Chapter 17

“You’ve done very well to locate me,” Faust said to the group. Roselle stepped forward and pointed her rapier towards Faust.

“You! I’m going to pay you back for breaking my leg! I can no longer hold the Grand Duelist title any longer; what’s worse, you’ve stolen my beloved Cerise. Have at you, cur! I’m going to strike you down and stab your vitals!”

“Ah, so you’re Roselle,” Faust said with a smile. “A beautiful Princess who is as fierce as she is lovely. Perhaps that’s why Cerise has fallen in love with you. Don’t worry my dear; I’m not here to kill you. Your friends, however…”

Prince Caspian stood by Roselle’s side and pointed his rapier towards Faust. “You won’t be able to take me down so easily, Faust. I’m prepared to give my life for Roselle.”

“Ah, love,” Faust said. “Isn’t it wonderful? So misguided. So…weakening. It makes you soft. And vulnerable. Your love for Cerise and Prince Caspian’s love for you, Roselle, are going to be your downfalls.”

“Don’t be so sure that you’ll defeat us,” Princess Nautilus said, standing by her brother side, while Viola stood next to Princess Nautilus. “We’re going to take you down. Together. You've always been alone, Faust; and you’ll discover that being alone and having no friends is going to be your downfall. You are wary of betrayers at every turn; therefore you betray people before they betray you. But if you learned to trust other people and rely on other people, you would’ve found fulfillment.”

“Yes,” Roselle said. “It’s through my friends; and especially Cerise; that I became stronger. My love for her burns brightly! I won’t let her fall into your hands to become a Homunculus!”

“How very touching,” Faust said with a sardonic ton, his lip curling into a mean smirk. “Your foolishness will only bring despair.”

[They fight against Faust and save Cerise]

“Oh, Cerise!” Roselle cried as she cried and hugged her beloved close to her. “I thought I’d never see you again. Please, darling, kiss me! I have to make sure that everything about this is real! That you’re here in my arms!”

Roselle then leaned forward and gave Cerise the longest and sweetest kiss that Cerise ever experienced in her life. LIghtheaded and giddy, with happiness brimming up from the tips of her toes to her buoyant head, Cerise felt as though she took a deep breath of fresh air after being pulled down in the undertow of a tide, drowning and struggling for so long, before Roselle found her and kissed her. She wanted to savor every second of this, and she wrapped her arms around Roselle’s tiny form and kissed her back.

The others looked pleased. After defeating Faust, they could go back to their lives.

Prince Caspian put a hand on Roselle’s shoulder, saying, “Well, if there’s going to be a royal wedding, I expect to be invited.”

“Of course, Caspian,” Roselle said with a gasp as she parted away from Cerise, laughing and giggling, giddy from the high of her first kiss. “All of you are invited! It’s thanks to everyone that we were able to save the Kingdoms from danger! And there will be a grand ball, some dancing, great food; oh it would be wonderful! I hope that you all will see me in becoming Queen!”

[They have a royal wedding. Cerise and Roselle and the others have a grand time]

The END.