Chapter 42: Long Live Cameo!

Zak and I walked around the garden. I was still thinking of Doyle and Aron. Will they ever be together again?

"What's wrong, babe? You had a long face there," he asked.

"I'm okay. I'm just thinking of them,"

"They'll be together again, I assure,"

I sighed. They both were a perfect couple. Aron loves Doyle; and he loves her too. Because of that… proud and hateful and arrogant Blex, they have to separate.

Blex, ya' dead if you mistreat Aron.

I'm sure that you will be chopped, sliced THEN diced.

We sat on a nearby bench. His arms draped my waist as he pulled me towards him. He knew my face twisted into an evil mastermind's; my brain plotting of Blex's demise—even though he wasn't found guilty, yet.

I suddenly found myself turning so evil. Good.

"I know what you're thinking," Zak said. "You're thinking of putting Blex out of his misery."

"How'd you know?" I asked with curiosity.

"I'm your boyfriend. I know everything," he grinned in a way that I liked.

"Right…" I said sarcastically. We wee about to lean in for a kiss until we heard footsteps coming. We peeked into the bushes behind us.

To our astonishment, there were Blex and another blonde guy whom probably his assistant. I know eavesdropping is wrong, but separating a lovely would be worse.

"Are the preparations ready?" Blex asked.

"Yes my lord,"

"Good. After this, Mustaz will reward us greatly,"

Mustaz? Why that fiend is behind this?

"But my lord, don't you think lying to the Queen was right?"

"Lying? No, it's not considered lying. It's business. I marry the queen, separate her from her friends, get a reward from Mustaz, got to rule two countries and best of all, I got to marry such a beauty—too bad for that peasant. He's so—normal. But I'm a king. Of course Aron would choose me instead of him. I got a country, money and good looks. That's what every girl wants. And he? Nothing. Just a filthy peasant. So, I won."

MAD. That Blex guy has a plot after all. I was right. He's dead. Wait till I tell Aron.

Zak was mad too. I knew it from his eyes. He doesn't like someone that sneers his family. I can picture Zak strangling Blex; and Doyle threw bombs at him; Aron slapped him; and I diced him.

We wanted to retreat until Blex said something. "And my assistant, do me a favour by capturing those eavesdroppers and threw them into the dungeon."

We gulped. We were found out. The next thing I knew, Zak and I were sitting on the cold floors of the dungeon.

Aron looked at the wedding veil. Then she threw in at the bed. Blex came in.

"My dear queen, it's nice to meet you. Tomorrow would be the day we been bonded, under the eyes of a high priest and thousand witnesses. Are you happy that I'm going to be your husband?" Blex asked as he tried to hold her hand but she didn't let him. Her hands were only meant for Doyle—and Doyle only.

"What's the matter? Afraid that you ex-boyfriend would know? He wouldn't be mad. He wasn't even mad that you're marrying to me. And besides, he wouldn't even show up tomorrow."

Aron's eyes turned to him. "What do you mean?" Doyle would not break his promise to her.

"It's quite simple. If you said 'I do', he and his friends will be fine. If you don't—" he grinned. "I might not know what the alligators would do to them."

"What did you do to them?!"

"Nothing, just preparing a feast for my pets," he sneered.

She was furious. "Release them at once!"

"Okay, but under one condition,"

"NO CONDITIONS!" she raised her hand to slap that fiend's face but she was not fast enough. Blex caught her wrist and slapped her at her face then swayed her aside.

That mark was burning, red and painful. She touched it gently. Anger rose.

"That's what YOU get if you offend me. I DON'T care who you are. No matter what, if you want your friends to be safe, do as I say and they'll be fine," he left arrogantly.

She wept on her bed, cursing herself; cursing herself for being so stupid and useless; for not revealing Blex's true face earlier. And now—now her friends are going to die. Doyle's going to die. She knew what she must do.

She never knew Doyle was not caught, yet.

Doyle paced back and forth in his room, his head thinking of Aron, Aron—and Aron.. He was in sorrow that she was marrying another guy instead.

He wanted to elope with her, but he couldn't be so selfish for letting her dump her country, let it being conquered, invaded. He couldn't.

But he loves her. He couldn't just bear that she was getting married and he wasn't the groom. Even though that they were separating, he wanted to see her again. A desire within him wanted him to see her, let himself not to forget her lovely face; her little red nose; her lavender-scented hair; and mostly, her sweet smile that always his heart. If he forgets her face, he'll just die instead.

It was her smile that him head over heels over her. Her smile was like an important role in his life. Without her, his life was meaningless. It was brightened his life; who gave him a meaning: to love her, to protect her, to care her, to make her happy.

He got to see her.

He used his jetpack and flew towards her window. He passed the translucent curtains; saw his Aron weeping on her bed in her hands. His heart broke.

"Aron's what's wrong?" he asked gently.

She looked up, astonished. She was overjoyed. But the tears never stopped. "Doyle!" she yelled as she hugged him, crushed him like a teddy bear. "I thought… I…"

"Shish… don't cry, babe. I'm right here," he kissed her.

"Doyle…I thought Blex took you away,"

"Blex? Why would he—" then he noticed a difference on her face. There was a mark, a hand mark, glowing red. He knew who did it. He knew. And that guy is dead meat. He touched it gently. Aron turned her face aside.

"He did it, didn't he?" he asked, clutched his fists.

"No, it's nothing, really." Aron lied. She didn't want Doyle to concern too much.

"It's not okay," he protested as he hugged her. "If he did this, I swear I'll—"

"No! Don't! He might kill you! Please don't!"

"Aron, but he—"

"Don't, please. I don't want to lose you again,"

He clenched his teeth. "How am I supposed to let you go when he first slapped you before your wedding? How?!"

"Doyle, please, just… just…" he started to cry again. He let her sit on the bed; let her coil his waist; let his shirt drenched with her tears.

"It'll be okay, babe. It's okay…" he touched her silky hazelnut brown hair and kissed it.

"But—"

"I didn't commit crime, he wouldn't catch me," just after he finished his sentence, there's a loud bang at the door. A gang of Blue Mountain guards, dressed in blue coats crashed in. They opened a way to let Blex come in. Doyle and Aron stood up, she still coiling his waist.

"Arrest this criminal, at once!" Blex ordered.

"What?" Doyle's hands were tied up and the guards held him tight. He struggled fiercely. Aron tried to pull the guards but Blex caught her wrists, raising them so high until he lifted her off the ground. He pulled her so hard she started to yell.

Doyle struggled harder and he finally got freed by punching and kicking the guards. Then he punched Blex in his stomach and placed Aron in his arms.

Blex got up quickly and ordered the guards to capture Doyle. He kicked and punched to defend himself but the guards outnumbered him. They tortured him by punching him in the stomach. Aron couldn't bear that Doyle was being tortured. Her bow appeared as she wanted to shoot the guards but then Blex grabbed her bow and threw it away. Then he gave her another slap on her face. Doyle was exploding.

"I warn you, Aron, if you don't do as I say, your friends will die," Blex's nails dug into her face. "Take the criminal away. I don't want anyone to disturb my wedding tomorrow," the guards pulled Doyle away. Blex left too.

Aron sat on the bed, crying in her hands for being useless. The only thing she could do now is to say 'I do'.

Doyle punched the prison bars. He wanted to break the bars. But it was rendered useless. He wanted to save Aron—no, he have to save Aron.

"Doyle, it's useless. The bars were made of unicorn horn dust. Nothing could break it," I said. I never saw him so frustrated.

"I DON'T CARE!" he continued to punch the bars until his hands started to bleed.

"Uncle Doyle, just calm down. Everything is going to be okay," Zak said.

"Okay? Okay?! NO! Everything's not okay! I should have seen this coming! I should have!" he cupped his face in his hands.

I sighed. "We'll find a way out. We will," He continued sobbing. I heard shushing sounds coming from the wall behind us. I turned around and our backup was here. "Doyle! Let's go!" Zak yelled.

"Go? Go where? We're trapped in this dang place!" he replied.

"Doyle—" I said. He didn't realize that Silverlight crushed the walls of the cell.

"Just leave me alone,"

"What's wrong with him?" Silver asked.

"DOYLE!" I shouted. He finally turned around and all he could utter was 'oh' with astonishment.

Aron had the wedding veil over her head as she walked into the hall. Applauses were heard; cheering filled the hall; the wedding march played by the pianos and the trumpets entered her ears. She tried to ignore them; ignore the fact she was getting married to a hateful person whom might not even love her in the future.

Aron stood beside Blex, his hand grabbed hers. Tears of not joy but sorrow flowed slowly down her reddish cheeks. She wished that no one could see her sobbing under her veil; during the day she was getting married that everyone was happy but her. She peeked at 6the priest. He looked wise and old, with a long white beard. But there's something about him—something familiar...

"We all gather here today to witness the bonding between this lovely couple, King Blex and Queen Aron," the priest announced. "Blex Blue, are you willing to take this lady as your wife, whom you will love and care for her always?"

"I do," he replied in a cunning tone. That tone foretold her that she would not have a good life if she married him.

"And you, Aron Cameo, would you take this man as your husband?"

She doesn't know what to do.

Meanwhile...

Doyle ran down the hallway to the hall. He hoped that he was just in time to stop the wedding. Unfortunately, Blex had already ordered guards to guard the doors so that no intruders allowed.

"No people are allowed in there. The wedding has already begun," a guard warned. He knew that already; he heard the wedding march a few yards from here.

"I HAVE TO GO IN!" Doyle shouted. He knocked down a few guards. But he was totally outnumbered.

Doyle will be alright, thought Aron, just after I say 'I do'. He'll be alright.

"Well, Miss Cameo?" the priest asked. Blex hissed impatiently.

"She says 'I do'," Blex replied for her. He wanted to end this quick.

"Only she decides whether should she marry you or not," the priest retorted.

"I..." For Doyle's sake, just for him to be safe. "I... I do,"

"Now, I pronounce you husband and wife,"

Then Doyle was thrown into the hall, his chin touched the ground. Aron turned around; her heart broke at the first thing in her sight. The ground lays her love, bleeding, dying.

She pulled her veil off; completely ignorant of the gasping around her ears; ignoring Blex's calling for her and ran to Doyle. She helped him up and hugged him as tight as ever. "Aron..." he coughed. "Don't say yes..."

Her tears washed away the makeup the maids put up for her. "I'm sorry..."

He was too late. Too late. "It's okay..." he lied.

She knew he was lying. His heart broke; and so was hers. And now, she had made up her mind. She was not going to let Doyle live in sorrow and guilt for the rest of his life. "I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY BLEX! NEVER!" she shouted. Gasping filled the air. She doesn't care whether Blex is going to commence battle at all. She knew she was selfish, but she couldn't just dump Doyle. She couldn't decide before. And now she can. Her country can take anything Blex threw to them.

Blex gave a gruesome laugh. "Too late, my dear, the priest had testimony our bonding, or should I call you 'my dear wife'. Your country is mine!"

A claw flew through the hall and slashed Blex's face. The attacker, who was the priest, pulled his mask off, revealing Zak's face and his black and white hair slashes. I came out from a door with the real priest. Luckily the old priest would help us out; or else Aron would really married Blex that fiend.

"What the—"

"Surprised? You should be, you fiend!" Zak shouted in anger.

"Well, since that the priest wasn't actually a real priest, I guess the wedding's off," I exclaimed.

Blex stammered his feet angrily. The tone of anger and hatred were in his eyes. Doyle and Aron looked at us with gratefulness and happiness in their eyes; thanking us; feeling glad that they will be still stay together.

I pulled out my sabre. It's totally time for some chopping, slicing, dicing, mincing and pulverizing. And the main dish of today is—my favourite—Blex! "So Doyle, you prefer your 'meat' rare, medium, or well done?"

"Well done is good," Doyle said without hesitation. "Babe, what do you prefer?" he asked Aron.

"ENOUGH!!!" Blex shouted in anger. "Even though I couldn't marry Aron, your country is finished! Long live Blue Moun—" before hecould finish his sentence, an arrow pierced through his coat and the force pushed him towards a wall. He was dangling from it.

"Just shut up for once, will you?" Aron ordered. Her bow was on her hand. The old Aron was back. "I don't care what you're going to do or what you're going to say, even if you're going to commence battle, I'll be ready for you. All of us will be ready for you. You just wait and see. LONG LIVE KINGDOM OF CAMEO!!!" then she turned to her people. "My people, why don't we show King Blex here some Cameo hospitality?"

Everyone cheered. They rushed to Blex and carried him out, even thought he was struggling. I wondered what would happen to Blex. Too bad I wasn't at there to see that.

Aron returned to us with the same cheerful smile on her. She hugged Doyle and he kissed her. "That's my babe," he murmured proudly as he took out a little case from his pocket and opened it. Aron was surprised. "It's not a diamond ring…but I…" Aron placed her lips over his before he could finish his sentence.

"I like it, thanks," he put the ring over her finger. I hoped they would never get to separate again.