"How is it possible to hate someone, yet still love them unconditionally?"

— Forbidden Love

CHAPTER NINETEEN

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Curious little Emily couldn't help but poke her head under the doorframe of the open door of Marinette and Krissy's own bedroom, when she heard ruckus from the other side of the wall. So when Emily found her older sister frustrated, rummaging through her entire wardrobe and pulling out multiple pairs of garments and tossing them to the wooden floor, she grew confused.

"Marinette, what are you doing?"

Marinette spared a quick glance to her side before she was back to pulling her clothing from its hangers. "I am packing my bag, Emily. Can you not see?"

Poor little Emily recoiled immediately. "I-I... I am sorry. I did not know."

Marinette sighed and reluctantly turned to meet her youngest sister's gaze. Her eyes softened at the sight of Emily's pitiful eyes. Why must she snap at a little girl who had done nothing wrong? It was not Emily's fault. "I... apologize Emily, I just... I-I am running away."

Emily was beyond surprised. "What for?"

Many reasons came to mind, but Marinette had to remind her tongue that this was her youngest– and most innocent– sister she was speaking to. Colorful vocabulary and inappropriate comments about Aunt needed to be kept away from little Emily's ears.

So instead, Marinette came up with a more appropriate way to explain. "I simply just need a break... yes... because I am soon to be wed, and it has all been such a surprise."

Emily's little eyes went wide. "You are to be married?!"

"Unfortunately," muttered Marinette underneath her breath, and thank the gods Emily hadn't heard it.

Suddenly, Krissy was poking her head in the room. "Marinette, maybe we should talk about all this first."

"There is nothing to discuss," Marinette grumbled, turning back to her luggage of clothing. "I am not going to marry Sir Nathaniel, and that is final."

Emily raised a confused brow. "So you are not really getting married?"

"She is getting married, Emily." Krissy interjected. Hands already on her hips, she glared literal holes into Marinette's back. "You cannot reject this proposal."

"I am not getting married! And I most certainly can!"

"Be reasonable, Marinette. You have always known that this day would eventually come."

"But I just met this man!" Marinette practically shouted out through gritted teeth, holding up two fingers. "I have only spent time with him twice!"

"And? What does that matter?"

"How can you even ask that? Of course it matters! I am marrying him!"

"But I thought you said you were not going to get married?" Emily pouted, her lips puckered in confusion.

"Emily, she is getting married." Krissy assured patiently.

"Oh." Emily said.

Marinette chuckled bitterly, defiant as always as she said, "I am not!"

"You are! You cannot refuse his proposal."

Marinette scoffed at that. She liked a good challenge. "Oh, is that so?"

"Aunt will be crushed!" Wailed Krissy, attempting to try and change her sister's mind.

Marinette turned back around, only to laugh sarcastically at her sister's words. "Do you really think that I care about Aunt's feelings? She has never given a damn about mine."

At the bad word said, Krissy reached to cover Emily's ears. "Marinette!"

"What? What did she say? I want to know!" Whined Emily, reaching up to desperately pry Krissy's hands away from her ears.

Hands now on her hips, Marinette scowled, "Aunt has no right to tell me who I should marry. I will marry when I want to, and I will marry whoever I want."

Krissy's eyebrows shot up confusingly. "I thought you were completely against the idea of marriage, and now you say you will marry eventually?"

"I was simply making a point!" Marinette grumbled, stomping her foot stubbornly into the hardwood floor.

All this talk about marriage had Marinette growing frustrated with any little thing. She had only encountered Sir Nathaniel only a few times beforehand and knew barely anything about the man, and now she was just supposed to simply marry him because her Aunt wished of it?

Well, Marinette knew for a fact that wishes did not come true. This was a reality they lived in... not some fairytale where every little wish you made came true. You cannot always get what you want.

And Aunt just needed to accept that.

"I will not marry a man I do not love." Marinette picked her bag up from the floor. Setting it softly on the sheets of her bed, she continued to pack more of her belongings into it.

"Please reconsider, Marinette!" Krissy almost sounded desperate in trying to change her sister's mind, but Marinette would not have it. There was no earthly way she was going to change her mind on the idea of marriage.

She did not need a man. And that was final.

And to add to all of this mess, did Sir Nathaniel even know they were meant to be wed? When had he ever hinted that he had an interest in her, and when had he even dared to ask for her hand in marriage? If Marinette had been there to witness him ask, she would have immediately turned him down. Although Sir Nathaniel had been different from most pig-headed men she had met, she still did not wish to marry him.

"I am not changing my mind, Krissy, so stop pushing it." Marinette pulled on her coat, her arms flowing easily into the warm, soft, fur in its sleeves. She sighed contently in its warmth. It was much better than the cold, miserable bedroom her and Krissy had to share with no heat at all.

Emily seemed to be uncomfortable with her surroundings, for she pulled away from Krissy's tight grips on her shoulders. Emily was young– too young to know certain things, and Marinette feared she would be tricked into the idea of men and marriage just as easily as Elizbeth had.

"Where will you go?" Krissy stepped forward, completely leaving Emily behind her under the doorframe of the bedroom. "Winter is here and the weather is much too cold. You will freeze!"

"I will find a place." Marinette said.

"You have no where to stay!" Krissy wailed, tears forming at the brim of her eyes. "We have no other family besides Aunt, and are only maiden friends live miles away! There is no way your feet could carry you that far!"

"I will find a place." Marinette reassured, but those words did nothing to convince Krissy. Her tears began to spill, each one trickling down her cheek and leaving an evident stain behind. 

Marinette hesitated at the sight. She hated it whenever she had to deal with someone who was upset.

"Stop crying, Krissy."

But her sister couldn't help it, and her tears flowed silently despite the demand to stop. Instead, Krissy held her face in her hands and wept. "Please do not cry, Krissy," Clearing her throat awkwardly, Marinette took a hesitant step closer. "I will not be gone forever. I–I will visit."

Krissy removed her palms from her wet eyes. "You will?"

"Yes," Marinette said, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"But how?" Krissy questioned, sniffling as she wiped some of her tears from underneath her eyes. "If you run away, Aunt will find out, and she will not allow you back into her home."

Marinette smirked at this. "Yeah, and that is why you are going to help me, my dear sister."

"Me?" Krissy squeaked, pointing at herself. "What could I possibly do?"

"Can you get Aunt to believe I live in this house without her noticing my absence?" Marinette asked sweetly, her eyelashes beating innocently.

Krissy's eyes widened. "How the bloody hell am I supposed to do that?!" Krissy cried, completely disregarding her fowl language.

A giggle came from under the doorframe, and little Emily stood with her palms pressed to her lips to suppress her laugh. "You sound like, Marinette!" She giggled helplessly.

Marinette laughed too. "Hmm, it turns out you really are related to me."

Krissy frowned, "You are such a bad influence on Emily, Marinette. She should not even know that word."

Crossing her arms above her chest, Marinette smiled smugly, "I am not the one who just used the word 'hell' in front of my youngest sister."

Growing aggravated, Krissy stomped her foot. "Well you said the word 'damn'! That is so much worse!"

Emily giggled.

"Now you have said two fowl words in front of our innocent sister, and I have only said one." Marinette snorted, barely able to keep her own laugher from springing free.

"Damn you, Marinette."

Marinette simply rose a brow, a bit impressed that Krissy would even say that. But she couldn't help but let her laughter loose after that, and Krissy seemed to feel the same way as she laughed as well.

"My ears burn from such language echoing from this bedroom," Slurred Elizabeth suddenly, and she barely had enough time to show her whole figure before she was leaning against the doorframe for support.

Krissy and Marinette exchanged a look, and Emily slowly backed farther into the room away from her odd, oldest sister. "Elizabeth," Marinette couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. "Have you been drinking?"

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