The Happy Couple (Tag: Alidia and Rahim) rated M

Luke was confused as to why Buttercup wouldn't talk about the things she mentioned in her letters.  She had said she played the piano, sang, and could sword-fight.  Didn't a girl like to talk about things she enjoyed?
"Wait, what is that?  Is that someone playing?  That's beautiful." he said, entranced by the music.  He ended up following the sound to its source.

Merida kept playing and didnt noticed Luke was watching her. Then when Merida was about to sing Buttercup screamed her name. "MERIDA!!!" Merida got down from the piano and walked down the servant's door. She didnt noticed her dagger that fell.

Luke saw the servant girl.  Her playing was lovely.  But when Buttercup yelled for her, she started to run for it.  He noticed a dagger that was left behind, possibly hers.  Quickly, he picked it up and hid it in his coat.
"I think someone is pulling my leg." he thought out loud.

"Your Grace..." Merida bowed and then she was slapped across her face. "You will pay for this Merida I said be me in the letters and what happens Luke left me..." Merida held her face as she stood up. "I--I am..." "Youre sorry...I dont wanna hear it..." Buttercup motioned the soldiers. "Please your Grace..." Merida pleaded. "Quiet I speak..." Buttercup said. "Throw her in the jail..." "Help me please..." Merida said as she was chained.

"So that's what happened?  You didn't even write those letters to me yourself!  No wonder you seemed different when I met you.  What kind of princess makes a servant answer letters from a prince for them?  Until I get a formal apology, I will have no more of you." Luke promised, turning on his heel and leaving the room.  He didn't know where in the castle he was going, just that it was away from that deceiver.

Buttercup ran to Luke. "Please stay...I love you..." she held Luke's arm. "Merida was just helping me...please Luke dont leave."

Meanwhile Merida was singing as she was crying. "You are my sunshine my only sunshine..." she sniffled as she wanted to grab her dagger and it wasn't there. "Where is it?"

"You are not the woman I thought you were." Luke stated, his heart hardening as he left Buttercup behind.  He wandered down to the dungeon to be alone.  Or he was alone, until he remembered Merida was down there.  He pulled out her dagger and walked to her cell.
"Here.  I believe this is yours." he said as he slid it to her.

"Oh thank you Your Highness..." Merida smiled and curtsied as she walked to the bars of the cell. Her green eyes sparkled like emeralds as she locked eyes with Luke. His earthy-colored eyes were breathtaking. "I'm sorry about Princess Buttercup...she wanted to sound important and fun. So I wrote down things I liked..." her hand touched his, she felt like an electric shock went through her when they were alone in the dungeon. "Luke by another name sounds any sweeter than another name..." she smiled.

"Thank you.  I'm just...confused.  I was trying to find a princess I could love, but I fell in love with the woman who answered my letters.  I fell in love with you, Merida." Luke admitted, noticing the feeling he got when they touched.

"As I fell in love with you Luke..." Merida blushed. "Forgive my sinful lips as they have a mind of their own." As she tilted her head just right for her lips to touch his through the bars. "This love is forbidden but I don't care..." she went to get the rose that was growing in her cell. "Here...a reminder of me if something should happen." And just like that the guards came. "Prince Luke her Highness Buttercup would like to see you..." "Luke go..." Merida whispered. The guards grabbed her as Luke went some of them. "Now you Merida...Buttercup as sentenced your fate....death...by the gallows." Merida gasped. "No...please..." she pleaded. "And Buttercup has ordered Luke to watch..."

Luke went out to see what Buttercup wanted.  He was still angry at her for deceiving him, but talking to Merida had made him feel better.  When he saw the princess, he did his best to act civil.
"Princess, you wanted to see me?" he asked.

Buttercup smiled she motioned Luke to sit. "Enjoy the show with me.." Merida had a sack over her head. She knew not to scream or anything. Her hands were tied up. They wrapped the noose over her neck and removed the sack. "I love a good hanging..." Buttercup said as she motioned the signal. The noose dropped with Merida choking.

Luke was horrified by what he was seeing.  But it seemed he didn't have to worry.  The rope snapped under Merida's weight, causing her to fall to the ground.  She was coughing as she tried to regain her breath, but alive.  He shrugged off Buttercup's arm and ran to check on the girl.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, helping her to sit up.

Merida fluttered her eyes opened and saw Luke. She smiled. "Now I am...my beloved Luke..." she caressed his cheeks. "I am so glad youre here...I love you and you only."

Buttercup began to get mad. "No....No...No...Merida was supposed to die...this," she pointed to the couple "This cant happen...its forbidden...guards take her away..." Merida grabbed Luke's sword and began swinging it. "Not on my watch...Leave me and Luke alone..."

Not wanting to stand by idly, Luke took up another sword from one of the guards.  He stood by her side, determined to stay close to her.  The sword in his hands would be efficient in his purpose.
"Anyone who touches Merida, I will cut off your hands and make you eat them." he threatened.  It was enough to get his point across.  Then, he turned to Buttercup.
"My family holds the tradition that we should meet a wrong-doing with a punishment upon the perpetrator of the deed.  Do you want to come up with your punishment, or should I?" Luke inquired.

Merida saw one of the guards making his moves towards Luke. She flipped in the air and stabbed him. "You okay?" she looked at Luke.
Buttercup growled "You are going to pay for this...Luke will be mine..." Buttercup ran away.

"I'm fine." Luke answered Merida's question. "And I will not marry someone who lies to me.  Or uses others to lie for her.  What you've done is disgraceful to yourself and your family." he told Buttercup.

"I am glad youre alright cause I wouldve gone crazy if something happened to you..." Merida locked her eyes with his and intertwined their hands and fingers together.

meanwhile Buttercup sought for revenge.

(OCC: Have any ideas for another pastlife?)

"I'm grateful for your concern.  I'm just thankful that you were not hurt." Luke told her.  He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them.

(OOC: I did come up with something.  I had this idea of a town that is cursed and its residents turn into animals best fitting of their personality.  But everyone knows that a cat and a bird will break the spell by aligning two statues at a source of light.  It ties in with this Egyptian story that says the Cat Goddess, Bastet, gave Ra the power of the sun.  Part of the curse is that it's always overcast over the town, or stormy.  What do you think?)

(I like it and I love cats)

Merida giggled and blushed as Luke kissed her hands. She put her hands down and leaned forward and kissed Luke's lips.

(OOC: That's great, and a strange coincidence.  So, which cat were you thinking she would be?  Big cats from the wild are allowed.)

The kiss was something Luke welcomed.  Her lips were so soft.  His hands came up to lace finger through her hair.  He really did love her, he realized.

(OCC A black panther)

Luke didnt fight back and thats when Merida realized they were meant to be regardless of their class.

Meanwhile Buttercup was looking for anything for revenge and then she was pulled by an evil witch from a magic mirror

(OOC: Sweet.)

"Merida, I do love you.  Did you know that I meant that when I told you?  Because it is the truth." Luke told her when he stopped to take a breath.

Merida blushed as she caressed Luke's cheeks. "I know you did and I meant what I said too. Regardless of our social class I love you."

"My darling.  You are more noble than most who have the title.  You carry yourself as well as any princess.  Never forget that." he told her.