Hitomi spoke quietly but with an authority that she had always carried in her voice. Merle and Gaddes smiled at them and nodded. "Get some rest you two. Gaddes and I will take care of some of the details tonight while you sleep." Merle smiled and pushed the lovers down the hall towards Hitomi's quarters.
Looking about Hitomi hugged Van closely and kissed him softly. Her soft lips on his reminded him of just how much he was willing to give to have her with him in his life. Now he had her and happily enough they were in agreement on several things, including the fact that she would help ease the hurt feelings of the countries that would have benefited the most from his marriage with Narine.
"She isn't happy Hitomi and until I am certain that she is well away from here and on her way back to the lands of the east with her parents you may have to tolerate being under lock and key for a little while longer." Van looked at her worriedly as he knew that she hated being protected like this. He was hoping that she would understand that he was concerned about her well being and that he wanted nothing bad to happen to her in the meantime.
Hitomi looked a little upset at first but as she looked up into the eyes of her fianc? she understood why he was doing this and nodded. "I hate this, you know I can defend myself Van. However, if she is really that dangerous I would have Gaddes and Merle around when you are unable to be with me."
Van smiled in relief of her acceptance of his request. "As you wish, but tonight you will be under lock and key with me as I am going to try to spend as much time as possible with you before the wedding."
Leaning down slightly he captured her lips in his and found her unresisting as he picked her up and carried her the rest of the way to her room. It was obvious to anyone who might have been watching the two that they had harbored the deep emotions that they now showed so freely for a long time.
Once in her room Van laid Hitomi on the bed and kissed her gently as he got ready for bed. She had also gotten up and prepared for bed, it had been a silent agreement between them that they would not do anything until their wedding night. She trusted Van and knew that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her now or ever.
As they crawled into bed together Van gathered Hitomi up in his strong arms and kissed her at the shoulder. "I love you Hitomi."
"As I love you Van." That having been said they lay together in the darkness of the room waiting for sleep to claim them comfortably aware that they would no longer be alone in the worlds. The unusual young woman of the Mystic Moon and the young king of Fanelia had found each other to be their own soul mate.
The next day was busy for everyone as Hitomi went to fitting after fitting for her wardrobe as Fanelia's future queen. Per Van's orders she was allowed to have a few dresses that would be short enough for her to move about in swiftly should the need ever arise. Also included in the fittings were the fittings to start her wedding dress.
The air about the castle had relaxed considerably ever since Van announced that his engagement with Narine was canceled and that he was instead marrying Hitomi. The young woman found that she was well liked throughout the castle and throughout the city as well as she went from place to place either in the company of Merle or Gaddes. Even Gaddes had relaxed around her. He had known for sometime what the spirited woman's boundaries were and he knew how far he could push with out doing any damage to their lighthearted friendship.
Merle was just glad that Van had come to his senses in time to realize that he almost missed the one chance in his life to have Hitomi with him for the rest of his life. For that she was glad enough to play guardian to the girl that irritated her occasionally with her frank tongue and sharp ways. If Hitomi ever got too far on her nerves she would switch with Gaddes so that she would be allowed the chance to calm down and regain her composure.
She still teased Hitomi at times about the past. But much of it had been explained to her as to why Hitomi acted the way she did then and so it was a playful teasing and not the merciless needling of her own youth.
Hitomi however had some very specific ideas about wedding dresses and as much as she tried she knew that at best she was going to get a melding of her own ideas and tastes and the traditional Fanelian wear. Thankfully for them all that Van had given them all a little leeway in getting dresses made.
"No!" The sharp word brought Merle out of her ruminations to find Hitomi denying yet another set of ribbons and bows. Hitomi was a sensible girl and in being so had simple, sensible tastes.
Merle had no fault in this as she knew just how active the girl was and knew that ruffles, frills, ribbons and bows would just upset the woman. She decided to step in this time before Hitomi raised her voice again and drew Van from whatever meeting he was in at the time to settle things. "Shara, you need to remember that Lady Hitomi has simple sensible tastes. Ribbons and frills simply won't work for her. Start with a basic dress and then you and she can argue about decorations."
Hitomi shot Merle a look of gratitude and relief, as she really didn't want to have to get into another argument today. Merle shrugged it off knowing full well that to irritate Van would mean having to hunt down yet another seamstress.
All parties involved were glad of her common upbringing on her own world as he gave her a stable head on her shoulders to work with. Van may spoil her like the queen she was about to become but she was definitely too well mannered and casual to let it go to her head.
She and Van were unusual people on their own worlds, and for them it worked to their own advantage in the end that they were unusual.
As soon as the dress design was agreed on Hitomi started to relax about the process of the dressmaking. She would have daily fittings in the morning after her workouts so that would allow her time to actually wake up and get comfortable before she would have to stand like a mannequin.
Merle even applauded the dress, as it was definitely different. The differences fit Hitomi to a T and Van was going to fall over himself when he saw her in that dress. Merle giggled to herself upon imagining Van's reaction to seeing Hitomi in her wedding dress. Merle had to admit that it was going to draw comments from the other people that would be attending the wedding.
However she didn't think that Van and Hitomi were going to complain about the plain dress. There was gold trim as a mark of her status on the dress and the crown that would hold her veils. Other than that the dress was shades of blue and in a style that was a combination of the styles of dresses here on Gaea and a style of dress that was apparently native to her lands on the Mystic moon. The combination was stunning.
Even Gaddes was unable to say anything when he saw the agreed on sketch of the dress when it was his turn to take shift for bodyguard for Hitomi. He gawked and then nodded his approval knowing full well that the seamstress that was working with Hitomi was one that was very imaginative and easy to work with in other things.
As they left the room to let the woman get started on her dresses for the wedding and for everyday things Gaddes jiggled the woman's arm and thumbed down the hall. "You look like you have been cooped up too long. How bout a run Hitomi to get the kink's out of your system before you have to sit down again for a while?"
The suggestion was sound and sounded like fun to Hitomi and so she nodded. Around the palace she wore her skirts and shorts unless it was a cooler day, then she would wear her longer pants. But as it was she was in one of her skirts and was ready for a good run. Taking off into a slow jog to get the kinks worked out of her muscles and to warm up she found Gaddes keeping up easily with her.
As they ran about the halls of the palace at varying speeds they found themselves in areas not often used, and then in area that were used on a daily basis. Hitomi was going to have to ask some of that palace help about some of that when they all had the time to go on a more formal tour of the place. Especially now that she was going to have to know it inside out.
Her days continued to go along those lines with random interval visits from Van as he tried to keep up with her on her runs or as they went from class to class or fittings. He always stayed with her at night though and she knew that it was for the both of them.
Hitomi no longer needed the guard but preferred to keep one of the old group that Gaddes used to captain with her for company or one of the others with her. She had a lot of questions and she had an informal class time with Merle everyday at the times that Merle was around so that questions could be answered and laws discussed.
Days flew by and all too soon it was right on top of the wedding. The night before Van and Hitomi were not allowed to see each other. Gaddes stayed with Van and Merle stayed with Hitomi to make certain that they did not sneak out to see each other, as they all knew how close the two were.
It had taken Van a long time to admit his feelings for Hitomi. Now that he had, Merle and Gaddes were both determined to give them every chance to act on those feelings. For everyone that knew Van and Hitomi as well as his closest friends did, there was no better match for the two than each other.
Van would give the world to Hitomi had she asked for it, and Hitomi would give everything in her power to save Van and those she had come to think of as family on Gaea from the pain and the suffering that they all endured during the war.
As it was the soon to be wedded couple were going through little personal hells of their own as they stayed up most of the night, a little problem that was unknown to the other. Hitomi was nervous as any bride would be the night of her wedding and couldn't help but pace the room as she had all sorts of little scenarios play out in her mind.
Merle was having a hard time sleeping as it was as she was keeping an eye on Hitomi and trying to keep the woman calm. It was hard to believe that the woman that had faced down two of the most dangerous men on Gaea with out so much as flinching was this nervous about her wedding.
"Hitomi. You need to calm down and rest, I know that Van is as nervous as you are but there is no excuse for it. Nothing will go wrong at the wedding tomorrow and you two will finally be together as you both need." Merle walked over to the woman and hugged her.
"I am here to talk to so you don't need to go through all this alone you know." She muttered calmly as she hopped up on the bed and patted for Hitomi to sit next to her. Hit with sudden inspiration she smiled softly and as Hitomi sat next to the cat woman, Merle started humming.
It was an old song but the familiarity of the tune and the actions Merle went through soon had Hitomi relaxed and asleep. Dreams would invade the sleeping bride to be, but they would not be so alarming that they would wake her.
On the other side of the castle Van was having an equally hard time sleeping, but for a different reason. He was worried about Hitomi. This worry was taken out in a fight with Gaddes and a longer talk with the man, as Allen would be there in the morning. Gaddes knew what his former boss would say to Van and so took those words and tried to comfort Van as best he could until they both were so tired that they fell asleep for no other reason than they were tired.