I CHOOSE YOU, ONLY YOU.

Chapter Seven

For a second, when I woke up I couldn't recognize my own old room at my parents house. I was so used to the bedchamber I shared with Jacen at his palace. The only thing that kept me from panicking was Jacen's breathe against my neck. I calmed down and remembered where I was. Jacen woke up soon after that.

"It's too much bloody pink," he muttered into my hair, his voice full of sleep. It was true, my room was pink and white all over, so girly that it made me uncomfortable more often than not.

I turned around to face him. I stared at him and then looked around. "You look all the more masculine in here, haven't you noticed?" I said amused.

"Told you," he answered. "Too much pink."

"On my defense, all I can say is that is all my mom's doing. She said that if dad was raising me like a swordfighter, she would make sure I was raised like a lady too."

"Apparently lady-hood involves a lot of pink," Jacen said smiling and then kissed the tip of my nose, he knows that makes me giggle. "The burial is at noon, right?

"Yes, and now that you mention it my dad asked me to ask you if you could help with the guard of honor (their main purpose is to carry the casket to the burial place)."

"It would be an honor, but I don't know if it would be appropriate I barely knew your grandfather."

"But you are my husband. And I told you yesterday, you are my family too."

"I'll do it if you think is right."

"Well, thank you," I said smiling as he leaned closer to kiss me.

I know is not right feel happy on the day of my grandfather's burial, but I cannot help to be happy around Jacen. I cannot help to feel warm all over each time we kiss. How did I come to feel like this? And what does it means? Is this the love Papa said I feel for Jacen? Is it love when just being near someone makes you feel safe and plain out happy?

That's how Jacen makes me feel lately. As if the world that had been spinning out of control around me since I was made the crown princess of this lands had suddenly righted itself. It wasn't what I had once been used to but I liked the new order of the things around me. I like waking up next to Jacen each morning, I like it when his big hand holds mine, and I certainly liked it when he said he loved me, even when technically I know nothing about that.

()()()()()()()()

Darla walked me to meet the rest of the guard of honor. The only one I knew was Adam, her friend.

"Is our belief that immediate family cant do this because the dead person would pull them to the grave with them," She was explaining to me. "Not literally, more like having and accident or getting sick and dying within the following year after the person that originally died."

"That's a weird thing to say."

"I guess so," She said playing with her hair. "But it is the tradition." She smiled to Adam. "Lets see, you know Adam, that's Commander Wells, Commander Connor, Commander Marshall and I guess someone else will be showing up soon." She said pointing at the other man that where there. Wells, Connor and Marshall were around her father's age.

She took me to the spot I would be occupying in the honor guard. Before she left I whispered in her ear that I thought she looked very beautiful, she smiled and kissed me in the cheek then she said "Good luck." And went to where her brother was waiting for her.

"Just don't trip and you'll be fine," Adam told me. We were waiting to see who else would join us when Commander Wells said "Bashful A. Stupidensen," Adam turned around looking a little pale

"Hector," he said nervously.

"Hello, mate, did you miss me?" this new man said while taking the remaining spot.

"Sure thing, man." Adam answered, but then he looked away, I followed his gaze and saw it landed on Darla, she was wrestling with Marcus to get him to tuck his shirt. I was still looking at them till I saw them stop next to their parents. "Good thing you made it on time. Huh, Jacen," he said and I turned to look at him. "This is Hector Montell. Darla probably has mentioned him." I nodded. "Hector, this is Jacen Sharade," Adam said and Hector snapped up and looked at me, his hand immediately going for the sword he had at his side the second he heard my last name. Guess he didn't know our kingdoms weren't at war anymore. Adam swallowed. "You know," he added, "Darla's husband."

Just then the priest asked us to follow him to the burial place. After we were done I went to stand next to my wife. I hugged her and she leaned into me, no matter what she told me about the nature of the wolves, I know how much it hurts when you realize you're saying goodbye to someone that is never coming back.

)=)=)=)=)=)=)=)

How can she?

I rode all night to be here and pay my respects to Maurice and when I get here I find her married to him. I never thought she would actually do it. How can she wear so proudly the Sharade family crest? A bear climbing a tree Ð the mark of the Black Wood's Royal Family. As soldiers we had orders to kill anyone who wore it.

Associating with the Sharade was considered a high crime, treason of the worst kind. My brother- Conrad - wouldn't have hesitated to strike his blade against Darla and that man.

The intimate gestures are what bothers me the most. More than if they were kissing or making love in front of me. The way he hugs her, and Darla allows it, seeking comfort in Jacen Sharade's arms.

Who could have predicted this? Two enemies at peace. It would be almost poetic if they weren't the woman I love and my greatest enemy. Darla hasn't even noticed I'm here; she is so focused on her husband.

Darla, how can you?

(=(=(=(=(=(=(=(=(

I was in the back of the house with my friend Zabrina, the only girlfriend I've ever had. She was telling me how Adam had asked her to marry him.

"So he just asked it? Just like that? Marry me?"

"Yes." She said happily, "What else could he have done? Said it in other language and add an I love you?"

"I guess 'Marry me' is good enough," I said laughing.

"So what about you?" she asked and I looked back inside the house, Jacen was talking with my father and Adam, he saw me and raised both his eyebrows, asking if I was ok. I waved and smiled, turning to Zabrina. "How is the married life treating you?"

"Ok," I said softly. "Just fine."

"'Just fine', that's all?" she blinked. "You have an absolutely gorgeous husband, who obviously cares about you and has great hands and all you have to say is just fine?"

"Why his hands have anything to do with anything?" I asked confused.

"Well, you do know what they say about men with big hands?"

"They wear big gloves?"

She laughed, her easy, music-like - laugh drifting up making me laugh even when I didn't understand why we were laughing, "Well, that too," She said finally.

We talked a bit more, she asked me to be her maid of honor next summer when she tied the knot. Then she went to find Adam and tell him she had told me about their engagement.

I was enjoying the well-known early spring breeze that blew by.

"Finally alone," A voice said coming from the shadows, the sun had just set. I could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Oh, Hector. Hi!" I said trying to sound normal. If I knew Hector in anything, he was going to be really mad. "I didn't notice you where here."

"I assumed as much, you were too busy cuddling with the enemy."

"If you mean Jacen, he is my husband," I answered curtly.

"How could you marry him?" He asked. "He is our enemy."

"He is not my enemy, he is my husband."

"Stop saying he is your husband, it makes me feel like you're not mine anymore," He yelled coming closer to me.

"Because I'm not, I'm Jacen's now," I yelled getting angry now.

"Like I'm going to believe you married him and not his crown."

I looked down at my hand and my wedding ring there. Suddenly this small thing meant so much to me. Once it had meant that I had bounded my life to a man I had learned to hate since birth. Now it meant Jacen and the love I know he has for me. And there I had been, the last 24 hours of my life asking dumb questions about how I felt. Suddenly, with Hector and me yelling at each other at my parent's back yard, everything made sense. "I married his crown, that's true. I married to end a stupid war that took the life of so many people I loved," I said softly but clearly, like when I used to give orders during battle. "But when I fell in love it was with the man, and only with him."

"I can't believe you love Jacen Sharade, Darla."

"Me neither but I do," I admitted, already thinking in how I was going to tell him.

"I don't believe it, I don't believe is true, you're just doing this because you think is what you should be doing," He said pacing around. "We could still run away, no one would ever find us. We could just be selfish and do something just for love."

"I'm staying with Jacen, this is the one thing I get to do just for love. I belong to Jacen not because I married him, but because I love him," I paused, taking a breath to steady myself, "Even when our shared history and old feelings might had once pushed me to you, I don't love you like that. You know that my family forgives everything but betrayal, I won't betray my husband for you or anyone, I was raised to be faithful to-"

"Like someone expects fidelity from you after what your mother did with King Wesley."

Even Stupidenssen, Bashful A. knew he had said the worst possible thing. I turned to eave, I wasn't going to dignify what Hector said by answering him, but he caught my wrist in a bruising grip.

"Let go," I said, venom in my voice, I didn't mind the pain, it hurt, but it was only physical pain. His words had hurt more.

"I won't until you listen to me," he said tightening his grip. I was ready to beat the crap out of Hector when the back door banged open.

It was Jacen; he looked as mad as I've ever seen him. Once Jared had told me that it was no laughing matter to be in the receiving end of Jacen's wrath, and that so far I had only seen Jacen mildly cranky- only that his mildly cranky was the equivalent of my father's seriously pissed off stage and that was saying something. Half of my brain was going over things, the other half was wondering if Jacen had heard all of Hectors and my conversation. Great way of finding out your wife loves you: when she is fighting with her former flame who, by the way, wants to kill you.

Hector let go of my wrist and took three or four steps back.

"Is everything alright, Darla?" Jacen asked.

"We are having kind of a private conversation," Hector snapped, braver now that he was out of hitting range from either Jacen or me- yes, Hector might be taller than me but I'm still a force to be reckoned with; and he seriously didn't had a chance with Jacen.

"No, we are not," I contradicted him. Jacen kept his eyes solid on Hector, he had that look of 'touch-what-is-mine-and-I'll-kill-you-with-my-bare-hands' When I got to his side, Jacen just encircle my waist hit both his arms, kind of daring Hector to do something about it. I knew Jacen was just waiting for a reason to jump at Hector and beat him to a pulp. "Lets go inside, Darla."

I nodded and let him lead both of us back inside. Hector was brave enough to wait after Jacen was fully inside to yell: "I never thought you where the type who followed men, Darla." Jacen was turned around, there was his reason to beat Hector, but I stopped him by placing my hand in his chest.

Jacen stopped dead on his tracks, and I didn't even turned to see Hector when I yelled back: "And I'm not, that's why I never followed you." After that, I took Jacen's hand and took him to my room.

"Did he hurt you?" Jacen asked looking my wrist carefully and very softly running his fingers over the red, finger-shaped marks that Hector had left there.

I was looking so intently to his hand, it was the hand in which he wore his wedding ring so his words took a second before sinking in. "Oh, this? No, is ok." I finally answered, trying to keep it light or Jacen would go out and very likely there would be no Hector by sunrise. Hector might be a jerk, but I was bound for years of friendship to not want him dead. Friendship to Adam, he couldn't bare to lose another friend.

Jacen brought my wrist to his lips and kissed each of those red marks, they where very likely to be purple in the morning. "You know what I mean."

I did, Jacen meant about what Hector had said. He had been listening after all. "Oh, that," I whispered, "He didn't mean it. Hector has problems dealing with reality, that's all."

"I don't care what he has, if he ever hurts you or says something even remotely hurtful to you ever again, Hector Montell is as good as dead."

()()()()()()

This is larger than what I planed.

Author's Note:

Guess who blew math??? That would be me, I have to go to summer school now. Not that it's going to be that bad. Is that or a job...

Anyway. Krissy -the best beta in the history of ever- was super busy with finals, that's why this took longer than expected. Sorry about that but school is school, it comes before life (in more ways than one)

Ok, on with the thanks:

Belle: Thanks so much for the review. Now you know what kind of issues Hector has. catakit: Thanks for the offer. Inuyasha-Is-My-Boyfriend: I haven't either but I heard is good, I'm getting it soon. SukiYumi: I totally understand, heat is evil, well for me, gives me migrane. Darla and Jacen are cute, aren't they? For your past suffering (with the air conditioner and all) this chapie is for you. WildPixieChild16: Thanks Steph: Thanks and sorry about the spell, I'm not good at it DH L'Orange: More of Darla's Home in this chapie Monalex Potter: Hola! Hector es un idota, pero un idiota de buen corazon, no es tan malo, en serio. Gracias por el Review, como siempre!!!!

Ok, thats it for the day

See you soon

And don't forget to review.