish? Have I been acting selfish? "I didn't think I was being selfish." I say, ignoring every other word she said after that.
"Oh, God." Karmin says. She's finally stopped pacing and found a seat across from mine and sits on it. "It's pretty damn selfish of you to want to talk to Harry right now. Don't you love him?" She questions, blinking rapidly.
"Yes." I say quickly with no hesitation.
"Doesn't he love you?" She asks me.
"Of course," I nod frantically.
"Then it's selfish of you for wanting to risk your life because he will be affected. Talking to him is suicide, Gisele. I'm telling you." Karmin says, slowly getting out of her seat and pushing the chair in. She heads out the door but turns back to tell me something.
"You know where to find me."
I gulp and nod all at once, getting out of my seat too and following close behind Karmin as we enter the ballroom. Karmin and I go our separate ways.
I chose to keep my head down, hoping that I could somehow be able to identify Louis' shoes. I lift my head just a little after five minutes of looking like a police dog sniffing the grounds and I'm in luck to spot Louis sitting in the back, to my right, with a empty chair beside him.
"I'm back." I tell him quietly as I gently get into my seat. I feel so fragile for some reason.
"So glad," Louis says, smiling. His mouth is stuffed with food and his fingers have crumbs and sauces all over them. He points to a plate in front me telling me only what I suppose is that, it's for me.
"Thank you." I grab a napkin and place it on my lap then reach for my utensils, digging in to the filet mignon.
After completing my meal and telling Louis how good of a buffet-food-picker he is, I hesitantly, slowly, regrettably move my head to view the dance floor.
There I see everyone dancing, having the time of their lives, including the DJ. But behind them all, there is a curtain, a light pink, sheer, curtain.
Traditionally, royals and wealthy district peoples have this custom where the prince and princess and/or wealthy district pupil sit on a gold, jeweled throne. In front of them falls a curtain, boxing them inside. The royals see the party, but they don't participate in it, not until it's all over with. They are the first to leave the party, dashing out, happily and in total love. I just wish it were Harry and I up there.
I move my head a little to the right as a waiter passes by, wanting to get a better view at Harry's shadow, reflecting off the curtain. He sits to my left.
I am able to see his loud and messy hair, his head is turned to the side, like he's talking or looking at Tama. His shoulders are wide like always and broad. Although, turned to the side he still seems to be sitting in a perfect posture. While compared to Tama...she looks nervous? Looks like she's biting her nails. As she bends her body more, I see the tip of her crown start to slightly fall. But all too soon, her body straightens out and I feel a sting of jealousy as I glance back at the shadow of her crown.
Then, I notice Harry turn his head and is seemingly in my direction.
Can he see me?
< HARRY'S POINT OF VIEW >
"Oh my god, these shoes are killing me!" Tama complains for the hundredth time this night.
I deserve to go to hell for actually showing up here with her.
"Then just take the damn things off." I say turning to her, giving her the most logical solution.
She bends down a bit, adjusting her shoes. "The heels are just so damn long... why do you have to be so tall?" She asks. When she finally takes off her heels, I notice her crown start to tilt off her head but I don't give a damn to tell her to lift it.
"Uff!" She sighs, relaxed that she's taken off her shoes. "Ha! My crown almost fall off," she laughs annoyingly, sitting straight to avoid the tiara that doesn't belong to her.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, "how much longer?"
"I don't know," Tama shrugs.
I sigh, "you're so fucking useless."
I turn my head forward, looking out the pink curtain since I literally can't give Tama my attention for more than three minutes.
I grip the handles of my seat and dig my nails into the gold. My eyes have somehow spotted Louis.
I furrow my brows and lean forward a bit when I believe I've laid my eyes upon a beautiful girl that's seated beside Louis, Gisele.
"You know, you're going to have to get over her," Tama interrupts my thoughts.
"Wouldn't be able too. Not that it concerns you." I fold my arms, shaking my head. Even though the curtain is separating me from being able to clearly see Gisele, I keep my eyes on her body. I'm unable to make out the color of her dress or the way her smile probably looks, but I can see that she's turned to the side, legs crossed and arms on the table. She's talking to someone.
"What is it about her anyway?" Tama interrupts again.
"I'm not going to answer that... how much longer?"
"I don't know! Stop asking me. God!" She throws her arms in the air.
"Tama, if only you weren't sitting beside me right now." I frown.
"Yeah and if only you weren't such a dick."
"I rather be a dick than a fucking wanna-be."
"Hey! That Gisele of yours is a fucking wanna-be. Don't turn this on me. She never belonged to you Harry and we both know it."
"Don't say that."
"When Louis so kindly picked me up from where you dropped me off, he told me a thing or two about King Covetous' plan for getting Gisele back and why... I know it all, Harry. I'm not as dumb as you think."
I beg to differ. "You don't know shit,"
"Sure. You're right, I don't. God, I just want this thing to be over!"
"Yeah? Well, me too!"
We both huff and cross our arms, positioning our bodies away from each other by crossing our legs and for me, I tilt to my right and for Tama, tilting to her left.
"Prince?" An unknown voice calls for me.
"What?" I shout, mad.
"Someone seems to have written you a note and asked that I deliver it to you."
I stare at the shadow of the old man as he stands just outside the curtain, "slip it through," I tell him, not really considering why anyone would write me a letter and want me to read it on the day of my 'engagement.'
"Happily, sir." The man says, pushing through his old and shaky fingers at the end of the curtain, waiting for me to grab it.
I get up and grab the note, returning back to my seat to open it.
"What does it say?" Tama asks, impatiently.
"Let me open the god damn thing first." I glare at her.
I tear the envelope from the side and onto my lap falls a small index card, that reads:
Meet me in Conference Room A