DG had felt herself slowly losing control of her life with each word that her mother spoke. Her last chance at freedom was with those infamous words 'speak now or forever hold your peace' and she mustered all her energy before opening her mouth to speak. But somebody else beat her to it.

"Because she doesn't love him." DG's head whipped around to try to focus on who had spoken. She blinked away the waterfall of tears and focused on the person standing at the end of the aisle. Her heart caught in her throat when she realized who it was.

It was Cain.

"And," he continued, staring right at her. "She deserves to marry someone who loves her." The tears began flowing harder, but not because she was sad. It was because she knew now that he loved her. She stared after him as he left the ballroom, closing the door behind him.

"Well, DG? Do you wish to continue with the ceremony?" Her mother asked, as if Cain had never spoken. She pulled back her veil, revealing her horrible tear-stained face and her mother gasped. DG kicked off her shoes, ripped the veil off her head and grabbed the skirt of her gown before giving her mother one last glance. She ran down the aisle after Cain.

"Princess Dorothy!" Duke Adrian yelled after her. "We have a contract!"

DG didn't stop running or crying and when she reached the ballroom door, she threw it open. She watched Cain walking away for only a split second before running again.

Cain heard yelling from the ballroom, but he didn't stop walking, just slowed. He heard barefeet behind him and he finally turned to see DG running towards him. She stopped before she reached him, just standing there.

He glanced at the black trails down her face and thought to himself that she looked more beautiful in that moment then ever.

He just stood facing her and neither of them said a word. He looked down at his shoes and memorized the scuff-marks.

"Wh… Why didn't you tell me… before…" She whispered.

"Tell you what?" He whispered back, still looking at his feet.

"That… you love me." He looked up at her face.

She knew.

"How'd you…"

"Wyatt, when you stop my wedding, I figure things out…" DG's breath caught like it does when you're trying to laugh while bawling. Cain felt his heart skip when she called him by his first name.

It took a second for either of them to say anything.

"I knew you were crying when you came in…" He started. "I could tell by the way your shoulders tensed…" He was embarrassed that he recognized anything about her, from little changes in how she did her hair to things she ate at meals. "That's why I said something. I wasn't going to, because I didn't think…" He couldn't go on anymore. He had to maintain composure for her sake.

So he remained silent, dumbly.

DG finally stopped crying as she watched the inner struggle going on inside Cain. He still didn't know that she loved him, so he thought he was in the wrong.

DG smiled to herself and reached out her right hand to place her hand on his cheek. He was once again shocked and he looked up.

"If you hadn't said anything, I would have…" She smiled. "I was getting ready to say something when you spoke up."

He raised one of the corners of his mouth in a smirk. DG brushed his cheek with her thumb and took a step closer, narrowing the void between them.

"And you should know… That I love you too." She whispered and he smiled. "I realized it this morning…" She moved in to kiss him but he shook his head smilling.

"We have an audience." DG turned, her hand now in Cain's, to see everyone staring at them from the open ballroom door, smiling.

"Then, let's give them a show." DG winked and kissed him sweetly. He laughed into her lips and returned the kiss lovingly, wrapping his arms around her waist. He picked her up and whirled her around and she laughed, throwing her head back and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Duke Adrian pushed through the crowd and his jaw dropped.

"I can give you riches beyond your wildest dreams! And you choose the guard?" He was exasperated.

"How do you know what I dream about?" DG turned to face him, holding fast to Cain's hand. Adrian was speechless.

"If you knew anything about what I dream, you would know that it's right here," She said, holding up the hand that was holding Cain's, which made Adrian blush.

"But he's… poor! And… old!" Adrian was now fighting to maintain all the political clout he could, but he was failing.

"Makes up for you, Duke. You are… snobby. And… boring." The crowd stifled laughs as Adrian threw his hands up in the air.

"I can make you a Duchess…" it was his last attempt.

"Hmmm… go marry you and become a Duchess… marry Wyatt…" She emphasized his name again because she knew how it made him feel. "And become Queen of the O.Z. Tough choice." She turned back to Cain and he winked.

Adrian growled in anger and threw a temper tantrum, which caused his mother to push through the crowd and lead him away as he cried like a baby.

"I never said anything about marrying you…" Cain teased. DG raised an eyebrow.

"I never said you did." She kissed him again and giggled.

"Cheeky…"

The End