Chapter 24

The trumpets blasted through my ears, the only thing that I could hear as my hands shook and my heart pounded and I looked out at the sea of people.

I'd been preparing for this day for six months and I still couldn't believe it was happening.

This made it official.

Now, it was a thing. I was Queen.

One trumpet was slightly off key and every note that pierced through the otherwise perfect sound was a jolt straight to my ear drums, the hair on the back of my neck standing on edge.

I tried not to move my head too much, the collar of my coronation dress was painful and itchy.

The dress was too tight around the chest, thanks to the fact that we had it fit a week ago, before the lovely side effects of having your period stepped in and caused my chest size to go up.

An unpleasant jolt hit my stomach as I suddenly realized that I was being called upon to speak.

The entire time that I delivered my coronation speech, about how honored I was to be the leader of such a fine nation, and how I was going to take this country to greatness, my heart was thudding and my throat was tight.

This isn't what I wanted. Not yet, at least.

This was going to be the rest of my life and I still hadn't properly wrapped my head around it.

A year ago, I would've jumped at this opportunity.

I would've been thrilled to get the hell out of high school, finish my diploma from here, and live out the rest of my days as queen.

I wouldn't have had any sentimental attachment to the people I go to school with, or the pep rallies, or the football games, or the parties, or the dances, or any of the ridiculous things in the small crappy town that I'd somehow ended up.

But today, on a day that defined the rest of my life, all I wanted to do was rip off the crown that was poking my head, slip out of the tight and painful dress, and go get shit faced drunk at the Senior all night party tonight with my boyfriend and all of our friends.

Today was supposed to be my graduation after all.

But that was all over for me.

I couldn't be careless.

I couldn't have fun.

I couldn't do anything.

My head was spinning as we finally retreated into the castle.

"Scarlett?" My dad asked nervously as I started to feel a bit too light headed.

"I'm fine." I said instantly, holding up my hand.

A frown was etched on his face but he didn't say anything else as the crown was taken away from me and I unsteadily walked towards the stairs.

I felt Oliver's presence behind me, his hand steady on my back as I walked towards my room.

He didn't say anything as Mary helped me out of the ridiculously complicated dress. And she didn't say anything about the fact that he was patiently sitting there for me despite the fact that I was half naked.

He didn't say anything as I changed into more comfortable clothes, sweat pants and a t-shirt.

And he didn't say anything as I sat down next to him on the couch, curling up into his open arms as he held me tightly against him.

It had been six months since Christmas. Since our entire lives changed.

I was now permanently living in Castello, I hadn't been to California in almost two months.

Parker regularly came here, as he was now next in line and had a reputation to uphold and appearances to maintain.

Oliver came as often as he could, but with school and everything, it was difficult.

It wasn't until my tears had made a decent wet blob on his dress shirt that he finally spoke up.

"I think you might just be the first queen in history to wear sweatpants." Oliver whispered, trying to lighten the mood.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh, burying my head closer into his neck as my laugh turned into a sob.

"I can't do this." I whispered, pressing my face against his skin.

"Yes you can." Oliver said quietly, rubbing his hand up and down my back. "Scarlett Lockwood... You are the most magnificent girl I've ever met and you are more than capable of being a kick ass queen."

I shook my head, closing my eyes.

"This is not the way I expected any of this to happen." I whispered, resting my arm across his body.

Oliver pulled me closer to him, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

"I'm a queen... Wow." I whispered.

"I'm dating a queen. Wow." Oliver shook his head in amusement.

I playfully swatted his arm.

"Oh shush." I shook my head.

"Well, darling, what do queens do?" Oliver asked, looking down at me.

"I have absolutely no idea." I sighed, leaning back from him. "You need to go."

"What?" Oliver frowned.

"No, like you literally need to go." I laughed. "You have a plane to catch. You and Parker."

"We don't have to-"

"You're walking in your graduation, Oliver. I don't care what either of you say. I can handle myself here. You two are going to go back to California, walk across that stage, and go enjoy the last night with your graduating class."

"You should be there." Oliver said, a nervous look suddenly crossing his face. "You've gone to school with these-"

"Go." I told him. "I'll see you soon." I shrugged.

Oliver rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm going to Europe on Friday." He said softly, draping his arm across the back of the couch.

"OJ we gotta blast!" Parker called outside of the room.

"Just a sec!" Oliver called back. "Scarlett, do you promise me you're okay?"

"I'm more than okay. I can handle this." I reassured him. "And yeah I know you're going to Europe but-"

"And in the fall I'm going to be on the East Coast." Oliver replied.

"Yes..." I trailed off, my stomach sinking.

Was he doing what I thought he was?

"And I think this... I think today is a good point to uh, to sort some things out."

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"You're Scarlett Lockwood, the kick ass eighteen year old Queen. You were built for this life. This is your destiny." Oliver told me.

"Stop talking while you-"

"And I'm just Oliver James. The guy who wants to go to law school on the east coast and live a normal, low-key life." Oliver said softly.

"OJ!"

"Parker chill for a minute!" Oliver called back, wincing.

He turned to face the door and I wiped my cheeks to make sure they were dry.

Everything was numb.

"You know what, you're completely right." I said suddenly, forcing a smile onto the face that I couldn't feel.

"I am?" Oliver asked in shock.

"Yeah, this life isn't for you. I totally get it, it's what I expected." I nodded. "I think... We had a good run. And it's time for you to go live your actual life."

Oliver frowned.

"You... You agree?"

"I'm a queen, Oliver, I don't have time for high school relationships." I laughed, pushing my hair back from my face. "Go, you've got a plane to catch."

"Scarlett..." Oliver said softly, his face turning into sadness. "I didn't think you'd be so okay with this..."

"Well, of course I am. I'm glad you brought it up. Today just had a lot of emotions and I kind of cracked for a minute but I'm good, I promise." I brushed it off. "Hey, no hard feelings. I'll see you around."

Oliver just looked at me and I could've sworn his eyes were glistening.

"Oliver James!" Parker yelled, pushing open the door. "Say goodbye to your girlfriend and get your ass out here, I'm not going to be late to my own damn graduation. I have no royal status in the states, they'll start without us."

"Yeah, yeah coming." Oliver sighed, standing up. "See ya, Scarlett."

"Adios." I gave a casual wave as he walked away.

My brain instantly went into overdrive.

Was 'adios' too casual?

Would he see through the fake front?

As soon as the door shut behind him, I let the despair and the anxiety and the fear loose.

Everything over the past few months that could've been warning signs were replaying over and over in my brain.

I was crying again, the ugly sobs.

The spitty, snotty, swollen face, disgusting noises, rocking back and forth sobs.

I was frantically searching for something I could've done to prevent this from happening but I knew it was inevitable.

I was a queen and he was an ordinary guy from the suburbs of California.

I was destined a country in a prestigious castle and he was destined to have the time of his life at New York University next year.

We weren't meant to be together.

We were from two different worlds.

It wasn't right.

It was too complicated. 

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THE END ;)

-E xx