Disclaimer: I do not own Servamp or any of the characters.
Mahiru was wearing a wedding dress but it still felt surreal to her. Her maids clipped a long veil into hair and draped it over her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and she almost didn't recognize herself. While she was dressed as a bride, she certainly wasn't a happy one. Her kingdom's leaders had arranged the marriage and she reluctantly agreed to it.
Werewolves had been attacking the kingdom's border and Mahiru wanted to end the conflict quickly. She was one of the land's strongest sorcerers and she hoped she could help the negotiation with her magic. Mahiru never expected the werewolves would ask for an alliance bound by marriage. But here she was in a wedding dress.
She glanced out the window and she noticed a cluster of apple blossoms tucked against the wooden frame. She stepped away from the mirror and asked her maids: "May I have a moment alone? There is still time before the ceremony and I would like to collect my thoughts. I know this marriage is important so I have no plans of running away. You need not to worry about that. I only need ten minutes."
From their expressions, she could see that they were hesitant. Mahiru was glad that they agreed and left her alone in the room. She listened to their footsteps until she knew that they were down the hall. After she locked the door, she immediately went to the window. She picked up the flowers and twirled the branch between her fingertips. She could guess who left the flowers for her.
Mahiru opened the window and leaned out slightly to find Kuro. He was standing guard next to her window like the loyal guard he was. She sat on the window sill and raised the blossom to her nose. It was sweet. She wanted to thank him for picking the flowers for her. Yet, she couldn't find any words when this could be their last chance to speak.
Kuro was the one who broke the silence. "Can you see anything through that veil?"
"Yes, but not very well." She chuckled and lifted the veil from her face. There was a sad smile on her face. Mahiru tried to hide it behind the flowers but he already saw it. This conversation could be the last time they talk. After she made her vows, she would be taken to the werewolf's kingdom. Kuro was her guard but he couldn't go with her. He had other responsibilities as the leader of the vampires.
"Wrath said that you were sad you couldn't go apple picking yesterday. The apples won't be ready to harvest until next week and by then you'll be…" Kuro's voice trailed off when he saw regret pass over her face. "She said these apple blossoms might cheer you up so I brought you some."
"Thank you, Kuro, these are beautiful. Please tell Wrath and your siblings that I'm going to miss them." Mahiru knew that she would miss Kuro most. Since he was her guard, they spent a lot of time together. They grew so close that Mahiru didn't think of their jobs whenever they were together. "Thank you for always protecting me. I hope we can see each other again."
"Me too. Even if you made my job difficult by running into every dangerous situation you could find." He chuckled when he thought of the adventures they went on. Mahiru smiled as well. She spread out her arms to give Kuro a hug. She leaned forward a little too much and she began to slip off the window sill. Instinctively, he reached out to save her.
Her white dress hit him as he caught her in his arms. She laughed when she saw him struggle with the frills and she smoothed them down with her hands. After she tamed the layers of ruffles, Mahiru smiled up at him. "It looks like you saved me again. I'm not used to wearing such a large dress."
Kuro carefully placed Mahiru on the ground. His hands lingered on her hips even after she was on her feet. She didn't push his hands away and she actually moved closer to him. She thought his warm hands were comforting. Mahiru brushed her fingers over the bows decorating her dress and then she fiddled with the veil in her brown hair. "Do I look weird?"
"No," He answered her. Kuro couldn't tell her how he thought she looked stunning in her wedding dress. Even if she was wearing a simple dress, he would find her beautiful. It wasn't clothes that made her gorgeous to Kuro but her smile. Whenever Mahiru smiled, her eyes shined and her cheeks glowed. Her personality and kindness was even more beautiful.
Mahiru picked up the apple blossom branch she dropped when she fell. Regret made her heart feel heavy and she whispered, "I wish we can go to Wrath's apple farm one last time. Even if I can't pick apples, I can see the apple blossoms."
"Then, why don't you two go and have some fun together?" They jumped apart once they heard the voice. Mahiru looked over her shoulder and saw Tsurugi approach them. He was smiling brightly and she had to question what he had planned. She reminded him that the ceremony would start soon but he merely shrugged. Tsurugi said, "That's still an hour you have to yourself."
He climbed through the open window and faced them. He patted Mahiru's shoulder brotherly. "I'll keep people from coming in and finding out you're gone. So, you two can go and have fun at the farm. My horse is waiting over there. As long as you come back in time, everything should be fine."
"I would like to see the apple blossoms even if I can't pick apples. Thank you so much, Tsurugi." She stood on her toes to hug him. Mahiru thought of Tsurugi as a brother and she was thankful for his support. She let go of him and took Kuro's hand. She tugged him towards the horse waiting nearby. Kuro knew they shouldn't go but he found himself running with her. How could he not when she looked so happy?
Mahiru stopped in front of the white horse and gave it a pet. She tried to climb onto its back but it was difficult when she was wearing a fluffy dress. Kuro placed his hands on her waist and lifted her onto the horse. He climbed onto the horse behind her and reached around her to take the reins. He glanced around them to see if anyone could see them before he steered the horse towards the forest.
The farm was near the castle so the trip wouldn't take very long. She leaned back against Kuro and let herself enjoy his presence. Mahiru looked up at him and admired how the wind played through his light hair. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine that they were visiting the farm on an ordinary, sunny day. For the next hour, she didn't have to think about her arranged marriage.
Kuro slowed their horse when they neared the farm. He chose to take them to a secluded part of his sister's farm so they wouldn't be found. Mahiru slid off the horse before it could stop completely. She picked up her skirt and climbed over the fence. She stopped beneath the tree branches and tilted her head back to stare at the apple blossoms.
"They're simple but still beautiful." Mahiru plucked a flower from a branch and placed it on Kuro's jacket. Its light colour stood out against the dark fabric. "Five years ago, I wouldn't have guessed that vampires were the ones who ran this apple farm."
"We wouldn't have been able to do this without you." He stood beside her. The farm held a special place in her heart because it was where she first met Kuro. When they first met, he was shocked that Mahiru didn't try to chase him out of the kingdom. He eventually learned that she was kind and openminded. She helped him and his people by negotiating an alliance between the vampires and sorcerers.
Kuro took off his jacket and held it out to her. "You should put this on before your dress gets dirty. There's already dirt on the hem of your dress."
"I can remove the dirt with magic later." Mahiru said but she slipped the jacket on. Then she picked up her skirt and shook the leaves from it. She didn't look up from her feet and let out a heavy sigh. She tightened her hands in the white frills of her skirt. "I was able to make an alliance with angels and vampires. Yet, with werewolves, we have to resort to this old tradition."
"You're the strongest person I know, Mahiru. I'm certain Licht will help you fight them. My family will support you too." He didn't like the idea of Mahiru sacrificing herself to stop the werewolf attacks. Kuro wished that there was something he could do for her. They argued over solutions for weeks but Mahiru insisted that she couldn't involve her friends in a fight with werewolves.
"We talked about this, Kuro. A war with werewolves will lead to more people dying. Their prince has made it clear that he wants a bride with powerful magic to strengthen their bloodline." Mahiru bit her lip. Her stomach turned at the thought of starting a family with someone she didn't love. "If I don't marry their prince, they will continue to attack our borders and kidnap girls."
She wished that there was another solution where no one was hurt. Mahiru stood on her toes and kissed Kuro's cheek. "Thank you for bringing me here one last time."
Mahiru stood at the start of the aisle and took a shaky breath. She reminded herself that the wedding would help protect her friends. She forced herself to stare forward and take a step. Her eyes met Kuro's and her heart squeezed. He stood next to the groom with the other guards. She thought of the conversation they shared earlier and how he called her strong.
Her steps became more certain as she walked towards Kuro. She reached the end of the aisle where the king handed her to her fiancé. The preacher told them to step onto the platform and face each other. Yet her feet were rooted in place. Mahiru found that she couldn't look away from Kuro. She heard hushed whispers behind her while she stood as still as a statue.
Her fiancé persistently tugged on her arm but that only made her dig in her feet. She couldn't go through with the wedding. The entire time she walked down the aisle, she stared at Kuro because he was the person she wanted to be with. Her heart was arguing with her logic and she didn't know what she should do. The groom shook her roughly and began to yell.
Anger flared in Kuro's eyes when he saw him hurt her. He instinctively stepped forward to help her. At the same time, Mahiru wretched her arm out of the man's grip and picked up her heavy skirt. She darted to Kuro and threw her arms around him. She immediately felt calmer when he circled her in his warmth. "I can't do this, Kuro."
"I won't let them take you." He vowed. Kuro could feel several people glare daggers at them and placed a hand on her hair. Several werewolves stood but he was prepared to fight them to protect Mahiru. He gripped his sword on his belt. He was surprised when Mahiru stopped him. She didn't say a word but he could read her thoughts. Even now, she was wary of a conflict with werewolves.
Mahiru turned in his arms and faced the werewolf prince. She stood in front of Kuro as she addressed the prince. Her eyes narrowed when he reached for his sword. With a spell, she encased his sword in ice so he couldn't unsheathe it. "I'm sorry. I thought I could go through with this wedding but I can't agree to a political marriage. Can we try to negotiate another solution?"
"You already agreed to this marriage. You cannot go back on your word!" Mahiru wished she refused the proposal sooner but she wouldn't regret her choice. She reached behind her and took Kuro's hand. He lightly squeezed her fingers in return. Her back straightened when the prince rushed forward to attack them. She was prepared to defend Kuro.
Tsurugi stepped between them and restrained the prince with black ropes. "Mahiru has made her decision. She has the support of her people as well. I would suggest you take Mahiru's suggestion and sit down to negotiate another treaty."
Mahiru immediately ran out of the room to speak with Kuro once the meeting was over. From her beaming smile, he knew that it went well. She hugged him tightly for a moment. She leaned away from him but she didn't let him go. Her hands cupped his face. She explained the meeting too quickly for him to understand the politics but that wasn't what mattered to him.
She didn't have to marry someone else and leave.
Kuro threaded his fingers through her hair. That action loosened the apple blossoms woven into her hair. He caught them before it could fall to the ground. He held out the delicate flowers to her. Mahiru smiled and cupped his hands around the flowers. "The apples should be ready to harvest now. I'm not wearing a wedding dress so we can apple picking. Can you take me to the apple farm?"
He nodded and took her hands. The warmth from his hand spread to her heart and made Mahiru smile. She promised that the next time she wore a wedding dress, it would be for Kuro.