Meeting Love, Finding Despair
By Auria, Quis and Malice
Chapter Fifteen
I won't last a day without you
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square Europe, I won't last a day without you belongs (as far as I know,) to Utada Hikaru, and the vows come from www.ultimatewedding.com/vows
The dresses can be found here:
Quisty's: http://www.screensavershot.com/misc/wedding.jpg
Bridesmaid: http://www.theeveningstore.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/cgi-local/smpagegen.exe?U+scstore+fpvx1538ff00fc00+-c+scstore.cfg+-p+4322
The day dawned bright and early, with the first golden rays of sun peeking over the pale band of clouds on the horizon. Quistis sat at her desk, wrapped in a white satin dressing gown, her long hair loose and flowing around her shoulders.
Her thoughts lay wrapped around her day of days; her wedding day. It was with great trepidation that she brushed her hair out, the long golden tresses catching the light. Standing up, she walked to her wardrobe, in which her long, ancient dress was housed, sitting there, perfectly, on a mannequin.
It was long, with the skirts billowing out around the bodice, with tiny, pearl buttons that cascaded along the back of the dress. The long skirt was supported by a crinoline, and held in place by strips of linen tied around the waist. The great, regal ivory dress was nearly the same age as the dukedom itself.
Quistis smiled as she opened the bathroom door. The large Jacuzzi-like tub was nearly as big as a small room itself, the pristine white ceramic sink was deep enough to be a baby's bathtub, and the pale peachy-pink walls were decorated with cherub motifs around the edges where the tiles sat.
As she turned the taps on for a relaxing soak in the bathtub, she felt a small pang of regret. It was unfair of her to be marrying Seifer, but she also held onto this small ounce of belief that it was better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
She sighed, coming to the decision. It was wisest to marry for love, than to be miserable.
~*~Five Years Ago~*~
She stood in front of the small registry desk, the papers in front of her as she filed for a swift divorce. It was enough. She couldn't take it any longer. Zone, while he loved her- or at least claimed he did, was not the man she could spend her entire life with. The marriage had been a mistake.
Quistis had always kept her maiden name, and had given her daughter, Shira, the name she wanted. As it was the custom in Timber, the child was almost always given to the mother after a divorce—and this one was no exception. Shira was too young to leave her mother, at ten months old.
She waited there. He hadn't even bothered to turn up to the registry office on time. She snorted, 'how typical', she thought, 'the bastard doesn't even show up for his divorce'.
A set of hurried footsteps could be heard in the hallway, and soon enough, Zone entered.
"Why are you late?" Quistis hissed through her teeth as she smelt the alcohol reeking off him.
"I went to the pub…Quisty, it's only five o'clock," Zone said with full cohesion.
"You're drunk, Zone," Quistis snapped, "And sign the damned papers, will you? I've been waiting to get the hell out of here for the past three and a half hours. Zone, that's right, you were supposed to be here at 1430, and it's now five."
Zone nodded, as he placed his fingers to the pen, picking it up as he stumbled around, fumbling for a moment as he shook his head, then, signed the papers.
"Goodbye, Zone…" Quistis said quietly, "I'm leaving Timber tonight, with Shira."
~*~
The bath soothed her as the taut firmness of her stomach made her smile. She was going to be a mother again, and she would enjoy every moment of it. As she relaxed, she thought of all the possibilities and aspirations of being a mother and wife to Seifer Almasy and his child.
Glancing up to the knock on the door, she smiled as Seifer entered. She knew that it was supposedly bad luck for the bride and groom to see one another on their wedding day, but she threw caution into the wind.
"Hey, gorgeous," Seifer said, as he stripped naked and joined her, "You ready for the big day?"
Quistis laughed as he slid into the tub, their bodies so close, intertwining as though they were one body, one entity, one heart.
He held her for the longest time, as they lay suspended there in the water. He was hers; she knew that. Even when they were young, she knew, somehow, that she would end up marrying him. Jade green eyes locked on azure blue eyes, as Seifer looked down at the woman, who, after this day, would be forever his.
As the water began to cool, Quistis disentangled herself from Seifer, getting out without any trace of modesty. There was no need to be modest around her husband.
She could feel his scrutinizing gaze upon her as she moved to get her robe for the sake of convention. Already into her fourth month of pregnancy, she knew the baby was due in late March, early April; an autumn baby.
As she walked into her room, the white dress seemed to glow ethereally as the sun touched the silken fabric. It was a beautiful long dress, ancient, but definitely pretty.
Rinoa Leonhart, Xu Wang, Selphie Kinneas and Ellone Loire were already in preparation when she arrived downstairs for breakfast. Rinoa looked pregnant, but radiant as she buttered toast and made hot drinks for the adults and cold glasses of fresh orange juice for the excited children.
Sean Leonhart was a replica of his father in looks. He took after Rinoa in personality, being sweet tempered and compassionate. His warm brown eyes were fastened on the dainty figure of Shira Trepe.
Selphie's four children consisted of three daughters, and a much longed for son. Sora-Yunalesca, the eldest, was eight, with the same hair as Irvine, and the tiny frame of her mother's. Ellone Kathleen Kinneas was six, a sweet-tempered child, who was as sunny as Selphie had ever been, and then there was a two year old, Emmaline. Her son, Fion was in her arms, and his tiny face was such a replica of hers that it was cute.
"Good morning, ladies," Quistis said as she surveyed the busy, large kitchen, looking around with happy eyes.
"Quisty!" Selphie exclaimed, as she balanced her son on her hip. Quistis smiled, picking up Emmaline as she did so.
"What a beautiful child, Selph," Quistis said, stroking the soft downy curls on Emmaline's head.
"Thanks…." Selphie's voice trailed off, as she saw Yuna do a back flip off the table. "Sora-Yunalesca! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Yuna landed the back flip, "Nothing, mummy…Sean asked me if I could do one, and I just did one," she said, "I know I shouldn't have back flipped off Aunty Quisty's table, but I had to. Sorry Aunty Quistis!"
Quistis smiled at the apology. "It's ok, Yuna," she said kindly, "As long as you don't do it again."
A chiming clock in the far off regions of the palace told them it was almost time to get ready for the day. The four girls, along with their various children in tow, hurried through breakfast, stopping every now and then to pour their children more juice, or get another piece of toast.
It was almost midday by the time they were finished with breakfast. The children and mothers hurried towards Quistis's rather large bedroom suite, while Sean Leonhart went with his father.
"Ohmigosh, Quisty!" Rinoa squealed, as she saw the folds of fabric that belonged to her gown. "You're going to look divine!"
Quistis smiled, as Selphie's three daughters rushed into the bathroom, chattering excitedly with Shira.
"Mummy's getting married!" Shira exclaimed jubilantly, as she sat on the child-sized stool. "I'm getting a father who actually cares about me," she added to herself, in a whisper.
Yuna, being the compassionate child she was, hugged Shira. "That's great…my mummy and daddy have been married for ten years!"
Shira laughed. It was the first time she'd had friends near her own age. Back in Esthar, Sean was a regular visitor, but, he was a boy, and, in her opinion, yucky. "Shira, Yuna, come get dressed!" Quistis called, as she stood, half-dressed, in her corset and hoop skirt, her hair twisted into an elegant French-knot, the customary strands framing her face were tucked into the knot.
The two girls slid off the stool, hurrying into the bedroom, where they saw the dresses. They were powder puff pink, the skirts having tiny pink pearl beads sewn on by hand. The delicate sleeves were made from what seemed to be a tight stretchy fabric, also in a delicate shade of pink.
The four little girls stood there, each dressed in identical pink dresses, their hair swept into cute little buns, as if for ballet. It was soon that Cid poked his bespectacled head in the door, as Edea smiled at her daughter, the last of them, to get married.
~*~
Seifer shifted his weight from one foot to the other, nervously as he adjusted his bowtie once more. Stern and imposing in a suit of completely charcoal black, he looked almost out of place with his long blonde hair pulled neatly back in a ponytail, similar to Irvine's.
"Where's Mummy?" Sean asked, running across the large room and over to Squall, who, kneeled down to tie his son's tie.
"She's with the girls." Squall replied. "Now would you please be still?" Sean had just scrambled out of his father's grasp. Squall grimaced as his livewire son, who seemed so much more like his mother and grandfather than him, playfully poked his father.
Irvine snickered from the corner of the room, as he adjusted his tie.
"Where's Nida?" Seifer suddenly asked. "He was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago!"
"Calm down man, I'm sure he'll show." Zell said.
"Dad, am I gonna get to hand the rings to Mummy?" Sean asked rather loudly, tugging at the bottom of Squall's tuxedo jacket.
"No Sean," Squall said with a sigh, removing his son's little hands from his tux. "You'll take the rings up to Seifer and Quistis, then stand next to Shira. I thought we went through all of this at rehearsal?"
Sean walked over to Irvine, completely ignoring at least half of what Squall had said. "Watcha doin'?"
Irvine looked up from his focus on his guitar strings. "Oh, just tuning." he said. He started to strum,
"Can I try?" Sean asked excitedly.
"Sean, please-" Squall was starting to plead, but was cut off by Zell.
"Hey kiddo, wanna see a trick?" Zell asked, walking over a kneeling next to Sean.
The little boy's face lit up excitedly, as Zell whispered the trick to him.
"Please, Zell, don't get him more hyped than he is..." Seifer said, trying to save the situation, as Sean started to punch the tattooed man with all he could. Seifer threw up his hands in defeat as Nida entered the room.
"Er…sorry I'm late…I must have gotten lost," he said, flustered as his hair stood up in a few places. Behind him, Xu could be seen, with an embarrassed grin on her face.
"He got confused," she said kindly, as she followed her husband in. "I had to help him find the way."
Nida blushed, as his wife tied the knot in his tie for him. "Now, I must get back to Quistis and the girls, alright?" Xu said quietly, before slipping back to the other side of the palace.
~*~
The first strains of the song could be heard from the gardens as the guests started to file in from the various locations around Dollet. Friends from all over the globe had turned out to see what was said to be the wedding of the century. Reporters and the paparazzi had been turned away at the gates by stern looking SeeD officials and officers hired to protect the privacy of the wedding.
Even if it was the wedding of a duke to a consort, it was still an auspicious moment in history. It had been said that the wedding of Lukyan and Alyeena had been grander, but this one surpassed it all by the sheer sweetness of the whole affair.
At the altar, roses were strewn. The whole garden seemed to have an enchanted aura about it, as everything seemed magical. The palest band of stars was just beginning to make its way into the sky, as the little candles along the aisle flickered with soft light.
Seifer turned to Squall in desperation. "Why are they taking so long?" he whispered in a hushed, terse voice.
"Relax, Seifer," Squall said, "I remember the same nervousness…it's not that bad, trust me."
Seifer seemed to visibly relax at that. Slowly, the music began to reach the crescendo, with the simple, yet beautiful song, played by the renowned songstress, a woman known as Aly O'Donahue began to sing.
Day after day I must face a world of strangers
Where I don't belong
I'm not that strong
It's nice to know that there's someone
I can turn to
Who will always care
You're always there
When there's no getting over that rainbow
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give
But I won't last a day without you
So many times when the city seems to be
Without a friendly face
A lonely place
It's nice to know that you'll be there if
I need you
And you'll always smile
It's all worthwhile
Touch me and I end up singing
Troubles seem to up and disappear
You touch me with the love you're bringing
I can't really lose when you're near (when you're
near)
When you're near, my love
If all my friends
Have forgotten half their promises
They're not unkind
Just hard to find
One look at you and
I know that I could learn to live
Without the rest,
I found the best
I won't last a day without you.
As the children walked down the aisle, followed by the four bridesmaids, Seifer felt his breath catch in his throat. He could just make out the slender form of his Quistis as she entered on the arm of Cid.
Tears welling up in her eyes as she held her small bouquet of yellow roses, she let go of Cid's arm as they reached the altar.
Glancing up into Seifer's eyes, she saw, reflected in those jaded depths, the words, feelings and love that she knew so well. How many nights had she lain in bed, wishing all this would happen, that a prince would come and sweep her off to live with her in his castle happily ever after; it seemed that her wish had come true. The disgraced knight turned out to be her prince.
Seifer saw in Quistis's bluest of blue eyes the tears that were not from unhappiness, but, rather, from sheer joy. He had always wished for a damsel to save, and he had finally found her. She was his Queen, and he, her humble knight, much like the legends he loved reading. He had wanted her for so long, not because she was unattainable, but, because he loved her.
The old celebrant at the altar smiled benevolently upon the happy congregation, as he began the age-old ceremony that he had said once before to Alyeena and Lukyan on their day of days.
"Dearly beloved…we come here to witness the holy matrimony of Seifer Lukyan Almasy to Quistis Gosia Trepe, on this ninth day of November. If anyone has any objections to why this couple should not be joined together in holy matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace."
At this, the audience stayed silent. The celebrant continued. "Seifer, I believe you have your vows to say?" he said, almost paternally.
Seifer smiled, as he began to recite.
"When you are sad, I will dry your tears.
When you are scared, I will comfort your fears.
When you are worried, I will give you hope.
When you are confused, I will help you cope.
And when you are lost, and can't see the light,
I will be your beacon, shining ever so bright.
This is my oath; I pledge to the end.
Why you may ask?
Because you are my lover and friend"
As he finished, he glanced into Quistis's eyes, to see tears pouring down her cheeks in pure happiness. He knew, then, that he loved her more than life itself, and would spare her any pain that was not caused by the illness.
"Quistis, I ask you to recite your vows to Seifer," the celebrant said again after Quistis had regained a little of her composure.
"As we face the future together,
I promise to stand by your side.
I promise to unfailingly share and support your hopes, dreams and goals.
I vow to be there for you always.
When you fall, I will catch you.
When you cry, I will comfort you.
When you laugh, I will share your joy.
Everything I am and everything I have is yours,
From this moment forth and for eternity."
She glanced up at his troubled eyes, seeing reflected there, nothing but pure and undying love. 'I love you', she mouthed, and got the same reply from him in the silent exchange.
Stepping towards the altar, the two separate bodies, sharing two hearts that seemed to be intertwined with one another from the day they met again in Quistis's office that fateful January morning, kneeled while they lit two candles.
"Seifer and Quistis, the two lighted candles symbolize your separate lives, your separate families and your separate sets of friends. I ask that you each take one candle and that together you light the center candle. The individual candies represent your individual lives before today. Lighting the center candle represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and represents the joining together of your two families and sets of friends to one. The lighting of the center candle represents not only the union of Seifer and Quistis in marriage, but the unity formed in this new family in which your lives will now shine as one family," the celebrant intoned, somewhat chanting the sacred words as he held two bands of white gold up to the sky, blessing them as he sprinkled water lightly over the two blondes.
"Seifer Lukyan Almasy, do you swear under the sacred bond of Hyne that you will protect your wife?" he asked, as he handed a small band of white gold encrusted with a solitaire diamond to Seifer.
Seifer nodded, slipping the ring onto Quistis's finger.
She stood there, in trepidation, waiting for him to place the simple band of gold on her hand. The doubt, hesitation and fear that was always present, seemed to vanish in that instant. She was his, and she always would be. Their love could endure even death.
Quistis smiled as she looked at the ring, as she slipped the band over Seifer's finger.
As the celebrant watched and said the necessary words, he observed the chivalry that the Duke was showing his Duchess. The love he saw was rarely present in most of his ceremonies. He had seen many wedding sermons, but none as sweet as this one.
"I pronounce you man and wife," he said, finally, "You may kiss the bride."
Seifer didn't need to lift a veil. She didn't need to wait for him to lift a veil. His fingers caressed her cheek as he kissed her gently on the lips as the gathered guests slowly began to clap.
Shira, who, was standing next to Sean while all this happened, suddenly hugged him. That surprised Sean, who, was, despite having inherited his mother's carefree attitude, introverted when it came to girls. He promptly kissed her sweetly on her the cheek, eliciting a few rounds of "awww," from the congregation.
There, in a moonlit garden, miles away from her first wedding, which was a registry office affair, she celebrated her second marriage, the unity of the knight and sorceress. Or, in this case, the knight and his princess, who, after many trials and triumphs had emerged victorious.
The wedding seemed to go on eternally. It was a giant, titanic-scaled wedding, with the reception lasting well into the wee-small hours of the next morning.
Across the ocean, miles away from anywhere, two lovers were celebrating their honeymoon.
There was no other love
None save one
A love that endured the whips
And the pangs of time
It was purity within itself
So innocent and right
And there was nothing else to say
Except to wish them a very happy
Wedding day.
It was their day of days
The one day of the year
When they were reminded
Of just how much
They needed, longed and hoped for
Love to come to them
So saying this
The lovers fled
Into the
Flowery bed that none but them knew of
It was true love
It was first love
It was eternal
Everlasting
Immortal
Love
Love that would not
Die.
A/N. Ending poem by me. I had a whole load of trouble with this chapter, but thanks go to Quistis88 and Mari for helping me through this (by means of encouragement while I was bitching and moaning about writing this chapter to both of you on MSN), you girls meant the world to me when you kept telling me it was great. Thanks go to Auria, for writing part of it. You guys made this all the easier to write. To all my excellent reviewers, thank you so much. I had to reformat the computer cuz of virtual memory problems (which, my brother informs me, had nothing to do with how much actual free space I had), so, thank god I had a copy of the fic on FF.Net to download again.
To Quistis88 for being the first to read this chapter, and love it.
Love and huggles to all my reviewers.
-Quis.
By Auria, Quis and Malice
Chapter Fifteen
I won't last a day without you
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square Europe, I won't last a day without you belongs (as far as I know,) to Utada Hikaru, and the vows come from www.ultimatewedding.com/vows
The dresses can be found here:
Quisty's: http://www.screensavershot.com/misc/wedding.jpg
Bridesmaid: http://www.theeveningstore.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/cgi-local/smpagegen.exe?U+scstore+fpvx1538ff00fc00+-c+scstore.cfg+-p+4322
The day dawned bright and early, with the first golden rays of sun peeking over the pale band of clouds on the horizon. Quistis sat at her desk, wrapped in a white satin dressing gown, her long hair loose and flowing around her shoulders.
Her thoughts lay wrapped around her day of days; her wedding day. It was with great trepidation that she brushed her hair out, the long golden tresses catching the light. Standing up, she walked to her wardrobe, in which her long, ancient dress was housed, sitting there, perfectly, on a mannequin.
It was long, with the skirts billowing out around the bodice, with tiny, pearl buttons that cascaded along the back of the dress. The long skirt was supported by a crinoline, and held in place by strips of linen tied around the waist. The great, regal ivory dress was nearly the same age as the dukedom itself.
Quistis smiled as she opened the bathroom door. The large Jacuzzi-like tub was nearly as big as a small room itself, the pristine white ceramic sink was deep enough to be a baby's bathtub, and the pale peachy-pink walls were decorated with cherub motifs around the edges where the tiles sat.
As she turned the taps on for a relaxing soak in the bathtub, she felt a small pang of regret. It was unfair of her to be marrying Seifer, but she also held onto this small ounce of belief that it was better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
She sighed, coming to the decision. It was wisest to marry for love, than to be miserable.
~*~Five Years Ago~*~
She stood in front of the small registry desk, the papers in front of her as she filed for a swift divorce. It was enough. She couldn't take it any longer. Zone, while he loved her- or at least claimed he did, was not the man she could spend her entire life with. The marriage had been a mistake.
Quistis had always kept her maiden name, and had given her daughter, Shira, the name she wanted. As it was the custom in Timber, the child was almost always given to the mother after a divorce—and this one was no exception. Shira was too young to leave her mother, at ten months old.
She waited there. He hadn't even bothered to turn up to the registry office on time. She snorted, 'how typical', she thought, 'the bastard doesn't even show up for his divorce'.
A set of hurried footsteps could be heard in the hallway, and soon enough, Zone entered.
"Why are you late?" Quistis hissed through her teeth as she smelt the alcohol reeking off him.
"I went to the pub…Quisty, it's only five o'clock," Zone said with full cohesion.
"You're drunk, Zone," Quistis snapped, "And sign the damned papers, will you? I've been waiting to get the hell out of here for the past three and a half hours. Zone, that's right, you were supposed to be here at 1430, and it's now five."
Zone nodded, as he placed his fingers to the pen, picking it up as he stumbled around, fumbling for a moment as he shook his head, then, signed the papers.
"Goodbye, Zone…" Quistis said quietly, "I'm leaving Timber tonight, with Shira."
~*~
The bath soothed her as the taut firmness of her stomach made her smile. She was going to be a mother again, and she would enjoy every moment of it. As she relaxed, she thought of all the possibilities and aspirations of being a mother and wife to Seifer Almasy and his child.
Glancing up to the knock on the door, she smiled as Seifer entered. She knew that it was supposedly bad luck for the bride and groom to see one another on their wedding day, but she threw caution into the wind.
"Hey, gorgeous," Seifer said, as he stripped naked and joined her, "You ready for the big day?"
Quistis laughed as he slid into the tub, their bodies so close, intertwining as though they were one body, one entity, one heart.
He held her for the longest time, as they lay suspended there in the water. He was hers; she knew that. Even when they were young, she knew, somehow, that she would end up marrying him. Jade green eyes locked on azure blue eyes, as Seifer looked down at the woman, who, after this day, would be forever his.
As the water began to cool, Quistis disentangled herself from Seifer, getting out without any trace of modesty. There was no need to be modest around her husband.
She could feel his scrutinizing gaze upon her as she moved to get her robe for the sake of convention. Already into her fourth month of pregnancy, she knew the baby was due in late March, early April; an autumn baby.
As she walked into her room, the white dress seemed to glow ethereally as the sun touched the silken fabric. It was a beautiful long dress, ancient, but definitely pretty.
Rinoa Leonhart, Xu Wang, Selphie Kinneas and Ellone Loire were already in preparation when she arrived downstairs for breakfast. Rinoa looked pregnant, but radiant as she buttered toast and made hot drinks for the adults and cold glasses of fresh orange juice for the excited children.
Sean Leonhart was a replica of his father in looks. He took after Rinoa in personality, being sweet tempered and compassionate. His warm brown eyes were fastened on the dainty figure of Shira Trepe.
Selphie's four children consisted of three daughters, and a much longed for son. Sora-Yunalesca, the eldest, was eight, with the same hair as Irvine, and the tiny frame of her mother's. Ellone Kathleen Kinneas was six, a sweet-tempered child, who was as sunny as Selphie had ever been, and then there was a two year old, Emmaline. Her son, Fion was in her arms, and his tiny face was such a replica of hers that it was cute.
"Good morning, ladies," Quistis said as she surveyed the busy, large kitchen, looking around with happy eyes.
"Quisty!" Selphie exclaimed, as she balanced her son on her hip. Quistis smiled, picking up Emmaline as she did so.
"What a beautiful child, Selph," Quistis said, stroking the soft downy curls on Emmaline's head.
"Thanks…." Selphie's voice trailed off, as she saw Yuna do a back flip off the table. "Sora-Yunalesca! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Yuna landed the back flip, "Nothing, mummy…Sean asked me if I could do one, and I just did one," she said, "I know I shouldn't have back flipped off Aunty Quisty's table, but I had to. Sorry Aunty Quistis!"
Quistis smiled at the apology. "It's ok, Yuna," she said kindly, "As long as you don't do it again."
A chiming clock in the far off regions of the palace told them it was almost time to get ready for the day. The four girls, along with their various children in tow, hurried through breakfast, stopping every now and then to pour their children more juice, or get another piece of toast.
It was almost midday by the time they were finished with breakfast. The children and mothers hurried towards Quistis's rather large bedroom suite, while Sean Leonhart went with his father.
"Ohmigosh, Quisty!" Rinoa squealed, as she saw the folds of fabric that belonged to her gown. "You're going to look divine!"
Quistis smiled, as Selphie's three daughters rushed into the bathroom, chattering excitedly with Shira.
"Mummy's getting married!" Shira exclaimed jubilantly, as she sat on the child-sized stool. "I'm getting a father who actually cares about me," she added to herself, in a whisper.
Yuna, being the compassionate child she was, hugged Shira. "That's great…my mummy and daddy have been married for ten years!"
Shira laughed. It was the first time she'd had friends near her own age. Back in Esthar, Sean was a regular visitor, but, he was a boy, and, in her opinion, yucky. "Shira, Yuna, come get dressed!" Quistis called, as she stood, half-dressed, in her corset and hoop skirt, her hair twisted into an elegant French-knot, the customary strands framing her face were tucked into the knot.
The two girls slid off the stool, hurrying into the bedroom, where they saw the dresses. They were powder puff pink, the skirts having tiny pink pearl beads sewn on by hand. The delicate sleeves were made from what seemed to be a tight stretchy fabric, also in a delicate shade of pink.
The four little girls stood there, each dressed in identical pink dresses, their hair swept into cute little buns, as if for ballet. It was soon that Cid poked his bespectacled head in the door, as Edea smiled at her daughter, the last of them, to get married.
~*~
Seifer shifted his weight from one foot to the other, nervously as he adjusted his bowtie once more. Stern and imposing in a suit of completely charcoal black, he looked almost out of place with his long blonde hair pulled neatly back in a ponytail, similar to Irvine's.
"Where's Mummy?" Sean asked, running across the large room and over to Squall, who, kneeled down to tie his son's tie.
"She's with the girls." Squall replied. "Now would you please be still?" Sean had just scrambled out of his father's grasp. Squall grimaced as his livewire son, who seemed so much more like his mother and grandfather than him, playfully poked his father.
Irvine snickered from the corner of the room, as he adjusted his tie.
"Where's Nida?" Seifer suddenly asked. "He was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago!"
"Calm down man, I'm sure he'll show." Zell said.
"Dad, am I gonna get to hand the rings to Mummy?" Sean asked rather loudly, tugging at the bottom of Squall's tuxedo jacket.
"No Sean," Squall said with a sigh, removing his son's little hands from his tux. "You'll take the rings up to Seifer and Quistis, then stand next to Shira. I thought we went through all of this at rehearsal?"
Sean walked over to Irvine, completely ignoring at least half of what Squall had said. "Watcha doin'?"
Irvine looked up from his focus on his guitar strings. "Oh, just tuning." he said. He started to strum,
"Can I try?" Sean asked excitedly.
"Sean, please-" Squall was starting to plead, but was cut off by Zell.
"Hey kiddo, wanna see a trick?" Zell asked, walking over a kneeling next to Sean.
The little boy's face lit up excitedly, as Zell whispered the trick to him.
"Please, Zell, don't get him more hyped than he is..." Seifer said, trying to save the situation, as Sean started to punch the tattooed man with all he could. Seifer threw up his hands in defeat as Nida entered the room.
"Er…sorry I'm late…I must have gotten lost," he said, flustered as his hair stood up in a few places. Behind him, Xu could be seen, with an embarrassed grin on her face.
"He got confused," she said kindly, as she followed her husband in. "I had to help him find the way."
Nida blushed, as his wife tied the knot in his tie for him. "Now, I must get back to Quistis and the girls, alright?" Xu said quietly, before slipping back to the other side of the palace.
~*~
The first strains of the song could be heard from the gardens as the guests started to file in from the various locations around Dollet. Friends from all over the globe had turned out to see what was said to be the wedding of the century. Reporters and the paparazzi had been turned away at the gates by stern looking SeeD officials and officers hired to protect the privacy of the wedding.
Even if it was the wedding of a duke to a consort, it was still an auspicious moment in history. It had been said that the wedding of Lukyan and Alyeena had been grander, but this one surpassed it all by the sheer sweetness of the whole affair.
At the altar, roses were strewn. The whole garden seemed to have an enchanted aura about it, as everything seemed magical. The palest band of stars was just beginning to make its way into the sky, as the little candles along the aisle flickered with soft light.
Seifer turned to Squall in desperation. "Why are they taking so long?" he whispered in a hushed, terse voice.
"Relax, Seifer," Squall said, "I remember the same nervousness…it's not that bad, trust me."
Seifer seemed to visibly relax at that. Slowly, the music began to reach the crescendo, with the simple, yet beautiful song, played by the renowned songstress, a woman known as Aly O'Donahue began to sing.
Day after day I must face a world of strangers
Where I don't belong
I'm not that strong
It's nice to know that there's someone
I can turn to
Who will always care
You're always there
When there's no getting over that rainbow
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give
But I won't last a day without you
So many times when the city seems to be
Without a friendly face
A lonely place
It's nice to know that you'll be there if
I need you
And you'll always smile
It's all worthwhile
Touch me and I end up singing
Troubles seem to up and disappear
You touch me with the love you're bringing
I can't really lose when you're near (when you're
near)
When you're near, my love
If all my friends
Have forgotten half their promises
They're not unkind
Just hard to find
One look at you and
I know that I could learn to live
Without the rest,
I found the best
I won't last a day without you.
As the children walked down the aisle, followed by the four bridesmaids, Seifer felt his breath catch in his throat. He could just make out the slender form of his Quistis as she entered on the arm of Cid.
Tears welling up in her eyes as she held her small bouquet of yellow roses, she let go of Cid's arm as they reached the altar.
Glancing up into Seifer's eyes, she saw, reflected in those jaded depths, the words, feelings and love that she knew so well. How many nights had she lain in bed, wishing all this would happen, that a prince would come and sweep her off to live with her in his castle happily ever after; it seemed that her wish had come true. The disgraced knight turned out to be her prince.
Seifer saw in Quistis's bluest of blue eyes the tears that were not from unhappiness, but, rather, from sheer joy. He had always wished for a damsel to save, and he had finally found her. She was his Queen, and he, her humble knight, much like the legends he loved reading. He had wanted her for so long, not because she was unattainable, but, because he loved her.
The old celebrant at the altar smiled benevolently upon the happy congregation, as he began the age-old ceremony that he had said once before to Alyeena and Lukyan on their day of days.
"Dearly beloved…we come here to witness the holy matrimony of Seifer Lukyan Almasy to Quistis Gosia Trepe, on this ninth day of November. If anyone has any objections to why this couple should not be joined together in holy matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace."
At this, the audience stayed silent. The celebrant continued. "Seifer, I believe you have your vows to say?" he said, almost paternally.
Seifer smiled, as he began to recite.
"When you are sad, I will dry your tears.
When you are scared, I will comfort your fears.
When you are worried, I will give you hope.
When you are confused, I will help you cope.
And when you are lost, and can't see the light,
I will be your beacon, shining ever so bright.
This is my oath; I pledge to the end.
Why you may ask?
Because you are my lover and friend"
As he finished, he glanced into Quistis's eyes, to see tears pouring down her cheeks in pure happiness. He knew, then, that he loved her more than life itself, and would spare her any pain that was not caused by the illness.
"Quistis, I ask you to recite your vows to Seifer," the celebrant said again after Quistis had regained a little of her composure.
"As we face the future together,
I promise to stand by your side.
I promise to unfailingly share and support your hopes, dreams and goals.
I vow to be there for you always.
When you fall, I will catch you.
When you cry, I will comfort you.
When you laugh, I will share your joy.
Everything I am and everything I have is yours,
From this moment forth and for eternity."
She glanced up at his troubled eyes, seeing reflected there, nothing but pure and undying love. 'I love you', she mouthed, and got the same reply from him in the silent exchange.
Stepping towards the altar, the two separate bodies, sharing two hearts that seemed to be intertwined with one another from the day they met again in Quistis's office that fateful January morning, kneeled while they lit two candles.
"Seifer and Quistis, the two lighted candles symbolize your separate lives, your separate families and your separate sets of friends. I ask that you each take one candle and that together you light the center candle. The individual candies represent your individual lives before today. Lighting the center candle represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and represents the joining together of your two families and sets of friends to one. The lighting of the center candle represents not only the union of Seifer and Quistis in marriage, but the unity formed in this new family in which your lives will now shine as one family," the celebrant intoned, somewhat chanting the sacred words as he held two bands of white gold up to the sky, blessing them as he sprinkled water lightly over the two blondes.
"Seifer Lukyan Almasy, do you swear under the sacred bond of Hyne that you will protect your wife?" he asked, as he handed a small band of white gold encrusted with a solitaire diamond to Seifer.
Seifer nodded, slipping the ring onto Quistis's finger.
She stood there, in trepidation, waiting for him to place the simple band of gold on her hand. The doubt, hesitation and fear that was always present, seemed to vanish in that instant. She was his, and she always would be. Their love could endure even death.
Quistis smiled as she looked at the ring, as she slipped the band over Seifer's finger.
As the celebrant watched and said the necessary words, he observed the chivalry that the Duke was showing his Duchess. The love he saw was rarely present in most of his ceremonies. He had seen many wedding sermons, but none as sweet as this one.
"I pronounce you man and wife," he said, finally, "You may kiss the bride."
Seifer didn't need to lift a veil. She didn't need to wait for him to lift a veil. His fingers caressed her cheek as he kissed her gently on the lips as the gathered guests slowly began to clap.
Shira, who, was standing next to Sean while all this happened, suddenly hugged him. That surprised Sean, who, was, despite having inherited his mother's carefree attitude, introverted when it came to girls. He promptly kissed her sweetly on her the cheek, eliciting a few rounds of "awww," from the congregation.
There, in a moonlit garden, miles away from her first wedding, which was a registry office affair, she celebrated her second marriage, the unity of the knight and sorceress. Or, in this case, the knight and his princess, who, after many trials and triumphs had emerged victorious.
The wedding seemed to go on eternally. It was a giant, titanic-scaled wedding, with the reception lasting well into the wee-small hours of the next morning.
Across the ocean, miles away from anywhere, two lovers were celebrating their honeymoon.
There was no other love
None save one
A love that endured the whips
And the pangs of time
It was purity within itself
So innocent and right
And there was nothing else to say
Except to wish them a very happy
Wedding day.
It was their day of days
The one day of the year
When they were reminded
Of just how much
They needed, longed and hoped for
Love to come to them
So saying this
The lovers fled
Into the
Flowery bed that none but them knew of
It was true love
It was first love
It was eternal
Everlasting
Immortal
Love
Love that would not
Die.
A/N. Ending poem by me. I had a whole load of trouble with this chapter, but thanks go to Quistis88 and Mari for helping me through this (by means of encouragement while I was bitching and moaning about writing this chapter to both of you on MSN), you girls meant the world to me when you kept telling me it was great. Thanks go to Auria, for writing part of it. You guys made this all the easier to write. To all my excellent reviewers, thank you so much. I had to reformat the computer cuz of virtual memory problems (which, my brother informs me, had nothing to do with how much actual free space I had), so, thank god I had a copy of the fic on FF.Net to download again.
To Quistis88 for being the first to read this chapter, and love it.
Love and huggles to all my reviewers.
-Quis.