"Whoa, relax." Amy said, stretching her arms out over her gravid body. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, ma'am, it's just that I've heard so much about you...anyway, everyone's waiting downstairs."
The soldier led her, Seifer, and Selphie downstairs. Squall, Rinoa, Irvine, Zell, Nona, Cid, and a few others were already there to be seated in the family section. They were all of the family that was needed, at least, that anyone thought.
There were hundreds of other people there, of course. It isn't every day that the President of Esthar gets married. It was even being broadcast, much to Kira's delight, and Laguna's dismay.
They were ushered into their seats quickly. Laguna was standing at the front, near the alter, and he looked unbearably nervous. Seifer leaned over to his girlfriend.
"Ten gil says Laguna trips at least once."
Amy eyed him. "You're on. Kira's been coaching him."
"Raise you to twenty."
"Sure thing."
The music queued and a boy and girl walked down the aisle. They were underclassmen from Balamb Garden, favorite's of Laguna's (He visited his son, his daughter-in-law, and his friends Seifer, Amy, and especially Kira, quite often, and had gotten to know a lot of the children). The girl would occasionally toss out of the basket she was carrying a handful of white flower petals. The boy carried a pillow with two simple rings on them.
Ward was near Laguna, as best man. He eyed the doorway as Kiros stepped out with Kira. For some reason, Kira thought it was appropriate that Kiros give her away, considering the fact that her father had been dead for some years in her own time, and didn't even exist yet in this one.
Kiros didn't get it, but he didn't mind playing a role in one of his friend's weddings. Now, if only Ward would find a chick and settle down. Even he had a wife.
Laguna gulped compulsively and watched Kira walk down the aisle. When she finally reached the alter, he did a quick sidestep--not tripping over anything and actually being quite deft--and came to rest next to her. The couple stared at each other for a second, until the Daughter of Hyne coughed lightly to get their attention.
The ceremony was the same, but the words were all different, Amy noticed. The Daughter, this time represented by Edea Kramer, a woman once gifted by the powers of Hyne, spoke of never-ending love, peace, and harmony in the relationship, asking each in turn if they would promise to protect each other from disease, sickness, hunger, and attack; asked them if they agreed to be bound forever.
"Until the end of time." Laguna whispered, staring at Kira. Then he gulped, blushed, and turned back to Edea, apologetically. "Uh...yes."
Kira giggled. "Yes." She said.
"Husband and wife." Edea said, taking them by the shoulders and pushing them together. They held out their hands--Kira's right and Laguna's left--and she tied a simple piece of cord around them. "This cord represents your marriage; together bound until the end of time, you will have to learn to function with each other. It can never be severed. The day you sever this knot is the day that your marriage, in the eyes of society and Hyne, ends." She smiled. "Until the end of history, you are bound, man and woman, husband and wife." She grinned almost wickedly at Laguna. "You can kiss your bride."
If the kiss was a little too eager, people politely refrained from mentioning it. At least, most of them did.
"Whoo hoo!" Selphie said, jumping out of her seat. "You go, Sir Laguna!"
Rinoa looked at Squall, who was staring at the two adults impassively. Wait...just a moment...
"Squall, are you crying?" She asked, looking at the tiny wells of moisture in the corner's of his eyes.
"No." Squall said. "Leave me alone, Rinoa."
"Cute stuff." Seifer said, throwing the lights in their accomodations on. They'd been given rooms in the Presidential Palace until they would leave. Amy had a few minor things to take care of in Esthar, but they were planning in leaving within the next few days.
"It was. Different from the marriage ceremonies in my day." Amy said, grinning. "Hyne is a much kinder diety."
"I'll bet. I've been reading some of that 'Bible' you pointed out. Scary shit."
Amy leaned around her belly and kissed her boyfriend. "Seifer...I just want this damn kid to get out." She whispered, seductively, winking at the end to let him know it was a joke. "It gets in the way constantly, especially when I want to kiss you."
Seifer grinned, a hint of his smartass self coming back. "It's gonna get in the way of a lot more things once it's out, you know."
Amy groaned. "Don't remind me!"
"Sleep...regular eating...research...cleanliness...oh, lord, sex..."
"Seifer!" Amy thumped him hard on the arm. "Pervert!"
"That's what got you into this state, my dear." Seifer gave her a thumbs up and a wicked glance before heading into the bathroom.
She rolled her eyes.
"Amy...hey, come here, will ya?" Seifer grunted. She sighed and followed him towards the bathroom. She really wished, more than anything, that they could be in their couple's quarter's back at Balamb. That was home. This was a hotel, nothing more.
"I got something for you the other day in Balamb." He said, offhandedly. He tossed her something. A small box.
She looked at him quizically, and then opened it. It was a jewelry box; the kind rings come in.
She opened the jewelry box and gasped.
It was done in silver, with a black diamond (her favorite stone) set in the center. A small sapphire, a tiny ruby, a miniscule smokey yellow amber, and a little diamond were set around it, at equal parts.
"They represent the elements." Seifer said, sliding it onto her ring finger. He held her close. "Diamond is earth, ruby is fire, amber is wind, and sapphire is water."
"Black diamond?"
"The most important part; Spirit and heart." Seifer kissed her. "What do you say, Amy? Wanna imitate Squall and Rinoa? Laguna and Kira?"
Her mouth was hanging open as she stared into his emerald eyes.
"Well?" Seifer said, beginning to get nervous.
"What did you think I would say, you overgrown moron?" Amy retorted, kissing him fully. "Of course."
"I knew it."
"Of course you did."
"Amy, do you know what you're going to name our son?"
Amy grinned. "It's a girl, Seifer, sorry to disappoint you."
"Nuh uh!"
"I really do think so." Amy smiled. "And..." She looked outside. "I wanted to name her Edea."
Seifer looked at her in amazement, and then a grin slowly reached his eyes. "I think that's wonderful."
"A tribute."
"To the only mother I ever knew." Seifer whispered. He kissed her to seal the deal. Only when they parted did she sigh frustratedly.
"What?" He asked. He was a little confused.
"Do you know how difficult it is going to be to get leave for a honeymoon? Do you?"