A wedding dress

ARIEL

MY EYES FLICKERED TO THE DOOR WHEN I HEARD A KNOCK. It pushed open and I stared at the person.

"Lila," I muttered underneath my breath as I closed my laptop and threw the towel on my neck on the table.

"The wedding card has been prepared," She said in a quiet voice and stretched her hand towards me.

Red and gold.

I hated it.

"Date?" I asked boringly without accepting the card from her hand. She quickly opened it to check.

"23rd."

"Of this month?" I raised my brow, my voice high. It wasn't what I intended but I couldn't even stop it.

"Yes."

"That's like four days."

"Yes."

"I'm getting married in four days."

"Yes."

"Say something other than just yes, Lila!"

"What do you want me to say, ma?" Lila looked at me with a pointed gaze and I knew it was over.

I've never felt this hysterical in my life. I wanted to scream but nothing came out as I fixed my hands into my hair and opened my mouth. I was screaming my lungs out but not a single noise was heard.

After satisfying myself, I breathed in heavily. "What else?"

"You are to pick your wedding gown today."

"Oh, wow. I get to pick a wedding dress myself," I placed a hand over my chest but I definitely wasn't wowed. I made it a point to choose the worst dress there can ever be. A point.

"You'll go first, Lila. I'll meet you."

"But the cars are ready."

"I know and I have a car."

"Your dad-"

"I don't need protection. I can protect myself. It's just to pick a wedding dress. How hard can it be?" I scoffed as I lightly pushed her out of my room. She was planning to say something else when I closed the door on her. I didn't want to listen to any conversation right now.

My phone vibrated and I rushed to pick it up. My hands stilled, all color draining from my body. For the first time since I was eight, I felt so scared....so so scared. I sniffed lightly, sending a gulp down my throat.

My iced hands started to type.... Thank-

I stopped and cancelled the message, dropping the phone and running a hand over my hair. Crazy me. Crazy crazy me.

It was clean death. Colt killed him the best he could, didn't he? There was no blood except for little that trickled down his forehead and I was pretty sure the pastor prayed his last prayer. I closed my eyes tightly, I didn't even want to think about the children now. Easy access to the orphanage. More adopting of more children to the training center. The things they did to train. I wasn't supposed to let it get to me. I was too thick skinned to feel all of this.

But I had passed through this. Being Saint's daughter meant I had to be the best. That was why even in a world where men were respected and being the vassals of honour, I was worth more in many ways. I was an woman with the heart of a man, or at least, that's what everyone thought about me.

It earned me the respect. Not the name of Saint did. It was because of my fearlessness and courage, because of my skills, because of my brains. Because I was Ariel and I was who I was.

And now the children had to go through this too and I hated myself for it.

"May his soul rest in perfect peace." I said silently, "Amen." My eyes were a little bit teary as I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

I let it drown me.

Gurgles.

Legs.

Kicking against the water. Hands flapping. It was urgent. Air was urgent, I need to breath. I needed to breath. Someone, please help! Help me! I screamed, multiple times over and over again. No one heard me. All I got in response was more gulps of salty water. I wasn't under the shower any more. I was in the sea.

"Help....."

Gulp.

I was going to die any moment from now. I needed to live. Ariel, you had to live. I needed to breath to live. I needed to get out of here to breath. I needed to swim to get out of here! It was all planned in my head, so why couldn't I move anymore? Why weren't my hands moving anymore? My eyes closed as I caught the last bout of salty water and just like that-

"Ahh..!!" My chest tightened as I took a huge gasp, my eyes opening to the bright lights of the bathroom. I was here, in my own bathroom, safe and under the shower. Relaxation filled my muscles, defeating all other surrounding fears. I was breathing and I wasn't in the sea or under it.

I took a huge shaky breath as I realized my clothed were all wet and I'd spent a long time under the shower already. I turned it off and ran a towel over my hair to release whatever water was soaked in.

I was safe. I made it a mental note to remind myself over and over again. I'm not longer eight. I'm no longer that little princess. I blew out air from my mouth as I tied my hair and walked out of the bathroom, ready to pick out something to wear.

I'd barely opened my wardrobe when my phone pinged with a message from Lila. I rolled my eyes as I read it.

_We have been waiting for thirty minutes._

I didn't reply, I would be there soon. I threw the phone on the bed.

Lila, don't rush me.

It's....just...a wedding...dress. Something I hated, but had to pick.

Few minutes later, my car stopped at the gate to the large boutiques for wedding stuffs only. Definitely didn't care what stuffs, really.

I had made to go in when a shadow rested beside me. That shadow was definitely asking for trouble.

"Who-" I turned.

Delano D'Caprico.