Hey everyone! This is my first Rune Factory fic, and it is actually a joint project between me and IncitementToDiscorse. They are a fantastic author and at the moment they are writing the fic "Colors of the Heart". Check it out, you won't regret it. Anyway, this idea just came up in a conversation between us, so here it is! I hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: We do not own the Rune Factory franchise.
Frey stood in front of her mirror, gazing upon her reflection. Her long white dress gleamed in the light, its layers cascading down in ripples to her feet. Beautiful as she looked, it was far from what she was normally used to. Tilting her head slightly to from side to side, she amused herself with how heavy her head felt under the mere weight of some beautiful blue flowers and a thick veil. Well, better to have a heavy head than a heavy heart anyway.
"Oh, Frey! You look gorgeous!" A voice said from behind.
Frey turned around to see her friend Margaret admiring her.
"You look just like a princess! Well… you are a princess, but you know what I mean." Margaret continued.
Frey blushed lightly. "Thank you, Margaret. It's all thanks to you and everyone else…"
"Oh, no, it was nothing! I didn't do anything really!" Margaret said, waving her hands in emphasis.
"Right, you didn't do anything. Well, except for organizing, getting her in her gown, playing the music…" Forte chimed in.
"Right…"
Frey gave a soft chuckle.
"Margaret is right though, you really do look like a princess." Amber said sweetly.
"Thank you. And thank you for the flowers as well, Amber. That also goes to you Illuminata."
"It was nothing a great detective like me couldn't handle!" Illuminata replied.
Frey gave an uneasy laugh. "I really don't see what one has to do with the other." She thought.
"Putting everything else aside, are you ready for this Frey?" Dolce asked.
Frey thought for a moment. "Of course I am." She replied. "I love him after all. I know that he'll make me happy."
Dolce smiled. "Good to hear. I was worried you might be nervous."
"There is no need for me to be nervous."
"I can't believe your already getting married Frey. I'm so happy for you!" Clorica stated.
"Thank you." Frey replied. "I'm just so happy that everyone could be here with me on this special day. Really, it means the world to me!"
All her friends smiled, and then Margaret suddenly spoke up.
"Wait a minute… I'm not so sure that everyone is here. Has anyone seen Xiao-Pai?"
Everyone began looking around the room, but nobody could find the sprightly young girl. All of a sudden the door flew open, causing the nearest few to jump in shock. Sounds of ragged breathing punctuated the sudden silence, and emerging from across the threshold like an intoxicated person stood an exhausted Xiao-Pai.
Frey immediately ran up to her friend, a difficulty somewhat achievable albeit looking like a migrating cloud. "Xiao? Are you all right?! What happened?"
Xiao sighed. "Well, when I woke up this morning I had to make breakfast for everyone, yes? I wound up breaking an entire stack of plates while I was at it, so I had to clean everything up. After that I had the daily cleaning routine, but I broke three vases while I was sweeping, so a larger mess was made. I remembered the wedding, but it seems that my clothes ripped because they got caught on my chair. I didn't have time to sew it together, so I ran out to the tailor, yes? I forgot to bring my money with me though, so I had to run back to get some. I got changed, and I started running here, but I forgot my wedding gift, so I had to go back again…" She trailed off, her lack of sleep and fatigue from running catching up to her.
"Here, Xiao. Why don't you just sit down?" Frey said, leading her friend over to her bed.
"Thank you." Xiao-Pai smiled, taking in the sight of the bride as she sat down. "You look very beautiful, Frey. I am very happy for you!"
However, before Frey could say anything, a shriek erupted from Margaret. "AHHH! We're running out of time! No more time to talk. Forte! Dolce! Help me with the final details!"
"Got it!" They immediately replied in unison.
Clorica casually walked over to the bed to join Xiao-Pai. "It never seems to calm down, does it?"
Xiao gave a slight laugh. "Maybe so, but I wouldn't want it any other way." She thought for a moment. "I do wonder about how the boys are doing though. Are they just as busy over there?"
Clorica had a distant look in her eyes. "Huh… I wonder…"
Over at the other side of Selphia, a similar sort of excitement buzzed within the halls of Porcoline's restaurant.
"And… there we go!" Vishnal proudly announced as he finally finished the final touches on the groom's outfit.
Doug turned and looked into the mirror that had been set up in Porcolines kitchen. "Uhhhh…"
Leon was in the back, chuckling to himself.
"Oh, shut it!" The dwarf yelled.
Leon regained his composure before calmly responding "You're right, you're right. It really suits you, especially the cravat."
Doug glared, his eyes burning.
"I don't know, Leon. I think it might be a bit big for the little guy." Dylas smirked.
"Shut up, pony." Doug said.
"Hey!"
"Hay's for horses."
Dylas was already approaching the dwarf, his hands ready to attack. "WATCH IT SHORT STACK!"
"Whoa there horsey! Rein back the attitude! All that yelling will make your voice go horse!"
"Okay! THAT'S IT!"
Before the developing tussle could get reach its fruition, Arthur and Vishnal quickly threw themselves in front of Dylas, preventing him from going on a rampage.
"Please refrain from attacking the groom, Dylas." Arthur stated, holding him back. "Also, Doug, must you always provoke him? You are a grown man – and one even getting married for goodness sake! Couldn't you act more maturely?"
Doug turned away in a huff, sulking slightly. "He was asking for it."
There was a flurry of arms in a panic, and with much effort, Dylas broke out of his friends' grasps.
"Whatever, I'm done. Call me when the actual wedding takes place." He growled, heading to the stairway.
Arthur and Vishnal shared a collective sigh. Even on such a joyous occasion, the two men were still unable to remain in the same room without trying to rip the other's throat out.
The door to the restraint burst open, and a small blond boy came rushing into the room. Excitement was written all over his face.
"Sorry I'm late you guys! I hope I didn't miss much." He paused, catching the eyes of an irritated Doug and the two exasperated men. "Or maybe I did…"
"Don't worry about it; it was simply another spat between Dylas and Doug." Leon said.
"Oh, okay." Kiel perked up immediately. "Wow Doug! You look great!"
Doug turned his head slightly to acknowledge the young blond. "You serious?"
Just one look at the innocent smile of the boy told Doug that he was, indeed, serious.
He sighed. "You know Kiel, you have no sense of style, do you?"
"Huh?"
"So says the guy with the oddest clothes in Selphia." Leon retorted.
"Like you have room to talk, you don't even have clothes!" Doug accused "Besides, my clothes are awesome! You guys just can't handle how cool they are!"
"Why don't everyone calm down, okay? This is an extremely happy day! Think about it Doug, you get to marry the princess." Vishnal spoke up.
Doug went silent for a moment, his gaze softened, and his lips formed a light smile.
"You're doing this for her, just think about how excited she must be to see what you look like. I know she'll love it."
"Yeah… that's true. I mean, it is itchy and heavy, but if it's for her…"
"There you go. Now stop being so self-conscious."
"OH BOYYYYYYYYSSSSSSSSS!" A loud voice sang from beyond the doors. It was painfully familiar. So familiar, in fact, that the groom's first instinct was to search for somewhere to hide.
Porcoline came bursting in, looking as happy as ever. "So? How is everything going?"
Doug pushed himself up against the counter, his hands shaking. "Ah, um, well…"
"OH MY! Don't you look marvelous! Absolutely fantastic!" He ran up to the dwarf to give him a hug. "I'm so happy for you! To think that the little dwarf who was so quite all those years ago would wind up getting married! Oh, I'm so happy for you!" When he pulled back though, his face turned a bit sad. "But I'm a little worried for you too… after all, we all know about Freys secret feelings for MOI."
"Wha-WHAT?!"
"Oh, I just can't help it! These irresistible looks of mine, I just can't keep anyone away. You don't need to worry much though, I'm sure that you'll be fine. It can just be a few dates every now and then, why, you can even join in if you'd like!"
"H-Hey! Hold on just a sec-"
Arthur placed a hand on Porcolines shoulder. "I think that's enough."
It was evident from the sparkle in Porcoline's eye that he didn't want to stop. After all, the dwarf was plenty fun to tease, and it wasn't very often that he got to do it. But he knew that an angry dwarf would just kill all the fun, and since it was his wonderful housemate asking...
"Oh, very well…"Porcoline replied, deflating like a balloon."…I'll just go and prepare the cake and be left out."
And with a kiss blown at Doug, he skipped out of the room, leaving a vacuum of peace once again.
Well, a rather fleeting peace…
"Am I missing something? Please tell me I'm not missing anything!" Doug asked, still shaking from the encounter.
"No, no. You're fine. Frey has no feelings for anyone but you." Arthur said, exasperated from how gullible the dwarf was.
"Ye-Yeah… that's right… besides, why would it be Porcoline? Hahahaha…" He settled down into the nearest chair, relief flooding his face. The shock of it all had turned his legs to jelly.
"Don't get too comfortable. Margaret should be here any minute to tell you it's time to go."
"Okay…"
Back in the East Wing of the castle, the excitement had died down considerably. Frey, doing her last checks in the mirror and having thanked all the girls for their wishes and help, was finally ready to meet her groom. She tried to ignore the soft fluttering of anxiety that bloomed in her chest, but it seemed to grow stronger by the second. Was this what they called the jitters? Doug was going to be her husband… he was going to be the man she would wake up to see every morning…Somehow, that made her both terrified and happy.
"Well, Frey? Are you ready?" Margaret asked, looking incredibly pleased with Frey's look.
Frey looked at her reflection up and down one more time. "Yes, I think I am."
"All right then everyone, it's time to start heading out! Clorica, can you go get Mr. Volkanon?"
"Hm…?" Clorica sat up from where she was sleeping. "What was that?"
"Could you please get Mr. Volkanon? He wanted to see Frey before the wedding." Margaret asked again.
"Mmm-hmmm… Okay." And she walked on out, dragging her feet a little in her freshly-awoken state.
"As for everyone else, it's time to leave. I'm going to head over to where the boys are to tell them we're ready."
The girls all waved goodbye and headed out the door, leaving Frey alone for the first time since she woke up. Frey made a slight sigh of relief. As much as she loved everyone, all the commotion was a bit much to handle. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in to try and relieve some stress.
"Hello, dear."
The sudden voice made the young princess jump. She looked over to the door to see granny Blossom standing there.
"Oh, hello!" She greeted.
"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't frighten you." The old lady said. "I just wanted to see you before the wedding, if only for a minute." She walked over to the young girl. "My, don't you look beautiful."
A natural blush crept beneath the artificial one Frey was wearing. "Th-thank you."
"I'm sure that Doug will love it. Why, based on the way you look now, you might even make the young boy speechless!"
"Considering Doug, I'm not sure if that's possible." Frey smiled.
Blossom let out a laugh. "True, true. That boy… I just don't understand him sometimes."
"Why don't you have a seat, you shouldn't be standing around all the time."
"You sound just like him, you know that?" She had said that with a hint of mischief in her eyes, and she lowered herself onto Freys bed anyway. "Frey, I came here because I wanted to thank you."
"What?"
"When Doug first came to this town, he was a quiet, broken, young man. His entire family had died, and he had nowhere to go, no one to turn to."
Frey lowered her eyes; the past of her future husband was always a difficult one to listen to.
"I took that lost boy into my home, trying to show him how he could turn to us." Blossom continued, looking into the distance. "I wanted to give him a place that he could call home, and to help him find a family with the people in the town. It was hard for him at first, and most of the first days were of him simply working and never uttering a word. As years past, he gradually came to find a home here. Even so, he was always distant. There was a depression always hidden in his eyes, and a wall that he had built to keep everyone away."
Blossom's wrinkled eyes met Frey's, and the smile that reached up to the corners of those lines spoke volumes of her gratitude. "However, that changed when you came to town. As you came to visit more and more, I could almost see that wall chipping away bit by bit, and even small sparks of joy every time you came over. After he found out the real truth about who killed his family, he became lost all over again. He was completely exposed - his beliefs until that point were shattered, and he had no idea how to handle it. But yet …you still came over to see him."
A laugh escaped from Blossom as she continued. "He couldn't keep his wall up any longer. He didn't know how to interact with anyone, but you still came, and you wound up saving him. Frey, you helped him in ways I can't even begin to explain. He is now the happiest I have ever seen him, and when he is with you, that happiness just gets even greater. He interacts with the other people in the town freely now, and he enjoys each day to the fullest. You know Frey, over the years, I have come to think of Doug as my own son. Because of that, I have a bond with him that the others do not have, so I know him quite well. And one of the things I do know about that boy is how awful he is with expressing emotions. I want you to know this, no matter what he says or does, that boy loves you more than you could imagine. He loves you more than life itself, and dare I say it, a Tempura bowl!"
Frey chuckled at the last statement.
"But to be serious, he loves you dearly Frey. Even if he acts foolish and doesn't always know how to describe his feelings, I want you to always remember that one thing. Thank you for bringing such joy into his life."
"Please, there is no reason to thank me." Frey quickly said, feeling the burn in her cheeks even more. "In fact, I should be thanking the two of you."
"Oh?"
"Yes, it's thanks to you that Doug is here in this town, without you I would have never met him. As for Doug… I had no memories, and at first I felt very lost and alone, but I have now made new memories with him, memories I can really call my own. He brings me joy that I never knew existed! Even with all of his stupid antics, I know that he never means any harm. It's just a part of who he is, and they never fail to make me smile. I know that he will always be there for me. Coming to this town has been such an amazing experience. Everyone here is family to me, and I love you all. And Doug…"
Blossom laid her hand on top of Frey's. "Don't worry, I already know."
"Miss Frey?" Volkanon knocked on her door.
"Just a moment!" Frey yelled back. She turned back to Blossom and helped her up. "Thank you for coming to see me. I'll see you again very soon."
"Thank you dear. I will see you then." Blossom walked to the door before turning back around. "You certainly do make a lovely bride. I'm sure the two of you will be extremely happy."
Frey smiled, running to give the old woman a quick hug before she left. Blossom returned the hug, and then made her exit.
"Miss Frey, might I come in now?" Volkanon asked again, clearly nervous about running late.
"Oh, yes, I'm coming!" Frey replied. She walked up to the door and opened it. "I'm ready!"
Volkanon took a look at the young lady. "Miss Frey, you look lovely! Well, let's get you out there so you can see the groom! Oh, I'm just so happy for you…"
Frey smiled at the man who had just started crying. Seeing all the people who took her in when she was lost… seeing them so happy simply because of her own happiness… It took her a moment to notice the small tear that was falling down her own face. For once it seemed she could understand her butler's tears of joy.
That's it for the first chapter. We hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a review, we would love to see what you have to say about it so far!