[Reviews - 16]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2885 times

- Text Size +







Oz hurried down the stone steps to the lower corridors of the castle, following the hobbit. Fralum had briefly explained to him that a beast such as the Trolothan was a mystical creature of which control was not to be gained. The instant Ethan and the witch had power over the beast; they had unwittingly sealed their own fate. Their only problem now was breaking the curse they had cast over the creature.



As they entered the lighted corridor where they both could hear the voices of the witch and Ethan, they slowed their steps. Oz watched quietly, as Fralum reached into the bag, pulling a large crystal from it and smiling as he looked up.



"Once I break the hold on the beast, I will need you to help me cast the spell," Fralum whispered.



"And what's this spell to do?" Oz asked him curiously.



"It will make them pay for their transgressions on the land."



"Meaning?"



"Meaning, they will both get what they deserve," Fralum said, as he held the crystal out to Oz. "Hold this."



Oz reached out, taking the crystal in his hand. His mind wandered briefly to William and if he had made it to the princess yet, before Fralum's voice interrupted his thoughts.



"Once the crystal begins to glow, do not drop it," he instructed.



Oz nodded his head, watching as the little man began to sprinkle a glittery substance around them as he chanted softly. As Fralum started walking toward the door that separated them from Ethan and the witch, the heat that started to engulf his hand caused his eyes to widen as the crystal started to glow and change colors.







The witch looked up as the air around her started to crackle. She could feel the energy around them start to dissipate before she looked wide-eyed at Ethan. "How can this be?" She asked, quickly. "No magic is greater than that of `The Eye'."



Ethan was still chanting as he concentrated on the creature and its destruction of the men on the ground. He barely heard the witch before a blast of energy surged through him, taking his breath momentarily away.







Buffy lifted the candle sconce high, ready for her attack on Angelus when a sweeping flash of light and color caught her attention. With wide eyes she watched as William bounded through the window and crashed into Angelus.



Angelus grunted from the sudden blow as he and William rolled across the floor, entangling themselves in the cloth William had used to swing himself down into the room. With quick movements, they both fought their way free and stood facing off.



"Well, I must say Will, I'm damn impressed," Angelus said, grinning as he looked at the angry man before him. "Now if that wasn't heroic, I just don't know what is," he laughed.



William's jaw ticked as he clenched it together before he reached for his sword, unsheathing it. "Not here for pleasantries, Angelus," William said in clipped tones. "Came for my princess."



"Ah, the fair Elizabeth," Angelus grinned. "She really is a sweet thing, isn't she?" He asked, chuckling as he glanced over his shoulder at her. "Taste as sweet as honey, don't you agree?"



William glanced quickly over at Buffy before looking at Angelus. He could tell by her disheveled appearance that Angelus had gotten closer to her than he would have liked and the thought only caused his anger to soar. Gripping his sword tightly in his hand, William raised it, pointing the blade toward Angelus. "You'll die for touching her."



"Oh, now this'll be fun," Angelus said, glancing around the room before cautiously taking a few steps to his left and grabbing the sword lying on the long table against the wall. Picking it up, he gave it a small swing, the blade cutting through the air before he looked back at William. "You sure you want to do this, boy?" He asked, grinning as he approached William. "Seems last time we met, I gave you a little reminder of how useless you are around my blade," he said, as he laughed and looked at the scar that ran through William's eyebrow. "How does it feel to have a constant reminder of how useless you are?"



Faster than Angelus had time to react to, William's blade sliced through the air. The burning sting to the left side of his face was covered quickly with his hand as he looked up at William.



"How does it feel to you?" William asked, leaning his head to the side slightly as he watched the crimson fluid drip along Angelus' face from the large slash that ran from the corner of his mouth to just under his eye. "Seems we both have a reminder now."



Angelus saw red and it wasn't from the blood that gushed from his wound. With an animalistic growl, he lunged forward.



Buffy gasped loudly, scurrying into the corner as the loud clang of metal echoed off the stones walls. She watched helplessly as William and Angelus engaged in battle.







Wesley had finally managed to lower the gate, letting in what was left of their men. The Trolothan had severely dwindled their numbers, but the remaining knights took up their weapons and fought Ethan's men with a furry.



Wesley had seen the idiotic stunt William had pulled and his breath had caught in his throat as he saw him swing down into the window below him. He had shaken his head and let out a relived sigh when he saw William crash through the window before he once again returned to the battle.



As they advanced on the castle doors, a new surge of energy overcame him as he realized he needed to get inside. King Rupert would be most displeased if anything happened to William, especially seeing how he had personally been picked to be the prince's personal guard. Cutting a path toward the door, Wesley swung his sword, trying to defend himself and make his way to William.







Fralum smiled as he turned to Oz and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the door just before it opened and Ethan hurried out of the room with the witch trailing behind him. The two hiding men watched as the furious pair marched down the hall.



"What's happening?" Oz asked, watching as Ethan cursed under his breath and disappeared around the corner.



"The counter spell is working," Fralum told him.



"So, the spell on the creature is broken, then?"



"No quite," Fralum said, "He still has a hold on the beast, but it is breaking. Come, we have to act quickly."



Oz hurried along behind Fralum as he ran down the hall after Ethan and the witch. He wasn't sure what was happening, but from the look on Ethan's face, it was apparently working in their favor. Hopefully, and with any luck, William would take care of Angelus, get the princess back and they could make it back to Alcala before nightfall.







Buffy huddled in the corner as Angelus lunged at William, trying to stay clear of the two fighting men. Shock at seeing William fly through the window had added to her already adrenaline-rushed mind and as the fight she knew was coming started, Buffy was worried beyond belief.



Her eyes were wide as she watched the two men wield the heavy swords as they dangerously lashed out at the other, the loud clang from the metal echoing off the stone walls ringing in her ears. Exhaustion was playing havoc on her body as she watched with fearful eyes, as the battle she knew would end in death, began in earnest.



Angelus wiped uselessly at the blood running his down face after ducking a wild swing from William before he laughed. "Getting sloppy in your old age, boy," he spat out. "I thought all the practice I've given you over the years would have taught you something by now."



William's jaw was clenched tightly as he lunged forward, pushing his sword toward Angelus as his opponent continued to throw off casual barbs while they fought. He knew Angelus well enough to know that the useless banter was Angelus' way to try to throw him off guard.



"Not in the mood for talking, Angelus," William said. "Much rather get to the killing part if you don't mind."



"Oh, well I just thought we'd get in a little last minute bonding time," Angelus laughed, "You know.seeing how this will be our last and all."



"That it will," William said, lunging to his left and striking out with his sword as Angelus swung at him.



Buffy was inching her way along the wall, her eyes never leaving the two men circling around the center of the room. She was struck with the conflicting emotions of being half scared out of her mind and feeling a sense of pride as she watched William fight for her. Every time Angelus' sword came a little too close to William; she would feel her heart skip a beat in her chest before she saw the strength and skill that he possessed before she would relax.



Looking to the floor as her foot caught on something; Buffy stepped over the pile of parchments that lay there before she looked up quickly as she heard the clatter of metal against the floor. She gasped loudly as she saw William's sword slid across the floor and Angelus smile as he leveled his sword at William's throat.



"Never could hold onto anything, could you, Will?" Angelus laughed. "Damn shame if you ask me. All that time spent on trying to make you a half-decent fighter, for what?"



William slowly straightened his back, looking straight ahead at Angelus as he panted for breath. "Well, unlike you Angelus, I don't really need a weapon," he said, smiling slightly before he lunged toward the left and kicked out with his foot, catching Angelus' legs and knocking them out from under him.



Angelus' sword skittered across the floor as he fell on his back and just as quickly as the fight had stopped, it was on again.



Buffy felt like cheering as she saw William deliver what she knew was a painful punch to the side of Angelus' head before the two men were at it again. She was almost relieved as the dangerous fight took a turn and the only weapons now being yielded were their fists.



Angelus and William both got to their feet, the hard blows from their fist making contact with the other as they circled the room. The small talk had completely vanished as blow after blow was delivered and hit its intended target. Both men were panting for breath and the force of their punches weakened as both men were quickly tiring.







Wesley hurried down the hall, his sword raised as he scanned the halls for William. Several men were following behind him and every room they passed was checked before they would move on.



The beast was still outside doing what damage it could and the screams of the men unlucky enough to find their way in its path could be heard through the castle. As the group made their way around the corner, Wesley stopped as he saw Ethan and a woman hurry down the hall and out the castle door.



"That was the witch," one of the knights said, as he spotted the old woman with Ethan. "They say she is the key to Ethan's power."



Wesley was torn between whether to go after Ethan or continue looking for William when he saw Oz round the corner with a strange little man. His eyes widened as the little creature turned and smiled at him.



"Daniel, who is that?" Wesley asked, as he approached the two.



"This is Fralum," Oz told him. "He's one of William's hobbits."



Wesley looked at the wide smile on his friend's face before he looked down at the small man before him. "Hobbits are real?" he asked, in shock. "I thought William was lying about that."



"So did I," Oz laughed. "Seems his elaborate tales were more accurate than we thought."



"We haven't time," Fralum said, looking up at Oz. "We must finish this."



Oz gave Fralum a nod before the little man scurried down the hall. "Go find William," Oz told him. "Second floor, near the end I believe."



"Right then," Wesley said, watching as Oz hurried after the hobbit and disappeared around the corner. "Let's go."







Ethan was almost blinded with rage as he made his way outside. The spell on the Trolothan was weak and his constant chants to keep his hold on the beast were quickly weakening him. The carnage outside the castle instantly put a smile on his face as bodies lay in a tangled mass of bloody limbs along the ground.



His eyes scanned the sky, looking for the beast and his smile widened as he saw the red dragon make a pass over the south side of the castle. Closing his eyes, Ethan began his chants again, pulling every ounce of strength he could from the witch as she held The Eye.



Fralum and Oz made their way outside, the crystal in Oz's hand still glowing as Fralum once again spread the glittery powder and repeated his chants. The crystal began to warm and as Oz looked toward the sky, he could have sworn he saw the beast change colors.



The Trolothan flew high, soaring into the bright sun as the pull on him tightened. A loud roar escaped his throat as he turned and dove for the castle. The men along the ground scurried for cover as the beast made a low flying pass before soaring into the sky and turning to make another pass.



All eyes were on the beast as Fralum pulled a large black stone from his bag and held it high. The air around the castle crackled before a bolt of lightening struck out of a cloudless sky and echoed across the valley.



As Ethan and the witch turned to see what had happened, their eyes landed on Fralum. The hobbit still held the black stone and a wide smile graced his face. "The only thing more powerful than The Eye, is its twin," the little man said. "Your hold over the beast is no more."



Ethan turned, looking toward the sky and his eyes widened as he saw the dragon coming straight for him. The dark red color of the creature's skin had changed to almost black, but the red in his eyes was clearly visible. Even before he could completely comprehend what was happening, the beast's mouth had opened and the roar it let out was deafening. The scream of the witch as she saw the creature coming was vibrating through his body and as the beast swooped low in the sky, Ethan knew his time had come.



As the sharp claws dug into his flesh, Ethan gasped for breath as the crushing grip the creature had him in felt as if it were ripping him in two as he saw the witch being picked up from the ground.



Her screams were hysterical as she thrashed in the beast's grip and Ethan hung motionless in the clawed foot of the Trolothan as he saw his castle slowly drift farther away. As his body was wracked with pain, Ethan looked toward the witch, her arms flying helplessly as she struggled in the creature's grasp before the Trolothan lowered his head.



Ethan closed his eyes as he listened to the sound of crushing bones and the sickening pop the witch's body made as it was crunched by the beast's strong jaw, letting him know his own fate. Sparing one last glimpse of his kingdom, Ethan watched his dynasty drift farther away before he thought of his son and he closed his eyes.







Wesley could hear the sounds of the two men fighting as he ran down the hall before stopping at the last door. Trying the door, he realized why William had entered the way he had. "Go find something to get this open with," he demanded, as he turned to the knights behind him.



Pushing uselessly on the door, Wesley looked around, looking for anything to open the large wooden door with as the sounds from inside the room continued.



Buffy faintly heard talking from the other side of the door and, looking away from the fight, she sighed in relief as she heard the men outside. She was still watching William and Angelus and the sight of the two had her covering her face every so often as one of them would get in a good punch or kick to the other and blood would flow.



William's face was once again covered with wounds and she knew he'd be covered in bruises again. Her attention was drawn away from the two fighting men as the men outside the door began to bang on it relentlessly.



Wesley stood back, watching as the small group of men rammed the large wooded pole they had found repeatedly against the door. He wondered briefly if the door was magically protected as their battering ram seemed almost useless against it. Yelling out an order, he stepped back further as the men increased their vigor and continued to work on the door.



"Looks like the cavalry has arrived," Angelus smiled as he kicked out, landing a brutal kick to William's left leg that caused him to fall to the ground.



William stood quickly, ignoring the insistent pounding on the door before he threw a left hook, catching Angelus under his chin. He smiled as blood flew from Angelus' mouth before he landed another punch just as quickly.



The two men were almost completely exhausted but neither gave an inch in their perusal of the other. They both knew that one wrong move would cause the other to gain control of the situation and it would be over.



As the shouts from the hall increased and the sound of cracking wood finally echoed through the room, Buffy let a small smile creep over her features before stealing a small glance over to the door. The grunts from Angelus and William mingled with those outside, making it hard to distinguish between the two.



As the door finally cracked, sending wood shards across the floor, William glanced away from Angelus momentarily. The small distraction was all Angelus needed as he landed a hard kick to William's chest, sending the smaller man sprawling to the floor.



In a move faster than any could have guessed he had, Angelus retrieved his fallen sword before turning to William. As the wood on the door finally gave way to those outside, Angelus yelled, rushing toward William.



William scrambled to his feet, grabbing the small dagger from his boot, and lunging to his right as Angelus rushed toward him. As the angry man charged, William swiftly imbedded his knife into Angelus' side but lost his footing as the speed at which Angelus ran, hurdled them both toward the window.



Buffy screamed as she watched both men tangle themselves around each other and the purple and gold banner that still blew into the window before they both disappeared out the window with a scream. She was frozen in place as the window now lay vacant and the men outside rushed into the room.



She slumped against the wall, the yells of the men in the room surrounding her as her entire body went numb. She didn't even see the man sitting in front of her, asking if she were okay.



Wesley felt his heart stop in his chest as he rushed to the window and peered over the sill. He gasped as he saw Angelus' body hit the ground and bounce slightly before he lay still on the stone balcony below.



A rush of relief and adrenaline spread throughout him as he saw William, hanging from the sash before he grabbed the cloth and began to pull.



"'Bout bleeding time you made it up here," William huffed as Wesley and two other men finally pulled him back through the window and deposited him onto the stone floor. "Stupid wanker almost did me in."



"We were a little tied up with the dragon," Wesley tried to defend himself. "You could have waited."



"No time," William said, as he achingly sat up and looked around the room.



Buffy was looking at him and although she knew she saw him, she had to wonder if it wasn't her imagination. When he smiled at her, a small sob escaped her when she realized it wasn't her imagination, but in fact, William.



She watched as two men helped him stand before he slowly approached her; the man that had been sitting with her standing as well and quickly moving away. She stared up at him, tears clouding her vision as he kneeled down in front of her and the small sobs that had been coming quickly increased as William cupped her cheek in his hand.



"Hello princess," William smiled, wiping away her tears as he smiled at her.



"William," Buffy whispered hoarsely, before she smiled and threw her arms around his neck as he enveloped her small frame in his arms. She cried hard, holding onto him tightly as she cried out her joy and fear.



Small whispered words of comfort were buried under her cries as Buffy held onto him, intent on never letting him go. The men in the room all silently turned to leave, each smiling at the pair in the floor. Wesley stood guard, watching the two and sighing in relief now that the ordeal was over.



William pulled back, smiling before kissing Buffy's forehead. "Are you okay?" he asked, quietly.



Buffy nodded her head, before she looked up into the crystal blue eyes that seemed to look into her soul. She smiled, silent tears slowly making their way down her face before she sighed heavily, laying her forehead against William's.



"I was so scared," she whispered, as more tears welled up in her eyes.



"I know," William said, as he ran his hand over her head. "So was I. I didn't think I would make it in time."



"But you did," Buffy smiled.



"Yeah," William said. "I'll always come for you. I would die for you."



Buffy cried at his admission before their lips met, small light touches caressing the other before William leaned in, deepening the kiss. Buffy's breath caught in her throat as William crushed her body against his and she moaned as his tongue slipped between her lips.



Relief flooded her body and she sagged against him as her fear at what had transpired finally left her. The calm that washed over her sank into every part of her body before she pulled back with a gasp. "I love you," she breathed out, smiling as she opened her eyes and looked up at him.



"And I love you," William smiled back. "Always."



Buffy's smile widened as she looked at him before she saw movement and looked toward the door. Her smile fell away as the dark-haired man she had seen earlier stood by the door.



William turned his head, looking over at Wesley and smiling as he saw him before looking back at Buffy. "Didn't realize we had an audience," he said, chuckling softly.



"Your majesty," one of the knights said, as he walked to the door, "King Rayne and the witch have been.taken care of."



William turned his head back to the door, nodding before Wesley turned to the knight who had spoken.



"Very well, gather the remaining men and wait out front," Wesley said, watching as the man nodded his head and turned to leave. He smiled as he turned and looked back over at William and Buffy. "I do believe we should be going now."



Buffy's eyes went wide as her throat seemed to close off before she stood quickly, taking a step away from William as she stared at Wesley. She felt her stomach clench into a tight knot as William slowly stood and looked at her.



"Buffy, I can explain everything," William said, seeing the fear once again return to her eyes.



Buffy was staring at who she thought was Prince Edward and wondering just how she was going to explain what had happened. There was no doubt he had seen her and William and the longer she stared at him, the sicker she felt.



"William, we must be going if we are to make it to Alcala before nightfall," Wesley said quietly, watching Buffy curiously as she stared at him.



"Yeah," William said, staring at Buffy, "in a minute."



Buffy dazedly looked over at William before her eyes fell back on Wesley. She felt sick as she stared at him and William's voice seemed to echo in her head when a red-haired man walked in the door with what Buffy knew was one of the hobbits from Verisha.



"The evil doings of the sorcerer have been stopped," Fralum said happily, as he entered the room and walked toward William and Buffy.



"Thank you," William said, smiling as he turned from Buffy and looked at Fralum. "I guess Talia wasn't joking about being able to see us then."



"No your majesty," Fralum said, looking up at William. "The people of Verisha are most curious about your world and with the dark magic King Rayne was doing, now stopped, maybe now we can venture into your realm more."



"That would be a sight. Maybe people around here wouldn't look at me so bleeding funny when I tell them of you." William said, glaring at Oz and Wesley.



Fralum chuckled slightly, looking at William before turning to Buffy. "Talia wishes her blessings onto you and to William. May your lives be filled with much joy and happiness."



Buffy stared at the little man, his words rolling around her head and she watched as Fralum said his goodbyes to William and the other two men in the room. She wondered why Fralum had called William "your Majesty" and her brow scrunched together as her eyes became unfocused.



"Yes, your majesty."



"What did you call me?"



"I honestly didn't think he'd ever fall for another so hard after Drucilla, but the boy proves me wrong time and time again."



"What are you talking about?"



"Why, his beloved Drucilla,"



"Drucilla? Prince Edward's first bride?"



Buffy was in a daze, bits and pieces of conversations breaking through her once distracted mind and as the words began to play over for her, her eyes slowly began to focus on William.



"Seems our little William is keeping secrets from his bride-to-be. I suppose he'll share the story with you eventually."



"Buffy, there's something I need to tell you."



"Well princess, I think what you are seeking is right in front of you. You're just too blind to see it."



"Things aren't always as they seems."



"Buffy, luv, are you okay?" William asked, as he turned and looked at Buffy. Her mouth was open slightly and a look of total confusion was written across her face. As her eyes finally focused on him, he took a step toward her and raised his hand to her face.



"You're the prince," Buffy whispered, more as a statement than a question. All the small clues that were right in front of her from the very beginning began to fill in the gaps and at the look on William's face; she didn't even need to hear his confirmation to know she was right.



"I tried to tell you," William told her softly. "Many times, but something always.."



"You're Prince Edward?" Buffy asked in shock, as tears filled her eyes. "You lied to me," she whispered.



"I never meant for it to happen this way."



Buffy shook her head, trying to sort through the jumble of facts as she took a step back away from William. She looked across the room, seeing the two men standing there with their heads hanging low before she looked back at William. "How could you lie to me for so long?"



"I didn't exactly lie, just didn't offer the complete truth," William lamely tried to defend, "I was going to tell you."



Buffy felt completely lost as she took a step forward, her head shaking slowly as she started for the door.



"Buffy," William said, reaching out and taking her arm.



Buffy stopped and turned her head, looking back at William before looking down at his hand on her arm. "Let go of me," she said through clenched teeth.



William felt helpless as he slowly released Buffy's arm and she gave him a hard look before she turned and ran from the room. He closed his eyes, clenching them shut tightly before he opened them and ran out of the room after her.



"This isn't going to be good," Oz said, as he and Wesley turned and followed the pair out.



Buffy ran from the castle, vision clouded with unshed tears as she stepped out into the late day sun. She looked around, seeing the men gathered there before she marched over to the closest one. "Help me up," she demanded, as she looked at his horse.



The knight gave her a long look, glancing over at one of the other knights before shrugging his shoulders and helped her up onto the horse. As she fixed her long skirt over her legs, Buffy grabbed the reins and gave the horse a swift kick just as William raced out of the castle.



"Buffy!" William yelled, as he saw her take off across the courtyard and out of the castle gates. Grabbing the closest horse, William grabbed the reins and started to mount the horse when Wesley grabbed his arm and stopped him.



"For once in your life William, will you please listen to me when I say that you don't want to go after her just yet."



"I have to," William said, pulling his arm free as he mounted the horse. "She'll never forgive me if I don't explain why I did it."



"Maybe not," Wesley told him. "But if you approach her now, you'll only upset her more. Give her some time to cool off."



William looked from Wesley back to Buffy as she crossed the knoll before sighing in defeat. He knew Wesley was right and even though he wanted nothing more than to explain to Buffy his motives, he knew she would need time to sort things out.



Shaking his head, William looked to Oz, giving the man a tight smile before looking back to where Buffy had went. "Go with her. Make sure she makes it back safely."



Oz gave William a nod, smiling slightly before mounting his horse and taking off after Buffy. William watched him leave, wondering how he would ever make this right as Wesley mounted his horse along with the remaining knights.



As the small army began their journey back to Alcala, William ran through every reason he had for not telling Buffy up front who he was. The only thing he hoped was that she would believe his reasoning behind it to be as valid as he did.





You must login (register) to review.