Pulling Her HEARTSTRINGS Episode 41

A story written by HAPPY

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👑Umbria👑
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It’s quite funny how much things change in such a little while, I thought as I stared at Oscar while we ate marshmallows and chocolate on our date. And I never knew exactly what he’d planned for me. The tabloids, and everyone else was right when they said he was romantic.
And he’s all mine, I thought happily.
We sat crosslegged on the smooth grass patch, watching the sunset and the smooth transformation from daylight to night as I opened my mouth to received the marshmallow he held out to me. I bit his fingers softly before letting go and he chuckled.
“Someone’s being a teaser…” he sang and I giggled and fed him too. Being in love was addictive. Scratch that, Oscar was addictive and I wondered what was going to happen when he was taken away from me.
I’ll just die, I thought back to the drama a few seconds ago and brushed the thought aside.
“So, you’re considering aunt Liz right now? She really needs your forgiveness and I’ll admit it took me by surprise too,” he played with my fingers.
I sighed. “It’s something I’ve always wanted I guess. A mother who’d want me and love me. I don’t want to think about anything now. So, is your offer still on?” I changed the topic.
“What offer?” he asked wryly although from the way he stared at me I knew he knew what I was talking about so I just smiled. He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine at first, then when I gripped the lapels of his shirt to stop him from pulling back, his deepened the kiss and I was equally as responsive because I knew now that if anything tried to come between us it was going to be us against the world.
“Be my girlfriend baby,” he whispered against my lips as I fell onto the ground with him hovering about me.
“You’re not asking nicely,” I breathe out as I slipped my palm into his shirt, undoing the few upper buttons so I could roam my hand over all the contour of his beautiful chest. He hissed in breath as I tweaked the tip of his nipple.
“With the way I feel right now and with what youre doing I don’t think I can think nicely,” he said, his voice gruff and husky and making me excited at the idea that I could make him loose control too, the way he did to me.
I giggled mischievously. “Oh you mean this…” I tweaked the other one and he hissed, “or…this?” I leaned upwards to place a kiss in the hollow of his neck, trailing it down to his chest.
“You’re playing with fire honey,” he said and held my Hand.
“Oh I’m not scared of getting burned. And yeah, I’ll be your girlfriend.”
He grinned and kissed me again.
.
When Oscar drove me home a couple of hours later, we joined the crowd to watch the most romantic thing ever…..
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👑Edward👑
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When I’d awoken at the hotel and couldn’t find Margaret I didn’t think much about it because I assumed she was in the bathroom. I just laid in bed and reminisced how good and right it felt just being together, and how sweetly responsive she was. And how glad I was. I’ve had my share of lovers in the past, though the press hardly caught on to my affairs, but Maggie was totally different. I knew she was the moment I first saw her at that public protest thing. She was special and she was the one my heart chose.
After waiting a few minutes I noticed that there was no sound of shower running. No sound of anything at all. I became worried as I got out of bed and slipped a robe on, ignoring how filled with the scent of us the room was.
Her clothes were gone.
She was gone.
Damn…..I didn’t want to believe it even though the truth was glaring at me in the eyes, so I took a two minutes shower, donned on my clothes and strode quickly to the reception to inquire of a five foot six blonde wearing a purple dress, and the receptionist, after bowing a bit, affirmed that Maggie left a quarter hour ago.
I’d checked out after changing my mind from blaming the hotel staff because I didn’t ask them to watch her movements like a hawk. Hell, I didn’t expect that she would throw away something so intimate and special we shared to the wind like it was some sort of pastime or stupid game or fling. I tried calling her, once, twice, seven times. She wouldn’t pick.
An urgent call came in from the palace, stopping my haste to dash out and look for Maggie so I went, only to find Stephanie in the drawing room. Her back to me was hunched, contrary to her usual straight back, erected neck and upturned nose in a prim fashion.
Instantly I suspected she had something to do with Maggie’s act.
*Idiot, however Margaret acted is her own decision, she doesn’t care about you as she professed because if she did nothing would put you both apart*
I trumped on the annoying voice of reasoning and faced Stephanie. My fiancée. Ex.
”Edward, ” she cocked her head in greeting.
“Cut the crap Stephanie what the hell do you want! What did you tell Margaret on the night of Diana’s birthday?”
She inhaled. “The truth Edward. The truth about everything, about us and the way it should always be. Edward you blew things out of proportion. Against mine and your father’s will you let the media catch up on some shameless affairs of yours with a nobody. You made me feel like a bloody hag, a housewife waiting on the sidelines to be noticed,” she ranted angrily as tears spilled.
I was angry too, and I opened my mouth to retort but she beat me to it.
“All my life Edward. All of my life I was groomed to want just one man. Desire. Worship. Love just one man.” she cupped my cheek and stroked. “And it’s you Edward.” she inched in to kiss me, but I turned sideways and she scoffed. “Can’t you appreciate me Edward? We’re betrothed. We should get married. I love you and you can learn to love me, just forget about that cheap, social climbing —” She gasped when I grabbed her arms roughly and glared at her.
“Tell me exactly what you told Margaret that night.”
”She doesn’t deserve you!” she blurted out, explaining everything. “Edward I —”
” Damn you Stephanie!” I released her. ”I thought you were someone else, someone decent. You stooped so low…. god!” I ran a hand through my hair. “I love Margaret Stephanie, and she’s the one for me. But if because of your jealous, meddlesome actions I can never find or get together with Maggie again, I don’t care about whatever relationship or treaty’s between our fathers but I promise you’ll regret it.”
With a last glare at her sobfilled features, I ran out, ignoring the stares guards, maids and Queen Fiona gave me, and broke every speed limit between primrose and Queensland.
Between me and my future.
.
The baker at the bakery where Margaret worked denied seeing her throughout that day. So did the guy and coquettish girl manning the counter.
Customers stated surprisingly at me, and most phones were out. I couldn’t care less.
“Look sir, I really have to speak to Margaret Kent. It’s important. Can you give me her address?”
“I’m sorry your highness, but uh… we don’t have it,” the baker replied and I could see instantly that he lied.
“I’ll pay you any amount,” I tried, remembering how much he liked money.
His eyes shown dollar signs, but he blinked it back and smiled regrettably at me and repeated, “I’m sorry your highness.”
“Huh? I know whe—” the other girl began but she was cut short by the guy’s hand over her mouth and a glare from the baker. That didn’t stop her though as she kept on mumbling.
“Uh buddy— I mean your highness, we can’t give you Maggie’s address,” the guy deadpanned, and after much tosses and a thousand apologies on my part to Carl, who was a friend of Margaret and Umbria, he hesitantly gave me her address.
“Do the right thing this time man,” he said with a back slap.
“I intend to.”
👑
I stood, leaning against the doorjamb as I waited for Margaret show up. I’d come straight here after getting the address and met up with a silent house. That’s when I called her up. I’ve messed up big time I know that. And in most ways this was my fault. I should have been completely honest with her while we were together. I should have made it clear exactly what I’d wanted.
I was going to do that now.
When I saw her come up the Walkway, my whole world lit up. Her hair was hung low, blonde strands coming loose from a messed up hair bun. She chewed her lower lip slightly, and when she raised her head up, she assessed me with a cold and detached look.
Like I was some stranger.
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👑Maggie👑
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I was aware of Edward as much as I was aware of the handful of people scattered across the neighborhood as they were drawn to the scene like moth to fire.
There was no difficulty for my gaze to land on him looking so haggled, disheveled, hair sexily tousled from running his hands through it, or was it my hands? I blushed. Then chastised myself, warning me to be extra careful not to fall or be Tricked. To handle this with cool aloofness that would have him returning to his posh fiancée and posh palace living a posh lifestyle.
But my heart had already started to go pitter-patter when his eyes landed on me and beamed like I was all he wanted at that moment and forever. Involuntarily, I stopped as he closed the remaining steps between us and took my hands. I ignored the shock ripples and maintained my poker face.
“Margaret you left,” he stated, and it wasn’t a question.
“I didn’t want to impose. We were already done, you got the thing you been pinning for.” I replied as boringly as I could
“And who told you that huh?” his voice was a bit harsh, but totally angry and that was evident by the sparks flying in his eyes. “Who the hell told you that I was only interested in getting into your pants and discarding you off later?”
I blushed and sneaked a sideward glance at our little audience congesting and growing by the minute. “Uh, can we take this inside?”.
” We’re not taking this anywhere, we’re finishing it up right here right now. Maggie everything we did together, did it not mean nothing to you that you doubt me first chance Stephanie manages to slip something into your head?”
“You’re a player, engaged or not. Betrothed or not. Stephanie or no Stephanie I would never, ever have hoped for something more between us. That much was clear seeing that you dated me while you were still engaged.” I blurted out feeling all the hurt once again as the tears which I thought I’d exhausted earlier began to flow despite my ironclad will.
His eyes blinked shut for a second as if he was trying to be strong in spite of the fact that the dart I shot him created a big and painful blow.
“That was a mistake on my part,” he breathed out. “But ever since I saw you Stephanie was nothing but a vague memory. Don’t you get it Margaret? It’s you for me. Nobody else.” he thumbed away my tears and cupped my face. “I’ve called off the engagement with Stephanie,” he said and I gasped.
“But your father —”
“Has no right to dictate who I should or shouldn’t love. I love you so much Margaret. You light up my whole world. You give me a reason to endure the toughness of running a state alongside my father knowing that at the end of the day, I’d get to be with you. You make my heart do crazy little flips when you’re near. You make me feel like never before.” he released my hand to slip his into his pockets to withdraw a small red velvet box. He dropped to his knees and flipped it open, revealing the most wonderful ring ever with our initials EM carved neatly into a red heart carved from diamonds.
I gasped and held a hand over my mouth.
“Forgive me…. and say you’ll marry me.”
The crowd I didn’t even notice cheered as they urged me on to say yes. Cameras flashed, and about five newsvans pulled up in the curb. Dozens of newsmen and women held out different sizes of mics and cameramen hefted heavy camcorders onto their shoulder to capture the whole thing.
I didn’t care for or notice either of them.
I only saw my heart’s charmer kneeling in front me, ring outstretched and looking up at me with eyes full of pleas, truths and so…so much love.
I realized what a fool I’d been to have allowed somebody try to take this away from me, from us.
I realized how close to happiness I was, just a thin line left to cross.
I realized how much I loved Edward, and yearned to be with him.
And so, with happy tears trailing my cheeks, I held out my hand.
“Yes,” I whispered as he slipped the ring onto my fourth finger. “Yes!” I repeated, this time louder as I laughed in pure delight and joy as he lifted me off the ground and spun me in a circle.
He set me on my feet, and took my lips in a binding kiss that had half, if not all of Queensland oohing and aahing, a kiss that was like a seal of promise.
When we broke apart hoots filled the air, newscasters began narrating events as Edward hugged me sideways, grinning at the crowd.
Ever the charming prince.
Then we kissed again, this one longer and more passionate that news people practically begged us to stop so we could answer some questions.
From the corner of my eyes I saw Oscar and Umbria engaged in a kiss of their own, and Edward and I grinned, letting out the laugh finally as he held and squeezed my hands lovingly.
————-
TBC