The King's Choice - Red Queen Fanfiction

Chapter 18 (Mare POV)

I have to get out of here. The room is eating at me, consuming me. I don't know where Maven is and I don't really care. I just can't stand it any longer. I run to the royal gardens. I weave in between rose bushes and large hedges. I come to the edge of the forest that is used for training and hunting. And with one look over my should, I disappear amongst the trees.
I run until I reach the wall surrounding the palace grounds. It's too tall the climb so I'm forced to start running around the sides of the grounds. My dress is dragging on the dirt and I've lost most of my accessories way back in the forest. Once I reach the back of the palace, where the wall turns and the forest ends, I see Maven standing about 10 meters away from me. I quickly hide myself behind a hedge and almost stop breathing. If he knows I left the wedding, he'll be livid. I would be too if my fiancé turned spouse ran away in our wedding night, even if it was after the vows were exchanged. I look out a Maven. He looks genuinely worried and hurt. Shit. He probably knows that I left. He turns so his back is to me and I'm about the slip away when I notice something. He's crying. And all I can do is stand there. My brain is telling me to move my feet and get the hell out of here, but I don't think my heart will let me. So I just stand there and watch him cry. Is it possible that he really thought I could love him or that because I said the words "I do", that I'll stop attempting to be with Cal? I don't know. But I do know this. I'm not heartless. I do care about Maven. I see him as a broken little boy who's mother led him astray when he was young. He could be on our side, I know he could. And I want him to be. Because I care about him, I take a few steps towards him and he turns around to look at me. The look on his face is a mix of anger, sadness, and disappointment. But I don't wait for him to speak. I just hug him.
"I'm sorry I left. I just got sort of emotional. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just needed some fresh air." I step away from him. He waits a moment before speaking again. "Yeah, I figured that. I told people you had to change and they bought it. I had to get out of there too. If you didn't guess, I had a run in with my brother."
"That's what I thought. I'm sorry Maven. I'm really sorry. I probably shouldn't have invited him. I don't regret it, but I'm sorry I didn't ask you first."
"God Mare, when are you gonna stop thinking that you're chained here? I'm not your captor or the one holding the key to your prison! You don't need to ask me every time you make a decision! We're equal partners here!" And with that, he walks away, making this the second time tonight I've been left all alone by someone who I think should've stayed.

I wrote this rly quickly and it's unedited so plz excuse the typos and stuff. Also writing a Mare and Maven scene was rly hard for me but I thought it was kinda necessary. Thx for reading - Just Jules