A/N: and so it continues…

"Yes Princess," Cain replied, "I returned just an hour ago."

"Commander Cain was some important business that has only just returned him to us. Now, what was it you wanted to tell us?" her father asked.

Taking a deep breath, DG made an effort to compose herself and put her smile back on, "Jarick and I are getting married!" she exclaimed.

Immediately her parents were out of their seats and congratulating her. In the midst of the hugging and kissing, DG noticed Cain slip quietly out of the room. She had never been one to avoid confrontation, so she did the only thing she could think to do.

"Oh," she said, swaying slightly, "You know, all of this excitement … suddenly I'm not feeling to well. I think I need to lie down for a bit."

"Of course darling," Jarick replied, "Would you like me to escort you to your room?"

"No no," she said, "it's all right. I'll um, I'll go by myself."

"Sweetheart are you all right?" her mother asked.

"I'm sure I'll be fine."

Excusing herself and giving Jarick a kiss, DG walked out of the room and down the hall, reminding herself to maintain composure.

The moment she had the door to her bedroom safely locked, DG slid down against it and onto the floor. What the hell did Wyatt Cain think he was doing?! Showing up now, of all times. Just when she'd gotten over him. Just when she was about to marry someone else. Just when –

"Congratulations," the gruff voice caused DG to jump to her feet.

"What're you doing in here?" she asked angrily.

"I thought we should talk," Cain replied.

"Talk? I'm sorry, I don't think there's much to talk about. You've been gone for three months Cain. Gone, and you didn't even tell me you were leaving. I had no idea what happened to you. You didn't even fucking say goodbye!" DG found herself yelling the last part, anger flaring up inside her.

"You think I would've been able to leave if I had? If I'd seen you again I couldn't have walked away. And I needed to leave DG, we both know that."

"No, we don't. You apparently seem to know that, so please enlighten me. Why did you leave Cain?"

He took a deep breath, "Because you were right. I was in love with you. I know what you deserve kid, and it's better than me. If I hadn't left you never would have found Jarick. He's the kind of man you should be with. He'll make you happy. He'll treat you the way you should be treated."

"All you were doing was running away. Don't try to make it seem like it was for my own good."

"But it was princess, you need to believe that."

"I don't need to believe anything."

She stared at Cain, slowly taking in everything about him. His clothes still wrinkled from riding, his old fedora; the ice blue eyes that looked at her from beneath the rim, so full of the emotions she knew he would rather hide. He was good at hiding. Good at running. And good at making it seem like he was doing the right thing, the noble thing. DG hated him for that. But even as she stood there glaring at him, she could feel everything coming back – every bit of her feelings for him. And she knew then that they'd never gone away.

"After you left," she began, "I didn't even know what to do. I couldn't sleep, I didn't want to eat. No one seemed to be able to tell me where you'd gone or when you would come back. I didn't even know if you'd ever come back," she found herself pacing as she continued, "I did what I had to do. I forgot about you, and I forgot about the person I was when I was with you. It was hard at first, but it got easier to push you out of my head. To ignore it when I dreamt about the way I felt it your arms. I think it just about killed me, but I did it … And then I met Jarick, and he was wonderful. He was perfect. He wrote me poetry and he said all the right things and he was always so sweet to me. I thought I was happy with him. I thought I could be that princess you read about it all the fairytales who gets swept up onto a white horse by her prince charming. I thought I could be happy spending my life being adored by him."

"You deserve that DG," Cain said.

"No," she said, "No I don't."

"Yes you do," he said forcefully.

"How can it be what I deserve when it's not what I want?!" she yelled, "You want me to be happy, you think I deserve to be happy, but I'm not. Not like this. I thought I was but I can't live this way."

There was silence between them before Cain found himself asking the question that had been burning in his mind.

"Are you in love with him?"

"No," DG replied quietly, hot tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"No…?"

"No, I'm not in love with him," she whispered, "I mean," she looked up to face Cain, "I love him as a friend. He's gentle and he's sweet and he … he should have someone who wants all of those things. I kept trying to pretend that I'm that girl. I made myself believe I was that girl, but I'm not. I don't want someone who's wonderful all the time and tender all the time and adoring all the time. I don't want to have to lock part of myself away when I'm with someone."

"Then what do you want?" Cain asked.

DG sighed, "I just want you," she said in a broken voice.

Cain had been listening intently to everything DG was saying. He could almost feel how trapped she was. He could understand what she needed. He could see how hard it was for her, the only thing he wanted was to make it easier. Without another thought, he crossed the room in three steps and took her into his arms. He didn't stop to wonder whether or not it was right as he covered her mouth with his. Consequences be damned.

It was a far cry from Jarick's constant tenderness, and DG quickly realized it was the one thing that she needed. Passion, want, possession, unbridled love. She felt everything the moment Cain's lips touched her. It seemed to sear through every part of her, making her weak in the knees. This was what had been missing. She felt a part of her come back to life.

"I love you," Cain said hoarsely when they broke apart, "You're all I want DG, you always have been."

"You've got awful timing," she remarked.

Cain pulled away from her, "You're not ….," he paused and cleared his throat, "Are you still going to marry Jarick?"

DG bit her bottom lip. This was going to be the most difficult thing she'd ever done – regardless of the decision she made.

"I don't know," she said, "I made a promise to him, and I do love him. He's wonderful. But," she looked back up into Cain's eyes, "I don't think I can live without this."

"Is that a no?"

She nodded, "But I hate myself for it. He doesn't deserve to be hurt the way I'm going to hurt him."

"I'm sorry," Cain said, "Maybe it would've been better if I hadn't come back – "

"Don't you ever say that," DG said with surprising force, "Ever."

She turned away from him and fixed a few stray hairs in the mirror, "Right," she said, "Well I'm going to go talk to Jarick. The sooner the better I guess."

She turned to leave, but Cain put a gentle hand on her arm, "I'm sorry I let you walk out my door that night," he said quietly.

"I know."

--

Jarick was in the stables when DG found him, gently grooming his horse and humming to himself.

"Hi," she said.

"Oh hello darling, feeling better?"

"Mhm."

He took her in his arms and dipped her into a kiss. DG found herself almost wishing that she felt something even remotely resembling what she felt when she was with Cain, but there was nothing there.

"Woah there," she said as he let her go, "No need to get too over the top."

"Oh yes I forget," Jarick remarked, "you aren't so much of a romantic."

DG gave him an apologetic smile.

"There's something I need to talk to you about," she said, picking up a brush and beginning on the other side of the horse.

"What's that?"

"It's not an easy thing for me to say."

"Sweetheart," Jarick stopped and came around to be next to her, "You can tell me anything, you know that."

"I know, it's just … this is going to hurt you. And you don't deserve to be hurt."

He looked at her in confusion, "What is it?"

DG took a deep breath. "Jarick, I love you. You're absolutely wonderful and I couldn't ask for a better man."

"But?"

"But I don't think I can marry you. I thought this was what I wanted, but I was wrong. You deserve the girl who's going to make you the happiest, and I just don't think I'm her. I know I'm not her."

"But DG," he said, "I'm in love with you."

"I know," she replied, "And I'm so, so sorry. Believe me if I could control how I felt about who then I would want to spend the rest of my life with you. But I can't."

Jarick was quiet for a long moment before he spoke again. "Is there someone else?"

DG looked into his eyes and found that she couldn't lie.

"Yes," she said, "yeah. There is."

"Is it Commander Cain?"

She was shocked at the question, "Well I – how did you – "

"I saw the way you two looked at each other in the throne room. And I saw the way he looked when you announced that we were engaged. Then he walked out. I knew there had to have been something between you," Jarick sighed, "I just hoped it was over."

"I'm sorry," DG whispered again, putting her hand on his face.

He put his hand over top of it and gave her a sad smile, "It's all right. I understand. I just want you to be happy. Even if it isn't with me."

DG slid his ring off of her left hand and gave it back to him, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Thank you Jarick," she said, "You're a better man than most."

"It's always been my downfall," he replied.

Giving him a final smile, DG turned and walked away.

A/N: so I think this is going to end up being a 3-parter, which means just one more to go. I promise it'll be a good one though! (even if it isn't written yet). As always, reviews are fantastic and make me smile.