Amethyst Princess of Gemworld #7

Here it is, the big wedding issue! The cover shows the wedding procession taking place underneath Dark Opal’s cloak. Amethyst is reaching out her arm in protest and Opal brandishes his sword.

Gemworld royalty start to arrive for the wedding of Prince Topaz and Lady Sapphire. Lord Aquamarine’s ship approaches the cliffs. Lord and Lady Moonstone are announced at the door, as are Lady and Princess Emerald and Lady Turquoise.

Lord Garnet and Amethyst are observing all the activity in the Well of Vision at Castle Amethyst. Amethyst wonders why it is so important that she and Lord Garnet stop the wedding and Citrina points out that Princess Topaz is loyal to Dark Opal. Prince Topaz’s marriage to Lady Sapphire, another Opal ally, ensures that he will lose his claim to the Topaz throne. Citrina doesn’t want them to lose a potential ally. Garnet and Amethyst hop on their flying steeds and head out to the wedding.

In Topaz Keep Lord Topaz is ailing. Princess Topaz ministers to him along with some special attendants she assigned to him. Evil green attendants who just happen to be Dark Opal’s minions!

Not only do the green men not help out Lord Topaz, they surround him as Opal works some bad mojo from a distance. Opal was supplied with a piece of topaz from the princess. As Opal holds the gem in his hands he utterly possesses Lord Topaz.

Prince Carnelian demonstrates that he’s an incredibly annoying wedding guest who likes to get drunk and bore people by talking about himself too much. Lady Turquoise takes a swig of her drink and thinks that his stories don’t match up with his cowardice as a little boy.

Smoove Moves

Turquoise tries to talk to Lady Emerald, but she walks away without taking any notice of her. Turquoise uses this as an excuse to head for the bar again. Prince Topaz argues with his father, reminding him that he said there might be a way to stop the wedding. Lord Topaz says “Dark Opal’s will must be obeyed!” He tells the prince to prepare for the blood ritual that will forever sever his ties with Topaz and link him with Sapphire.

Topaz is resigned to his fate, but fortunately the Diamond Priest with the knife is Amethyst in disguise!

Topaz and Amethyst meet! He starts putting the moves on her and she replies just as you might think a 14 year old girl would when approached by a handsome older man. She stammers and runs away. Awwwwwwwwwww!

The wedding guests are getting restless. Lord Moonstone isn’t happy with Prince Carnelian, because the beast the Red Prince was bragging about slaying was a tame Moonstone guard dog. Lady Moonstone prevents her husband from drawing his sword. Carnelian stops his boasting when he spots Lord Garnet. Garnet says that no courier braved the stormy peaks to deliver his invitation, but he decided to attend despite the oversight. Lady Sapphire and Princess Topaz are perturbed.

Lord Aquamarine is surprised that Garnet, his old foe, is showing himself. Garnet hasn’t ventured forth from his home since Lord and Lady Amethyst were killed. Aquamarine yells “In the name of the twelve! Amethyst!”

Amethyst makes her entrance. Lady Turquoise immediately swears her allegiance while splashing her wine about.

Sloppy Drunk Lady Turquoise

Dark Opal arrives. Amethyst whispers to Garnet that she’d like to take him on to pay him back for murdering Granch. Garnet says that they have to wait until after their current mission is over. Opal tells Sardonyx to watch Amethyst to make sure that she doesn’t disrupt the wedding. Garnet excuses himself, telling Amethyst that there’s something he needs to attend to.

Garnet’s errand is preventing Lady Emerald from knifing Dark Opal. That’s some nice layout there, with the small squares focusing on the details of the interaction between Garnet, Emerald, and Opal.

The wedding begins. The priest intones “Since the days in distant ages when from across the seven seas we came, two whose magic came together thus were not two houses, but the same.” Amethyst thinks that “seven seas” sounds like a possible reference to earth. Prince Carnelian starts talking to Princess Emerald and she tells him to hush. Princess Topaz is thinking about how the Topaz house will be hers alone.

Carnelian continues with his drunken story, and Lord Moonstone has reached his limit. Moonstone says that the beast that was killed was a faithful pet of his house for seven centuries. Carnelian replied that he was teaching the beast a lesson, because it tried to lick him, and “I hate to be licked!” (That’s what she said!) Moonstone draws a knife saying “We’ll see how many metal parts it takes to make you whole once I am through with you!” A suspiciously red-eyed Lord Topaz breaks up the fight. The ceremony proceeds until:

Prince Topaz finally stands up for himself and calls of the wedding after looking into Amethyst’s eyes. Amethyst uses the water from the Well of Vision to reveal that Lord Topaz is Dark Opal’s creature. Lord Topaz turns into a horrible tentacled beast. Prince Topaz accuses Dark Opal of transforming his father for the purposes of evil. Dark Opal replies that he never touched Lord Topaz. The creature that used to be Lord Topaz starts attacking the prince. Amethyst remarks that Lord Topaz is dead. The creature says that he lives “by my master Dark Opal’s will.” Prince Topaz grabs his sword, saying that his father can’t be alive because Opal is only a master of death. He stabs the creature, saying that he hopes the soul of his father, wherever it is, will forgive him.

Amethyst asks the gathered nobles who will stand with her against Dark Opal. Turquoise, Moonstone, and Prince Topaz will stand with her. Dark Opal is annoyed.

Moonstone and Carnelian start to fight. Prince Topaz goes after Dark Opal, saying “No one will stand with you if you have no legs to stand on!” Before Topaz attempts to cut of Opal’s limbs, Lord Garnet steps in. He says that the boy doesn’t realize who he’s fighting. Opal’s very good with a sword, but Garnet is better. Opal comments that Garnet is old and slow, but he makes a quick exit through a magic portal. Some bystanders wonder if Opal is afraid of Garnet or Amethyst.

Garnet grabs Prince Topaz, saying that it isn’t safe for him to stay in Topaz Keep. Everyone continues to bicker, but Amethyst yells “Stop!”

She pledges to follow Dark Opal.