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Rose felt her throat closing up and it was getting much more difficult to breath. All she could do was stand beside her father and Stellan, eyes barley casting over some of the politely clapping people in the front as she plastered a tight smile on her face. She couldn't even look over at Leo because she knew if she did, her emotional front would crumble and she would be left standing there like a sad little girl who didn't get what she wanted. Though, as it stood right now, Rose was going to pass out. She was going to fall right on top of poor Mrs. Johnson right there in front of her and knock her out accidentally. Hey- maybe that ordeal would beat out the engagement headlines so Matti wouldn't see them.
Or not.
As Rose stepped down from the platform, hesitantly holding onto Stellan's extended arm as he helped her not fall down, she found her brown eyes wandering past the crowds and over to look at her brother. What she didn't expect to see was the handsome brunette standing beside him, Mateo. The breath that Rose had been holding in since the announcement was made released out of her like a sad deflated ballon, as she breathed it out with it, "oh no."
Releasing her arm from the crook of Stellan's arm where it rested, Rose quickly tried weaving her way through the rest of the crowd, feeling partly awful that she only gave passing thank you's and brief comments to those who tried to stop her and the tall Swedish dude as they past on through. As she began to approach Matti and her brother, she lessened her speed, having trouble keeping eye contact with Matti through the guilty feeling that scratched at her chest. At his comment of their marriage and his congratulations, Rose instinctively reached out to grab his arm gently as an awful feeling hit her heart as if she had just been shot. She was unsure if she had grabbed him to comfort him or her own self. "Matti..." Rose trailed off, her voice weak. She didn't know what to say. What was he even doing here? How did he get in? Today of all days she was sure her father would have a field day if he saw he was in the palace.
"Can we go talk? I just-" Rose spoke softly, her voice almost a whisper. Dropping her hand from his forearm, she cast a look down at her feet. "I'm so sorry I never told you," she breathed, grazing her eyes up from her heels to glance at his chest, unable to meet his eyes. "Let's go for a walk, okay? I'll climb down my balcony, just... meet me below it and we'll get away from the palace." She was sure she could easily get away now. Some people might notice her absence, but they would assume she was off talking to other groups. Her Father would be too wrapped up in himself to even notice she wasn't there, and besides, she'd essentially already exhausted her purpose of the night.
Turning quickly on her heel to face Stellan, she gave an apologetic look as she said, "I'm so sorry, but I'll see you tomorrow," before turning to her brother, kissing his cheek and asking, "please cover for me? I'll owe you for the rest of my life." And with that, she rushed away from the group to go to her room and change. She didn't wait to even hear Matti's reply, too afraid he would reject her invitation to walk. She couldn't get upset at him if he didn't show up. She'd kept something huge from him, afterall.
Or not.
As Rose stepped down from the platform, hesitantly holding onto Stellan's extended arm as he helped her not fall down, she found her brown eyes wandering past the crowds and over to look at her brother. What she didn't expect to see was the handsome brunette standing beside him, Mateo. The breath that Rose had been holding in since the announcement was made released out of her like a sad deflated ballon, as she breathed it out with it, "oh no."
Releasing her arm from the crook of Stellan's arm where it rested, Rose quickly tried weaving her way through the rest of the crowd, feeling partly awful that she only gave passing thank you's and brief comments to those who tried to stop her and the tall Swedish dude as they past on through. As she began to approach Matti and her brother, she lessened her speed, having trouble keeping eye contact with Matti through the guilty feeling that scratched at her chest. At his comment of their marriage and his congratulations, Rose instinctively reached out to grab his arm gently as an awful feeling hit her heart as if she had just been shot. She was unsure if she had grabbed him to comfort him or her own self. "Matti..." Rose trailed off, her voice weak. She didn't know what to say. What was he even doing here? How did he get in? Today of all days she was sure her father would have a field day if he saw he was in the palace.
"Can we go talk? I just-" Rose spoke softly, her voice almost a whisper. Dropping her hand from his forearm, she cast a look down at her feet. "I'm so sorry I never told you," she breathed, grazing her eyes up from her heels to glance at his chest, unable to meet his eyes. "Let's go for a walk, okay? I'll climb down my balcony, just... meet me below it and we'll get away from the palace." She was sure she could easily get away now. Some people might notice her absence, but they would assume she was off talking to other groups. Her Father would be too wrapped up in himself to even notice she wasn't there, and besides, she'd essentially already exhausted her purpose of the night.
Turning quickly on her heel to face Stellan, she gave an apologetic look as she said, "I'm so sorry, but I'll see you tomorrow," before turning to her brother, kissing his cheek and asking, "please cover for me? I'll owe you for the rest of my life." And with that, she rushed away from the group to go to her room and change. She didn't wait to even hear Matti's reply, too afraid he would reject her invitation to walk. She couldn't get upset at him if he didn't show up. She'd kept something huge from him, afterall.
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Stellan didn't pay much attention to the clapping of those around him or the curious mumblings of those who were inevitably starting gossip about something or the other. He could hear the tabloids now coming up with all sorts of wild things about the sudden engagement- Was it arranged or not? Was the Swedish royal family blackmailing Atria for her hand in marriage? Was she pregnant? Something always had to sell.
Stepping off the platform and absentmindedly holding his arm out for Rosalie to grab onto, he stood there simply unsure what to do now or where to go. His brother was already off conversing with the King, so he was sure he wouldn't see him for the rest of the night until he left. Stellan didn't know anyone in the ballroom except now for Rosalie and Leon, but he wasn't sure if he felt totally up to doing tons of introductions for the rest of the night. Wasn't really his thing. He would most likely just trail behind Rosalie as she did whatever she did at these Balls, and maybe even get some whiskey from the bar and stand off to the side for a bit. Yeah. That sounded like a good plan.
Rosalie's small outburst of "oh, no" drew Stellan out of his mind, and curious as he was, he didn't voice his questioning, only followed her lead like he had been planning to do anyways. Eventually, once they pushed past people in a friendly enough brush-off, they ended back up in the corner where they had been first introduce, however, there was an additional person standing there. As he silently listened to their conversation, he got the notion that the two must have been fairly close. Maybe even dating. The guy's congratulations and smile on the engagement news was clearly faked, so much so that anyone could probably tell it was. Man, that dude looked more worse for wear then Stellan himself felt. Turning to glance down at Rose as she addressed him, he simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "Alright, see you then," before side stepping a bit so he planted himself next to Leon. Maybe I could leave too... I wonder where the library is.
After Rose left, Stellan looked down at Leon, questioning, "they dating or something? Rough." Stellan, though it may sound weird to hear, wouldn't be surprised nor really upset if they were. They'd only just met and he was fairly sure Rose wasn't in agreement with her father on the whole marriage matter. Hell, he wasn't either. Maybe her father set this up just to keep those two apart. Double rough.
Stepping off the platform and absentmindedly holding his arm out for Rosalie to grab onto, he stood there simply unsure what to do now or where to go. His brother was already off conversing with the King, so he was sure he wouldn't see him for the rest of the night until he left. Stellan didn't know anyone in the ballroom except now for Rosalie and Leon, but he wasn't sure if he felt totally up to doing tons of introductions for the rest of the night. Wasn't really his thing. He would most likely just trail behind Rosalie as she did whatever she did at these Balls, and maybe even get some whiskey from the bar and stand off to the side for a bit. Yeah. That sounded like a good plan.
Rosalie's small outburst of "oh, no" drew Stellan out of his mind, and curious as he was, he didn't voice his questioning, only followed her lead like he had been planning to do anyways. Eventually, once they pushed past people in a friendly enough brush-off, they ended back up in the corner where they had been first introduce, however, there was an additional person standing there. As he silently listened to their conversation, he got the notion that the two must have been fairly close. Maybe even dating. The guy's congratulations and smile on the engagement news was clearly faked, so much so that anyone could probably tell it was. Man, that dude looked more worse for wear then Stellan himself felt. Turning to glance down at Rose as she addressed him, he simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "Alright, see you then," before side stepping a bit so he planted himself next to Leon. Maybe I could leave too... I wonder where the library is.
After Rose left, Stellan looked down at Leon, questioning, "they dating or something? Rough." Stellan, though it may sound weird to hear, wouldn't be surprised nor really upset if they were. They'd only just met and he was fairly sure Rose wasn't in agreement with her father on the whole marriage matter. Hell, he wasn't either. Maybe her father set this up just to keep those two apart. Double rough.