"Prince Turandot…"
Summary: Can the courageous Princess Amy unfreeze the icy heart of the cruel Prince Sheldon Turandot? Well, she's giving it her all…In song as well as deed.
Disclaimer: What's Chuck's is Chuck's…No infringement intended…
Part LIII…
In the leftmost tunnel, despite the defection of Pullo from the team, the remaining assassins were busily preparing to give it their all as a scout reported that Isabella and De Pays had resumed their progress after resolving the problem of the Black Pool. Not by any means an insoluble one and nothing compared to the Trials but still a strong indicator that this one had a certain aptitude best to be quenched before it could be put to trial, Rubio, the leader, noted to his assistants.
Clearly Fate had made a wise decision in causing them to choose this one whatever part bribery had played.
Though always a pity to see such a lovely lady stretched out…
Then again…As he pulled at the wood post holding the carefully loosened support timbers in place over the section of tunnel the Castilians were just about to enter…With luck she'd be crushed to death immediately or at least entombed rather than strangled or gutted, surely a kinder fate than had greeted many. And certainly kinder than what awaited her at the end.
"She'd never have been happy with Prince Turandot in any case…If what's said about her is true…" the young female attendant, Rubio's current partner in both business and life, noted.
An excellent point, he nodded sagely. Yanking hard…Hmmn…One more should do, just give them a second to get in a bit further…
Another burly male attendant standing by…Rubio not wishing to apply too much force too quickly... "Seriously? Her? She's so pretty…" Hissed, sighing at end, to the female who shrugged…
The Heart knows what it wants…
"Not that there's anything officially wrong with that that I've heard." The male noted. "Just, you know…A shame they made her come all that way out here with no real chance of happiness, poor thing." Both watching attentively as Rubio waited and then gave a final shove to the post which gave way.
"Back, folks!" he cried as the timbers gave way. All three hurrying down the tunnel as the roof collapsed behind them.
"Of course…Royals do have to do their duty in these matters…" the other male noted as the three paused by a bend in the tunnel to watch the billowing dust clouds sweep after them. "I suppose they find other satisfactions…And I have heard…Regards the Prince himself…" Confidential whisper…
"That's enough, there." Rubio, annoyed. "I'll hear no rumors of the Prince…We may be hired assassins but I for one am a 100% Californian, hired assassin and there be no gossiping about the royal family of California in my team."
…..
"Least they could have done is haul us up after that…" Mala fumed to Hyman beneath her as they climbed the increasingly narrow chimney up…Sorry, the only way ahead is up, Minister Pang had noted to them on leaving them earlier.
"Well, at least we had some light for the start…" he noted patiently. "And if this thing narrows any more we'll be able to wedge ourselves between the sides."
"I think you're right…" she looked up, seeing the chimney narrow further.
"I just hope it'll stay big enough to squeeze through…" she sighed.
Things I do for Borneo…
Pity we couldn't hear regards the deniable matter…I'd love to hear Isabella was having a worse time than…
Gods…She sighed at the sudden appearance of a ring of fire encompassing the chimney about ten feet ahead.
"Highness, is that smell what I think it is?" Hyman called.
Fire…And Smoke, again…Bad…Mala groaned.
…
"This was an excellent idea, Donnie…" Amy noted as they climbed the tunnel to the ceiling, grabbing at handholds, pinioning themselves against the wall before each new move.
"Thanks…" he stared down, pressing tight with outstretched limbs…
Now me, I'd have myself executed for this bit of insanity...
"One good claw swipe and we could bring em down, Boss." Ficho noted to Pong as they watched the climbers, Pong and Suzi rather anxiously.
Fortunately only about a seven foot drop at most…Still…
"We're not here to kill them, Ficho." Pong frowned. Yeah…Suzi, mirroring frown…"Lets just take this slow…"
"I think I see a vulnerable point just at the neck…" Amy noted to "Donnie". "Just let me see…If I can land just right on it…" She eyed her drop point carefully, tensing…
"On it?!" "Donnie" blinked… "Highness?! I was thinking more about dropping rocks or maybe an…Amy! No!" he cried as she let go and dropped on the beast.
Whoa…Pong and the others rocking in their seats. "An unexpected 120+ lbs on board, sir!" the third assistant engineer called out.
"Amy! Highness!" "Donnie" cried again…
Oh, Lord…If I stay here, when she learns the truth I'm the greatest twit wuss of all time…If I jump and live, I'm the heroic but overly romantic serving boy who needs to die to prevent any breath of scandal.
License to kill overly romantic servants seeking to save Suitors from their insane determination to finish this thing…And I can't blame Dad on this one…Not one of my more inspired ideas to protect the Suitors' and the Procession's reps, he sighed.
"Amy! Watch your…Head!" he cried as she was knocked unconscious, striking head against the roof of the tunnel as the Minotaur reared a bit just as she rose to swing her sword at the weakest neck point, Pong, catching on to her strategy and hoping to gently toss her off to safety…A slight miscalculation on his part.
Geesh…When I think I could've just defied Dad's law, raised an army…Well, several to fight the various attacking, infuriated powers plus half the Imperial Guard and others standing by the Law and Constitution allied to the scheming and opportunistic…Fought a bloody civil and several foreign wars…Instead of this…
Love is hard…Turandot sighed, jumping.
Gods, that smarts!...Groaning as he landed on the neck of the Minotaur, Amy having fallen back on the body of the beast…Her armor caught on a metal hook on the left side, her body draping down to the ground…Legs dangling dangerously near the gears of the legs and undulating torso.
"I said all stop, Ficho!" Pong called. "The girl's caught on the side…!"
"Gotta reset the mainspring, Boss!" Ficho, hurriedly adjusting…
"And the Prince…!" Suzi began…Freezing at Pong's desperate look, her own face bearing an absolute horror as the rest stared at her.
"…Will be displeased if we kill her…" Pong, seizing the moment brilliantly. Suzi gasping with relief at the save…He nodding.
Just watch it, sweetheart.
"And that goofy serving boy…" Ficho noted, peering out an upper peep hole… "Say, should we just finish him off with the fire cannon, before he falls to his death in the leg and body gears? That might scare the Princess off, finding his charred remains and all beside her when she wakes up."
….
"Caspar…" Mary sighed as she leaned back in her carriage seat. "You're father of my other beloved son…We loved each other once…I know you love Turandot as a son. What do I here?"
"Mary…I believe the girl speaks the truth. Meemaw and she wished to help Princess Amy because they honestly believe she loves Sheldon. I don't believe Amy had anything to do with the girl's rather clumsy… " Thanks, Penny glared…I risk my life, literally dying, for the cause, with little enough to gain…Really, thanks… "…attempt to learn the Answers."
"And I didn't…" Penny pointed out. Lilly nodding in support.
"I can't risk Turandot's life on a fairy tale of love…" Mary shook her head. "And yet, if Meemaw believes in this girl…Where is Mother-in-Law, anyway?"
"Well…" Caspar hesitated.
Somehow, in Mary's current state, telling her her always formidable, often terrifying mother-in-law…For all her sweetness in private, no doubt where George I…Praise him, etc… Got his ruthless balls from…Means to lead a rebellion against the Imperial government (and by implication, her son) doesn't seem the wisest course.
….
