Marriage vs. Love
The week past quickly for Sephiroth and he found himself impatiently awaiting his wedding day. On the other hand, the king was not so happy. He had hoped to find some reason to dismiss the girl, but she proved every bit as loving and caring as the prince told him. "You are sure of this?" He asked, once again stopping his pacing to look at his captain.
"Positive your majesty. I cannot find anything that proves her disloyal to either the kingdom or the prince." Vincent repeated for the fourth time that evening.
The wedding was set for tomorrow and the king was getting desperate. "And you've been keeping an eye on her at all times."
"Yes sire, she has always been in the presence of myself, or one of my most trusted guards."
The king nodded solemnly and dismissed Captain Valentine with only a slight wave of his hand as he settled into his chair beside the fireplace. Vincent bowed and left the room, heading directly for the prince's chambers. It's true at first he didn't trust the former flower girl, but the king was acting differently lately, strangely almost, and the girl's happy nature has almost grown on the typically emotionless Captain of the guard. So, he found it his duty to report these little meetings with Prince Sephiroth, forewarned is forewarned he always thought. Knocking on the door he entered after the summons, finding the prince lounging about on the two-seater near his fireplace. He took the opposite seat to the silver-haired prince when gestured to do so.
"What did he say this time?" Sephiroth asked, sitting up to face the captain.
"More what he didn't say, sire. I believe his majesty wishes to disrupt your wedding day." Vincent commented quietly.
"I see.." Sephiroth remarked with an amused grin. "And just how does he plan to do that I wonder, he did after all give his consent publicly, and it would be bad politics to revoke that now."
Vincent was about to bring up another point when a knock at the door interrupted him. At the prince's summons the door opened to admit the Lady Aeris, in a strikingly beautiful red dress, a shade not unlike Vincent's own cloak.
"Ah, my darling." Sephiroth exclaimed with a loving smile as he and Vincent both stood to receive Aeris' presence.
"I should get back to my duties." Vincent said with a bow to the prince and his lady, and with his dismissal he left the room. Closing the door behind him he turned to face Cloud and Zack. "Anything to report?"
"No 'sir." Zack said.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, 'sir." Cloud added.
"Very well." Captain Valentine said with a slight sigh. "Zack, I believe Lady Gainsborough trusts you.. You're assigned to her protection during tomorrow's festivities."
Zack nodded with a grin. "Thank you 'sir."
"Cloud," he said turning to face the blonde. "You're to help me with the welcoming of the visiting Lords and Ladies."
"Thank you 'sir."
"Very well, you're both dismissed until dawn break tomorrow." And with that he turned down the hall, his cloak flaring out behind him as he went to assign the other guards their duties for the wedding day.
* * * * *
The Kingdom of Midgar was bright with banners of red and black, the royal family's colors, in the clear spring air and folk had been flowing down all the roads to the immense camping ground near the main city. Sephiroth awoke just as the sky was lightening, what had roused him were unmistakable greetings of wedding guests, arriving after an overnight journey. His nose told him that the spits were already turning over open flames in the roasting pits and his stomach told him that he needed to fill it. He angled himself up into a sitting position and ran a hand through his hair as a gentle scratch was heard at the door of his bedroom. "Come!" He could smell the aroma of wine as soon as the door opened and a shy servant girl entered with a well-stocked tray. Once he had some wine he revived sufficiently to bath and dress in his new wedding finery. Black gloves, tights, boots and belt, and a red tunic with black embroidery. His hair was left to flow free, rather than in its usual tight braid and he sat at his window, looking out over the countryside and the camping grounds as he finished up what was left on his tray.
* * * * *
Walking down the hall just after dawn brake, Zack stopped just outside Lady Aeris' room and knocked gently, entering on command and walking over to the shutters, opening them as a servant placed a tray of food near the window. Gesturing for the servant to leave, Zack turned to face Aeris. "Good morning m'lady." He said with a bow. "And what a beautiful morning it is."
"Zack, have you been assigned as my guard today?"
"It is my pleasure, lady." He said with another bow and retreated to the outer chamber so she could have her privacy as she bathed and dressed. Awhile later Aeris emerged into the room. "Well, what do you think?" She asked with a smile.
Zack turned to face her. "Wow.." he was speechless as he looked her over. She wore an elegantly styled snow-white dress with gold trimming and embroidery. "You look.. wonderful." He smiled.
Aeris blushed faintly. "Thank you.. Would you braid my hair for me, Zack?"
"Of course, m'lady." He nodded and gestured for her to sit and eat as he brushed her hair gently.
When Zack had finished braiding her hair and she was arranging her veil, which was held in place with a crown of wild flowers that she personally chose, there was a knock at the door. Opening it he admitted Captain Valentine who was momentarily speechless at Aeris' beauty.
"My Lady," he said with a low bow. "The time has come." With that he held out his hand to her and she stood with a smile and took it, letting him lead her out of the room, Zack following closely behind them.
* * * * *
To be continued
next up, the wedding!
Please R/R
The week past quickly for Sephiroth and he found himself impatiently awaiting his wedding day. On the other hand, the king was not so happy. He had hoped to find some reason to dismiss the girl, but she proved every bit as loving and caring as the prince told him. "You are sure of this?" He asked, once again stopping his pacing to look at his captain.
"Positive your majesty. I cannot find anything that proves her disloyal to either the kingdom or the prince." Vincent repeated for the fourth time that evening.
The wedding was set for tomorrow and the king was getting desperate. "And you've been keeping an eye on her at all times."
"Yes sire, she has always been in the presence of myself, or one of my most trusted guards."
The king nodded solemnly and dismissed Captain Valentine with only a slight wave of his hand as he settled into his chair beside the fireplace. Vincent bowed and left the room, heading directly for the prince's chambers. It's true at first he didn't trust the former flower girl, but the king was acting differently lately, strangely almost, and the girl's happy nature has almost grown on the typically emotionless Captain of the guard. So, he found it his duty to report these little meetings with Prince Sephiroth, forewarned is forewarned he always thought. Knocking on the door he entered after the summons, finding the prince lounging about on the two-seater near his fireplace. He took the opposite seat to the silver-haired prince when gestured to do so.
"What did he say this time?" Sephiroth asked, sitting up to face the captain.
"More what he didn't say, sire. I believe his majesty wishes to disrupt your wedding day." Vincent commented quietly.
"I see.." Sephiroth remarked with an amused grin. "And just how does he plan to do that I wonder, he did after all give his consent publicly, and it would be bad politics to revoke that now."
Vincent was about to bring up another point when a knock at the door interrupted him. At the prince's summons the door opened to admit the Lady Aeris, in a strikingly beautiful red dress, a shade not unlike Vincent's own cloak.
"Ah, my darling." Sephiroth exclaimed with a loving smile as he and Vincent both stood to receive Aeris' presence.
"I should get back to my duties." Vincent said with a bow to the prince and his lady, and with his dismissal he left the room. Closing the door behind him he turned to face Cloud and Zack. "Anything to report?"
"No 'sir." Zack said.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, 'sir." Cloud added.
"Very well." Captain Valentine said with a slight sigh. "Zack, I believe Lady Gainsborough trusts you.. You're assigned to her protection during tomorrow's festivities."
Zack nodded with a grin. "Thank you 'sir."
"Cloud," he said turning to face the blonde. "You're to help me with the welcoming of the visiting Lords and Ladies."
"Thank you 'sir."
"Very well, you're both dismissed until dawn break tomorrow." And with that he turned down the hall, his cloak flaring out behind him as he went to assign the other guards their duties for the wedding day.
* * * * *
The Kingdom of Midgar was bright with banners of red and black, the royal family's colors, in the clear spring air and folk had been flowing down all the roads to the immense camping ground near the main city. Sephiroth awoke just as the sky was lightening, what had roused him were unmistakable greetings of wedding guests, arriving after an overnight journey. His nose told him that the spits were already turning over open flames in the roasting pits and his stomach told him that he needed to fill it. He angled himself up into a sitting position and ran a hand through his hair as a gentle scratch was heard at the door of his bedroom. "Come!" He could smell the aroma of wine as soon as the door opened and a shy servant girl entered with a well-stocked tray. Once he had some wine he revived sufficiently to bath and dress in his new wedding finery. Black gloves, tights, boots and belt, and a red tunic with black embroidery. His hair was left to flow free, rather than in its usual tight braid and he sat at his window, looking out over the countryside and the camping grounds as he finished up what was left on his tray.
* * * * *
Walking down the hall just after dawn brake, Zack stopped just outside Lady Aeris' room and knocked gently, entering on command and walking over to the shutters, opening them as a servant placed a tray of food near the window. Gesturing for the servant to leave, Zack turned to face Aeris. "Good morning m'lady." He said with a bow. "And what a beautiful morning it is."
"Zack, have you been assigned as my guard today?"
"It is my pleasure, lady." He said with another bow and retreated to the outer chamber so she could have her privacy as she bathed and dressed. Awhile later Aeris emerged into the room. "Well, what do you think?" She asked with a smile.
Zack turned to face her. "Wow.." he was speechless as he looked her over. She wore an elegantly styled snow-white dress with gold trimming and embroidery. "You look.. wonderful." He smiled.
Aeris blushed faintly. "Thank you.. Would you braid my hair for me, Zack?"
"Of course, m'lady." He nodded and gestured for her to sit and eat as he brushed her hair gently.
When Zack had finished braiding her hair and she was arranging her veil, which was held in place with a crown of wild flowers that she personally chose, there was a knock at the door. Opening it he admitted Captain Valentine who was momentarily speechless at Aeris' beauty.
"My Lady," he said with a low bow. "The time has come." With that he held out his hand to her and she stood with a smile and took it, letting him lead her out of the room, Zack following closely behind them.
* * * * *
To be continued
next up, the wedding!
Please R/R