Nixiesocean: (sigh) it's been a long journey for me. I loved writing this story, and it had a happy ending… for everyone. Mercy got her guy… Marcus and Hannah were rescued… everything worked out all right!

Responses:

Nyght Musique: Aww, thanks. What a good ending. :-) I hope you like mine.

FaylinnNorse: Yeah, I want a Renold or a Marcus too. I didn't really intend to do a Cinderella-ish spin on it… but I guess I did… didn't I?

Thai Libre: I will keep writing, even after this story is done, I love writing.

Bingo7: Yep. The strange blonde masked guy. Sure she might have noticed he was similar to Renold, but (sarcastic) don't you know? In movies/books masks mean the person won't be recognized! But, yeah, I realized I never gave her that. She should have. Besides… um… she was too sad! Yeah! That's it!

KMD3271: If all good things must come to an end, does that mean bad things don't have to? In any case, my writing is not nearly as good as you say! This is probably my best story… and it's not even that good.

Piratess of Summer: (happy too) I'm glad they were able to get together. I thought it would be funny if the king gave Renold a title, but didn't tell Mercy… haha… torture by omission. I love it.

Enjoy the last chapter of Rose Petals.

Chapter 20: The Wedding

Mercy stood in her father's study. "And you didn't bother to tell me why?"

He sighed and put his quill down. He met his daughter's furious eyes. "My dear–"

"Don't!" She bit her lip. "Please, explain to me why I tormented myself for a month and you didn't have to courage to say, 'Mercy, stop this! I granted Renold land. He's a noble now.'"

He bit his lip. "To that, I have no answer. I felt like it needed to be done this way."

"You… felt!" She rolled her eyes.

"Let me repeat what you said, 'explain to me why I tormented myself.'" He smiled. She gaped. "Now, allow the others in, I want to hear this fantastic tale of yours." The princess sighed and unlocked the door. Hannah, Marcus, Renold and her mother filed into the small study. It was crowded.

Hannah smiled and settled into the couch, nestled against Marcus. Mercy stood, Renold with his hand around her waist. The queen of Hanor found a chair and sat, spreading her skirts like a true lady.

Marcus began, "I showed Hannah the stables, and we were commenting about each horse, a day before we "disappeared". I wanted to go riding, but Hannah suggested that I take her hunting." The king snorted. "The next day, we took our horses and met up with Finny and Thomas. Finny was worried about our safety, and foolishly, I dismissed." The queen nodded, but the king shook his head. "We left. In the forest, we rode deeply, following the hunting dogs. Hannah and I turned a bend; a large white shape was there. Around us, the world seemed to freeze; the dogs lay on the ground, I assume either unconscious or dead. The white cloud condensed into a small, old hag.

"She told us that because we were hunting in her sacred forest, we would be cursed. That's all I remember until I awoke in the garden."

The Hanoran king shook his head. "Cliché!"

Hannah laughed lightly, "I heard that a beast ripped Finny's throat out. Am I correct?"

"Yes." Renold muttered darkly.

"Then, it's quite possible the witch caused his death, and sacred Thomas." Hannah reasoned. Mercy shrugged and started her part.

She glared at Marcus, "I was worried. You'd never been gone this long before. It made me sad." Renold tried to keep from smiling at the understatement of her comment. "I tried escaping Renold at least once before succeeding." She grinned.

"Five times." He amended for her.

"Anyways, I finally succeeded by climbing out my window." She sighed, "Alas, Renold heard me, ran out and found me already galloping away to save my wayward brother."

"To make a long story short," He supplied, "I was taken to trial and found innocent of shirking duties. Onto the interesting part." He waved his spare hand and Mercy continued.

"I entered the forest, got lost. Something scared me, and I screamed. A roar answered. A lion came to my rescue, and I rode it to safety – a garden which was like heaven on earth." Mercy sighed. "The lion ordered me to do things like brush it, make it meals and other things. Some time later I met a frog, she helped me and told me to chop off the lion's head. I didn't want to, but I did. Marcus was the lion, and Hannah the frog. We came home, and you know it from there."

The king nodded. "I understand." The queen had a mask of polite interest.

"You are not surprised?" Hannah murmured, amazed.

"The Royal Forest is well known for mysteries." He waved a hand, "Off with you. I know you girls have fittings to have done!" Hannah grinned at Marcus and the two couples sauntered off, leaving the queen and her husband.

"I am amazed, if you are not." She muttered.

King Jonas sighed. "Something are best left to the unknown, Anna dear."

"Yes." She smiled. "Yes, they are."

- - - - - - - - - -

Hannah is stunning. Mercy thought happily from her seat in the front row of the cathedral. Out of the corner of her eye, the princess of Hanor saw her former bodyguard turned love gawking at the southern princess.

She smiled. Hannah was more than ravishing in her southern-style wedding dress. The cloth shimmered from blue to green to purple and back to blue. Small and large pearls alike dotted her hair, the sleeves of her dress went past her wrists and her dark face was off-set by diamonds sparkling the bodice and skirt of her dress. Marcus was dressed for his station in blue with a royal purple cape.

Mercy sighed. Hannah was glowing underneath her pale purple veil and the sister of the groom could tell Marcus was nervous.

"You're far more beautiful," Renold murmured in her ear. "Even on a bad day."

- - - - - - - - - -

Hannah had never seen Marcus so nervous. His hand was calm but the air around him was tense. The priest was describing the beauty of marriage and then began chanting in a harsh tongue.

"T'kan ez nah bie Genen, angi endie haun," He raised his hands to the ceiling, "Fian vie mui Equan!" At the last syllable, Marcus leaned toward her, pulled up the veil and kissed her lips sweetly. The church erupted in applause.

Hannah opened her eyes slowly. Her heart was racing, as it did every time Marcus was near. She noticed everyone was gone.

"We had better attend the reception," He whispered. The pair walked to the cathedral door.

Hannah smiled shyly, and looked back, "It looks my newest sister is wanting a private marriage." She laughed lightly and they exited, leaving an old priest giving a second wedding, to a crowd of two.

The End

But is a fairy tale ever truly done?

- - - - - - - - - -

(sigh) I'm sad to see Rose Petals' end, but, alas, I have a new idea for a new story that I can't do while this story is floating around untied.