Gladys leads you to the hedge maze, and…
"Here we are…"
"Wait… where's Liam?"
Suddenly, everything goes black!
"I'm so sorry Catherine…"
Someone has thrown something over your head and pulls your arms behind, holding you so you can't escape. You hear footsteps coming from behind as you try to make sense of what is going on. It sounds like there are three of them, including the one behind you. Then a familiar voice echo's through the maze as you finally grasp exactly what is happening! "Congratulations Catherine! I'm so sorry I missed the wedding, although Gladys said it was a beautiful ceremony. I must say you look lovely in your post wedding attire… you always did know how to wear a dress. It almost makes me sad to see it get… dirty." Your blood begins to boil, and you lash out with fierce determination. "Anton, you son of a bitch! I should have known you'd try something else. You'll never get away with this!" When he laughs, it sends a cold chill up and down your spine. "I wouldn't be so sure about that Catherine… after the show at the boutique this morning, I suppose I should be thanking you for assisting in my efforts to ascend the throne. You and your friends opened a door to what I might call one of my greatest accomplishments to date… aside from the fact that I will be the ruler of Cordonia in less than twenty-four hours of course…" "What do you mean?" "You know, for a street-smart New Yorker, you are so naïve…"
The sound of his voice indicates that he stands at least an arm's length away but directly in front of you. As you hear him step closer, your adrenaline kicks in and being held from behind gives you all the leverage you need. Without holding back, you thrust your legs outward, kicking Anton in the chest as he sails backward onto the ground with a thud. You turn quickly, loosening the grip of the assassin holding you from behind… throwing off the sack on your head, you throat punch him. He falls to the ground coughing and holding his neck in pain. The other stands just to the left pointing a gun at you… taking advantage of his surprise, you round kick the gun just as his finger pulls the trigger… the bullet striking Anton in the chest as he was attempting to reach you. You dive for the gun and in a seamless motion, you roll over and shoot, striking one of the assassins in the knee. He falls to the ground writhing in pain. You stand pointing the gun at the last one standing. "Make a move asshole… I dare you to give me one good reason to blow your head off!" He backs off holding his hands up and then quietly sits on the ground.
You look over at Gladys who is in shock at what she just witnessed and when her eyes meet yours, she hangs her head in shame and defeat. "Please Catherine… I didn't mean to… it's not what you think…"
You hear a familiar voice coming from outside… Bastien calling out orders. "It came from the maze. I'll check inside, the rest of you go around back…" You call out to him. "Bastien… I've got them. You can come in…" He cautiously enters the maze not sure of what to expect. "Are you alright, Your Majesty?" "Yes I'm fine… But I can't say the same for the rest of these thugs." As soon as he rounds the corner, he sees you holding one of the assassins at gunpoint and Anton's lifeless body face down on the ground shrouded in blood, the other laying helplessly nearby holding his leg. Bastien calls out to the other guards. "Inside the maze! It appears secure." He slowly approaches you with a prominent grin. "What's that look for Bastien?" "Mara would be so proud. You did wonderfully, Your Majesty, but let me take it from here." You gladly hand him the gun as the other guards make their way into the center of the maze. One of them taking the only standing assassin into custody and another takes Gladys out in handcuffs. Bastien calls into his earpiece. "Let the king know that the queen is unharmed, but have medics sent to the maze asap. We have a code red… two gurney's and one body bag…"
As the guards search the palace grounds for other assassins, one of them finds a female, bound and gagged, near the wishing well behind the maze. "We found a female hostage back here sir." As you walk toward the well, you see… "Olivia!" You run to her and as the guard releases her from the holds, she takes the cover from her face and carefully removes the tape from her mouth. When she sees you, she embraces you with tears in her eyes. "Took you long enough… Your Majesty." "I had no idea… I'm sorry… Anton's dead." After a few moments in silence, Olivia backs up from the embrace and presses down her clothes, then gives you a look of reverence. "I guess that makes me a widow now… I would have been a terrible wife…" She smirks but then her mouth curls into a smile. "You saved my life… he was planning to kill us both…" "You would have done the same for me…" Olivia nods in agreement. "Absolutely…" "I can't believe Gladys was in on it too…" Olivia scowls. "Bitch! I should have known. I never liked her anyway…"
After arriving safely back to the palace, Liam runs to you with tears in his eyes and holds you firm but close, his body shaking. "Oh Catherine… I'm so glad you're alright!" You lean into him, fully comforted in his embrace and with relief in your voice, you say, "This is where I need to be… I love you so much Liam." He squeezes you tighter and in his own emotional state, he almost can't speak. "I love you with everything in me…"
After a few long moments and a lingering kiss, Liam pulls back tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "How could I possibly live without you, my love?" You smile sweetly at him. "I hope you'll never know…" He embraces you again. "We should probably make a quick statement to our guests… they will be relieved to see that our queen is alright… but after that… I want you all to myself." You wipe the tears from his face and smile. "Well, you know Madeleine. She might have a different agenda." He smiles mischievously. "Not this time… trust me."