Hello everyone! I finished writing and fixing the chapter 9! I used an...anti-mistake (? I don't know if it's really the word in English...) that I bought days ago and I tried my best but I'm sure that there are still mistakes, huh? Especially in grammar. I'm so sorry, but I try my best to perfect it! I have to fix the other chapters too.

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoyed the chapter!

Disclaimer: Tales of Vesperia doesn't belong to me. What a pity. What happening in that chapter would happen...Anyway.

Chapter Nine

He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure at all. Sitting on the bed, Yuri looked at the wedding suit in front of him. His heart was beating faster than usual and he thought that it was going to leave his chest in some minutes. Damn war! Damn wedding! Damn royal blood! There was one solution, though, and the best that he could think: run away. Thus, he stood up and opened his door to…Meet Flynn's blue eyes.

"Yuri Lowell. What are you doing right now?" His best friend asked with a grin.

"Me? I just wanted to see Father, I have something to tell him." Yuri lied.

Flynn screwed his eyes suspiciously before saying:

"Go back to your room and dress yourself, Yuri."

Flynn tried to reassure him with a smile, and the prince sighed before going back on his bed. The wedding was in two hours - the worst two hours of his life – and he wasn't ready physically, as well as mentally.

It wasn't because of Estelle; the girl was really kind and he liked her very much; but he didn't want to be wed. Weren't his own parents who have told him that he must marry a girl he loved? And now, they forced him to marry a girl that he barely knew. That was so unfair!

Yuri sighed and looked towards the window. The sky was grey, like his humor, and if he has been able to do it, he would run away by the window…Wait. Running away by the window, what a good idea! A big smile on his lips, he opened the window and, when he began spanning it, someone knocked on the door and entered. Yuri froze when he met his Father's eyes. He was going to die.

"What are you doing?" The King asked softly.

"Nothing." Yuri gulped, coming back in his room. What a bad luck!

"It is what I am seeing, yes. You are not dressed yet."

"Well…"

The king sighed and Yuri put a false smile on his lips. Then, the man came near of the window and closed it before turning towards his son who shrugged. He would just wait that his father leaves the room to leave by the window.

"Fine. I will help dressing you."

"What? I can do it myself!"

"No no no. Knowing you, when I will be outside this room, you will become a bird. So, it is time to put your suit."

The grin on the king's face showed that he knew his son very well. Yuri sighed before taking his wedding suit and going to the bathroom. He changed himself quickly, but he failed to put his necktie correctly. Sighing, he left the room and asked:

"Can you help me with my necktie?"

The king looked at him and, for a while, Yuri thought that he was going to faint. Something was wrong with his father. He frowned a little bit.

"Father?"

"Y-Yes?" He said, starting. "Oh, yes, wait a minute."

The elder man came near of his son and fixed his necktie, his eyes trying to avoid Yuri's one. The prince was sure now, something was really wrong. Perhaps did he learn something while he was changing in the bathroom? Yuri decided to not ask: he would know soon or later.

"Now, sit down, I will brush you."

"You know that it's the job of the maids, right?" The long haired man asked while sitting.

"Yes, but not today. I have the right to brush your hair, haven't I?"

"Of course."

To tell the truth, he was glad. When he was child, sometimes, his Father came and brushed his hairs and he loved it. Other times, they were in the garden and king Kurth always touched his hairs. But the time they shared together has disappeared when he has begun becoming teen and then an adult. It was normal, he knew it, but at the same time, he was sad because it meant that he was no longer a child and that he was the one that would become father one day.

King Kurth began to brush his hairs and Yuri couldn't help but smile when he saw the little smile on his father's lips in the mirror. It was something that he really missed. Then, when his father put the brush back on the desk, the young prince noticed it: Kurth's hand shook terribly. Yuri frowned and asked:

"What happens?"

"Huh? Nothing."

"Stop lying. You're as bad as Serah."

The King sighed and said, tired:

"Really nothing. I am just tired."

"Dad!"

The man looked surprised; Yuri didn't have called him "dad" in years.

"I…" Again he tried to avoid his eyes. "I…"

"Does something happen while I was changing?"

"No, it is not…"

And then, something really strange happened: the king made Yuri standing up and hugged him. At first, Yuri was shocked but when he felt better, he hugged back his father.

"I am so sorry…"

Yuri's eyes widened when he heard his father – his father! – crying on his shoulder.

"W-what?"

"I always promised you that you would be happy. That you would marry the one you loved, and that you would have children. And you must marry Estellise just for the sake of our two countries. I did not want that. I do not want that wedding!"

"Father…"

"Do not get me wrong…" Kurth continued whereas he tried stopping his tears slowly. "I like Estellise, she is a good girl and will be a good queen, but…"

"But it isn't what you wanted for me. Yes, I know that. I know that since the beginning."

They looked at each other, one with a smile, the other still trying to stop his tears. Then, Yuri continued:

"I…I don't want this wedding either. When you talk about it the first time, I was very angry. Why do we have to follow Zaphias Council's idea? I didn't know and when I met Estelle the first time, I was really afraid. But then…"

The King listened to him carefully, like he was inhaling his words.

"Then, I remembered that I wasn't alone. I was still here, with my family. Estelle was alone and I was the lucky one. I won't say that I love her, but thanks to you, I was able to meet her and liking her. Even if I don't agree with that wedding and the fact that you want me to be the next King, I am happy. Because you're with me no matter what. Because you think about everyone else before yourself. Because you love every of us. So, hum…Don't worry, okay? Don't think that I'm not happy just because I have to marry Estelle."

"Are you…Sure?"

"To tell the truth, I prefer having Estelle as wife rather than one of those girls who always tries to flirt with me." He answered with a grin.

It made his father smile and Yuri was relieved. He was still shocked to have seen his father, the one he thought stronger than everyone, crying. He noticed that the king had weak points too. He hid them well.

"…I came here to see if you were fine, but in the end, it is you who managed to reassure me, huh…"

Yuri laughed. At least, he was less scared than before. Someone knocked at the door and when the prince authorized the person to enter, Flynn appeared, with a serious face.

"Your Highness, you are asked in the ceremony room."

"Oh. I see, thank you Flynn."

King Kurth patted Yuri's shoulder before leaving the room and Flynn closed the door just behind him. The best friends looked at each other quietly, until the blond man told him:

"Yuri, you look good in that suit."

"Well…Thanks."

"I still don't believe that it's your wedding's day."

"Yeah, me too. But it doesn't change a thing, right?"

"Of course not! I'll still kick your ass in sword training!"

"Take care, one day, I'm the one who'll kick your ass."

Flynn laughed and finally, they left the room together. Flynn on his foot, Yuri took the way to the ceremony room. In front of the door, he met his mother who was smiling brightly. Flynn bowed in front of them and entered the room to take the function that the Commandant Niren gave him some hours ago.

"You're ready, son?"

"Now, I am."

His mother smiled gently before he took her arm and entered the room, slowly. It was a new page of his life.

"I don't want it, I don't want it and I still don't want it!"

"Rita, please, calm down. It is enough, now."

"I can't calm down!" The mage replied, arms crossed against her chest.

Estelle sighed and stood up, looking at the mirror for the last time, smiling shyly. The maids did a good job. She barely recognized herself. She turned towards Rita who looked angry, red covering her cheeks.

"I am nervous already, so please, calm down."

"I'm sorry. But I don't want you to marry this man!"

"Why?"

Rita sighed before replied:

"Easy: he's egoistic and has all the default of the world."

The young princess tilted her head, smiling.

"It is not a good reason. And, by the way, it is only the Council description."

"And you'll dare to say that he isn't!?"

"I…do not think that Yuri is egoistic. He is someone who cares for people. You did not see him when he helped his brother and his sister searching for something, or when he helped this old man in town. He is as kind-hearted as the King and the Queen themselves. And he never rejected me; in fact, he helped me! They helped me. I was so alone, and if they were not there, then, I would probably cry right now."

Rita went pale, to Estelle's surprise, and the princess wanted to ask what happened when the mage cut her:

"You...don't hate him…?"

"No. I like him."

"You only like him?"

"Huh?"

Again, Estellise tilted her head, wondering what Rita wanted to say. The young mage moved her hand as if she wanted to throw away her question and said softly:

"No, forget it. I'm off."

And then, the girl went to the door that she opened.

"Rita?" Said Rita looked back at her with surprised eyes. "Thank you for being my friend. Even if I get married, you will always be someone very important for me."

"Yes…There was a time where I was the first important one for you." Rita whispered.

"Eh?"

But the girl didn't repeat and left the room without a word. Estelle sighed again and came near of the window. She had still problem to believe that it was her wedding day. After all, it has only been a month since her meeting with Prince Yuri; but though, she wasn't nervous because of that. She had a bad feeling, as if something terrible was going to happen. She told Flynn, at least, but she didn't know if he took her seriously or not. Maybe it was only a bad feeling but nobody could be too careful, right?

She took a big breath and left her room, her veil hanging down to the ground. On the way, she met Commandant Alexei and she bowed before him after he did it.

"You are really beautiful, Your Highness." The man said, smiling slightly.

"Thank you Commandant."

"It is a pity that you must marry the heir of Danghrest. There are so many men in Zaphias who would love you more than he would."

Estelle opened wide her eyes, shocked. Then, after a moment, she only said:

"I am not sure. Maybe they just want to marry me because of my rank, so it is better for me to being with Prince Yuri. Furthermore, I like him very much, and I know that I will be happy."

She wasn't sure for the last part, especially for the future, but now, she was happy and liked the prince. She was relieved that he wasn't like the Council members said.

"I see."

Alexei looked a little bit angry for a while and she wondered what she said for him being like that. But he took his composure back and continued:

"I am going back to the ceremony room. I will see you there, then. My apologizes."

And he left her alone. She was surprised by what happened but decided that she would think about it later. Now, she had a wedding to do. So, she continued her way until she found herself in front of the ceremony room door where her cousin, Ioder, waited for her. She smiled to him and he answered back.

"You are beautiful, Estellise."

"Thank you."

"I still cannot believe that you are going to be married. For me, you are always the little girl of five years old."

"Ugh…That is mean. You are older of two years only!"

Ioder laughed and she couldn't help but smile. She could say that she missed her cousin's laugh.

"It is true." Then, he continued. "I am sorry that you must wed Prince Yuri."

"It is fine, Ioder. He is not mean. I like him."

The prince in front of her frowned before repeating:

"You like him? With the way that you looked at him, I thought that you were in…Oh, anyway."

"Huh? No, finish your sentence!"

"No no, I let you discover it. One day, perhaps. Soon, I hope."

Then, without waiting, he gave her his arm and she sighed before taking it. After the wedding, she would try to make him talk. She wanted to know the end of his sentence!

Together, they entered the room. Every face turned toward her and she couldn't help but blush. But still, she kept her composure and tried to look straight. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the smiles of King Kurth and Queen Nathaly, also Serah's and Rafael's one – she was sure that Serah was smiling because of Ioder! – and to her left, she could see Rita who was blushing a little bit, looking at her.

In front of her, she saw Yuri's back, as he didn't have the right to look at her until she was beside him. Near of him, there was Flynn who was grinning at his best friend, and not so far, another man that she recognized as Commandant Niren. She only met him once but she could say that he was really different of Commandant Alexei.

When she arrived beside Yuri, Ioder left her and came back to his own place, and then, the ceremony began. Estelle thought that the ceremony was really long. Of course, she knew it, but from her point of view, she thought that it was more than three hours that they were standing in front of the priest, when it was only one hour. Do not worry Estelle, it is okay. Yuri is the one who must be angry about that, right know. And when she glanced at him, she smiled a little bit because he really grew impatient. She wanted to laugh. It was funny how she could predict his feelings…

"Estellise Sidos Heurassein, do you want to take Yuri Lowell as husband?"

She closed her eyes. Now, her life was really going to change. And she wasn't afraid at all. She wanted to say that she wouldn't answer for the peace. She answered because she wanted it. Wait. What did that mean, then?

"Yes, I do."

Did that mean that…? No, it was impossible.

"Yuri Lowell, do you want to take Estellise Sidos Heurassein as wife?"

What if Yuri said no? What if he left suddenly, without any word? Why did she feel so sad by the mere thought of this?

"Yes, I do."

And she felt relieved. It was strange but for now, she wouldn't question it. She would think about it later. They exchanged their wedding rings, and she could finally see how Yuri looked in his suit. He was handsome, as always.

"By the sacred link of marriage, I pronounce you husband and wife. You can kiss the bride."

"Kiss the…What?" Yuri whispered.

Estellise opened her mouth and closed it before opened it again. Near of them, she could see Flynn grinned to Yuri, and she could hear Queen Nathalie chuckling. She never thought of that until now. It didn't cross her mind at all.

The now husband and wife looked at each other and, with a blush, Yuri leaned towards her.

But at this moment, something happened.