Author's Note: Well here comes the second vignette! I hope that everyone enjoyed the first little tidbit as we watched a day in the life of Van and Hitomi's first offspring (and caught little glimpses of their youngest child). Now I hope you enjoy this second little view into this universe. Please review!

23 rotations) Renard
21 rotations) Folken
17 rotations) Diane
16 rotations) Marcus

After and Ever
Diane Schezar

Smiling as pleasantly as the sun's warm rays, seventeen-rotation old Diane Schezar enjoyed the beautiful Asturian afternoon outside of the Schezar villa. She and her mother Celena Schezar happily drank their afternoon tea as the summer breezes fluttered past them. Pulling her long dark braid over one shoulder, young Diane leaned forward and asked her mother to tell her again how her parents had found each other.

Celena shook her head while she put down her teacup on its elegant saucer. "Diane, you've heard this story many times before."

"Yes, but I want to hear it again." Setting her expression, unblinkingly the young lady stared into her mother's identical eyes and asked softly, "Please, Mother?"

"Determined, just like your father," Celena grinned as she touched her daughter's pale cheek affectionately. "Or just like me, I think he would say." Proudly the Asturian noblewoman could claim that her daughter was beautiful; Diane had inherited the Schezar countenance with her mother and uncle's dazzling cerulean eyes. But having her father's dark hair, his nose, his ears, and his charming smile did not make her any less attractive. In fact, they simply made Diane stand out more amongst the nobility at court.

Enough to catch his attention—but that can be debatably good or bad, Diane laughed silently. That's when he started picking on me...or ignoring me, depending on the day and his mood.

"So will you tell me the story again, Mother?"

"Very well...telling you once more wouldn't hurt, especially since you like it so much." Relaxing back into her chair, the older noblewoman started, "So you remember how when I was five-rotations old, I was kidnapped from our home by Zaibach sorcerers."

"Yes."

"Your Uncle Allen had a very unfortunate time. First our father disappeared, then I'm kidnapped, and finally our mother died from illness and grief. Brother was left alone for a long time...and he never gave up his search for me. Ten rotations passed before we were reunited, and we met again at the end of the First Great Gaean War."

"What happened to you, Mother? Where were you those ten rotations?" Diane asked these questions every time her mother told the tale; and every time her questions were vaguely answered. The young lady had a feeling that this time would be the same as always.

"No one really knew. It's always been unclear what happened to me and where I went to," her mother smiled sadly. "All your uncle ever found out for sure was that Zaibach sorcerers kidnapped me and made me forget who I was so I would loyally serve Zaibach."

Something terrible must have happened if Mother wants to keep it quiet—she's never afraid to share anything. Uncle won't speak of those times, and even Father clams up whenever this topic is brought up. None of the Castelo men will tell me anything either. Diane sighed. But I know that Mother's scar has something to do with it. You can barely see it unless the light hits it just right, but it's there. Mother must have gotten that scar when she was younger, with Zaibach.

It hurt Diane's heart to know that someone or something had marred her mother's near-perfect beauty and undoubtedly put Celena and her family through much pain. The scar along Celena's right cheek ran long; and by the nature of the old wound, at one point it had run deep. So even if Diane wanted to know the history, she never pushed for the answers.

"But I did suffer..." Celena's sky eyes saddened. "And my suffering brought pain upon others. I had to recover from war trauma, and your uncle and his faithful sergeant Gaddes were by my side that whole trying time. And then four years before the Second Great Gaean War, I spent a lot of time in Fanelia and became closer to Van." Laughing behind her hand, Celena wiggled her brows as she said, "A lot of people thought that we would become engaged, but that was because they misinterpreted our relationship. Your father and your uncle were two of those people."

"Really?" Young Diane had not heard that little bit before. She knew that King Fanel and her mother had some sort of intimate relationship back in the day: the Crusade crew had revealed that much. But she had never known that her father had been one to think that Mother had been in love with the king. "Was Father jealous?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not," the blonde woman mused while stirring her tea. "He hadn't realized his feelings for me yet, I'm sure. I doubt he was jealous at the time: probably happy for me."

"So when did he actually start caring for you like a man does a woman?"

"That's a little tricky to determine. What does your father tell you?"

"He said that he first fell in love with you at your first party in Palas." Diane imitated her father's speech, which made her mother giggle. "I've seen many a beautiful woman by then, especially being around your uncle. But I never felt frozen and stunned still until I saw your mother that night...and every night after whenever she entered a party. She still does it to me even now."

Somewhat grumpily, Diane's mother crossed her arms and remarked, "I wish he would tell me that himself."

The seventeen-rotation old girl rolled her eyes. "Mother."

"Yes, yes, be nice to your father. Honestly, why does everyone think I bully him? If anything, he's the one that bullies me!" Celena huffed. "Anyway, for eight rotations I had nightmares and inner demons that I didn't know how to deal with on my own. And at that same time, Hitomi had been discovered on Gaea and Van was desperately searching for his long-fated lover."

"You'll have to tell me their story again, too," Diane grinned as she rested her head in her hands. The only romance she loved hearing about more than her own parents' tale was the one about King Van and Queen Hitomi of Fanelia. Without a doubt, no other lovers' tale could be more epic or romantic than theirs. I remember my school friends being jealous when they learned that Mother was very good friends with Queen Hitomi and King Van. They were even more jealous when they found out I was well-acquainted with Prince Folken.

"Perhaps tomorrow night. Now where was I?"

"Everyone had reunited with Queen Hitomi in Freid, but she didn't remember anyone or anything that had happened before then."

"Ah, you're right." As she recalled those memories, Celena shook her head with sadness weighing upon her heart. "It was a terrible time. She had amnesia and had completely forgotten all of her memories of Gaea. She had even forgotten all about her love for Van and the time she spent with everyone else. Everyone was completely heartbroken that she had no memory of them at all." Wiping away the slightly forming tears, the elder Schezar continued, "Since I've told you all about this part before, I think I can skip to the part when I got shipped back to Palas before the Second War started."

Diane loved this best about her mother's storytelling: even though the story remained the same, Celena would detail a different section of the tale and delve deeper into that part for each telling. Last time the lady had told the story, she had gone into detail about the time where Gaddes and her had pretended to be engaged when covertly traveling from Freid to Fanelia. Father hates hearing that part, especially when it's front of Uncle Allen and the others, Diane laughed to herself. I guess they really didn't know what had happened before then.

"During the Second Great Gaean War, your father sent me letters. At the end of the war, Princess Eries found them and confronted me about it. And that's when your father and I confessed to everyone that we were in love with each other. Dear me, that was a riot," Celena giggled while placing a hand on her cheek.

"I can imagine." Diane rolled her eyes. Especially if King Dryden and the Crew were there to mix things up. And I know Queen Millerna and Princess Eries were bound to be hysterical about the whole ordeal. I'm sure Uncle Allen had a splitting headache just trying to get everyone settled.

"And then I didn't speak to your uncle for two moons."

That stopped Diane in her thoughts.

"Two moons?"

Of course that was hard to believe. Her Uncle Allen visited Diane whenever he had a free moment from his duties. And every other week he would send a doting gift to his only sister and only niece. Undoubtedly her mother enjoyed the attention and found great joy in speaking and spending time with her elder brother. As a family bound by blood, they were all that each other had. So how could she possibly not speak to him for two moons?

"Well, I was rather upset with him, so it served him right. Even though he approved the relationship between Gaddes and me, Brother wouldn't let us meet freely—it's as if he didn't trust his right-hand man or his little sister! Honestly, your uncle was very frustrating at that time...especially that one incident."

"Which one?"

"The one that made me finally speak to him again," was Celena's sardonic grin. "It was easy not speaking to your uncle for two moons since he went back and forth between Palas and Castelo at that time. I would just stay in Palas with the queen or come to the villa. So for two moons, I wouldn't greet him when he returned to the capital and I wouldn't write to him during his time at the fort."

The dark-haired maiden whistled. "Mother, you're a terrible woman. I'm sure Uncle was terribly hurt."

"Well, that would be the point, since at the same time I wasn't allowed to really spend any time with Gaddes. It was all rather frustrating." Celena shook her fair head at the exasperating memories. "Anyway, Brother returned from Castelo that one day, and again I wasn't at the port to greet him. I figured that since I wasn't allowed to greet Gaddes, then why should I bother tempting myself by going to the port?"

"I feel so bad for Uncle," Diane sighed. Young Schezar was beginning to realize why her handsome uncle had so battle-worn eyes and expressions: his younger sister had beaten most of his life out of him with her cutting behavior!

"Yes, apparently everyone did. But he's always been strong," Celena sighed with a fond smile. "Brother didn't let it show on his face that he was bothered and sent Gaddes ahead to the palace to report their return. Of course, the crew didn't think that was such a good idea—it would take them time to anchor Crusade I and make sure everything was all right. Gaddes and I would at least have an hour alone. But Brother already knew that and let your father go anyway."

Uncle Allen is far too kind to Mother. "So did you and Father enjoy that little time together?"

"Yes, five minutes was enough for us to decide that we were going to go to the market place. I think Hitomi calls them 'dates,' although I have no idea why you would name time spent with your lover after dried fruits—but it sounds cute. Anyway, your father and I go to the market to have a date alone...and everyone else had to tag along." Resting her chin against her delicate hand, the noblewoman droned, "Brother wasn't there because he had matters to settle at the palace, but everyone else from Crusade I designated himself chaperone in Brother's stead.

"Can you imagine that chaos? Not only were they being their usual selves, but they were also harassing Gaddes at every available moment. I'm still amazed to this day how your father is capable of putting up with so much. Eventually, I ran out of patience: to the point where I told everyone to get out of my sight and not to show their faces until they learned to grow up."

"Oh, no, Mother, you didn't!" came a gasp with a hand covering the mouth. Diane knew very well that her unofficial nannies were sensitive, especially to anything Celena said. The young Schezar knew that the men must have been utterly heartbroken when Celena told them that she did not want to even see their faces ever again.

"That should give you an idea at how angry and frustrated I was. I only wanted some time with the man I love—time that I've been denied for two moons now. So I told them that I didn't want to see them. When they wouldn't leave, I left instead. I was so upset, I didn't return to the palace even after the sun set. Undoubtedly everyone was worried, but I didn't care. I didn't realize really what the time was until your father found me at your grandmother's grave. Everyone had been looking for me ever since I ran away that afternoon."

Leaning forward in her seat, completely enthralled by the drama her mother told, Diane asked in an amazed whisper, "How did Father know where you were?"

"He's just that good." Celena grinned proudly. "And I think he's probably the only one who would ever scold me without feeling guilty for making me cry. In Jeture's name, that man can kick up quite a storm when he's angry. He gave me earful once he found me, telling me how everyone was worked up in a panic trying to find me all day. Gaddes was rather angry, me having made everyone so worried. He said that Brother was anxiously waiting for me at home while the boys were in a mad frenzy all over Palas looking for me. And without thinking, I slapped him."

Diane blinked. "What?"

"I slapped your father," her mother repeated without batting a lash. "Here I am, tired and stressed, not to mention heartsick, and I haven't eaten anything all day. I was really upset, wondering why in the world he would be angry with me when he should be angry with everyone else ruining our precious time together. So I gave him a good one across the face."

"Mother..."

"He didn't retaliate either."

I see that Uncle Allen isn't the only one that's too kind to Mother. And they say that I'm the spoiled one. Diane began to wonder exactly what kind of powers Schezar women held over men and why any god would curse mankind that way. "So what did Father do instead?"

Resting against the back of her chair and smirking, Celena picked up her teacup and said before sipping, "He calmed me down and scolded me like how I needed." As she placed the cup back down, she explained, "I already knew how much Brother loved me and that everything he did was for my benefit. So I should have understood why he was being so strict with the relationship between Gaddes and me. Your father then continued to scold me about the crew too. Again I already knew how they really cared about me and how they had difficulty parting from something they really treasured."

"Like when they had to say goodbye to Crusade I?" Diane remembered the day her father had returned from a battle between Asturia and Basram, her mother running into his arms as soon as he stepped through the door. There had been news that the Crusade had been shot down from the sky during the battle. But fortunately, the Crusade had protected its men and had kept everyone alive; alas, the ship was beyond repair. The Castelo men were in tears over the ship and had a long row when they discovered that they would have to get a new ship. Some of the men were beyond "distraught"; some of the men took parts of the Crusade to keep as mementos, like heartbroken lovers. Diane knew then that her nannies would have difficulties seeing her off on her wedding day.

"I guess it's a good thing that they all like Crusade II so much," the little lady joked while drinking some of her own tea. She picked up a cookie and snacked on it thoughtfully. "Otherwise we would have to be somewhat concerned."

"They're good boys. And that made it easier for me to swallow my pride and go back home with Gaddes. The surprise was that everyone was waiting for me there. I had over twenty men run up to me all at once, tears and snot all over their scruffy faces, apologizing to me about what happened. They never wanted me to feel upset, they just wanted me to be with the best man possible. They promised to be more considerate of my feelings and not to do anything that would upset me again. Of course, with all of them looking like kicked puppies, I couldn't do anything but forgive them."

"Did…did Uncle say anything?" dark-haired Schezar asked carefully.

"No," Celena shook her head. "I guess he figured that your father had said everything that needed to be said. Brother just held me and made me promise not to run off so suddenly again. He had horrible flashbacks of when I was first kidnapped, and he had been very concerned. He understood that if I was angry, but he would appreciate next time if I would tell him where I would be just in case."

Diane had noticed that about Uncle Allen; he always worried about her mother and had a terrible fear of losing people: perhaps so much so that he never married or had family of his own. Although he had eventually admitted Princess Eries as a lover, Uncle Allen never made serious efforts to start a family. She didn't understand why when he would have made a wonderful father, she was sure.

"He's trying to atone for his sins," Renard had told her once during teatime some moons ago. "The Schezar's have an interesting and twisted history, one that I'm sure Sir Allen would like to keep away from the following pure generation. It's best that you don't pry into it."

Even then, his eyes and voice were cold to me, Diane slightly smiled at the memory of the prince. She really wanted to know but felt Renard's warning—and even then, she knew he had pushed her away from the topic for her own good. "So did Uncle become stricter afterward?"

"No, he actually became laxer. Gaddes and I were allowed to meet more often and more freely, so our feelings were finally allowed to grow and blossom. And then, of course as you know, three moons after Hitomi and Van's wedding, your mother and father were married. With Brother's blessing, Gaddes was married into the Noble House of Schezar. And then some time later, you were born."

The women sat silently for a moment, enjoying the sun against their faces.

After a bird flew past, Celena reached out and held her daughter's hand. "I'm sorry, Diane."

"Hm? About what, Mother?"

Turning to her daughter, Celena muttered, "I'm a terrible mother. Here I am telling you how your father and I became happy together after fighting for our love the day after your engagement to Prince Renard is finalized." She brushed her child's hair with her slender fingers. "I know that you really liked that boy from Port Town. And I know you have a hard time with Prince Renard. He's not the easiest person to get along with, and he's been treating you coldly for rotations now. He used to be very fond of you when you were children. Even with six rotations between you to, he took such very good care of you when we visited the palace. And then when you turned nine, he didn't treat you the same anymore. I remember you being terribly sad about that."

"Well, I'm all right now, and I'm engaged to him."

Celena carefully searched her daughters face as she questioned, "Will you be all right?"

"I don't mind it at all, Mother," Diane assured with a large grin. "I'm happy with Renard, despite what everyone might think."

Oh yes, her handsome and popular fiancé Crowned Prince Renard Aston: he inherited both King Dryden and Queen Millerna's good looks, their outstanding mental capacities, and their amazing charisma. Renard was an incredible man: a man who was kind to every courtier in Asturia but to Diane Schezar. Stories rampantly traveled through Palas' noble circles about how Renard treated Diane coldly and how he barely gave her the time of day. But the Asturian lady knew better.

Who would suspect him to be so shy? She remembered when she had been eleven and crying in the palace gardens over a biting remark Renard had made about her in front of everyone, especially the handsome Prince Folken of Fanelia. She had managed to save face in front of the court and to wait until she had retreated safely into the depths of the garden; however, the prince had quickly found her.

As he had stood behind Diane, the brown-haired royal had inquired almost arrogantly, "Are you crying?"

She had hated hearing the sound of his voice, and in her moment of pain, it had been far from welcome. So she had answered with as little venom as she could manage, "Please leave me alone."

"You were missed at lunch. Folken is looking for you. He noticed that you didn't seem to be feeling well and asked me to follow you."

Diane had been touched by that news—she had just formally met Folken that day and he had noticed her distress while others had not. She remembered asking herself right then why hadn't she been betrothed to a prince like him instead of to Renard. "I'll thank Prince Folken later for his concern. Now go away."

Despite her desperate command, Renard had remained standing behind her.

"You're crying because of what I said."

He had not said anything more, but Diane had felt his stare boring into her back accusingly. Accusingly! In her heart, she had felt as if he had been accusing her for crying when he had been the one to incite her tears. Unable to take anymore bullying, she had lashed out back at him, "Yes! There, are you happy now, Your Highness? I am crying because of what you said! Now could you kindly be your typical ass-self and not give a damn and go away?"

Diane Schezar would never forget the surprised and hurt face that Renard had worn at that moment.

"I—I didn't mean to make you cry..." He had sighed while rubbing the back of his neck. "You always keep a straight face whenever I tease you, I didn't think you were hurt by anything I said. You never cared for my opinion. And where did you learn to say words like that?"

Still angry and allowing all of her built up fury to pour out, she had continued to snap, "Do you ever say anything kind to me for me to care? And I hear you say things like that to Prince Marcus all the time."

When Diane remembered the scene, she couldn't help but to laugh. With puffy red cheeks and eyes, an eleven-rotation old girl had told off a seventeen-rotation old boy that was easily twice her height: not to mention he was the Crowned Prince. But Renard had taken all of that in stride and had surprised her with his next words. "Do...do you hate me?"

But of course the little Asturian girl had not been gracious enough to notice the young man's apologetic tone. "I don't have a choice, do I? Our parents made me your betrothed two rotations ago. I can't hate my future husband, especially since he's the Crowned Prince."

"But you hate me, regardless." Renard had taken a seat beside her on the lawn, forlorn. "It's a pity since I actually like you very much."

"You're a terrible liar."

"How am I a liar?"

"You're the one who hates me!"

Renard had blushed a deep red then. "I guess...I guess you would think so." He had been silent before he had asked, "Then how does someone prove his affection for you? Or at least, how would you like him to prove it to you?" He had awkwardly confessed that he had always been aware of Diane, ever since they were younger: even as a little girl younger than ten rotations, she was noticeably more beautiful than anyone else her age. And as she had gotten older, he had been even more conscious of her, and in the end treated her poorly because of his immaturity. He had wanted to treat her affectionately, but he had not known at what level of affection she would comfortable with. So he had cowardly chosen the easier path and had decided to tease her instead—perhaps she would understand him then. Apparently not.

But he had earnestly listened to Diane and made good on his word. Although he could not completely stop his cold behavior in front of others due to his shyness, Renard would send little tokens of affection or expressions of love that assured Diane of his wholehearted feelings. And especially after that day in the garden, he had become more sensitive to her moods.

"He's very thoughtful of me, Mother." Diane smiled encouragingly. "I believe he will be a great king after his father." She then sighed wearily as she recalled one little obstacle. "Too bad Prince Marcus won't take a page out of Renard's book. Renard fusses over his little brother constantly, almost as much as Queen Millerna does. He's worried that Prince Marcus won't be able to find a good girl because of his bad habits. Princess Aria and Princess Sylphie are worried about their younger brother as well."

Celena smiled, relieved to hear how fond Diane was of the Royal Family. If Diane had no qualms with the Astons, especially her fiancé, then the mother had no reason to fear for her daughter's marriage. "I'm happy that you're happy."

"And you shouldn't worry about the Schezar's either, Mother," the young lady continued to assure. "Renard made it a point that one of our children would inherit the name Schezar so that the line would continue."

"But dear—"

"I argued with him, but he wouldn't hear any of it. And since he won't budge, I won't let you argue against it either," Diane stated in a final voice she had learned from her mother and father. "He said that the House of Schezar is a noble one, and he did not want to see it end simply because it merged with the Royal House. He hopes that it continues and produces more famous and wonderful knights like Uncle."

Touched by Renard's concern for his future in-laws, Celena murmured gladly as she closed her eyes and leaned back, "I'm sure Brother would be honored to hear that."

"I'm excited," Diane grinned cheekily as she rested her head in the palms of her hands. "After marriage, who knows what else the future holds?"