Okay ~draws a deep breath~, here it is...



Chapter 8-
Promises

Early the next morning, Van had announced that the wedding would be held in three days' time. The news was met with mixed reactions from people who were counting on it for the last couple of days, and from those who were glad to have a longer party. The latter group was the most numerous and it wasn't long before the shops, schools, and businesses were all closed for the rest of the week.

Now, it was the day before the wedding. Van smiled as he walked through Fanelia. He had never seen the people so happy, and it was all because of a celebration for a big change of his life. He browsed items for sale(from the shops that stayed open to sell bridal goods), inspected the pastries, and checked out the finery that would be commonplace to wear at the wedding. Now in Fanelia, everyone could afford this; such was the general prosperity the King had brought to them. If there were someone who could not afford it, though, people pitched in and donated to them. The citizens of Fanelia had always been renowned as generous.

However, today Van wasn't just out for a leisurely stroll. He was expecting guests from Genduta and other allied countries to arrive today. Wishing to make a good impression, he left the festivities early and went back to his manor to wait for them. He would be greeting them by himself, since Faye was busy preparing Hitomi's dress, and she needed Hitomi to do the measurements. He looked around the main hall when he entered his manor. It was already decorated in preparation for tomorrow, but at that moment it was deserted. Everyone was off getting themselves ready for the wedding, especially the women.

Van's eyes travelled down the red-carpeted aisle, where he knew he would be at about that time tomorrow. He wondered about what would happen afterward. Everything would probably just go back to normal, except that he would have a wife to share his life with. As well, he always wanted Hitomi to stay with him. She had said she would, and Van knew he could trust her promises. If things had not worked out as they had, would he be anticipating a wedding with Hitomi as his bride? Van walked over to the pews, sitting down inside one of them. As he was absorbed in his thoughts, a group of people entered the room. Van turned around to see who they were and smiled when he saw Faye's relatives approaching him. Standing up, he went over to them as well.

"Friends, how are you doing?" Van extended his hand in friendship to an elderly man he guessed to be Faye's grandfather. He took Van's hand with a smile.

"How do you do, sir?" he said, "Welcome to our family." Van greeted all the guests which included cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Then a young man about a few years older than Van approached him, shaking his hand as he placed a wary eye on Van. He was handsome, with light sandy-coloured hair and a lean build, bearing a striking resemblance to Faye herself.

"Nice to meet you- that is-" Van began. The young man smiled, casting off his suspicion.

"I'm Faye's older brother, Tobias de Genthilia. I've heard a great deal about you, Van Fanel. I'm sure my sister will be happy with you." Van nodded, replying, "I can see you love your sister a great deal. Don't worry, I will take good care of her for you, I swear it." When he said this, Tobias let go of Van's hand and bowed to him before he made his exit with the other relatives. Van felt better knowing that he had the trust of his future in-laws.

The sun began to sink below the hills above Fanelia as Van made his way out of the hall toward his room. The superstition of 'not seeing the bride before the wedding' still held him strong as he walked past her room, pausing for a minute. Van knew that Hitomi must be in there as well, but he kept his eyes down as he resumed his way to his room, prepared to get a good sleep for tomorrow.

. . .

Hitomi stood stark still as Faye wrapped the fabric over her head. She couldn't help squirming as the silkiness of it tickled her skin.

"Hold still, Hitomi. I have to pin it in place and then you can move a little." Faye put some pins in her mouth as she clutched the end of the fabric. It didn't look much like a dress yet, at least not to Hitomi, but then this must be how they made dresses in Genduta. Hitomi was curious about Faye's homeland, and Faye had many stories to tell about it.

"The first thing I noticed about how different Fanelia was from Genduta was that there is actual greenery." Hitomi laughed at the way Faye had said it. Faye continued.

"And the trees and shrubs! They are so large and have plump leaves. The trees in Genduta are dry as a bone. As well, I've never seen so much rain in my life!" she commented. "I stood outside just letting it fall on my skin the first night I was here. It felt so wonderful..." She sighed. Hitomi looked down at her from her perch on a small stool.

"I think you'll really like it here, Faye. I know I did." Faye looked up at her.

"You've been here before? Van did tell me... that he loved another at one time..." She let her arms fall to her sides. Hitomi shook her head quickly.

"Now don't you worry, Faye. That was a long time ago. I know you and Van will be happy together. It's your destiny." Faye gazed up at her, her expression of worry turning into a smile.

"You're right. Thank you, Hitomi." Then she stood up straight. "Well, I'd better stop moping around and get your dress finished!" So Faye set to work, pinning pieces of silk fabric and frills to the dress and finally sewing them on permanently. It was a nice light blue colour, the colour of a robin's egg, and the white lace that was added to it gave it the appearance of pure white snow. It would be strapless, resembling an evening gown, except for the white lace that would cover her neck area. The long white gloves added to the white of the lace on her dress. Upon her feet, Faye had bought clear white low-heeled shoes.

When Hitomi looked into the full-length mirror, she was amazed at the beauty who stared back. Hitomi turned around, declaring, "If my dress looks this good, I can't wait to see yours!" She felt excited all of a sudden, so excited that she grabbed Faye's hands and swung her around the room, laughing as she did. The younger girl softened, eventually giving way to a grin and a giggle at their giddiness. When the two had stopped, Faye sat down on the bed, still smiling as she caught her breath.

"Oh Hitomi. I've never had so much fun in my life." she admitted. Hitomi stood in front of the mirror again, still unable to believe the gorgeous garments she wore were hers. Then she turned around.

"Neither have I. In fact, how about we make this wedding the best time either of us has ever had? Wait, I know!" An idea suddenly hit Hitomi, for something she had not done for a long time. She approached Faye and said to her, "How about I read your fortune? A princess like you probably has a great deal in store for her." Faye blushed, but nodded. "Okay." she agreed. Hitomi ran to get her cards, which were still in her raincoat pocket. What luck she had brought them! She sat down next to Faye, who eyed the cards with ignorance.

"You tell fortunes with cards?" she inquired. Hitomi nodded as she shuffled through the pack, showing her each card.

"Every card has a meaning, and each meaning has something to do with your fortune." Hitomi explained.

"How accurate is it?" Faye asked with an air of suspicion. Hitomi laughed at her realistic outlook.

"It depends on the fortune teller. If she knows what she's doing, then the fortune may come true. However, there's no guarantees." She shuffled the cards once again and took a spot on the ground, gesturing to the spot ahead of her for Faye.

"Anyway, it's all just for fun." she concluded as Faye sat down.

"In my country, fortune telling is an art. We primarily ask the stars for guidance about that kind of matter. Everyone takes his given fortune seriously. I don't know how they do it in Fanelia, but fortune telling for fun sounds interesting. Go right ahead. Tell my fortune." she smiled so as to give her encouragement. Hitomi selected cards from various places in the deck and lay them face down on the floor. Three of the cards she placed together. She wanted to switch them around, but figured she may as well leave them alone since she had already put them there.

"Now, here's the moment of truth..." Hitomi said mysteriously. Faye leaned in closer as Hitomi flipped over the first card. La Stella. A fate read in the stars.

"Wow, that's a good card. This marriage was meant to be. It was known long ago by the stars." Faye smiled, interested in the first card. Then Hitomi turned over the first in the set of three she had lay down. Love. Hitomi smiled. This fortune seemed true to life with this card.

"Love. Oh, Faye, it's really the best card in the deck. Well, let's see what goes with it." She turned over the second card of the three.

"Ace of Serpents. Courage. That's odd.." Hitomi started to get a weird feeling about this fortune. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"It will take courage to go through with your marriage. Let's see what the last one has to say." Hitomi was still unsure about it as she held the remainder of the deck, so as she reached nervously for the last card, she scooped it up to look at it. Hitomi nearly feel over in horror when she saw what card it was. Death. Didn't she always take that card out when she did fortunes for fun? Nobody liked Death to be in their fortunes, even in ones like these. Hitomi began to shake.

"Hitomi? Is there anything wrong?" Faye looked concerned. Hitomi didn't want Faye to see this; she seemed like a worrisome girl. Quickly, while Faye was concerned about her, Hitomi switched the Death card with the Emperor, a sign of good fortune.

"Nothing, I was just afraid I had forgotten the meaning of this card, but I remember now..." Hitomi turned the Emperor card toward her.

"The Emperor. Don't worry, many good things will come from this marriage." She smiled reassuringly, more for herself than for Faye. Faye looked amazed.

"Hitomi, you're really good at this. Have they ever been right?" she asked. Hitomi looked down at the cards in her lap.

"No... they haven't." she replied.

. . .

The next day was sunny and clear. It was perfect for Van and Faye's wedding. People moved around quickly, setting up the last minute decorations and things like that. Hitomi hung the red and white roses from the white arch upon the altar that the bride and groom would say their vows under. Hitomi stepped back, admiring her work, just as Merle rushed over.

"Hitomi! Hitomi! I can't find my purple violets!" she cried. "Could you help me out find where I misplaced them?" Hitomi nodded. She liked the violets; they were perfect for a wedding since they represented faithfulness, so no wedding would be complete without them. Merle was the flower girl, and she told Hitomi that she was getting so sick of flowers that she didn't want to look at another one again for a long time. Hitomi found the violets under one of the reception chairs in the garden. Merle ran off with them, declaring she had now lost her pansies. Hitomi smiled after her as she hurried into the crowd, looking for her fellow bridesmaids, who were mostly made up of Faye's female cousins. Hitomi sat among them as she waited for the wedding to begin, creating flower crowns for each of them from the flowers Merle had misplaced (of which there were a lot).

Hitomi stood up and walked to the corner of the room, looking out the window, as the bridesmaids admired their crowns. Hitomi clutched her bouquet, which mostly contained daisies. The day was so beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. As she stood there deep in her own thoughts, a figure came up and rested next to her. Hitomi felt that person's shadow and turned around. Allen! He continued to gaze out the window even after she discovered he was there. She couldn't see the expression on his face because of the glare from the window.

"Allen?" she whispered. Finally, he looked down at her and she could see his face clearly. He wore an expression of pity that Hitomi didn't like at all.

"Stop it, Allen!" she yelled in exasperation, although he had not uttered a word. "This is the way it has to be! He needs a woman who will always be there for him, and- and I'm not that kind of woman! I don't need anybody!" When she looked up at Allen again, she saw his face had not changed. After she saw it, she threw down her bouquet and clenched her fists, stifling her sobs. Allen reached for her and embraced her, and she accepted him. They stood in the corner for awhile until Hitomi realized their exposure. Quickly, she pulled away from him and wiped her eyes.

"Hey, what am I crying for? I'm a bridesmaid, and she must always have a smile on her face. Goodbye, Allen." She bowed slightly as she left the silent Allen, who gazed after her, his face unchanged. She knew she shouldn't have yelled, there was no reason to. What was wrong with her? Hadn't she accepted this marriage yet? In her mind, and partially in her heart, yes she had, but it still struck her hard. Hitomi let her mind wander, trying to get it off her feelings, but she only thought about Faye's fortune. How had the Death card managed to sneak into the deck? Hitomi figured it was just her own carelessness, and dismissed it as she made her way into the main hall. The wedding would start soon.

. . .

Hitomi found Faye in her room. The dress she wore gleamed as white as snow, so bright when coupled with the incoming sunlight that when she entered, Hitomi had to shield her eyes with her arm. Faye turned around, smiling broadly when she saw her.

"Oh my god, Hitomi! I can't believe I'm going down the aisle in a matter of minutes!" she greeted her, clasping her bouquet to her breast, breathing in heavily. Hitomi smiled at her enthusiasm. Faye was so beautiful. Her dress resembled her own, so Faye must have made it herself. Hitomi slipped the fragile veil over her face, as she placed yet another one of her flower crowns on her head. Faye was nearly in tears.

"You make Van happy, all right?" Hitomi said, giving her a hug. Faye hugged her back.

"Hitomi? Will you stay in Fanelia with us? I know it's sudden, but I feel so close to you... like you're my sister." Hitomi looked at her and nodded. "I will stay with you." The two were interrupted by the blare of ceremonial horns in the distance.

"I'd better get out there!" Hitomi exclaimed. "I'll see you up there." she winked as she left the room. Walking briskly down the hall, she met the other bridesmaids along the way. Hitomi sighed as the doors were opened by the knights, Allen among them. She held her head high as she walked past him, clenching her slightly ruffled bouquet in her gloved hands.

Van would be up there, she thought. Sure enough, as she made her way down the aisle, feeling almost lost amongst the others in the crowd of bridesmaids, she saw him, talking to one of his ambassadors. He looked fine in his dark, shining suit, the dark blue cape flowing from his shoulders, decorated with Fanelia's coat of arms. Upon his head, his golden circlet shone in the late morning sun, adding to his kingly attire. She loved him so much... she couldn't deny it, no matter what she said, thought, or did. Just then, Van turned his head in her direction, displaying a look that Hitomi understood instantly.

Everything will be all right, Hitomi, it said clearly. Hitomi closed her eyes and nodded, forcing a tight-lipped smile. She trusted him and believed him. It would be all right, as long as each knew the other was safe.

Hitomi took her place near the altar and stood among the bridesmaids. She looked down the aisle and saw the bride making her way down the aisle, supported by her father. Quickly, as if by instinct, Hitomi glanced at Van. His expression had changed to a tight smile upon seeing Faye, but in his eyes, Hitomi knew that he had come to love her.

When she had joined Van on the altar, Faye smiled so broadly that her eyes seemed to glimmer with tears. Van gave her his arm as the priest began the ceremony. Hitomi stood still, watching every minute. The priest was elderly; he stumbled over his words slowly. Finally, Van and Faye exchanged vows; he placed the ring on her finger. Hitomi fidgeted; sometimes it just felt like hell to keep her mouth shut, to keep from shouting out, "Van! You're making a mistake!" But she had made a promise to both of them; Faye and Van.

When the ceremony was half-way through, the bishop approached the bride and groom, holding a jewelled crown. Faye knelt down and he placed it on her head, moving his hands over her in a blessing gesture. She stood up again, holding Van's hand. The priest continued.

"Faye Genthilia, do you take Van Slanzar de Fanel, to be your husband and King?" Without hesitation, but yet wanting to savour the moment at the same time, Faye looked into his eyes and replied, "I do." The priest then turned to Van.

"Van Slanzar de Fanel, do you take Faye Genthilia, to be your wife and Queen?" Van looked from the priest to his bride, smiled and replied,

"I do."

And he leaned toward her and gently kissed her, as did she. A thunder of applause rose from the crowd, as many people rushed by Hitomi, bumping her shoulder as she clapped slowly. It had all passed by so quickly. Soon the crowd blocked her view of the departing newlyweds, showering them with rice and flowers as they did.

The crowd left the hall to start the feasting at the reception outside in the garden. Hitomi lagged behind, letting everyone go on ahead of her. As she approached the large marble fountain, which drained into the nearby river, Hitomi paused, glancing at her bouquet.

With a short flick of her wrist, she tossed the daisies into the fountain, and hurried to join the others. The daisies, a symbol for promises of false love, sank swiftly to the bottom of the fountain.


I guess you either love or hate it... well, any comments are welcomed as long as they're not death threats. (^_^)