"A boy plays around for a princess, but a man will seek out his queen."

— Forbidden Love

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

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"I believe you told me to come back next week, Madam...?"

"Lillian," Aunt nodded her head hesitantly, only poking her head out from the door for Sir Nathaniel to see. "I did in fact say that, did I not?"

As Aunt's eyes dart from left to right nervously, Sir Nathaniel cleared his throat. "Madam Lillian, I do not know what is going on, but I have requested to see miss Marinette regarding the news of our engagement since last week and you keep insisting I return." He frowned slightly, "Where is she?"

If only Aunt knew where Marinette was or what was keeping her so occupied. Her other nieces had insisted Marinette was too ill to see Nathaniel, and Aunt was indeed about to check herself and see how sick the ravenette really was. To Aunt's knowledge, her niece Marinette was prone to lie in order to get out of any situation.

Aunt smiled apologetically, "I apologize, Nathaniel, but I am afraid you must have to return once again." Taking a step back from underneath the doorframe, Lillian went to close the front door hastily... only to have Nathaniel stop the door midway with his foot.

"That is Sir Nathaniel to you, madam." Nathaniel huffed, and although his tone of voice and behavior was extremely rude, Aunt immediately recoiled and lowered her head. She stepped back, allowing him to enter her home against her own will, and Sir Nathaniel took that opportunity to search for the woman he had been desperate to see.

Elizabeth was the first to notice the unwelcomed guest in their home. Standing swiftly from her seat at the family's breakfast table, Elizabeth quickly excused herself up the stairs to the second level of the home.

"Lead me to her room, madam. I refuse to wait any longer." Nathaniel demanded, a hard, cold glare, piercing into the poor, woman's eyes. Even if Aunt had wanted to stop him, she couldn't have.

After all, the men overpowered the women at all costs.

Just as Elizabeth had made it to the top where the bedrooms of the home were located, she heard footsteps ascending up the staircase. Frantically running towards Marinette's bedroom, she forcefully opened the door and slammed it behind her... only to find two pairs of eyes staring right back at her in bewilderment.

"Must you be so violent with our sister's bedroom door?" Krissy scolded, eyeing her eldest sister in confusion. Her, and the youngest out of them all, Emily, were sprawled across the wooden floor, sorting through Marinette's papers and journals. Marinette had in fact stayed to help until Elizabeth had become sober again, but then, on the next day, she vanished, and neither of them knew where she had gone.

Elizabeth didn't bother to answer, instead turning and locking the bedroom door. Then she scurried to the other side of the room with Emily and Krissy's confused gazes following her every move.

"What is the matter, Elizabeth?" Emily asked from her criss-crossed position on the floor.

"Sir Nathaniel Logharth is here!" Elizabeth exclaimed fearfully, "And he is demanding to see Marinette! Now!"

At this news, Krissy immediately stood to her feet. "Oh... this is not good!"

"Then what will we do?!"

"Yes... what will we do?!" Emily wailed as she brought her tiny hands up to cup her cheeks in horror. "None of us can stop him!"

Krissy scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "The door is locked, Emily. It is not plausible that he will be knocking it down."

Elizabeth raised an unsure eyebrow Krissy's way. Although the girls had been searching through Marinette's things since the day she vanished, they hadn't been able to find a single clue on her new whereabouts. They had no other relatives, and whatever friends they knew lived thousands of miles away. It would be impossible for Marinette to walk that long of a distance, and the only way to contact them anyways would have to be through mail.

"You do not think Marinette sent for Atali, do you?" Emily asked innocently, only to have Krissy and Elizabeth turn to stare at her with wide eyes.

"Atali?" Krissy raised an eyebrow. "I have not heard that name in quite some time."

"Neither have I," Elizabeth added. Tilting her head towards her youngest sister, she asked, "Why do you ask?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders, her eyes drifting back to the box of papers that laid in front of her. "Maybe she wanted to see him... I do not know... it seemed like a reasonable idea."

At this, Elizabeth and Krissy met eyes. "Do you really think Marinette went to see Atali?" Elizabeth asked, "The last time we all parted, Atali claimed he never wanted to see us again."

Atali was, in fact, the girls only other relative that was alive. He was a cousin, close at first, but awfully too distant now. He too had once lived in Aunt's home alongside them, because he was in fact Aunt's own blood– her only son. Atali and Marinette had always been the closest as children. Since the two of them had been the closest in age, their interests always seemed to be the same. Although Elizabeth too was around their age, their interests always differed.

But as the grew older, Atali began to grow feelings for his cousin, and tried to do whatever he could to vanquish any thoughts of them being anything more than just cousins. Eventually though, on his sixteenth birthday, Atali was allowed to leave his mother and father's home (since he was considered a man) and make his own way. That was when he told his closest cousin that he loved her more than just his cousin, and wished for her to come with him...

...as his wife.

It did not end well. Marinette was devastated. Aunt had raised all of her nieces around men who constantly wanted to get their hands on them, and now, Marinette had assumed Atali was one of them. She cried in front of him and demanded to know why he felt this way. He tried to explain the best he could, but Marinette knew that after that day, their bond would be broken. The ravenette told Atali that they were cousins, and romantic relationships between family were forbidden and considered "disgusting" amongst the general population. Even Aunt herself would've thought it unnatural if she'd found out and would have probably sent her son away to a mental facility.

But did Atali care on what others thought? He sure as hell didn't and tried to convince Marinette the same. But the last conversation they ever had was when Marinette shook her head, denying his invitation over and over again, until he replied with a scowl on his lips, "So be it. Then I never wish to see you again."

That was last any of them had ever seen of their cousin.

And that was almost three years ago.

"No way!" Krissy shook her head, frantically, "Atali hurt Marinette. There is no way she is looking to see his face anytime soon."

"I suppose," Emily said, slightly disappointed that their lead had been false.

"Besides, how would she know where to look?" Questioned Elizabeth. "Not even his own mother knows where he is."

A sudden, loud knock on the bedroom door had all three sisters jumping in surprise.

"Marinette dear," the voice was immediately recognized as Aunt's. "How are you feeling?"

Krissy immediately signaled for her sisters to move farther into the room. Clearing her throat, Krissy decided to wholeheartedly take on the challenge to impersonate her missing sister's voice. "Ah... yes... I am not well, Aunt. Yes. I have a terrible cough... yes! My throat hurts very much."

As if to prove her throat was hurting, Krissy let out a dry cough, which caused her sisters to wince... mostly because of how real the cough sounded.

"Your voice sounds awfully hoarse, Marinette." Aunt responded from the other end.

Krissy's furrowed her brows as she struggled for another excuse. "Well, um yes, I am terribly sick. Please would you leave me be to... to sleep in... in my bed of many wonders...?"

There was a sudden pause on Aunt's end, silence taking a tight hold of the situation. Krissy turned back to look over her shoulder when she heard Elizabeth clear her throat. "Seriously?" Elizabeth whispered, one of her eyebrows raised, unamused. "You did not just say 'my bed of many wonders'."

"Shut up," Krissy seethed through gritted teeth. "I am nervous."

"Okay. But still. My bed of many wonders?"

"I would like to see you do better. Do you want to take over and pretend to be Marinette?"

"Ah yes," Aunt suddenly, yet hesitantly, replied, "Well I would... but there is a visitor here for you—"

"Miss Marinette!" Sir Nathaniel interjected, clearing ignoring and cutting off Aunt midway of her sentence. "It is I! Sir Nathaniel Logharth! I demand to see you this instant!"

Elizabeth and Krissy met eyes once again. "He demands?" Krissy mouthed to her sister, only to have Elizabeth shrug her shoulders in response.

Courage risen and pride high, Krissy inhaled a deep breath and decided to say something she knew Marinette would most likely say. "I demand for things all the time Sir Nathaniel, but that does not mean I get what I want!"

"I beg your pardon?" Came his bewildered tone from the other side of the wooden door.

"You heard me, you oaf!"

"Krissy!" Elizabeth whispered sharply trough gritted teeth. "You cannot speak to him that way! He is a gentleman!"

Hands now on her hips, Krissy frowned Elizabeth's way. "A gentleman? Are we really talking about the same man here, Elizabeth? He is a pigheaded brute!"

Another knock sounded on the door, almost as if someone was pounding on it instead. "What did you just say to me?" Came Nathaniel's sharp, and clearly unamused, retort.

"Just open the door, Krissy!" Elizabeth pleaded in a whisper.

But Krissy ignored her sister's plea.

"Leave me!" Krissy pressed the back of her open hand to her forehead, feigning distress as she spoke to the man behind the door once more. "So that I may rest peacefully and have wonderful dreams that do not. involve. you."

They all heard the scowl in Nathaniel's voice as he replied, "Perhaps you need to be better taught on how to watch your mouth."

Krissy's mouth fell agape, and she quickly spun around to face her oldest sister as she jutted her thumb over her shoulder. "Did you hear what that fool just said to me?"

"Yes I did, and he is angry," Elizabeth looked severely uneasy. Pleadingly, she whispered, "Just let him in."

"And say what exactly?" Krissy whispered back, "That Marinette jumped out of her bedroom window and escaped to never-land!"

"Be reasonable, Krissy! Please! This is serious!"

"I am being reasonable! But you are certainly not. There is no way we are going to let that man in!"

"Marinette?" Once again, Aunt's voice caused the two girls to whip their heads back to the door, their eyes wide. "Do you have someone else in there with you?"

"Oh, great. Just great. Look what you have done," Krissy hissed at Elizabeth. "You are blowing our cover!"

"Me? Your whispering is louder than Aunt's organ!"

"You are one to talk. Your whispering is just as bad as your singing!"

Elizabeth gasped, clearly taken aback. "You do not actually mean that?"

Krissy's eyes narrowed. "Try me."

"Will you both stop arguing?" Emily pleaded, glancing between her two sisters anxiously.

Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest. "Well, I would if Krissy would stop insulting me. Has Marinette been giving you lessons? 'How to insult Elizabeth 101'?"

"Will you just shut up for one second?!" Krissy hissed, glaring at her sister with pure hatred in her eyes.

All three girls immediately fell silent. But unfortunately, Krissy's whisper was a bit too loud that time.

"What in heaven's name is going on in there?" Aunt exclaimed, knocking once again. "Are you all present in there?"

Krissy winced. Elizabeth shot her a knowing look. "Now who is responsible for blowing our cover?"

"Shut up, Elizabeth."

"Open this door at once!" Nathaniel added, pounding against the wooden door so hard, it felt as if the door would fall off of its hinges. "I will not ask again!"

Krissy frowned and glared at the door. "You never asked to begin with." She muttered underneath her breath.

But Elizabeth immediately moved to open it. Krissy's eyes widened and she ran forward, grasping her eldest sister's shoulders, and forcing her to stop in her tracks. "What are you doing?" She shot her a hard, disappointed glare. "You do realize Marinette covered for you when you were drunk, right? She had already made plans to leave, but stayed because I asked her to and because she knew if she did not, Aunt would discover your habit. She covered for you! And now you want to just turn her in because you are too afraid of a man? Do not be a coward!"

It was only then when Krissy realized there were tears brimming her sister's eyes. "I am a coward."

Krissy shook her head. "You do not have to be. Remember what Marinette stands for. We get to choose what we want to be."

"You have until the count of three!" Nathaniel suddenly said very loudly on the other end. "If this door is not open by then, I will be tearing it down!"

Emily, who had moved herself to stand behind the bed, frowned, "He is such a barbarian."

Elizabeth laughed dryly... at both of her sister's comments. "Marinette is living a fantasy." She looked up to meet Krissy's eyes, her expression blank. "You and I both know it will never be that way."

"One!" Nathaniel shouted.

"You could have a little faith," Krissy frowned, "Instead of living miserably. I think that is how Marinette is able to get through it."

"Two!"

"You are forgetting that Marinette is brave," Elizabeth said as she reached up to slowly remove Krissy's hands off from her shoulders. Sadly, Krissy watched as her sister placed her hand on the doorknob. "And I am not."

"Three!"

Elizabeth opened the door just as Nathaniel went to shove his body into it, causing the lord to stumble forward into the room and almost fall flat on his face. All three girls (and even Aunt) looked at him with wide eyes, even as he quickly fixed his posture, pressed his closed fist to his lips and cleared his throat, and to sweep his eyes across the bedroom.

All three girls in the room offered Sir Nathaniel and their aunt a sheepish smile, especially when Aunt took her own look around the room and realized Marinette was in fact missing.

Just like she had suspected.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sir Nathaniel dared to utter first, his eyes seemingly searching for a woman who was not present. "Where is miss Marinette?"

"I was just about to ask the same question," Aunt's eyes somehow drift to her eldest niece first, expecting a valid explanation. But Elizabeth said nothing, and instead, averted her eyes away from her aunt.

"Oh! Uh..." Krissy stepped forward, wracking her brain for some sort of excuse. "There is an explanation for all of this really! I can assure you it is not what it looks like—"

"Were you impersonating Miss Marinette?" Nathaniel interrupted her, eyeing Krissy ever-so-skeptically.

He must've recognized the similarity in their voices.

Krissy folded her arms. "So, what if I was? She would have said those same things herself if she was here."

Nathaniel's jaw set, but he said nothing. Instead, Aunt replied, "Your explanation for all of this better be good, considering you lied about Marinette's whereabouts and have disrespected Sir Nathaniel tremendously."

Krissy unfolded her arms. Looking down at her feet, she replied, "Very well," she then spared a glance at her eldest sister, glaring at her. "Marinette ran away."

"My goodness me!" Aunt gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth. "What on earth for?!"

What on earth for? Krissy wanted to chuckle. There were plenty of reasons why Marinette would want to run away...

But instead, she grinned, and said, "Oh. It was because she wanted to escape from Sir Nathaniel of course."

Sir Nathaniel frowned, clearly not liking the news he was receiving. "Enough of your lies young lady. You have done enough of that."

"Oh, I can assure you this is definitely not a lie, Sir," Krissy's grin only widened, "What I speak of is the truth."

Nathaniel brows furrowed, his hands finding their way to his hair. He'd only assumed when Marinette had postponed their tea, it'd meant that she was busy, but still wanted to eventually have an evening with him. Apparently, he'd been wrong, and it had only been a mere distraction for her to escape.

"How long has she been absent?" Aunt asked a bit fearfully, hesitant to know how long Marinette had been missing right under her nose.

"One week." Elizabeth and Krissy said in unison.

Aunt gasped, clearly not expecting such an answer. "My god, you two, why would you keep this from me?"

"She said she wished for no one to know!"

"We must find her at once!" Aunt exclaimed, her hands up high as she turned to leave the bedroom. "I must go out and ask around—"

"There will be no need for any of that, Madam Lillian." Nathaniel interjected sternly. In a matter of seconds, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I shall find miss Marinette."

"You will?" Aunt questioned, "Really?"

At this, a smirk found its way to Sir Nathaniel's lips, and the sight only had the sickening feeling in Krissy's stomach growing by the second. "You have my word, madam. I will find miss Marinette and bring her home to you all, safe and sound."

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