Gregor and the War of the Myriapods Chapter 36 (Re-done): Puzzle, an underland chronicles fanfic

Hello guys, and welcome back! As some of you may know, certain circumstances have forced me to abandon Regalia High. Know that I will continue this story, and that it will be complete soon. Very soon, perhaps only the epilogue, and maybe one more chapter after this. So far, this has been an amazing experience for me, and it has done more than any of you could possibly imagine to my life. If I play my cards right, this may become my gateway to success. My book, which I am currently working on, may set me on my course. And it may not, which in that case I will keep trying. By the way, a lot of you owe me a cookie! *crunch* Got any chocolate chip? So, as usual, any and all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, see you guys later!

See you guys later,

-Tytonic

Disclaimer: I do not own any of The Underland Chronicles, only the characters I make up and the plot itself.

Gregor and the War of the Myriapods

Chapter 36: Puzzle

Gregor decided Luxa had had enough time to process what was happening, and began to talk. "Luxa, while our relationship may be very dangerous, and rough, I believe that we have gone through much together, more than enough to tie us together more than any vow ever could. Even so, I believe this necessary to complete that knot. Queen Luxa of Regalia, will you marry me?"

-O-

Luxa quickly inhaled. While she could say she wasn't expecting this, deep down she knew it would have happened sooner or later. While she already knew her answer, as she had imagined this before, and had come to a conclusion long ago, it did not stop the doubt from seeping into her mind.

So much could go wrong if they got married. Gregor was an overlander, and many people would oppose him becoming king, due to the impurity entering the bloodline. While most humans held him in high esteem, many would still dislike it, and possibly rebel.

While that was certainly a possibility, it was also highly possible that other species would not agree, and would attempt to take him off of the throne. It could disrupt the peace of the entire underland.

If, and when they had a child, that child would be a halflander, which many people would dislike. If a halflander became ruler, it was likely that many people would rebel.

And then there was Gregor's mother. She knew there would be hell to go through if Grace became involved, which she no doubt would. Luxa had gone over this point before, too.

While Luxa knew her answer, she knew that it would not matter. Gregor's request would still be put through the serving council, and the publics opinion would be taken into consideration. It was unlikely that he decision would hold little, if any, influence in the matter.

All of these thoughts flashed through Luxa's head within an instant, yet, she did not linger on any of them. She knew her answer, and she intended to give it without a doubt.

With a few moments of hesitation, and a rising anticipation, Luxa gave her answer in the most sure and confident voice she could muster up, which happen to be a hoarse whisper. "I-I. . . y-yes."

A look of confidence remained of Gregor's face. "What was that? I could not hear you."

Luxa doubted she could raise her voice much higher, so she did not attempt to. Instead, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Gregor, forcing him to stand. Ignoring the ring, which went clanking to the side, Luxa whispered her answer in his ear.

"Y-yes, Gregor. Yes, I will marry you!" She proclaimed, in the strongest voice possible, which, once again, was but a weak whisper.

She felt Gregor slightly relax as she answered his question, though she knew that he had already know what her answer was going to be. He was most likely afraid that she would reject him due to thing outside of their power, such as the council denying Gregor the right to marry her. Of course, they still might, but that would not stop her from accepting Gregor's proposal.

If the council did in fact deny Gregor that right, Luxa already knew what she would do. At only the age of sixteen, she had fought, and won, multiple wars, gone through numerous losses, almost died on many occasions, and had almost been forced into an unwanted marriage. On top of all that, she was expected to stay strong, and rule over her people with confidence, despite how badly her life may go.

With so much stress, she would not be able to rule successfully without help. She had been through too much to remain unscathed, and mentally capable of ruling the humans. Gregor would provide that help, and with his help, they would rule over the humans together, and ensure that peace would remain, and the underland would flourish.

If the council denied Gregor the right to wed her, she would most likely resign, and step down from the throne. Even with her sheer determination, her will to serve her people, she just couldn't handle all of the stress that was placed upon her. Everybody, even one as strong as Luxa, had their limit, and she had reached hers.

She could hear whispers and murmurs in the background, as the council discussed what had just occurred. She attempted to block out what they were saying, but to no avail. Leaning back, Luxa did the only thing she could to block them out. She kissed Gregor.

While she was still aware of their talking, she knew they had seen Luxa kiss Gregor, and that their murmurs and whispers had increased tenfold. She didn't care at all. She already made her decision, and no matter what the council said or determined, she would still marry Gregor.

There was so much stress for her in the underland, so matter where she went. She needed somebody to help her shoulder that stress, an that somebody was Gregor, not some power-mad maniac. If she had to, she would go so far as to return to the overland with Gregor, despite the difficulties it would cause. Perhaps she would find a way to bring Aurora along, otherwise she would have to find a way to remain in the underland. If she did resign, it would leave her with literally nothing, and she would have to leave the palace.

With all she has gone through with Gregor, their relationship was far stronger than any normal relationship, and she doubted that she could stand being separated from Gregor. She knew his mom would attempt to force them apart, to take Gregor away, but she would do everything she could to prevent that.

As she pulled out of the kiss, she felt Gregor weaken slightly, but figured it was from the lack of breath. Apparently, that was a big mistake. However, Luxa failed to notice that Gregor was continuously weakening.

Pulling away, Gregor reached down and picked up the ring. Grabbing Luxa's hand, he slid it onto her ring finger. Luxa held up her hand to examine the ring. It was amazing, and seemed as though it was made just for her. She recognized the gem as a diamond, something she had never seen used in jewelry; the technology required to shape or cut diamond was not yet created. This only made it that much more special, and unique.

As Luxa was examining the ring, she noticed Gregor's legs trembling ever so slightly. She had seen it before, and immediately realized what was happening. Rushing forward, Luxa managed to keep Gregor from slaming into the ground as he fell, but even so, she was too weak to stop his fall entirely. She only managed to slow it, so that he would not get hurt in any way.

He was out cold, and she assumed he was not going to wake up anytime soon. He had only just recovered from his injury, and was not yet strong enough to do anything, and yet he had walked all around the palace. It was amazing that he lasted as long as he had, a feat few could manage. Ever the warrior.

Gregor's Point of View

His eyes slowly fluttered open, and the first thing he became aware of was somebody sitting on the edge of his bed. Assuming it was Luxa, Gregor prepared to speak out, but halted once he realized who it really was.

"Your finally awake, honey." His mother said.

The first thing that came to Gregor's head was worry. F his mother found out that he had proposed to Luxa, he knew that all hell would break loose. If she didn't, he would have to tell her. You cannot just 'forget' to mention that you are getting married, especially to your parent.

"How long was I out?" He asked.

His mother smiled sadly at him. "About four weeks."

"Holy crap, that means I. . ." He prevented himself from going on as he remembered that his mother was not told that he had awaken and gone to the meeting. If he had been out for three weeks before, then he had to have been out for about a week since the meeting. And it felt like it was only moments ago. . . He could practically feel Hayden's blade splitting his skin, the poison draining him of life. He knew the memories of that battle would plague him for the rest of his life, just as the battle with the bane currently was.

"Gregor," She looked him straight in the eyes, "The second you can get out of this bed, we are going home."

Gregor would not accept that. "Mom, I-"

"No. You are to weak to argue. You do not have a choice in the matter. I have been informed of the Regalian law, and there is nothing, save you inability to walk, keeping us here. We. Are. Going. Home." She had that glint in her eye, the one that used to scare Gregor, that is, BEFORE he came to the underland.

He knew he could't argue, he wasn't strong enough to. Plus, he would be fighting the law if he did, and that never went over well. Gregor was about to respond, despite his poor condition, when Luxa walked in the room. She seemed much happier than Gregor had ever seen her, and her expression did not fade when she saw Gregor's mother. This confused Gregor to no extent. Gregor's mother also noticed Luxa come in.

"Grace, I would like to talk to your son. Privately, if you will." Luxa asked.

His mom seemed skeptical, but after Luxa almost put her in jail without hesitation, she knew better than to disobey the queen. Gregor's mom nodded, and exited the room, though it was obvious that she was going to ease drop. Gregor was about to mention this to Luxa, when, with echolocation, he saw two guards at the door prevent his mother from getting close enough to over hear their conversation.

"She's going to make me leave, you know." He mentioned.

"Gregor. . . I have been looking through the laws, and have come across one that I did not previously know about. If in a condition such as yours, your mother does hold rights over you, however, your fiancé holds equal rights over you." She explained with a smile. "That means that, especially since I am queen, I can prevent her from taking you away. Due to my status, I hold greater rights over you than she does."

The fact that Luxa was controlling his fate did not bother him in the slightest. Instead, his mind wondered over the hidden meaning in Luxa's words. He was pleased at what he found. "So the council is allowing our marriage?"

Luxa's smile grew. "Yes. They found no law preventing an overlander from taking the throne, and they found you to be suitable for the position. The fact that you are the warrior, as well as the most powerful being in the underland, is only an added bonus. Normally, the people and other species would not accept an overlander as their ruler, but they hold you in such high esteem, even higher than myself, that they accepted the councils decision without a second thought."

"That is great. Just, how will we tell my mom? I am not going to leave the underland, especially now, but how will she react? This could become disastrous." He stated.

"Indeed, but I believe she will have no headway in that fight. If she attempts to oppose my authority over you, she will be going against the law. That card never does play very well." She explained.

"I suppose you are right." Gregor responded. Dread began to build within him.

As soon as Luxa signaled to the guards, they allowed Gregor's mother back into the room. She immediately sat down next to Gregor on the bed, ignoring Luxa completely. "Honey, are you alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He responded, confused.

His mother did not answer, but rather glared at Luxa. "Really, mom? You think she wold hurt me? Why would you thin that?"

His mother had a sour look on her face. "You are blinded by your injury. She is trying to steal you, to keep you here, to have control over you. I will not allow that."

"Mom, I don't think you understand. Luxa and I are-" He said, before getting cut off.

"Gregor, honey, I do understand. It is you, who doesn't understand." She responded.

"Mom, you just don-"

"Gregor! Stop arguing, you are hurt, you do no-'

"MOM! I am in no condition to argue like this, but you just don't understand. There are things you don't know, things that change everything!" He partially yelled. He used such a voice as to shut his mother up immediately, and to surprise her.

"And I don't want to know. Now we are going home RIGHT NOW!" She yelled right back.

"No."

She looked shocked, then angered. "What did you say?"

"No." He repeated sternly.

"You cannot say no! You are in no condition to oppose me, and the law prevents you from winning this argument!" She was really pissed now.

"No it does not." He responded.

"What did you say? I read it myself!"

"And that's just it. You do not have full authority over me, not anymore." He replied.

"What do you mean? You are still in no good condition,and you do not have a spouse or fiancé to take claim over you!" She fumed.

"Mom, there are things you do not know." And with that, he intertwined his hand with Luxa's and held it up, showing off the engagement ring to his mom.

His mothers face paled. "You cannot be serious. Gregor, I forbid you from marrying her! How can you not see what she is trying to do to you?! She is going to ruin you! Would you trust her, over me?"

"Yes, I would. The moment you began to try to take me away from here, I lost a great portion of my respect for you. I am happy here, happier than I have ever been in the overland." He pointed out. "Now, unless you want to continue pointlessly arguing, I recommend you either stop, or leave. Unless, of course, you wish to argue with the queen and the future king. And in addition, Luxa and I have the support of nearly every body in the underland. That happens to be A LOT of people, by the way."

His mom looked hopelessly lost, and seemed to be searching for something in her mind, as if she thought she could still shoot down Gregor's life, and take him away. She came up with nothing.

"Now, if you wish to attend the wedding, which will be held in. . ." He looked to Luxa for the answer. She held up seven fingers. " a weeks time, you can, but otherwise, you may as well leave now. Nd just so you know, I do wish to return to the overland to say goodbye to everybody once last time. I would like to do that before the wedding, because I want Boots, Lizzie, and dad to be there too.

"I can't prevent this, can I?" She asked.

"Not a chance."

He watched as his mother stood, sadness radiating from her, and slowly left the room. The fight had left him tired, and he felt weary. Before he could fully comprehend the events that had occurred, his eyes slowly closed, and he fell back onto the pillow.

-O-

"Queen Luxa and Gregor the warrior, today you are surrounded by your friends, family, and your people, all of whom have gathered here to witness your marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion. Today, as you join yourselves in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great; and now falls upon your shoulders the task of choosing your values and making real your dreams. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life." Mareth announced..

A smile crept it's way upon the mans face. "Remember to treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Take responsibility for making the other feel safe, and give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship, as they threaten all relationships at some time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not just the part that seems wrong. In this way, you can survive the times when clouds drift across the face of the sun in your lives, remembering that, just because you may lose sight of it for a moment, does not mean the sun has gone away. And, if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight. Seek from within yourselves. The serenity to accept the things you cannot change. The courage to change the things that you must and the wisdom to know the difference. Live each day, one day at a time. Enjoying your time together, one moment at a time. Seek the wisdom of experience learning all that you can from each other. Accept hardships as the building blocks of experience, realizing that accepting both the good and bad are simply a part of being alive. Strive to make as many things as right as is humanly possible in your life together, so that you may be reasonably happy in the life you share from this day forward."

"Gregor, Repeat after me." He instructed, "I believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple we will be together."

"I believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple we will be together."

"With my whole heart, I take you as my wife/husband, acknowledging and accepting your faults and strengths, as you do mine."

"I promise to be faithful and supportive and to always make our family's love and happiness my priority. "

"I promise to be faithful and supportive and to always make our family's love and happiness my priority."

"I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. I will dream with you, celebrate with you and walk beside you through whatever our lives may bring."

"You are my person; my love and my life, today and always."

"You are my person; my love and my life, today and always." Gregor finished.

"Queen Luxa, repeat after me." Mareth instructed. "I believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple we will be together."

With a deep breath, Luxa happily did as he said. "I believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple we will be together."

"With my whole heart, I take you as my wife/husband, acknowledging and accepting your faults and strengths, as you do mine."

"I promise to be faithful and supportive and to always make our family's love and happiness my priority. "

"I promise to be faithful and supportive and to always make our family's love and happiness my priority."

"I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. I will dream with you, celebrate with you and walk beside you through whatever our lives may bring."

"You are my person; my love and my life, today and always."

"You are my person; my love and my life, today and always." Luxa finished, a grin plastered on her face.

Mareth, also with a huge grin, continued. "Do you, Gregor the warrior, accept Queen Luxa as your life mate and one true love, promising to share in all that life offers and suffers, to be there for her in times of need, to soothe her in times of pain, and to support her in all endeavors, big and small?"

Gregor took a deep breath, and responded. "I acknowledge my love and respect for you and recognize the responsibilities that will beset me. I promise always to recognize you as an equal individual and always to be conscious of your development as well as my own. I shall seek through kindness and understanding to achieve with you the life we have envisioned." Gregor paused for a few seconds before continuing. "Yes, I accept you, Queen Luxa, to be my life mate, my one true love, My wife."

Luxa's anticipation grew greatly, as she eagerly awaited him to continue. Mareth continued. "Do you Queen Luxa, accept Gregor the warrior as your life mate and one true love, promising to share in all that life offers and suffers, to be there for him in times of need, to soothe him in times of pain, and to support him in all endeavors, big and small?"

Luxa hesitated for a moments, simply to savior the last moments that remained in this part of her life. She did not wait very long, and soon continued. "I, Queen Luxa, promise to share all pleasures and horrors with him, to be there for him, to sooth him, and to support him." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Yes, I accept Gregor as my life mate, and one true love."

Everybody in the room seemed to realize a breath, one nobody had realized they were holding in. This part of the wedding had gone smoothly, unlike the last wedding, which had been disastrous.

Gregor smiled, and picked up a ring off of a pillow, as it was presented to him by Hazard. Taking Luxa's hand, he spoke, "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit thy heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, on our wedding day."

"I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart." Luxa responded. And on that note, Gregor slid the ring onto Luxa's finger.

The smile on Luxa's face grew larger, if that was even possible. Mareth continued, " And now, by the power vested in me by the people, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Gregor, you may kiss your bride."

As Gregor leaned over and Kissed Luxa, the people began to clap, and other began to cheer. Holding up a hand, Mareth silenced them all. Nodding to Chronos, you was positioned directly behind Gregor, he shifted every bodies attention to him.

Moving forward, Chronos used one of his talons, and held up a soft red pillow. Sitting upon this pillow, was an ordinate crown, fit for a king. Mareth reached over, and picked up the crown. Gregor and Luxa both kneeled at the same time, and looked down to the ground. Walking forward, Mareth lightly set the crown upon Gregor's head.

Moving forward, Aurora held up another pillow, one which was purple. On it sat another crown, as ordinate as the last, albeit it had more curves, but still looked like a perfect match to the other. This crown was perfectly fit for a queen. Mareth picked up the crown, and lightly set it upon Luxa's head.

As he finished this, he stepped back from the two a few steps, closer to the audience. Facing the people, he began to speak. "People of Regalia! I present to you, your new rulers! King Gregor and Queen Luxa!"

-O-

Gregor lay in Luxa's arms, and while she lay in his own, he knew he was truly home.

So many times his mom had said that he was going home, however, he had not truly understood. Be it intentional or not, his mother was wrong. He couldn't go home, it wasn't possible. He was already home, in the arms of his lover.

So many times he had doubted himself, as he teetered on the edge of death. Yet, he had pushed onward, despite his slim chances of success, and on sheer willpower and determination, he managed to pull through.

Whether he knew it or not, he had been driven to succeed. Not by willpower nor determination, no, but by Love. His love for Luxa had remained strong, and had granted him the energy required to push forward, against all odds.

In the darkest of times, when it was all but dead, he chose to fight for it, to serve it, to embrace it, to die for it. As many have before him, he chose to pursued Love. Love, the emotion that could bring the greatest joy, and yet, could cause the of worst pain. Whatever the pain, it was worth it.

Love is not a word, nor an action, but rather a puzzle.

-Anonymous

So guys, that is the final chapter, albeit there will be an epilogue, which will include the wedding, among other things. I know this could have been let off better, but I believe that this will do just fine. I hope you all enjoyed the story! So, as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!

See you peeps later,

-Tytonic