"No!" Artie yells as he falls to his knees.
He's too late.
It's done.
He's lost her.
His heart rips apart as he sees Lancelot pull away from Anya.
She's gone.
Artie looks up with hatred and anger.
Why wasn't he fast enough?
Why was he too late?
Why?
Anya blinks confusedly and looks at Lancelot.
Lancelot smiles and caresses her face with his fingers before pulling away.
She smiles at him and cups his face.
Artie couldn't bear to see this.
"Hi-ya!" Anya yells as she slams her forehead against his.
The crowd gasps.
Lancelot groans and falls backward unconscious.
She looks up to see Artie.
He stands up.
"Anya." He says as Anya walks over Lancelot.
"Artie." He holds out his arms and she walks into them.
They hug each tightly.
This time, there is warmth and tingle and love from him.
She hugs him tighter.
Her body relaxes into his body.
She and her body missed him.
She looks up at him and they smile.
"Artie, I don't understand." She whispers with tears in her eyes.
"Shh,"
He cups her face and kisses her. She melts into his kiss, her legs turning into jelly.
The spark and tingle was there, warming her.
This was the real Artie.
They pull away.
They smile.
"Joanne, you were suppose to give her the potion."
"I guess, I accidentally gave her the wrong tea." She says to Lancelot.
She's not afraid.
She couldn't come between Artie and Anya.
She grabbed the cup that Anya was suppose to drink with the potion.
Anya was in love with Artie and who was she to come in between them?
Lancelot growls and grabs a knife.
"Uh! I told you!"
Artie clutches Anya protectively to him, their arms around each other as Lancelot advances them.
"I told you! I will be king!" Lancelot runs towards them with the knife pointed at them.
Artie pushes Anya away from him hard and she falls to the ground away from him.
Artie braces himself for the knife to slice him.
"Artie!"
Joanne runs in between Lancelot and Artie.
"No!" She yells.
Lancelot runs the knife through Joanne.
They gasp.
His eyes widens as he looks down.
Joanne has stabbed him with a knife into his stomach.
He gasps in pain and lets go.
Joanne and Lancelot fall to the ground.
Artie is shocked.
"Joanne," Anya cries out as she gets up and runs to Joanne's dying body.
"Joanne," she whispers.
Joanne is losing too much blood and her face is pale, too pale.
Anya kneels and Artie kneels alongside her.
"I'm sorry..." Joanne breathes out.
"What?" Anya asks, tears in her eyes.
"I helped...Lancelot. I knew...the king was kidnapped." She sucks in a breath as her pain increases.
"I slipped...the potion...so you would fall in love...with Lancelot. I'm sorry..."
"Joanne, why?" Anya asks.
She feels hurt and betrayed because she trusted Joanne and yet, she helped with the whole plot.
"Forgive me..I had no choice...I stole gold from the...king...before I worked...I was afraid...to lose my life..."
"Oh, Joanne," Anya whispers.
Now she understood.
Anya did the same thing when she was younger before she met Artie.
She did things for fear of her life.
Joanne did the same.
"I understand Joanne. I understand. I did things because I was afraid of losing my life, too. It wasn't right. You betrayed us, your kingdom but I understand." Anya whispers.
Joanne sucks in a breath.
She's almost gone. She can see the light.
"Forgive me, your majesty's. I will pay my price...I am proud...of your love...for each other...I just wish...I could've found my...true love. I love you...like a family..."
"Joanne," Artie whispers.
"Forgive me..."
"I do. We forgive you." Anya whispers.
Joanne smiles weakly.
"Thank...you..." Joanne whispers, exhaling her last breath.