…To my disappointment, none of you have been able to figure out what the "loose ends" were. Oh, well. I suppose I can't blame you. I didn't give enough hints as to what the nature of the loose ends were. Most of you probably think that I am referring to the Cutters. Nice guess, but at this time, the Cutters are more or less dying out without their queen.
Allow me to give you another hint. Gregor and Luxa are getting married. Luxa has already implied that she is pregnant. Now think about the nature of their relationship, as well as the bonds that they have to other people. There are some that have a bond of the same nature. I have two in mind right now, and they are very close to the wielders of Altric and Lorelei.
…
Well, did you guys figure it out yet? If you didn't, then I will show you what I mean.
You may have also noticed that this chapter is still part of the "Betrayal Arc" section of the story. This chapter will reveal everything to you. Everything that I have hinted at, everything that I have worked and waited for, will finally be brought to fruition. Have fun reading my last few chapters.
Philosophical note: There are times that you may think that everything is perfect. There are times that you may believe you have won. However, a single x-factor can ruin everything, and that x-factor may not even be aware that they did so. That is why you must be prepared, for anything. Otherwise, you may get a nasty surprise.
"How do I look? How do I look?" Gregor fretted. He was dressed in Underlander finery, with a white tunic, a black vest, and black pants and boots, all studded with golden and silver symbol designs. His hair was slicked back. A dark blue cape completed the ensemble.
Raphael rolled his eyes. "For the last time, you look fine. Luxa's heart is going to be beating so fast, her face is going to be as red as this cape I'm wearing!" he exclaimed. This was true. Raphael was wearing a less fancy version of what Gregor was wearing, without the decorative symbols, and instead of a blue cape, he wore a cape that was red on the inside and black on the outside.
"Easy for you to say! You're not the one getting married!" Gregor said.
Raphael shrugged. "I also wasn't the one who won the love of a queen and more or less ensured that he would get married at the good old age of sixteen. That was your fault," he said.
Gregor took his chance. "Yeah, but you won the love of about twenty or so girls, including a certain girl who happens to be the cousin of the girl I'm getting married to," he said.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Raphael said, acting innocent, but when he turned around, Gregor could see a few dashes of red on his friend's face.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Raphael. I thought you said that the Guardian was responsible for the Prophet's protection. Well, you're the Guardian, and the girl that you like is the Prophet," Gregor said.
"I do not like her! Well, at least not in that way," Raphael said.
"Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that," Gregor laughed, all traces of his nervousness gone.
"It's time," a guard said, and all of Gregor's nervousness was back.
"Oh no oh no oh no I'm dead I'm dead I'm dead." Gregor started panicking again.
Raphael finally had enough. He walked over to his friend and started shaking him. "Damn it, Gregor! Calm down! This is your wedding day! You're getting married to Luxa! You'll be fine! You're the Warrior! You've faced down things way worse than this! Get ahold of yourself!" he said.
Gregor puled out of Raphael's grasp and started staggering. "Ugh, thanks…now do me a favor and get out. I feel dizzy," he said.
"Is there something wrong?" Ares and Ladon poked their heads in.
Raphael grinned. "Gregor has a case of pre-wedding jitters. Can't really blame him, though. He is going to be the king of Regalia when he gets married to Luxa. I remember when he proposed to her. An absolute wreck. I never thought he would ever be that nervous again." He looked back at Gregor. "Now, I'm second-guessing myself."
"Anyway, Raphael, as the one who shall stand next to Gregor, you should also pay a visit to the bride before the wedding. I shall take you there," Ladon said, letting Raphael climb onto his back.
"You're just going to leave me here? What kind of friend are you?" Gregor moaned.
"Oh, don't worry, I know you'll be fine. Besides, you have Ares to look after you," Raphael said, looking at the great black bat.
"You traitor!" Gregor joked.
"Shut up, drama queen," Raphael laughed, and flew off on Ladon.
"He really should make a move on Nerissa already. The way that I saw some guys ogling her the other day just proves how beautiful she's gotten, and that he has a lot of competition. Besides, she can help rein him in," Gregor said.
"I agree," Ares said.
Meanwhile…
"Things have really been improving in the past month," Raphael remarked as he and Ladon flew towards the bridal room.
"Yes. Regalia has truly been recovering quickly, especially considering what happened," Ladon agreed.
"It's already been a month. I can't believe it. Time passes quickly when you've got so much to do," Raphael said.
"You are the Guardian, as well as the future king's closest human friend and advisor. Your presence strikes as inspiration in others almost as much as Gregor's presence does. Some of the best renovations were achieved only because of your help and spirit. When Gregor was gone, you were there to help. You are important," Ladon said.
"I wasn't complaining, you know," Raphael said.
Ladon grunted. They flew on for a little while longer when Ladon spoke again. "By the way, when are you going to act on your feelings for Nerissa?" he asked.
If Raphael had been drinking something and wasn't as well mannered as he was, he would have done the best spit-take ever. "Why does everyone think that?" he complained.
"It is obvious," Ladon said bluntly.
"You know what, forget it. Can we not discuss this now? We're here anyway," Raphael said. This was true. They had arrived at the area, and when they walked to Luxa's room, the ladies-in-waiting immediately started blushing and stammering in Raphael's presence. Raphael smiled charmingly at them. "May I go in, ladies?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he knocked. "Luxa? Are you in there? It's Raphael."
The girl who opened the door wasn't Luxa, but she was so astonishingly beautiful that Raphael was almost literally blown away. Right now, Raphael was thanking all higher powers for blessing him with self-control. The girl's hair was combed and went down to her waist, and she was wearing a baby-blue dress. Her face was smoothed and unmarked, but Raphael still recognized her thanks to her voice. "Raphael. Is there something you need?"
"Nerissa, it's you. I'm sorry, I'm didn't recognize you at first," Raphael said.
Nerissa looked down. "I told Luxa this dress made me look foolish," she murmured.
Raphael shook his head and waved his hands furiously. "No, no, you misunderstand! That's not it at all! You look…absolutely stunning!" he exclaimed. His face turned red when he realized what he just said.
Nerissa blushed as well and looked back up at Raphael, her eyes shining. "Do you…do you really mean it?" she asked.
Raphael bowed deeply. "I had no idea of the deep beauty that my liege was hiding. I am honored that I serve such a beautiful maiden," he said, with a tone that made Nerissa's heart beat even faster and the ladies-in-waiting to seethe in jealousy of the attention that Raphael was giving to Nerissa.
Nerissa composed herself. "Anyway, what did you want?" she asked.
Raphael followed suit. "As Gregor's best man, I feel that I am obligated to check in on the bride. Is Luxa all right?" he asked.
"Well, she's fine, but…see for yourself," Nerissa said, leading Ladon and Raphael into the room.
"This can't be good," Raphael muttered, shutting the door after Ladon walked in.
Nerissa led them down a corridor into an elaborately decorated room. In the back of the room, a young woman was fussing with herself, and Aurora and Hestia were helping her. It didn't' take long for Raphael to realize that the girl was Luxa. He whistled, impressed. Luxa took the belief that the bride should be the most beautiful woman in the ceremony seriously. She was wearing a dress with the same shade of color as Lorelei's blade, and her hair was bunched up on top of her head and held that way by a single ribbon. Her veil was on top of that entire mass of hair, and extended down to the bottom of her neck. She was wearing white gloves, and some flowers from the Overland (Raphael had no idea how the Underlanders got their hands on those) were stitched into the sleeves of the dress. All in all, Luxa had a look that showed her beauty as much as Nerissa's did, but with more confidence.
Surprisingly, though, she was not exactly showing that confidence. She was fussing with her hair and her dress, and she was muttering to herself. Raphael could see that she was as nervous as Gregor was.
"This is not going to work," Raphael said, and walked over to Luxa. "Luxa, are you all right?" he asked. She whipped around and accidently backhanded Raphael's face.
"Ow! What the hell? That's the second time you hurt me!" he complained, holding his face.
"Sorry, Raphael! I was on edge!" she shouted shortly, then turned back to the mirror and began fussing with herself again.
"Luxa, you look fine! What's wrong?" Raphael asked.
"I'm about to be wed to Gregor. I must look perfect for him! What if he leaves me at the altar? What if he rejects me because I am not pleasing enough for him? What if…?" Luxa was cut off when Raphael turned her around and shook her a bit.
"Luxa, I can't believe I'm saying this to you, but calm down! You know, Gregor is every bit as nervous as you are. He knows that he's going to be king when he marries you! But I'll be damned if he leaves you at the altar! Nothing will go wrong with the ceremony! I'll make sure of it! If Gregor even tries to leave you, I will run after him, beat the tar out of him, and forcefully drag him back! You can count on me!" he said.
"Do you mean that?" Luxa asked.
"Well, he's probably going to beat me up first, but that's not the point!" Raphael said. Nerissa rolled her eyes. "Look, I want both of you to be happy. You're pregnant with Gregor's child. The only way for you both to be happy is if you get married. At least, that's what I believe. So calm down, take a deep breath, and get prepare to get married."
Luxa actually listened, and visibly relaxed. Ladon raised an eyebrow and put his head next to Raphael's ear. "Why didn't you use that kind of speech on Gregor?" he whispered.
"Because I knew he could recover from his troubles easily. Luxa had more worries. Besides, I have a soft spot for girls," Raphael whispered back. Ladon sighed in exasperation, suspecting that the only reason Raphael needed was the second one.
"Anyway, it's almost time. I'm going to head back to where Gregor is and check on him. We won't see each other again until the actual ceremony, so see you then," Raphael said. As he walked out, he looked at Nerissa, and offered her a wry smile and a wink, in a halfhearted attempt to flirt with her. Nerissa smiled back and curtsied mockingly, more or less unaffected. Raphael laughed a bit and walked on.
"When are you going to act on your feelings for him?" Hestia asked. Nerissa spun around and shouted pointless denials as Luxa, Aurora, and Hestia laughed.
Outside, Raphael heard the laughter and looked back wistfully. "You are obviously very much in love with her," Ladon said.
"Drop it," Raphael growled.
Later…
"Lord Gregor, do you take Her Majesty Luxa as your lawfully wedded wife, and take your place as King of Regalia?" the priest asked. It was a real priest this time too, not just Raphael acting like an old man.
"I do," Gregor said. The look on Luxa's face couldn't have been happier.
"And do you, Your Majesty, take Lord Gregor as your lawfully wedded husband, and take your place as Queen of Regalia?" the priest asked.
"I do," Luxa said. Gregor was grinning so hard; he looked a bit like a clown.
"Is there anyone who objects to this marriage?" the priest asked. No one answered. "Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride!"
Gregor and Luxa had shared many passionate kisses ever since they started their relationship, but this one left them all behind. The audience roared and stamped their feet in joy. "Wait!" the priest shouted, holding up his hands. The audience began to shout in anger, but the priest continued. "The passing of this test is not necessary to become king and queen of Regalia if one of the partners is royalty, but we shall have it anyway! The newlyweds must test their compatibility by wielding the blades Altric and Lorelei together!" A guard brought forward the two swords on a pillow. Gregor picked up Altric, and Luxa picked up Lorelei. "Is there anyone who wishes to test them?
No one volunteered at first, but then a lazy sigh was heard. "All right, I'll do it. Volunteering for a job no one wants, as usual," Raphael said. Ladon brought his bladed shields forward, and he attached them to his arms. "Is it really a good idea to be fighting in these clothes, though?"
"It is fine," Luxa said.
"All right, then," Raphael said as Gregor and Luxa drew their swords. "Bring it on!" Raphael surged forward with forced killing intent and attacked Gregor. Gregor easily blocked Raphael's first slash, and pushed his friend back with a parry. Raphael charged again, but Luxa slipped Lorelei through the thin hole in his guard and cut him in the chest a little bit, causing the victory.
As it was two against one, Raphael was granted two more chances. All three turned out to be losses on his part. The second loss was when he unintentionally turned his back to Luxa, and she poked him in the back of the neck. The third loss was much harder to gain, as he attacked Luxa first and fended off Gregor's attack. However, Luxa recovered quickly, and Raphael soon found himself on the defensive under Luxa's rapid thrust attacks. After Gregor joined in with a barrage of slash attacks, Raphael realized he was outmatched, for he could see that Gregor and Luxa were fighting in perfect coordination, so he conceded defeat. Many people were aware that fighting Raphael was like fighting a small battalion, so no one brought up a two-on-two challenge.
Raphael faced the crowd and raised his arm. "You have my word! Gregor and Luxa are your true rulers! They shall be with each other for as long as they live! All hail King Gregor! All hail Queen Luxa!" he shouted.
"ALL HAIL KING GREGOR! ALL HAIL QUEEN LUXA!" The crowd responded very positively to the new royal couple, judging from the immensely loud cheers. They got even louder after Gregor and Luxa kissed each other again.
Later…
Raphael smirked as he watched Gregor and Luxa dancing together. The wedding was a huge success. It was lucky for him that Gregor and Luxa weren't as nervous as they were that morning.
However, the strange thing was that while Gregor and Luxa weren't nervous wrecks anymore, Raphael and Nerissa were another story. Someone had come up with the idea that the Best Man and the Maid of Honor were to dance together after Gregor and Luxa started. Unfortunately, those two titles belonged to Raphael and Nerissa respectively. Not a lot of things could make Raphael nervous, but when he did get nervous, he was almost always a nervous wreck. Dancing with someone he had an obvious crush on didn't exactly help the situation.
Nearby, Larry and Angelina were watching Raphael making panicked faces and mumbling to himself with much amusement. "How about a bet? If Raphael asks Nerissa to dance first, then you've got to dance with me later," Larry said.
"You're on. And if Nerissa asks Raphael, then I get to punch you several times in the stomach," Angelina said.
"Deal," Larry said. It was a fair bet. After all, both of them had a chance to embarrass the other. Larry knew that Angelina, while she a good actress, was also a terrible dancer. They shook on it, and watched as Raphael continued muttering. Finally, Raphael got up and walked over to Nerissa. Larry and Angelina watched as Raphael held his hand out to Nerissa and spoke a few words. Both of them were blushing as Nerissa took Raphael's hand and let him lead her out on the dance floor.
"Damn it," Angelina muttered.
Larry laughed and put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll wait until later to embarrass you," he said. Angelina shrugged his arm off.
Meanwhile, Raphael was still holding a blushing Nerissa by the hand. "Just so you know, I'm not that great of a dancer. I took some ballroom dance classes back in the Overland…but I didn't really pay attention," he said.
Nerissa smiled. "I understand. Besides, I'm not all that good myself. But lead me with what you know, and I shall follow," she said.
Raphael put his arms around her waist, and Nerissa looped her arms around his neck. "Then it shall be the blind leading the blind," he said.
They began a dance that betrayed their nervousness. The steps were basic and not very well executed, but showed potential. After a few minutes of this unsure dance, Raphael began to move with more confidence. His behavior was infectious, and soon Nerissa was moving confidently as well. They spun around in a circle, and Raphael dipped Nerissa a few times. Nerissa jumped up, and Raphael lifted her even higher. After that, their moves were of an elegance that rivaled even Gregor and Luxa's dance. People were beginning to turn their eyes from the new king and queen to the Best Man and the Maid of Honor.
Their dance continued well into the next song. After that, they parted, but not before Raphael turned Nerissa. Then he bowed, and she curtsied. "It was an honor to dance with you, my liege," Raphael said, kneeling and kissing her hand.
"The honor is all mine, my vassal," Nerissa said, attempting to hide her blushing face. As Raphael walked off, she berated herself. Why can't I tell him? It was the perfect opportunity. Why couldn't I tell him how I felt? Do I even know how I feel about him? These thoughts were running through her head as she returned to her table. What she didn't know was that Raphael was running the same thoughts about her.
Later…
Raphael watched with amusement as Larry and Angelina embarrassed themselves. As per their bet, Angelina was dancing a slow dance with Larry, and she was failing at it. Of course, Larry, being the idiot that he was at times, had forgotten that he wasn't all that much better than her at this. Underlanders had a strict policy when it came to dancing. Once one was out on the dance floor, they had to dance for at least the duration of another song. This usually meant about four or five minutes. While that seemed like a short time, it was agonizingly long if you were embarrassing yourself. Basically, Larry and Angelina looked like they might as well have been naked in public.
Raphael laughed when they returned. "The tables are turned. Now it's my turn to laugh at you," Raphael said when they glared at him.
"Forget that. Why don't we talk about your dance with Nerissa? You enjoyed it, didn't you?" Larry asked.
"Of course I did. I enjoy a lot of things. For example, fighting, playing with children, beating the crap out of people who are annoying me," Raphael said, giving an obvious hint and a glare to his friends.
Still, Larry and Angelina persisted. "She means a lot to you, Raphael. Everyone can see it," Angelina said.
"Make a move on her already. A lot more than a fair share of guys are going after her," Larry said, watching Nerissa talking to a few Underlander lords.
"Still, you have to admit, if it wasn't for you, that wouldn't even be happening. She didn't look all that pretty when we first met," Angelina said.
"Guys, let's focus on the here and now, okay? I don't like Nerissa in that way, okay? She's just my friend, and a very good friend. Besides, she's not my type," Raphael said.
"Oh? And what is your type?" Larry asked.
Raphael counted them on his fingers. "Funny, high-spirited, kind, beautiful…" He drifted off; noticing that Larry and Angelina had gained horrified looks on their faces. They were looking at something behind him. At that moment, he felt a horrible sense of dread, and he suddenly felt like his heart was going to burst out from his chest in devastation. It couldn't be, it just couldn't be…!
It was. Raphael looked behind him to see a shaken Nerissa. Tears were leaking out of her eyes, and that moment, Raphael knew and instantly regretted what he had done. She had heard everything he had said. "Nerissa…" he started, shooting up from his chair, but was cut off by a resounding slap in his face from the girl in front of him. His head whipped to the side, and as he turned around holding his cheek, he saw Nerissa running away from him and towards the ballroom's entrance, her dress and hair billowing out behind her. "Damn it!" he yelled, about to pursue her, then turning back to his shocked friends. "Damn you both to hell!" he shouted, and then he began to run after Nerissa.
Gregor and Luxa were dancing when they noticed a crying Nerissa run past them, tears streaming down her cheeks. Bewilderedly, they then noticed Raphael running past them and after her. Gregor looked after them. "Raphael did something to Nerissa, didn't he?" Luxa asked.
Gregor sighed in exasperation. "Knowing him, probably. I'll ask Larry and Angelina later," he said. If only they knew then what Raphael had done, and what would happen in the near future.
Nerissa burst out of the ballroom, and Raphael quickly caught up with her. "Nerissa, wait! Let me explain…" he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She violently shook his hand off and whipped her face to Raphael. "Get off of me! Get away from me! I can't believe you! I cannot believe you!" she screamed.
"Nerissa, I never wanted…" Raphael started.
Nerissa cut him off again. "Never wanted what? Never wanted to lie to me? Well, it's too late now! What makes me think that I can trust you again? You lied to me! I trusted you, and you broke it as easily as you take lives!" she screeched.
Raphael flinched. She had hit a weak point, and she knew it. "I never meant…" he stammered, but there was no point anymore. There was nothing he could say, and both of them knew it.
"SHUT UP!" Nerissa screamed, slapping him in the face again. She ran off, tears streaming down her cheeks. Raphael stared after her, feeling devastated and horribly guilty.
"Damn it…" He turned to the wall next to him and repeatedly punched it. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" He looked down at his bleeding knuckles. "DAMN IT! What have I done? WHAT HAVE I DONE!" he screamed, beginning to cry, tears streaming down his cheeks just as they had Nerissa's.
"Raphael?" From the voice, Raphael knew who it was.
"Ladon. Go back in, and tell them that Nerissa and I have retired to our rooms," Raphael growled.
"What about you? What happened?" Ladon asked.
"Both of those questions are questions that I would rather not answer. You will not see me until tomorrow morning. If you want to know what happened, go ask Nerissa later. I have no interest in telling anyone else about what happened because it's my entire fault, and it shall always be my entire, most grievous fault," Raphael said, turning his crying face to Ladon for an instant. This shocked Ladon. From what Gregor had told him, Raphael had not cried openly like this since he was six, not even when his parents died. "I'm leaving the party. Good night, Ladon," Raphael said.
By the time Ladon had gotten over his shock, Raphael was gone.
Later…
Raphael had returned to his room and decided to try to talk to Nerissa again tomorrow. However, after two hours, he found that he could no longer bear to stay away from her, despite knowing that she had been supremely angry with him. So he went to Nerissa's room and tried again.
She almost slammed the door in his face after she saw who it was, but Raphael said, "Wait! I just want to talk about what happened!"
She let him in. "I'll give you one more chance. Talk," Nerissa said.
Raphael sighed. "Look, Nerissa, all that I said to them earlier wasn't what I meant. What I meant was that you aren't all that pretty." Nerissa narrowed her eyes in anger. "No, that's not it! What I meant was that I'm not attracted to you. Damn it! That's not what I meant either! Why is it so hard for me to say this?"
"Then don't say it. I've heard enough! You cannot comprehend the simplest of female emotions! Was I just another girl to you? A plaything? You're every bit as bad as Duncan was!" She took cruel satisfaction in watching him stiffen in anger and clench his fists.
"You know that I'm nothing like that bastard was!" he hissed.
"Then why did you lie to me? Why did you have to break every bit of trust I had in you? WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!" she screamed.
"Nerissa…" Raphael said.
"Stop it. I don't want to hear any more excuses. From now on, our relationship will be nothing more than that of a liege and her vassal. Now get out of my room. You have no more business in here. Our friendship is over," she said, sitting on her couch, taking out a book and beginning to read it.
Raphael recognized the book. It was a fantasy story about wolves. She had been fascinated by the noble creature from the Overland that was shown on the cover, and Raphael had, without hesitation, lent it to her as a gift. He knew that she wasn't really reading it, but merely waiting for him to leave. "So that's it, then?" he asked with his deepest sorrow. "Our friendship is gone?"
"Everything that might have existed between us is long gone. As far as I'm concerned, it never existed," Nerissa said. With those words, Raphael's spirit was broken, and he felt a horrible, burning pain in his stomach and chest.
Still, he nodded in understanding. "I see. But you should know this. You meant more to me than any other of my friends. The friendship that we had…was the most wonderful thing I've ever experienced," he said, turning to leave. Out of common courtesy, he did not slam the door, instead closing it with about the same gentleness as he would his own. As he walked back to his room, his tears left dark spots on the red carpet.
The instant Raphael closed the door, Nerissa put her book down and began to sob, burying her face into her arms, grieving for what could have been, and also what had been lost. Before, she had wanted to be with Raphael forever, never leaving his side, and he would do the same. Now, she felt that she couldn't even look at him without bursting into tears.
Neither of them understood. Neither of them knew what would happen. Neither of them realized the amount of trouble that their separation would cause. Both of them were too caught up in their own misery. As of now, they were crying in pure anger, and both of their angers were directed at Raphael, who knew for a fact that it was all his fault.
Depressing, depressing, depressing. You guys can probably understand by now why this story's genre is Drama. This part of story was the main reason why I changed it. What have you done, Raphael? What have you done?
I don't expect many happy reviews, or any reviews in general. Even so, please review, and I am sorry if I disappointed any of you. It's going to get better sooner or later, though probably later. Still, don't worry. I am the author, after all. I know what I'm doing.
Again, reviews keep me motivated, so even if they leak depression, sadness, and disappointment, please send your thoughts.