I've got to say that I really love you people. I opened my inbox and found all the reviews you guys sent me. They give me an idea as to how well I'm doing. I'm sure you guys feel the same way about your reviewers. Anywho how brown cow (where the hell did that come from?) just so you know, I've never written a wedding scene before so forgive me if this one sucks big time. I couldn't think of any other way than to use the movie's wedding ceremony. Now, its time to carry on where we left off! Shall we then?

Disclaimer: Harmonios is mine only! Mine! All mine! Lets out evil laugh

--------------

Chapter 8: The Wedding

Daine was rudely woken the next morning as several maids came barging in to the room. Yawning, she looked at the women questioningly.

Kitten let out an irritated chirp as the maids pulled her warm headrest out of the bed and started taking measurements.

"What's this all about?" Daine asked, still half asleep.

"It's your wedding day today milady. We need to get you dressed," One of the maids replied, measuring the girl's waist.

Daine stared at the women for a moment, then it finally came back to here as to why the women were there. "Oh, right…"

--------------

Daine looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was dressed in a sleeveless silk wedding gown with a wide neck and diamonds glittering down the front as wall as a small train. Her hair was up in a bun, though some of her stubborn brown curls had managed to pop out of the hairpins' hold. She hated how she looked, hated having to wear the damn thing. "It's for the country," She told the girl in the mirror, sighing. If the circumstances been different, she would've been more than happy to put on this dress and walk down to the temple of Harmonios and agree to matrimony. If only it was a different man she was to marry.

There was a soft knock at the door and a maid poked her head inside. "It's time, milady."

Nodding, Daine picked up her skirts and began to follow the woman down the corridor when there was a sudden extra weight on the train of her dress. Looking back, she found kitten sitting on the trailing fabric. She shook her head and pointed to the door. "No. You should stay here, Kit. I'll be back."

The dragonet chirped disapprovingly.

"You can't come with me. Be good and stay here." She lifted Kitten off her train and set the dragonet on the floor. "No go back into the room, please."

Kitten gave out an angry growl from deep in her throat, but obediently went back inside.

That done, Daine continued to follow the maid to the palace's privet temple of Harmonios.

----------------

As he rode towards the palace, there was a thought that kept tugging at the back of Numair's mind that wouldn't go away. What if she's already married? If that was the case, then there would be no way for him to intervene. Daine… There was no one in the courtyard when he arrived. Where was everyone? He picketed his horse and began to look around. Just as he had entered the entrance hall, a scarlet blur whizzed passed him.

The blur stopped abruptly on seeing the mage. It was Kitten. She turned and marched back to him, chirping excitedly. She grabbed the leg of his breeches in her mouth and tugged.

"What is it? Where's Daine?" He asked the dragonet.

She continued to tug hard, stopping briefly to continue her hurried chirping. She ran ahead, turned around, and chirped louder.

Does she want me to follow her? He wondered, but followed her anyways, knowing she'd lead him to Daine.

-----------------

To her, the world had come to an end. First the loss of the man she truly loved, now she had volunteered herself to marry to a man she didn't. Grimly, Daine looked at the carvings on the door of the temple as she waited for it to be time. Her eyes shifted their gaze as the doors moaned open. Taking a deep breath, she began to walk towards the altar where a young man and a priest waited for her. Standing before the altar, she had never felt so tense in her whole life. The priest began to speak, but she wasn't listening. His sweet words continued to echo through her mind.

------------------

In the realm of the gods, Sarrah and Weiryn stood before a man.

"Isn't there anything you can do? You are the god of Peace, Love, and, Harmony. She is getting married in your temple in a country where you are considered one of the greater gods," Sarrah argued.

"I'm afraid that there would have to be some proof that there's still love between them in order for me to do anything. I can't break up a wedding unless I can see the reason with my own eyes," the man replied.

"Sometimes I wonder how you ever became a god, Harmonios," Weiryn said.

The man just shrugged.

--------------------

"He beat us here," Raoul remarked, dismounting and pointing to the picketed animal not far away.

"Let's just hope we're not too late," Buri replied.

"Yes, let's hurry!" Shinko was already halfway to the large doors.

The others trailed behind her as quickly as they could.

Daine knows…but how am I going to explain this to Numair? Perin wondered, hesitating before following them.

-----------------------

Daine's shaking hand lightly clasped the golden goblet filled with pure water. She gazed into the liquid, but didn't see her own reflection. To her eyes the image in the water was Numair. She raised the glass when the priest asked and he began to tie a sky coloured cloth around it.

No sooner had the priest lowered his hands did the fabric burst into flames.

Surprised and frightened, Daine dropped her glass. She looked around for the source of the fire. Her jaw dropped when her eyes rested upon the tall figure standing in the temple doorway. Her heart seemed to skip a few beats as she whispered, "Numair…"

-------------------------

Cliff hanger. My cousin Ghost in the Mirror's famous for those. Now it's starting to rub off on me. Speaking of my cousin, for any Final Fantasy fans, she has this really great Final Fantasy VII/The Little Mermaid fic.

nicolerenea: Most people reading this have, I think. Thanks though.

CodeRomance: Well, It would be exactly like the movie but with different characters if I didn't add some originality to it. I really can't see dragons have god rights in Tortall so I made up my own. It was either that or one of the Tortallian gods Laughs at thought of wedding taking place in the temple of Mithros. Thanks for thinking of Harmonios as a great idea.

NealsChick: I'm glad you're pumped for the Alanna/Mulan fic, but it might take me a little while before I can actually start writing it. I need to find the movie and watch it all over again (I haven't watched it in a long time). I'll try to make the up dates longer. I can't make any promises, but I'll try.

Wanderer of Dreams: I think most people did like that part. It's good to get stuff like that into your stories, it makes things more interesting.

Mikey's Kunoichi: That's great to hear. An' don't worry about not reviewing sooner. You can review whenever you want to and have the chance to. By the way, I read the advice you gave me for my other story but never got around to properly thanking you. It really helped. Thanks.