Title: Come for You
Author: Valk
Rating: R
WordCount: 6,049
Prompt: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Edge/Rydia: raising a child together – Why are we not sleeping together again?
A/N: I was bored and totally shipping these two awhile ago, so I went through Springkink's old prompt lists and found this one. Though I didn't officially claim it, I decided to write this fic, anyway. I've only recently played and beaten FFIV, and am now working on TAY, but I hope I got enough of the facts right. Enjoy!

Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (c) Square Enix

Edge sat on the plush couch in Castle Eblan, watching as Rydia sat on the floor with Cuore. The woman smiled, paper and pencils of varying colors spread out on the floor. The two of them sat together and drew pictures, the young girl scribbling furiously on her paper. Finally, she grinned widely and held up her page for Rydia to see.

The summoner was seated so she was facing Edge, so he wasn't able to see what had the child so excited. Rydia smiled warmly, making the king's heart melt a little, and said, "It's beautiful! Why don't you go show Edge?"

She smiled and jumped from the floor, racing over to him while Rydia shot him a secretive smirk over her shoulder. Cuore stopped at his side and climbed onto the couch next to him, shoving her picture in his face. He reached up with a smile, trying his damndest to not show how annoyed he was by her behavior. She's just a kid… Just a kid… he chanted in his mind and reached out, taking hold of the edge of the paper and moved it back so he could see.

The nicely-drawn figures that glared back looked as though they were drawn by a professional and he had to remind himself that the girl wasn't human. The picture itself left an odd feeling in his chest as he took in the scene of himself on the couch, Rydia beside him, and Cuore seated with a big smile between them. It was a sweet image, but it was the labels at the top that made his breath freeze in his chest.

Neatly printed above Rydia was 'Momma,' above Cuore read 'Me,' and above his own head said 'Daddy.' He blinked. He had no idea the girl thought of him as her father…

Rydia smiled brighter at his expression and he blinked, forcing himself to say, "It's great, Cu. You should be an artist when you grow up!" Or now. She's good enough.

"Really? You can have it!"

He balked. "You sure? It's a good picture… You don't want to hang it in your room with all the other portraits of Rydia?"

She shook her head. "Nope! I want you to have it!"

Nodding slowly, he turned back to look at the picture. "Thanks, Cuore. I'll treasure it."

Seemingly unaffected, she jumped off the couch and ran back to her pencils, picking up a blue one. "I'm going to draw Lord Kain!"

"I'm sure he'll love to see it the next time he comes to visit," Rydia said, pausing in her own drawing to touch the girl's shoulder.

She frowned and bit at her lip while she drew, then said, "Maki makes me mad sometimes."

Edge tore his eyes away from the picture and asked, "Who's Maki?"

"She's from school. She said you aren't my real parents."

Rydia glanced at Edge over the girl's head. They hadn't ever told her up-front they weren't, but they had just assumed she had memories from before they took her in. She was a carbon copy of Rydia, so it wasn't too wrong of her to think they were her real parents. The summoner smiled gently and touched her adopted daughter's shoulder again. "Why does she say that?"

Her eyes stayed on her paper as she said, "She says real parents go to fun things with their kids, like fairs and parties. She says real parents hug and go to bed together and say things like 'honey' and 'dear' to each other. I tell her that you are my parents, and to shut the fu-"

"Cuore!" Rydia scolded, cutting her off before she said the expletive. "Where did you hear that word?"

Edge looked away, averting his gaze and making an obvious show of it. He knew he was guilty. Cuore pointed at him and said, "Daddy says it all the time."

Rydia glared at him, growling, "Edward Philippe Geraldine!"

He winced. He hated his name oh-so much and she knew it.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat and turned back to Cuore. "It's getting late. Why don't we get you to bed?"

"Aww… But…!"

"No buts! You have school in the morning and you need to be well rested!"

She'll get used to short-hour nights, Edge thought. You start training on it when you reach teenage years. But Rydia didn't want to hear that. She probably wanted to get her out so she could beat the shit out of him for cursing.

The girl had been learning summoning from her 'mother,' but after the two of them moved to Eblan at Edge's request, she had started to study ninjutsu. Rydia didn't seem to want her to and Edge didn't really care either way, but she wanted to. So the king used his power to get her into a trainee class, despite her not being Eblan-born. Her inhuman natural ability had lead to her learning the basics quickly and she had caught up to her age's class within a matter of months.

Rydia finally urged her to put her things away and picked up the case of pencils, placing her free hand on Cuore's back to guide her out. The child glanced over her shoulder, calling out to Edge, "Are you coming, Daddy?"

Why was she suddenly calling him 'Daddy'? Ever since Rydia had taken her in, she'd referred to everyone by their names, including Rydia. Maybe it had something to do with that Maki girl. He kept the picture in his hand as he leapt to his feet, walking up to the two green-haired girls and placing his hand over Rydia's on her back.

He was in love with Rydia. He knew that much. That was his reason for asking her to move to Eblan with him. He would have gone to Mist in a heartbeat if he wasn't king, but he didn't have a choice. Whenever he wanted to tell her how he felt, though, he'd usually end up doing something stupid that had her raging at him. If he survived tonight's beating, he'd be sure to tell her soon.

The girls had lived in Eblan for almost a year now and Rydia had seen the better part of thirty—He had seen the beginning parts of forty and he really wasn't enjoying it. Yes, leading a country became a lot easier with age, but he didn't want to get old. Each year, he would try to avoid his birthday party because he hated people celebrating that he was getting older and closer to death. Did they hate him that much?

He really should designate an heir soon. Even if he did manage to fess up to Rydia, her biological clock was probably ticking pretty close to its end. But with recent events of Cuore suddenly thinking he was her father, it wouldn't be so wrong to consider her for his heir. It made sense, right? Adopted or not, she was apparently his daughter.

They walked to Cuore's room—his old one, back before his parents were killed. Rydia lived next door to her, in the second, previously empty royal child's room. The older girl, now thirty-nine, nudged the younger one into the room, leaving Edge outside while the changing into pajamas occurred. He didn't mind. The thought of watching a little girl change actually freaked him out. Now, if he could watch Rydia… That would be a different story all together.

He leaned against the wall, his mind jumping back and forth from whatever Rydia had in mind for him and wondering how he could go about telling her how he felt. He had changed a lot since they'd met and, though he still loved a good joke, she had accepted him and indicated that she liked him for who he was.

He loved her. His heart ached whenever he thought about living with her, raising a child together, and never knowing her as more than a friend.

The door opened and he looked up to find Rydia standing there with a small smile while Cuore climbed into her white sheets behind her. It was precious. He sighed. He cherished the little girl like he did Ceodore and Ursula, as his friend's children, but after living with her as the closest thing to a father figure—God help the girl—he found he loved her as his own daughter. At least, this is how he figured he'd love his own child. He didn't have one, so he couldn't be sure.

He walked into the room and sat on the side of her bed, Rydia sitting on the other side. He ruffled one hand through her hair, pulling down his mask with the other. He wore it at all times, as almost every ninja did, except when he was alone with his makeshift family. It was his silent way of showing that he cared about them. Also, it made him want to shave every day. "Hey, Cu?" he said. "Whatever the kids at school say, you don't need to worry. We might not be an orthodox family, but we're still your family."

She smiled bright as Rydia held her hand. "We're proud of you for standing up for us, but, in the future, don't use words like that, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Edge leaned close and pressed a kiss to her hair. He wasn't sure why he did it, but it felt natural somehow. "Goodnight, Cuore."

She smiled up at him and asked, "Daddy?"

He felt his heart skip a beat when she called him that. "Yeah?"

"Can you tell me a story?"

Rydia giggled lightly and leaned closer to her, kissing her on the cheek. "Can I listen?"

He froze. What kind of story could he tell a kid?

…

Edge closed the door behind him, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "How is it that a little kid falling asleep can be so exhausting?"

Rydia smiled, a twinkle in her eye as she chuckled at him. "What a cute story. Was it true?"

He nodded, then paused and shrugged. "It's the edited version. The real thing involved a lot more blood and more conniving viceroys, but, yeah. That's the story of how my parents met."

"It was cute. Well, I mean, that version was."

"Sure it was."

She laughed again and he smiled in humored response. He gnawed at the inside of his cheek, thinking. Now would be a good time to tell her, right? She didn't seem to be too mad anymore. Before he could stop himself, he blurted, "We're raising a child together, so why are we not sleeping together again?"

She stopped, taken completely off-guard. "What?" she asked.

"I'm serious." Too late to back down. "I mean, she's right. We're not a real family, are we?"

"Edge, that isn't just going to change if we have sex. That would probably make it worse."

"But what if it wasn't just sex?"

She stared at him, not really believing he was saying these things. "What are you talking about?"

"What if…" Just say it, dammit! "What if I told you I'm in love with you?" That wasn't so hard.

Then she laughed. "Edge, stop being so ridiculous."

He blinked, his face not showing a glimmer of humor. "I'm not kidding, Rydia."

She met his eyes, still not fully registering what he was saying. "Edge, what are you-?"

"I know, I know…" he mumbled, averting his gaze for a moment. "I'm really late in telling you, but I…"

"Edge, you… you're serious… aren't you?"

He nodded once. "Yeah."

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"I… don't suppose there's any chance of you feeling the same, huh?"

They sat in silence for a long moment, the seconds ticking away like hours. She took a slow step forward, extending her hand towards his while keeping her eyes locked with his grey-blue ones. Her other hand moved closer, slowly cupping his cheek. He stood still, waiting, watching to see what she was doing. He wasn't going to move too quickly. He wouldn't screw this up. If he lost Rydia, he didn't know what he would do.

She paused in front of him and leaned closer, slowly bringing her lips towards his. As soon as they touched, he felt his shoulders go rigid, but forced himself to stay still. Rydia was kissing him. She was kissing him and he was starting to believe he was dreaming.

He certainly wasn't new to romance, but he'd been relatively chaste since he'd met her. He kept himself satisfied with his own hands, never wanting to look to a different woman for pleasure. After he'd fallen for this green-haired beauty, he'd done his best not to touch any other woman. His own weakness let him break down about a year after he'd parted ways with her, taking a new lady to his room each night. He hadn't cared who she was. It hadn't mattered. He always saw Rydia, anyway.

That period lasted almost two months before she had come to visit. As soon as he had word she was coming, he quit his habits without a question. He loved her. He'd had some experience with sex prior to meeting her, and he had hoped deep down that it might have been that way so he'd know how to treat her properly.

At this point in time, he was terribly ashamed of his past. He hated himself for falling into bed with a woman who wasn't her. His shame was why he hadn't confessed to her then. He had been too afraid to approach her, knowing he had behaved so badly and unfaithfully.

But, now, eighteen years later, he was blessed with another chance. He was angry with himself for so long after his mistake that he never let himself fall back. He was a proud man—ridiculously so—but he would have been content to be hers. He would've been happy to belong to her, but only if she would be his, too. Then he could die happy.

He couldn't fight it when a moan came from her mouth, still pressed to his. He was thankful the traditional Eblanese garb consisted of loose-fitting pants. Just one kiss, but coupled with eighteen years of holding back, he couldn't help himself. He lost all sense of control and, without invitation, plunged his tongue into her mouth. His body was acting automatically and he knew he would either regret this moment for the rest of his life, or thank God for making this day happen.

His arms wrapped around her, one playing up her back to toy with the ends of her long hair while the other went lower to cup her butt. Her body moved closer, her hands fisting in the loose dark blue fabric of his shirt. She angled to kiss him better, her abdomen gently brushing over his arousal. He released a deep growl at the contact, the sound falling into a pathetic groan when she broke off the kiss. He panted for breath, still believing this to be one of his regular naughty Rydia dreams. "Rydia…"

"No… Not here," she whispered, still dangerously close. "Cuore…"

Right. Cuore was just through that set of doors. If she had come out for water like she sometimes did, they would've had some good, long explaining to do. He wrapped his fingers around hers and tugged, backing up towards the large double doors of his room. She let him pull her inside and shut the door behind her, twisting the lock. If Cuore needed something in the middle of the night, there were guards stationed down the hall.

Edge dropped down on his bed, starting to pull at the complicated buckles of his boots. He pulled one free and took a deep breath, looking up to watch her. She stood by the door, her fingers still resting on the lock. She looked wistful, almost as if second guessing herself. He swallowed his spit, almost feeling as if he'd been punched in the stomach, and asked, "Rydia, are you sure you want this?"

Her eyes finally turned to meet his and she moved closer, pulling the loops of fabric from her middle fingers as she went. She seated herself on the bed beside him, one leg tucked under her, and smiled. "Yes, I'm sure."

He tossed his boot in the general direction of his room-sized closet, not caring where it landed. "I've waited eighteen years. I can wait longer."

She extended her hand, cupping his cheek and bringing his face closer for a quick kiss. "Did it ever cross your mind that maybe I've been waiting, too?"

He felt his body shudder under her green-eyed gaze, murmuring a response against her lips, "Only in my dreams."

Her face broke into a wider, more genuine smile and she slipped away from in front of him to the floor. One of her hands pulled the loose end of his scarf, liberating him of the dark fabric and tossing it behind her. He watched her in mild confusion as she started pulling at his other boot, freeing the buckles and straps to get it off. Her smile when she looked up at him through her long bangs made his heart stop, so full of devilish intent and dark desires. "I've been watching. I wondered if I'd ever have the opportunity to undress you, and I didn't want to come across as untalented."

His cock twitched. "Rydia…" he murmured, gripping her upper arms and pulling her up to sit across his lap. "How did we not come to this point in eighteen years?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. But you know what they say."

He bent down to run his tongue across her wide open collarbone, moaning, "Hrn?"

"Good things come to those who wait."

He flipped, pinning her down to the oversize mattress and sitting above her. He may have been old enough to be considered middle aged, but he still had the speed and dexterity he'd had when they'd met. He trained long hours to make sure of that. Staying perched above her on his hands and knees, he studied her lust-eyed gaze and knew his reflected similar emotions.

He wanted her.

He wanted to be inside of her, feel her around him and over him and under him. He wanted to be buried in her affections, covered with her lips, and feel her hair across his skin. Bending down, he kissed her hard and reached his hand for her metal-trimmed clothes. He cursed under his breath, hating the ornaments on her shirt that prevented him from pulling it down and exposing her breasts.

She pulled back from the kiss and purred, "Allow me." He moved to lick her neck as her hand slipped up to pull the clasps on her shoulder trim free, trying to pull the sleeves off from her place under him. His mouth moved back to take hers and both of his hands worked at pulling her arms free of fabric, his strong abdominal muscles the only thing keeping him from falling on her.

As soon as her sleeves were off, she wriggled to let her wide-collared top fall down to her waist. He didn't understand why she so eager. Why would anyone as perfect as her want anything to do with someone like him? At one point, during his youth, he had been thinking opposite thoughts, wondering why a girl like her hadn't wanted him.

His lips stayed locked with hers and his hands moved to fondle her breasts, gently squeezing them before shifting to cup them in his hands. His thumbs circled over the pearl-like nubs, his own body reacting feverishly to her desperate moans. He had wanted to make love to her for so long; he wasn't going to ruin their first time by rushing things. Foreplay was a necessity.

Her hands slid around his waist, teasing his waistline before coming around front and trying to get his shirt off. Their arms were tangled together, making it near impossible for her to pull the fabric from his body. His right hand moved, slipping down to rub his thumb along her smooth side as his mouth took its place. He kissed and sucked her breast, his hand still offering gentle ministrations to the other one.

She took the opportunity to bring her hands to his back, pulling at his shirt from there. She managed to get it off and threw it, gasping and gripping her nails into his back as he bit teasingly at her nipple. His rough and calloused hand played at the fabric pooled at her waist, wanting nothing more than to liberate her of it all together. He didn't want to wait. Not anymore.

Her legs squirmed underneath him, her body overheated from the rush of desire. She was warm and her skin was flushed down to her shoulders, her breathing deep and husky from his attentions. His mouth felt absolutely blissful on her breast, but he pulled back slightly, now shirtless, and clambered up to kiss her lips again.

He shifted slightly and pressed his chest down on hers, longing for that feel of skin on skin. He hadn't felt the touch of a woman in over sixteen years, but he knew deep inside that no woman had felt anything like Rydia did. Their skin wasn't as soft, their lips never as plump, their breasts not as perfect. It was heaven, and he knew the best was yet to come.

Pulling back slightly, he murmured, "These clothes gotta go."

She nodded beneath him, slowly releasing her hands from his shoulders. He rolled over to lie next to her, swiftly rendering himself free of his belts and sashes before flipping out of his pants. She was busy at work beside him, pulling her thigh-high boots free and standing to shimmy out of her bodysuit. His eyes studied her in all her bare glory, silently worshipping her every detail. She had a few well-hidden scars—as he, too, did—but they only complemented her beauty.

He stood and made his way over to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her. Quietly, he mumbled against her lips, "This is your last chance. If you want to leave, you still can."

Her body folded into his and her leg lifted to playfully stroke his as she said, her voice thick with want, "I'm seeing this through."

God, he loved her.

His hands ran down her back, pausing over her rump to squeeze before continuing down the backs of her thighs. He tugged to lift her, her legs wrapping around his back and her arms on his shoulders. He kissed her again, shifting to support her weight with his left arm while blindly reaching for the sheets with his right. Many a woman had commented on the perk of his ambidexterity, saying it made the night a unique experience. He wasn't sure what that meant or how it made him different from a left- or right-handed man, but he didn't care. As long as Rydia was satisfied, it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered.

He braced his knee on the bed and slowly eased her down, placing her gently against the pillow top. Her hands slid back from his shoulders and cupped his chin, bringing him closer for a kiss. He was happy to oblige her, locking his lips with hers while slipping a hand down her side and across her stomach. She, too, was in excellent shape, and he felt the light toning as he stroked the pads of his fingers over her abdomen.

A gasp escaped her lips as his fingers made contact with the small amount of curly hair between her thighs and he kissed her harder, shifting to cup his hand over her secret treasures. He was fighting the urge to ram himself into her, wanting only to give her the best possible treatment he could. His fingers slipped into her folds, stroking lightly at her overly sensitive patch of skin.

She cried out with squeal of surprise, obviously not expecting the kind of reactions she received. He paused at that, his mouth moving back to her ear and whispering, "Rydia… Are you… a virgin…?"

With her being almost forty, he had never expected her to be untouched. He was far from it and he was sure she knew it. But… he knew that she was strong and respectful to herself. She wasn't the type to fall into bed with someone unless she truly cared about him and knew him well. It… It was possible.

She nodded beneath him once. "I… I… haven't…" She gasped as his hand continued to play at her clit. "I've never…"

That was all the answer he needed. He swallowed his doubts and leaned closer, pressing his lips to hers in a hungry, desperate kiss. He wanted her. He wanted to freely love her. He was sick of loving her the way he'd lived—from the shadows. She was his light. She dispelled the shadows, left him feeling vulnerable and naked.

She was everything he needed. He didn't need to be king, or have bodyguards and servants. He'd be perfectly content if he'd been born free to roam the world with her at his side.

He pulled his hand back slowly, opening his eyes to look into hers and shifted slightly to line himself up to her opening. Licking his lips, he whispered, "Ready?"

Her response came as a simple nod, her eyes squeezed shut and her hands gripping onto his upper arms until her knuckles turned white. He'd never been with a virgin before, but he knew it would hurt a woman the first time she joined with a man. It would be best to go quickly and get it over with, rather than slowly and make the pain last. He moved closer, just waiting for her to tell him to stop. She would stop him and tell him she didn't want this with him after all.

"Edge…"

Here it was. He inhaled a sharp breath and paused, waiting for her to continue.

"Please… Please hurry."

His fists gripped the bedsheets tightly and he thrust his hips, pressing into her in one swift motion. She screamed a short sound of pain, her hold on his arms squeezing more tightly than before. He released his breath, letting her take in the feel of him before he moved and hurt her more.

Time seemed to stand on end as he held still, determined to let her make the next move. He'd waited far, far too long for this and he hoped to God he could keep himself in check for a little while longer. Slowly, she moved, her arms first reaching up to encircle his neck and pull him close, then her legs bent at the knees to prop herself up a little more securely.

He took that as his cue to move and slowly rotated his hips once, plunging deeper into her secret cavern before drawing back again. She clung tighter, her breathing becoming rough and even more ragged. It seemed to be a good sign, so he kept going, keeping with a similar rhythm and gripping his hands even more tightly into the bedsheets. His own breath started to come out in pants and he started to speed up gradually, a sheen of sweat starting to form on his tanned skin.

This was exactly where he'd wanted to be, all his life since he'd first laid eyes on her at age twenty-six. In the beginning, she had been nothing more than another beautiful girl. But as he got to know her, she only started to mean more to him and he did all he could to protect her in battle.

His body was turning stiff, his muscles starting to lock as the pressure built up within him, but he was resolute in making sure she got what she needed. He would hold out until the world ended if he had to. She would get her sacred release, and he would be the one to give it to her.

Her voice started to chant small sounds of pleasure in his ear, her legs shifting to wrap around behind his back in an effort to keep him near. She sounded close, her walls tightening on his cock and her breaths coming in short, rushed gasps. His experience told him she would break any second. He was fighting down the urge to let go, thrusting into her faster and faster as his control wore thin.

"Edge!" she screamed, her slender figure starting to shake beneath him and her juices flowing past him and onto the bedcovers. He grunted a sound that was meant to be her name and plunged into her one last time, as deep as he could, and let himself go. Their breaths mingled together and their hearts beat as one, the waves of pleasure coursing through their bodies in a desperate high.

The lust, longing, and love sang upon their lips as he searched hers out, kissing her hungrily. The peak of bliss lasted only a moment, bringing them back to Earth in a mess of tangled limbs, ragged breaths, and locked lips.

It was heaven.

Slowly, he pulled back and opened his eyes, looking into hers with a gentle focus. His hand moved closer, gently stroking her cheek and wiping away the tears in her eyes. He swallowed, praying he didn't hurt her or make her hate him. "Rydia…?"

She smiled, her hands moving from their place in his pale hair to his face. "Edge, that… I feel so different right now."

He shifted his hand to touch his fingers to her lips. Now that he knew she was okay, he didn't want to talk. He adjusted his position, supporting himself on his forearms as he pulled back, slowly withdrawing from inside of her. She shivered as he dropped down beside her and turned to curl into his side, relishing in the warmth of his body. He held her close, kissing her forehead and sighing as she fell asleep in his arms. It wasn't long before he joined her in slumber, his eyes fluttering shut before another long day as king.

…

The next morning, Edge wandered down to the kitchen in his regular garb, his mask in place and his hidden smile a bit more content than usual. Cuore and Rydia were already there, both sitting on their usual stools with their breakfast. The older woman sipped her tea, wearing one of his black shirts loosely with a pair of her own pants.

He walked past his daughter and set his hand on her shoulder in a silent greeting, pulling his mask down in the process. His hand slipped off and ran across her back gently before he repeated the action on Rydia's hip. Instead of letting go, though, he kept his hand in place and settled against the counter beside her, leaning in to kiss her gently.

When he pulled back, he realized Cuore was watching curiously and chuckled. He reached his other arm across Rydia and set his hand on the little girl's. "Hey, Cu… We thought a lot about what you said yesterday and, well, we're gonna do better. We're going to be a better family for you, okay?"

She smiled and went back to cutting her waffles with her fork. "Can we go to the fair today?"

Rydia smiled and kissed her daughter's hair. "Of course we can, as soon as school is done." She glanced at Edge once and added, "Unless your father has something kingly he has to do?"

He shook his head with a grin. "Nope. As of now, anything that needs to be done, the seneschal is taking care of. We're going to the fair."

…

Edge knelt on the padded wood, his eyes downcast and his head adorned with the simple crown of Eblan. The man above him spoke on and on, the occasional sound of a page turning sounding in his ears. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, sneaking a peek at the woman kneeling beside him with her hands clasped in front of her. She looked absolutely stunning, but Edge's legs were starting to cramp up. They'd been in these positions for almost two hours and there was still more time left.

He was absolutely shocked at the length of Cecil's and Rosa's wedding ceremony. It wasn't even a full hour, even with the crowning of them both. Apparently, Eblanese weddings ran a lot longer and with more tradition.

A year and a half had passed since the day he and Rydia had first shared their romantic feelings for each other, and now they knelt in the grand cathedral of Eblan for their wedding. If Edge had his way, they would've been married in secret a few months after that night, but as king, tradition demanded a grand wedding with royalty or a representative of allied countries present.

Cecil and Rosa sat in the pews with Ceodore beside them and Yang, Sheila, and Ursula behind them. The Elder of Mysidia attended with Porom and Palom as attendants. Edward came from Damcyan, Luca and Giott from the Underworld, and all their other friends from both quests. Eblanese weddings didn't use ushers and bridal maids like Baron weddings, so Cuore sat in the pews beside Ceodore, occasionally glancing up at him with wide, youthful eyes.

As happy as Edge was to finally be getting married to Rydia, he could do without all the formality. For once in all his time as king, he wished he'd been born a commoner so he didn't have to deal with the fuss.

"Please rise."

Edge extended his hand for Rydia and stood, turning to face her as customary. A smile quirked on his lips as he met her eyes, speaking the words that would seal his side of their union. "I, Edward Philippe Geraldine, wed thee, Rydia of the Mist, on this day forevermore."

He hated his name. He hated saying it even more.

She smiled a secret smile she saved just for him. "And I, Rydia of the Mist, wed thee, Edward Philippe Geraldine, on this day forevermore."

He hated hearing it tinted with anger from her lips. But today, it was pleasant and touched with tenderness. Today, it was okay to be Edward.

Clapping and cheering sounded out as wedding reached its close, everyone present offering their congratulations and salutations to the couple. The pastor raised a hand to silence the crowds, lifting the queen's crown from its velvet pillow and continued, "Rydia Geraldine, please kneel."

The green-haired woman took back to the kneeler with Edge bending down beside her. She bowed her head as the elder man held the crown over her, chanting the words to seal her into her position as Queen of Eblan.

When he spoke the cue for her, she said, "I vow to defend Eblan with all my power, to uphold her word of law, honor her treaties, and love her people. I vow to protect this sacred land, to give my all to keep her safe, and sacrifice my very blood to shield her from harm. As wife to the king, I will be the shield to his sword, the light to his shadow, the reality of his vision. I, Rydia Geraldine, vow to be, forevermore, Queen of Eblan and hereby accept all responsibility that accompanies this royal title."

Edge bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from tackling her with affections. He knew she meant every word of her coronation vows and the fact that she would sacrifice so much for him and his kingdom was, to him, the ultimate proof of love.

The minister lowered the crown onto her head, placing it delicately on its new perch. The king could only stare at his queen, the crown a perfect complement to her natural beauty. The last time he had seen it worn was over twenty years ago, when his mother had donned it for a ball thrown for his twentieth birthday. Music struck through the air as the king and queen stood to exit the cathedral, arm in arm.

Thank you for reading! Please, tell me what you think! This is so far my finest smut piece, I think. Is it strange to be proud of it? I'm not sure. Regardless, I just want to eat Cuore up :D

Please review!

-Valk