Chapter 55: Rule Vanished

May took a deep breath. "It's finally time…"

It's the day of the wedding. May just got her hair and makeup done. And she has her wedding dress on. She's staring at herself in the mirror.

"Today's the day my life will change forever…" May muttered. "I'm forced to marry a Prince and...I won't even get to see Drew before getting married…"

May turned her head to face her bedside table. She saw the single red rose that Drew gave her. It's the first rose he ever gave her and she still has it to always bring him back into her thoughts. She walks over to the table and stares down at the rose.

"Still not dead…" May muttered. "It was fate that brought me and Drew together...I was meant to be with him, but…" her eyes started getting watery. "That's all changed now."

"May, ready to go?" Dahlia asked once she walked into the room.

May took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be." May started walking towards Dahlia to go to the room where the wedding will be held.

Drew is walking through Petalburg City, talking to himself.

"I haven't seen May in a while now…" Drew muttered. "I hope she's been doing well without me…"

Drew notices a paper taped to a lamppost and he walks to it. His eyes widen at what it says.

"You're invited to the wedding of Princess May and Prince Eric." Drew read. Drew gasped at the date and time. "Today?! Right now?!" He backed away from the paper in shock.

He looked up at the castle. "There's no way May chose to marry him." He muttered. His hands clenched. "They're forcing her. That isn't right. I love her." He thought about what to do. "I can't lose her to anyone!" He started running towards the castle."

Once he got to the castle gates, two guards stopped him.

"What do you think you're doing here?" A guard asked.

"I umm...came to see the wedding." Drew answered.

"Sorry, but we were told to not let a certain green-haired and green-eyed person in. So please leave."

("Of course the King told them that.") Drew thought. ("But I'm going to stop the wedding if I have to do it by force!") He took out a Pokéball and tossed it in the air.

His Flygon materialized in the air behind him.

"Hey, put your Pokémon away." A guard said. "You're going to get yourself into a lot of trouble when the King finds out."

Drew backed up and jumped in the air. His Flygon flew underneath him and Drew landed on him. They flew up and over the gate. Drew heard the guards yelling at him, but he ignored them. He flew on Flygon to the castle.

("If I get in trouble...it'll still be worth it to make sure that May isn't forced to marry anyone.") Drew thought.

At the front of the castle, Drew jumped off of Flygon, and two more guards stopped him.

"You're not going anywhere." A guard said.

"Flygon!" Drew called.

Flygon swooped in and flew towards the guards. They got scared of the dragon type Pokémon coming at them at full speed that they backed away from Drew. Flygon came to a stop.

Drew ran to the doors and opened them. He entered the castle with Flygon following behind him.

"Flygon, see if you can find what room the wedding is in." Drew said.

Flygon flew off, exploring the halls. After two minutes, Flygon flew back to Drew.

"Fly~!" Flygon said. He started flying away again, but with Drew following him.

They came across a room with four guards on the outside, blocking the doors.

"You're not allowed inside." A guard said.

"I can see that." Drew said. He could hear the officiant through the doors.

"Does anyone object? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

May glanced at the audience. She frowned. ("I really wish Drew was here…")

Drew's hands clenched. "Flygon, Steel Wing." Drew said.

Flygon's wings lit up white which scared the guards. Flygon was just hovering in the air behind Drew with his Steel Wings prepared.

"You're not really going to attack us." A guard said.

Drew perked up an eyebrow. "I'm not? Flygon, get these guards out of my way."

Flygon lifted his wings up and swung them downwards, almost hitting a guard. That guard quickly got out of the way. The guards now backed away from the door, knowing that Drew isn't kidding about attacking them.

"Do you, Princess May, take Prince Eric to be your wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and to remain faithful to him for as long as you both shall live?" The officiant asked.

"I…" May said. She looked at Eric. "I…" her voice trailed off.

All of a sudden, the doors slammed open.

"Stop the wedding!" Drew yelled from the doors.

Everyone looked at Drew. May gasped.

("He came…") May thought. She wanted to walk towards Drew, but Prince Eric grabbed her wrist, stopping her from going.

Drew saw him grab May's wrist and he felt anger rising inside of him. He started walking towards May, but Norman stood up and stood at the end of the aisle. Drew stopped in his tracks.

"How did you get inside the castle?" Norman asked harshly.

"My Flygon scared your guards." Drew answered. Flygon flew to him and landed behind him.

"And why have to come here? You should know that you aren't allowed at this wedding."

May frowned. ("Drew...you shouldn't have come…") she thought.

Drew looked at May. He looked back at Norman. "I came to make sure that May doesn't marry that Prince." He answered.

There were several gasps from the audience. May gasped on the inside.

("He...came here to...make sure I'm happy with who I marry…") May thought.

"And who are you to object to this wedding?" Norman asked.

Drew didn't answer right away. He looked at May again and then back at Norman. "I'm May's friend." He answered. "And I'm also in love with her."

Everyone gasped at Drew's words, but May just blushed. He just admitted that to her Dad. Her Dad.

"And so that's why I have to stop this wedding." Drew said. "I know what May wants and she doesn't want to be forced to marry anyone. She wants to marry someone who really loves her inside and out."

"And you're thinking that's you?" Norman questioned.

"I never said that." Drew said. "My only reason for being here is to stop you from forcing May to marry someone when she clearly doesn't want to marry him."

"Well, it doesn't matter. This is the rule and she has to follow it."

May finally looked away from Drew and stared at the ground.

"I understand that it's a rule, but you created that rule. You can just get rid of it."

"Get rid of it? I don't think so. I know how commoners think. They would try and use Royalty to get to the crown. Just admit it. That was your plan all along. You just wanted to be rich and famous and you've been using my daughter to do that!"

"I love her." Drew said. "I would never think of using May to get anything. Because all I ever really need in my life...is her."

"Awwww…" The audience said in unison.

May blushed and looked at Drew again.

"And besides, Prince Eric doesn't even know anything about May." Drew said. "And I know for a fact that her ideal Prince is someone who's romantic, kind, caring, and he can make her happy no matter how sad or upset she is."

Norman looked at May. May just shyly nodded. Norman looked back at Drew.

"For years, you've always told May that she has to marry a Prince when she's old enough to do that." Drew said. "But you've been so caught up in making sure she follows your rules...that you never stopped to realize if she likes your rules."

Norman thought about what Drew is saying.

"She's told you before that she wants to marry for love." Drew continued. "And you've always had the thought that all commoners will try and take advantage of her that you completely ignored that fact. You've been ignoring your daughter from what she believes in." Drew looked at May in the eyes. "And she believes in happily ever afters."

May shyly smiled.

Drew looked back at Norman. "Even though she doesn't want to be forced to marry someone, she still agreed to this marriage because she knows it's her duty as Princess of Hoenn to marry a Prince. Your rule. I think you've been afraid that May won't choose a Prince to marry by the time she becomes Queen. So you chose for her. Am I right?"

"...I guess you may be right…" Norman said.

"And you stayed focused on that thought, that you made May more sad because of it." Drew said. He looked at May. "Is that true?"

"...yes." May said.

Drew looked at Norman. "May has always been sad that she has to follow that one rule of yours. She was crying when you made me leave her room because you didn't want me talking to her. She cried when she thought I was dead. She may not realize it yet, but…" He looked at May. "I think she's fallen for me too."

Everyone gasped and May blushed.

Drew looked at Norman again. "Your Majesty…" Drew started. "I've said a lot, so I think I'll get going now. I only wanted to say all of that to change your mind about the rule. So umm...I'll leave the wedding now like you wanted in the first place and...it's up to you if you'd listen to me or not." With that said, Drew turned around and climbed on Flygon.

("No...Drew, I don't want you to leave.") May thought sadly.

Drew took one last look at May. He smiled at her which made her blush. He then flew away on Flygon, through the doors, down the hall, through the front doors, and out.

The room stayed silent for a while. The audience was just staring at Norman.

Norman turned around and faced May.

"Dad?" May questioned.

Caroline got up from her seat and walked to Norman. "What do you want to do?" She whispered.

"I think that…" Norman whispered. "I think he's right."

Caroline smiled and nodded. They both faced May.

"May...I've finally realized that…" Norman started. "There really can be Princes in everyone."

May gave a small smile. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" Norman started. "I was wrong. It was wrong to keep you from being with the one you love. And so...from this day forward...the rule that a Princess has to marry a Prince...is now gone." Norman smiled. "You can be with whoever you choose."

May gasped and smiled brightly. Prince Eric finally let go of her wrist. The audience started applauding.

"But what about our wedding?" Eric asked.

"The wedding will never happen." Norman said. "That Drew person opened my eyes to my mistake. An ordinary Prince is not worthy of my daughter's hand."

May walked down the stairs and hugged her parents. "Thank you…"

May backed away after a minute, the applause dying down.

"Tell me...Drew…" Norman started. "Do you really love him?"

May blushed. After a moment, she shyly nodded.

"Very well then." Norman said. "If he's who you want to be with, then it's fine by me. He has a good heart."

May beamed.

"But if he breaks your heart…" Norman said, anger building.

Caroline placed a hand on Norman's shoulder, calming him down. "It's okay, Norman."

"Yeah." May agreed. "Drew won't break my heart."

"But if he does," Norman said. "He'll be in trouble with me."

"I'm sure he knows that." May said. "Thank you both."

"Drew's the one you should be thanking." Norman said.

"I'll tell him the good news when I go back to school?" May said as a question.

Norman nodded. "You're allowed to finish high school along with your friends." May smiled brightly.

Norman turned his attention to Eric. "And as for you. You can leave our castle now. You're no longer needed."

"But-" Eric said, but got immediately cut off by Norman.

"No arguments. You'll leave at once."

"R-right." Eric said. He started walking towards the doors, passing the Royal family.

May smiled. ("Drew...you did it.") She thought. ("And seeing as how you stood up to my Dad like that...made me fall in love with you even more.")

"May?" Caroline questioned. May snapped out of her thoughts. "Drew will protect you, right?"

"Of course he will, Mom." May answered.

Norman looked at the audience. "I apologize to you all. There won't be a wedding any time soon. You all may go to your homes. Sorry for the inconvenience."

The audience started getting up and leaving.

("He really cares a lot to stop a wedding…") May thought. She blushed slightly. ("I love him so much. And I can't wait to tell him.")