Maplepunzel, Part 16

It was a perfect day for a wedding. Maple looked up as she felt the warm sun beaming down on her. The garden had never been busier. Every noble and merchant in the kingdom sat in wooden chairs brought out for the ceremony. Scott and the assistant gardeners trimmed the white roses on the old whitewashed arbor near the entrance to the garden. The sweet young blonde priest sported glasses, white robes, and an eager expression.

Scott yawned as he helped Hilary into one of the few remaining chairs, then plopped down beside her. He hoped he could stay awake long enough to stop the ceremony! Betty settled down next to him diligently, placing the mirror in Hilary’s lap. Hilary wore a good lace wrap. Scott was in his best green tunic, brown hose, and soft boots. Mackie dropped next to him and was snoring almost as soon as his head hit the back of the seat. 

King Thomas walked the bride down the aisle to the groom. Victor had never looked more handsome, Maple thought proudly. He stood tall despite his scarred face and eyes, resplendent in an even more lavish version of the blue uniform that had been destroyed when he fell into the thorns. All the braids and buttons on his jacket glittered so much, she had to turn away briefly when the morning sun made them dazzle her eyes.

Maybe it was a trick of the light, but Maple swore she heard grunting and saw big, warty brown bodies hidden in the rose bushes. Screechy cawing reached her ears as she looked up and caught sight of Pavla’s enormous black crow monsters. It was now or never to get Victor back. Pavla wasn’t playing games. 

She hid in the back with the peasants as an organist started playing music. Pavla, clad in a sweeping black gown covered with sequins and lace, a veil hiding her face and a stiff black lace collar surrounding her neck, walked slowly down the aisle. Her blood-red lacquered fingers serenely held roses in a deep, dark scarlet. Maple swore she saw a wicked little smile playing on her red lips under the veil. The long red hair trailed behind her in a tight braid like a thick russet cape.

The young priest began the ceremony as more of the servants pushed closer. Maple was glad they gathered everyone they could this morning who hadn’t drunk the coffee. Abernathy and Brumpton were now cooling their heels at the waiting room of the Pittsburgh Town Jail. Some of the bigger gardener’s assistants and groundskeepers might be able to help keep Pavla’s big ugly boys at bay. She just hoped the troops they passed by on their way to Wenneria would help. The guy with the five o’clock shadow in the flowered shirt and the taller guy with the mustache in particular looked like they’d already been hitting the sacramental wine.

“If there is anyone,” the gentle blond priest continued, “who objects to this union between these two handsome young people, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

Victor managed to grab the priest’s arm before he topped over the podium. “I have something to say, Father.” 

“Then say it, my son.” The good priest gave him a gentle, wise smile. “After all, you are our prince, and you’re the one going through with this union.”

Victor nodded. King Thomas turned him to face Pavla, his scarred eyes blazing. “You are not my fiancee,” he hissed. “You are Queen Pavla, the head of Berlania who destroyed Hope Springs and intends to eradicate our fair country in the exact same manner.” 

His father turned him towards the well-dressed crowd who watched in shock and disbelief. “This woman tricked us,” Victor announced, his voice husky with pure fury. “Took advantage of my disability to make me believe she was my true fiancee.” He yanked the veil off her face, revealing Pavla glaring at him with unbridled hatred. “That’s why you wouldn’t let me touch your face, why you kept putting off healing me. You can’t, can you? You don’t possess healing power. Only one woman in Wennaria does.” 

Maple grinned. This was her cue. She rushed out of the crowd and into Victor’s waiting arms, ignoring Pavla’s increasingly annoying shrieks. “This is my true fiancee.” Victor embraced her. She leaned into his arms, never wanting to let him go again. “Citizens of Wennaria, this is the real Maple Rapunzel. And,” he added with that little peach smile of his that made her knees weak, “I don’t need to see her to know she’s the most beautiful, sweetest, and kindest young woman in all of the seven kingdoms.”

“NO!” Pavla shrieked. “I’m the real bride! I’m the one with the hair, the voice! She don’t even talk! She can’t! I made sure of that!”

Scott stumbled to the podium, still yawning heavily. Betty and Walter helped keep him on his feet. “Pavla, I heard and saw everything. I heard you talking in the tower. I saw you let go of the hair on the tower window. You wanted Victor to end up in those thorns, didn’t you? It would be a hell of a lot easier to manipulate him if he can’t see you. I saw your monsters carry Maple and Victor off. You were so focused on fooling Victor, you never once looked into the trees. I was right there, and you never even saw me.” 

“You…you…” Pavla’s shrieks were really starting to grate on Maple’s ears. She’d have to remember to tone it down when she got mad. “No matter,” she finally growled. “I still have every intention of getting what I came for.” She waved her hand at the rose bushes as the black crow monsters swooped down at the garden. “Boys, take care of these nuisances. I don’t care what you do to the guests, but bring me the king, queen, and prince.” She smirked at Scott, who clutched Walter’s fur to remain upright. “And bring him, too. Him and his little deer friend. They’ll both be quite useful for me.”

“Oh no, Pavla,” Scott rasped. “I’m not goin’ anywhere with your ugly brigade.” He took a swing at the first monster who attacked him, but sleep dulled his movements. He finally collapsed, exhausted, in the arms of the largest monster. The craggy creature threw him over his shoulder as easily as if he were a rag doll.

Walter growled at the monster who was running off with his papa. That wasn’t nice of him! He loved his papa, even when he had to take a nap. He tried to bite at the monster, but it just shoved him into a tree. Well, he grumbled to himself as he shook off the leaves, if that monster was going to be a meanie, he’d have to help Mama and Uncle Victor instead. He’d get Papa later. 

“Mother, Father,” Victor quickly ordered, “get the 4077th to help you evacuate the premises. The wedding has officially ended. Maple and I will wed later, when we can send Pavla to jail with her associates.”

“Right, son.” Gertie leaned over and gave Victor a kiss on his cheek. “Be careful!”

His small boyish smile made Maple’s knees weak. “Yes, Mother.”

Betty wasn’t as willing to let Scott go. She furiously bit and bucked every monster who came near her, trying to protect the still-unconscious Hilary and try to get to the monster carrying Scott at the same time. There was no way she was going to lose Scott again, and she wouldn’t let any harm come to Hilary, either. 

The mirror reflected in Hilary’s eyes…just in time to wake her up and let her see one of the monsters scoop Betty into its arms. “No!” She moaned. “Oh no! Betty! Please….let her go…” She dragged herself to the hulking greyish creature with the enormous teeth and bulbous nose. “Please, she and my…my ex-fiancee are all I have left in the world. She’s the heir to my kingdom! Don’t…” she spoiled her dramatic performance by yawning. “Harm her!” The monster shoved her to the ground before he lumbered off carrying Betty in his thick arms, Betty biting and kicking the entire way.

Maple was shaking Mackie awake. “Huh? Penny?” He squinted, looking up at Maple. “Oh, hi Mapes. You know…maybe it was my imagination, but you look…well, in that white dress you’re wearing, you look almost like my late wife Penelope.” 

She kept shaking him. That wasn’t the point now. “Mapes, can’t you see I’m taking a nap here?” His eyes finally followed her finger to where the monsters fought the soldiers, breaking up the podium as the priest fled back to the army unit. “Yiiiiiii!” His eyes widened. “What in the hell is this? I thought I woke up, not descended into a nightmare!”

Maple rolled her eyes and pointed at the monsters. “You want me to fight them? Well, ok, then!” He finally grinned, hitting his knuckle into his fist. “I could use a little action!” He launched himself into two monsters at once, surprising himself as much as them when he knocked them both over.

“You!” Pavla sneered as Maple ran in front of her, throwing her arms in front of Victor. “I should have gotten rid of you before, sista. How in the hell did you get outta the wasteland?” She smirked and reached for Victor. “No matta. I’m takin’ him with me. I’ll get this kingdom an’ those fields and the iron works if I have to destroy everyone at this party to do it!”

She thought her magic was gone with her hair, but maybe… Her eyes widened as Pavla lifted her hand, black light glittering around it like controlled lightning. Soft golden light gathered around her hand as she reached for Pavla…and to Pavla’s surprise as well as her own, she threw the gold light at her, knocking her back several feet.

Victor groped for her hand. “Maple? What’s going on? Is that you?” He knocked away several monsters, his fists flailing. “Maple, where are you? We have to abandon the area, before Pavla attempts to abscond with us along with Sherwood.”

“I didn’t think ya had it in you.” Pavla smirked as she struggled to her feet. “I thought…takin’ your hair meant you didn’t have no power!” Maple shrugged and smirked. She wasn’t sure how she did it. It just…came to her. She called it, and it came to her.

“It still don’t matta.” Pavla narrowed her eyes as black light, hot and sizzling, gathered around her hands. “I’ll be takin’ my fiancee with me. You ain’t never gonna see him again.” She threw the light hard right at Maple.

“MAPLE!” She heard Victor shriek as the light sizzled around her, hot and blistering around her tender skin. It lifted her, throwing her roughly into the abandoned chairs in the garden. She landed around them with a crash, smashing several. “Maple,” Victor yelled, “I heard the crash, and the sound of lightning when I know it to be sunny. What has she done to you?”

Maple looked up in time to see Pavla reach for Victor’s arms. “Hello, my fiancee.” She stroked the top of his balding head and whispered into his ear. “You’re comin’ with me. This ain’t no place for a queen of Berlania to get hitched. We’re gonna have to finish the weddin’ ceremony at Prague Castle.”

“No!” But Victor’s voice already sounded a little bit softer. “I don’t wish to be wed to you! Frankly, I find you disgusting.”

“Frankly my dear,” she hissed, “I don’t care. I want your kingdom, an’ I’m gonna get it any way I can. And that includes bindin’ your cute little rear to me.” 

The griffin arrived with a roar of its wide wings as the bird monsters took off, landing where the podium had once been. “Come on, sweetheart,” Pavla cooed as she stroked Victor’s neck. “We’re goin’ for a ride.” 

She yanked Victor’s arms behind his back. One of the monsters helped throw him on the griffin's broad lion back, then helped Pavla get on herself. The last thing Maple saw before she passed out was Walter’s concerned black nose and the griffith lifting into the sky, Pavla clutching the faintly struggling Victor in front of her like a prize.