The chapter everyone will love me for... enjoy...

Folken stood next to Van and waited patiently for Marissa to walk down the aisle.

It was noon and the time for the ceremony to begin. Or actually, it should have begun almost ten minutes ago but his betrothed still didn't arrived.

The priests that stood in front of the altar were actually bored by now. Not to mention they were hot under the summer sun as was their king that was forced to stand still in his full royal attire. The main priest leaned closer to his helper and whispered "Maybe she won't come." But just then the horns signaled the bride is arriving. The lower priest leaned and whispered back "We aren't that lucky."

Van took a deep breath and glanced at Folken. He was completely shocked upon seeing his brother smiling happily. His first thought was the sun had somehow infected on his mind. But when their eyes met Van could see his brother was truly happy and not mentally challenged.

Millerna and Merle were walking together, each holding a Fanelian banner. And behind then walked She. The woman he would be married to for the rest of his life.

But, even if he didn't want it, Van had to admit himself she looked like a true goddess.

The pure white dress was made out of the finest silk and fir perfectly to her upper body making most of the men present envy Van on his beautiful bride, or rather on his bride's body. The bottom hem was decorated with what seemed to be thousands of white crystals that glistered on the sun. Around her thin waist was a gold embolden belt with the green stone in the center.

Van ignored his heart's messages to run. But his mind was telling him it wouldn't be good for him if he did so, heck that would probably mark his grand-grand-grandchildren as potential runaways. So he continued to wait as his bride glided towards him.

Her long veil was trailing for another several feet behind her but in front it just barely covered the top of her shoulders and the young kind did a double take when he noticed something on her that shouldn't be there.

When she stepped next to Van he take a better look and closed his eyes to control himself, more specifically his anger. He opened his eyes and looked at the covered face, the veil wasn't as translucent he believed it would be. That was too bad, because he wanted for Marissa to clearly see that rage in his eyes. He just couldn't believe she had dared to do such a thing.

Around her neck was a gold necklace with a single emerald hanging on it. He knew that piece of jewelry quite well considering he was the one who bought it-for Hitomi.

Even if Marissa saw the daggers his eyes were sending her way she showed no signs of discomfort or regret for taking a gift another received. To Van that necklace symbolized his promise to Hitomi. His pledge he would be there for her whenever she needed help.

Somehow in his eyes that token and his promise seemed tainted now.

The priest knew nothing of his king's rage or of the future queen's choice of jewelry so he just started the ceremony that will last for three whole hours.

"Centuries ago when the first Fanelian king bonded himself to his beloved the long line of Fanel family was firmed. A now we have the honor to witness the continuation of that same line. Once more the king will welcome a woman to his palace and with her forma a bond that would last for all eternity." The priest had a monotone voice that made everyone drowsy, some who were sitting in the back yawned and closed their eyes openly showing the ceremony was deadly boring "But not only the king had obligations towards his wife. The duties of every queen were the same since out first queen sat on the throne." He looked sternly at the woman in front of him that stood silently next to his king "Today you pledge your like to the king of Fanelia but you also pledge to the people. You must show patience and tolerance, integrity and austerity. You must be willing to sacrifice all your possessions for the good of your people and for their well being."

Van was side-glancing at Marissa the whole time the priest was talking about her obligations as the queen and was a bit surprised when she showed no discomfort when the sacrifice was mentioned. It was like she was a complete different person.

"King Van Fanel, do you willingly accept this woman to be your wife and queen, to have her rule by your side and bear your children?" the priest asked eyeing the young ruler.

As much as van wanted to say 'hell no' he knew that would only postpone the inevitable. The wedding would simply be organized again and again and again until he did as many wanted and married the princess of Ezgardia.

He took a deep breath and said a bit louder then in a whisper "I accept this woman as my wife and queen, I shall have her ruling by my side and with her continue the line of the ruling family of Fanelia."

The king of Ezgardia who was sitting in the first row was nodding his head pleased Van hadn't backed out of it. Not that backing out at this moment would help anyway. To many were supporting him and that was more then obvious in the past two weeks since the wedding date was announced.

"May the Gods bless this marriage and the children that would come with time." The priests said together before the main priest nodded to Folken, giving the prince a signal to have him the rings.

Van took the small gold band and placed it easily on the finger of the woman he could now call his wife and moments later she had copied him movements and placed a ring on his. Van closed his eyes like admitting defeat. It was truly over. The one he loved was lost to him.

"And now my king, it is time for the final part of the ceremony." The priest said and Van looked at him. He was surprised the three hours almost passed.

The ladies-in-waiting once more lifted the red banners and turned to the left towards the entrance of the courtyard gates. They were heading to the city on the lower lever where Van could present the new queen to the people.

It was little before three when the singers and dancers stopped their performance and joined the gathered crowd on the largest square where their king was expected to come in just several minutes.

The solders positioned all over the large square as the ones placed for protection of the royal couple on each side of the large podium were a bit taken back.

The moral of the people was unusually high after an entire year of openly showed disagreement with the choice of their king's bride. It was a well known they didn't liked princess Marissa and yet they were laughing, dancing and generally having a good time even though the king is about to present that same woman as their queen.

Little did the solders know about the rumor that spread through the city. The citizens kept it as secret as possible, never talking about it in a public place. Of course, it was just a rumor and never confirmed by anyone of the main actors but the mere thought it could be true overwhelmed everyone.

The long procession reached the square in less then ten minutes and two people climbed the wooden stairs of the podium. The people observed their king, looking strong and proud in the royal attire and then they would throw glances to the woman on his right.

Merle who was standing right next to the stairs turned her head to Folken who was standing behind her and whispered "Something doesn't smell right."

He leaned closer and whispered "Danger?"

The neko shook her head "No, nothing like that. I'm talking about human smell. Someone doesn't smell right but I just don't know who."

The prince tried to distract her from sniffing the air so he whispered back to her "I bathed this morning."

His plan worked. Merle forgot about what she was doing and instead focused on the couple above. She could only see their backs now though. And that is when she noticed the difference. She wanted to say something about it when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Glancing back to Folken she could see he already knew.

But by the time she recovered from that shock it was to late. Van had already started to talk.

"People of Fanelia! After many years of waiting I have the pleasure to inform you both chairs in the throne room now have an owner. No longer is our homeland partial!" he forced the words he really didn't want to say out of his mouth before he took a deep breath and turned to his wife. She followed his movements and faced him at the same time. He couldn't see the smile of his face yet but she could see the sadness in his eyes.

Van just took the bottom of the veil in his gloved hands when a commotion among the royal guests reached his ears. He ignored it as unimportant and muttered the final words of the ceremony "I present you my wife, queen-"

"Van!" a loud cry was heard and he looked down to the person standing in front of the stairs. Shock was clearly visible on his face when his eyes met the ones he had expected to be under the veil in his hands.

He could see his brother grinning from ear to ear, something he hadn't see in years and then turned his attention back to the one in front of him. He held his breath and lifted the veil.

Applause echoed though the open square as the woman's face became visible. Van actually blinked twice to make sure he was seeing right.

Now everything made sense!

The times Folken had those long walks to the city to get some stuff for the wedding, the leopard-women questioning some of the older maids about sewing and embroidery, Hitomi avoiding eye contact. Now he could understand why.

The people were now waiting patiently for what their king would do. The situation was certainly interesting. But van didn't managed to say a single word when the king of Ezgardia stepped next to his daughter "Fanel, this needs to be fixed!"

Van knew ha had no other choice but to bet everyone in a meeting room right now; many of the royal guests looked infuriated at the move made directly against the fellow king. Van turned back to the girl in front of him and smiled slightly. Only in his dreams did he saw Hitomi standing on the place she was now.

The tension in the large meeting room was suffocating. And for the first time Van was more then willing to let someone else sit on the head of the table if that would mean that other person would take the heat.

Everyone was putting him under great pressure, even greater then the one he was under in the middle of the war.

"And then I heard the click." Marissa was explaining what happened. She was standing on the other head of the table in her wedding dress Van concluded looked dull and plain now when he saw the one the leopard-women made for Hitomi.

"I have never before came across such a lack of respect towards a royalty!" king of Ezgardia said angry before turning to Van "I demand that you break the bond with that girl and act according to the word your father gave me and marry the one who was raised to marry you!"

"And what about the one who was born to marry him?" Naria whispered to her sister. Two nekos were eavesdropping on the other side of the door and tried to imagine the red face of the Ezgardian king as he fumed in anger.

Van looked out the window towards two orbs already visible high in the sky before he nodded and stood up "I will talk to Hitomi about this."

"Damn strait you will!" Millerna snapped at him, she was just as angry as everyone else "It's about time someone tells here there is no place or need for her here anymore. The war is over."

Van looked at her and said coldly "There will always be a place for Hitomi in my palace. I don't forget that easily I am still alive because she was there to help, not like others do."

The blond queen looked insulted on his words but didn't say another word.

Van opened the door without knocking and stepped into the room. He knew she was waiting for him and the verdict.

Young king remained silent for several moments, just watching the beauty that sat calmly on the chair in front of the open window. She was looking towards the city from where the calls of people could be heard. They wanted to see their queen. And she wanted to see them. But the politics came before.

"They have put me under a quite a pressure." Van said sadly.

"I will agree with everything you decide." Hitomi said back calmly.

Van sighed "Hitomi, the position you have put me in-"

"I know Van." She turned to him "But if you expect me to say I'm sorry for what we had done… well, I'm not." She was serious and Van just shook his head.

"Neither am I." He admitted "Having you as my queen… as my wife… it was something I had only dared to dream about. But the other rulers-"

"Van, if that is what 'you' want, then break the bond. I could never hold that against you." Hitomi smiled sadly and Van did the only thing he felt was right at that moment; he stepped closer and hugged her tightly. Hitomi sniffed and whispered "At least I can say I was married to you, even if it lasted for only a moment. It was one moment longer then Elora had."

One more chapter to go... please let me know what you think...