I Choose You

Twenty-Eight

Mare

I couldn't believe this, Maven is proposing his life to me on live television.  

"Will you be my Queen?"  He asks me.

My hands fly up to cover my gaping mouth, if I wasn't blushing now, I definitely was now.  This is what the past few days was about, to prepare me for this.  The fact that he was proposing in a Red-Blooded fashion made this all better. 

"Yes," Is all I can manage to say through my gasps and trickling tears, happy tears.

Maven stands back up as the crowd cheers.  He gets back onto his two feet, beaming like the sun on a summer day with Silver blush on his cheeks and tips of his ears.  He grabs my hand, my hands have been shaking, and he takes the delicate ring and slides it onto my 4th finger.  

His eyes meet mine, he's been crying as well, all the tears have been happy ones.  We both laugh and smile as he looks at me, his hands on my shoulders.  

He holds out his hand and I take it, his warmth that's addicting makes the electricity from the cameras loosen in my veins and bones.  

"I present to you your future Queen of Norta!" Maven faces the crowd and holds up my hand that he was holding.  The crowd continues to cheer, my face continues to flush a bright crimson.  

Maven puts my hand down and says in a quiet tone.  "You really meant that?" 

"Of course I did," I say with a smile, only this time I wasn't lying.  Maven beams a contagious smile, I reflect his grin, teeth and all.  

He wraps me in a tight hug, it feels like the crowd of people cheering and echoing for the newly found marriage went away, it was just me and Maven, embracing.  All I could hear was his heartbeat.  

When he lets go of me, he locks eyes with a person behind me, I turn my head to see who he was looking at.  Evangeline.   

She smiles as she swaddles her newborn girl in her arms and looks at Maven, then me, then back at Maven.  She really looks happy. 

"May I budge in?" She asks.  Maven nods, dropping his hands to his sides.  I turn to face her.  She's wearing a loose silver gown, dark circles under her dark gray eyes like frozen murky waters. 

"Congratulations," She dips her head slightly, paying her respects.  Coriane sleeps peacefully in her arms, sucking on her fingers. She's so darling and innocent, even Evangeline's metallic heart melts when she sees her child.  It feels rewarding to see her so happy, even after everything.  It's hard not to be happy at this given moment. 

"Due to certain circumstances, I think we can have you back Eve," Maven states, Evangeline chuckles a small giggle.  

"I never left," She banters back.  

"I was going to announce your return and the birth of Coriane, but I got distracted," Maven wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me towards him, my feet fumble as I do so.  

"Would you like to announce it? It's your daughter after all," Maven points to the crowd, who has died down a bit, but still commotion and chatter goes on below.  

Evangeline nods and walks past Maven.  Even after birth she still walks royally.  

"How about you make your way to the dining hall?" Maven whispers in my ear, I nod in agreement.  He kisses my cheek and smiles before he walks up to Evangeline.  

I slowly turn away and out of the balcony.  I can hear Maven's voice boom and the crowd cheer as I walk out of the balcony.  I shut the door behind me and I exhale sharply, leaning against the door as I continue to blush furiously.  

I look at the ring that fits perfectly on my finger, I fiddle with it as I smile softly.  That really just happened, Maven proposed, I am engaged.  

Maven and I are to be wed.

Hopefully, it'll actually happen this time. 

Shade

Apparently, Mare is now engaged, just like I told her.  She'll be the Queen.  The romance between Maven and her looks genuine, maybe he actually has changed.  Love really does change people.  It changed Farley, yeah she's still tough as bullets, but she's pregnant, she's protecting her and mini her now, mini-me, mini us. 

Farley sits next to me on the chair, surprisingly we got Cal to set up a television before he became a dick and left.  There is one thing I like about our recruit, Gwendolyn, her nicknames, Blowtorch really does fit Cal.  He's like a Blowtorch with sparkly dresses.  Seeing him in a dress would be hilarious.   

"Barrow actually did it," Farley speaks, I turn my head to see her, one hand is on her lightly bloated tummy and the other in on the arm of the chair.  

"It's good that she did," I acknowledge my sister's marriage. 

"How is it good? Who knows if she's still on our side?  If she's been brainwashed into being a Silver nitwit," She questions, sitting up a little.  

"I know she is, she's been betrayed too much to betray us," I stay calm, not wanting to get Farley in a huff.  

"You have a point,"

One point goes to me, the fabulous Shade Barrow. 

"Who knows with you Barrow's, always one to surprise," She looks down at her stomach, implying that our child was a surprise.  

"Happy surprise?" I ask, the tips of my ears go pink.  

"Happy surprise," She agrees.  

"Another surprise," I say, pointing at the TV.  Farley nods. 

"On the bright side, I get to be a prince," I say with a smirk tone.

"How charming," Farley teases.  

Am I wrong though? Mare will be Queen, making her siblings royals by family blood.  Our child will be royal, royal Barrow's.  The ladies will be all over me, I am fabulous, but I already have everything I need. Farley and mini us. 

I hear another applause come from the TV's audio, Farley looks at it and her jaw drops.  I look over.  Oh my God, it's Evangeline, again. 

She's different, carrying a newborn child, her stomach isn't bloated anymore.  I add the pieces in my head, she had her child early, but yet, full size.  I'm no female, I know that isn't how it works, that isn't normal, that's magic. 

She explains everything in a blur, Coriane, she named her after Cal's mother, respecting him.

I have to say, even she looks different, the war has done a lot to change her, but her child has done the most to her.  

Maybe she really has changed.