"I didn't know that my happiness meant nothing to you. If I had known before, I would have made sure to pretend I was always happy around you."

— Forbidden Love

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

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"What is the meaning of this?" Marinette demanded as she found her aunt in the middle of hundreds of newspapers, all sprawled out across their dining room table. Dozens of papers filled with pictures of wedding dresses would have almost blinded her had she not looked away. "How is anyone supposed to sit and eat with this mess? I suppose we will all just starve then!"

Aunt scoffed, but her eyes never left the magazine she was so intensely studying. "Quit your whining. Now which one do you prefer?" Her aunt looked up to meet her niece's gaze. "The one on the right or the left?"

Marinette frowned at the sight. What, so was she now going to be picking out a wedding dress for Elizabeth? Had the girl finally been able to lure a man into her trap and hold him there? Well, by all means, these dresses were somewhat decent. If she was going to be picking a dress out for Elizabeth, it needed to be an ugly one.

"Are those the only two? Do you have anything in... maybe green?" Marinette grinned innocently, only to find her aunt glaring right back at her with an unamused look in her eye.

"Be serious for once in your life, child." Aunt scolded, her fingers tapping on the paper again to lure Marinette's attention back onto the two images. "Now please, tell me, which one do you prefer?"

Marinette's eyes focused back onto the two images of dresses. Her eyes scanned one intensively and then they traveled to the next, studying it carefully. What Marinette soon realized was that both of the wedding dresses looked exactly the same to her! Exactly the same!

Marinette frowned at this, turning back to look to her aunt. "They are almost identical. I see nothing marvelous about either of them!"

Her aunt groaned in frustration, her patience running low with her niece. "I did not ask if you thought they looked similar, or whether you found either of them beautiful or not. I simply just want you to choose one."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. Why on earth would her aunt want her to pick between two wedding dresses? "Why the hell would you want me do such a thing?"

"Language Marinette!" Aunt scolded, "That is not a word a lady should be using!"

"If you ask me, Marinette is no lady at all." Elizabeth joined them at the table from the bottom of the stairs, swaying her triangle-like hips as she strutted like a peacock into the dining room. She sent Marinette one of her devilish grins (the one she used when she was up to no good), and the ravenette couldn't help but scowl at the sight.

Marinette folded her arms across her chest. "I do not believe anyone asked you at all, Elizabeth. Take your dammed unnecessary comments somewhere else."

At the next foul word said, Aunt gasped, "Marinette!"

Elizabeth's gasped too, and Marinette couldn't help but dramatically roll her eyes as Elizabeth laid a hand to her chest, feigning hurt. "How dare you speak such a foul way! You are a disgrace!"

"Are you sure you are not the disgrace here, Elizabeth?" Marinette raised a challenging brow at her sister, smirking widely, "At least the men have had an interest in me. Not a single man has shown any interest in you. Twenty-two, and Aunt still has not been able to marry you off. What a shame."

Elizabeth gasped again. Hands on her hips, she furrowed her brows. "How dare you! Many men have taken an interest into me!"

Marinette laughed at this. "Who? Bigfoot?"

"Alright ladies! That is clearly enough!" Aunt interjected, hands reached out to separate the bickering sisters. Elizabeth pouted, arms still crossed as she sent a deadly glare her sister's way. Marinette returned her look with a satisfied smirk, beaming that she had somehow told her oldest sister off. "This behavior from the both of you is very inappropriate! I will not accept it in my home!"

Marinette scoffed at that, eyes rolling as she crossed her arms over her chest to match Elizabeth's previous actions. "Yet you will accept Elizabeth's bullying." She muttered underneath her breath.

"I heard that!" Elizabeth whined.

"Enough!" Aunt bellowed, sending her own set of glares between the two girls. "I do not want to hear another word of it! Is that understood?"

Elizabeth sighed almost sadly, letting her arms drop to her sides. "Yes Aunt."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Aunt narrowed her eyes at Marinette. "What did you dare use to answer me? I believe that is not what you have been taught."

"I suppose not," Marinette mumbled, her eyes dropping to the floor in defeat as she reluctantly let go of her pride. "Yes Aunt."

Aunt nodded, satisfied with her answer. "Music to my ears. Now," Aunt once again tapped on the paper wielding the two images of wedding dresses. "It is time for you to pick a dress."

Elizabeth quietly peered over the ravenette's shoulder and gasped at the sight of the images. "Oh! They are breathtakingly beautiful!"

Marinette looked back, only to pull away from her sister's all-too-close proximity. "Are you kidding me, Elizabeth? These dresses look as if a horse has taken a shit all over them!"

"Marinette." Aunt scolded dryly, simply shaking her head in disappointment.

Elizabeth frowned, "Oh please, stop being so overly dramatic." She nudged the ravenette's shoulder as she suddenly grew excited once again. She pointed excitedly at the dress to the left. "You should choose that one! I think that one would look lovely on you!"

"Indeed." Aunt agreed with a satisfied nod.

Marinette disgustedly shook her head. Of course not, the dress was horrific. How would anyone related to her expect her to wear such a garment? No! Marinette refused to wear anything of the sort! It was hideous and completely out of her style! Besides, why did Aunt seem so keen on getting her to pick a wedding dress?

Unless...

"Why must I even pick a dress to begin with?" Marinette dared to test the air as she innocently questioned her aunt. "What if I do not want one?"

At this, Elizabeth turned to look at Aunt confusingly. When Aunt refused to meet her oldest niece's confused gaze, and Elizabeth didn't receive the answer she was seeking, she turned to look at Marinette with a raised eyebrow. "You... you do not know, sister?"

Elizabeth almost sounded... well, concerned for her sister, and Marinette was too surprised by it to let it all click into place. "Know what?"

At this, Elizabeth turned back to Aunt. And for the first time in Marinette's life, Elizabeth stood up for her sibling and disrespected Aunt. "You did not tell her? How could you do such a thing!"

"Enough Elizabeth." Aunt calmly demanded, and Elizabeth easily followed the order. Well, so much for her trying to be bold for once.

"What must you tell me?" Marinette asked almost hesitantly as she slowly met her aunt's eyes.

If Aunt was frightened or fearful in any way, she never showed it. The woman straightened her back in her seat, and her expression never ceased from it's emotionless state. Aunt only muttered a few words that should've been normal and simple, but Marinette only heard all of hell itself break loose. "Marinette my dear, Sir Nathaniel Logharth has asked for your hand in marriage."

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