New chapter! I truly hope you enjoy this one! So sorry that it was so long in coming! I really enjoyed writing this chapter though, and I hope you guys all like it! Continue reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Every little bit encourages me to do more and more! You are the BEST! No really! You guys are awesome sauce! Check out my other stories too! You know, if you have time! Thanks again!

Enjoy!

Always,

WOBE

"Who said that?" Izira demanded, searching the room with her eyes.

"I did," the voice said timidly.

The entire group turned toward a small boy, only about seven years old, his wild dark green hair hanging in his purple eyes.

"You saw what happened here?" Izira asked, looking down at the child.

"I think you're scaring him, Izira," Talia whispered to her sister, noticing the shaky mannerisms of the boy. He nodded from his spot behind a wooden pew.

"What do I do?" Izira asked her younger sister, muttering to keep anyone from hearing her private conversation.

"Establish his trust. Get down to his eye level, and let him know that you mean no harm in any way," Talia explained. She knew her sister was excellent with children, but she hadn't been around them since Talia herself had been a child.

Izira did what she was told, and knelt down to be closer to the boy's height.

"It's alright. You can come out," Talia assured him, kneeling down beside her sister.

The boy timidly made his way towards the royal sisters, treading lightly.

"What's your name?" Talia asked, smiling warmly at the child.

"Lydrin," he answered.

"Well, Lydrin," Izira began making sure the two males were still present through her peripheral vision.

"Would you mind telling my sister and I what happened?"

"Sure!" he replied excitedly, bouncing on his heels.

"Ok, so start from when we left the room," Talia said.

"Well, you two left, then that guy," here, he pointed to Helvic. "Said that you 'better hurry up or else this wedding will never be over!'"

The sisters laughed at the high-pitched, nasally impression that their young friend had made of Helvic.

"Hey! I do not sound like that!" the prince protested, stomping his foot and crossing his arms.

"Seemed pretty accurate to me," Mephisto muttered under his breath.

"Then that guy," and the boy's finger landed on Mephisto this time. "Said, 'Then let's hope they never come out,'"

Talia held back a giggle at Lydrin's impression of Mephisto, who actually didn't seem to bothered by it. At least not like Helvic.

"The first guy said, 'Are you implying that you don't want this wedding to take place?' And the other guy said, 'Of course not. I was saying that I don't want this wedding to take place. I never implied it,'"

Lydrin retold the story exactly how it had happened:

"You think, that just because you own a kingdom and wear a crown you're qualified enough to marry the princess? MY princess?"

"She's marrying you isn't she? And let's see what do you have? Oh that's right!" Said Mephisto, snapping his fingers. "A kingdom and a crown,"

"She is MINE!" Helvic screamed.

"And what exactly, is your reason for marrying her?" Mephisto asked.

"So that our kingdoms will be combined and I will have heirs to continue my Trillum line,"

"And what about the people of Xeris?"

"What about them?"

"How you planning to take care of the people of Xeris after the two kingdoms unite?"

"Unite? The whole purpose of this wedding is to eradicate Xeris! Trillum will simply make Xeris another section of its empire!"

Mephisto's eyes grew wide at hearing this.

"You mean you're marrying Talia so you can have more land and heirs?"

"That's right," Helvic responded, examining his nails.

"You LEECH!" Mephisto screamed, slamming the prince's back into a wall.

Helvic screeched at the top of his lungs, causing the crowd to run and scream.

"You don't care about anyone but your sorry behind!"

"Talia is only a bratty, strong-willed princess who thinks she's all that! Well she's not! She's just a pathetic, brainless, and subpar girl! Even her looks aren't that great!"

Mephisto couldn't take anymore scrutinizing of the girl he viewed as perfect.

"AHHHHH!" he yelled, his eyes glowing green and his hands glowing with green circles as he swiftly rose into the air and encased the prince with a blast of crystal. "HOW DARE YOU INSULT HER! YOU INSOLENT, PATHETIC, LOATHSOME, DISGUSTING LITTLE RAT!"

"And that's when you came back in!" Lydrin said happily, folding his hands behind his back.

"Thank you Lydrin! You were most helpful!" Izira thanked the boy.

"You're welcome!"

"I just have one more question for you Lydrin," Izira said.

"Ok,"

"Why do you think Mephisto said what he did?"

"Because he loves Princess Talia,"

"And how do you know that?"

"Anyone can see it. Mephisto loves her,"

"Thank you again Lydrin,"

The boy simply nodded in response.

"Now, what to do bout this wedding," Izira said, rising from her knees to look at the two men still by the alter.

"I do believe a duel is in order, according to Xerian law,"

"Yes, I do believe you are correct sister. A duel it shall be!"

The crowd had begun to file back into the building once they had realized that it was safe, and now a significant amount of them were present, cheering and clapping for a duel.

"A (gulp) duel?" Helvic asked, his voice betraying his nervousness.

"Yes! A duel to the death!" Izira said, triumph showing on all her features.

"To the death!"

"Yes Helvic. To the death. Against Mephisto. Unless of course, you want to concede your right to wed me, and forfeit all ties with the kingdom of Xeris," Talia said casually, as if she were ordering from a fast food place on earth.

"All ties?" Helvic squeaked.

"Well? What will it be Helvic? Choose carefully," Mephisto said, his voice cold, daring the Trillum prince to make a move.

The only question was, would he move the knight to protect his king? Or would he move right into checkmate?