AN: Hey guys. This will be my last chapter for a while because I'll be gone all summer. To tell the truth I wasn't planning on putting up another chapter before I left, and I probably should be packing right now, but Megan was ready for the kill if she had to wait that long for another chapter, so I figured what the heck, give it to her. Please review guys, because if I know my story is appreciated then I might find some nonexistant time this summer to do a some more work on my story, and if I do that, then all I have to do is put it into the computer and upload it.

The Wedding

Izayoi:

But those matters could no longer remain so heavily on my mind. My interests were concentrated on myself as I began to prepare for the wedding. My husband-to-be sent out a decree across the land announcing our betrothal. It made me wonder just how many people would show up. I hadn't seen anyone on the way here, but he was the lord of the lands and very few people would dishonor their lord by not showing up to his wedding.

But there was not time to dwell on this for very long, because he called for some demon women who began to make me a gown of the finest silks. The silks were even better than the ones I'd worn as a princess. I watched them work with the amazing grace that even the most skilled humans failed to possess.

Their delicate fingers worked wonders as they made a beautiful gown of the purest white.

As I watched them, another demon woman approached me. She was wearing a simple light blue dress with creamy white streaks down both sides. Her hair as a light brown color and greatly reminded me of straw. Her body was rather small and she curtsied gracefully before me.

"My lady, I have been sent to help you, by the lord himself, with whatever you may need." She said with a voice so soft it was barely above a whisper.

I realized right away that I liked this girl. Her appearance made it easy to see that she was nothing more than an ordinary village woman. She could have easily passed for a human, if she lost cat ears, whiskers, and tail. She was the kind of person I always wanted to get to know, but never could, because it was unbecoming of a princess to become friends with ordinary women, besides not one of them had ever shown even the slightest interest in being friends. When I looked into their eyes there was little respect, but this girl had eyes that shone with the light of friendship. She didn't respect me as a princess, nor did she look down upon me for being a human.

I smiled at her and said, "You can start by telling me your name."

She smiled back at me and told me that she was known as Cama. Cama and I started talking, and she really had a great sense of humor, and that was a rare trait in such quiet people, but she could make anything funny. Soon the demon women, who I had learned from Cama, were spider demons, they looked tremendously like humans, so I did not know what kind of demons they were, but they were obviously the best in the land at making fine cloths, were finished with my dress, and I gasped in pure awe of it. Words could never describe its beauty.

It was the purest white of anything I had ever seen in this world, and it glowed like the sun. The spider demon women then began to fit the dress to my body, so that it would only be able to fit me. A true one-of-a-kind.

As they worked diligently, there came a soft rap on the door. The door slowly opened and my love poked his head through the door.

Before he even had time to say hello, Cama was all over him. "Just what do you think your doing? It's bad luck for the husband to see his wife in her gown before the wedding!"

He did as she commanded. She was actually pretty scary, not someone I'd want to meet on a moonless night in a dark ally, but I could see why he had hand-picked her to be my assistant. Very few people would dare address their lord in such a manner. She had spunk. Another true one-of-a-kind.

Once the spider demon women were finished with my dress they patiently waited for my orders on what to do next.

"Make a dress for the matron of honor." The women stared at me with confusion on their faces, but it dissolved when I pointed to Cama.

However, at that instant it was Cama who had the look of confusion, not to mention shock. Her mouth fell open and her eyes got bigger than I though possible. She resembled a bug in such a way that my feeble attempts to control my laughter were to no avail. When I was able to regain control over myself, which was no easy task, Cama rushed up to me with a look of concern plaguing her face as she said, "My lady, I"
I cut her off abruptly and firmly corrected her, "Do not address me in such a way. It is not "my lady", I am just simple Izayoi."

"I am honored by your gesture my… I… I mean Izayoi, but a lowly demon like myself does not deserve such an honor."

I then had to explain something she couldn't understand, that she was my best friend and how I greatly wished for her to honor me by being the matron of honor in my wedding. After a long talk, she finally accepted the position, but it made her blush none the less.

Her gown was very beautiful, but if truth were to be told, it greatly fell short of my own, as should any matron of honor's dress compared to the bride's. Her dress was a peachy white, sleeveless thing with pearls encircling it from the waist down.

Her whole face was crimson and I could see that this gift I was giving her held greater value than anything else she possessed, perhaps not for its beauty, but the fact that it was a gift of kindness from her friend. It made me smile that such a simple gesture could bring her such happiness.

Both Cama and I spent endless hours being "fixed up". It was tiresome and I felt sure I would pass out long before the wedding even began.

Finally it was about to begin. As Cama and I waited, we found ourselves laughing like young school girls at the simplest things. Surprisingly, I was not nervous in the least, but I guess after you defy your parents, run away from home, and travel many moon cycles all in the name of love, there just isn't much more to be nervous about.

A veil hid my face from outside view, but I could clearly see row upon row of countless demons all setting in respective silence. There were far too many to think of counting them all, and I found myself wondering how such a vast number could have turned up in such a short time when the miles of woods around seemed to be uninhabited. I found had to repeatedly remind myself that he was their lord and that if they were dedicated enough to him, they would appear on the day of our union despite the distance of their travels, or whatever else they may have planned on doing, and the fact that he was going to web a human.

I was pleased to see that my love is in what I have come to call his "human form". I think he can sense that I like it best, not because he most resembles the men I have seen my whole life long, but because it was the first form I saw him in. I would take him in any form I could get him, but his "human form" will always be the one I cherish the most, besides if he were to take that huge dog form, there'd be no room for the guests.

The very idea of him in such a huge form, wearing wedding garments, while sitting on his guests, without the faintest idea of where everyone had gone, almost made me burst out laughing. Somehow I was able to stifle my laughter, which was as hard as a man walking on hot, burning coal without screaming. Believe it or not, despite all those incidents, I still managed to walk with all the grace and poise of a bride.

It seemed to take forever for me to finally reach where my love stood, waiting eagerly for me. I waited impatiently for the opening ceremonies to finish, and it took all my strength to keep me from throwing the flowers I was holding at the speaker and tell him to shut up, but soon these desires passed for ones to kiss my love.

I barely heard a word of the ceremony; it was all like a distant whisper in my ear. I could not look at the demon who married us either, as I could not bring my eyes to look away from the man I held dearer than anything else in the world. Then it was time for the kiss that would unify us forever.

I pulled back the veil and heard a soft gasp escape his throat, and his hand reached up slowly and touched my cheek so gently it felt nothing more than wind and with such care as though I would shatter if pressed too hard. I cleared my throat to remind him that he was supposed to be kissing me right about now.

He took the hint and put his hand around my waist and pulled my body close to his. I could feel the warmth of his body and it greatly comforted me. He leaned his face down next to mine and gave me what I had so long desired.

My first kiss, from my true love, that I would never forget as long as I drew breath. His lips were soft and gentle as they pressed against mine. I could taste them. I could taste him. I could taste everything about him and time once again stood still for me, yet this time was completely different from the last.