Forgot to mention that I do own the man, Dale. I made him up strictly for this story... This part is longer than the first, but I just got going and couldn't stop. :P

MISTAKES A PLENTY
t w o
'the irrational'

She loved him.

There wasn't much else she could say on the situation. She wouldn't have been marrying him if she didn't. Yet as she neared him, clutching the bouquet Azkadellia had shoved at her before the music started, someone else was on DG's mind. She raised her gaze from the ground, meeting her mother's, and she gave a little smile before seeking out someone else.

Wyatt Cain, like everyone, was standing with his hat held at his side, and as DG passed him she locked her gaze with his. They both stared, unblinking, and time seemed to slow for just a while. He was still unreadable, damnit, and the half-assed smile he gave her might've fooled everyone else, but only made her more irritated. She narrowed her eyes at him, making a face that she hoped conveyed her thoughts -- What is your problem? Say it already.

And he blinked, just like that, averting his gaze. She rolled her eyes, turning back to the front, and she quickly pasted a smile onto her face as she remembered that her and Cain weren't the only ones there.

Could she admit that she wanted him to stop her? Ah screw it, yes. Yes she could. She'd waited the whole time that he'd been with her, escorting her from her room, and he'd said nothing. He was the only one she would've listened to had he said not to marry Dale -- had he just come right out and told her that he didn't like the man (it was so obvious, he was so dense sometimes), she wouldn't have married him.

And she knew that made her a bad person.

Dale took her hands in his as she stepped up beside him, and she felt a sharp jab to her heart, looking into his affection-filled eyes. God, what was she doing? He was so in love with her and she...just wasn't. She'd never understood that saying, 'I love you, but I'm not in love with you,' until just that very moment. Dale would always hold a special part of her heart, but there could never be that passion between them. That passion of two who were so in love that fire erupted around them whenever they were together.

Dale deserved someone better, DG realized.

When he looked away, towards the resident priest, DG threw the quickest of glances at Cain. Would he interrupt when prompted? Would he object to the joining of her and him in holy matrimony? He and the others seated themselves, and he seemed to pointedly keep his gaze fixed on the ground without being conspicuous. The bastard.

And he didn't object when told to -- no one did, of course. Dale and DG would've made the most perfect couple in all of the O.Z., well, next to the King and Queen of course.

"Princess?"

DG found that she'd been staring blankly at the priest for the last few minutes, and she quickly shook her head, snapping herself back to reality. Dale was giving her a worried look -- he probably thought he was sick, the caring gentleman that he was. Oh yeah, he deserved better, she thought. She quirked a brow at the priest, having not heard anything of what he'd said after 'Should anyone think these two should not be joined...' and all that mumbo jumbo.

"Do you take this man?" The older man asked of her.

She opened her mouth, and time froze. Or she wished it had, at least. Instead, she just realized that everyone was staring at her, expecting the affirmative answer, and her brow was starting to sweat. She felt her mouth close, then open again, and she blinked a few times. And finally...

"No," she said in nothing more than a whisper.

A collective gasp, then dead silence. She pulled her hands out of the confused Dale's, which was easy considering the sweat that slicked her palms, and she lightly touched his shoulders, looking into his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she said quietly.

And not waiting for a response, she hiked up her skirt and ran -- as best as she could in such attire -- from the pavilion that had been set up. She didn't go back towards the castle, as that's where they would've expected her to go, and instead ran towards the nearest clump of trees. She just needed to get away for the moment, hide until most of the shock wore down. If ever.

Of course, leave it to Azkadellia to have been right on DG's trail. As the younger woman grabbed onto a tree to steady herself and catch her breath -- damn corset -- Azkadellia appeared, a rush of different emotions passing over her pretty face.

"DG," she said, looking to be struggling to find words, "What...you just...why?"

"I know, I know," DG said. "I'll get to it, just let me...let me get things straight myself, okay?"

Azkadellia nodded, silencing herself, and DG found she could still hear what was going on around the pavilion. People were talking loudly, most asking stupid questions and she didn't want to listen to them. She gestured to her sister before turning and walking deeper into the forest. She wished she'd been able to see Cain's reaction though.

"How upset was Mom?" She asked, stopping finally at a small clearing.

Azkadellia shook her head, slowly lowering herself to sit on a large, partially moss-covered boulder. "I didn't see," she said. "As soon as you took off, I followed. No doubt she's upset."

DG nodded, looking around. "Things were going so smoothly too," she said.

"Yeah I know," Azkadellia said. "What happened, Deej?"

"I don't deserve Dale," DG said simply, shaking her head some and throwing an arm out at her side. "He's such a good guy, and he's so giving. He makes me happy and all, but I'm not in love with him."

Azkadellia studied her in silence for a moment. "DG," she said, "Everyone has their doubts --"

"I didn't have a doubt," DG said, "I had a moment of realization. I opened my eyes, Az. I'm probably always going to feel something for him, just not that special something. And that's the something I want when I get married." She sighed and leaned against a tree, smiling faintly. "Look at Mom and Dad. They're so in love -- you can practically see the sparks around them whenever they're together, even after this long. Dale and I never had that."

Azkadellia added her own sigh, nodding slightly, and she stood. "I'm supposed to be your older sister -- supposed to tell you you're making a mistake and pretend I'm very disappointed," she said. "I am disappointed, actually. You made me wear this hideous dress --"

"It is not hideous," DG interrupted, somewhat offended. "I picked it out special for you."

"I look like a fluffy sheep with too much frill," said Azkadellia, laughing a little.

DG made a little scoff-like noise, crossing her arms over her chest, and Azkadellia rolled her eyes before swatting at the air.

"But the point is," she said, "I don't blame you. I can understand why you would do this, even at such an inopportune time." She placed both her hands on her sister's shoulders, squeezing slightly. "But answer me this -- are you in love with Cain?"

"What?" DG asked, feigning surprise and revulsion. "Are you crazy? Don't be si -- is it obvious?"

Azkadellia's arms fell and she rolled her eyes. "Oh Deej," she said. "How long?"

"A while," DG said glumly.

"Then why even get involved with poor Dale?" asked Azkadellia.

"I don't know," DG answered. "It just seemed the right thing to do -- Mom liked him, Dad even liked him. And I guess I never thought it could work between me and Cain." She'd almost slipped and called him 'Wyatt' -- she only called him that to his face when they were alone or to her diary, she just thought it would've been too intimate a thing, as silly as that sounded.

"Have you told him?" Azkadellia asked.

"No," DG said, "Why would I?"

"Then how do you know it would never work?" Azkadellia asked. "You're so light-headed sometimes, DG --"

"Hey!"

"I mean it," Azkadellia crossed her arms, now looking very much the part of the disappointed older sister. "This whole situation could've been avoided had you only been open early on. Now Dale's wondering what he did wrong, Mom's wondering about your intentions -- or so I assume -- and everyone who was here probably thinks you're cheating on him."

DG's shoulders slumped -- she hated when others proved her wrong. And Azkadellia was definitely right this time. "You really think they think that?" She asked.

Azkadellia sighed, nodding slowly, and pulled her sister into a hug. "You've ruined yourself," she said. "It's a good thing Mom had two daughters then, I guess."

DG laughed, pulling herself out of the embrace and smacking playfully at her sister's shoulder. "Shut up," she said.

Azkadellia smiled at her, but then glanced towards the trail they'd followed. "We should go back," she said. "So you can apologize and all."

"I don't want to," DG said.

"You're an adult now."

"Oh I know, shut up Az," DG rolled her eyes.

She grabbed Azkadellia's hand and the two wordlessly started back through the trees. It was going to be a long day -- a long day indeed.

---

It wasn't until later on in the day, close to sunset, when DG saw Cain again. This was after she'd explained to Dale why she'd done what she did, which he surprisingly took very well. He was heartbroken of course, but agreed that it was better for this to happen now than later on in life -- it was good of her to admit such stuff. Didn't stop her from feeling like a horrible person, but it was a start.

She hadn't spoken to her parents, who had disappeared after the Queen had delivered a large apology to the bewildered guests. DG didn't know if this was a good thing or not.

She found Cain by the pavilion -- he was watching as it was cleaned and cleared away, though DG had no doubt that he'd offered to help. He didn't turn to her as she stopped beside him, though she knew he was aware of her presence. A long silence passed, and he continued to stare ahead at the workers.

"Your mother's angry," he said finally.

"But you're not," DG said.

A mouth-twitch, then a shrug. "I'm surprised," he said.

"You're happy," she said, smirking.

He side-glanced her, giving her one of those pretending-to-be-annoyed-but-really-very-amused looks. "I'm relieved," he said.

"In other words," DG said with a casual shrug, "You're happy."

He only shook his head, but didn't argue. He looked away from her again, and she sighed.

"It's too early in my life anyway," she mused out loud. "I don't want to be married. Unless of course, the right person were to ask..." She looked up pointedly at Cain, raising her eyebrows.

He smiled -- not one of his all-knowing smirks or forced shit-eating grins -- a genuine smile, side-glancing her again. "I don't know what you're getting at, Princess."

She rolled her eyes. "How convenient," she said, then sighed. "It's for the best really -- Mom would probably hate you if you asked me right after I'd run out on my first wedding. She'd hate me more for accepting, though."

"In time," Cain murmured, as if he didn't want to.

"Don't take too long this time," she said, elbowing him slightly. "What if he'd been my soul mate?"

"Then you would've married him," was his simple answer.

"Ugh, men," DG said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "I swear, you and you're...righteousness."

"DG?"

She paused. "What?"

"Be quiet."

She almost laughed, almost told him it was stupid to try and order her around, but instead she was too surprised. She lowered her arms to her sides, following his gaze to the setting suns, and she couldn't help but sigh once more. Without thinking, she grabbed at Cain's hand, linking his fingers with hers.

She felt him tense, but he didn't pull away.

"Let's not invite the whole world to our wedding," she said softly.

Another real smile from him. "Deal."

fin.