A/N: It's taken six long months, but I've finally finished this story. It's the longest thing I've ever written, and even though I'm sure it's far from perfect, I'm still very pleased with the results. Any feedback, positive or negative (constructive criticism is always appreciated!), would be loved.

This is a completed story, and a new chapter shall be posted every week. I hope you enjoy it!

This story is dedicated to Alexa, otherwise known as ab103 and blueglows, who has done so much for me, especially recently, and is one of the loveliest people I have ever known.

Prologue

"This is a mistake." Regulus Nova - King Regulus Nova - could still hear his father's words echoing in his mind. "I forbid you to continue seeing that wild, repulsive girl! We don't want her kind in the palace, and we certainly don't want her in the royal family!"

The young king slipped a pair of green gloves onto his hands. I'm sorry, Father. I know you were against this, but I need her. Especially now that you're gone. He'd only been king for a month, but already he'd realised it was impossible to handle his royal duties alone. He needed Cerise at his side. People had called him callous for marrying so soon after his father's death, and to someone the old king had openly disapproved of, no less - but their opinion was unimportant. The only person who mattered to him was Cerise.

Straightening his coat one last time, King Nova took up his cane and ghosted out his room and into the hall. Two long rows of guards awaited him outside, bowing at the sight of their ruler. As Nova made his way towards the wedding hall, they fell in step behind him, their boots echoing loudly through the corridor. Cerise must hate this, he sighed. She didn't want a big wedding. But what can I do? I'm the king now - this level of ceremony is expected.

When they reached the wedding hall, he hesitated outside the wall, then stepped through. The blow of trumpets he was greeted with momentarily deafened him, and not for this first time that day he wondered, half-seriously, if it would have been better to elope. Crowds were cheering on either side of him, and they had to be kept at bay by the guards.

"Reg!" Nova looked up and smiled. Cerise was standing at the altar, her blue eyes shining. She was a vision of loveliness, he thought, even in the hideous dress they'd forced her to wear. Her dark hair hung down in shimmering tresses, and a wide smile covered her face.

I'm glad she's handling this so well. The king marched up the steps, leaving his guard escort behind. Halfway up the stairs, he was stopped by Angstrom, one of his closest friends.

"Congratulations," Angstrom whispered to him.

"I'm not married yet," returned Nova. "Don't jinx it." He continued up the steps, coming to a stop beside Cerise.

The young woman's smile widened. "You look wonderful, Reg."

"Silence, please. No unnecessary talking is allowed during the ceremony." Angstroms' father, the Royal Chancellor, was presiding over the wedding, and it was clear that he did not approve of Nova's choice of brides.

Few people do, the king thought bitterly. Rather than being a noble like almost everyone else at the palace, Cerise was a commoner from one of the few land-based Tangean cities, and most Royals regarded surface-dwellers as little better than the Grounders. Normally, someone of such a high status as Nova would never have even come into contact with a person like her, let alone married her, but a chance visit to the surface had brought them together. It was meant to be. Nova looked at Cerise with certainty. They were meant to be together.

He took her hand and squeezed it, and the chancellor began to read out the vows.