Chapter 43 - Swan Dive of Love

            "Please!" said Maruska, "Spare his life."

            "No!" said Bastion, "Today I will be rid of this pest forever."  He turned to the guards on the wooden plank, "Push him over!"

            One of the guards, nervous at being so high up, poked his spear at Anton, but missed.

            "Bastion!" said Maruska, "I am begging you, please, spare his life!"

            "I am the King," said Bastion, "Do not tell me what to do."

            Once again, he turned to the guards and said, "Push him down!"

            This time, the both guards moved into position and poked their spears at him. 

            "Stop!" said Maruska.

            They stopped when they heard her cry out, so desperate it was.

            "Please, Bastion," said Maruska, "You say that you love me, please do this for me.  Spare his life."

            The King screamed in frustration.  "Why do you care so much about this wretch?  This man who betrayed you and left you for dead?  It was I that cared for you all these years and did everything you wished, and you don't even look at me."

            “I love him,” said Maruska.

            Bastion was burning with up with rage.  "I said, push him in!"

            Now the guards thrust their spears at Anton with gusto.  Anton dodged the first, but the second pierced his chest and he toppled over and fell backwards!

            Maruska saw only one thing, Anton falling backwards towards the water below.  At this point, nothing else in the world mattered to her.  She zipped past Bastion on the wooden platform and sprinted down the plank, skipping around the two guards and then jumped off the edge, swan diving after Anton!  She was met with a terrifying sight.  Anton was plummeting down, against the backdrop of a giant gaping mouth!  The legendary sea creature was flying up from the water, ready to eat its offering.

            "ZOOMBALA NE CORTEGA!" Maruska screamed.

            Pure fire came out of her hands, two torrential blasts of orange flame!  She aimed it so that it would not hit Anton, but would burn Shai’Susu.  The sea creature immediately closed its maw and withdrew back into the cool, watery depths.

            Maruska breathed a sigh of relief.  She closed her eyes.  It was one of the most powerful spells she knew and she had put all her energy into it; she would be tired for days.  But she was happy.  It had been worth it.  And then the water hit her.

            Hard.

            She had never, ever been hit so hard.  She felt her body go down into the water for a long time.  Eventually she began to float up again.  She gasped as she reached the surface.  The pain from the impact screaming at her, but she paid no heed.  Her eyes scanned the water for Anton.  His hands had been tied!  Would he drown?

Then she saw it.  A splash to her right and before she could even think, she was swimming over to him.  She grabbed him and said, "Calm down, I've got you."

            Anton stopped flailing his body and went to float on his back.  Maruska dived underneath him, and undid the rope binding his wrists.

            When she surfaced, Anton put his arms around her.  She suddenly felt an overhwleming feeling of warmth, peace and joy.  She was back where she belonged.

            "I really missed you," said Anton.

            "Then why did you leave?" said Maruska.

            Anton looked her in the eyes and said, "I had to.”

            When she saw his face, and heard these words, she knew they were the truth.

            "I believe you Anton," said Maruska, "But can you tell me why?"

            Anton, who had been seconds away from being digested by a giant sea creature, looked at this woman who had just saved his life in the most incredible fashion.  He decided she deserved to know the truth.  He would break his promise.

            "Remember that time I dived from the cliff and you saved me from that mysterious sea creature?" said Anton.

            "Yes," said Maruska, "That's all I remember actually.  When I woke up you were gone."

            "Well, it seemed that you had been poisoned," said Anton, "I had taken you to Bruskala Dee, but even she said she could not cure you, and that you were about to die.  She told me to take you to Lady Joyce.  I took you there.  Bastion said he would allow Lady Joyce to cure you, only if I promised to leave the Kingdom and never see you again.  He made me promise."

            Maruska felt an overwhelming sadness wash over her.  Everything made sense now.  But it still didn't give her back all the time she had wasted being bitter.

            "Bastion," said Maruska, "That b*****d."

            Anton kissed her on the forehead.

            "I'm so sorry," he said.

            "You did nothing wrong," said Maruska, "It is I that should apologise to you."  

            Maruska began to shiver, the cold water finally affecting her.

            "Let's get back to shore," said Anton, "Come, grab onto my shoulders."

            Maruska wrapped herself around Anton's mightly back, a position that felt immediately familiar to her and he gently swam towards the shore.

            A swarm of guards was there to greet them, weapons drawn.  They made way as the King emerged.  He held a long, deadly looking dagger in his hand, and a murderous gleam in his eyes.

            "Please!" said Maruska, "Spare his life!"  She ran up to the King and knelt down at his feet, her head pressed against the ground, she could go no lower.

            "No," said the King.

            Suddenly Maruska knew what she had to do.  She did not want to do it, but she knew she must.  She could feel the life ahead of her start to rot.  She knew she would forever be in a figurative cage.  But she would do anything to save the one she loved.

            "I will marry you, Bastion."

            There were gasps amongst the crowd.

            "No, Maruska!" said Anton, "Don't do it!"

            Maruska ignored him.

            The King's dagger dropped to the ground.

            "What did you say?"

            "I will marry you, Bastion.  Anything you want," she said, "Just please don't kill Anton."

            King Bastion heard the words.  He almost thought he would never hear them.  Music to his ears.  Finally he had won!  The woman of his dreams, the most beautiful woman in the world, was agreeing to marry him.

            "Under one condition,” said Bastion, “I will keep Anton in the dungeon.  And you are never to visit him."

            Maruska did not like this, but she would not get greedy.  Anton would live.  There would be hope for him.

            "I agree."

            "No!" said Anton, "I refuse!"

            Maruska turned to him.  "It is my decision.  It is final."  She smiled at him.  She wanted her last words to him to be happy ones.  "I will think of you fondly."

            Bastion felt like vomiting.  "Take this swine away.  I want him locked up in the deepest, darkest dungeon we have, never to see the light of day again."

            Guards surrounded Anton.

            "I love you, Maruska," he said.

            "Shut up!" said the King.

            Maruska closed her eyes.  Those words from Anton.  She had not heard them in an age.  She let them wash over her like a cool breeze after vigorous exercise.

            As the guards took him away from her, she realised both of them were being locked up, although in different types of cells.

            Maruska looked up at the man she had agreed to marry.

Bastion looked down at her, grinning from ear to ear.

            Her cell would be far worse than Anton's.