The New King (Sequel to The Prince Behind the Veil)

Chapter 20: Rescue

Violet sat in her bedchamber on the bed, twiddling her thumbs, when a knock came from the door.

She looked up. "Who is it?"

"Your highness, King Edward is in need of you. He has sent me to retrieve you. Please come out, dear. I won't bite," a female courtier said.

"Oh," Violet thought. "Edward can do much worse the bite." She hopped off the bed, and opened the door.

"What does he need me for?" Violet asked, bitterly.

"A fitting, your grace!" The courtier seemed excited.

"Uhh, what kind of-woah!" Violet was whisked off by the courtier. She tried to fight against the lady's grip, but the courtier was surprisingly strong.

Violet was brought to the brass door she had just entered yesterday. The courtier shoved her inside, slamming the door shut. Violet pushed against the door, while jiggling the knob. She couldn't get it open. "Blasted door!"

"Oh, it won't be so bad!" Edward said, sitting at one of the ebony chairs lining the wall.

Violet paused, and turned around. "Edward," she snarled. "What do you want?"

"Just making sure your wedding dress fits, dear!" He replied, standing up. "Since we are getting married tonight!"

Violet felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her head. "What!?!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "I never agreed to marry you!"

"But, that's part of the package," Edward said. "You get the palace, and me!"

Violet clenched her fists. "You, you think you can just rule everything and everyone!" She shouted. "Why, why Edward? Why do you think you are in charge of me? I make my own decisions, you know! I'm not some... some fool who can be whisked around, and treated like a piece of garbage-"

"I've never treated you like garbage!" Edward interrupted.

"That's your side of the story," Violet replied. "Why don't you ever care to listen to mine once and awhile..." Violet turned around, and folded her arms.

Edward came over, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Violet," he murmured. "You could have a wonderful life here, if you just stop arguing-"

"Arguing?" Violet shouted, insulted by Edward even more. "I'm defending myself, not arguing!"

"That's it," Edward said. "I've had enough!" He picked Violet up, and carried her to one of the ebony chair.

"Put me down!" Violet shouted, then screamed.

Edward threw her on the chair, and created magic ropes around Violet's body, so she couldn't move. Edward rubbed his ear. "You had to scream right in my ear?"

Violet struggled against the restraints. "Yes, I did!" She answered cheerily. Then said, sarcastically, "It's called self-defense,"

"I don't want to be one of those couples who fight all the time, alright?" Edward said.

"Oh, please!" Violet replied, with more sarcasm. "We are not, NOT A COUPLE!" she shouted.

Edward glared at Violet, studying her, then snapped his fingers. Violet felt yellow magic surround her, and looked down to find herself dressed in the wedding dress she had seen the day before.

Before Violet could say anything, there was a loud crash coming from the front hall.

"Looks like the prince has come back to fight," Edward snarled, his hands clamped together. "Stay here!" He shouted at Violet, then slammed the brass door shut.

Violet gasped. "Thomas!" She whispered, hope rising through her whole body. "I've got to help him," she looked hopelessly down at the magic ropes tied around her.

"True love defeats all evil," Violet whispered again, and thought of all the memories she had had with Thomas. The ropes weakened, Violet jumped up, and raced towards the door. She swung it open, and saw several guards racing towards the front of the palace.

Violet waited for them to leave, then ran out of Edward's Sanctuary. She was almost around the corner, when she tripped over the wedding dress hem, and fell on the marble floor.

"I can't run in this long of a dress!" Violet whispered, getting up. "I'm sorry, you beautiful thing!" she told the dress, then ripped half of the skirt off, the silk making a slippery sound.

Violet jumped around. "This'll do!" She said, then raced towards the front hall. She burst through the main doors to see Harvey, fighting off courtiers with a wall of green magic, Everett and Simon, seeming to be surrounding Thomas, fighting off courtiers. Violet paused to see Thomas, flinging around a magically-created pink sword at Edward, who was fighting Thomas off with a pistol.

Violet felt a hand clamp around her mouth, and she froze. Then, regaining her train of thought, kicked her attacker in the stomach. She ran, dodging more courtiers trying to catch her. Violet, free of attackers, looked at Thomas, and whispered, "Run!" Thomas looked at her confusingly, when Violet tapped gently on Edward's shoulder. Edward turned around, looking mad, then, seeing Violet, he smiled. "Dear," he said. "What're you doing-" Violet jumped up on her toes, wrapped her arms around Edward's neck, and kissed him. She heard a disgusted sound come from Thomas. She waved her hand at him to run, hoping her distraction was working, but then Edward pulled away from their kiss.

"That's nice but," Edward created a bubble around Violet, sending her towards the jagged, black palace. "I'm not a fool, you know!"

Edward took a step back, as Thomas raised his pink sword. "You'll pay for this, Edward," Thomas said. Edward glared, then ran towards Violet's bubble.

"Oh?" He shouted. "Well, who has Violet?"

Thomas lowered his sword, and opened his mouth to speak, when a shot rang out over all the fighting. Violet felt her ears ring, then heard a shout in the air. She recognized it as Thomas.

Violet looked to where Thomas had been standing, and saw him, laying on the ground, grasping his side.

Violet felt tears stream down her cheeks, realizing Thomas had been shot. Then, the bubble she had been in burst open, and she broke out into a run, straight towards Thomas. And the strange thing was, everyone stopped fighting, no one tried to catch her. They all just let her run, run straight towards Thomas, and collapse by his side.