<span style="color: #FF0000">A breath had caught in his chest at the sight of her, all dressed up for another man and still he wanted her. Were it not for what he felt for her and what they had discussed, he would have rushed through the crowd and snatched her up. Ran away with her to a place where no one could find them, a place that was their own. He could live with that, could live with her and only her, if that is what it took for them to be together. However, he knew that could not be. He knew she could not live with herself if she were to be the cause of so much pain and sadness. That if their love were to cause the whole of the world as they know it to fall into pain, chaos and despair. <br/><br/>No. <br/><br/>Instead he stood at the back, his hood up regardless of the strange looks that he received from those about him. Hidden in the back, where he could watch and not be bothered. An ache began in his chest, a tightness that made him feel as if someone sat on his chest. The longer he stood there, the more of the ceremony that he took in, the heavier the weight felt, the harder that it became to breathe. His vision began to swim and became blurry when he saw the veil being lifted. Saw Ivor lean in to kiss what should have been...who should have been....<br/><br/>Enough. <br/><br/>There was no more that he could take and he was forced to leave, before he saw them...kiss. Through the crowd he moved and back out into the fresh air, where his lungs gulped huge breathes until the burning sensation left his chest. What was worst was that the day was not over, there was still a dinner and a ball to attend. <br/><br/>For her the would attend, for her he would make through it. <br/><br/>For her....there was nothing that he would not do. Even if that meant allowing her to marry another man.</span><br/><br/>Everything after that moment was a blur. A sad, pathetic, monotonous blur in which she felt she stood still and the rest of the world moved around her. At some point, she was taken away from Ivor's hand and led back down a familiar hallway, up another familiar flight of stairs and back to her quarters. From there, the same women who'd only just gotten her ready for her wedding set to work with a new look, her dress fairly ripped free of her form as her face was scrubbed clean so as to put on a new powder, to bring out the color of her eyes against the<a class="postlink" href="http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w434/Alycia_Monique/Mariadress_zps517d3c4c.png">new dress</a>they'd chosen.<br/><br/>This one was more their style, and held the colors of their kingdom with the intricate detailing her own kingdom was known for. A different set of skirts was put on, and then another<a class="postlink" href="http://www.medievalbridalfashions.com/images/gowns/Now%20and%20Forever/nowandforever-back.jpg">corset</a>was pulled onto her body, the lacing taking another twenty minutes all their own to make sure she was properly held together. The deep crimson set off her violet eyes, made her skin appear lighter, creamier, almost holding the glow of a woman in love.<br/><br/>Almost.<br/><br/>Sat back before the mirror, they completed work on her face before they took their leave, she stared at her reflection with a frown. She wasn't sure how she was going to be able to keep up with tonight, with everyone there to celebrate her new union. Even thinking about that, about how she was now and forever Ivor's wife, his companion, it left her sick to her stomach. Where she'd once been a woman of duty, her talks with BrÃ¡dach had changed how she looked at things. He'd constantly asked her why, made her question her life, what she knew. He was good for her in a way that no one else was.<br/><br/>But with the good came the bad.<br/><br/>And the bad in this case was that, despite what this duty meant for her kingdom, her people, her father...she didn't want to follow through with it. Even if it were already done, she wanted to try and escape somehow. To leave it all behind.<br/><br/>Her frown deepened as another thought came to her just then.<br/><br/>What if<span style="font-style: italic">he</span>showed up?<br/><br/>Maria wasn't sure she could handle that, being trapped at Ivor's side, accepting congratulations from her court knowing he were there. She wouldn't be able to look at him, to speak to him, not without losing it. She felt too strongly for him now, more than she'd ever admit, and the very thought of seeing him had her eyes dropping from her own reflection, unable to even look at herself. Another knock came at the door, and Simprina was back, congratulating her for what felt like the umpteenth time though the words were acknowledged with little more than a tired smile and a nod, the woman rattling on about what her life would be like now and all the duties she'd have with her new standing.<br/><br/>It took everything she had not to roll her eyes, but she kept her gaze down until Ivor's feet came into her peripheral. Rising to meet his gaze with a small smile, her hand rested atop his, turning toward the door that was opening, their names rattled off before the crowd started to clap, the pair walking down the stairs at a slow gait, he making eye contact with a few, while she kept her eyes mainly on the wall just above their heads, moving over them to appear that she were making eye contact and nodding in greeting.<br/><br/>For the briefest of moments, she thought she caught sight of Brad, her eyes having swiveled over a familiar visage, but she didn't dare look back, heart jumping several beats, head going light as she struggled to keep composure.<br/><br/>Moving where she was led to when their steps hit the floor, the crowd parted, allowing them access to the middle of the floor, a silence falling over everyone until a look was exchanged and the music started up.<span style="font-style: italic">Dancing</span>...she thought with a groan. She wasn't sure how graceful she'd be right then, with how she felt and her inability to focus, but she'd attempt.<br/><br/>Her only saving grace being that the dance required no touching and circling about each other for a good portion, silently praying others would join in so she could escape at some point for much needed air.