A/N: This has been sitting on my hard drive for three years…ever since I first visited Moonclaw and started writing this in the airport. THREE YEARS LATER, I'm finally getting around to finishing it ;)

This is a gift!fic for Moonclaw, so these are her characters and her world. I'm only borrowing them for a bit.

Premise: Royal weddings are a royal pain, especially when Rosa is involved.

Road Trip

Cuore stared up at the Farragut completely unimpressed.

"They sent you on this?" Cuore asked, dubiously raising one of her teal brows as the airship's engines cycled down to a low, steady hum.

Kieran hopped down the ramp; a pained look on his face.

"Did you really think they'd give us one of the good ships?" he asked. "Those are for the ceremony."

"Typical Rosa," Cuore intoned, wrinkling her nose.

"I have my list—you?" Kieran asked, wiping grease onto his trousers before resting his hands on his hips.

Cuore began to list things off on her fingers. "Feathers for Ursula's dress, a frying pan from her mother…"

"The band from Damcyan," Kieran tacked on, leading her aboard. "Destroying the original marriage license in Mythril…"

"Wine in Mysidia, and," Cuore paused, giving Kieran a hassled look. "The ridiculous veil from the Sylves that I'm sure cost Rosa half of Baron."

"Have you noticed how none of these places are remotely convenient?" Kieran asked with an exaggerated smirk.

"Yes," Cuore agreed. "You would think they would have coordinated this better."

Kieran made a strangled sound in his throat that might have been a laugh. "Baron can't coordinate a shipping lane much less a wedding."

Cuore grinned and then thrust out the bag that contained her belongings into Kieran's face.

Kieran stared at it, at once offended and surprised.

"What, you can't carry your own luggage?" he demanded, not making any motion to accept it.

Cuore propped her other hand on her hip. "What happened to chivalry?"

He looked back at her dubiously and then walked away. "It died."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The main cabin of the Farragut was spartanly furnished, and all of its floorboards creaked. One plank in particular was notoriously loose and always had to be kicked back into place.

"This ship was constructed by a fool," Cuore said, kicking the plank so hard that it bobbed in place like a springboard.

"Don't tell Cid that," Kieran said, poring over the maps again as several ninjas carried a large crate into the cabin. "And stop breaking my ship!" he added, glancing up.

"It's not your ship," she pointed out, just to be contrary.

"It may as well be my ship, since this is the one they always give me," he complained. "I think Kain wants me to fall out of the sky and die."

After a moment, he frowned at the large crate that was now occupying most of the cabin and blocking his view of the stairs.

"What is that?" he asked.

Cuore shrugged. "Edge didn't say, exactly. When he found out he was required to give a wedding gift, he spent several days cursing and then produced this. "

Kieran made a face at the crate and finally rolled his eyes. "Huh. So long as we have enough room for everything else."

"Which destination is first?" Cuore asked, walking over to join him at the table.

He waggled his finger over the map indecisively, as if there were no favorable directions.

"Troia," he decided, pursing his lips.

"What are all these squiggly lines?" Cuore asked, narrowing her eyes at what looked to be hand-drawn markings on the map.

"Kain was intoxicated one day and crossed off all the places he refused to travel."

"Troia is marked up several times," she observed.

Kieran slid back to the map, leaning his elbow on the edge of the table. "Oh wait. No, that was Izayoi."

Cuore snickered. "I've heard of her exploits there. I think she's been banned from that kingdom."

"They've drunk their way through all the northern kingdoms. Pretty sure they're banned everywhere," he said. "Which is why I get the airship."

"You probably won't crash it," she pointed out.

Kieran grimaced and narrowed one of his eyes with a salty expression. "I might be tempted to after this."

She reached out and gripped his arm, utterly serious. "Not with me on board."

He grinned back at her wickedly and trotted up the cabin stairs.

"Kieran?" Cuore called after him, following him to the deck. "Not with me on board, right?"