Never Say Never ~An Arranged Marriage Love Story~

[romantic_story]

Chapter 23

I spin around and face the figure. It didn't look like Titus did just seconds ago. But it was him. My brain finally could process the familiar figure. I couldn't believe I couldn't figure it out before. His voice everything about him was Titus. His hair even having the red tips in it like before. But at the same time he looked completely different.
He wore the same outfit as he always had. A black suit, but this time had a red tie to accompany it. His hair was layered and slightly in his face like always. A crooked top hat sat on his head. The mask was gone, but his eyes were still the blood red color. That matched his hair completely. He even had the same raven black angel wings behind him slightly moving every so often.
"Might I say, my princess that you look absolutely beautiful." He says as he approaches us by the alter.
"Titus, how could you?" Ashley says still in disbelief. "You were my friend."
"I was never your friend. You always got anything you wanted. You were spoiled and arrogant. I was just waiting for the day to take the throne from you filthy Ungarians. Waiting for the perfect time. And then you discovered where the humans were hiding and then I saw Lucy. Of course I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her, but they were going to give her to you. Who didn't even love her. Then I started devising a plan. Everything was perfect."
"But she started to love me. I bet you weren't expecting that." Ashley spits back at him.
"I have to say that was a bit of a problem, but nothing I couldn't handle. Just a few minor casualties." He says grinning a sick grin.
"You killed that poor girl. She had nothing to do with this. Nothing." I say holding back my tears.
"It was the only way for me to get you to stop touching each other." He says frowning.
"But you hurt me!" I scream. "Everything you did hurt me!"
"What do you think I went through when I saw you two together? I love you, Lucy. I loved you from the start. He only wanted to use you. He never loved you!" He yells back taking a hold of my wrists. Gripping them tight enough to hurt. "If I hadn't had intervened when I did that night, who knows what you two would've done."
My head flashes back to the night after the girl was dead. I was so hurt that I needed Ashley so badly right then. Then things got heated and then I remember Titus entering the room like it was some big accident. But it wasn't. He had planned the whole thing.
"Why? Why are you doing this?" I ask as the tears start to flow.
"Because I love you, Lucy. You're my princess." He says wiping the tears away with his hand. "Please don't cry. Everything will be perfect in just a little while. When I dispose of him."
He turns his gaze to Ashley as he leaves me and that's when I see the sword on his belt. And I realize he's going to kill Ashley.
"No!" I scream grabbing his arm. "You can't kill him!"
"And why's that?" Titus asks as he turns back and looks at me for a moment.
"Because I love him." I say turning my gaze to Ashley. "I love you with all my heart Ashley. In fact my heart is yours."
Titus turns and looks at me and I can tell he's furious. "I will have a talk with you later!" He growls at me.
"No you can't kill him!" I scream as I grab Titus's arm again but he pushes me to the side. "Someone help us!" I scream looking at the crowd, but they were all paralyzed. Somehow he had paralyzed them all.
I look up and see that Ashley had acquired a sword somehow, probably from a nearby guard. Titus had drawn out his sword.
Everything seemed to play in slow motion at that point. I couldn't take my eyes off of Ashley. In a way I knew he was going to die. There was no way that he could beat Titus. He was too powerful. But I didn't want him to die. I hadn't exactly realized it until now, but I did love Ashley. I loved him with all of my heart. I wanted to spend forever with him. I felt incomplete without him, like he fit my other half. No, he was my other half. If he died I would die too. Not physically, but mentally. I couldn't live without him. I never would be able to live without him.
And then it happened. I screamed, but I couldn't hear myself. All I could see was the sword sticking in Ashley's stomach. His eyes as they looked at Titus in shock. Everything was happening so slowly. But it was real. Everything was so painstakingly real.
Titus grins with victory as he yanks his sword out of Ashley, soaked in his blood.
And then I felt it. I slight burning sensation over my heart. I look down and see the mark slowly fading away.
This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't.
Ashley falls to the floor with a thud and I run over to him collapsing at his side. Tears flowing down my face. He couldn't be dying. It wasn't possible.
"You're going to be ok. You're going to be ok." I keep repeating to him as my hands put pressure on his stomach. There was so much blood.
"Did you really mean it." He chokes out.
"Mean what?" I ask sobbing as I continued to try and stop the bleeding. My hands becoming soaked in blood.
"That you-" He stops as he starts coughing up blood. "Love me." He adds faintly.
I stop and look up at his face. Looking into his icy blue eyes.
"Yes, Ashley I love you." I say softly. "My heart is yours and I love you so much." \
He smiles as he closes his eyes and I scream. He couldn't die. He can't be dead. There was no way. He just couldn't.
I lay my head on his chest sobbing, my body shaking.
"You've had your chance to say goodbye. Now it's time to go." Titus says behind me roughly pulling me up.
"No!" I scream trying to break out of his grip and stay with Ashley.
I actually succeed and fall back on my knees. My hands fly quickly to his wrist checking for a pulse. My heart leaps when I find one. But just faintly.
Before I could do anything I get pulled back up by Titus. "He's dead, Lucy. Your mark gone proves it. If you don't come with me, then I'll just have to kill someone else. Do you understand." He says.
I nod feebly giving myself up to him as he drags me out away. I had stopped crying now. I had grown numb inside.
There was only one thing keeping me together right now. The faint pulse. His heart was still beating and it gave me hope.
And hope was all I had left.

[romantic_story]

Author's Note

It's the end guys!!
But it's not the official end.
I'm going to be writing a sequel to this story. And I'll put the link in this story so you'll know when I get the first chapter done.

I just want to thank you guys so much for all the comments, hearts and reads.
I didn't think anyone was going to read this, and when I was getting all this beautiful feedback I was shocked. But in a really, really good way. You guys are insanely awesome and I don't know if I would have been able to finish writing it without you. So thank you so, so much. Really I can't write down in words how amazing you guys are.
So thank you so much. Never forget how amazing and wonderful you guys are.
Love Skye