Tamed by the Prince (Elven Lover) (17 page)

“Yes, I do,” answered Merlon calmly.

“Will you take on your punishment like a man of honour?”

“I will.”

“What would happen if he were not to acknowledge the punishment?”

asked Cherry in a whisper.

“It wouldn’t stop the punishment being executed. It’s just a question of whether he dies honourably or whether one must execute the punishment with force.”

“What happens now?” Like everyone present Cherry had risen from her seat.

“The judgement is executed,” said Molwina, her voice hoarse.

Cherry glanced at her mother-in-law. The queen stood proud and upright, her face motionless. But she could not deny the tears that slowly ran down her face. Just as Cherry could not. They grasped one another’s hands and looked to the front where the king was taking Merlon to a hole in the ground. A rope hung into the hole from the rock ceiling. Lord Balcic passed Merlon his sword, then Merlon took hold of the rope and looked in her direction. With his eyes he said farewell and lowered himself into the hole. Cherry closed her eyes and trembled. She felt as if part of her had gone into the hole with him. With a violent cry she pulled away from Molwina and ran down the steps of the platform to the hole around which the king, all the noblemen and finally Lord Aveleen had assembled. She forced her way between the men to stare down into the hole.

“Merlon!” she screamed in panic. “Oh, no! Please! Merlon!”

She felt a push, then she tipped forwards over the edge and fell into the hole. The last thing she saw was the grinning face of Lord Aveleen, then she was in a dark tunnel leading downwards. She slipped as if on a slide until she landed painfully on her back at the bottom of the cave. The cave down here was lit with strange crystals hanging from the ceiling. She looked around frantically. Where was Merlon? He could only have gone out by the exit to her left. She hoped there was not a labyrinth down here. With great difficulty she picked herself up and brushed the dust from her clothing. She had to find Merlon.

Merlon must have come along here. She could make out footprints in the dust. So she had chosen the right path. First she had wanted to take another one, but had then thought differently. She hurried on. The corridor widened and she entered a larger cave. Merlon was standing in the middle, looking at the ceiling. There was an opening high above, through which daylight shone.

“Merlon!” she called with relief.

Merlon froze. Slowly, swearing quietly in his own language, he turned to her. He stared at her, his eyes wide with horror.

“Cherry? What … what are you doing here? Have you gone completely mad? Come on, quickly, I have to get you back before it’s too late. How could you have done this? How could you risk the life of our child? Damn it! Cherry!”

“I … I fell. I didn’t want …,” she sobbed. “Lord Aveleen …”

Merlon had rushed to her and he pulled her into his arms.

“Shhh. It’s OK. But I have to get you into safety quickly before the Golden Dragon comes.”

“I … I’m afraid that’s now too … too late,” stammered Cherry, looking over Merlon’s shoulder, straight into the shining eyes of the enormous dragon.

Merlon turned round as quick as lightning, his sword at the ready.

“Hide behind the rock there,” he called over his shoulder.

Cherry did not have to be told twice. She ran behind the protective rock and closed her eyes in horror as the Golden Dragon breathed a flame in Merlon’s direction. She screamed. Only when she heard Merlon’s swearing and his gasping breath did she open her eyes again. He was not dead. He was fighting with the dragon. He struck out at the monster again and again, avoiding being hit by the tail and the flames. But when an evasive manoeuvre did not work, and the dragon’s tail caught him with full power so that he was flung through the air against the wall, Cherry screamed his name.

Merlon picked himself up and took his sword in both hands. Cherry could see that the force of the blow and the impact had taken a lot out of him because he was swaying a little.

Unable to turn her eyes away from the awful battle, she looked on helplessly as Merlon became weaker and weaker, and had to take on more and more blows. He was bleeding from countless wounds and his left shoulder was bruised. His hair, smeared with blood, was sticking to his face and it was more and more difficult for him to avoid the dragon’s flames. Now and then he tried to deal a blow to the dragon, but it was basically a matter of avoiding both the flames and being hit by the tail. 

Then the tail got him again and Merlon crashed against the rock. He slowly collapsed and lay there, lifeless. Cherry screamed. She no longer thought about the dragon or about her own life as she ran from behind the rock and rushed to Merlon. Sobbing, she fell down next to him. His breathing was shallow and blood was running from his mouth.

“Merlon? Please Merlon, open your eyes. Please don’t go. Please!”

He opened his eyes, blinking and he groaned. He looked into her eyes and he tried to speak, but only more blood came from his mouth. His upper body convulsed and his legs trembled, then his eyes suddenly became empty.

“Nooooo!” she screamed. “No! Wake up! You pig! Don’t leave me alone. I still need you! We need you. Come back to me. Meeeer – lonnnnn!”

The dragon’s breathing made her look at the beast that had killed her beloved. Cherry grabbed Merlon’s sword and got up slowly. She looked into the dragon’s shining eyes and raised the sword.

“Youuuuu! You’ve taken everything from me! I will show you, you ugly monster, that you’ve messed with the wrong person. I’m not afraid of you because there’s nothing left for you to take from me. Take that, you repulsive creature!”

Cherry swung the sword with sheer, inhuman strength and thrust at the dragon. Adrenalin rushed through her body and she was only thinking of one thing. Revenge! The dragon stood up and a bluish beam came out of his eyes.

“I’ll see you soon, Merlon,” she whispered, then darkness overcame her.

“H
ow could that
have happened?” asked King Assgard, horrified, and he looked down into the hole into which Cherry had just disappeared.

“She must have leant over too far and lost her balance,” said Lord Aveleen. “Poor girl. But at least she’s now united with her husband.”

The queen made her way through the crowd.

“What’s happened?” she asked, worried. “Where’s Lady Cherry?”

When she saw that everyone was looking down into the hole Molwina uttered a shrill scream. Full of fear, she looked at her husband. Her look was begging him to deny what her heart already knew. Cherry was down there. Had she jumped after him? She did not want to believe that. After all, she was expecting Merlon’s baby, she wouldn’t do that …

“She fell down,” said the king and took his wife by the hand. “There’s nothing more we can do for her. We can’t go down there. Only if the judgement were to be invalid, could we go down to stop the execution of the judgement. But as it is …” He sighed. What an awful day. First the execution of his own son, and now the death of his daughter-in-law and his unborn grandchild, too. And he could do nothing about it.

“Stop!” sounded a voice suddenly.

Everyone turned round. Mawrek was running up to them, his face red with exertion.

“The execution must be suspended. I have proof that Lord Aveleen is a murderer!”

An outcry came from the crowd. Lord Aveleen pushed away those around him in an attempt to flee. If he could get out of the cave he could immaterialise. Only an unusual energy field in the caves of the Fire Mountain made teleportation impossible.

“Seize him!” cried the king, and several warriors fell upon the fleeing man. They overpowered him and tied him up. “Mawrek, go down with Volcan, Lord Balcic and five warriors and try to halt the execution.”

“Yes, father!” said Mawrek, and King Assgard put his hand on Mawrek’s shoulder.

“Lady Cherry is down there. Rescue her first!”

“Cherry is …?” Mawrek stared at his father in horror, then he nodded sombrely. “We’ll do our best, my father.”

The rescue group had already formed behind him as he turned round.

“Come on, men. Let’s not waste any more time!”

It was not difficult to follow Merlon and Cherry’s tracks.

Mawrek had hoped that Cherry’s tracks would not follow those of Merlon. The chances of finding her alive would have been better if she had not followed Merlon, but the stubborn woman clearly did not intend to make the rescue mission easy for them.

“Damn it!” swore Mawrek.

“How far could they have gone?” asked Volcan.

“I’ve never been in this damned cave so I can’t tell you that unfortunately. Let’s hope they haven’t come into contact with the dragon yet.”

They entered a cave.

“By the elements!” exclaimed Volcan.

“Shit!” swore Mawrek.

In front of them lay an enormous golden dragon. He had laid his head on his front legs and he was looking at them with half-open eyes. Behind them lay the motionless bodies of Merlon and Cherry.

“We’ve come too late,” said Mawrek, his voice without emotion.

“Damn!” snarled Volcan and swung his sword. “Let’s show this ugly creature!”

Darkness lay like a blanket on her. She felt a sort of eternal sadness and did not know why. What had happened? Where was she? Then she could see. Merlon! He was dead. Killed by this fearful creature. Was she maybe dead, too?

‘Merlon!’
she cried desperately inside her.

‘Cherry?’

‘Merlon?’

‘I can hear you? So are you also… dead?’

‘I must be.’

‘I miss you. I want to touch you.’

‘I’d like that. But I’m happy that I’m with you. I was so lonely in the darkness.’

I love you!’

‘I love you, too!’

Cherry could hear another voice. But she could not understand what the other voice was saying. It was in another language.

‘Someone else is here.’
she said.

‘Who?’

‘I don’t know. Can’t you hear him, then?’

‘No, I can only hear you. What’s he saying?’

‘I can’t understand him. I think he’s speaking in your language.’

‘Ask him who he is. In your language. If it’s an elf he’ll understand you.’

Cherry tried to feel the other person. The voice sounded warm and friendly, if also strangely rough and thundery.

‘Who are you? What do you want from me?’

‘I’m Karndirrgnurdanelaskani – in your language you call me the Golden Dragon.’

‘What? You ...’

‘What is it, Cherry? What’s he saying?’
asked Merlon.

‘He says he’s the Golden Dragon.’

‘The dragon? But …’

‘Cherry, that’s your name?’
asked the dragon.

‘Yes.’

‘Your love saved you both.’

‘Saved? But …’

‘Wake up. Cherry! Wake up! They’ve come to fetch you.’

‘Who? Who’s come, and what do you mean about me waking up? Aren’t I dead?’

The dragon chuckled. It was a loud, croaking chuckle.

‘No, Cherry. You’re not dead. And your prince isn’t either. I’ve breathed life into him. Wake up and wake up your prince.’

Cherry threw open her eyes. She was looking at the crystals hanging from the ceiling. She tried carefully to move her limbs.

“No, Volcan! No! She’s moving. Lady Cherry moved. Stop!”

As if spellbound, they were all staring at Cherry who really was sitting up and looking around in confusion. The dragon made a quiet, rumbling sound.

“What about the dragon? He won’t let us go to her. He’s sure to kill Lady Cherry if we go near her,” said Lord Balcic.

“I don’t think so,” said Mawrek. “He looks completely peaceful. He could have attacked us some time ago. He’s not even raising his head. Maybe the creature’s ill.”

Cherry looked around slowly. She saw the dragon in front of her and Mawrek, Volcan and a few other men. They seemed to be unsure as to what they should do. Cherry looked to the side and her heart began to race. There he was. He looked a bit done in, but she could see that he was breathing.

‘Cherry. What did the dragon say?’

‘Wake up, my love! I’m here. I’m alive! And you’re alive, too. Wake up for me!’

‘What … what are you saying? We’re dead. That’s …’

Cherry shook his shoulder gently. She bent over and kissed him gently on his blood-smeared lips.

‘Wake up, Merlon. Wake up!’

He threw open his eyes and their eyes met. Her lips were still on his lips. Hesitatingly, Merlon reached out his hand to touch her. Half way he stopped, staring at her in disbelief, then he pulled her to him so that she uttered a cry of shock. His mouth took control and deepened the tender touch into a passionate kiss.

‘My darling.’

‘My love.’