Chapter 35

Eliena shoved her way into the war chamber. Jonathan and Alanna, who were meeting with leaders in the war against Scanra looked at their daughter, eyebrows raised. The leaders—including Numair, Raoul, General Vanget, and Daine—looked at the heiress. Only General Vanget and some of Raoul's men scrambled to bow. Eliena ignored them, fixing her violet eyes on her parents.

"Can we help you, Eliena?" Jonathan asked coolly, using the table to rise.

"Yes. I want an explanation to this insanity that Cress will go to Carthak," Eliena replied.

"This isn't the best time, Eli," the king told his daughter.

"Too bad," Eliena retorted. She turned her gaze to the others in the room. "Excuse us." No one moved. "In case you didn't get that, which it would appear you did not, that means get out." Everyone scrambled to leave. As the last person shut the door, Alanna looked at Eliena, eyes blank.

"You know, Eli, you could've just cost us the war," Alanna remarked. Eliena snorted. "That was pleasant."

"Please, mother, I did not just cost us the war. And don't try that on me, because it doesn't matter." She put her hands firmly on her hips. "If Cress is going to Carthak—" she frowned and went to the door, yanking it open. Numair and Daine looked up, eyes wide. They'd been listening in the keyhole. Eliena sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Go away. Or do I have to spell the room?" Numair and Daine walked away. "Thank you!" she called, shutting the door and turning back to her parents. "Now. As I was saying. If Cress is going to Carthak, I'm going with her."

"You can't," Jonathan said. "You have no business doing so." Eliena crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"And why not?" she wanted to know. "I'm the princess, aren't I? And isn't Kaddar my friend?"

"Eliena. I don't know if you've heard, but Kaddar is having some…trouble keeping his country under control," Alanna replied. Eliena shrugged.

"And?" she prompted. "Its not like I can't take care of myself. If you're so worried, let me bring Daine and Numair."

"Eliena." Jonathan rubbed his temples. "You being there could interfere with what we're trying to do."

"I don't get why you're sending a lady of a lesser noble house to marry him and not Lianne," Eliena said.

"Because we may need Lianne for something else!" Alanna snapped. "Roald is already in an arranged marriage for an alliance. Lianne may be needed for peace elsewhere!"

"So why not a greater noble house?" Eliena retorted stubbornly. "Fief Tameran is nothing."

"I'm sure Cressida would appreciate hearing that," her mother shot back. Eliena scowled.

"Look. All I'm saying is that Cressida is possibly the worst candidate for empress I've ever seen," Eliena admitted.

"Is this about Cress or is this about Kaddar?" Jonathan wanted to know.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eliena demanded of her father. "Are you suggesting something, father?"

"No." Jonathan shrugged. "Only that maybe you don't want the marriage intended for you to go to Cressida."

Eliena narrowed her violet eyes, which were sparking. "Excuse me?" Her voice was dangerously low.

"Hold on a minute," Alanna cut in. She turned to her husband. "Do you see her? She looks like I do when I'm on the verge of exploding." Alanna looked back at her daughter. "All your father is saying, Eliena, is that maybe you haven't let go of Kaddar."

"I was ever holding on to anything!" she cried. Eliena collapsed into a chair, putting her head in her hands. "Why does everything have to be so gods-cursed complicated?"

"This isn't about Cressida," Jonathan observed.

"No, you think?" Alanna retorted. She went over to Eliena, placing a motherly hand on her daughter's back. "What is it, sweet?" Jonathan was shocked—Alanna hardly ever sounded like that! She was soothing, motherly. Jon smiled. Calling Alanna motherly was new to him.

"Nothing," Eliena replied, shrugging her mother's hand away.

"Its something," Jon said, moving to sit beside her. "Come here, sweetheart." Eliena changed to sitting on her father's lap. She buried her face in his tunic and started to cry. "Oh, Eli."

"How can I chose?" she sobbed.

"Choose what, baby?" Jonathan asked, holding his daughter close. Alanna sat in Eliena's seat, smiling at her husband. This was the Jonathan she loved—the caring man that saw beyond Alan and into Alanna.

"Neal and Leo," Eliena replied, putting her head on his shoulder and playing with his tunic. "They're both wonderful."

"Eliena." She looked at her mother. "Maybe you need to stop making love and start accepting love."

"What do you mean?" Eliena asked, clearly confused.

"You, my dear, suffer from the same thing I did. You're afraid of love. I know you claimed to love Leo, but when Neal offered you a place in his bed, you took it. That's not love, sweet. It means you were unsure. And you didn't accept Leo's heart, sweet. From what I know of Neal, he's a bit melodramatic. You can be the same. You got all caught up in each other without seeing how alike you are. Too many similarities lead to differences, baby. You've made love to them both—several times. You keep making all this love, but you don't take any of it. You push it all away. You're running away from it. Eli, sweetie, Leo's ready to accept you—all of you, flaws and all—but you keep pushing him farther away." Jonathan and Eliena looked at Alanna in wonder—not only did she sound completely unlike her, but she was talking of love, which she had pushed away. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Alanna, you…" Jonathan shook his head. "I don't believe it."

"What?" Alanna asked.

"Mother, you just told me how I'm afraid of love," Eliena replied bluntly.

"Yes… and?" Alanna prodded.

"That's what you were," Eliena said.

"And that's why I can tell you with complete authority that it is a terrible thing to do." Alanna smiled at her husband and squeezed his hand. "I almost lost your father because I couldn't accept that he actually loved me—all of me."

"How can that be?" Eliena wondered aloud. "How can you love all of a person?"

"Well, love, sometimes you see the flaws as what makes them perfect," Jonathan explained, holding Alanna's eyes. It was times like that when they were young again.

Eliena frowned. "You mean, Leo might actually love me? All of me, you mean? Temper, flirtations, fickleness, and all?"

"Honey, I think that's why he loves you," Alanna rationalized. "I think he loves you because you aren't perfect."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Eliena interrupted.

"What your mother means, Eliena, is that Leo loves you because you aren't perfect, but you know you aren't perfect. You're fine with just being Eli," Jonathan said. Eliena chewed her lip and stared absently at the floor. She looked up at her parents, eyes shining.

"I think I need to find him."

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"Leo!" Eliena caught sight of him in the practice courts. Leo looked up and squinted. He saw Eliena hanging out of her window.

"Eli, what are you doing?" he cried. Eliena was sitting on her window ledge.

"Catch me!" she called, pushing herself off.

"Mithros…" Leo muttered, but caught her all the same. When he put her down to scold her, Eliena covered his mouth with hers in a passionate kiss. Leo pushed her away gently. "Eli, what are you doing?" he asked quietly. Eliena put her arms around his neck, holding his hazel eyes with her violet ones.

"Leonard of Pirate's Swoop, do you love me?" she asked, searching the green-brown depths of his eyes.

"Yes," Leo replied.

"All of me? Even the things that are wrong with me?" Eliena continued.

"Eli, I love every inch of you," he assured her.

"Are you sure you can live with me being me for the rest of our lives?" she wanted to know.

"Gods, Eliena, I can't live without out," he told her.

"Good." She kissed him, long and slow. When she pulled back, her eyes were half shut. "Get that ring back from my mother."

Leo looked at her, startled. "Do you mean…?" Eliena smiled at him.

"Leo, its just as you said, I can't live without you," she told him. Looking down into those passionate violet eyes of hers, Leo could see they glistened with tears. "I just came from a long talk with my parents. My mother, of all people, made me realize that I'm terrified of love." Leo raised his eyebrows. "I know! But, listen. I'm not afraid anymore. I just need someone who will live with my flaws and not try to make me perfect, because I'm not." Leo put his finger to her lips before she could say any more.

"Eliena of Conté, I wouldn't love you so much if you were perfect," he murmured, kissing her passionately. Eliena pulled back.

"What do you mean?" she asked, eyes confused. She tilted her head to the side adorably. Leo brushed the black hair from her face, eyes dancing.

"There's a fire right here—" he tapped her chest, "—that some people see as a fault. But makes this—" he cupped her face, "—all the more beautiful." With that, he kissed her deeply, dipping her back. Eliena wrapped her arms around his neck, savoring the taste that would be hers until the end of time.

Author's Note- so, I saw "John Tucker Must Die" last night, and "Step Up" today. They were both amazing movies. Anyway, back to Eliena—I think you all know the final pairing now. So you can all stop hassling me about it! Just kidding. So you know, I think this is the best chapter I have EVER written. Seriously, I think it is. Tell me what you think by clicking that little REVIEW button, OK? If you don't, I'm going to send Alanna after you! So REVIEW!