Get me married episode 21 – 23

👰GET ME MARRIED🤵
💃S͙h͙e͙’s͙ a͙ s͙h͙r͙e͙w͙..
A͙n͙d͙ h͙e͙ s͙t͙o͙l͙e͙ m͙y͙ h͙e͙a͙r͙t͙🕺
✍️Author Viola’s Novels✍️
🍭e̲̅p̲̅i̲̅s̲̅o̲̅d̲̅e̲̅ 21: Her Past
 
 
⏮⏮ 5 YEARS AGO ⏮⏮
I’ve always been excited about my betrothed Prince. When my mom first told me I was given out to the Prince of Luxembourg in marriage, I was just 12 but I was excited.
I wanted to see him and fall in love with my Prince charming. Mom bought so much stories but Princess and their princes and they excited me the more.
Until I turned 18, I always dreamt of my Prince Charming.
“Princess Miranda?!” Taylor called walking into my large princess chamber
I looked up with a wi-de grin from the painting I was doing.
“Hi Tay!”
“don’t call me that” Taylor faked a frown “it makes me feel you’re calling me tail”
I laughed and got up from the floor as Taylor approached my work.
“Nice painting” she complimented
“Thank you” I curtsey “that’s a painting of my Prince charming”
“if that’s your Prince, then trust me.. He’s not charming”
I frowned “the painting isn’t that bad.. That’s a little of what I imagine my Prince to look like”
“Then he’s not charming Princess”
My frown ti-ght£ñed even more and I moved to my be-d. Taylor just succeeded in ma-king me hate my painting.
“Dad was here earlier”
“Yea.. I heard the gossips that you’ll be having a new teacher”
“That’s awful right? I hate learning in here. I just want to go to a regular high school like you and every other teenager and graduate to College”
“You’re better off here, trust me.. There’s no one to throw ba-lls at your face and bully you”
I giggled “that’s the best p@rt of high school” I was a world wi-de bully 😏
Taylor rolled her eyes and sat on an armchair “trust me Princess, it’s not fun”
“It’s definitely more fun than sitting here and learning every language in the world like it will help you communicate with animals”
“at least you’re a pro in language”
“I wonder what my new teacher would look like, surely she wouldn’t be some googoo fancy p@n-ts heels cause I’m gonna bully her to death”
Yes, I was a rude kid and I always succeeded in scaring my teachers away.
“Except this time you won’t be able to bully Princess” my dad’s voice killed my joy as he walked in
“Dad?!”
And mom walked in too “where is your mask?” she asked
“I can’t breath in it mom” I drawled
“wear it now.. You have a visitor” mom stated
“tell me it’s not the new teacher” I drawled and dropped on my be-d
“Miranda?!” Mom moved to my side
“I’m the only scholar who doesn’t go on holidays”
“that’s because you’re far from perfect Miranda” dad said sternly “you still have a lot to learn, you can’t even speak French”
“dad I speak 18 foreign languages.. What’s more perfect than that?”
“Get your mask now”
“obey your father Miranda” Mom said and I sh0t her a glare. No one ever obeyed me.
I sighed resignedly and Taylor handed me my favorite feathered mask. I snatched it from her and reluctantly put it on.
“there’s a new change…” Dad was saying and my f!ngerswere pla-ying with the feathers on my mask “Your mom and I found out you’re been too rude with your female tutors and….”
“There won’t be anymore tutors?” I cut in
“let your father finish” mom rebuked
“You’ll never st©p learning Miranda and this time you’re getting a male teacher”
“a male what?” I was shocked. That was the greatest mistake my father ever made.
“You won’t get the chance to bully him like you bully your female teachers.. He won’t give you a chance” dad was certain
“It’s not going to work” I yelled and took off my mask
“put that on now” Dad warned
“obey your father Miranda”
I scowled at my mom “do you ever say anything aside that?”
“Do what he says”
I scoffed and put on the damned mask.
“I’ll wait for you in your outer chamber where you’ll be meeting your teacher” he concluded and walked out
I faced my mom “mom?!”
“your father knows what’s best for you”
“a male teacher? Taylor said male teachers are mean”
Mom turned to Taylor “what have you been telling Miranda?”
I pu-ll-ed my mom by the arm “Mom I don’t want a male teacher, he’ll be like dad”
“Miranda there’s no time for arguments, let’s go” she pu-ll-ed me up to my feet and dragged me to the outer chamber.
Dad was sitting on the sofa and discussing with a stranger I guessed was my new teacher. They noticed our pres£nce and looked up to see mom dragging me beside her and Taylor behind us.
I eased into my favourite swivel chair and the new teacher got up to greet me.
“Bonne Journée” he greeted casually and I admired that accent. My dad was crazy about the language even though he didn’t un-derstand a thing in French and I was sure I was going to be like him. I’d svçkin the language.
“He’s your new teacher, Erad Stockton.. I hope you respect him” dad was serious when he said that
“I’ll try” I was checking out my teacher. Bad me!
He was older, really older, almost ten years my s£nior. But he looked younger and handsome in the navy blue tuxedo and clean white shi-t he wore to match his pair of white shoes.
“You’re learning only two courses this time” that was the first good news my dad said that day “French and Painting”
Okay! French is bad news
“my paintings are terrible” I sighed
“we could work on them” his voice was calm unlike the rustic old voice I was expecting.
“you can never work on my French”
“we can give it a try”
Dad was plea-sed with the way he replied my questions. In a way, he thought Erad was the perfect medicine for my stubbornness and he really was.
Dad and Erad left my chamber to talk outside while mom remained with me.
“you’ll love learning French” she told me
“I’ll only try”
With my new cute teacher, I was sure I would be a pro in French.
My first clas-s with Mr Stockton wasn’t bad at all except I didn’t un-derstand a single he said cause he wouldn’t speak English.
When we were done learning, he packed his books and left without saying a word to me. He sure knew how to keep things formal.
One week past and we still couldn’t communicate. He wouldn’t say a word in English and I was gradually un-derstanding few words though.
Two weeks and still nothing informal. I was tem-pted to take off my veil so he would see the beautiful face behind the veil.
But I didn’t dare do it. It was crazy enough crushing on my teacher who looked ten years my s£nior.
“… Keep up with that and you’re not learning a thing” he finally said to me one day. I felt like I had won a lottery when he spoke to me casually and in English.
“I’m trying” I grinned
“You can’t even greet with French”
“Bonjour” I pouted though he couldn’t see myl-ips throu-gh the veil
Erad laughed “that’s the only thing you’ve learnt so far.. You’re far from perfect”
“that’s not fair Mr Stockton”
“Erad” he corrected “just call me Erad”
“Erad” that sounded weird calling my teacher by his first name “I speak eighteen foreign languages”
“That’s not an achievement” he laughed at my pride “I speak 32”
I g@sped “that’s a lot”
“thank you”
“but you’re older”
“just five years your s£nior.. You think you can achieve that in the next five years?”
“you’re 23?”
“surprised?”
“yea…” I couldn’t help but admit “you look….”
“older” he completed with a chuckle
“yes”
“and you thought I was almost ten years your s£nior” like he re-ad throu-gh me
“exactly” I was perplexed “you’re so young with so much achievements” I admired him a great deal “mom said you’ve won Asia’s Calculation for straight 13 years”
“since I was ten”
“you’re wonderful” I blurted out
He smiled “I had to make my mom proud. My dad was a linguistic and when he died, she thought she wouldn’t find someone like him again. I had to show her he still lived in me”
“You must be greater than…”
“can we keep things formal here?” he cut in “I’m your teacher and you’re my student.. Remember?”
I would never remember that but I nodded anyway.
When the clas-s ended, he left without saying goodbye but I was sure I wouldn’t forget the way his voice sounded in English.
I was certain my studies just got interesting.
 
🍭e̲̅p̲̅i̲̅s̲̅o̲̅d̲̅e̲̅ 22 & 23: Her Past🍭
.
.
.
Weeks past and learning got easier. With Erad as my teacher, I never had any excuse to skip clas-s. Dad was plea-sed, he thought I was turning a better person by taking my studies serious.. Yea I was, but not really.
I was taking my teacher more serious than my studies.
I never really concentrated but I did learn a few words. I could make just simple s£ntences but I un-derstood nothing.
Erad was ma-king things ha-rd for me by speaking only French and ma-king me crush more with his accent.
“Princesse” he bellowed when I wasn’t paying attention to the lesson. He knew I never concentrated. Never looked at the books, just stared at him but he ignored me big time.
“Monsieur?!” that was one of the few words I managed to learn.
He frowned and pointed at the books on the table.
“Come on Erad, quit showing off your boring personality, it isn’t fun at all”
He looked at me and I expecting a big frown but instead he just smiled “how?”
“Let’s talk about you.. I want to know more about you.. I want us to get to know each other better”
He arched a brow and I knew what he meant– I was crossing the line.
“Just a teacher and student kind of thing” I explained with a shrug
“Speak French”
“Dis m’en plus sur toi (tell me more about yourself)” I said, not really sure if I was correct
Erad chuckled and shrugged his broad shoulders “pas si mal (not that bad)”
“Merci” I grinned
“La narration ne fait pas p@rtie de notre clas-se princesse”
What was that?
I shuddered “speak English plea-se”
“story telling isn’t p@rt of the lesson” he explained
“doesn’t mean we can’t be friends”
He glanced at me “we aren’t enemies are we?”
I sighed resignedly “Whatever!” I rolled my eyes and looked at the books “let’s just learn”
“Better”
He talked and taught and taught and talked but I didn’t un-derstand a thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dumb, I just choose to learn when I wanted and with Erad trying to keep his distance, I definitely wouldn’t learn a thing.
Days rolled by and he wasn’t even giving me a chance for a discussion.
Erad was becoming a big problem.
“Erad?!” I exclaimed in frustration after trying to get him out of my head so I could concentrate on my painting. But it wasn’t working.
Taylor paused and turned from what she was doing “You call your teacher by his last name?” she looked shocked and thank goodness we were alone
I rolled my eyes “yea.. What’s wrong with that?”
Taylor looked around to be sure no one was around then she moved to me “Don’t hold it back..What’s going on?”
“There’s nothing.. silly” I sneered and continued painting
“You can’t just call out your teacher’s first name when there’s nothing going throu-gh your head”
“he wouldn’t talk to me” I didn’t really know I was affected by that until I told Taylor and felt a lump swell in my throat.
“But he teaches you don’t he?”
“he does”
“when he teaches you, doesn’t he talk?”
“he does” I sighed “but that’s all”
Taylor frowned “what more should be there?”
“Something less formal and more informal.. Just a friendly conversation and nothing more but he won’t give it a try”
Taylor smiled and sat beside me then took my hand in hers. She treated me like an older sister even though I was a year older “There can never be anything less formal and more informal between the two of you” she said softly
“I know.. And I’m not asking for anything but to get to know him better” I shrugged “that’s all”
“And he’s wise not to give you a chance” Taylor got up and walked to the window
“how?”
“it would be a disaster Miranda.. There’s no future for you and anyone who isn’t Andres”
I got infuriated “I never mentioned wanting a future with my teacher tay”
“Knowing him better and having conversations outside your studies would spring up something”
“it wouldn’t Taylor.. You know how much I want to unite with my Prince charming. Nothing can change that, not even a cute pri-vate tutor”
Taylor pas-sed me a sm-irk “so he’s cute?”
“of course he is.. But he’s nothing like Andres”
“I don’t think you know what you’re doing” she said “concentrate on your studies and forget about how cute your teacher is” she walked out of my study and slammed the door shut behind her.
THE NEXT DAY ☀
“… Get your canvas” Erad instructed when he arrived for our clas-s “we’re painting today”
Painting?
I grinned wi-dely
“what are we painting today?”
“Whatever comes into your head” he replied
I sm-irked and gr@bb£d an apron from the hanger.
“what’s in your head?” Erad asked with a lopsided sm-irk
“you’ll see” c@m£ my reply as I arranged my materials on the canvas.
Later…
“Done!” I exclaimed, examining my perfect work for the last time
Erad looked up from the book he was re-ading across the room. “what did you draw?’ he eased the book on the table beside him and walked to my canvas.
I moved away from the canvas to let him go throu-gh my work.
“is this what was in your head?” he asked, arching a brow
I nodded. It was a picture of Erad when dad first introduced him as my teacher.
“This.. Shouldn’t be going throu-gh your head” he scolded
My smiles faded “but it does”
“Miranda?!” he closed the distance between us and held my shoulders “it just shouldn’t okay.. Now paint something else” he was looking into my eyes.
I brushed him off and sat on a chair with my legs and arms crossed.
“I’ll disappoint you” I said
“how?”
“if I paint something else then I’ll disappoint you.. You asked me to paint whatever comes into my head and I followed your instructions”
“This time you won’t be painting whatever comes into your head.. Pick up your paintbrush and make a painting of this–” he pointed to a picture of my mom and I when I was younger
“I’m not painting that” I snarled
“you’re following my orders Princesse” he yelled
“why does everyone order me around?” I yelled back
“I don’t care”
“then I’m done painting”
“fine” he walked to his desk “clas-s is over”
I thought he was joking until he started packing up his things.
“you’re seriously leaving?” I asked him “you can’t just leave.. The clas-s isn’t over yet”
“you don’t want to learn” he stated and headed out as he shouldered his bag.
“Why are you avoiding me?” I asked when his hand got to the door knob
He paused with his hand still on the knob.
“I’m not avoiding you” he didn’t turn to look at me
“you are.. You’re so mean with this teacher and student relationsh!pthat you wouldn’t even talk to me” I can’t believe I was hurt
“let’s just leave it that way” those were his final words as he walked out and slammed the door shut.
TWO DAYS LATER..
“Why is Mr Stockton not here yet?” I asked my mom when she walked into my be-droom “he didn’t come yesterday either”
“he resigned” mom replied
I g@sped “resigned? But why?”
“his mom is sick and she nee-ds to go to the US for a surgery, he had to resign so he can be beside her until she gets better”
I slumped on my be-d “just when I thought I had the perfect tutor”
“your father is trying to sought things out” mom moved to my side ” you nee-d a male teacher and we can’t just allow men to be with you, Erad is the only one we can trust so we can’t lose him”
Hope shone in my damned life. I knew my dad, he was just like me. He got what we wanted.
“what’s dad’s plan?”
“He wants to bring the surgeons to come here for the surgery so Erad doesn’t really have to go”
“And Erad.. Does he want that?”
“I don’t think he has a choice.. He doesn’t even have the complete money for the sugery”
I felt a stab in my che-st, but I couldn’t help.
Few days later, Erad showed up. I had alre-ady given up on his coming back until Taylor walked into my be-droom to inform me that Erad was here.
This was absolutely silly.
I stood in front of my mirror wearing only a lacy pink throng and matching denim br@. I tried looking my best because Erad was seeing me the first time in so many days. Not like he really cared what I looked like or what I wore, but I just wanted to look my best.
I did a mental scan throu-gh my wardrobe. I had nothing to wear that screamed ‘h0t and S-xy’. I had pretty dresses though but nothing that I wanted.
I finally settled for a yellow long dress and wra-pped a matching yellow veil around my n£¢k to cover my face, showing only my eyes.
Somehow I wished I didn’t have to wear that stupid veil. Maybe Erad would talk to me the way I wanted if I wasn’t covering my face.
Maybe he thought I was ugly or had a scar but I wasn’t, and I wanted him to see that. I took off the veil and stared at my pretty self.
What if Erad didn’t find me pretty anyway?
Do you love him alre-ady?
My subconsciousness asked me. I wasn’t sure. I couldn’t love anyone.
I glanced at the painting of my Prince Charming on the wall. Even though he didn’t exactly look like the painting, I was sure he was the only one my heart was permitted to love.
“Princess?!” Taylor appeared on the door way “you’re keeping Mr Stockton waiting.. He’s running out of patience”
“I’m done” I put on my veil, careful enough to hide my face then walked out of my be-droom.
“Good afternoon Mr Stockton” I greeted him when I joined him in the outer chamber.
I looked at me and said nothing. There was a look in his eyes. He was probably not plea-sed with my greeting.
I sighed and greeted again, this time in French “Bon après midi monsieur Stockton”
“Sit” he replied in English to my relief and I sat down opposite him across the desk.
“I heard about your mom.. How is she now?”
His countenance ti-ght£ñed “she’s dead”
I was shocked. Then I un-derstood the reason for his mood.
“I’m sorry” I really was
“You didn’t kill her” he chuckled throu-gh his pain
“Was the surgery not successful?”
“she didn’t make it to the surgery. She died few hours to the surgery.. Guess she didn’t want to live anymore” I could tell he was fighting the urge to break down in front of me
“It’s going to be alright”
“I couldn’t save my dad, now I couldn’t save my mom.. Two persons who saved me when I was young”
“Erad?!” I reached for his hand and he moved away
“you don’t have to worry” he said “let’s just learn”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes “are you still trying to keep things formal here?”
“I don’t have a choice”
“you do” I half yelled “you nee-d someone to talk to and even though I can’t change anything, I’m willing to listen”
“where are your books” he raked throu-gh the books on the table.
“Erad?!” I gr@bb£d his arm and he st©pped
Erad cursed “From now on you will address me as Monsieur Stockton”
“yes monsieur” I slowly let go of his hand. I couldn’t tell why he hated me so much.
That day, I tried my very best to concentrate on the lesson rather than my teacher. It was obvious he wanted things to remain formal, then I had to learn to live by that.
That night, I sat on my be-d thinking about Erad. What his life would be like now his mom was late and why he thought he was not able to save her.
The damn woman was tired and gave up, nob©dy killed her.. Not Erad.
“Continue with that and you’re changing those paintings on the wall” Taylor walked into the be-droom, cutting my thought
I glanced at the paintings on the wall and I guess she was right. I had plans on changing one of the paintings to the painting of Erad I made the other day but I was scared of how my parents would react. Maybe end my lessons with Erad.
I couldn’t risk that.
“What’s wrong Princess?” Taylor joined me on the be-d
“do you think Erad hates me?” I couldn’t help but ask
Taylor sighed and rolled her eyes “you’re ma-king a mistake thinking about that Princess”
“Never mind I asked”
“Princess?!” she took my hand in hers “you have feelings for him don’t you?”
“maybe I do and maybe I don’t.. I just want us to be friends”
“Erad is being cautious, he can’t let you make a mistake. He’s older and wise and doesn’t want you doing something you’ll regret”
“will being friends with him be something regretful?” I scoffed “Tell me Taylor? Do you love him?”
“Princess no” she yelled “you know I’m only trying to protect you”
“protect me from what?” I shouted
“protect you from the feelings that’s building up in you”
“there’s nothing building up in me” I stated “Now get out of my room”
“Princess—
“Get out”
“Alright.. I will but don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’ve completely fallen for Erad and can’t get up”
she stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut.
That was so rude of me but I just couldn’t control myself in matters concerning Erad. Maybe if he had let me be his friend from the start I wouldn’t have to think of him so much.
💗💗💗💗
“… Let’s paint” I suggested during our clas-s the next day
“Or we could just talk if you don’t want to learn”
Talk? Are you kidding me?
That was a lifetime opportunity.
“I know you’re shocked but if you don’t want to—
“are you kidding me? It’s all I’ve ever wanted” I interrupted him excitedly
He smiled “First I want to apologize for being rude. You didn’t deserve any of my harsh treatments”
“It’s alright. You were doing the right thing…”
“pushing you away wasn’t the right thing”
“it really was. I wouldn’t have learnt a thing if all we did was talk”
Erad chuckled “you still haven’t learnt a thing”
“Monsieur Stockton” I pouted myl-ips
“you may as well call me Erad. You never really st©pped anyway”
Miranda’s cheeks grew warm “I didn’t think you noticed”
“I did notice every single thing you have done”
Miranda wasn’t really sure what he meant, but she liked the look he gave her when he said it. It made her insides flutter and her cheeks grow warm inside.
“so what would you want us to talk about?”
Miranda giggled like a kid “tell me everything about you”
“everything?”
“yea.. That’s what friends do when they meet right?”
“Right.. But there’s nothing much to know about me” his tone changed when he said “I don’t have a family”
“I’m sorry”
He smiled as he squared his shoulders “dad died when I was 10. He died in a car accident and I wasn’t there to save him.
We had literally nothing when he died and mom had to struggle to see me throu-gh middle school and I couldn’t go throu-gh highschool”
“then how did you manage to know so much when you ba-rely went to school?”
“dad was a great teacher, smart, wise, courageous, educated, determined and ha-rd working.. And I wanted to be just like that..
Mom thought I couldn’t make it and was always sorry that she couldn’t afford to see me throu-gh high school. She thought I couldn’t make it without education– that was what my dad used to say but I knew I could.
She struggled to put food on the table and I hoped to pay her back for her struggles one day. She had to clean the house of my linguistic teacher so he would teach me.
I failed her, I failed my mom.. I couldn’t save her.. Couldn’t give her the future she deserved…”
“you did try”
“I failed Miranda.. I failed my parents”
“and your extended family?”
“Dad ran away from home when he was 12 after his parents and siblings were killed by as-sas-sins. He went into hiding cause they wanted him dead too and the police weren’t helping. He had to change his identity and traveled to a far away country where no one knew him and he never found a way back home”
“and your mom?”
“she was an orphan– Literally..
She was actually dumped on the gate of an orphanage when she was ba-rely a month old. The orphanage brou-ght her up and dad was actually a teacher there when they met”
Miranda chuckled and Erad laughed. He knew where her thoughts had gone but their fates were entirely different from his parents.
“They had me after 12 years of their marriage. Afraid they wouldn’t be able to give me a better life if they had a child. But when mom was adancing in age, they decided to have me. And they really tried to give me a better life.. I should’ve done the same”
Miranda didn’t realize when she left her chair to join Erad. She slowly placed her hand on his.
“you did try to save your mom and you were a little boy when your dad died.. You couldn’t do anything.
And you can always make your parents proud where ever they are”
“I will never forgive myself.. I lost the only person I had in my life”
“you have me” I chirped in and he gave me that look “as a student or as a friend, I’ll always be here”
“Just like air”
“huh?”
“never mind”
“Friends?” I raised my right pinky like a kid
He smiled and brou-ght down my hand “no”
My smile faded “why do you keep doing that?”
“look Miranda, we’re two different worlds ap@rt, there’s a better life awaiting you behind that veil”
“I’m not ugly and I don’t have a scar trust me”
He laughed “I know but seriously we can’t be friends”
“I’m not asking for anything more than friends”
“It wouldn’t be wise seeing you as more than my student”
“Why are you saying this?”
“cause I want you to st©p thinking we’ll ever be friends” he stated pointedly “you’re nice– I must say but you’re just like air”
“Explain” I demanded
“I can feel you but I can’t t©uçh you, can’t hold you, I don’t even know what you look like and you’re not my own.. I nee-d a friend I can call mine. The two persons I called mine left without a sign”
“you don’t have any real friends?”
“Brussels is made of first clas-s citizens and I couldn’t make friends with them. Everyone saw me as a low clas-s and I just concentrated on learning cause even my teacher’s kids disliked me..
I had to mind my own business and learn to be smart in every way I could…” he paused and continued with a chuckle “I didn’t have the power and the money like everyone else but I had the br@in than anyone else”
I smiled and gave his hand a gentle squee-ze “I don’t see you that way”
“you’re crossing the line Princess” he laughed “you shouldn’t be sitting on the same couch with me and this…” he raised my hand wish was holding his
I laughed and squee-zed him more “You want to see what I look like behind this veil?” I asked in a whisper
“why would I want that?”
“so you’ll know I’m not really far from you. This veil is the only wall between us”
“Miranda don’t be crazy”
“I’m serious”
“you are?”
“Come on Erad.. I’m not that bad”
“I know.. I know there’s a lovely woman behind that veil with a very pretty face and—”
Erad was saying when Miranda took off her veil.
He g@sped and they both froze when someone shouted
“Miranda?! What have you done?”
 
TBC