"We're here at last,".
Ben, Lisa, Lucy and Mark climbed out of the car and took a look at the castle. It was late night and they were all very tired.
"Shall we go and find a hotel?" Lisa suggested.
Ben sat back down and rested his head in the steering wheel. "It's one am, there's no point. Let's just sleep in the car," he yawned.
Mark and Lisa agreed and got back into the car. But Lucy couldn't sleep. She was anxious to see Chris, her fiancee. She was missing him like crazy, and was determined to see him now she had arrived at the castle.
"I'm going to see Chris," she told the others as she put on her jacket.
But there was no response. Ben, Lisa and Mark were now sound asleep.
Lucy walked nervously down the castle path and up to the grand doorway. As she reached the door she was met by two security guards.
"God kveld," Lucy said nervously, using the only Norwegian phrase she really knew- 'good evening'. "Do you speak English?".
The guards exchanged glances. "Yes, I do," one spoke up. "What can I do for you?".
"I'm here to see Christian," Lucy told them. "He's my fiancee,".
"You cannot enter," the guard informed her. "Princess Nicola will not allow an visitors, especially not so late at night,".
"Can I come to the wedding?" Lucy asked, getting annoyed. She wanted to see Chris!
"No, you are not on the guest list," the guard said. "Please leave now,".
Lucy turned and walked away before she had the chance to say something she'd regret. "I'll come back in the morning," she said to herself. "Nobody's going to stop me seeing Chris!".
The next morning, Paul and the girls left the hotel and made their way back to the castle. The wedding and crowning were to take place after lunch so they were going to turn up early to get a good position.
"Wow, there's already a huge crowd and it's only nine am!" Helen said in amazement as they found a parking place. The streets all around the castle were lined with reporters, photographers and the public, all eagerly awaiting the ceremony.
"We'll never get into the chapel," Paul said sadly as he pointed to the Royal Chapel in the castle grounds, where the ceremony was to take place. Guards surrounded the doors, keeping off swarms of reporters.
"I suppose we'll have to watch it from here," Sam said, sitting down on the grass.
Paul looked at Sam with sad eyes. She hadn't spoken to him since their argument the night before and she'd been avoiding him ever since.
Jo got her binoculars out of her bag and scanned the crowd. "I think I can see Ben!" she told the others.
Paul laughed. "I've got to tell him I won the race," he grinned, taking the binoculars from Jo. "Yeah, it is him,". Paul rushed off to find him.
Ben wasn't pleased to see Paul. "We've been here for days, I swear!" he lied.
"Face it, you lost," Paul grinned. "Anyway, come and join the rest of us,".
Ben, Lisa, Lucy and Mark followed Paul back to girls, so everyone was reunited. Soon they were chatting way exchanging stories.
But Lucy didn't feel like talking. She wandered off towards the castle, dodging in and out of the crowds.
She reached the castle wall and stood looking up at the large windows. She wondered what Chris was doing inside there...
Chris excused himself from the dressing room and went to get a drink. He was dreading the wedding, but it was too late to turn back. Practically half the country had come to see the wedding and crowning. He couldn't call it all off, he wasn't sure if he was allowed to call it all off either.
"I wish Lucy was here," he sighed, walking to the window. He looked out at the crowds. Hey, wasn't that...
Chris smiled. Lucy was down there! He quickly found some paper and scribbled her a note. 'Glad you're here, I wish it was you I was marrying instead! I wish I could get out of this but I can't let everyone down. All my love, Chris xx'.
He opened the window and threw the note down to Lucy. It landed by her feet, so she picked it up and read it. A big smile lit up her face. "Thanks," she mouthed to Chris, who was watching out of the window.
"Christian, we need you again!" someone called from the next room.
Chris blew Lucy a kiss, then turned and walked back to the dressing room. Only three hours to go...
Lucy couldn't let the wedding go ahead. "I have to stop it," she said to herself. But how?
She walked through the trees, thinking away. There had to be a way. She knew Chris didn't want to be king, and she knew he certainly didn't want to marry princess Nicola.
Lucy came to a building and looked through the windows. There wasn't much she could see... But there were people inside.
One of them was... princess Nicola. She was sitting having her nails painted as she noticed Lucy peaking inside. "That will do for now," she told the make up artist, as she got off her velvet stool and walked to the window. She laughed to herself as she opened the window. "Come to watch me and Christian's big day?" she said with a sly smile.
"He's my fiancee you know," Lucy informed the princess, annoyed at her gloating. "He doesn't want to marry you,".
"Well it's me that's going to be walking down that aisle this afternoon," Nicola said, blowing on her nails to dry the paint. "You'll have to watch from outside in the rain,".
A good looking man then walked up behind Nicola. He said something in Swedish which made her laugh. "Nice meeting you," she said sarcastically, before walking away with the man as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Cow," Lucy whispered, turning away. She'd had enough of the princess showing off, and was angry that the princess appeared to also have a boyfriend!
She walked back to the others, feeling sad. How could she stop the wedding with princess Nicola in the way?
A few hours later, the service began. Mark, Ben, Paul and the girls managed to get to the front of the crowds and got a position near the doorway to the chapel.
"This is it," Mark said sadly. "Chris is getting married and is about to become a king. It's the end of the group,".
"I can't believe it," Ben said, sitting on the ground with his head in his hands.
Everyone was pretty upset, but nobody was as upset as Lucy. "Don't do it Chris," she whispered, feeling tears in her eyes.
The crowd suddenly started cheering as a carriage began driving up the pathway. Cameras flashed frantically as the carriage slowly made its way up the path towards the chapel.
Princess Nicola was waving to the crowd, a big smile of her face. She looked beautiful in a flowing white dress with diamond jewellery.
Chris sat next to her, trying to smile for the cameras but finding that difficult. He hated it. He could smile for the fans as they took photos any day, but this was different. He was about to get married. And become king.
His eyes lit up as he saw Lucy, who was standing with the rest of the girls and the other members of a1. He waved and blew her a kiss.
Princess Nicola noticed this and shouted at him. "It's me you're marrying! Do that again and I'll have her chucked out of the grounds,".
"You can't do that," Chris said, glaring at the princess. "I should be marrying her, not you. I'm only doing this for the country, not for you,".
The carriage came to a halt and the pair of them walked into the chapel. "This is it," Chris whispered to himself nervously. He look one last look at Lucy as he walked in, his heart breaking as he saw how upset she was. Ben was comforting her, telling her not to cry. Seeing the smug look on Nicola's face made him angrier.
Two guards started to close the doors, but Lucy could stay outside. She pushed her way past people and rushed into the chapel.
"Stop!" the guards shouted, going after her.
Chris saw this. "Let her stay!" he called out.
The guards nodded, they had to do as Chris said since he was about to become king.
Lucy stood near the back of the chapel as the service began. Chris stood awkwardly, looking down at the ground. "I can't marry her," he said to himself again. He looked over at Lucy and saw she was crying.
"No!" he suddenly said. "I'm not doing this!".
Everyone was shocked and started to speak. Lucy stared at Chris, she couldn't believe what he'd done.
Chris dashed down the aisle and shoved open the doors. He took Lucy's hand and they sprinted past the crowd and into the woods.
"I'm not getting married, I'm not going to be king!" Chris cried breathlessly as they ran as fast as they could.
Ben and Lisa were following close behind. "Get into the car!" Ben shouted. "We'll make a quick get away,".
They made it to the car just in time. Reporters were hot on their heels, photographing everything. "Quick!" Lisa cried as Ben started up the car and sped off.
They drove away quickly, to Chris's relief. "I can't believe I did that!" he laughed. "It will be all over the news!".
Lucy smiled. "Yeah! I bet Nicola's fuming!".
"Who cares about Nicola!" Chris laughed. Then he turned serious. "I wonder what will happen now. Will I be in trouble. Have I caused my country harm?".
"Everything will be OK," Ben assured him. "Now, I think we better drive through the woods so they don't catch up with us,".
Ben drove off the road onto the woodland land.
"This looks a bit dangerous," Lisa warned him. "The road is full of holes and look how steep that hill is!".
"Relax Lisa! I'm a good driver," Ben assured her.
Before long, it started to rain. But not just any rain, it was a heavy shower.
"I can hardly see," Ben complained. "The windscreen wiper has stopped working,".
"Aghhh! Careful!" Chris said as they drove over a hole, making the car dip into the ground. "We should stop and wait for the rain to stop,".
"We'll be OK," Ben promised. He started driving up the hill, but as he reached the top, the car jumped.
"This is too dangerous..." Ben said, as the car suddenly started skidding down, down, down...
"Stop it!" Chris shouted. "Put on the breaks!".
"I'm trying but they won't work!" Ben yelled.
The car went faster and faster down the hill, going out of control...
Suddenly it came to a stop... as it crashed against a tree.
"Aghhh!" Lisa cried as broken glass went flying through the air. "Is everyone OK?".
Chris and Lucy, who were in the back, nodded. "We're fine, a bit shaken up," Lucy said. "Are you alright?".
"I think so," Lisa said. "How about you Ben..?".
Ben didn't answer. He sat leaning against the car door, his eyes closed.
"Ben?" Lisa asked again.
No answer.
Lucy forced open the doors and rushed out into the rain. She looked at Ben through the broke window. "Oh my God..." she said, feeling sick. "He's hurt!".
"I'll call an ambulance!" Chris cried, running into the rain to find a phone box.
Lisa tried to find a pulse. "I can't feel one!" she cried. "Ben, wake up! Ben!".
Ben continued to sit perfectly still with his eyes closed.
"No!" Lisa cried, holding Ben's hand. "You can't die!".
.