It's like a spring of water, enough to cool you down, and help you draw out of the heat and remember things as they are and what they are supposed to be. Kiki's good at following the rules, good at knowing when to be quiet and when to speak up, and there is a rule to this. Even as she stands tall at his side and smiles ever so faintly towards the altar.
She and Zen are getting married, which will carry on the Seiran line and ensure that the Second Prince does not have a poor marriage nor a marriage with someone less than trustworthy. Kiki knows her rules, knows what's required of her, and knows how great this will look down her family line for years and years to come.
"Kiki?" Zen whispers during a few stolen moments where they have a chance to speak to each other or stand silent and perfectly together to appease the crowds that surround them and every noble and royal around.
"I'm here with you." And she reaches out and takes his hand in hers, and squeezes tight enough to reassure. Zen's hand is warmer than the both of them combined, and yet she stands her ground and makes it look as easy and effortless to be up here with her long term friend as possible.
"Thank you." And then they are pulled away from quiet conversation and into more wedding vows, more formal addresses that make them sound better and better than anything else could. With the right person, this could feel more genuine than ritual and be warm and inviting.
With the two of them, it's cool but not detached. They are up here, having braved many, many years of friendship and a pledge to marry for their families' sakes and not their own feelings. So, they stand with the coolness and composedness of authority, of obedience to what is right, and when they are free to step down, they do so together.
Kiki and Zen step down to where everyone else is, together, hands joined and smiles warm. And when they slip away from the festivities for the night, they hold onto each other and trust that their now different relationship is built on sturdy foundations.
One day, there will be more Seiran heirs, closely linked with the Wisteria family, and that day, a part of their task will be completed. Just the years of the promise, the rest of their lives, will still have to be walked as well.
