Fragile: Handle With Care | Teen Ink

Fragile: Handle With Care

December 13, 2009
By GirlintheYellowScarf BRONZE, Key Biscayne, Florida
GirlintheYellowScarf BRONZE, Key Biscayne, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is far too important a thing to ever talk seriously about -Oscar Wilde


I passed one of the entrances to a room in the hallway on the way to the ballroom’s grand entrance. I knew it was futile to hope for anything, but I kept fantasizing about dancing in the arms of Count Henry Dashwood; I had picked my most lovely emerald green gown, his favorite color, the color of his enchanting emerald eyes. It was useless, I thought. He is engaged to my sister, Esmeralda; I only pale in comparison to her elegant manners and renowned beauty. Unfortunately, without my encouragement, my delicate heart had come to belong to him.

Why did I continue to ponder over our meetings, reviewing every look, every word? Our very relationship consisted of insults and criticisms of each other, each of us competing to outdo the others latest remark. If there were any strong feelings, they were surely ones of dislike.

And yet, I wondered. Did he wonder about me? Did his thoughts go to mine as we both laid our heads down for sleep in separate rooms? Surely, I must enter his mind sometimes, I thought to myself.

Suddenly, in the mist of my reverie, I felt a strong, manly arm grab hold of my arm and pull me into the library. A fire crackled in the fireplace and I could just make out the masculine features, jet black hair, and emerald eyes of Henry. I gasped and demanded that he released my arm immediately.

“Relax, Katarina. I am not so stupid a man as you think that I would harm you.” He answered mischievously and let go of his hold on my wrist.

“All that means is that you are not as dim-witted as a rock, Mr. Dashwood. Now, tell me, then, why I have been so roughly pulled into this rather ill lit library?” I demanded.

“I wanted to speak of my marriage to your sister,” he explained rather coldly.

“Oh,” I answered, slightly disappointed which must have shown on my face.

“What? Did you imagine me in love with you?” He asked angrily, mockingly. I looked down, playing with my silk-gloved hands; I pulled at each finger and bit my lip so hard that I’m surprised it did not bleed. I tried to hold back the tears, but my glassy eyes must have given me away.

“I, um,”, I stuttered as I looked up and met his eye. His breathtakingly green eyes, so big that imagined an entire forest behind them, still awaited my response. I looked to the side, and then faced him again, in all his dark-haired beauty. As I silently mulled over what to answer his inquiry, I grew indignant. How dare he so roughly and cruelly handle my feelings? If I was in love with him, does he not realize that he will have crushed me with his cruelty, as if dropping a packed up box with the word “fragile” scrawled across it. I determined that this incredibly tall, handsomely built man before me was made up of nothing but stone if he was so intent of destroying something that he should, by definition, handle with care.

“No.” I said strongly. To which he looked up. “You could not possibly be in love with me, because it is my belief that you are a man with a heart of ice. Furthermore, I would like to tell you that I could never be in love with a man as unfeeling, as brutal, as you have proven to be. I could not, Henry, possibly love you.”

I was visibly shaking, and was not sure if my strength would hold up, but I was happy that, for once my I stated what I truly felt. After years of being trampled upon by my mother, or bullied by my sister, I had finally stood my ground. I felt proud until I heard a whisper come from Henry,

“Well, I am, you know.” He said as he lifted his gaze from the floor to my eyes. I felt my heart skip a beat.

“You are what?” I asked, looking at him warily.

“In love with you,” he answered, looking for the first time since I had known him, vulnerable. His green eyes searched mine for an answer, fearful of what it might be. “I am giving you my icy, yet easily broken, heart. Please handle with care, for ice has the ability to shatter just as glass.”

My knees buckled and soon his arms were around me, and his lips were pressed against mine, taking their shape. I felt tears running down my face and realized, as I opened my eyes to look into his, that not all of them were mine.


The author's comments:
I just wanted to portray the vulnerability that love demands. It is one of the hardest things to admit and, even harder, to hide. Enjoy and constructive criticism will be appreciated!

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This article has 22 comments.


on Jul. 26 2010 at 1:31 pm
CrazyWriter GOLD, Lorton Station, Virginia
16 articles 2 photos 102 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Once you have given up on the most important thing in your life, you begin to die, because then, you gradually lose your true self&quot;~Hana Kimi<br /> &quot;Someone who can lie to themself. . . is lonely, and in pain&quot;~Hana Kimi

one word. Amazing!

~CrazyWriter

 


on Feb. 7 2010 at 6:27 pm
crunchyginger18 GOLD, Lawrence, Kansas
16 articles 5 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Life Imitates Art&quot; Lana Del Rey

I really love this!

on Jan. 12 2010 at 9:18 pm
GirlintheYellowScarf BRONZE, Key Biscayne, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is far too important a thing to ever talk seriously about -Oscar Wilde

thanks so much for the support! i hope to continue the story further!

PoisonLove said...
on Jan. 12 2010 at 9:16 pm
Wow that was amazing you could so make that into a book. I would deffienetly buy it your an amazing writer. At first I was a little confused but then it totally tied together.

on Jan. 12 2010 at 9:03 pm
GirlintheYellowScarf BRONZE, Key Biscayne, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is far too important a thing to ever talk seriously about -Oscar Wilde

yes, young grasshopper. you ARE a NINJA!

on Jan. 12 2010 at 9:00 pm
*Rates* NOOOOOW am I a ninja? : D

on Jan. 12 2010 at 8:55 pm
GirlintheYellowScarf BRONZE, Key Biscayne, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is far too important a thing to ever talk seriously about -Oscar Wilde

well...and rate...please lol

on Jan. 12 2010 at 8:53 pm
This is all I have to do to be a ninja? Mysterygoogle is awesome.

gemma said...
on Jan. 8 2010 at 5:08 pm
very good! I am a fan of love stories anyway and this is extremely good. plus, I also found this from mystery google so well done :P x

on Jan. 8 2010 at 4:42 pm
GirlintheYellowScarf BRONZE, Key Biscayne, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is far too important a thing to ever talk seriously about -Oscar Wilde

hahaha i do whatever works :) thanks for completing your secret mystery google mission and i'm glad you sincerely liked my work! i appreciate all the feedback!

KGD1021 said...
on Jan. 8 2010 at 4:25 pm
KGD1021, Indian Trail, North Carolina
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
haha DOUBLE points now!!! Youre on a roll

on Jan. 8 2010 at 4:12 pm
I found it on mysterygoogle too so points from me as well!

on Jan. 8 2010 at 4:09 pm
That was amazing! That was a lot like how me and this guy are. I'm not sure how I'd react if this happened to us! Beatiful though.

KGD1021 said...
on Jan. 8 2010 at 4:02 pm
Not gonna lie...got this from mystery google =] so two things...1.Points for getting your mission to work 2.Great Story you have here=]

DofD said...
on Jan. 8 2010 at 3:58 pm
This is truly amazing. I have been in this girl's position and you captured what I thought no one ever could; the pain that's so unbearable you start to actually believe your dying and the confusion over the fact that you're still so in love with the one causing you that pain. Thank you and I look forward to reading more by you.

on Jan. 6 2010 at 5:32 pm
GirlintheYellowScarf BRONZE, Key Biscayne, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is far too important a thing to ever talk seriously about -Oscar Wilde

Thanks a mil!! I really appreciate your comments!

Graceling- He does not know for sure that she is in love with him. He tries to maintain his arrogant bravado in order to interpret her feelings for him before he ultimately breaks down with the truth of his own love for her. Thanks for your feedback! I'll try to make it more clear :)

NinjaBOB said...
on Jan. 6 2010 at 5:11 pm
mystery google?

Graceling said...
on Jan. 6 2010 at 5:01 pm
I really liked what you had... but i didnt understand why dashwood would assume that she was in love with him. How could he realize this by her reaction? couldnt he have assumed that she just didnt wnat her sister to marry him or that she would miss her sister? just something to think about. i think you had some awesome descriptive writting. nice job

NinjaBOB said...
on Jan. 6 2010 at 4:50 pm
im not gonna lie.. this was pretty awesome. keep doin what you're doin.

-NINJA BOB

SectetNinja said...
on Jan. 5 2010 at 11:20 pm
Very nice. You rock. 