I tell ya... after going through that last chapter alone...
It feels like we went through an entire fairytale...
You know... the prince and princess fall in love in the end... well this ain't your disney classic folks!
this is different!
Read on!
After their romantic kiss, they pulled away and turned to the crowd. Everyone held their breaths, waiting for the official announcement. King Ansem, Eraqus, and Queen Bethany could hardly keep their excitement in. Terra smiled at everyone.
"Arrange the marriage!" he announced.
Cheers erupted all around. The band played happy wedding marches. The servants started decorating the castle for the wedding. Surane watched the hustle and bustle with a worried look. Terra turned to her.
"Isn't this exciting?" he asked her.
"Wait a minute..." she responded.
Everything froze. The music stopped abruptly. Her father gave her an enstranged look. Terra was taken aback as well.
"What's wrong?" he asked, shocked to the core.
"Why do you want to marry me?" she asked him.
"Well, you're beautiful! You're all I ever wanted!" he responded.
Ven gave him a thumbs up sign from on top of the double staircase. Iris watched her friend with a worried look. Everyone was still with shock.
"Thank you. What else?" Surane demanded.
"What else?" Terra repeated, confused.
He looked around at everyone, searching for a clue as to what to say. Ven couldn't think of another thing he would say. Queen Bethany chewed her nails nervously.
"What else...is there?" Terra asked Surane.
Literally, everyone else groaned. Ven came down the staircase and pulled Terra away from the scene. Iris came over to comfort the princess.
"It's okay, Surane. He didn't mean it." she said.
Surane started crying a bit. This was not how she imagined falling in love and getting married. Her father came over as well.
"I take it the wedding is off." he said in a deep disappointed voice. "I think it's best that we leave tonight."
His daughted nodded and wiped a tear on her sleeve. Ven and Terra went back to the prince's room and locked the door behind them.
"What did I say?" Terra asked his friend.
"Iris told me that Surane wanted to marry for love." Ven informed him.
"But she knows we're engaged. It's been planned for almost 20 years now."
"Don't you love her?"
"Yeah, I do. Doesn't she?"
"I don't know. After saying what you said, chances are she doesn't."
Terra sat down on his bed and sighed. He really screwed it up now. At least he could try to find another girl who wouldn't question a marriage. But, Surane was different from all other girls. It wouldn't be easy letting her go. And if he went back this very minute he wouldn't have to let her go.
"I'm gonna go apologize." he stated before running out.
Going back to the ballroom, he saw the servants cleaning up the aftermath of the non-engagement party. His father and mother were near the staircase, watching the front door. Terra ran up to them.
"Where's Surane?" he asked.
"They left just a few minutes ago." Eraqus answered, clearly disappointed.
The prince opened up the front door to a thunderstorm. Rain and wind swept in and nearly knocked Terra off his feet. Grabbing a cloak, he charged outside against the wind. He had to get to Surane before it was too late. This could all be fixed.
He traveled down the bridge from the door and close to the forest. He saw the carriage tracks heading in the forest and stopped there.
"Surane!" he yelled into the mass of trees.
The wind carried his voice to a different direction. It was no use, they were too deep inside the Forbidden Forest to hear him. Ven came out of the palace and called for Terra.
"Terra! Come back!" he yelled.
Terra waved back to his friend and gave one last glance at the forest before heading back inside.
Surane, Iris, and King Ansem were in the carriage, heading back to the docks. The storm raged on outside and they moved slowly so the horses wouldn't freak out.
"We should've stayed the night and left in the morning." Ansem complained.
The princess said nothing, but looked down at the floor of the carriage. Iris put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It's better this way..." Surane finally spoke. "If he really does love me, then it should be for me. Not just because I'm beautiful..."
"That's 19 years down the drain because of you. When we get back to the castle, you're marrying the first person who asks for your hand." Ansem commanded.
Suddenly, the carriage made an abrupt stop. The girls nearly fell out of their seats. Ansem opened the door and looked outside the carriage. The driver was looking at something just ahead of them. The king could see it too. There was a tall cloaked figure in the middle of the path. The storm started to calm down.
"Girls, stay inside." he ordered, before getting out.
The driver wielded his sword and got in front of the king. A few guards on horseback came up and took a defensive position. Now, the rain and wind completely stopped.
"Who goes there?" Ansem yelled.
The cloaked figure made no response. The king ordered two of his guards to approach the figure. What happened next stunned everyone. The cloaked figure suddenly grew large bat-like wings before their eyes.
"What the-" The king whispered.
The creature came forward and flew at the party. The guards had their swords ready to attack the beast. Ansem stuck his head back in the carriage and stared at both girls.
"I want you both to get out and run back to Terra's castle. Don't stop to look back, just keep running!" he said.
Both girls nodded, scared stiff. Ansem came back out and drew out his keyblade. The winged-creature swooped down and attacked the king. The girls screamed when they saw a large wrinkled claw grab him around the waist and lift him up. He was lifted up in the air at great speed. Iris and Surane took the opportunity to get out and flee the area.
The beast went up 100 feet and dropped Ansem. He fell down to the earth, landing on a sharp rock. The creature then saw the girls running away and followed them. The last thing the girls remembered was being picked up and carried off the ground.
Terra sat with Ven and played an intriguing game of chess. Terra was down both rooks, a knight, and both bishops. All that was left were a bunch of pawns, the king, and queen. Vexen was pacing around them, simply distressed that his orchestrations were never going to be used.
"I've spent years working on them for your wedding alone, Prince Terra. That was absolutely the worst proposal I have ever heard!" The conductor shouted.
"Everything was going right! Up until she started asking questions..." Terra fought back.
"Yes, let's just blame it on the woman now... Since all your excuses have been so successful."
Ven laughed at the sarcastic remark. Terra gave him a mean glare and moved a pawn on the chess board. This move left his queen piece wide open. Hopefully, Ven wouldn't notice.
"It's a shame too. I kinda like her friend..." Ven sighed.
"Iris?" both Terra and Vexen asked.
"I know her name! But I just get so dazed just thinking of her name. There is music in the sound of her name. Just imagine, if we kissed." he responded, getting dazed just saying this.
"Like a cresendo?" Terra commented.
"That, dear friends, I wouldn't miss." Vexen laughed.
Ventus giggled and took Terra's queen. The prince sighed and leaned back.
"Twice in one day I've lost a queen."
"Hope this isn't a habit." Vexen scoffed.
A deep silence came upon them. After a few minutes, Terra jumped up excitedly, nearly knocking over the chess game. Ven was surprised at his sudden movement and was nearly knocked back in his seat. Vexen jumped like he had a heart attack.
"I know! I will prove my love for Surane!" The prince shouted triumphantly.
"And how will you do that?" both Ven and Vexen asked.
"That, I don't know. But, it will be big!"
Terra looked down and saw an opening. He moved his last knight in position to where the king couldn't move anywhere to escape the attack.
"Checkmate, Ventus." he grinned.
His friend rubbed his eyes with disbelief. Sure enough, Terra won the game. Suddenly, a servant came running to them.
"Your majesty and friends." he bowed. "One of Ansem's guards came back. He's been fatally wounded by some creature he claims."
Terra immediately ran to the entrance of the castle. In his head, he prayed that Surane was perfectly fine and just need him to rescue her. Ventus was thinking the same thing except with Iris. At the front doors, the guard laid there bleeding to death. Eraqus was already there with nurses attending him.
"Wings...dark and hairy... large claws..." he coughed.
The prince knelt down beside him, breathing heavily.
"What happened to Ansem, Surane and Iris?"
"The king is dead...never saw... the princess or her friend..." the guard replied with his last breath.
Just like that, he was dead. Terra got up and ran to the stables for his horse. Ven followed him and got on a horse as well. They rode into the Forbidden Forest, armed with bows, arrows, and keyblades. They came upon a clearing where the carriage was laying on it's side. Terra leaped off his horse and looked inside.
"Surane? Iris?" he asked.
"Terra!" Ven yelled.
The prince ran over. Ven was next to Ansem's body. The king was still breathing, but he was barely hanging on. Terra went on the other side of the king and tried to hold him upright.
"Terra..." he spoke weakly.
"Sir, what happened?"
"We were attacked by an animal...it took my daughter and her friend..." Ansem coughed.
"What kind of animal?" Ven asked.
"It's not what it seems... it's not what it seems..." Ansem whispered.
"What? What's not what it seems?" Terra asked now.
"I... don't...know...Find...my daughter...please..."
"I promise I will, sir. And Iris too." The prince promised.
"Thank you..."
The king breathed one last time and died right there. Terra and Ven called in the servants and had the king's body properly buried. Eraqus and Bethany paid their respects and everyone returned to the castle. A few people wanted to address Surane's and Iris's death, but Terra refused. He had a feeling both of them were still alive. If the creature had killed Ansem and his men on the spot, but carried both girls away, then something was up. The creature really wasn't what it seemed. It's way of thinking was almost...human...
Dun! Dun! Dun!
Muhahahahaha!
How's that for a 3rd chapter?
Well, in other news, my hair has been dyed black for a photo audition... I'm excited...
Stay tuned for the next chapter! What has become the fate of Surane and Iris?
(It's more of a rhetorical question...)