CHAPTER 12: THE WEDDING

Miguel stood at the makeshift alter upon the shore of the new world, dressed in customary wedding clothes, and looking miserable. He had resigned himself to his fate, for he knew now he could not go back to living life the way he had before he and Tulio had been reunited. It was better to die. His love's ribbon wrapped tightly around his wrist, he stood there along side Lorenzo, the Count, and the Archdeacon, and awaited his fate with quiet sadness.

"That's a bit inappropriate, isn't it?" The Count asked, glaring at the ribbon around Miguel's hand.

"No more than this whole ordeal, senor." Miguel replied.

The music began to play--for the Count had made all the arrangements for an orchestra so the wedding would be as…normal, as possible--and Margarita appeared, dressed in a long exsquiet wedding gown and positively beaming.

It seemed with every step she took, Miguel could only think of Tulio. His smile, the way he would get so nervous that he would half give himself an ulcer, the way he laughed, the glint he got in those beautiful blue eyes whenever he was up to something…

His touch, the way his body felt against his, how he called his name and held him so tightly that night in the temple…

Miguel shook himself out of his reverie as Margarita took his hand and together they turned towards the Archdeacon. Now, this poor man was very very very old, ninety in fact, and somewhat senile. Not the mention he had a horrible speech impediment.

"Mwadige…" he said as the two stood before him. Miguel smiling serenely as Margarita did her best to look ravishing and in love. It would be so much more convincing when she was weeping over his untimely death if she appeared madly in love at their wedding.

"Mwadige, is a dweam, wif in a dweam…" the Archdeacon continued.

But Miguel wasn't paying attention to the sermon. His eyes wandered past the old man, out into the endless blue sea, and he thought of all that had brought him here. He had come so far, and struggled for so long, only to be torn away from what he sought at the last moment.

"I'm sorry, Tulio…" Miguel thought inwardly, holding back tears.

I don't want your sorry!

Miguel blinked, thinking he had heard Tulio's voice. His eyes wandered, but he was not there.

You say you truly love me, and yet here you stand, allowing this to happen! Death can not stop true love! We promised Miguel! We promised each other! And now you break that promise! So keep your sorry!

Miguel felt a fire burning within his heart as he stood there.

"Do yew Mwagrawita Fwirdinane, take this man to be your waffle wedded husband?" the Archdeacon asked.

"I do." Margarita said, smiling at Miguel.

"And do yew, Miguel, take this wooman to be your waffle wedded wife?" he asked then, turning to Miguel.

Miguel stood there for a moment, and said nothing. The others looked at him anxiously. Then slowly, Miguel lifted his eyes to stare at the Arch deacon. "No." he replied softly.

"I bweg your pwardon?" The Archdeacon asked, thinking he'd misheard him.

"No!" Miguel shouted this time, pulling away from Margarita. "I do not want to marry this woman!" he shouted, much to the horror and amazement of the wedding party. "I don't love her!"

"Why you ungrateful little---" The Count growled, drawing his sword and moving towards Miguel, but Margarita moved between them.

"Daddy, stop it! I'm sure my love just has cold feet…don't you dearest?" said Margarita trying to laugh it all off.

"I'm afraid not," Miguel replied, looking very resolute. The Count moved forward, his sword thrust to Miguel's throat as the other man took a step backwards in retreat.

"You ungrateful little rat! I'll have you shackled and imprisoned in the deepest dankest dungeon in Europe for the rest of your days!" he growled.

"I think not!" cried another voice then. Miguel's eyes widened as all the sudden he felt an arm loop around him and sweep him off his feet and into the air. He turned his head, staring in disbelief at the person who held him as they landed safely on the stern of the ship. It was Tulio, clinging onto a nearby vine, grinning at him broadly.

"Inconceivable!" shouted the Count.

"Tulio you're alive!" Miguel choked on his own tears of joy.

"Of course!" Tulio replied, grinning broadly.

"I thought I'd lost you…" Miguel wept openly, clutching the other man close to him. Tulio looked him in the eyes.

"Death can not stop true love. It can only delay it for a while." he said, kissing his cheek as Miguel clung onto him.

"I will never doubt again." Miguel replied.

"You will never have need to," Tulio whispered, leaning in to give him a rather romantic kiss.

Bullets zoomed past their faces then as The Count and the surviving crew members from Miguel and Tulio's ship opened fire on them.

"Hmm, it seems the chase is on!" Miguel gasped as a bullet ripped through the sleeve of his jacket.

"ALTIVO!" Tulio shouted as he got a better grip on Miguel and they swung forward again as Altivo charged across the beach towards them. The two men leapt from the vine, landing gracefully onto the horse's back as they galloped madly across the sand into the jungle, the sailors, Lorenzo, and the Count and his daughter close at their heels.

Miguel drew his sword from it's sheath and began picking off any who ventured too close to them with powerful thrusts and deadly swings.

Tulio grabbed Miguel's free hand and kissed it lightly. "Miguel, my darling, will you marry me?" he asked suavely.

Miguel laughed joyfully as stabbed an oncoming sailor in the shoulder. "Oh, Tulio, my love, I thought you'd never ask me!" he replied, ducking just in time to keep from being stabbed. "But you could have chosen a more romantic setting." he added.

"Picky, picky." Tulio sighed, kicking away another one coming brute.

"We'll never be able to fight them all off." Miguel sighed as another bullet whizzed by them, grazing his shoulder and spooking Altivo enough to make him run even faster.

"We don't have to!" Tulio replied, looking up towards the trees. "CHIEF! NOW!" he cried.

To Miguel's pure amazement the trees suddenly came alive with Chief Tonibuck and his men as they attacked the oncoming brutes from all sides, slaying many instantly and sending other screaming back towards the shore.

"Oh daddy! That man's ruining everything!" Margarita whined from where she sat stride her own horse.

"I know, princess, but don't worry." The Count replied. He looked to Lorenzo. "Come with me."

Leaving Margarita safely behind, they other two men rode out away from the battle, to intercept the other two men who were escaping.

Tulio and Miguel turned, leaping off of Altivo and engaging in the battle on foot, fighting side by side with the natives. The battle was short, and though they lost a few men, their enemies were soon retreating back towards the shore in terror. The day had been won!"

"Lord Miguel are you alright?" Chief Tonibuck asked as he turned towards the blonde-haired Spaniard.

"Oh Chief Toni, I've never been better!" Miguel beamed. But it was then that he spotted Lorenzo in the background, crouched with his musket. "CHIEF LOOK OUT!" Miguel cried, but it was too late.

The shot rang out, striking the El Doradoian in the back. He gave a loud cry of pain and tumbled to the ground.

"NO!" Miguel and Tulio both cried as Miguel dropped down beside the wounded man, who was lying on the ground, in very serious pain. "Chief Toni…" Miguel gasped, clasping the big man's hand. His eyes then turned towards Lorenzo, who had made the fatal mistake of just standing there. "AAAAAAAAAARHHHHHH!" Miguel screamed, drawing his sword and charging the other man. Lorenzo let off another shot, but Miguel avoided it easily and slashed out at the other man with all his fury.

Lorenzo received a rather painful slash across the cheek, which began spurting blood almost immediately, and then another to the hand, forcing him to drop his weapon. The other man lashed out in a desperate attempt to defend himself from Miguel's onslaught, hitting him painfully across the jaw. Miguel wasn't even phased by it, and he kept coming, ripping his lightning fast blade across the other man's exposed chest, making him scream.

A painful thrust to his injured ankle made Miguel scream but he kept coming, stabbing Lorenzo in the thigh. Now his enemy fell and lay upon the earth. Miguel brought the sword's edge to his throat.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" another voice yelled, and Miguel turned his head to see Count Ferdinand standing behind him, with a pistol held to Tulio's temple.

"Tulio!" Miguel cried.

"Drop your sword, and he will not be harmed." The Count shouted.

Miguel was seething with rage. "COUNT! Your battle is with me!" he shouted, leaving his henchmen lying wounded upon the ground as he started towards the other man.

"If you wish him dead, by all means, keep moving forward." Ferdinand said in a pleasantly wicked voice.

"Let him go." Miguel demanded, his voice dark and angry. "You are a COWARD, Ferdinand! A COWARD! You are the slimmest weakling to ever crawl the earth! Fight me like a man, face to face, sword to sword!"

"Why should I, my boy, when I have the upper hand?" the Count asked, but there was fear in his voice.

"BECAUSE I'M CALLING YOU A COWARD THAT'S WHY! AND YOU'LL DIE A COWARD UNLESS YOU RELEASE HIM!" Miguel screamed, his voice reverberating through the trees.

For a moment, the two men stared each other down coldly, and then the Count thrust Tulio to the ground, tossing his gun aside and drew his own sword.

Miguel smiled and gracefully took position. "Count Ferdinand, you and your daughter have caused me nothing but grief. You have kidnapped me, hurt my friends, and now you seek to destroy the man I love…prepare to die." he said slowly.

They lunged at each other, swords flying. The natives moved forward to help, but Tulio held them back, crouched beside the wounded Chief.

First blood went to Miguel. He slashed open the Count's wrist. The Count was no match for Miguel's sword play. But, he didn't have to be. Because unbeknownst to anyone but him, Tzekle-Kan was slowly making his way through the shadows towards his opponent with a large knife in his hands.

Miguel had Ferdinand against a tree now, he had no where to go, and Miguel had sent his sword flying. The blonde Spaniard slashed him across one cheek.

"Offer me money," he said, smiling triumphantly.

"As much as you want," The Count gasped.

Another slash across the face, "Power too, offer me that."

"Anything!" The Count gasped as the blood was streaming in two even rivers down his cheeks.

Miguel drew back his sword, poised to kill. "Offer me anything I ask for."

"All that I have and more, please…" the Count pleaded with him.

Miguel turned, looking at Margarita, who was staring at him pleadingly next to Lorenzo. He lowered his sword, but not before looking at the beaten Count again. "You are nothing to me, Ferdinand. You should thank your daughter. It's for her sake alone that I'm sparing you what you have coming." he said, turning away towards Tulio, who rushed to embrace him.

"But you won't be so lucky…" the Count laughed.

At that moment Tzekle-Kan lunged forward, screaming, knife raised ready to drive it through Miguel's beating heart…

But he was stopped abruptly, impaled upon a long spear, held by Tulio. The dark haired man stared up into Tzekle-Kan's wide, pain and confusion filled eyes as the knife dropped from his hand.

They said nothing, simply staring at each other. And then…Tzekle-Kan did the strangest thing…he smiled, driving the spear further into his body.

Tulio restrained his nausea as he felt the High Priest's warm blood spill over his hands. Then anger took him, and he kicked him away, sending him to the ground, unmoving.

He turned towards Miguel, who was staring at him, stunned, before falling into his arms and kissing him frantically.

"My Lords…" Chief Toni's strained voice came, bringing them from their own little world.

"Chief…" Miguel gasped, falling beside him once more and taking his hand as Tulio stood beside him. "Chief, don't worry, we'll get you help," the other man began, but the native shushed him.

"No, Lord Miguel. It is time for me to go." he said softly, slowly dying in front of them.

"No, Chief, you can't! What about the city…?" Miguel pleaded with him. Chief Toni placed on of his big hands against Miguel's face gently.

"I leave it in your care now. I know you and Tulio will be a good and just rulers…"

"No, Chief we can't…" Tulio gasped.

Tears pooled at the corners of Miguel's eyes and he nodded. "We won't let you down…" he promised.

Chief Tonibuck smiled…and then laid still.

Miguel bit his lip, but he couldn't stop the tears from coming, and Tulio dropped down beside him, wrapping him in his arms and sobbing along with him. Chief Tonibuck was dead.