"We'll have to organise the marriages!" Fergus boomed happily as the crowd cheered at the sight of the new couples. "But lad," he gestured to Ash, "don't you have something to ask this lady's mother?"
"Oh of course!" Ash smiled. He scoured the crowd, but there was no sign of Queen Gothel.
"Mother -?" Aura muttered questioningly. "Where are you?" Grey clouds circled overhead as an all too familiar figure appeared, flying over their heads and smiling his loveless smile at them all.
"How lovely," Nori whispered, so quiet but so loud at the same time. How he had these powers no one knew, but he held them with great poise and what he assumed was dignity. "Two couples. Isn't this what you always hoped?" Nori gestured to the Kings and Queens of the Land, but they were missing a member. "Ah yes. Queen Gothel."
A figure flew up beside Nori, black hair flowing behind her and a blood red dress and black cape flying behind her as she cackled.
"Nori," she grinned evilly.
"Gothel." Nori offered her his hand which she accepted as they stayed in mid-air, looking imposing as they smirked down at the crowd below.
"Mother?!" Aura screamed, running forwards but being held back by Ash, who himself looked like he was just ready to go on a rampage and smash the skulls of anyone who hurt the woman in his arms.
"About that, my little flower." Gothel cooed mockingly as she flew down to meet Aura's eye contact, "I'm not your mother. In fact, I myself can't remember what happened to the real King and Queen of Mistelle..."
"YOU LYING BITCH!!" Aura screamed.
"What have I told you about using language my flower?" Gothel was enjoying this. "In fact, they haven't been seen for, what, twenty years or so?" She looked at Nori for approval, then grabbed Aura's hair and hissed in her ear, "If you ever want to see them again you'd better do as we say. Give us that medallion."
"What if I refuse?" Aura was tearing up from an attack of too many emotions all at the same time.
"Then your husband to be and your little friends here will be suffering a lot more than just what happened last time." Gothel smirked at Enya; Laec put a protective arm around her and held her close.
"You will all die if you lay a finger on her again," Laec snarled at Gothel menacingly. Nori chuckled at him as if he was nothing and just whispered -
"Laec of Leaudon," his face was level with Laec's as his icy putrid breath pierced his skin, "what can you do to protect her, now one of the medallions is mine?"
"You have twenty four hours Aura," Gothel shrieked into the night, sunset had long since finished, but a cloud obscured the moon from giving light. Nori and Gothel seemed to emit an odd, eerie, luminous glow, "to decide whether you will help us or not. If you don't, you know what will happen to your parents. To the future of the Land. To him."
They vanished without trace in a split second. Aura crumpled to the ground, head in her hands and tears streaming down her face. Ash held her to him and she sobbed into his jacket. Tears mingled with the fabric as Ash placed a hand on her head and comforted her as best he could without speaking.
"They were alive," she choked, "they were alive, and I never knew. I let her trick me."
"Aura -"
"It's all my fault."
"Never say that," Ash said firmly, but Aura was firmer.
"I have to get them back. I don't care anymore. My whole life is a lie. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore."
"Something here isn't a lie." Ash muttered his words, looking straight into her bottle green eyes.
"What?" she cried. "What could possibly be true out of all this?"
"That I love you."
A/N I am SO sorry I haven't updated!! I should really be getting to sleep, it's kind of late here in the UK, but I felt so guilty about leaving you all hanging and not enough Jackunzel and arrgh..! Oh well, it's done now! Hopefully I can update at least once a week from now on at the very least, should be twice a week but I have other stories planned at the moment so I have to finish this one before any new ideas can be laid down.
Thanks for being patient bookworms and stay with me!
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Element Of Surprise
RomanceThere were once four kingdoms, each representing one element, Fire, Water, Earth and Air. The Eldest Heirs are brought together in the hope that they will bond and make the Lands closer together. However, there is one element that has been left and...
