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Chapter 28: Aurora borealis

"How do I look?" Tsuna asked in a tensed voice, smoothing imaginary creases on his clothing for the umpteenth time. Haru having decided to choose the colors of the royal family as a reminder of his origins and position, he was dressed in a rich dark blue tunic embellished with silver embroidery on the front, and black pants and boots.

"Like a true king, Your Majesty," the High Advisor replied, amused. He could have sworn that the Sky mage was less nervous when he fought Xanxus. "We should head to the altar. It would not do for you to take longer than the bride. One might think that you have second thoughts."

"No, absolutely not! I'm just…terrified of doing the wrong thing and ruin the ceremony."

"This is not what you should worry about. There is nothing complicated in that; you recite the vows, slip on the ring, enjoy the feast and demonstrate your stupendous progress in dancing. What comes after the festivities, on the other hand…" he grinned. Tsuna turned bright red. It was this moment that the Storm mage chose to enter.

"Everybody is seated, Your Majesty; it's time." He paused upon noticing his face. "Are you alright, Your Majesty?"

"Yes!" his friend quickly replied. "There is nothing to worry about." Gokudera nodded, and then escorted them before joining the other Guardians and Hana, who was the bridesmaid.

As the guests started whispering in awe and excitement, Tsuna turned to the doors of the church, and his breath caught in his throat. At the arm of her father who was sporting a broad smile, slowly walking, was Lady Kyoko. She was stunning in her blue and silver dress, the long vaporous sleeves swaying elegantly at each of her steps. Flowers adorned her lustrous golden brown hair that was gathered in a braid falling over one of her shoulders. She smiled to him all the way, and the Sky mage was certain that his expression reflected how he was hopelessly in love, but he did not mind at all. She placed herself on his left side, facing him.

"We are here to celebrate the union of King Tsunayoshi Sawada, Vongola X, ruler of the Sky kingdom, and Lady Kyoko of House Sasagawa," the priest began. "Is there anybody that knows a reason why they should not be married? Speak now or stay silent forever." As no one said anything in the audience, he then asked the same question to the couple.

"No, we don't," they replied in unison, gazing at each other. Ryohei then stepped forward, carrying the rings.

"King Tsunayoshi Sawada, do you agree to take Lady Kyoko of House Sasagawa as your wife, and promise to protect her and to cherish her in poverty and wealth, in illness and health, until your last breath?"

"Yes, I do." He took the ring and slipped it on her finger.

"Lady Kyoko of House Sasagawa, do you agree to take King Tsunayoshi Sawada, heir of House Sawada, Vongola X and ruler of the Sky kingdom as your husband, promise to be a loving and devoted wife, to cherish him in poverty and wealth, in illness and health, until your last breath, and to support him in the protection of his people as the Queen of the Sky kingdom?"

"Yes, I do," she replied before slipping the ring on his finger.

"By the powers and authority that have been granted to me, I declare you husband and wife, king and queen. You may kiss the bride."

Leaning forward, he gently cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers under the cheers and applause of the guests.

Tsuna, Kyoko, their relatives and the High Advisor were sitting at the table of honor placed near the throne, which gave them a view on the great hall decorated with the colors of the royal family, and the guests enjoying the feast and the music.

"Words fail me to describe how happy I am, Your Majesty," cried Lady Sasagawa, a curvy woman with long light blond hair and blue eyes, overcome by emotion. Her husband patted her hand gently.

"We are indeed very grateful and honored to be a part of your family."

"It was high time!" Lady Sawada cut in. "I was starting to believe that my son would never gather the courage to confess his love, and that I would have to push him into the arms of your wonderful daughter!"

"Mother!" he winced, appalled.

"What?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "That's the truth."

"I am glad that he eventually did," Kyoko replied genuinely as she took the hand of the Sky mage and squeezed it. She could see a hint of surprise in his brown eyes as he turned to her, and then he reciprocated the gesture, a light smile on his lips.

The rest of the diner unraveled without further embarrassment for the king, which had maybe something to do with the Sun Archmage watching closely Lady Sawada and her intake of wine, although Tsuna knew that he was certainly not the last when it came to teasing him.

Then, the royal couple opened the ball, gliding and twirling on a music played exceptionally by Gokudera, lost in each other's eyes. As the music ended, Tsuna and Kyoko left the floor, leaving room for the other guests.

"My congratulations, King Tsunayoshi and Queen Kyoko," Dino Chiavarone said as he joined them. "May your life be long and prosperous, and your marriage happy."

"Thank you, Lord Chiavarone," replied the daughter of Lord Sasagawa.

"We wish you the same thing, my friend," the younger Sky mage replied.

"I am afraid that marriage won't happen anytime soon for me. But in the meantime, may I borrow your charming wife for a dance, Your Majesty?" he asked before adding with a smile. "I promise to give her back to you."

"You may." As he watched the two of them join the circle of dancers, he noticed a man with long black hair who was coming toward him. He was sporting two black marks on his cheek, the same he had on the day of their encounter. It felt to him as if it was ages ago, in another life time.

"I'm happy to see you again, my friend," smiled the son of Lady Sawada.

"I thank Your Majesty for the invitation; it's an honor," he replied with a bow of his head. "And I wish you and Queen Kyoko a happy life."

"Thank you. And you, Lancia? How are you?"

"I finally found a place to settle down. It's a small village, on the southern coast of the Sky kingdom. I protect ships against pirates and bandits."

"I'm glad to hear that," Tsuna replied with sincerity. "Queen Aria is indeed quite busy with them, and there are rumors that a new pirate lord arrived recently."

"I also heard rumors from the Sky kingdom, and I can see that they were true. You named Chrome as your Mist Guardian," he said, watching the young illusionist dressed in a lovely pink dress talk with Haru and Takeshi.

"Yes, indeed."

"I suppose Your Majesty is aware of her tights bounds with that man." His face was set, and his expression serious.

"Yes, she told me how Mukuro saved her, and I am aware that he can control her body. I understand your concern, Lancia, but Chrome is not him. She helped us on numerous occasions."

"That's not exactly what I meant, Your Majesty, although it's true," he said grimly, eliciting a questioning look from the king. "Her body is not the only thing that belongs to Mukuro. If she had to choose between saving him and saving Your Majesty, there is little doubt about what she would to."

"I trust her," he replied firmly. The mercenary studied him for a moment.

"I apologize if I offended you, Your Majesty. I did not mean to put your judgment into question; I trust you. I simply wanted to make sure that you had a full understanding of the situation, to avoid unpleasant surprises."

"I know you mean well, but there is no need to worry," the Sky mage assured him. "Have some fun, enjoy the festivities."


The warmth of the great hall having become almost suffocating for her, Haru went to the balcony. She was enjoying the cool sensation of the evening breeze on her face, when she sensed the presence of someone next to her. Turning slightly, she almost startled as she saw that it was Gokudera. However, he did not say anything nor acknowledge her.

"What do you want?" she asked after a moment.

"A man cannot enjoy some fresh air and peace?" he replied. She gave him a look that told him to not take her for a fool, but he did not respond.

"You kept your word," he remarked suddenly, breaking the silence that had settled once again between them. Confused, she opened her mouth to ask him what he was exactly talking about, but then closed it abruptly as realization dawned on her.

"Indeed. As you can note I am not in tears or drowning my sorrow in wine," she hissed. "Nor did I speak up to interrupt the ceremony and prohibit their marriage."

"If you did as much as move your lips, I would have shut you up immediately," he replied, fully facing her.

"I would have loved to see that," she mocked.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked with a hint of a smile. She arched an eyebrow.

"If I did not know you better, I might think that you are seducing me, Captain."

"Don't take your dreams for realities, woman," he smirked.

"What…I-I'm not…!" she stammered, horrified at his insinuation that she was attracted to him. Vexed, she stared stubbornly ahead of her, determined to ignore him. But her resolution wavered as she sensed his gaze on her.

"What?" she snapped.

"In addition of foreign languages, did your father teach you how to dance?" She stared at him, taken aback.

"Yes, he did," she replied.

"I hope my toes won't regret it" he mocked as she took the hand he was holding out to her. They joined the dancers standing in line, catching the attention of several of them who looked at them in open curiosity.

"That's exactly what I was going to say," she replied as they took position. His eyes widened, and then his lips stretched into a smile.

They danced facing each other, and as they moved to change partner the Storm Guardian noticed that Bianchi was with Dino Chiavarone. He found himself paired with a noblewoman who poorly concealed her displeasure to be with him, before changing again and go back with Haru, who had her eyes riveted on his clothing. He had chosen a light gray tunic that was subtly shimmering, matched with white pants and boots. She also noticed that he had completely tied his hair.

"Admiring your work?" he asked, prompting her to finally look at him.

"I could, since it is excellent work."

"Humble, much?" he snorted. She glared at him in annoyance.

"You could admit it's the truth, or at least say so despite not thinking it."

"I won't lie to satisfy your ego, woman," he replied with disapprobation.

"It's called being polite, or agreeable. You should try it sometimes," she shot back. They stopped moving as the dance came to an end, and recognizing the next for being much more acrobatic and one where they would have to be close, they both agreed to leave the floor.

"Why did you choose these colors for me? All the outfits you showed me were in those colors," Gokudera asked, watching Lambo guiding I-pin in her jump. It did not surprise him at all that the son of the head of the mountain clan would have a liking for this type of dance. He liked to be noticed, as it was indicated by his clothing consisting of a forest green doublet with long split sleeves and rich embroidery, which contrasted nicely with his dark pants and boots.

"I wanted to show another aspect of you, one that is unknown by most. Besides, you are always in dark colors or red, which can be seen as an energetic color but also aggressive," she explained. "But if you don't like it, I can still fetch the first outfit I showed you." He stared at her, not sure to have heard her correctly.

"You made it?"

"Of course," she replied as if it was completely normal.

"Are you sure you did not drown your sorrow in wine?" She slapped his arm in indignation, although he could tell that it was not meant to hurt him.


Sipping her glass of wine, Hana was quietly watching couples dance, when she noticed a group of young men looking in her direction, certainly daring each other to invite her. Her suspicions were confirmed when one of them mustered the courage to approach her, all smile. She took a long gulp of her drink, already knowing what she was going to tell him, when he suddenly came to a halt, looking uncertain and even frightened. She frowned as she watched him hurry back to his friends. If it had not been for the shadow that fell on her, she could have thought that she deterred him with one of her glares. She sighed.

"Why are you here?"

"It's the king's wedding and that of my sister. Why would I not be here?" the knight replied, confused. She grumbled internally. Of course he would misunderstand.

"Why are you standing next to me, Ryohei?" she clarified.

"It's easier for me to watch over my sister from here; I have a better view."

"Is that so?" she replied dryly. There were so many people that she could not even catch a glimpse of her friend, and she highly doubted that it was not the same for the Sun Guardian despite his height. They stayed there in silence, her pretending to not have understood what he did, and him pretending to not have lied.

"I want to dance," she declared as she stood up abruptly. He turned his head toward her.

"Enjoy your dance, Lady Kurokawa," he smiled before reporting his attention on the guests. She refrained from rolling her eyes or burying her face in her hand, staring at him pointedly instead.

"I want to dance," she repeated, stressing each of her words. Surprised flickered across his face as he finally understood what she was saying.

"It would be my pleasure, Lady Kurokawa," he smiled as he took her hand.


With the festivities and the discussions with his friends, Tsuna had almost forgotten about his former anxiety. However, it came back full force when it was time for his wife and him to spend the night together, which the guests did not fail to remind them by singing and laughing. The royal couple left the great hall for the royal chamber, with Gokudera fending off anyone who was unconscious enough to try to grab a piece of the Queen's clothing, as it was believed that it brought luck. To him it was highly disrespectful to do that to the queen, and he was also certain that Haru would be enraged to see her work ruined. He escorted them to the bedroom, checked that no one was inside, and awkwardly bid them goodnight before leaving.

As the door closed, they found themselves alone and Tsuna ran a hand in his hair, not sure about what to do or say. He wanted this night to be theirs, to be special. His doubts and worry vanished when Kyoko gave him a shy smile, and gently took his hand before guiding him to the bed.