Elskendes Feud - 16 (Fin)
(( Haha, so uhh, hello there. Long time no see. It's been exactly 12 years since this fic was updated last, and I always intended the next chapter to be the finale - so I figured, why not finish it off, right? I was a kid when I wrote the first part of this, now I'm a married "real" adult, a lot has changed but I do remember exactly how I wanted to finish this story. And with that, let's get into it, I guess? If anyone actually reads this, thanks for indulging an awkward kid trying their best 3 It really meant a lot to me. ))
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Lukas peeked his head out from behind the curtain to the stage, what he was looking for he wasn't certain, but he was definitely not expecting to see the faces of his parents and sister. Maybe it's to save face? Pretend like they approve of this. Or maybe it was to see if he'd really go through with it. He looked to Eyriður especially, he wasn't sure if she would somehow be negatively affected by the decision he was planning to make today - but more than anything he simply hoped she would be okay. He had put plans in motion, a letter tucked away in her desk, several emails and text messages to automatically send to her later this evening, detailing exactly what he's done.
It's bold, it's risky, and frankly it's kind of stupid. It's better than a dagger and some poison though, so Lukas deemed it good enough.
A nervous sigh took him out of his thoughts and back to Mathine, who was uncharacteristically wringing her hands in nerves.
"Are you ready?"
Mathine's sweet voice echoed through his ears, carving away at his thoughts and reminding him what they were there to do. He nodded, keeping his stoicism as his strength to the nervous girl.
"Of course. Everything will be fine, Mathine."
He turned around to her, taking her hand confidently in his own and giving it a tight squeeze. After the realisation of their rough situation, as well as Mathine now officially becoming a legal adult alongside Lukas, the two put their plan into motion the past several weeks.
After being shooed away from the stage, and given last minute preparations before the play, Lukas and Mathine sat in relative silence, any noise made backstage immediately shushed by the exhausted teachers there to help with the backend of the play.
Lukas could feel the heat rising, the stage lights blaring a few feet ahead, and the crowd silent in anticipation. It was their time, finally.
"Let's get this show on the road."
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It was a high school play, made by high school students, many of whom were not particularly into acting. It was never going to be something incredible, but maybe to two families, it would change their destinies.
Despite his lack of passion for his role, Lukas delivered with surprising emotion. They say a great way to get into a role is to put yourself into it, and how better than a role your life is almost completely crafted after? He briefly looked over at the crowd, at Eyriður - who had become a surprising pillar to him recently, and he saw the tears streaming down her face as he said his final lines.
"Here's to my love! O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die."
Lukas didn't know what it was like to die. But death can take many forms. Sometimes purging everything you know, crafting a new beginning, can be seen as a form of death and rebirth. If you replace all of the parts to something, does it cease to live as it once was?
As directed in the script, Lukas collapsed to the ground, and Romeo died.
The play continued on, Friar Laurence and Balthasar continued on as instructed. And then Mathine finally woke up in her role.
"What's here? A cup, closed in my true love's hand?" Mathine reached over to Lukas's side, gently touching him as she grasped at the fake cup. The audience was completely silent, a tight wire ready to snap.
"Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end. O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop." She leaned down, looked longingly over her boyfriend's face, as still as can be. "To help me after? I will kiss thy lips." Minute stage directions were not necessary, in theatre you do not need to do fine facial control for an audience far away - but Mathine still could not help herself but look over to Lukas's lips. Lips she had kissed many times by now. "Haply some poison yet doth hang on the, To make die with a restorative."
As instructed, Mathine lent over, softly placing a kiss to Lukas. She couldn't help but smile, a sombre feeling building in her chest. With a melancholic voice, she continued.
"Thy lips are warm."
A voice offstage, "Lead, boy: which way?"
Mathine trembled as she grinned. It's Juliet's big plan. It's not something Mathine would consider, but she feels almost giddy, the nervous energy of the night building within her. She only has minutes left.
"Yea noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger!"
Not caring to be gentle with her Romeo, Mathine reached over quickly to snatch up the plastic dagger. It was a typical fake dagger, where the sword would go into the sheath the moment you put force on it. A perfect stage prop.
"This is thy sheath;"
And she plunged the toy towards her chest, and gasped ever so slightly, as she smiled down at her Lukas.
"There rust, and let me die."
Mathine didn't know what it was like to die. She wondered, briefly, as she thought of the audience and the lack of her family in it, if her parents would even notice if said dagger were real. Mathine was far too content with the life she had made for herself, a life she crafted from the love of her friends rather than her own blood.
Maybe somewhere along the line Mathine Densen, the heir to the Densen family, had died, but Mathine was thriving.
As the lights faded to black, the audience left with the sight of the deceased characters, Lukas and Mathine's plan was put into motion.
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"Do you have everything? We have to hurry!"
Lukas looked behind himself, nervously checking if the coast was clear. They both had on baggy clothing, quick makeup scrawled on their faces.
Mathine gave one last tight hug to Tiina, her voice wet. "I do… I do." She looked over at Lukas, a sad smile upon her face. She took a deep breath, and patted down the pouch on the front of her sweatshirt. Cash, new cards, various other contacts and resources. "I'm ready."
Lukas took Mathine's hand and gave it another squeeze for good measure. "We'll speak to you soon, I promise." He looked over at Tiina and Berwald. "Thank you both, for everything."
Tiina was also crying, and Mathine and Lukas could tell that Berwald was not far behind (despite him appearing completely neutral to everyone else). A wet laugh, "Have fun, you two."
"We will."
And with that, Lukas and Mathine ran towards the back of the theatre hall. Romeo and Juliet were not supposed to leave the scene until after the play had concluded, but they snuck out once the lights faded. They hoped that the others would figure out the rest of the scene, after all Romeo and Juliet were both dead - neither had any speaking roles left.
They could hear faint applause. It was really time.
Mathine slid into the driver's seat of the new-but-used car, and took one final look behind her as she pulled away from the school. They had various destinations to go to, not hindered by money or borders. First things first, maybe a few tattoo parlours, hairdressers and piercing studios.
After all, the world would not hear of Lukas Bondevik or Mathine Densen ever again.
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"Aghhh! I got in line first!"
"Not true! Wait your turn!"
"Hey, this guy is trying to push!"
The crowd shout loudly over each other, trying to shove their way to the front of the line as fast as possible. Of course, it's not like the person they are here to see would let them down, but when you gain this level of success your fans tend to go a bit haywire.
A soft chuckle, slender fingers tucking silver strands behind her ear. "Hey hey, you can all wait your turn, hm?"
The children pout, reluctantly nodding. One holds a thick book close to his chest, and puts it on the table in front of Eyriður.
"Can you please sign it to Luka?"
A silent drop. Eyriður freezes for a moment in time, before remembering where she is, and smiling warmly at the child in front of her.
"Of course."
It takes several hours to get through everyone, four international best sellers will do that to you. Eyriður's heart swells with pride as she looks over at her collection of novels, all starting with a simple love story between a prince and a princess.
As she finishes up for the night, staying in the hotel where her signing was located, Eyriður receives a photo message in her secondary tightly locked phone. It's late in Europe, but that means it's afternoon in the Americas.
She clutches her chest, where a golden cross lies against, dangling from a chain it was not meant to.
The photo is of a couple, aged a few years and barely recognisable. A man, red in the face from the South American sun, a slight burn to his cheeks and nose - he has short hair, dark blonde at the tips, but the pale roots show through. Next to him is a beaming woman, eyes covered in beautiful mascara, but hardly any other makeup otherwise. Her hair is longer, curled slightly at the ends, and appears freshly dyed a deep red.
They're happy. Bjorn and Kristense. Two Scandinavians travelling the world together.
A message comes through shortly following the photo, from Bjorn.
You're coming to visit next month, right?
Eyriður smiles to herself, happier than she can remember, as she types out a response.
Of course, can't wait x