I Choose You

Four

Shade

A guard walks into the small room where Cal and I sit, the guard looks at me, nodding, dismissing me out.  I walk out of the room into the courtyard, seeing Mare standing there, smiling through sadness.  I can see her tears on the inside, I know that.  Her face looks at mine, and our eyes meet as I continue to walk towards her, the sunlight beaming onto her sad eyes. 

Before I can even get out of the guards grasp, Mare runs up to me, her arms wrapped around me, once the guards are out of sight Mare breaks down, crying.  I run my fingers through her hair, she weeps into the crook of my neck.  "It's okay Mare, everything will be okay," 

She reveals her face, flushed red.  "Saying goodbye to Kilorn was so- so hard,"  She uses her wrist to wipe her tears.  "What happened?"  Knowing Mare, she will tell me anything, she's always honest with me.

"He kissed me," Her words ring in the air like arrows.  A tear rolls down her cheek.  Kilorn kissed my sister.  I want to punch him for doing that to her like this, on a day like today.

"Don't punch him though," 

She knows me so well.  

"I won't"  

She looks at me, like she has more to say.  "What?"

"Maven want's me here, and if I stay he'll end all of this,"

I roll my eyes, Maven's love for Mare is sick, one sided.  

"What did you say?"  

"Nothing yet, I'm thinking,"

"Mare, know one thing," 

She looks up at me, staring at me with her sad, dark, brown sea of eyes.  She raises one eyebrow.

"If you stay, you'll have a better chance of surviving,"

Those words kill me, I can't bare thinking that Mare would have a life with Maven, a bloodthirsty King. 

"And if you don't, he could kill you and everyone else you love, and we'd be on the run again,"

I fight my tears, Mare can't see me cry, she just can't, not while she's in this state, not now, not ever.

"Your right, Shade,"  She stops crying now, she returns her strong face.  I can hear Maven's footsteps.  He is hear to drag me away from Mare. 

"Also, Farley is here, make sure you let her out to, Maven listens to you, at least,"

She nods, hugging me for what I hope isn't the last time.

Mare

I watch them take Shade away to safety, it's bittersweet really, as much as I wish I could be with Shade and Kilorn forever, they are safe, Maven promised not to lay a finger on them, or my family, or Cal, as long as I am here, in his reach.  

I see Cal, my last moments with him.  This goodbye is one I hoped would never happen, ever. 

He walks up to me, waiting to speak until Maven and the guards leave us out of earshot. 

"Mare,"  he says with not much emotion, he looks at me with his golden-brown eyes, not knowing what words to say.

"Cal," I say back, matching his tone.  

"I know we don't have much, but, just know that I love you, and I'll come back here for you, no matter what,"

"I haven't even agreed to Maven and your saying that,"

"I know you, Mare, you'll put your loved ones above yourself,"

He's not wrong, I do.  Even though Maven will have me here anyway, he loves me, that I know.  But do I love him?  He didn't have Kilorn killed, he let everyone I love go, and they have safety under his word, he is a man of his word.  

"Cal, I love you,"  I push my thoughts of Maven out, maybe I did feel the same deep down, but I can't have that in my way, to blur my thoughts, no distractions.

"I love you too, Mare,"  

His lips are on mine, my second goodbye kiss of the day.  This kiss is nothing like the others, when we danced, or any others.  It's a kiss of need, a kiss of sorrow.  His warmth is nothing like Maven's though, but they are both like a drug, impossible to let go.  I love Cal, but there is a difference between Cal and Maven that will always haunt me.

Maven will always choose me

Hey!  I know I've done a lot today but I'm bored and I have no life, haha, hope you like, I'll probably do another today, I have time.  

Love

Hannah