fic: The Greendale Princess Bride (Part Four)
Title: The Greendale Princess Bride (Part Four)
Rating: This part is more on the PG-13ish side than the previous chapters
Word Count: 827
Disclaimers: My checking account laughs at you.
Spoilers: This is not the cannon you are looking for.
Summary: Jeff & Annie actually speak to each other again...but can they escape Chang and his men?
Author's Note: Sorry this one was a bit behind schedule and only half of what I planned to write, but I wanted to post something as soon as possible since I don't know how much I can write and post this weekend. The next story after this one will go back to the Past Lifer storyline, but it will be entirely Jeff/Annie! Hope you enjoy this part, and thanks for reading!
Previous Stories/Parts:
Past Lifer
The Greendale Princess Bride: (Part One) (Part Two) (Part Three)
It was nearing twilight when the the man in black and Princess Annie reached the hill's summit. The man sat Annie down on a waist-high boulder, then removed his darkened eyeglasses so he could better see the land below them. He could see no one near the bronze statue, but by the way Britta had been acting, he was sure he would, soon.
When the man heard muffled sounds coming from where the princess sat, he realized that it was time to reveal himself so they could have their necessary conversation.
The man in black walked over, removed the rope from Princess Annie's hands, the gag from her mouth and the blindfold from her eyes.
He expected a gasp of shock, or maybe even tears.
What he got was a swift kick in the gut.
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"Damn it, Annie! That HURT!"
Annie hopped down from the boulder, and quickly invaded the man's personal space.
"Well, life is pain, Jeffrey! Now you know how I felt when I got that stupid letter!"
"Kinda like how I felt when I heard you had run off to get engaged to another man?! Wait. What letter?"
"Oh, you very well know what letter! The only letter you sent me the entire time you were gone! Or I should say, had your lawyers send, you coward. You know, the one stating you no longer wanted to 'continue our relationship' and that I should 'discontinue all correspondence'? This ringing any bells yet?"
"No! And what do you mean 'only letter'. I must have sent you a dozen, at least. You're the one who didn't bother to write."
"What are you talking about? I sent you sixteen letters. Exactly. But the only one I received was that horrible one."
Jeffrey took hold of Annie's shoulders.
"Annie, listen. I didn't send you that letter. And I didn't get any of yours, just like you didn't get any of my real ones. Someone is messing with us. You've got to believe me."
Annie took a deep breath. Then she took a step back. Jeffrey's hands fell away.
"I - I do believe you, Jeffrey. Really. But, when you realized you weren't getting any letters from me, why didn't you come back home? Why did you wait until I was almost married to another man to come find me?"
"Maybe for the same reasons you believed that letter. And got engaged to Prince Chang. Maybe somewhere deep down we both knew that what we had was too good to be true. That something was bound to ruin it sooner or later and, when something did, we just didn't question it."
Annie looked down and nodded. "Maybe."
Jeffrey closed the distance between them again and gently took Annie's hands. He waited until she was looking him in the eye before he continued.
"But, Annie, here's the thing. I didn't wait until you were engaged to come find you. I was already in our village when I heard you had left with the other single women. By the time I reached the castle, you were already engaged. Still, I looked for you. I thought if we could just talk face-to-face, that maybe we could work things out. And then, when I got to the gardens, I saw you at the far end being carried away and rushed after you. Annie, it's not too late for us. Please, please don't marry Chang."
Annie stood staring wide-eyed at Jeffrey for several moments. Then she closed her eyes and brought one of his hands up to her lips and kissed it.
"Milord."
Jeffrey dropped her hands, grabbed Annie around the waist with one arm, plunged his other hand into her hair, and gave her an intensely passionate kiss. When they broke apart, they were both gasping. Then Jeffrey pressed a far more gentle kiss to her forehead.
"Milady," he whispered.
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Jeffrey was about to go in for another kiss, when high-pitched shouting had both Annie and Jeffrey looking toward the bronze statue. From their vantage point, they could see a group of men and horses by it's base. One of the men must have spotted them, because they suddenly mounted their horses and started riding straight toward Jeffrey and Annie.
Jeffrey grabbed Annie's hand and started running toward an ominous-looking forest.
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"Ha! Your pig fiancé is too late! A few more yards and we'll be safe in the Paint Swamp! He and his men wouldn't dare to follow us in there!"
"We'll never survive!"
"Nonsense! You only say 'never' because no one ever has. But see, we're different. We've got me!"
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Annie laughed, but held tightly to Jeff's hand as they entered the dark, dank woods. They walked slowly and cautiously for a little awhile but, when nothing immediately happened, they began to relax.
She then asked Jeffrey to tell her everything that happened to him in the many weeks they were apart, and Jeffrey obliged.