A Few Weeks Later
(Alfred's P.O.V.)
England has been out for the past couple of weeks due to complications, was the official message all of the nations were given at the world conference meeting. Italy had gone back to sleeping all the time and Canada had gone back to disappearing and only being noticed by France and Prussia. Speaking of Prussia he's been obsessed with Matti's pancake recipe and can't get enough of them, oh and he's acquired an unnatural fear of heights…and airplanes. Italy seems to just be happy having Ludwig back and France has been telling us about how she's been having weird dreams about being a man. Which I can't help but laugh at because in her skimpy outfit? It would probably be hilarious to see Francis in it.
My best bud from High School oddly enough became Japan. We occasionally go and play video games at his house. The foreign exchange student, who came to live with us back when I was human, became Lithuania. Apparently Arianna has a brother now. His names Romano and I have absolutely no clue where he came from. Liz's ex from middle school Antonio became Spain. When he came into the meeting room first thing I did was punch the bastard and proceeded to remind him of me kicking his ass and saving Cuba. He was in the corner shivering for the next hour. China had apparently gone to our school, I just had never talked to the guy, and as luck would have it both of my ex's became countries. Vietnam hated my guts then, she hates me now not a ton has changed. Taiwan originally hated my guts then, but now were pretty tight friends.
I try to refrain from my Hero complex at home and around Canada, but at the meeting I spout random shit and say a lot of stupid things. (Wha? Poland's a country?) If only for a few more years as my death date draws near. I still know the future so we still need to be quiet, least a crazy like North Korea finds out. The meeting drew to an abrupt close when Italy announced he was hungry and everybody left for lunch and didn't come back. I, myself, skated out of there before Germany could stop me. Canada had left early and he had just called. England was awake.
Alfred made a pit stop at a jewelry store and picked up a ring. He was going to fulfill his promise to her. Alfred found England in her bedroom; she was looking out at the sky when he barged in.
"Good morning Iggyko." He said smiling.
She turned her head to face him.
"What did I tell you about that name?" She asks.
"Fine then Liz." He says smiling.
She scowls, "That one to!" She groans.
Alfred walks over to her bed, and when he reaches it kneels. England looks at him quizzically for a minute before what was going on dawn on her face.
"Liz I waited a long, long time to do this, but I loved you from the moment I met you, No matter how cheesy that sounds, and being able to come back to you again has just reminded me how much I love you."
Alfred's hand reached into his pocket and took hold of the velvet box. Slowly he removed it and opened the lid for England to see.
"England, Elizabeth, Liz, Iggyko, no matter how many names I give you or how many century's pass I still love you. I gave you a promise all those years ago, and like I said a hero doesn't go back on his word." Alfred took a shaky breath before steeling himself and continuing.
"Elizabeth Kirkland, will you marry me?"
England was immediately out of bed and hugging him, crying tears of joy.
"Yes, yes, god what took you so long you idiot?" England said between kisses.
Alfred took the ring and slipped it on her finger enjoying having her again, all of her again. Canada smiled from the door and closed it to give the two their privacy. (What? Canada's not a stalker! It's his house!)
It was announced to the world and each others bosses, when they would get married. The date was set for a nice clear day in spring. The marriage would take place in one of America's huge gardens. All the female nations loved the idea and swept Liz off to buy a dress, while America, Japan, Italy, Lithuania, Prussia, and Canada went to buy tuxedos. Canada of course was his best man and they would have Lichtenstein as the flower girl. The ring bearer was Sealand, and the pastor was Germany. Apparently he used to preach as a side job, who knew right?
Poland and Hungry were so caught up in the preparations that both of their government work piled up so high their bosses had to drag them back to their countries, literally. (Huh that's funny, you think I'm joking.) Summer turned into winter and winter into early spring. By the wedding date everything was ready. The wedding cake was made by Austria, and they were all catered by South Italy. That day it was sunny and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Alfred had been fidgeting with his tux since early this morning. He was abruptly stopped by Canada knocking and opening the door.
"Come on Al, it's time to go." Alfred took a deep breath and walked with Canada to the Alter.
It was then that the music started to play. Alfred looked from the alter to the bride coming down the aisle.
Alfred didn't seem to hear the music any more, as he watched England come down to the Alter. She was dressed in a long wedding dress that reached to the ground. One point of the dress that surprised him though, it had no sleeves. The very top of the dress had a lace design on it and was cut off by a blue ribbon right underneath her bust line. Her hair was up (from at least his point of view) and she wore long gloves that went past her elbows. As she got closer Alfred could spot tiny pearls in the vale.
She was being led up the aisle by her brother Scotland, who gave Alfred a dirty look before stepping aside. Alfred held out his hand for her as she stepped up one of the stairs and she smiled and took it. Alfred flipped up the vale covering England's face and smiled. God she was beautiful. Germany looked at them both and nodded, then started a long boring speech that Alfred ignored. Alfred preferred to whisper silently to her, and that's when he noticed the horseshoe on her waist. Alfred pointed to it and she smiled and mouthed "Good luck charm". Alfred raised his eyebrows, and was about to ask why a horseshoe was a good luck charm until Germany snapped the couple out of the little world they created. Alfred smiled at England and started his vows,
"Elizabeth, since the first day I saw you I loved you. You struck me as someone…..different from the rest. You knew what you wanted and ran after it with all your might and I admired that about you. You had sides of yourself I never knew you had until you showed them to me. I lost you, and at first I thought I was fine, But I couldn't stop thinking about you, afterwords I made up my mind I wanted to protect you. I was stupid and hurt you and I couldn't bear to make you cry again. I want to be able to protect you for the rest of my life."
Alfred reached out and wiped a tear away, before giving her a tender smile.
"Alfred, when I first met you, I you gave me hope that this 'New World' would be better than the one I left behind. I was surprised at first when I met you; I had felt I had seen you before. Then you left and I was pushed into a hole in my heart in didn't even know was there. Over time however you didn't stay in that rift like I had, instead you reached out to me. It reminded me of a time long gone and that hole in my heart was filled again, and I started to remember just why I always fall I love with idiots, because you put a sun in my gloomy world." Elizabeth smiled at the end and they both turned back to Germany.
Peter walked up and handed them two rings on a little pillow. Elizabeth thanked Peter and hugged him before turning back to Alfred.
"Do you, Elizabeth Kirkland, take Alfred F. Jones to be your husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
Elizabeth nodded and said in a shaking voice, "I do."
She took his ring and slipped it onto Alfred's ring finger.
"And do you, Alfred F. Jones, take Elizabeth Kirkland to be your wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
"I do," Alfred's smile was even brighter than it had been when the ceremony first began.
He gently took Elizabeth's hand as if he were afraid he would lose Elizabeth again and didn't want to break her. He gently placed the ring on its rightful finger, staring into Elizabeth's shinning emerald green eyes the entire time.
"Then it is my pleasure to now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride."
Alfred laughed a bit as he swooped down to claim Elizabeth as his own. Finally after so many centuries, she was his. When they broke apart the room erupted in cheering and clapping. Alfred scooped Elizabeth up, much to her surprise; at least she wasn't wearing a long train or short skirt this time. Alfred walked (carried) her out the door to the photographer in the back of the garden. Already waiting for them was England's bridesmaids and flower girl: Taiwan, Ukraine, Belarus, Seychelles, Hungry, France, Belgium, Vietnam, Norway, and Liechtenstein.
Hungry was the first to run up to them and congratulate them, all the while trying to get the confetti out of their hair, as they had been tossing it at the door when they came out. Alfred's 'backup' as he liked to tease them were: Canada, Japan, Poland, Russia, Austria, Italy, Spain, Lithuania, South Italy, Prussia, and China. They all lined up next to the couple and took pictures. It the very last photo right as the photographer was about to take the shot, Alfred grabbed Elizabeth's wrist, dipped her, and before she could say anything, gave her a kiss Hollywood would try to replicate for decades to come.
First of all I wanna thank all of my readers who have read this story all the way through and stuck with me threw it!this is the (unofficial) end. I got one more chapter as a sort of epilogue if you wish to read it, :3! Why I had Alfred's point of view was for the first part of the chapter is I couldn't think of another way to really portray that first part, and more importantly I wanted Alfred to tell it. I hope this doesn't impact the flow of the story to much though. I appreciate all the kind reviews and critiques that I get and I hope all of you will read some of my other stories as well!